Speech and Conversation Bubbles

This is a writing center that we currently use in my classroom.  We were given the idea from our county resources, but I wanted to make a version without the handwriting lines.  Students are able to choose stickers or magazine cutouts to create a speech or thought bubble conversation.  Students cut out the bubble(s) that work(s) with their picture and they glue it on a piece of construction paper.  Easy to maintain and the kids are obsessed with it.  :)  Click on the title to download.

Speech and Conversation Bubbles

If you can read this.....

When I first started teaching, the interns at the school I worked at put this quote on a shirt they made for their graduating class.  I got a little kick out of it and thought I’d share for anyone who hadn’t stumbled upon it yet.   I have never been able to find the source of the quote.  It is always listed as anonymous.  Click on the title to download.

Thank a Teacher

Sparkly Sentences

My students are always dying to write with anything BUT a pencil.    One of the centers I added this week was “Sparkly Sentences.”  It’s super simple and requires very few materials.  I post a different picture each week and students write one asking and one telling sentence about the picture.  The goal is to make them “sparkle” by adding details and checking for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.  Students write the sentence in pencil first and after proofreading are allowed to make it “sparkle” by tracing over it with the gel and glitter pens.  Click the title of the documents below to download.

Sparkly Sentences

Sparkly Sentences Worksheet

Text Connection Freebie

Here is a worksheet I created that can be used with any text when students are working on making connections.  Students circle the type of connection they are working on that day: text-to-text, text-to-self, or text-to-world.  Click on the title to download.

Making Connections with the Text

Word Problem Wednesday

It seems a lot of the Common Core math trainings we have been attending have been focusing on solving problems that have more than one solution.   We have spent a lot of time representing numbers in various ways and I wanted to use that daily focus and mix in a little writing.  We started Word Problem Wednesday this week.  My little ones seemed to enjoy it and I got some very creative responses.  Students are asked to create word problems for the given answer.   It is a nice time to review the key words for addition and subtraction and additional practice with their facts and writing never hurts.  The cherry on top is that easily becomes a differentiated activity.  Students can show their abilities by creating word problems that are more challenging and incorporate more than one operation.  Click on the titles below to download.

Word Problem Wednesday

Word Problem Wednesday Sign

Fun with Phonics

So, after shamelessly using and enjoying the wonderful creations of many very talented teachers, I decided to attempt to give the whole blogging world a whirl.  I figure if even one person is able to use something I have created, it is worth it.  Between the blogs and Pinterest, both my new HUGE addictions, I will never be at a loss for new, cool ideas to use in the classroom.  :)

Okay, so first post.  Here we go.  I was about bored out of my gourd when it came to the assessments we use after our Open Court lessons.  I also have quite a variety of abilities in the classroom, so I wanted to make something easy to adapt to their levels.  The first sheet, Hey Diddle Diddle - Tell Me a Riddle, can be used by giving clues to the words in the word family taught that day.  At the bottom, students locate words from the board that we blended and have to come up with rhyming words.  The second worksheet, Sentence Superstar, prompts students to choose 4 words that were blended that day and use them in sentences.  Nothing too fancy or crazy.  :)  Click on the title of the sheet to download if you'd like.

Hey Diddle Diddle  

Sentence Superstar