Summarizing...

So I've never liked how my TE expects me to introduce reading comprehension strategies at the beginning of the year. They're like... "Hey, you could jut quickly teach one strategy a day for a week and be great! Your kids are definitely going to learn each strategy after reading one story!..." This year, I decidedto do things my way (thank you private school for allowing me the freedom to pretty much do whatever I want)!! Here's to hoping I made the right decision!

Last week we only focused on summarizing (we'll add synthesizing later... one step at a time). After attending a short, but helpful seminar on reading comprehension, I put together a new summarizing anchor chart.

With each step, the kids and I say what we're doing while simultaneously performing a small hand gesture. For "stop," we hold our hand up. We point to our big brains while saying "think about the story," and we cup our hands around our mouth for "say it on your own words." Let me tell you, it's a lot easier to see who is particpiating and who isn't when there's movement involved!

The first story we tried out this strategy on was There is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems. This is one of my absolute favorite stories to read alound!! I really get into the different character voices and the kids are shocked when I actually yell!! Since it was a short story we didn't need to stop and summarize throughout. We read the whole thing (twice because it's so much fun) and then summarized. I have mentioned that for longer  stories we will stop after reading a few pages. Anyways, after reading, together we recited the steps for summarizing. Then we did it! We used our own words to retell what had happened. Since this was our first go around, I went with a simple picture answer. Again, this story is perfect because the illustrations are simple enough that the kids feel comfortable attempting to recreate them. Plus it helps that I do my own rendering on the board :) Exibit A...

The next day we remembered the steps to summarizing and read another story. Again, it was short enough for us to read without stopping to summarize. This time I had the students write sentences. They were able to tell about what happened using their own words. I know it doesn't show below, but trust me... wer're going to need A LOT of work on retelling ONLY the important parts. I present you with Exibit B...

Wouldn't you know it, I forgot to take a picture of this :/

On Friday, we read Bear's Loose Tooth. This time, we worked as a class to write one fluid summary instead of a couple of sentences that answered questions. Exibit C...

If only I can get them to draw with more effort. I've NEVER had this problem!! Usually first graders love to draw!! But this class, they really like drawing in only one color and leaving out most details. Yikes! Any suggestions? 

On a completely unrelated note... I just finished my Common Core Collection for first grade! Wow!! This is by far the most time consuming project I have taken on! I was excited when I began, extremely fatigued and doubting myself in the middle, and now relieved and proud that it's finished!!

This journal is 88 pages long and the perfect way to showcase your students' skills! I plan on working in this journal all year long, addressing one standard at a time after it's been taught. Our school has a book binding machine so I'll be laminating the covers and assembling them tomorrow. I'm soooooo excited to actually see the hard copy! And as a treat for my beloved followers (and for those of you who somehow happened to make it to the bottom) I'm giving away 5 free copies! If you would like one, please leave me a comment (including email address) letting me know how you teach one  (any) reading comprehension strategy. I'm always looking for new ideas to incorporate into my lessons! So, whatcha got?!

Best wishes,

Sale...

I'm having a sale in celebration of the 10th anniversary of my 21st birthday!! Everything in my TpT store will be 20% off all weekend! So head on over and stock up!

Best wishes,

Have you filled a bucket...

One of the perks of working at a small private school is getting to know all of the students, not just your own. I can name everyone on the playground which comes in handy when someone climbing dangerously high on the jungle gym or trying to flood the sandbox... again. I know most students pretty well before they ever step foot through my door. With that being said, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I began school this year. And I knew that this class was definitely going to need a lot of positive reinforcement right off the bat. I decided to finally try this bucket thing I've been hearing soooooo much about. In years past, I've always had a "Something to Smile  About" board. I would put pictures of the kids up, they would draw and color their bodies and then anyone could attach a note to it at any time. Let me tell you, the kids absolutely light up when they see something clipped to their doll!! What I like about this bucket idea is that there is a cute story to go with it. So, here's how I've implemented bucket filling in my class so far...

First, I played a YouTube video of someone reading the story. My students always pay more attention when my projector is on, so I figured I would take advantage of it!

Then we recalled details from the story about how to be a bucket filler and a bucket dipper. We wrote our thoughts down on post-its and stuck them on the door. That night, I typed up their thoughts, cleaned up a few spelling and grammar errors, and laminated them. They now permanently hang as reminders of what to do and what not to do.

We also colored our own buckets. This is where we put our "bucket notes."I hot glued them to the paper on my closet door. At the top of the bucket I attached a paper clip (also with hot glue) so the notes can slide on and off easily.

The next day we watched the story again talked about how we feel when our buckets are full. After deciding it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside, we brainstormed a list of ways to fill others buckets. Then we wrote...

I love how she tried to make the bucket look like the one in the story!

Some kids couldn't quite understand that the bucket was imaginary!

Love!

 
Ah, yes... a video game reference. What day would be complete without one??

And my favorite! I wonder if she knows my birthday is this weekend?!

I can't remember where I got the worksheets from. I actually printed them last year, but never used them. I'm sure if you do a google search you can find something comparable out there. If it's ours, or you recognize it, let me know and I'll leave a link!!

So far, the kids are LOVING this bucket filling! They take their bucket notes out to recess to show them off to their friends. I've even caught a few girls writing bucket notes in class!! Let's just hope they keep it up. Plus, I'll be letting the parents know about our"bucket notes" during back to school night next week.

If you would like to see another awesome post about bucket filling from another awesome teacher, visit The First Grade Parade. She's always a great resource!

Well, I'm off to get an early start on my birthday celebration! Be on the look out for an upcoming TpT sale and some great tips for teaching summarizing! Have a great Hump Day (what's let of it)!

Best wishes,

Back to school and a tour...

Ohmiword!! I cannot believe it has been over 2 weeks since my last post!! It's also been about that long since my last blog stalking session! I'm not quite sure how I managed to survive! The end of the summer came quickly and let's just say I wasn't giving it up without a fight! There were a few last minute trips with friends and family. There were a few shopping sprees. Not to mention a few days pool side. But at last, it's back to the grind.

I officially returned last week, but didn't get to see my kiddos until Monday. These past few days have been a blur of catching up, reviewing, assessing and practicing! We've been so busy, I haven't had much time to take pictures of all the action. So, you'll have to make due with a little glimpse into my little classroom...

Welcome to my home away from home. This is a view of my desk with my claendar wall and a few bulleton boards behind it. Like I've said before, my room is super teeny and I have to share it with their foreign language teacher. I'm so jealous of all of you out there with writing tables, word walls, meeting areas...

Here is my beautiful reading corner. You can see many of my Made it Monday projects here! The kids think the love sack (AKA the big red pillow) is the coolest thing inthe whole world!

The cubbies (without name tags). I snuck these pictures in before I arranged the desks. This is where the kidlets store their backpack during the day.

Another view of my bulletin boards. To the left is my color chart and rules. I store my centers and daily supplies on the small shelves underneath. The black bin is for our OWL books and the blue (the only thing I didn't spray paint this summer, hehe) holds our journals, some manipulatives, and crayons. And try as I did, I was not able to resist turning my lanterns into owls.  He's got his back to you, but they are used for center work. Yup, the kids go to whatever numbered owl I say and sit on the floor. Gasp! I know!

A few days later I was able to get my "Whooo" has a writer's eye? posters up. The kids are already referencing them as they write! Hallelujah!!

Ah, my closet! I am a NEAT FREAK! I spent some time at the end of last year rearranging everything. I'm still not happy with the top shelf. To be honest, I never am. The second shelf holds most of my misc supplies for art, measurement, counting, dressing up... The third shelf (now) is stocked full of kleenex and Clorox, two things I absolutely cannot live without!! The bottom shelf is where I store my centers. I have two bins, one for math and one for literacy. I keep the corresponding response sheets in 2 three-ring binders behind my desk. On the floor, I have my large bulletin board displays in a rolley (yes, it's a word) container.

This is what my closet looks like when the door is closed. I have a chart to track their math facts progress, some buckets (not pictured) to be filled, and a behavior sticker chart at the bottom. 

Now it's your turn to link up and show off your space!

Since I can't show pictures of my kids actually doing their activities, I thought I would just let you know what I'm using...

I have always and will always be an Anna Brantley fan. I have most of her centers! Right now, we're working through her Back to School math. During Language Arts, I'm concentrating on reviewing the alphabet, assessing and introducing some reading comprehension strategies.

Next week, we will be working on some of my centers!!

In my spare time (HA) I managed to transfer all of my gazillion files to a new laptop AND complete my common core "I can" statements for first, second and kinder. If you're interested, you cancheck them out at my TpT store.

On a final note, I'm super duper close to reaching 100 followers. I've got some great prizes lined up from some fabulous fellow bloggers. So, put the word out! Let's get this giveaway going!!

Hope your first week/second week/last week of summer is going well!

Best wishes,

Calling all shopaholics...

As I'm sure many of you already know, TpT and numerous teachers are having a HUGE Back to School Sale this weekend! 

I am so excited to stock up on so many goodies for this year! If you're going to be taking advantage of the savings, hop on over to my little store! I have plenty of NEW owl and pirate (yes, I said pirate) themed items, Back to School centers, plus some common core posters that are sure to come in handy! Make sure you enter code BTS12 at checkout to receive the additional 10% off!!

In celebration of this awesome event, I've linked up with Blog Hoppin. For those of you who REALLY love shopping, set aside some time NOW and check out all these wonderful store who are also participating in the sale!

Also, thank you so much to all of my new followers! I've almost hit 100 and have managed to round up some good freebies for my upcoming giveaway! Be on the look out!

That's all for now. Short, sweet, and to the point!

Best wishes,

Giveaways, donations, and a sale... oh my!

T - 14 days!! I honestly cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by! Although I really have been enjoying this expensive creative summer, I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into the class! I miss the friendly faces, juvenile jokes, and brilliant breakthroughs! Plus, now that summer's almost over, it means TpT is having a SALE!! If you're anything like me, your wishlist is overflowing with purchases ready to be swipped up at a discounted price! I somehow managed to week my list down to 17 items. We'll see how many Hubbs will actually allow me to get away with. So mark your calendars for August 12 and 13!

I will be marking everything in my store 20% off! I know a lot of other teachers are doing the same, too. So put that Starbucks down and save your change for a few more days!

Here are some of the fabulous products you can find in my store...

Owl and Polka Dot Calendar and Classroom Super Pack

Owl and Polka Dot Reading Strategies and Skills posters

"Whooo" has a writers eye? Writing Posters

"Whooo's" Ready for First Grade Back to School Math and Literacy Centers

Leaping into Learning Back to School Math and Literacy Centers

Applelicious Apples

Spooky October Centers

Veterans Day Math and Literacy Activities and Centers

And announcing my newest creation...

ELA and Math Common core I Can Statements for First Grade

It includes a poster for each standard, written in kid friendly language, and corresponding graphic. I made them with a simple border to they could be the perfect match to any classroom theme. I hope you like 'em!

Believe it or not, I didn't show you all of my products. So head on over to my TpT store and check 'em all out! There's even a few freebies you may want to get your hands on!

I know you think you're on picture and link overload now, but you're not!! Bare with me! My sweet bloggy friend Mrs. G. at Teach on a Limb reached 100 followers and is having a giveaway! My Owl and Polka Dot Calendar and Classroom Super Pack is one of the fabulous prizes up for grabs. So hurry on over and enter! You have until Friday.

And finally, speaking of 100 followers... I'm sooo close! And in true teacher blog tradition, I'm planning a giveaway! I'm looking for a few lovely ladies to generously donate some of their goodies and be a part of this historic event (LOL, I'm a big deal in my mind...  not really)! If you're interested in teaming up, please email me at rjohnson@agminassianschool.org.

Okay, I honestly can't think of anything else to include. Aren't you glad?!?

Best wishes,

Made (way too much of) It Monday...

Ohmigoodness! I have got to stop blog stalking and pinning! You all have WAAAYY too many good ideas! This is what I was able to accomplish this week...

The grossly popular seat crates. I tried to resist, but couldn't. I have such a tiny room that I always thought, "there's no space." I finally realized that these would be great in my reading corner. Just wait until I can get into my room and set it all up!!

The tattle monster was another great pinterest inspired project. Hopefully this will eliminate the mindless tattle telling that goes on day-to-day. There's a poster I'm going to print and laminate that goes with it, too.

Here's my no name board. I forgot to take the little pieces of paper out of the clip before I took this picture. Whoopsie!

Here's my writing process pencil. Again, this is one of those ideas I have seen over and over, but thought I didn't need it. Now that I've come to my sense, I'm excited to laminate this and post it with my writing process posters!

Last, but not least, this week I wrapped up my latest TpT product. May I present...

Owl and Polka Dot Reading Strategies and Skills

Aren't they just adorable?! The first 5 to say they are will get 'em for free!

As if that wasn't enough, I'm almost finished with my Common Core packet. Be on the look-out (you know I like giving things away)!!

I know it's late, but there's still time to link up and show up whatcha got!

Best wishes,