Showing posts with label 1st grade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1st grade. Show all posts
Friday, September 15, 2017
How to Incorporate ELA Skills in the K-1st Science Classroom
If you teach K-2nd, you know that you have a certain amount of minutes dedicated to each subject. Yet the increasing rigor in the standards require kinder teachers to have their class reading by the end of the year. So, we find ways to incorporate ELA skills into content areas while still teaching content area standards. How can we do this successfully?
1. Find grade level text that talks about what you're teaching. Some good resources are reading a to z. While most of their readers don't directly meet the standards, I have had luck finding books there that can be used for certain lessons. This, this, and this science predictable readers meet the Texas kinder TEKS. They include a predictable reader and a video that reads the book aloud to be used for a shared reading. These will soon be a part of a bundle.
Whichever resource you choose, you can have it available after your unit is complete. It can be put in your science center, or in children's book boxes, depending on what their independent reading level is.
2. Follow a 5E lesson plan. (Engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate). If you follow this format for math and science, you will more than likely have to find text to go with the "explain" portion of your lesson. Sometimes you'll be able to fit it in to the "elaborate" portion as well! In the "explain" or"elaborate" portion of your lesson you can also incorporate a written response, which brings me to my next point...
3. Incorporate a written response or reflection at some point in your lesson. If you're doing a science experiment that day, you could have them write their prediction right before you've told them the experiment and they're excited about it. If you've just explored hands on materials for a lesson you're teaching, take the time to have them reflect. First they tell their impressions to a buddy (as a pre-writing activity). Then have them go to their seat and quietly reflect in their science notebook about their findings.
This blog post was written by Teacherof20, TpT seller, blogger, and SAHM to two great kids!
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Valentines for your Students
Do you know what profession receives the most Valentines? I'm sure you know, it is TEACHERS!! Each Valentine's Day teachers all over the country receive Valentines from their current students, former students, coworkers, administrators and any significant others they may have in their lives. It's so AWESOME!
So, how about your students? Do you give them a Valentine each year? Chances are if you are an Elementary grade teacher, you give your students a Valentine card and possibly a small gift on this day of love.
If this is what you do each year, I have a FREEBIE you might be interested in.
This packet contains free Valentines you can give your class. With three to choose from, you are sure to find one to fit your needs:
Quarter Page Size Card: This card can be printed on card stock and given to students. You can even add a special treat such as a pencil, or lollipop if you want to. Just punch holes or use clear tape to attach.
Treat Bag Tag: This card is sized so you can print on card stock, cut out and fold over a snack size zip lock bag. Fill the bags with candy, Goldfish crackers, Teddy Grams or any other treat you would like.
Ruler Valentine: This last one is my favorite! I try to stock up on rulers in August when they are on sale at the beginning of school. Sometimes you can purchase them for as little as 50 cents each. Then on Valentine's Day, you can use this card to give them to your students as a very special Valentine's gift.
One year my daughter used these to give to her classmates cute colorful rulers as Valentines. They loved it!
Activities:
This packet also has a couple of fun Valentine Activities you can do with your students on Valentine's Day: a Graphing Activity (for which you will need a small box of Conversation Hearts Candy for each student.) and a word scramble:
So, how about your students? Do you give them a Valentine each year? Chances are if you are an Elementary grade teacher, you give your students a Valentine card and possibly a small gift on this day of love.
If this is what you do each year, I have a FREEBIE you might be interested in.
This packet contains free Valentines you can give your class. With three to choose from, you are sure to find one to fit your needs:
Quarter Page Size Card: This card can be printed on card stock and given to students. You can even add a special treat such as a pencil, or lollipop if you want to. Just punch holes or use clear tape to attach.
Treat Bag Tag: This card is sized so you can print on card stock, cut out and fold over a snack size zip lock bag. Fill the bags with candy, Goldfish crackers, Teddy Grams or any other treat you would like.
Ruler Valentine: This last one is my favorite! I try to stock up on rulers in August when they are on sale at the beginning of school. Sometimes you can purchase them for as little as 50 cents each. Then on Valentine's Day, you can use this card to give them to your students as a very special Valentine's gift.
One year my daughter used these to give to her classmates cute colorful rulers as Valentines. They loved it!
Activities:
This packet also has a couple of fun Valentine Activities you can do with your students on Valentine's Day: a Graphing Activity (for which you will need a small box of Conversation Hearts Candy for each student.) and a word scramble:
If you would like to download this Valentine's Freebie all you have to do is click on the picture below.
I hope you and your students have a great Valentine's Day. Stop by and visit me at:
Until Next Time........
Saturday, March 26, 2016
To 'Bee' or Not to 'Bee'....What's all the buzzzzzzz about HONEYBEES?
Here are some fascinating facts to share with your students.
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Click {HERE} to download these pages. |
Here are some of our favorite books for read-alouds. They help build background knowledge. Click on the link bee-low the picture to find them at Amazon.com or check out your school or public library! You might be surprised at what you can find about bees!
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Books about Bees |
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Click {HERE} to download it at our TPT store.
Here is a song by Jean Warren that we have been using for many years. It is a fun active song that gets your busy bees up and moving around. There are also stick puppets provided so the children can place their bee puppet on their toes, nose, and arms etc. as they sing the song. Click {HERE} to download this FREEBIE!
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It is always fun to sample a few bites of delicious honey when studying bees. Try to get some that is locally made (if you can) and spread it on some crackers or small pieces of bread and enjoy!
Well, we BEE-lieve you will make a BEE-line to
download our free files! We also have some
Bee-themed products we've created. Click each picture caption to link to the product page.
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Fun song with stick puppets, retelling cards etc. |
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Sight word Game with EDITABLE cards so ANY words can be added! |
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Path game practicing "ee" and "ea" words |
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Song about farm animals (and BEES!) and the food they provide. We hope you have a great time studying honeybees! We bee-lieve you really will! Jackie & Kylene ![]() |
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Celebrating the Arts!
Hi! I'm Hannah from 21st Century K and I'm excited to share how my school works to celebrate the arts. In response to new program reviews and standards a few years ago, we began holding an Arts Showcase for our primary students each spring.
After reviewing the standards we found that while we provided more than adequate opportunities for experiences with visual art, music, dance, and drama in a learning/classroom-type environment we failed to offer our students the opportunity to create, collaborate, perform, critique and explore the arts in their own unique ways.
So, we encouraged students (and their families) to choose anything creative for which they felt they had special talent or aptitude, and plan a way to present that talent to their classmates. Then each class held individual performances and voted on which talent/presentation/performance they would like to represent their class in a school wide Create Arts Day Showcase. No emphasis is placed on winning and losing or who is better/worse. Our showcase isn't a talent show and very few parents attend. It is simply a way for students to share a way in which they are creative.
What resulted was more than any of our teachers could have ever imagined...
Our young students, as an audience, were respectful, encouraging, and thoughtful. Within each classroom a special story unfolded. In a second grade classroom an athletic boy puts together a basketball dribbling routine and sets it to music for which the crowd cheers. In one third grade classroom a friend with special needs sings a Michael Jackson song and is unanimously voted into the show where she receives a standing ovation. In another class, a quiet boy shares his amazing computerized robot for which he wrote the programming and is voted into the show over the Broadway show-tune belted out by the girl who regularly participates in local theater performances. In my Kindergarten classroom a typically outgoing and boisterous girl quietly shares a memoir she wrote about her lost pet goldfish and she is hugged by her friends, many of whom are brought to tears. My own daughter, when she was in second grade, was begged by her class to sing "Let It Go" for the school showcase, encouraging her to overcome stage fright and perform for an audience for the first time in her life. I watched her blossom before my very eyes and was touched to see her classmates give her encouraging looks and a loud, supportive ovation as she finished the song. Many more students played instruments, performed dance routines, and paraded visual arts pieces across the gym. Each time the crowd of primary students would cheer and clap as if they were at a Grammy-nominated performance.
We all learn a lot of valuable lessons during this week of the school year.
- As teachers we are reminded that the "extra" stuff (about which we may grumble when it interrupts our comfortable school day routine) is worthy of our time.
- As regular educators we are reminded that the arts programs are vital to our school and our students (and that the art, drama, music, and PE teachers have a hard job).
- We learn to view many of our students in a new light... many of which are little diamonds in the rough or have secret talents about which we didn't know.
- From our students we learn that a little bit of grace and humility can go a long way and that supporting each other by cheering wildly when someone else succeeds is just what friends should do.
- Interested in starting your own Creative Arts Day?
We send parents a note one week prior saying all students are welcome to participate by preparing any creative presentation including, but certainly not limited to, any visual arts pieces, vocal/instrumental performances, creative writing, dance or other movement routine, anything involving creativity with technology, and dramatic performances or collaborations. Each teacher provides a little class time to discuss projects and ideas, and provides time for friends who may not ave time at home to prepare. Each class plans a day for class performances and works together to choose one student to perform at the school wide assembly. Administrators and arts teachers work together to make sure students have all they need and to set a schedule for the school showcase. Then on a Friday afternoon we all gather in the gym to simply celebrate creativity and the arts.
It's simple... after all, the best things in life always are.
Add the Arts to your Common Core instruction in grades K, 1st, and 2nd with this fun unit, "Talents," at 21st Century K on TpT.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
A Simple Strategy to Review Sight Words
Are your student's struggling to learn their sight words? Would you like an easy to use system with those students that targets just the words that they need?
I'm Christina from Hanging Around In Primary and I would like to share a simple, yet effective strategy I am using with my students this year.
When teaching sight words I do not have a specific order that I use nor do I follow a specific reading program. We are fortunate in that we can teach with our choice of resources, so I use a mismash of things I have created, along with purchased resources to teach my students during our literacy block. You can check out a couple of blog posts {HERE} and {HERE} that I have written about the word wall on my own blog.
I believe strongly that students must learn their sight words or word wall words, as I call them, in order to be a successful reader. Students need to develop an automaticity when reading them. I want them to be able to read these words without sounding them out so in my classroom we say that these words are like popcorn - they pop right out without having to sound them out.
If your class is anything like mine, even when you spend time each and every week to review the words, some students just aren't getting them. I needed to catch these kids and provide intervention by targeting the words they didn't know in a systematic way.
First off, I assessed each student and came up with a customized list of words they did not yet have. From this point I determined which words to work on first and prioritized. Finally, I created customized flip books for each student that would be used to track their progress.
So, how does it work? Good old fashioned practice! I send home 5 flashcards at the beginning of the week in a special ziploc bag. My parents LOVE flashcards - it is familiar to them and easy to do. I suggest games they can play with the cards but my students often share that they just practice the flashcards.
On Friday I make time to meet with each of my target students (usually during read to self) and do a check in with the 5 words. If they can read them with automaticity then they get to put a sticker beside the word in their flip book and I stamp their card. They take the old cards home and I give them new flash cards. Some weeks students need to continue to practice previous words, so they may only take home 2 or 3 new words. My students love to put the stickers into their flip books and feel a sense of pride when we review all of the words in their flip book at the end of our check-in session.
I have found this to be a very powerful way to move kids forward in their sight word development. I have had great parent support with this program because it is both easy to do and takes a little time each night.
If you want to store this idea away why not pin this image!
Would you like to try it out? Click below to download a free copy of the flip book to use with your students.
Thank you for checking out my post!
I'm Christina from Hanging Around In Primary and I would like to share a simple, yet effective strategy I am using with my students this year.
When teaching sight words I do not have a specific order that I use nor do I follow a specific reading program. We are fortunate in that we can teach with our choice of resources, so I use a mismash of things I have created, along with purchased resources to teach my students during our literacy block. You can check out a couple of blog posts {HERE} and {HERE} that I have written about the word wall on my own blog.
I believe strongly that students must learn their sight words or word wall words, as I call them, in order to be a successful reader. Students need to develop an automaticity when reading them. I want them to be able to read these words without sounding them out so in my classroom we say that these words are like popcorn - they pop right out without having to sound them out.
If your class is anything like mine, even when you spend time each and every week to review the words, some students just aren't getting them. I needed to catch these kids and provide intervention by targeting the words they didn't know in a systematic way.
First off, I assessed each student and came up with a customized list of words they did not yet have. From this point I determined which words to work on first and prioritized. Finally, I created customized flip books for each student that would be used to track their progress.
So, how does it work? Good old fashioned practice! I send home 5 flashcards at the beginning of the week in a special ziploc bag. My parents LOVE flashcards - it is familiar to them and easy to do. I suggest games they can play with the cards but my students often share that they just practice the flashcards.
On Friday I make time to meet with each of my target students (usually during read to self) and do a check in with the 5 words. If they can read them with automaticity then they get to put a sticker beside the word in their flip book and I stamp their card. They take the old cards home and I give them new flash cards. Some weeks students need to continue to practice previous words, so they may only take home 2 or 3 new words. My students love to put the stickers into their flip books and feel a sense of pride when we review all of the words in their flip book at the end of our check-in session.
I have found this to be a very powerful way to move kids forward in their sight word development. I have had great parent support with this program because it is both easy to do and takes a little time each night.
If you want to store this idea away why not pin this image!
Would you like to try it out? Click below to download a free copy of the flip book to use with your students.
Thank you for checking out my post!
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Helping your Students reach their Full Potential
Hey Friends! It's Melanie from Momma with a Teaching Mission. I teach 1st grade in Maryland, and I'm the mother to 4 fabulous kids!
So it's January. Are you feeling the pressure?
I'm sure all teachers feel that way! But when I return from winter break in January, it hits me! We only have 1/2 a school year left. With teaching first grade in Maryland, the expectation is that a first grader comes to us on a F&P (Fountas and Pinnell) level of D and they leave first grade on a level J. Now that's of course if the student is reading on grade level. But that's not every student! In fact, this year, my whole school grouped students by ability, and teachers were departmentalized. I am teaching literacy (reading/writing/our phonics program) to our lowest level, and our below average level first graders. Not one came to me in August on a F&P level of a D. In fact, I had some students come to me as non-readers. Kinda overwhelming, right?!?
SO...luckily, my principal is A.MA.ZING and realizes that the importance is not an F&P level, but more is every student making gains compared to themselves. If they are a 3rd grader, and started the year on an F&P level of C, and by the end of the year they have grown to a F, yes they are still reading below grade level, but they have made growth.
So then the question becomes....
In a perfect world, the answer would be, well we will provide those learners with the interventions and tools to help them. But, as teachers know all too well, that doesn't always happen. I teach in a school of about 700 students. We have 2 special education teachers and ZERO intervention teachers. Yep, ZERO. So...teachers have had to become the intervention teachers in our school. And the results have been fantastic!!
Ok, the first thing we, as teachers, can do to help our students read their full potential is to meet them where they are. If you have low level learners, don't try to teach them about plot or author's purpose if they are struggling with letter identification! Same goes with your high level students, don't hold them back just because they are the only high student you have. Don't bore them with repeated addition, when they are ready to move on with full-blown multiplication. Meet them where they are!! Ok, are you eye rolling?!? Maybe, right? You may be thinking, sounds good in theory Melanie, but how in the heck am I suppossed to implement this? Small groups. Seriously. If you aren't teaching in small groups, you are teaching to the middle, to the average. And don't even get me started on teaching to the average!! Check out this Ted Talks about Teaching to the Average.
The second thing that we, as teachers, can do to help our students reach their full potential is to offer them choice. I know that not everything lends itself to this as easily. However, if you are assessing if they understand the setting of a text, why not offer them the choice of drawing a picture or writing a sentence about it? Same for math! Let them choose to show you they understanding re-grouping by using different methods, such as drawing a model, or just using the plain old algorithm. Offering your students choice, helps them to be more accountable for their learning.
The third, and final, thing that we can do to help our students reach their full potential is to use encouraging words. Help your students build confidence to want to attempt to read, or attempt to solve math or science problems. The more encouraging and positive things they hear your saying, the more they hear that in their own minds. You will also notice that they will start using these encouraging words with each other.
Don't get discouraged, teaching is stressful. We have the most important jobs in this world, and don't let anyone tell you any different! You are wonderful, and this is going to be your year!
If you have any questions or comments for me, feel free to shoot me an e-mail mwhitt613@gmail.com, or hop on over to my blog! Momma with a Teaching Mission
Wishing you all the best in 2016!
Melanie
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Holiday Freebies...and Cyber Sale!
Howdy!
Wow, there are SO many great things to write about today... I just don't know where to start.
1. How about I start with a reminder to grab those items on your wish-list while they're still on sale! That's right, today is the last day of TpT's annual Cyber Sale.
2. I updated my Christmas Verbs Spot It & Steal It game... and you can grab it for FREE {HERE}!! If you already own it, just go to your "My Purchases" page to download the updated version. If you don't own it... what are you waiting for?? It's free!!
This game is such a fun way to teach verbs!! Students take turns picking up a 'Spot the..." card, and are on the hunt to find the corresponding "picture card".
If you spot the card... you can steal it from a friend's pile... unless....
they slap their hand on it first (in which case, they get to keep their own card).
The player with the most cards at the end of the game WINS!
The "stealing" part of the game keeps EVERYONE alert and paying attention all while injecting some excitement into the game. Think of it as a little twist to the 'ol "I Have, Who Has" games... except you're not waiting all day for those few kiddos to wake up and realize they have the next card ;) {If you've played "I Have, Who Has" you must know what I'm talking about!}
Here's a closer look at what's inside this FREEBIE!!
You can get more games just like this one {HERE}
If you spot the card... you can steal it from a friend's pile... unless....
they slap their hand on it first (in which case, they get to keep their own card).
The player with the most cards at the end of the game WINS!
The "stealing" part of the game keeps EVERYONE alert and paying attention all while injecting some excitement into the game. Think of it as a little twist to the 'ol "I Have, Who Has" games... except you're not waiting all day for those few kiddos to wake up and realize they have the next card ;) {If you've played "I Have, Who Has" you must know what I'm talking about!}
Here's a closer look at what's inside this FREEBIE!!
You can get more games just like this one {HERE}
3. Last year, many of the bloggers from Who's Who were featured in a holiday e-book. I don't think there will be a 2015/2016 edition...BUT you can download last years e-book to check out the awesome collection of holiday freebies included. (A link to my holiday freebie is in there too!!). Just click on this image to see the collection in Hilary Lewis' store:
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
It's Turkey Time!
Gobble,
gobble, gobble! If you've ever met us, you'd know that whatever the season we
always have a song in our hearts...or on our lips! Here is one of our favorite poems that we
have used for a long l-o-nggggggg time (although we didn’t write it!). We love it because it can be sung to the tune
“I’m a Little Teapot". After singing it a few times, add some body movements to help get those wiggles out! Use the pocket
chart picture and word cards as you sing along with your students. Download them by clicking this {LINK}.
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If
you want to keep singing, here is a FREE singable (with lyrics we did write!)
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One of our favorite books is also a fun SONG - I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie! Your students will LOVE singing this to the tune "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly! It has a very surprising ending! It will become a holiday favorite!
Here are some of our other favorite turkey books. There's even one by Joy Cowley (you may know her as the author of the famous "Mrs. Wishy-Washy!" books) Her book, Gracias the Turkey, is GREAT!
Want a fun game that practices the "ip" word family words? Just print and it's ready to play! Find this FREEBIE at our TPT store by clicking this {LINK}!
Hope you have a wonderful month of November with all kinds of fun with turkeys!
Here are some of our other favorite turkey books. There's even one by Joy Cowley (you may know her as the author of the famous "Mrs. Wishy-Washy!" books) Her book, Gracias the Turkey, is GREAT!
Want a fun game that practices the "ip" word family words? Just print and it's ready to play! Find this FREEBIE at our TPT store by clicking this {LINK}!
Hope you have a wonderful month of November with all kinds of fun with turkeys!
Keep gobbling away! Jackie & Kylene
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Visit our store for lots of engaging Thanksgiving songs and learning games!
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