Last Day of November: My Holiday Joy Math and Literacy Unit is Nearly Finished! Ho ho ho!

Did November just fly by or what?!

December, here we come!

This is an amazing month full of all kinds of holidays and activities and cuteness... but too many times I've seen children truly overwhelmed by the festivities and excitement. They get tired and cranky, and before we know it,  they're just struggling to keep it together! I'm determined to do everything I can to prevent my babes from getting too stressed out. Here's my plan:

1. I already sent home a note about sleep! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a minimum of 10-11 hours per night for children ages five to seven. A recent study on children and sleep found that “a modest addition of sleep  each night (27 minutes in the study) resulted in significant improvement in their ability to regulate their emotions.” Many parents don't realize how much sleep their kiddos need, so I decided tell them!

2. Routine, routine, routine! We have worked so hard to establish routines since the first day of school. Now is not the time to throw all that out the window. In our classroom, we'll be sticking with the routine as much as possible. Yes, it's that time of year with the schedule is constantly changing, and it does require flexibility. But the fewer the disruptions the better!

3. I try to keep the number of holiday activities in check. We will stick to our usual Writing Workshop activities, and our Reader's Workshop won't change. I'll include fun holiday activities in each day, but I'm careful not to overwhelm my students with CHRISTMAS EVERYTHING.

4. We're going to spend some time focusing on others. What can we do to show our appreciation for our office staff, our buddy class, the lady in the cafeteria, and our custodian? Is there anything we can do outside of our school to help those in need?

5. I'll be including extra community-building activities this month, in addition to some "reminder" lessons for showing respect, being responsible, and showing compassion.

That said, I will make certain that we have a completely fun month! Santa, reindeer, toys, candy canes, gingerbread, music... we're going to have a great time!

My Holiday Joy Unit is almost ready! I can't wait to share with you!



Enjoy this last day of November!

Black Friday for the Classroom: Units on Sale at Teachers Pay Teachers

I'm really not a shopper.

I like to research things from home, go pick them up as fast as possible, and get out of the stores!  I'm not crazy about the crowds at the mall, the food at the mall, or the parking. Ugh!

I know my sizes at Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap, J. Crew, most Nordstrom brands, and of course... shoes. I also know my husband's size, and the places where my children would like gift cards. So ordering online is pretty easy.

Don't get me wrong--- if my kids need something or my husband needs new clothes for say, a business trip to Korea, I'm all over it. I can zip through that mall and get it done. I just don't enjoy the shopping part. It's the "cross that off my list" part that motivates me.

I live in a town with a sweet little downtown area. Oh my. It's oozes adorable! Occasionally I will look in windows and go into the quaint shops on my way to get a cup of Peet's or Starbucks. There's a cute little bookstore, a pet store with darling toys and accessories for my RoseKitty and Violet, some cool places to get clothes, a great party store, Hallmark, bakeries and gourmet restaurants, and many antique and gift shops. It's great. Occasionally.

But shopping today? Um. Let me think...NO. WAY.

Instead, I'm getting a pedicure, hanging out with my family, going for a run, and working on my Sweet Holiday Reading Unit!

But in the spirit of shopping and good deals, I'm having my own sale over at Teachers Pay Teachers. Everything is 20% off, just so that you can shop from home! My sale, unlike the malls... is a Black Weekend Sale. Gather up all the goodies you want all weekend long!

Beanie Babies? Yep. Totally on sale!



Contractions? Yep.



Blend and Digraph Fun? Oh, yes!



I could go on, but you get the idea... Everything is 20% off!

Have a great day, Teacher Friends, no matter how you choose to spend it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, I am loving this weekend already! Is it possible that I feel rested and recharged already?

Yesterday was a great day at school. Even though it was short, there was TONS of learning and writing. Students finished their turkey books, which were loaded with facts! And the circular pages were a huge thrill!



Students ate the Stone Soup we made on Tuesday. Sometimes they don't like it, but this year, nearly all the soup was eaten. I did have one little boy look at the soup and look at me with a serious expression. "There's no way I'm going to eat that with all that stuff mixed together," he said. And then he told everyone that he was allergic to carrots. Ha!

The smarties also worked on an adorable little soup project to complete the unit. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show, but it's a big construction paper soup pot with pages to flip. I'll try to post a picture soon. All week the poem was in the pocket chart with picture cards to show vegetables that can go in soup: potatoes, beans, carrots, onions, corn, etc.

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

The soup is getting hot.

I think it needs some ______

So I'll put some in the pot!

 

Students wrote and drew to show which ingredients they wanted in their soup pots. They were reading and chanting as they worked, which I loved! I had them working right up until 1:34 p.m.

And then school was out yesterday at 1:35 pm. I hugged my darlings, wished them all a Happy Thanksgiving, and dashed out my back door! My husband had taken the day off, and he met me in the school parking lot with all the kids, the packed car, and my favorite Jamba Juice (Pomegranate Paradise without the mangos!) We went straight to the freeway, where we found about five bazillion people headed the same direction. Sigh.

And so began a long drive. We stopped for coffee, gas, more coffee... and at the kids' request, we picked up some tacos. We never eat fast food except for when we're driving on long trips, and it was a treat for them. Funny, the part of the drive where there was the least amount of traffic? Right when we got to L.A.

We stayed up late laughing with family and got up early this morning to get to the Turkey Trot.



My sister ran her first 5K, and we all enjoyed getting some exercise! ON THE BEACH!! Some said it was chilly, but I thought it was excellent running weather!



It was a gorgeous morning!  And I love this photo with the seagull photobomb!

We got some coffee at Peet's, started breakfast preparations, and claimed our spots on the couches!

I think there are a few errands for tomorrow: a trip to the Sprinkles cupcake ATM, possibly a fun run at the local Fleet Feet, and maybe one or two others. But there will be no Christmas shopping! Nothing but relaxation, lounging, eating, reading and sleeping.

Just what we all need.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day with family and friends!

 

Thanksgiving Fun in First Grade: Stone Soup

All week we've been reading different versions of Stone Soup.

 And we read some stories that were similar, but with some interesting cultural variations...



 



 

We made a chart (and I forgot to take a picture!) to compare some details in the story, and we've been talking about the way that characters in the story were tricked into working together, being helpful, and contributing to the well-being of others. We discussed what the villagers in each story might do next time they are faced with strangers coming to town and why they might react differently.

And today, we made our own stone soup.

Each child brought a vegetable to contribute. We had potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, sweet potatoes, green beans, mushrooms,  Korean sweet potatoes, garlic, tiny cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and perhaps another vegetable or two that I can't remember in my "isn't Thanksgiving here YET?" state. My fabulous room mother organized several parents to help, and they appeared at the classroom door with their cutting boards, knives, peelers, bowls, and two crockpots! The students cleared their book boxes off their desks, washed their hands and got started! And let me tell you--- all those little choppers were adorable! They peeled, they chopped, they chatted! So cute. They worked for nearly half an hour. And when they were done, we piled all the vegetables into the crockpots.



And then came one of the most darling moments of the whole week!

One student was looking at the pile of vegetables, pointing, and talking to a classmate.

"See those carrots right there? I did those. And that piece of potato right there? Aidan cut that one. And Bryan cut that piece of celery right there, but he didn't do those other pieces over there."

PRECIOUS!

I was nearly rolling on the floor with laughter! There were 25 students in my room today (3 absent!) and everyone chopped a little of nearly everything. I just love the way my babes took ownership of the project!

Those fabulous parent helpers took the crock pots home to "babysit" them overnight. They'll add the broth, some salt and pepper, and maybe a sprinkle of herbs. I sent them with butter to add to the soup, too, because I think it was Julia Child who said that the difference between a good soup and a great soup is a tablespoon of butter. And the soup will cook for hours. Tomorrow morning, we'll plug in the pots, heat up the soup and eat lunch in the classroom. It's going to be great! (Families contributed rolls and juice, too.)

And as far as other Thanksgiving activities this week...

We've been reading books about real turkeys. And we created this chart to show our learning. I had a little lightbulb moment and decided to hang the chart outside my classroom so parents could see it at pick-up time. I think I'll start doing that more often!



One parent commented that unlike our Spider Unit, this chart didn't contain any misconceptions! We had noticed that in class, too, and one of my first graders hypothesized that it was related to the fact that we didn't really know much about turkeys to start with! Could be!

We also made some cute turkeys with coffee filters. I pulled out the liquid watercolor paint that I love because of the intense colors. I also let students use the metallic gold liquid watercolor, which had a nice effect... a little like the iridescence of real turkey feathers. Of course after that, we got all silly with googly eyes, so the connection to real turkeys pretty much stopped there! Haha!



And so I leave you with my favorite Facebook quote from last week!



I'm feeling pretty thankful for my awesome students, their awesome parents, my awesome colleagues, my awesome husband and awesome kids, and the awesome FOUR DAY WEEKEND that will be mine in less than nineteen hours!

Two More Days of Thanksgiving Activities: Reading Response, Addition Practice, Writing and Tons More!

I discounted my Thanksgiving Literacy and Math Unit on TpT. It's on SALE just until Thanksgiving! There are just a couple days left until Thanksgiving, and you will for sure get your money's worth! And if you're already on Thanksgiving Break, you will be all set for next year. Click on the picture for the link!



 

There are several quick-to-prep (or NO prep!) activities that meet rigorous Common Core Standards, and your students will love them!

Watch for my Cyber Monday sale on TpT next week! How can the holidays be coming so quickly?!

Happy Monday, Teachers!

Thanksgiving Literacy and Math: Reading Response, Interactive Journals, Graphing, and more!

First of all, I'm happy for those of you who have next week off. I'm not gonna lie, though... I'm a little jealous, too. Yesterday I told a friend, "I'd rather add three days to the end of the year than work next week!" But y'all know I'll be changing that story come May!

I spent some time updating my Thanksgiving: Math and Literacy for Primary Grades pack that is available on TpT. It's even more full of seasonal goodness! It's a cornucopia of Common Core activities!



 

The unit now includes several activities that you can just print and use. Immediately. No prep required. I've included activities to support Informational Reading and Literature standards. Simply print, read the book, and your kiddos will be good to go. And think. And work. And write.

Check the library or your own collections. These are some of the Thanksgiving books for which I've included lessons aligned with CCSS.







 

 

Thanksgiving at the Tappletons has a couple of different versions of illustrations, but they all have the same hilarious story!





 



I've been using Interactive Journals with my students for a couple of years now. This year, last year, and the year before, that is. At first, I was very, very careful about what I wanted to include. Everything that was added met my own, self-imposed, ridiculously strict criteria. Now, though, I include a much wider variety of activities, skills, formats, etc. I love looking back to see how much we've accomplished and how much my students' skills have improved. I've adopted the attitude that I can make almost anything into an appropriate entry for students' interactive journals. Last week, students added information about what life was like on the Mayflower. We read, and read, and discussed, and made a chart of important words/ideas, and then the students did their own writing. Did I mention that this year's class absolutely goes nuts for any kind of writing?! They love it!

I added some activities for Interactive Journals when I updated this pack. Check out the preview!

To my friends on vacation--- enjoy! You KNOW how fast it will fly by, and I hope you can savor every moment. For the rest of us--- our time is coming! Just a few more days until the long weekend!

 

It Rained Today

This is big news in our dry, little corner of the world!

Oh. My. OMG.

I can't make this stuff up, you know. Kids were asking me, "Is it raining?"...while we were walking down our open hallways with rain blowing on everyone. I kid you not. I heard that question today. AT LEAST 8 TIMES.

And later, when it was Choice Time, this is how my darlings chose to entertain themselves. Seriously.



So we will be doing some writing about rain tomorrow! I've got to seize this opportunity while I can! Most of the time, our weather is sunny and beautiful. Our calendar graph is a joke! Sunny, sunny, sunny, sunny, sunny... I know. Sad story!

Thanksgiving: Math And Literacy with Pumpkins, Bump, Turkeys, Number Sequencing and More!

Finally.



It is jam-packed with Common Core activities.



 

Like check out these featherless turkeys! Mix the turkeys and the feathers, and then students have to build each word with turkey feathers. Omg. They giggle! It's so cute to watch them adding feathers to the turkeys that it makes me giggle!



 

These word cards are included, too. Make multiple copies for memory games or use single sets for alphabetizing or writing activities... it just depends on what your students need!



 

I love these number sequencing puzzles and so do my students. This is a pretty challenging activity for many of my kinders. They can count and identify numbers, but putting together into a puzzle makes it a different kind of challenge. No matter--- it's great practice and they love to see what picture they've made!

And for my first graders, and for students who are ready... counting by tens!



 

There are twelve--- TWELVE--- of these number puzzles in this unit!

Thanksgiving will be here before we know it! I have to work through Wednesday the 27th, but I'll be doing so many fun Thanksgiving things with my kiddos that it will go by quickly!

Have a great week, Teacher Friends!

 

 

Thanksgiving Unit On The Way ... And A Beanie Baby Reading Strategies Giveaway!

First of all. Happy THREE day weekend. Three days! Okay, so it did fly by... but I got a ton done! I spent some much needed, relaxing time with my husband and kids. So. Good. But besides that, I got tons of errands taken care of! My car was so filthy, I was embarrassed to drive it. Black cars just look awful when they're dirty. So I checked that off my list. I gathered some items at Target and JoAnn's and Michael's. I went to the grocery store, picked up clothes at the cleaners,  and bought my ridiculous-but-I-love-it-so-I-don't-care-how-much-it-costs shampoo. I washed, dried and folded tons of laundry. I had two lovely coffee dates with my husband, one fabulous coffee date with my friend Teacher Nina, and went to my wildly fun book club meeting. And if all that wasn't enough, we also squeezed in a Saturday night dinner with my fake sister and her husband. Haha! It's amazing how rejuvenating a few hours of laughing can be!

Did I mention I also finished some sewing projects? And watched hours of Mad Men? I'm tellin' ya, it felt like more than three days and I'm so grateful for the time off of work!

Well, speaking of work... I did a little of that, too. My Thanksgiving Unit is nearly complete, and y'all will be the first to know. I'll be giving away a copy of it this week, so check back.

But since I know you love giveaways...

My two Beanie Baby units are both best sellers on Teachers Pay Teachers, and if you don't have a copy yet, you should have one! Here's you chance to win one!

One unit focuses on Decoding Strategies...



And the other focuses on Comprehension Strategies.



Both include posters, bookmarks, and strategy cards.

And one of these little beauties could be yours before the end of the week!

I'll be randomly choosing two winners from my group of followers and two winners from comments posted this week. So I'll be giving away four sets total. If your name is chosen, you'll get to choose which unit you want. If you're a follower and you leave a comment, you could win twice and get them both!

Leave your comment and become a follower before this Thursday, November 14 at 6:00 pm Pacific Time to get your chance! Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can let you know if you win!

Have a great week and check back soon! Because I'm in one of those moods: I'll be giving away a copy of my Thanksgiving Unit just as soon as it's finished, too!

 

Fall Unit: Turkeys, Mayflower, Thanksgiving and More Pumpkins!

I'm working on fall-themed math and literacy units. There are just not enough hours in the day! Most days, I leave school thinking, "Wow! I got so much done! How productive!" But then on my way home, I think of five million other things that I want/need to take care of... And of course, I don't just get home and go right to work. Darn that dinner that needs to be made and the clothes that need to be washed!

But I did manage to get one fun activity ready to share. This is Pumpkin Bump.



The game is for two players. (Today, though, a group of three students played together. They never made it to a point where someone "won," but they had a great time and practiced adding in the meantime!)

A pair of students shares one game board, but each needs 10 Unifix cubes (or other game markers.) Color is BIG for the six-year-old set, so I always let them choose their own colors. Object of the game? The first player to place all their cubes on the board is the winner.

Roll two dice and add those numbers. Cover a matching number space with your marker. If your partner is already on that number, you can bump your partner’s color and take their space! If you bump your partner, they take back their marker and have a chance to use it again. If you roll a number that you have already covered, you can stack another marker on top of it! Any space with two markers stacked on top of each other, is locked and that space can’t be bumped.

The player to use all of their markers first is the winner!

My kids love this game. The bumping part is a ton of fun for them! I also have a version with three dice.

Addition Practice with Double Double Dice Dice and a FREEBIE!

My kiddos are practicing addition. I try to find lots of cool ways for them to practice, because let's be real... worksheets with problem after problem after problem are boring!

I think these dice came from the Dollar Tree years ago. There is one big, transparent die with a smaller die inside. I've used them for a variety of purposes, but they are AWESOME for addition. I made up a student page to go with them, and yes, I was in a goofy mood! My students love to say "Double Double Dice Dice" and laugh hysterically as they write their names two times! Silly!



The children roll one die, record the inside and outside numbers and then add. It couldn't be simpler. I usually copy this page on both sides of the paper so that they can play with the dice more!

I keep this in my math choice area. Students will practice adding over and over just to use the dice again. And there's nothing wrong with that! MUCH more fun than flashcards or a tedious worksheet!

Get your copy of this fun resource here: Double Double Dice Dice

Happy weekend, everyone! We survived Halloween AND the day after!