Five for Friday: Halloween Week

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for 

Friday. 
  

Well... we survived another full week filled with a full moon and Halloween excitement.  I cannot believe we are turning the calendar to November... oh how the time flies!  

I love this time of the year and have started listening to Christmas music already.  Is anyone else excited that Hallmark Channel is beginning to air Christmas movies starting tomorrow!!!  

Here are a few highlights from our week... THE longest week ever!!

ONE: Sentences and Punctuation
This week we learned about the different kinds of sentences and what kinds of punctuation go with each sentence.  I first introduced the 3 different types of sentences and then I read the book Exclamation Mark.  What a phenomenal book.  The kids loved it and it was a great segue into what kind of punctuation mark goes with each sentence.  

The following day we reviewed each type of sentence as well as the punctuation marks and then I sent groups to write their own sentence for each type.  We got some great sentences.   Perhaps the best part was seeing my kiddos use what they've learned during our ELA rotations as they created their own sentences for new sight words or short vowel words they built.

TWO: Math Games
I usually try to keep my math games non-holiday specific so we can continue to use the games throughout the year.  But this week I wanted to add some "spooky" fun to our math workshop block.  My kiddos enjoyed these odd even and addition sum games this week.  

  THREE: Bats
My kiddos LOVED learning about bats this year.  They stopped anyone they could this week to tell them what we learned about bats.  It's so great to teach 6 and 7 year olds... they are excited about everything!  To finish our bat unit today I invited parents in to help us make this bat craft where we could showcase three facts we learned about bats.

FOUR: Comprehension Strategies

 Nothing makes me happier than when I see my kiddos using strategies I taught in small group during our reading workshop block.  This week I had several students anxiously waiting to show me how they used a strategy in their independent reading books.  So proud of them!

Five: Halloween

Our school has an annual Halloween parade each year so our day is filled with Halloween excitement.  This morning we had a small snack to celebrate the holiday while we watched the movie Spookley the Square Pumpkin.  The kids loved this movie and they actually watched it... shocking I know!  I decided to bring in some fruit for my kids to enjoy as well... they'll be getting enough candy this weekend. The big hit was the apple peeler that created "snake apples" as the kids called them!

Happy Halloween!

 Don't forget to visit Doodle Bugs Teaching!

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Five for Friday: October 23rd

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for 
Friday. 
  

I took a few weeks off from blogging... the school year is really in full swing now!  I thought I'd take a week to share some of the organization tips that have been keeping me sane the last few weeks!

ONE: Rotation Boards
We do math and reading in small groups in our classroom so each day we rotate through math and ela workstations.  That being said I've been using our classroom Promethean Board to display our rotation boards.  I've created a powerpoint and a Promethean Board flipchart to display the groups and their stations for the day and it's really worked out well.  

When I used pocket charts in the past I would laminate the cards with kids names and then it was just another something I had to do when it was time to switch up the groups. I'm able to switch students in and out of groups quickly with these files and the kids have had no trouble rotating with them.  I also like projecting the rotation boards onto the big screen because I can see it from where I work with small groups at the back of the room.  If a kids comes in during the middle of rotations I can be sure he or she gets to where they need to be quickly.  

 

I redacted the names on the boards but for the math board I left how we organize the math tub games and the math journals.  The L, R, and C for the math tub games tells the kids where they will be playing their game each day.  Their spot in the room doesn't change unless their math buddy changes.  The 1-4 on the math journal rotation tells the kids what table to work at.  I like the kids to complete the journal independently so I try to spread them around the room... less of a management issue.   

TWO: Math Supplies
I'm lucky enough to do math workshop right after our lunch period so I always have a few minutes to put out math supplies before the kiddos return to our room.  But I always struggled with collecting the math workmats and markers my kids were using during the whole group portion of our workshop block.  
I finally decided to put a marker and eraser in a pencil box and buddied the kids up for the whole group portion of my lesson and it's worked wonders.  Not only is putting the supplies away quick and easy and allows us to move on, I love that my kids are working with a buddy to "talk math".  

  

    THREE: Notes

I'm forever collecting data and taking notes and I finally have a system that's been working for me.  I've taken some manila folders and I've given each of my kiddos an index card in the folder.  Then I staggered the cards as I taped them down so I have an entire class set of cards that I can write on.  I've been putting the folders on clipboards and I can carry the clipboards around the room as I conference with kids or as I need to jot down some things I'm observing.  
I have folders for anecdotal notes, reading workshop, writing workshop, math and to keep track of any intervention groups that I pull.  This truly has been a life saver for me this year.  Pardon the shorthand and scribbles in the pictures... these are meant to be quick notes for me as I complete weekly comments and plan lessons for our week!

FOUR: Writing Workshop Conference Notes

Each weekend I bring home writing workshop folders to look at my kiddos writing work from the week.  This helps me to figure out some teaching points I want to hit during the week ahead as I conference with each of my kiddos.  We don't always get to these points as some other issue may come up as we conference, but I like to have a starting point.  
I created this sheet so I could write down the areas I want to talk about in our conference and then I have a a small area where I can take notes.  This has really been working for me as it's an easy way to keep track of conferences from week to week.  

Five: Small Group Reading Lessons

I am in LOVE with this book... so easy to plan and organize small group reading lessons with this resource.  The book has tons of strategies and it helps me to make sure my kids are being taught valuable reading strategies when we meet in small groups.  

Have a great weekend!

 Don't forget to visit Doodle Bugs Teaching!

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Five for Friday: Oct. 9th

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for 
Friday. 
  

Here are a few, quick highlights from our crazy busy week! 

ONE: Reading Workshop
Reading workshop is in full swing in our classroom.  We've built our stamina, we've learned how to shop for books (this is still so stressful for me), and we're now learning about decoding strategies to help us read.  

My kids did a great job picking book nooks this week and were able to read independently while I conferenced with a bunch of students.  These book boxes and carpet squares (rectangles) have been a great addition to our reading workshop time each day! 

I really tried to allow my kiddos to shop for their books in our classroom library this week without me hovering!  This is so stressful to me because I feel like I need to control this process.  But... my kids did a great job returning books and then selecting new books.  They were even able to log in their new titles without my monitoring of this task.

TWO: Sight Word Games
It's always amazing to me that something so simple can make 6 year old so happy.  This week we used our Spin It, Read It, Find It games to practice reading new sight words.  I love these games because they don't require a ton of prep.  The kids love this activity because I have a class full of students that love playing games... I'll be sure to use this to my advantage all year!

  

    THREE: Fire Safety

Firefighters visited our school today and our class was buzzing by 9:01.  I came across this book yesterday to add to my fire safety activity we completed at the end of the day today.  I'm so glad I found it... I really need a list of all the books I have to use during lessons because I swear I forget about half the books I could be using!  Does anyone else feel this way?

FOUR: Interactive ELA Notebooks 

Our interactive ELA notebooks are really working with these kiddos... after many weeks of modeling I feel like we have the routines down!  Thank goodness!! I really enjoy these notebooks because the kids get an opportunity to apply what they've learned.  

Five: Happy Halloween

I decorated for Halloween last Thursday (October 1st) but I didn't get a chance to share the picture last week... kiddos loved the little touches of Halloween around the room. 

Pardon the air conditioning... the district covers them up but does not remove them for the winter.  The best picture comes in December when I decorate for Christmas with the air as a background!

Happy Fall Y'all!

 Don't forget to visit Doodle Bugs Teaching!

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Peek at my Week: October 5th

I'm linking up with Mrs. Wills Kindergarten for a Peek at My Week! Just checking in with a few highlights for our upcoming week!

Click on my plans for more details and hyperlinks.

Our reading program begins with a review of letter and short vowel sounds so we spent much of the month of September working on kindergarten skills.  This works well because it frees up some time to get procedures and routines in place for the rest of the year .

 This week we'll finally begin our formal spelling program and we'll begin with the short a pattern.  To introduce each spelling word I will say the word, then the kids will say it, clap it, figure out the number of syllables and then use it in a sentence.   Then as a class we'll stretch out the words to hear all the sounds and then record each word on a spelling recording sheet. 

I like to have the kids work with the sounds and then use the spelling pattern to spell the  words because they can see how to use letter sounds and patterns to spell these words not only for the test on Friday but in their daily writing as well.  

 For our word work station this week the kids will use magnets and a recording sheet like they've been using the past few weeks.  

The kids will also get to build short a words with these clothespins.  In previous weeks the kids have had to read a word and the build it.  This week I want them to have a bit of a challenge at the word work station.  This activity requires the kids to use their knowledge of letter sounds and the short a pattern to help them spell these words and then record the words on the page.  

Set up for this station is quite easy... all I did was write letters on the end of clothespins.  Then I placed the pins in this organizer I picked up at Lowe's and the kids have access to all the letters they will need to build these words.

  
We'll continue to use this work station rotation board.  It worked  well last week and the kids were bummed when we didn't get to do all three rotations.  They keep telling me how much they LOVE rotations.  My teacher heart is so happy!  I think they're loving the ability to pick what they want to work on at each station.  I also think they love to use what they view as "teacher supplies" at these stations.  Can't wait to see what this week brings.  

In math this week we'll be working with different ways to make numbers.  This hula hoop will be used to help us understand the commutative property.  I began this concept on Friday when I flipped the hoop and the sum didn't change.  The kids were so excited to see this and it really helped them to "get it".  I'm hoping that using it again this week will help them to really understand and apply the commutative property.  

This week we'll also have a fire safety presentation on Friday and to go along with the presentation we'll read a Scholastic News that includes fire safety tips.  After the presentation and reading the Scholastic News we'll complete this worksheet where the kids can write about one fire safety tip they learned throughout the day.  Then they'll color their hat and I'll use the hats to create a fire safety bulletin board in our hallway.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Have  a great week!!

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Five for Friday: October 2nd

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for 
Friday. 
  

Here are some highlights from our week! 

ONE: Reading Workshop Assessments
After reading the Literacy Teacher's Playbook by Jennifer Serravallo I was inspired to use a reading interest inventory with my kiddos this year.  I finally finished the inventory this week and I'm so glad I did it.  I learned some great information from my kids that I wouldn't have otherwise known.  This will help me as we move forward during our reading workshop time and as I begin planning my small group lessons.  

Please excuse the terrible handwriting... just wanted to jot notes as quickly as possible to get these done!  This kiddo LOVES scary books and movies... a kid after my own heart.  I never would have guessed she was into scary "stuff"!

TWO: Word Work Station

During our word work station this week my kiddos built short e and short u words using magnets.  After they built the words I had them record the words using crayons (red and blue) to match the magnets.  Such a great way to show the kids the difference between the consonants and vowels in each of these CVC words.  

    THREE: Word Families

We've been working with word families since the beginning of the year.  Each week we have used a different format to build and write these words.  I wanted my kids to have different kinds of practice with word families so they would be ready to use these materials at the word work station. 

This week we've been studying apples so we wrote words on apples on our Promethean Board.  The kids got a kick out of this scene.  

FOUR: Interactive ELA Notebooks 

This week we really got into our interactive ELA notebooks. On the right hand side of the notebook I introduce a new skill or new words.  On the left side the kids use what they learned to apply the skill or use the words in sentences.  We've been taking this really slow so that in the coming weeks the kids will be able to do this on their own.  

Five: Assessments

I'm almost done with my September assessments... I know it's October but it's only October 2nd so I just missed my self-imposed deadline!  This week I got almost all my running records completed.  I also finished up some math assessments as well as a spelling inventory.  I love looking at the results of the spelling inventory and beginning sounds assessment.  All these assessments give me a sense of where my kids are and helps me to plan word work, reading and math activities for the whole class as well as individual students.

My goal for this weekend is to really take a close look at all the assessments to help me "get to know" my learners to best meet their needs in the coming weeks.  I also want to begin planning some intervention activities for some of the Kindergarten skills my kiddos need some additional practice with.  

Have a great weekend.  Don't forget to visit Doodle Bugs Teaching!

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