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Showing posts with label freebie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freebie. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Number Sense Activities


Hey friends! I wanted to take a moment to catch up what my firsts have been up to! Our curriculum is big on spiral review. We touch on number sense at the beginning of the year but really dive deep in Jan/Feb. Our math benchmark test ALWAYS hits on number sense, so I feel like my kids are ALWAYS doing number sense activities! 
Number sense

We started working on Place Value right away. This is a skill we will continue to work on the rest of the school year. The kids loved making these little books
math foldables

These little books are perfect for homework or center work! After I taught the kiddos how to use them, they were able to complete them independently! 

guided math



The Place Value books focus on expanded form, word form and recognizing numerals. Once we made a one together, my first graders were able to do these for morning work or during guided math.
This activity for a whole group lesson or a review! 

How Does Guided Math Look in My Classroom?


We typically do a whole group lesson on Monday with Guided Math the rest of the week. Our whole group lesson is based on the target skill that we are learning about. I use our pacing guide to determine which skill that is. I introduce the skill with a math read aloud. Then, our class creates an anchor chart over the skill. Sometimes I pre make the bones of the anchor chart but I make sure to fill in the meat of the skill with the students. This helps to reinforce the skill in their minds. They remember creating the anchor chart and will remember to look at it more often if they were apart of creating it. My favorite anchor chart to create with the students are the ones for telling time.



Using Math Centers During Guided Math

 I have four tables. Instead of the kiddos rotating, the baskets rotate. I pick a helper at the beginning of every two week period. The helpers are responsible for overlooking the baskets to make sure everything is in it's place. Then, the helpers rotate the baskets upon my command. This runs like a well oiled machine. The kids know EXACTLY what to do. I usually do two centers as the target skill of the week and two centers that are spiral review. That way the students are consistently practicing previous taught standards or skills.
The centers are a great way to prepare for our end of the year assessment because they cover skills taught all year long!


The students work with each math tub for 15-20 minutes a day..depending on my schedule that day. I plan all of my centers out for the week using my Guided Math Binder





I try to include as many hands on things as I can. However, sometimes, real world sets in. I use math word searches to minimize prep work. I use these as printable. I've also ran a set that is laminated and the kids use as wipe on/off mats. For differentiation, some students will use each word in a meaningful sentence. This can be challenging, but I encourage my students to try to demonstrate that they understand the meaning of each word.





This is how my math tubs look prior to rotating.  This is counting center where students have to correctly count the number of objects on the task card.



One of my kids favorite activities is Skip Counting Puzzles! I love using these puzzles because I can differentiate it really easily! All students appear to be doing the same activity, but I specifically plan out which students are doing which puzzles.
If you wanted to give printable skip counting puzzles a try, I thought you could try this freebie!



Just click HERE to get your FREEBIE!



The centers shown come from my  Number Sense BUNDLE! This bundle includes SO many activities to help get your kiddos ready for benchmarks or number sense assessments! I use these centers all throughout the year as a spiral review. It's great because they are low prep and  engaging! my students really enjoy these centers!












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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Spring is HERE


Hey Friends! Spring is FINALLY here! I mean it! I was starting to worry if the planet wasn't trying to SKIP Spring! Not sure about where you are, but here it's been so COLD! So OVER the cold weather and ready for the SuNsHiNe!!!

 So that means I am in the countdown mode--you know, counting down until Spring BREAK!!! 

This break is going to be one for the books. I'm trying to plan as LITTLE as possible! Haha! Yeah right! I  wish ;) I *think* the kiddos are just as restless as we are! 

So one of my colleagues from my very first teaching job has been sending me  goodies! She cleaned out her attic and is sending some my way. This gal is amazing, I used to try to convince her to blog because she is just FULL of ideas! I tell people, "If I'm half the teacher she is, I'll be doing good!" 

One classroom management idea she sent me for April is SO simple. And my kids are LOVING it! She sent a basket full of eggs. Inside the eggs are little "rewards". Throughout the day, if you catch the kids being good, you let them write their name on the slip of paper. At the end of the day, you call a few names out. They get to pick the egg. You would think twenty dollar bills were in those eggs! My kiddos are in love with this and are so excited to see who is going to "get an egg". The rewards are so simple. The funny thing about this is, these are all rewards that we probably do already! The egg factor just makes it so much better...hey, it's making the week before spring break FLY by! 




Click HERE for your freebie!


I hope this little freebie helps you out! 





In math, we have three weeks of graphs! I've had to lend on my blogging friends and TpT for some amazing resources to get me through!

First, I used my Graphs Mini Book to introduce graphs. This book discusses the different types of graphs and how we use them in everyday life!



 Talley O'Malley! My kids LOVED this book! We also read The Great Graph Contest! 

Once I introduced all the vocabulary and we reviewed each type of graph, we made our own! We used my sweet friend Anna's  Just Graph It unit. 
A new tip I've started is letting the kids do the writing on our anchor charts. They aren't as pretty as the teacher made ones, but I feel like it helps them retain more information. 

Tomorrow, we are graphing our favorite types of ice cream! Yum! How fun!

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

Primary Guided Math & Freebie


At the beginning of the year, I  was working as a long term substitute in 4th grade. I have always been addicted to "Guided Math", but for some reason, this year my addiction intensified!!!

I have been working on amping my guided math supply kit. I basically needed more hands on centers and had little time (and supplies) to make them! I am not used to being ink deprived, and it's a hard adjustment! In TX, I could get all the ink I pretty much desired! I know that most of you are in the same boat so I apologize for preachin' to the choir. So I decided to do what everyone else does who gets no ink---use colored cardstock! haha! 

My kiddos are practicing telling time to the hour and half hour this week. We had a blast practicing. We use these student hand held time boards over and over again during whole group instruction! 

My kids LOVE these!!

We read the book "If You Were A Minute"
Then, we made a chart of our three favorite things they did in the story and tried to beat the time the characters completed them. 







It's a good thing I've been working out, because 70 jumping jacks in a minute is no easy task ;) haha!!!




After a whole group mini lesson, we break up into small groups for our guided math. I have several "staple centers" I use:

*One bin of Math books. I try to pull as many books related to the subject we are working on!
*Lakeshore Match Up Puzzles







You can check out the centers shown here!

We are also using Cara's Time Packet! Which provides so many hands on matching centers for the kiddos! We still haven't finished all the activities in that packet! I'll post about it once we finish!! 

One of my weaknesses is making cute anchor charts! My kids have really struggled with types of sentences, so I made these charts...no judgment okay?? I am NOT very good at these :)










I also created a quick and simple Listening Center Recording sheet--click HERE For the FREEBIE

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Sunday, September 15, 2013

A little hard work never hurt anyone...


Hey friends :) 

I'm not going to lie, teaching with centers is absolutely HARD Work.. I know so many teachers that do not do it because of how hard it is. It's a lot of time printing, laminating and cutting. It's an investment, an investment that will pay off year after year.I still love people's reaction the moment they realize that typically everything in a classroom is almost 75% paid for BY THE TEACHER! They think all of this stuff just appears and is paid for by schools...not likely.  I understand that teachers earn a small amount of money in comparison to the cost of teaching, and the amount of hours we work. I get it..but teaching is a CALLING. I know that God put me here on this earth for three things: To be a  MOTHER, A WIFE and A T EACHER. That's my calling, those three things. I know so many of you feel the same way. And I know it's frustrating to spend our "own" money on our classrooms and feel as if we have no support from admin..I get it. But I also know what it's like to go without a teaching position (due to our family moving states). This is an emptiness like no other. I promise you. Even with ALL of the aggravation, hard work, and money spent, I wouldn't trade it a single day, to have my own classroom. Again, this is why  I'm here, this is my calling. That's it. Bottom Line. Seriously, so many times I get asked "Why don't you just go work at a bank"..I always reply "Everyone who works a bank can READ"... The crazy thing is this has been on my heart all week....this little message. Then, today at church, we had a speak from Big Oak Ranch..oh my word..if you have a second take a look at this video..it will remind you why we are doing what we are..and God Bless the Croyle family :) John Croyle talks a lot about how we were all put here on this earth for something...what is God using you for? Take a look at this little Video Clip

okay.. back to literacy centers ;) I'm a little scatterbrained tonight :) 

Build yourself a "center library"..and just think of how many students will benefit from it! Hands on instruction is the way to go these days...students NEED an approach to their education that fits in with things they do on a daily basis...children aren't going home and playing with sticks anymore people...they are playing with iPhones, tablets, e-readers, video games..etc...... So why not use fun, colorful and engaging literacy (& math) centers? Paper and pencil has it's place in the classroom, and ALWAYS will, but adding some variety to your instruction will pay off! I promise!  Someone asked me the other day "Why do you use all of these materials"..and my answer is ALWAYS this "My kiddos love coming to school because of the fun and engaging activities we do".  So yeah, it might require a little work on your end..but as my daddy always told me 
"A little hard work never killed nobody.." 

Remember going into a teacher store? Spending $29.99 on a "Literacy Center Book"...??? Getting it home, flipping through, and only being able to use one or two things from it? This is when I started creating my own materials..materials that MY students needed. Materials that were created with students first. So yeah, it's a lot of work...but the good news is, since the launch of TpT, you can now go and find centers already created for the exact skill that you need. Then, you have a digital copy FOREVER. So what if your computer crashes and you lose all of your files...guess what? TpT SAVES it ALL For you! What if students tear up your centers that you purchased with your (own) money?? Once again, just visit "My Purchases" and print the file that you need AGAIN. I am such a fan of TpT because of this, I can find exactly what I need and most of the time it is a huge hit with my classroom! 

Even once an item is purchased, I realize, it is  work for teachers...I get that...and I applaud you! For going above and beyond and making your students successful...isn't that the real reason we all sought out this path we call education? That might mean cutting things out while sitting in front of the tube with your spouse..or you could be like me and get your spouse to cut for you :) He's such a sport! Haha!
Okay..that's my rant and soapbox... 


I wanted to share with you my center calendar that I have used for the last few years in First Grade!! Now that I'm in 4th grade, I am developing a calendar to keep up with what products I use and when :) But here is what I have used for the last few years in First Grade :) 





For September through November, I relay heavily on these four packets:












Here are a few FREE Centers that I like to use as well!! 









Till Next Time 

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Friday, September 13, 2013

Our week in Reading!

This week we started out Author's Purpose unit. What a fun week we had!
We got to read a lot of really interesting stories and discuss their meanings. We also started our small group instruction routine! We are doing a daily five break down, but we have two teachers in the room. One is doing a guided reading program, the other is reinforcing the skill for the week with hands on activities!

We started the week with a simple foldable I created. 


Click HERE to get your FREEBIE

 After reading "The Story of Ruby Bridges", we discussed the purpose of the book. The kids really enjoyed this story! I love sneaking in little stories like that into my reading, teaching them not only the Author's Purpose, but history at the same time :) Two birds, one stone :)

Then, in our small groups we used several different resources: 










I made a new activity to go along with our lesson. It's a simple but effective memory game. Students have to read the passages and match it to the correct type of Author's Purpose. 



You can check that out HERE

Next week, we are diving into Main Idea. Here are a few resources I plan to use!





Our fourth grade students are LOVING these choice boards: 


Read Alouds For Main Idea:
Cowboy Camp
Sweet Tooth

The Great Kapok Tree
Miss Rumphius




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