Tips to share and a flash freebie!

Hi Friends!

I want to share a two of my favorite things with you...

One...
This year, because we adopted Common Core a week before school started, and because our school can't afford to purchase any new curriculum materials, we have been bouncing around checking out curriculum materials that other schools have already put together. The best thing I have learned from all of this research so far, is a method for teaching addition with mental math. It's so simple, yet so effective.

I have always taught my little ones to "count on" when adding, but it never really stuck that well. This lesson from NYS teaches the kids to touch their heads and put the bigger number in there. So for 6+3, they would touch their heads and exaggerate the number, "Siiiiiiiiiix," then use fingers to add 3 more saying, "seven, eight, nine." I watch kids now doing math and I see them touching their heads all the time. I teach K/1 and even the Ks are doing it fluently now rather than using fingers for everything. I LOVE it!!

Two...
FLUENCY TRIANGLES!!!! The Florida Center for Reading Research supports the use of fluency triangles, and I didn't know they existed until earlier this year. The ones on their site are mostly for later elementary students. But, I have found that they are simply amazing for the little ones, too. When I first discovered them, I made a pre-primer set and laminated them. The kids were immediately successful and started asking if they could read them when they finished their work. They were feeling like readers!! Then I added them to my daily language arts lessons on the smartboard and had even more success. It recently occurred to me that if they made their own as part of their word work, they could take them home and have their own sets to practice with. I would love for you to try them yourselves. For the rest of this week, I am having a flash freebie on my Primer set of Make-Your-Own Fluency Triangles. Grab it by clicking on the flash freebie link above.

Please comment and leave your favorite tip for us!!

Enjoy! And have a terrific week!!
Annie

March fluency triangles are ready!

Well - crossing everything didn't help. We still had a snow day. On the plus side, I finished my March-themed fluency triangles! Woo hoo! This is the Pre-Primer set, there are also sets for Primer and first grade Dolch words. You can pick them up in my TPT store. Just click the link below.

Fluency Triangles

Just one more Dr. Seuss post!

Hi Friends! Happy Tuesday!

I am loving this sunny weather. The kids came inside after (FINALLY) having some outdoor recess, and they were complaining as their eyes adjusted. First time they've seen the sun since 1926 I guess. Oh to have the troubles of a 6-year-old.

And, I thought I was done posting about Dr. Seuss, but I can't help it - these are SO cute! Unfortunately, I can't take credit for them. A colleague of mine did these with her students and I asked her if I could share. She just hand made some tracers for them and let them have at it. AWESOME!!

Crossing my fingers, toes, legs, eyes...what else can I cross to assure that we don't get another snow day tomorrow?

Happy Trails!

Freebie!

This is one of my favorite alphabet workshops. I love watching the kids giggle as they crawl and zoom around their tables. Click here to pick it up for free!

 :) Happy Saturday!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Do you know who I love, love, love? Dr. Jean!! I got a chance to spend a day at one of her seminars and we had a blast. What I REALLY, REALLY love about her is that she sends out a daily email. She believes in movement and song and every day I get a great email full of little tidbits. Here's a tidbit from today's email:

Body Sentences 
Student stands with hands in the air to represent a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence. 
The student says each word and takes a step in between to represent spaces. 
The student punches out a “period” at the end.

How cute is that? You can sign up for her daily emails here:
http://drjeanandfriends.blogspot.com/

Have a great Saturday!

Even More Dr. Seuss Treats!

Here are two more Dr. Seuss treats. The first one is a Cat in the hat treat made from marshmallows and Fuit by the Foot. What a task! That mom had a load of patience and some sticky fingers I'm guessing. I didn't think the kids would eat much of them, but they gobbled them up! The second idea comes from a lovely health conscious teacher in my building. She wanted to avoid the green dye and make something yummy for Green Eggs and Ham day. She sliced some asian pears and some kiwi and VOILA! Healthy, non-dyed, hope the kids will love them Green Eggs and Ham treats! LOVE IT!

More Dr. Seuss treats!! Don'tchya just LOVE parents....and Pinterest?

Hi Friends!

I need to preface this post with a confession. I am an exclamation mark addict. I overuse them and I know it!!! I can't help it!!! I warned you....please read on.

Dr. Seuss Week is here! It's one of my favorite weeks of the year, though I'm thoroughly tongue-tied by the end of it all. Have you ever tried to read, "If I Ran the Circus," out loud? That's a mouthful and a half!

Each day, we use one Dr. Seuss book as our theme:

Monday: The Cat in the Hat - Hat day.
Tuesday: Horton Hatches an Egg - Kids get to bring a stuffed animal or a doll (something to take care of).
Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday, of course! Wacky dress-up day.
Thursday: The Sleep Book - Pajama day.
Friday: Green Eggs and Ham - Dress in green.

On Monday we made these YUMMY green eggs. I walked into Meijer one day, and they were making them for people to sample. Thanks Meijer! They are just Nilla Wafers with vanilla pudding (dyed green) on them. The sprinkles just make them look cute. The kids groaned a bit when I walked in with green pudding, but once they tasted it, they were aaaall about it!

On Monday, the kids also painted themselves as the Cat in the Hat. Sooooo cute! I like to give the directions for an art project without an example. That way they all turn out differently!

We still have 3 days to go. WOO HOO! Talk to you soon!

Annie

Right Track Reading

I have a few students this year who don't seem to hang on to sight words. I was doing a lot of research about it and found this reading program. It is meant to be a one-on-one program for tutoring struggling readers. I am squeezing it in whenever I can with a few students and it seems to be working really well. I am wondering if anyone else has used this program, and if so, how did it go? 

Thanks!

Jumping in with both feet!

I've been thinking about blogging for a long time, but it seems like such a daunting task! I finally got motivated to jump in after several days with the flu. Lotsa' thinking time when you can't move lest you vomit. Just trying to figure out how to set up the page was enough to make me run screaming back to the hole in my couch, but I'm still here, piecing things together, googling help, and hoping I'll figure it all out eventually.

I teach in a multi-age classroom, which I ADORE! I think the kindergartners learn so much from the first graders, both academically and socially. It can be a challenge to differentiate at times, but we all deal with that! An even bigger challenge for me this year is that my kiddos are SO FULL of energy! I have been working hard to keep them moving, engaged and happy. Different mixes of students sure can shake you up. Between the Common Core (which we just adopted this year) and my lovely little wiggle worms, I think I have revamped every single thing this year. They way I run groups, workshops, teach lessons, do morning work, all of it! It's been a struggle, but it has definitely made me a better teacher.

My goal with this blog is to share some of the great things I have learned, and hopefully to learn even more from all of you brilliant teachers out there.

Do your kids need to move more, too? Click on the "Move Your Body" link to the right and you'll be taken to my Pinterest page for brain breaks. I have been slowly collecting great dance songs that I use throughout the day. Enjoy! And thanks for listening :)