Thanksgiving Freebie!

I hope you had a restful Thanksgiving Vacation!  Mine was GREAT!  We went to the mountains with family and stayed in a friend's cabin. We had a great time playing games, relaxing, talking and reconnecting with cousins, aunts and uncles.  We also enjoyed the mountain air.  

I live in Chico, California near Paradise, California where the Camp Fire consumed the entire community.   The air quality has been horrible!  You may have seen pictures or news stories about the impact this fire has had on the community of Paradise.  It's truly devastating. 

We haven't had school since November 8 when the fire started. I did a meet up at the library to see my students and enjoy each other's company. I really just want to see my students and reconnect! 

I have a freebie you may be interested in using when you see your students this week!  Last year my students were so eager to share about their vacations! 

First, we enjoyed sharing our adventures for the first half hour!  I love mingling to music and sharing our news with each other! Then we got down to businesss writing about our break!  

Please click on either image above to download this FREE resource from my TpT Store!   I've also placed my entire store on sale for the TpT Cyber Sale!  Be sure and enter the promo code Cyber18! 

You may be interested in these resources for the weeks leading up to the Winter Break!  My students love these coloring sheets!  I've created them for math and sight words.  These are great for math tubs, word work, stations and early finishers!  The math coloring sheets are differentiated so you can decide which addition and subtraction strategies you want your students to practice!

These are also available in a holiday bundle!  The bundle is also on sale during the Cyber Sale!

Thanks for stopping by my little blog!  

Fall into M.A.T.H. Stations!

I love this time of year!  The beautiful fall colors, cooler air,  Pumpkin Spice Lattes and knowing the holidays are right around the corner!  I also love seeing the growth my students have made in this short time we've been together!

During the first trimester of school, we have focused on subitizing, showing numbers in different ways, and making 10!  I've been forcing myself and my kids to slow down and really focus!  I want to make sure they have a solid foundation in these 3 areas of math!

This is by far the BEST I have felt about my students' math understanding this early in the year!  Each morning we gather on the carpet for our calendar time!  This is more than the day of the week, etc.  This is the mini lesson before our MATH time.  We make the most of this time by following this daily routine!

I'm so impressed with my students' math minds and plan to continue with this routine!  Here is an outline of what it looks like in my classroom!

For MATH time I use the acronym M.A.T.H. to organize my groups.

• M - Meet with the Teacher

• A - Activity Journal

• T - Technology

• H - Hands on Tubs

Meet with the Teacher is my time to work with small groups.  During this time, I introduce new games, strategies and/or reinforce concepts.  Often the activities we cover in my small groups will appear in Hands on Tubs for independent practice!

Activity Journal provides an opportunity for independent practice and is often pencil paper.  I try to provide more than a worksheet though.  Usually it is more of an interactive page.

Technology:  I am fortunate to have 5 Chromebooks and 6 iPads in my classroom.  My students use the Chromebooks to access our adopted curriculum's on line portion during MATH time.  We also use the iPads to explore apps.  Some of our favorites are:

Hands On Tubs are filled with games that review concepts previously taught.  Students play games with partners or complete activities independently.  Occasionally, one of the tubs may have an independent activity such as puzzles, tangrams, or pattern blocks.


Hands on Math Tubs offer the perfect time to provide engaging fall themed independent and group activities for students!  Here are some of my students' favorites and a FREEBIE for you!

Print and add DICE!  My students love these!

Get your kids up and moving while practicing math strategies!

Click the Picture to Download Your Freebie!

Poetry Month!

April is Poetry Month!  I'm blogging over at Classroom Tested Resources today with an idea for Poem in Your Pocket Day!  Hop over for your freebie!

Enjoy the Day!

CTR and a Freebie!

Hi Friends!  I'm blogging over at Classroom Tested Resources today!  Head over to read my post about Back to School read alouds and grab my freebie!

Giveaway and a Freebie!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for stopping by!

Back to School Freebie!

I've been working hard getting ready for my new little class of First Graders!  I haven't been in my classroom, yet, but I've been drooling over the instagram photos from others!

I'm getting so excited to meet my new group.  I'm planning some fun activities for the first few weeks and I've been creating and planning my word work tubs for the first part of the year!

I want my kiddos engaged in hands on activities right away!  I like to start teaching routines, procedures and expectations as soon as possible.  And, we all know that those little first graders come to school ready to do some first grade work!  They are excited to learn...one of MANY reasons I LOVE teaching first grade!

Most First Graders will have mastered letter sounds in Kindergarten, but this makes it the perfect concept to review while teaching procedures. It also gives me a quick look at who may need interventions or a little more reinforcement!

These activities are intended for an interactive "Word Work" book.  I plan to have my kiddos use a composition book that has been cut in half as their "Word Work" book!  I like using the half size, not only because I get twice as many, but it's less "white" space for the kids.  These word work activities are intended to be completed quickly and reinforce the concept.

After thinking about how I could make this word work activity meaningful for my kids, I started creating the Alpha Match resource.

This resource not only reinforces letter sounds, but provides opportunity for letter formation.

 Reviewing letter sounds is such a great way to build confidence while refreshing this important skill.

I've also created the first two short vowel word family packs!  

                       

As these units are completed, they will be added to the "bundle".  Currently the bundle sells for $5.  As I add each unit, the price for the bundle will increase!  Buy it now and download the revisions as they are posted!  

Click the image below to download a free sample of this product!  

Enjoy!