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!

April Writing Center Freebie

Hey Friends! One area I've really tried to re-vamp is my writing center. I feel like my kids are ALWAYS doing the same things.
We always work with our word study words and create stories from that. We do write the room and description writing. What is your routine with writing? I'd love to hear some more ideas!!! Writing is such an important skill that kids need to learn and I am a firm believer in trying something different. Writer's Workshop is great, and I love it. I am just looking for more independent stations to use during guided reading.  If you have a great product or routine that you use, PLEASE let me know!!! We are all in this *together*. In the meantime, I whipped these little freebies and so far 

the kiddos love them! I am working on a year long packet for this, so if you like it, leave a little comment telling me what you'd like to see! Enjoy!

ABC Order

I know this probably comes as a ~huge~ surprise  but I love teaching ABC Order. It's such a great way to challenge students to use their critical thinking skills. My oldest kiddo and I have been working really hard on ABC order  the past few weeks and I wanted to share with you some of the resources we are using! I created a "to go" set of centers. These are small, compact and we can use them ANYWHERE! I made them with Spring Break in mind, because we were road tripping. I gave my kiddo a set of these cards, and he went to town in the back seat! It was perfect because that way they weren't in the backseat watching movies for an entire 8 hours! 

 My ABC-Order-Rings-To-Go-Literacy-Centers are so easy to use. They contain 6 different literacy centers. Four sight word ABC Order centers, one color word set, and one number word set. They are also so easy to make. You just print, laminate and cut! Then, you secure the cards with a binder ring. They are also good for flash reading. You can send these home with your students for extra practice at home! I have these cards on sale through tonight, so get them while they are a little bit cheaper! 

Here is another great resource for Spring and ABC Order! Check out my Spring Literacy and Math Packet Spring-Mega-Literacy-Math-Center-Packet-22-Centers

Also, I am not sure if you've stopped by my Fitness Blog but be sure to check it out! We have several collaborators that are posting helpful fitness and healthy eating tips!

My hubby has asked me about nine times if I've started planning our trip home to the sunshine state this year...I better get to planning because if I don't pencil in Mickey Mouse..he sure as heck won't just appear at our doorstep! 

Thanks, Friends!

Till Next Time

Spring Fever

Well, it's that time of year again! Spring Fever is in fullllll motion! 

This week has been a difficult one for me. I remember the stress of teaching full time, I haven't forgotten. However, this time of transition for our family has left me really remembering why I started to teach in the first place. I've been substituting until I find a full time job. I really, really miss the classroom! I know we all have things we wish we could change about education...that will never change! Teachers do not get into teaching because of a paycheck. For most of us, it's something we've always wanted to do. I hope that this time of year isn't that hard on most of you, but it if is, just know you are in my thoughts & prayers. I pray for teachers to have hope and confidence in their job. I can remember complaining about the dumbest things about teaching, but right now, you have no idea how much I want to be back in my classroom the  kiddos. Just remember why you became a teacher in the first place, and I hope that will help you get through a difficult time of the year!

Picture Courtesy of www.smileyme.com

In the last few weeks, I've posted a few new packets.

My Ultimate-Literacy-Center-Packet-15-Centers contains 15 hands on skill based literacy centers!

1. Compound Word Fun
2. Vowel Word Sort (Long a/ short a)
3.Vowel Word Sort (Long e/ short e)
4. Vowel Word Sort (Long i/ short i)
5.Vowel Word Sort (Long o/ short o)
6.Vowel Word Sort (Long u/ short u)
7. CVC Word Sort Fun
8. Groovy Sight Words (A sight word game)
9. Antonym Memory
10 Synonym Memory
11. Sight Word ABC Order (Level 1)
12.Sight Word ABC Order (Level 2)
13.Sight Word ABC Order (Level 3)
14.Sight Word ABC Order (Level 4)
15.Sight Word ABC Order (Level 5)

                                                                 

I also posted my /Spring-Mega-Literacy-Math-Center-Packet-21-Centers

This packet has 21 hands on literacy and math centers!

This packet is loaded for March and April themed Literacy and Math Centers!

*Springing For Sight Words
*St. Patrick's Day Word Sort {Noun, Verbs, and Adjectives}
*Pinch Me ABC Order
*St. Patrick's Day Rhyme Time
*St. Patrick's Day Compound Words
*Lucky Sight Word Memory
*Lucky Leprechaun Word Sort
*Springing For Synonyms & Antonyms
*Spring Time ABC Order
*Spring Word Sort
*Contraction Match Up
*Time Wipe Off Cards
*Clover Addition
*Rainbow Word Scramble
* Leaping Leprechaun Editing
*Hip Hopping for Sight Words ABC Order (3 Sets) 
* Hopping for Compound Words
*Spring Rhyme Time

Both products are on sale this weekend! 

Be sure to stop by My TpT Store and check out the sale!

And it's almost April

I have a word wall freebie for you! Just click 

HERE

 Also, be sure to go enter Erica Bohrer's Mega Giveaway! She is celebrating 4,000 followers and has tons of amazing products that you can win! 

Spring Forward & Freebie!

I don't know about y'all...but I was not ready to "Spring Forward" this morning! We woke up, and hurried around to get ready for church, just to realize, our oldest..was sick :( Poor little thing has been feeling crummy all day and is passed out on the couch right now. I hate it when my kids are sick! I know all of the moms out there can agree!!!

I have had a few things that I've needed to share with you forever! It's just always something :) So I figured I'd take this time to catch up with you! 

First off, I'm having a little giveaway on my FB Page! Hurry on over and enter, the giveaway ends soon!

Second, I finally posted my Spring-Mega-Literacy-Math-Center-Packet-21-Centers! I posted it yesterday and listed it on sale until Monday! It contains 21 centers and is 108 pages long!!

This packet is loaded for March and April themed Literacy and Math Centers!

*Springing For Sight Words
*St. Patrick's Day Word Sort {Noun, Verbs, and Adjectives}
*Pinch Me ABC Order
*St. Patrick's Day Rhyme Time
*St. Patrick's Day Compound Words
*Lucky Sight Word Memory
*Lucky Leprechaun Word Sort
*Springing For Synonyms & Antonyms
*Spring Time ABC Order
*Spring Word Sort
*Contraction Match Up
*Time Wipe Off Cards
*Clover Addition
*Rainbow Word Scramble
* Leaping Leprechaun Editing
*Hip Hopping for Sight Words ABC Order (3 Sets) 
* Hopping for Compound Words
*Spring Rhyme Time

A little preview of what you will see--

I wanted to include a freebie for all of my followers! Once I get to 500 followers, I am going to have a huge giveaway! 

Just click HERE to get your FREEBIE!

The Teacher's Treasure Chest FREEBIE

Now I need to get off this computer and go check on my little one! Have a great week everyone!

Must Have Spring Centers!

So this week we have the ever so lovely SPRING BREAK! I am trying to fit in some relaxation time..but it's not looking good! My hubby is in the Navy and we are preparing to transfer to a new command. This means selling our house in....THREE MONTHS! So we are frantically trying to finish the last few projects around the house to get it ready to go on the market. Hopefully this week!

In the mean time, I am also working on my Spring Literacy Centers :) I like to everything in order for when I go back to school. My Spring Literacy Packet contains 10 literacy centers! Super cute! This is just a little preview :)

 This packet includes 10 literacy centers to be used in Spring! Get your copy at My TpT Store


*Vowel Digraphs Word Sort- Ai, Ay

*Rainbow Sight Word Memory

*Spring Rhyme Time with Long Vowels ( One Game for each vowel)

*Hoppy ABC Order

*Spring Synonym Match


I also am preparing a few other teacher made products. First,I went alittle crazy at  Cara Carroll's store from The First Grade Parade. When we go back to school, we will start our camping unit. I am using several of Cara's ideas plus her Camping-Capers-Math-Literacy-Science-Activities. This packet is AMAZING!!

For my "Spring" themed centers, I am using my spring literacy packet, plus a few others. Using Cara's March-Madness-Mega-Pack-Seasonal-Math-Literacy-Activities, Anna Brantley's Birds-Bugs-and-Butterflies-Math-and-Literacy-Center-Packet,Hippity-Hoppity-Math-and-Literacy-Centers and Made For 1st Grade's Egg-Cited-About-Easter-Literacy-Centers and Sandy Mac's First-Grade-Hi-Frequency-Words-and-Phonics-for-Spring

Sandy Mac is new to TpT and I just LOVE her products :) I am a huge fan already and hope she keeps up the amazing work! Go check out her TpT Store!!



We just finished Long A Words, so I went over and got Cara's Long-A-Kids-Stories-Sorts-Activities, and that will be incorporated as well as a review.

We will start Long O words, so I am starting on my own Long vowel packet this week.

That's all for now, I am waiting for my e-mail to come up to e-mail the winners for the BINGO Giveaway. You had to follow my stores as well as comment :)

Have a great day guys :)