Winter Reading Ideas For The Classroom

Winter Reading Lesson Plans

Hello sweet friends! Today, I'm going to chat a little bit about one of my favorite winter books EVER. It's probably yours too and it's a very popular book!!! It's a great winter lesson plan to use in the classroom.  Every year, I love reading The Mitten By Jan Brett . We've read this book so many times I'm sure! I wanted to give you a few new ideas that I shared on my Facebook Page. 

The Mitten by Jan Brett is a  story that naturally presents it's self to practice sequencing. The story has a perfect layout for sequencing ideas. Since I live in Florida, I like to use a different perspective for teaching it. Our students have rarely experienced cold weather. Like we flip out when it's 52 degrees around here. Students have very little real life connection to the attire one would wear in REALLY cold weather. Throughout this story, I am able to give students the opportunity to really visualize themselves in colder weather and how that would feel. We spend a lot of time talking about vocabulary as well. Someone once said to me "I've only used that book for sequencing". One thing that I love to do is to find multiple purposes for a read aloud book. For most of my students, vocabulary is something that can throw them off. They are used to using the same words to describe everything. In this story, I point out how we can say "sniffed" over "smell". I encourage my students to use different words in their everyday vocabulary. Students have to do more than just read a word and hear the meaning, they have to APPLY it. 

One way I do this is through my vocabulary freebie. I have done this a few different ways. I place the words inside of a mitten. In Kindergarten, I pull out the word and read it. We would discuss together what the word means and synonyms for the word. I would have students practice using the word. I would only do two words at a time. 

In first and second grade, they could do this with a partner. Students just take turns pulling a word out of the mitten. You don't need a recording sheet for accountability because you will walk around and monitor the students progress. Students love this activity because they are allowed to freely speak and sometimes as teachers we limit that.  I found these mittens at Wal Mart for $1.27 for THREE pair. So fairly cheap. I've also went to goodwill and just washed the mittens. The mittens are a cheap way to get the kiddos more engaged than just pulling it out of a bag. It's the little things that make a BIG difference. 

Thank you for stopping by! You can click HERE for your free lesson plans! 

Balanced Literacy Plunge

As an elementary teacher, I find that the balanced literacy approach is something that I simply cannot live without.

One approach that I've added to my day is that I try to add at least two content area centers throughout the week. We have seven stations a day, so that's pretty easy for us to do! 

My balanced Literacy routine is pretty simple. I try to incorporate as many content area centers as I can. The past few weeks we've been working on Map Skills. 

My kiddos LOVE floor puzzles! They are such a great tool to help develop important critical thinking skills. My kids do the puzzle, then complete a labeling activity. The puzzle shown is one of my favs from Melissa and Doug! 

Read Alouds for Maps

We've also worked on Rhyming Words this week. These puzzle match ups are great for reinforcing those tricky rhyming words....and they are on a little flash sale :) 

 Here are few other centers we used this week from my Winter Literacy Center Packet (also on sale!)

Preparing for Winter

This *Texas* Family is starting to feel very outta place up here in VA!!! We are NOT used to this cold weather! It's so funny, because our kids are only used to "light" jackets. We had to go and buy real, heavy, jackets recently, and they were so confused! Now that's starting to cool down, they are starting to understand :) To say we miss Texas, would be an understatement!!!! But we are making it work here!  We are just glad to all be together for a while. You just never know what the Navy has in store!!

God has been working so much in our lives. Since we've moved, I have yet to find a teaching position. It's been nice staying home with my kids, and helping my son with his school work. A lot of my creations lately, are projects he needed.

So few positions posted lately, and then all the sudden, I get a few phone calls! Say a prayer for me as this week I have job interviews!! I am SO excited and nervous!


My little firstie LOVES Frosty The Snowman! So I created THIS packet to work with him over winter break. The neat thing is, this packet can be used from now until February!

This packet contains 8 Literacy Centers PLUS Word Wall Cards!

*Winter Vowel Word Sort
Sort the words by long and short vowels. I included two versions of this for differentiated instruction. One version includes pictures, the other does not.
*Parts Of Speech are "Snow" Much Fun!
Sort the words by nouns,verbs and adjectives
*Winter ABC Order
*I Can Make Words:Winter Edition
*Frosty For Synonyms
*Antonym Word Sort
*Winter Real/Nonsense Compound Words

I am using the word wall cards for a variety of things. I am going to place them around and have him do sort of a "Read/Write The Room" type of activity. 

This packet is on sale for the next 24 hours, so head on  over and check it out HERE!

Next week, We are going to watch the Polar Express for our family Movie Night! I've already printed and started laminating for our after school centers. I am using Katie from Queen of The First Grade Jungle newest creation All-Aboard-A-Polar-Express-Mini-Unit! I am in LOVE with this unit! It has so many things that I can use, just at home!

Anyways, even though I'm not in the classroom right now, I am still teaching! Every single day! My own children are perhaps THE most important students I'll ever have. I do still wish that I can somehow get back into the classroom soon. I sure do miss so many things about teaching in a school setting. God has a plan, and I will just have to wait and see what that is!

Till Next Time:)