tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76999067123187623422024-03-29T01:26:33.307-07:00First Grade SmilesFirst Grade Smiles: An elementary teaching blog by Melissa Machan
I have been teaching for more than 15 years and started this blog to share K-2 teaching ideas, resources, classroom tips, printables, freebies, and more! Developing curriculum resources for K-2 classrooms is my passion, and helping other teachers and students is my ultimate goal!Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-54229008112710089232024-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:002024-01-02T14:40:47.981-08:00New Year's Resolutions & Fun Activities for Kindergarten and 1st Grade<p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the new year begins, it's the perfect time for both reflection and anticipation. For adults, it's a time to set goals and resolutions for the year ahead. But let's not forget the little ones! Kindergarten and 1st Grade is a vibrant world filled with curiosity and exploration, making it an ideal space to introduce the spirit of the new year through engaging activities and simple resolutions.</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">New Year's Activities for the K-1 Classroom</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Translating this into the classroom can make for a fun day or couple of days after returning from winter break. One thing I like to do is to find a video on Youtube that shows the ball dropping in NYC for children to see what we mean when we say the ball drops. Then I like to play this quick video of the countdown. </span></p><div><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIOfQpbGa00">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIOfQpbGa00</a></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZZ4EFxb2VeITiGChUJ7ya71pwLiX9KhDeWLegWnou0lP9ber2SlzdvAq2GthQlKroBZzTPPQr7ZoXZ0xUFeWUW2U2Vjsr5MJsoKcnMUknLgzXdJ-p2XDRpgm-2O4Nskk8vAKVw1zhEEWwD-1fGYw5X48mBPuK6dCciKyWrgsLo9cOn-mxLISqfT_xVw/s2142/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%204.51.20%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="2142" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZZ4EFxb2VeITiGChUJ7ya71pwLiX9KhDeWLegWnou0lP9ber2SlzdvAq2GthQlKroBZzTPPQr7ZoXZ0xUFeWUW2U2Vjsr5MJsoKcnMUknLgzXdJ-p2XDRpgm-2O4Nskk8vAKVw1zhEEWwD-1fGYw5X48mBPuK6dCciKyWrgsLo9cOn-mxLISqfT_xVw/w640-h128/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%204.51.20%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I give each student a noise maker and we count down from 10 and of course, we yell Happy New Year and blow the noise makers. They get so excited! Naturally they want to continue blowing these afterwards, but I set it up ahead of time and say that we will all blow them after the countdown, but then they have to go in their backpacks to go home. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400;">We follow this up with this adorable countdown craft.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JXYgIfvxIl_vpnxcrFJgOjz8g5SJTwafI5G7_ob32fC5fF52JaEmh9TZGA0zFdRrY7PagBSa5dB5H__AYKpGaQIpM2jURYvl4e9XGp_xZmipMELs2vqcpUTtPVnYtNSVWgHwaT7r8NugsKBtCeyIwfJoEOyQFUqMyuniJFidJAQDbojAhKu6GPP1eXA/s4032/FullSizeRender.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JXYgIfvxIl_vpnxcrFJgOjz8g5SJTwafI5G7_ob32fC5fF52JaEmh9TZGA0zFdRrY7PagBSa5dB5H__AYKpGaQIpM2jURYvl4e9XGp_xZmipMELs2vqcpUTtPVnYtNSVWgHwaT7r8NugsKBtCeyIwfJoEOyQFUqMyuniJFidJAQDbojAhKu6GPP1eXA/w400-h300/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Setting Goals and Resolutions for the New Year</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The next thing we work on is setting goals or resolutions for the new year. I like to read the book, <u>Squirrel's New Year's Resolution</u> by Pat Miller. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJE8knIN8RmK3qyIu2fYY8BQ4BfNGS-i4HFhgzvbwWreyClW51rCcHxtGBNjPk_PHoZVA9Gh16s-Hl1dDcj3Vw05yJjlw6gw2K6JnbDxhKafOglFvguXYEypvN6e4hR3wdlw8bxlfa875_gJDWaU5N6Q-wIFb0twaNufukwP75cOVihPVpYJx2sLVuik/s1000/9780807575918.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="830" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJE8knIN8RmK3qyIu2fYY8BQ4BfNGS-i4HFhgzvbwWreyClW51rCcHxtGBNjPk_PHoZVA9Gh16s-Hl1dDcj3Vw05yJjlw6gw2K6JnbDxhKafOglFvguXYEypvN6e4hR3wdlw8bxlfa875_gJDWaU5N6Q-wIFb0twaNufukwP75cOVihPVpYJx2sLVuik/s320/9780807575918.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then we start brainstorming ideas for resolutions. We talk about how there are different types of resolutions that we could make. Here are just a few ideas: </span></p><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Learning Adventures:</b></span></span><span style="color: #374151;"> Encourage a love for learning new things! Resolve to read a new story each week, explore a new color, or discover a new animal together. Students might want to learn how to do something new, like ride their bike without training wheels or learn karate. </span></span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Kindness Counts</span></b></span><em style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-family: verdana;">:</em><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"> Teach the value of kindness by setting a goal to perform a small act of kindness each day. Whether it's sharing toys or helping a friend, it's a powerful lesson. Showing kindness in the classroom, at home, and in the community. There are so many ways students can spread kindness in the new year. </span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Work Habits:</span></b></span><span style="color: #374151;"> Encourage </span></span><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;">students to think about what they can work on to become a better student and learner. Maybe raising their hands before yelling out or working to write or color neatly. </span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Healthy Habits:</span></b></span><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"> Emphasize healthy habits! Encourage eating colorful fruits and vegetables or being active every day through fun activities. </span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #374151; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p></li></ol><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I like to make this part pretty simple for students and just have them choose one, maybe two, resolutions to focus on. We create these easy banners to hang around the room. </span></p><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlsS_Z1Wmd7HNRFdaxWzD9mftXvVS068hBcepYjoZmBu1uPayZf6hN8JF3dFo7c_07UxBHuX6LjyNRzmzG1K8apqGmb8gBWA0bP1hyphenhyphen_r2yPf9aJcsGn-_VdP_9gI6lQyoFCdRFg_8bDf2zw39yQMhzXUb0GD2hrGbMMqqPdj9i-BF7VXUVRAv8BTaJtk/s3853/FullSizeRender.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3853" data-original-width="2708" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlsS_Z1Wmd7HNRFdaxWzD9mftXvVS068hBcepYjoZmBu1uPayZf6hN8JF3dFo7c_07UxBHuX6LjyNRzmzG1K8apqGmb8gBWA0bP1hyphenhyphen_r2yPf9aJcsGn-_VdP_9gI6lQyoFCdRFg_8bDf2zw39yQMhzXUb0GD2hrGbMMqqPdj9i-BF7VXUVRAv8BTaJtk/w281-h400/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="281" /></a></div></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><br /></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you are looking for something a little more different, you could use this New Year's Glyph activity instead. If you are doing these in Kindergarten, I would recommend trying to help students in small groups so they can follow along with the steps of the glyph. In first grade, I was able to do these using a document camera along with them at their seats. It just depends on how well your students are able to follow along whole group. </span></p></li><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1I5ScM26970JGQ8OdubxyXAASzerYOItI9U8luftSUIMbUB2jXgnJU2tgDfa2xpG4rZis9zEJQUPHifexmFgLYTT8_-VY2JkihN-HQmuTZmLwYq6iWTG13xzQKhdwovAqv6A2QjkYfTAc-OOIV4EqIaxfpN20a7nbGCkble3KonAbnFZAw_rwx_xQJc/s4032/FullSizeRender.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1I5ScM26970JGQ8OdubxyXAASzerYOItI9U8luftSUIMbUB2jXgnJU2tgDfa2xpG4rZis9zEJQUPHifexmFgLYTT8_-VY2JkihN-HQmuTZmLwYq6iWTG13xzQKhdwovAqv6A2QjkYfTAc-OOIV4EqIaxfpN20a7nbGCkble3KonAbnFZAw_rwx_xQJc/w300-h400/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></ol><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The start of a new year is like a canvas waiting to be painted with new experiences and new memories to be had. For little learners, it's a time to foster creativity, curiosity, and the value of setting simple yet meaningful goals. As we guide them through these experiences, we not only celebrate the joy of a new year but also plant seeds for for a growth mindsest and working always be a better you.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you would like to try these activities with your students, click on the image below:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/New-Years-Resolution-Glyph-Banner-Countdown-Craft-More-458831" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="1566" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolnZv8Y6XBwVmlWHSuYLO92iI9-7GBt1Zjk7paTMHx3C7umFAOO8kLqO3G0-q96qzLWFt73DSZEscl5qJSCZfr5kUzMsjoiDFFFh7B2v8-G1tSljN0V-cZxcrpMynmu5Kr_sgjhCcttuya4mN8ApzFlZSBnu-NhTYmL8LZt6t11ahL0O94egNk_fE6_8/w400-h309/Screenshot%202024-01-01%20at%209.18.24%20PM.png" title="Happy New Year's: Resolution banner, glyph, countdown craft" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/New-Years-Resolution-Glyph-Banner-Countdown-Craft-More-458831">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/New-Years-Resolution-Glyph-Banner-Countdown-Craft-More-458831</a></div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy New Year!</span></p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-75587269311129897652023-06-28T13:58:00.003-07:002023-06-28T14:07:42.408-07:00Teach Basic Kindergarten Readiness Skills and Set Up Routines for Back to School<div style="text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Are you ready for </span><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Camp-Kindergarten-Basic-Readiness-Skills-for-Back-to-School-5767548?utm_source=First%20Grade%20Smiles%20Blog&utm_campaign=Blog%20post" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Camp Kindergarten</span></a><span style="color: #ff00fe;">? </span></h2><div style="text-align: center;">This is THE perfect way to assess readiness skills, set up routines, and practice basic expectations to get the right start with your new kindergarteners. Since the first year I started this, I have been amazed at how much fun the students have while also learning and practicing the basic skills and routines we will be doing in our classroom ALL YEAR LONG! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Camp-Kindergarten-Basic-Readiness-Skills-for-Back-to-School-5767548?utm_source=First%20Grade%20Smiles%20Blog&utm_campaign=Blog%20post" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="373" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0aY9LJTndXDYzdcBX3iUaYAaDNLKCAUbalz8FLR3j8eA5aY1H6T38jW6NlSwmZ3xKfqlhTCbGOFqD0NhRZDvUU2gqVpmmApMWLbN0Kzv6ERgdIATbKKPzFMvdhouAxnWXFD8W0hCH2PwrgPNqhwa832ER2cTyDANqm8UVVANTaY7gWwLIfHmb9_QcKE/w406-h640/Screen%20Shot%202020-07-12%20at%207.34.30%20PM.png" title="Camp Kindergarten first week of school" width="406" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you have any experience teaching you know that the first couple weeks of school the most important thing you teach your students is ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES to make your classroom start off on the right foot!!! Camp Kindergarten is developmentally appropriate for those little ones and is the perfect way to ease them into Kindergarten and make them excited about school. What more could you want as a teacher?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I don't start this the very first week of school (which for us is only 3 days) because I reserve that for teaching classroom rules and routines (like walking in the hallways), playing fun getting to know you activities, lots of brain breaks, and lots of time to play and meet new friends......as well as drying some tears and attempting to keep them happy and excited to come back to school the next day. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But once we hit the first FULL week of school, then we begin Camp Kindergarten! We talk about how Camp Kindergarten is about learning how to be ready for Kindergarten and you have to earn all of your badges in order to be fully ready for Kindergarten. I make it a big deal with lots of excitement around earning those badges each day. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There are at least 5 days of Camp Kindergarten, but you could choose to do more. Each day there is a slideshow (or could be printed into a book) to read to students about what the expectations are for that day. Then there is time to practice that skill. I like to do this in short centers with a different activity at each center. This is also how I introduce the idea of center rotation and expectations. I walk around and help or assess while the students work. I might take notes if there are fine motor concerns. Once they have completed the practice time, I present them with their badge for the day. They get to take these home each day to show their parents and believe me when I tell you, you will hear about how excited the kids were about their badges at parent conferences or open house night. This turns into a very big deal! Kids love it and parents do too!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The first day is learning how to use play dough in the classroom. We talk about opening and closing play dough containers, rolling it into a snake or a ball to make letters, numbers, or shapes, and how to not mix the colors. We practice with play dough mats and I take pictures of their creations to share with parents on our class app. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68CVA8qvWIBFGcAK9AjBy1dm6XHjCYEAE85Edfrxy5_oL5yHMK2tqERPQ9B7YL7EXyfXp6FwBs8KVL9_fVo0O65akW6dQiKJnYW3eZ5XNPaJzt8bykowa4U8l8MFC8_xJQfP3NIa8WFFDCQH5FxdieUAoqcLIcPgTILrEODxSvkzw2tNcKNQ9FLlRsyE/s2160/fine%20motor%20practice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="2160" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68CVA8qvWIBFGcAK9AjBy1dm6XHjCYEAE85Edfrxy5_oL5yHMK2tqERPQ9B7YL7EXyfXp6FwBs8KVL9_fVo0O65akW6dQiKJnYW3eZ5XNPaJzt8bykowa4U8l8MFC8_xJQfP3NIa8WFFDCQH5FxdieUAoqcLIcPgTILrEODxSvkzw2tNcKNQ9FLlRsyE/w640-h480/fine%20motor%20practice.JPG" title="Play dough kindergarten back to school" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We have letters, numbers, shapes, pictures, and I also make name mats for them to make their name. Once they have practiced they earn their first badge and are now PLAY DOUGH CERTIFIED. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL8IN5LUxZmUN80vUYK6krK-kd0zL7oPo15GZk_QCS8zbLSAYKGINdabb_ZLPkd46ssLSCkmz2snSf71rIka8NPBw2jIyeHI0goLV4LRzCIx5C1033ZzXqZon_2lQB6eQ6il3F0F4G3id5uCFYyhqmGIi-MXl6ZWln4ajFqDDOnKKEJ2a4gIegJ_YMSA/s4032/play%20dough%20mats.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL8IN5LUxZmUN80vUYK6krK-kd0zL7oPo15GZk_QCS8zbLSAYKGINdabb_ZLPkd46ssLSCkmz2snSf71rIka8NPBw2jIyeHI0goLV4LRzCIx5C1033ZzXqZon_2lQB6eQ6il3F0F4G3id5uCFYyhqmGIi-MXl6ZWln4ajFqDDOnKKEJ2a4gIegJ_YMSA/w640-h480/play%20dough%20mats.JPG" title="Play dough letter mats" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Day 2 of Camp Kindergarten is PENCILS. We talk about how to hold a pencil and use our other hand on the paper, the proper pressure for writing, and that we don't break pencils on purpose. Then we practice with some pre-writing lines, shapes, and curvy lines. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6vpMqqna0b_Ue-Fj0oqH56N6F6PNldHN8OJwtlcz-9MFelYAaa1LslJlQIIazMgOALzK9fNzJMYBXNkAYAgRAweZegD2_UqGJC87K-7rLTYQqe8Nr_VGtpA2hEP33bvYqMQCdVD0X4MCj94ChCmo6O7q17PDmwBnldbcZVtQOjdRmu7IfkNMaiKLFKs/s4032/fine%20motor%20tracing%20lines.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6vpMqqna0b_Ue-Fj0oqH56N6F6PNldHN8OJwtlcz-9MFelYAaa1LslJlQIIazMgOALzK9fNzJMYBXNkAYAgRAweZegD2_UqGJC87K-7rLTYQqe8Nr_VGtpA2hEP33bvYqMQCdVD0X4MCj94ChCmo6O7q17PDmwBnldbcZVtQOjdRmu7IfkNMaiKLFKs/w640-h480/fine%20motor%20tracing%20lines.JPG" title="Beginning writing kindergarten" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When they are done, they have now earned their 2nd badge and are now PENCIL CERTIFIED!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rg4mcHzZN1OFMYDyIaO_ET78mjEZAcRpbR7mnl3TQ3vVbgBtyc5QGzr4sWKnEgkXXM88d7LRhxhmO1ZUL9Zrg84Y4QILnAhRa9i1CYbwxlYpEAmYao5SLNo6wGg2OVb6lKbAVUkIxnLJ6KtJ4K9eyoYOK3u_JsuUAvP8gCf4CynlrtozicycDXEis_o/s4032/tracing%20practice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Rg4mcHzZN1OFMYDyIaO_ET78mjEZAcRpbR7mnl3TQ3vVbgBtyc5QGzr4sWKnEgkXXM88d7LRhxhmO1ZUL9Zrg84Y4QILnAhRa9i1CYbwxlYpEAmYao5SLNo6wGg2OVb6lKbAVUkIxnLJ6KtJ4K9eyoYOK3u_JsuUAvP8gCf4CynlrtozicycDXEis_o/w480-h640/tracing%20practice.JPG" title="First week of kindergarten" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Day 3 is coloring and crayons. We talk about 3 Star Coloring and I then put this anchor chart up all year long to refer to. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryyfy8Kvo2cCc_C_XCrAN7F8akbz_DYIKQdi048axkJ87gIkgQf1Pqq619X9ODPqXfrhVZiKgIpWdPaGpTCszeYD-922-VLWNZkWiWeYmnZke6Rlj-51pt4Yanxeya-0LnOu6EjwyzvbrgpeGA4KrjSIP9nkrXLHAq3iWDcu9RQgaKFT5eZ8QcLwImz8/s4032/3%20star%20coloring.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryyfy8Kvo2cCc_C_XCrAN7F8akbz_DYIKQdi048axkJ87gIkgQf1Pqq619X9ODPqXfrhVZiKgIpWdPaGpTCszeYD-922-VLWNZkWiWeYmnZke6Rlj-51pt4Yanxeya-0LnOu6EjwyzvbrgpeGA4KrjSIP9nkrXLHAq3iWDcu9RQgaKFT5eZ8QcLwImz8/w640-h480/3%20star%20coloring.JPG" title="First week of kindergarten" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These pictures take longer to color neatly, so I don't always do this in centers. I do, however, use the other sheets for morning work on other days. When they have demonstrated 3 Star Coloring they earn their next badge and are now CRAYON CERTIFIED!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96TpZfs6NuNwbXJ5LurfzojJViSeFkj6ufuzCNByyNjRo9B_nCSgmmRo4y-0qauH0EXeqJklQ2BnELc2koxW1AAgKJ0o5R7HiZvFDIQ__7Sv65HvbGMzuNG-qydedp_ZxqzUArrIbfLq3gD4BDDZ13E1bR23CG47R9po3WEgcO4ykn1ld-aCePak8CVQ/s3744/coloring%20practice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="3744" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96TpZfs6NuNwbXJ5LurfzojJViSeFkj6ufuzCNByyNjRo9B_nCSgmmRo4y-0qauH0EXeqJklQ2BnELc2koxW1AAgKJ0o5R7HiZvFDIQ__7Sv65HvbGMzuNG-qydedp_ZxqzUArrIbfLq3gD4BDDZ13E1bR23CG47R9po3WEgcO4ykn1ld-aCePak8CVQ/w640-h480/coloring%20practice.JPG" title="3 star coloring" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJWXUpQFJB649sQaZCtrsK_syZ27NUfxm0VGJA4QzWhVPt0eawv7TfdXEreZ24ezT3yinbHXIdItL4Rmb3a6Adc8ddq7godi3mJGPG-M24sRGJ0oK4Ka_abaQ6koQRvZ2hNwGf_cO0fQ7X_gQs1lc7PpTsIjAaL2zKitHuNyiH9rEroSL07yK3_XD93s/s2160/crayon%20practice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="2160" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJWXUpQFJB649sQaZCtrsK_syZ27NUfxm0VGJA4QzWhVPt0eawv7TfdXEreZ24ezT3yinbHXIdItL4Rmb3a6Adc8ddq7godi3mJGPG-M24sRGJ0oK4Ka_abaQ6koQRvZ2hNwGf_cO0fQ7X_gQs1lc7PpTsIjAaL2zKitHuNyiH9rEroSL07yK3_XD93s/w640-h466/crayon%20practice.JPG" title="Coloring expectations" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Day 4 is for cutting and scissor safety. Of course we talk about how to hold the scissors and how to use our other hand to hold the paper and move the paper as we cut. This is a very difficult skills for kindergarteners, and this is primarily when I find the most concerns. But again, we practice in different centers and I walk around to help correct as they work. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sO0x3MlvlD7gMbBZhz6mq-UGf6u56Rjd38ugHO2DiPKs-tASNYoUoAZRH7sh9MlBcbNPYc22eICEvXudYDCHNYRZJetlSnQQYX5WDTZE0u2gEZLYnuVe2c9Uly_9dNY5P7OLO-8JhUZMhMF2X4YJePKEdVQgRAKaCX-dx-O9p9lubWlryjjFwnkwn2A/s4032/scissor%20safety.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sO0x3MlvlD7gMbBZhz6mq-UGf6u56Rjd38ugHO2DiPKs-tASNYoUoAZRH7sh9MlBcbNPYc22eICEvXudYDCHNYRZJetlSnQQYX5WDTZE0u2gEZLYnuVe2c9Uly_9dNY5P7OLO-8JhUZMhMF2X4YJePKEdVQgRAKaCX-dx-O9p9lubWlryjjFwnkwn2A/w640-h480/scissor%20safety.JPG" title="Fine motor scissor practice" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also talk about how to hold scissors if we are walking and that scissors are only used for paper! Once they have finished practicing, they are now SCISSOR CERTIFIED!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwU33VZ0qIvtQVBpehlAAaZWP6qxqYhWGk2q0OM2M_y87fUBiKnMqFvzQ2Wu3uOmLKqBGKUGMLU0PRK4M97PiXurBS9hmamWjGVzpDAIL34738GhAwe4d9qYFzcPVQE2BiZhexG-0JJWZlXaxZYA3R5wfbd3mwgvMKq9XVYHUPgh66i68Le4XDFDTrXY/s4032/cutting%20practice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwU33VZ0qIvtQVBpehlAAaZWP6qxqYhWGk2q0OM2M_y87fUBiKnMqFvzQ2Wu3uOmLKqBGKUGMLU0PRK4M97PiXurBS9hmamWjGVzpDAIL34738GhAwe4d9qYFzcPVQE2BiZhexG-0JJWZlXaxZYA3R5wfbd3mwgvMKq9XVYHUPgh66i68Le4XDFDTrXY/w480-h640/cutting%20practice.JPG" title="Scissor safety and practice" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Day 5 is Glue Sticks. There is also one for Glue bottles, but I don't do that one in the beginning of the year. We don't use glue bottles very often, but glue sticks are used frequently. We have to do the glue sticks after the scissors because much of the practice is first cutting and then gluing. I have a ripped paper gluing practice page, as well as, we sometimes will do a rainbow name craft too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbCtRsIx9ukxvxF0sbEbSCAlU3q-luxdUNCtyBqeQ2vxQYD8-QYnzBLBmXD2JstLBfFWmysEr6VTCjpoZGx4jK4k2kNcKhvNisX5YOInwNGonDQitBeIz4VZnbkJsFen0Awe3Ku5ujinHYIpcWSTw0t6ow1b9DmCdkeb9JhaNdLKRE9TRW1ylhYCmzu8/s4032/glue%20stick%20routine.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbCtRsIx9ukxvxF0sbEbSCAlU3q-luxdUNCtyBqeQ2vxQYD8-QYnzBLBmXD2JstLBfFWmysEr6VTCjpoZGx4jK4k2kNcKhvNisX5YOInwNGonDQitBeIz4VZnbkJsFen0Awe3Ku5ujinHYIpcWSTw0t6ow1b9DmCdkeb9JhaNdLKRE9TRW1ylhYCmzu8/w640-h480/glue%20stick%20routine.JPG" title="Glue sticks in kindergarten" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You guessed it -- after we practice, the students earn their badge and are now GLUE STICK CERTIFIED! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6muLgHo3D2Sqvx7jKPz5AUDYo1p_xy2ABnhIlrtHs2s4CFkIiT9qg3uUPZheqcsmyCC7bUKZ8okbO5-5sWJHWSmpPFG-NR3oZ_d_CFijKOkyVgTx6SnKrWzBzL2mdQZe82zfI23Eh_85Mbzfyb_8DMwiXKI0YyMrvu4by4NFdlzmLe_sGUeGZraBL8s/s4032/gluing%20practice.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6muLgHo3D2Sqvx7jKPz5AUDYo1p_xy2ABnhIlrtHs2s4CFkIiT9qg3uUPZheqcsmyCC7bUKZ8okbO5-5sWJHWSmpPFG-NR3oZ_d_CFijKOkyVgTx6SnKrWzBzL2mdQZe82zfI23Eh_85Mbzfyb_8DMwiXKI0YyMrvu4by4NFdlzmLe_sGUeGZraBL8s/w640-h480/gluing%20practice.JPG" title="Cut and paste kindergarten" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeS03qB0NgGodWc9223N2V3TfIWUd454DY_Wy1dvFm2Pll946Pv_IW0HtMhwGfM3mk10z1AYZuT74752HWMPQjd7Pb_KhSIilkbTiu-FJqlJcmbsoN-ufr1bvSjrybE7QzKxP5b-c5bAtjy9lAgITtilC7R57rbaanNp9dUerOO1BUX-2l6UOIY_XcLU/s4032/name%20craft.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeS03qB0NgGodWc9223N2V3TfIWUd454DY_Wy1dvFm2Pll946Pv_IW0HtMhwGfM3mk10z1AYZuT74752HWMPQjd7Pb_KhSIilkbTiu-FJqlJcmbsoN-ufr1bvSjrybE7QzKxP5b-c5bAtjy9lAgITtilC7R57rbaanNp9dUerOO1BUX-2l6UOIY_XcLU/w640-h480/name%20craft.JPG" title="Rainbow name craft back to school" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I do a 6th day of Camp Kindergarten, but you don't have to. I introduce quiet reading time to my kindergarteners at this point. Each day we have about 10 minutes for quiet reading time. In the beginning of the year the students often need this time for a short rest or just some down time, but eventually we turn it into time to search for letters we are learning or heart words (sight words), and obviously at some point reading decodable text or at least finding decodable words in text. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAKYxnOBjwlTKmiHSvda58lcXFkVASRyA5P_HqcXTKuze55zJ-kkvG1Gv6DNIV1OY7JrCT-Y0tNYOWO6BlfeMjGbIQk2RRgRx_-g0qwYWach7D7GkkFgf6K72CfGJvME5ecuPkfvOfqpzCbZHqXpaWG_xQlOFS0cdQuohHbqmj-jjnMbLuTnA3Jj1Iv4/s3698/3%20ways%20to%20read%20a%20book.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="3698" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAKYxnOBjwlTKmiHSvda58lcXFkVASRyA5P_HqcXTKuze55zJ-kkvG1Gv6DNIV1OY7JrCT-Y0tNYOWO6BlfeMjGbIQk2RRgRx_-g0qwYWach7D7GkkFgf6K72CfGJvME5ecuPkfvOfqpzCbZHqXpaWG_xQlOFS0cdQuohHbqmj-jjnMbLuTnA3Jj1Iv4/w640-h480/3%20ways%20to%20read%20a%20book.JPG" title="Back to school" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">After they are Book Certified in my class, they have completed Camp Kindergarten! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZrvQYaRjcX-W5PfkUHTGeWqDOkaGT31pJMEP8ZwFOq-m0QjbgITdYFjoJ-Lvv_dQ99XbEkNXVD1VM1YIbUWafYM8i8ERd5Nxzyzk9ApB3URiJfqRbDiM7Be8HVXMaJd3DQ72iAu84R3MqOS_ODkDPZe1s03dl3JIN8m1O0ndSDTlWNksZkJL9evluac/s2160/Camp%20kindergarten%20badges.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="2160" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZrvQYaRjcX-W5PfkUHTGeWqDOkaGT31pJMEP8ZwFOq-m0QjbgITdYFjoJ-Lvv_dQ99XbEkNXVD1VM1YIbUWafYM8i8ERd5Nxzyzk9ApB3URiJfqRbDiM7Be8HVXMaJd3DQ72iAu84R3MqOS_ODkDPZe1s03dl3JIN8m1O0ndSDTlWNksZkJL9evluac/w640-h480/Camp%20kindergarten%20badges.JPG" title="Readiness skills for kindergarten" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have a certificate to give to students at the end or also a craft with mini badges to glue on. This can be hung up for Open House. Some teachers choose to make this as they go along and others do it as a culminating activity. You decide what words best for you! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N9yxDYEFaeIzOAOLVtusG8nkyXTaSouUX-dGaQneWQCye81qTJP7EvHHb8iLUVz52Z5zr3DYfmFjg0G9mTxBVaJSgx2vmd5WkRyLHZS6e3Xdeph0nChQyE2Ap-M3qDQkSEMx8o-jeYS7hrtg75RRK8Fk4TN_FXC31adPnTSyHS-fOdeLbkm1CuEgEgc/s3902/Camp%20kindergarten%20craft.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2926" data-original-width="3902" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N9yxDYEFaeIzOAOLVtusG8nkyXTaSouUX-dGaQneWQCye81qTJP7EvHHb8iLUVz52Z5zr3DYfmFjg0G9mTxBVaJSgx2vmd5WkRyLHZS6e3Xdeph0nChQyE2Ap-M3qDQkSEMx8o-jeYS7hrtg75RRK8Fk4TN_FXC31adPnTSyHS-fOdeLbkm1CuEgEgc/w640-h480/Camp%20kindergarten%20craft.JPG" title="Back to school craft" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is what other teachers are saying:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzlmm0f_2IeHcsTvoMHWyP8r2bZvUSDlA94UNAsiRVk4VYRvIJcKMEbmpOM6HGwl7QrJ8T-c0KssgTrbIbRpctwNP8arpwGyUW0D0rd0qyTiOIbuocLqoUb1FbHAdoFSdvsxovoUkz2WTdz3er6ZmoscmMrkKPHnSqfrDtsaB9V33ETSlYhsLep6zo8M/s1422/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.44.38%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="1422" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzlmm0f_2IeHcsTvoMHWyP8r2bZvUSDlA94UNAsiRVk4VYRvIJcKMEbmpOM6HGwl7QrJ8T-c0KssgTrbIbRpctwNP8arpwGyUW0D0rd0qyTiOIbuocLqoUb1FbHAdoFSdvsxovoUkz2WTdz3er6ZmoscmMrkKPHnSqfrDtsaB9V33ETSlYhsLep6zo8M/w640-h110/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.44.38%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS2tLSdvAoOmu-anH6phv4DgifBuUuBqopllWQlp_paiLpEh15MX7zjEdPlfJLe7DoElC_gFQAkQwqWWqm5Y1ZfQNXNdSv73iQhQ5sCZ4fSPdLfkgomPQ8T79Vfb431p0rscXGgV-mgzoMckLXc-vOxUl1bt71rN1EIKN164LaScFiZ3SqeFGSSdeOcg/s1420/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.44.51%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="1420" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS2tLSdvAoOmu-anH6phv4DgifBuUuBqopllWQlp_paiLpEh15MX7zjEdPlfJLe7DoElC_gFQAkQwqWWqm5Y1ZfQNXNdSv73iQhQ5sCZ4fSPdLfkgomPQ8T79Vfb431p0rscXGgV-mgzoMckLXc-vOxUl1bt71rN1EIKN164LaScFiZ3SqeFGSSdeOcg/w640-h138/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.44.51%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjE4sklI9cGZLkD9K4s7cX-ozfgHRlUDcFQSCw2q1bHXhPWd1ALqNG9z5Vvg7Vxw--ztZ-kCcAV18luRLu9pGeQVH_5AyOPGWTQzdNnJYoU7W4jTGEkt2UnqlhDJfaPkSUNRwrQgCMr5sFAftjxgDbtguKWVOVDXq2R_gY5pbewBalYDABAkMr4imRjc/s1476/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.45.05%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="1476" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjE4sklI9cGZLkD9K4s7cX-ozfgHRlUDcFQSCw2q1bHXhPWd1ALqNG9z5Vvg7Vxw--ztZ-kCcAV18luRLu9pGeQVH_5AyOPGWTQzdNnJYoU7W4jTGEkt2UnqlhDJfaPkSUNRwrQgCMr5sFAftjxgDbtguKWVOVDXq2R_gY5pbewBalYDABAkMr4imRjc/w640-h116/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.45.05%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2JGfOBhWbft_SnthNh671i-JOu8k_wObi3TmvU7gyoIdzSovnmjLDS_dhMMEZd1nadKP4u1rb40v7-B6bXUfH_bmZ6PX6CH7kBpXp13rAatB_Eb0KqjOdoGk5dz6hPZhSYrorNYFoNfL_2KiNQgIXOrvVIsDDPTM15zoR7rdnU9IjELoCRX_jLpNXRk/s1490/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.45.21%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="1490" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2JGfOBhWbft_SnthNh671i-JOu8k_wObi3TmvU7gyoIdzSovnmjLDS_dhMMEZd1nadKP4u1rb40v7-B6bXUfH_bmZ6PX6CH7kBpXp13rAatB_Eb0KqjOdoGk5dz6hPZhSYrorNYFoNfL_2KiNQgIXOrvVIsDDPTM15zoR7rdnU9IjELoCRX_jLpNXRk/w640-h112/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%204.45.21%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you are ready to start Camp Kindergarten in your classroom this year, then click on the link or picture below:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Camp-Kindergarten-Basic-Readiness-Skills-for-Back-to-School-5767548?utm_source=First%20Grade%20Smiles%20Blog&utm_campaign=Blog%20post" target="_blank">CAMP KINDERGARTEN</a></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Camp-Kindergarten-Basic-Readiness-Skills-for-Back-to-School-5767548?utm_source=First%20Grade%20Smiles%20Blog&utm_campaign=Blog%20post" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8zwKVQamyb9mRNVBaTPBTmfoqiPBwHEXYo-0nu_d4UVYvluH98Rc7PZdh_OXrgXYVJjr6zr5icL6vu3V7rVFddoMHCHBc6dWplkm1dwAtU2J8Z7P1_fGkA5R7ZHcUGQoF7GVbza6wjucz3sFcsWrVVqHrA5XJVEKMuvwq-AUIECvulfX6LhPo9heb80/w640-h640/Camp%20Kindergarten%20square%20cover.055.png" title="Camp Kindergarten" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you and your students love it as much as we do! Happy Back to School!!!</div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-22565950297899730822023-06-01T20:59:00.002-07:002023-06-28T19:05:43.399-07:00Flag Day<div style="text-align: center;">
Hi there! Thanks for joining me today as I share some quick ideas to use in your classroom for Flag Day. Now don't go telling me that you don't have school when it's flag day because that doesn't make me feel better. ;) I am well aware that many people are not in school during Flag Day, but unfortunately I am not one of them. Here I am - still teaching away for another 8 days. So if you happen to already be on your summer vacation and you're reading this....maybe you teach about American symbols or could use these ideas at other points in the year. I hope so! <br />
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Here are a few books I have read to my class this time of year. </div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881068446/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0881068446&linkCode=as2&tag=firgrasmi-20&linkId=NAVPZ73NTY56RAQM%22%3EThe%20Flag%20We%20Love%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=firgrasmi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0881068446%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXAFclxZbKYxQQoeCNo3vh43QgZLU58gfqwIxNuF3S9Io2fbzKbmyiaeKh0XgHvvWXFVsJpCg4OjcTQgz4r-roiw5xNHs68Y4_D3dGI3m_e_bMNXEJJE_KS21mxrzrJmDo5erlttYDxQ/s320/Unknown-2.jpeg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1404822186/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1404822186&linkCode=as2&tag=firgrasmi-20&linkId=PL5MLHDUCZGBJGPP%22%3EOur%20American%20Flag%20(American%20Symbols)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=firgrasmi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1404822186%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWGEXlO0TKzH7mUqico2IZjR7zcOGrCdUQbAu-gkDrVKbLw_R-hkeCxBl-5lmeP5nAwOarSJT2585V_vSpF8HMh3zaHNLk5eNX1ZwizwBxat0zd9i_0mQEPUGQWaimaNpOnqqEPw1MJI/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=firgrasmi-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0439399629&asins=0439399629&linkId=6NMQJFNY57RRJ3LO&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true%22%3E"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmncTkxvxd7cTlDL58mopL-GjPVZlbDVsOVVe0XCou9qi31E7uJjN0oS9CYs9_OjtDMCrOVBWZllXiIOTnwgaPMLCUgmHOmqyTO3h_0LVcDU22etQvhqYeUAG2zr1-EwniutNWakybTA/s320/Unknown-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0448428385/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0448428385&linkCode=as2&tag=firgrasmi-20&linkId=ZTOV3MXGRIF6KXNQ%22%3EF%20Is%20for%20Flag%20(Reading%20Railroad)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=firgrasmi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0448428385%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguX68SevCVdCGEZVcpXll0xrkEvySKU6xXbtT31mzC2GJ1gperjVoMt86QT03qkvowU7X5FCQocekdOvz3JAzWb1wAY69VeOa1eFNjIXyCnSQHmnsLH7hAAEN4u2oO3Md6ebMV50bTY9s/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<u>The Flag We Love</u> and <u>Our American Flag</u> give some historical background, but is still easy to get through with little ones. <u>F is for Flag</u> is a great one to explain why our flag is so important and what it stands for. And finally, <u>The Pledge of Allegiance</u> is just that - the words to the pledge. I like to show this using our document camera so students can see what the real words are for the pledge. We all know they have their own cute variations. :)<br />
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I made this quick little freebie to complete after we read about and discuss the flag. It doesn't take much time, and frankly at this time of the year, we don't have much time. So if you click on the picture below you can grab this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Xm939N5m6yYlVFNkhVVkdjMTg/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">American Flag FREEBIE</a> too. </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Xm939N5m6yYlVFNkhVVkdjMTg/view?usp=sharing"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqYzjQQFaXw1dHTyWO3g0zWaDS7bltcBDMxZF11bmMM5be8WN-0E7cJTPNaGoiyUfp8NyNv4JAhyphenhyphenzh9ISz0hhqoXjqU4970qGkrlRKW2PlWogLMWQHle6oZ-J3GPdSbTXa7gzTCC2WCM/s400/Flag+day+freebie+screenshot.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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And what would any holiday be without a craft???</div>
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I've done many different flag crafts over the years and of course you know Pinterest has TONS of ideas out there. This is just one that I love displaying in the hallway. </div>
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We actually made this flag when it was Veterans Day so I have a Thank You Veterans sign to go with it from my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Proud-to-Be-an-American-Election-Day-and-Veterans-Day-Activities-400118">Proud to be an American</a> pack. But this is a fun way to bring the class together on a craft. Obviously they all traced and cut out their hands on red, white, and blue paper (many times). I cut the stars out using an Ellison cutter. Then we all worked together to complete the project with a large piece of bulletin board paper as the background. We wanted to be sure it was as accurate as possible. The kids really enjoyed this project and it looks great in the hallway. </div>
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So again, if you are out of school for summer already - I am happy for you (really I am). But maybe these ideas will find their way into your classroom for other reasons in your school year. <br />
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Thanks for stopping by today. <br />
Happy Flag Day!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-59256992047015298642023-05-01T20:53:00.001-07:002023-06-28T19:04:06.322-07:00Mother's Day isn't just for Mothers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mother's Day is a special day, but can also be a sad day for some. Some have lost their moms, some don't see their moms, some want to be moms, and some are moms to babies in heaven. This can be a tough day to navigate in the classroom as well. However, I do still think it is an important thing to discuss and acknowledge with your students. It's ok to reach out to families ahead of time to ask if there is a special person or maybe more than one that students would like to honor for Mother's Day. It doesn't have to be a mom. I have had students make gifts for moms, grandmas, aunts, step-moms, or family friends. I try to normalize the idea that all families are different and there are many people in our lives who love us and who we love too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To help navigate this holiday in the classroom, I made this little pack last year and I just LOVED how it all came out with my kids. They had so much fun making these things for their special people in their lives and I had a lot of moms and family members share how much they loved reading them. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mothers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-Flowers-for-Mom-1227120"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNY-HL13wwodM3zF-MVbYPP3H2amTtyZ63QREGcINpUu7HHIma91-k-OS35bdPnH1mfZ53gE0Kssv7BemRkmfNdqAyuyy6mWSLYENwulQDKiEw667vcbvaeFknxkidRgziVsADL9E56s/w491-h640/Screen+Shot+2014-04-29+at+10.10.11+PM.png" width="491" /></a></div>
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This pack includes this craftivity where the flowers flip up for students to write.</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flowers-for-Mom-Mothers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-1227120"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82ZIKVVeNU_rmpLDpUXgdVr3ogPqUrv9SiLySE0l2a50HmeiqXH5F0LuVXH3H8Yu5MrA6idbeZlTmKZVNpB-2mgrmaOfVlzCYcf8M7TGbFcxcEA7K4hnQnTfXy2U9CU5tbtuqHEhrWaA/w300-h400/IMG_5210.jpg" title="Mother's Day craft" width="300" /></a> <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flowers-for-Mom-Mothers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-1227120"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFYudSXyJpUn6h8f9sGpnFKBM9ZHdBiRvM3tbmISiUjdbDTLbHxsdP3zd8ES9Jte47ZFKvRnmI7Eg8UEpBbKaP8hkd3gVLlnBDUlqdyuU5dRdKVD_zxTdnjhv5fO-NufOk4fyS9uYUL0/w300-h400/IMG_5211.jpg" title="Mother's Day Craft" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tSYFoei_yOVrMCJ0ZCmAVkpaLSdPy5qaoA25F_9e_Cb4xNO6PoIUZSwuu1c5wmz-Eiok1CuC420iI52xzturxHUrjomlcYj95pXbkJSaPYaRXMbwQb1q9spVweZkvsh4YUtCJDwidZM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.56+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tSYFoei_yOVrMCJ0ZCmAVkpaLSdPy5qaoA25F_9e_Cb4xNO6PoIUZSwuu1c5wmz-Eiok1CuC420iI52xzturxHUrjomlcYj95pXbkJSaPYaRXMbwQb1q9spVweZkvsh4YUtCJDwidZM/w488-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.56+AM.png" title="Mother's Day craft" width="488" /></a></div>
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The pictures are a little blurry so here is what my kiddos wrote:</div>
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I love you because...</div>
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*We make Tie Dye together</div>
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*You take me to Denny's</div>
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*You cuddle with me</div>
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*You love me no matter what</div>
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There is also a flower shaped gift book with 3 different versions.</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flowers-for-Mom-Mothers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-1227120"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbZejbWCfbsuX-kxKesLE0id_FEAOEuB7wOMq5EkDAeaxI75gWe9MjwVv8bAvjutVvC3E5n08cYzPMNnRws3ON7HpRp92qE6iTMJ9lFpV7HL36ZdrQUEfQQ0kbVsBDzsM7XoJzXzFLaQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-29+at+10.09.27+PM.png" width="491" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx_GBwTFIU_3F4RdmL7VWMC49MburPrTdESQmWs1he4DYT71R0SGjJryoHCEc3_6WG8hstkX2m-fudIi3h0nQfQ7nj6eFZCXPN2aOOfIU1nVtsAiiLLBIYX9jMp7Uudj8yaey1AwKBZ0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.30+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx_GBwTFIU_3F4RdmL7VWMC49MburPrTdESQmWs1he4DYT71R0SGjJryoHCEc3_6WG8hstkX2m-fudIi3h0nQfQ7nj6eFZCXPN2aOOfIU1nVtsAiiLLBIYX9jMp7Uudj8yaey1AwKBZ0/w640-h481/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.30+AM.png" title="Mother's Day book" width="640" /></a></div>
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*After I go to bed my mom always tweets on Facebook.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7zICuPxts4Bqzjh7SlMVzpgSWP_ZZOUpPMhjtZvOlztgF1JhJhEy-DAPlSiO3LqI6VjNvrxrlgBwwTqlZn9AoVOoEg1wpMDw8OYLjYxgJzyPCSD96fmaOr6ELSr8wvJr5tfVvPY3lsY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.04+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7zICuPxts4Bqzjh7SlMVzpgSWP_ZZOUpPMhjtZvOlztgF1JhJhEy-DAPlSiO3LqI6VjNvrxrlgBwwTqlZn9AoVOoEg1wpMDw8OYLjYxgJzyPCSD96fmaOr6ELSr8wvJr5tfVvPY3lsY/w490-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.04+AM.png" title="Mother's Day book" width="490" /></a></div>
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*My mom loves when I change my sister.</div>
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*My mom does not like to do laundry.</div>
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*My mom is the best at cleaning.</div>
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*The best thing my mom cooks is bacon - Yay! (Haha!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBu8ojiRUGq-L2HCe4sQ_gXOPyWuAPYybhW7HzDZeebsHLINljZJPC96qDv6sLJOsxZcXrQ-gJal2crw_8nsnxGJmFuXVcmxAK-jRyvhwrUkXo8xvtdeyBKCoFYyBogSVoZo7Q8-JSWLQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.18+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBu8ojiRUGq-L2HCe4sQ_gXOPyWuAPYybhW7HzDZeebsHLINljZJPC96qDv6sLJOsxZcXrQ-gJal2crw_8nsnxGJmFuXVcmxAK-jRyvhwrUkXo8xvtdeyBKCoFYyBogSVoZo7Q8-JSWLQ/w488-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.41.18+AM.png" title="Mother's Day book" width="488" /></a></div>
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*My mom loves when I give her breakfast in bed.</div>
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*My mom spends lots of time texting.</div>
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*My mom does not like when I spill my drink in the car.</div>
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*My mom's favorite thing to do on the weekend is to sit around the house.</div>
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And finally, there are some printables included too.</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flowers-for-Mom-Mothers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-1227120"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3TomJrM34cuVAaAiMEpKO1HwhciF228sqKiRum9UpKHpvIyH9MGpsXc6Uo54Sx0cNMJhXfz5XQpUIr_oYiSYFlRGzke0GHPc_Vvn2W9QGsCbW2gHpN_1jB0DqFv4weFG6MESy-2QQ7o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-04-29+at+10.09.16+PM.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtmpTvSBvoWMVCg-XP76JwgV-GDyWAZ8xZ75k3mWsEqa_NY6SVeC8zRhTDTrFvu8g1yV8Ldnu7aiT0wURWQJwHIAsg6N12qiVBnW4Or7uEVgyX8QMo4UGZEnFGHTFTlQ4U8bx32CIJ5g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.40.45+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtmpTvSBvoWMVCg-XP76JwgV-GDyWAZ8xZ75k3mWsEqa_NY6SVeC8zRhTDTrFvu8g1yV8Ldnu7aiT0wURWQJwHIAsg6N12qiVBnW4Or7uEVgyX8QMo4UGZEnFGHTFTlQ4U8bx32CIJ5g/w494-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+10.40.45+AM.png" title="Mother's day writing" width="494" /></a></div>
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I love my mom more than I love...</div>
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*video games (that's saying a lot for some kids)</div>
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*my toys, because my mom gave birth to me.</div>
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*cousin Amy because she doesn't let me do anything.</div>
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*cookies because I love my mom and cookies, but I love my mom more. </div>
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You can find this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mothers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-Flowers-for-Mom-1227120" target="_blank">Mother's Day pack</a> in my TpT Store. </div>
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<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">****************************</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now a quick question for the moms who are reading this....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Which phase of motherhood are you in right now? Are you in the early phase with little ones where you just adore each and every little moment because it's all new and exciting? This next image makes me think of my littles ones. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDOCWDyQtMlXpCOzmfB2cjlUFMkMZpaY0ir7J1LpWxCF99t1wN3Ddh8_HjTji6LdwU5g6JbdXVfiBlTQ4V7mIxxBKGhSLz3LMPWSPvf_r8gDQEXbAyKW7zWGi9cHvo36gyy7IsTuDVs0/s1600/0f334719d0dace40f2278f17d8e8b3a4.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDOCWDyQtMlXpCOzmfB2cjlUFMkMZpaY0ir7J1LpWxCF99t1wN3Ddh8_HjTji6LdwU5g6JbdXVfiBlTQ4V7mIxxBKGhSLz3LMPWSPvf_r8gDQEXbAyKW7zWGi9cHvo36gyy7IsTuDVs0/s400/0f334719d0dace40f2278f17d8e8b3a4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Or are you in a later phase in motherhood where you are looking back at those moments? Maybe older children who might be a little more difficult or maybe your children are all grown and out of the house? This next image made me think of my tween/teen kids (I have 4 daughters total). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v2lSj4DcGSNoPnz_bHMpns3KcK021gS8m9Ga5rBvPVQElVzAQuaIP06yyebSvPu6Nw1cuNzMFE76M7icHen-zEvdcamlOdO4kZp_R4b6Tc_IO2F_wuBVXlZbjaf9aFyQsSfUfGe6msQ/s1600/11025824_805810712828751_66230980625701886_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v2lSj4DcGSNoPnz_bHMpns3KcK021gS8m9Ga5rBvPVQElVzAQuaIP06yyebSvPu6Nw1cuNzMFE76M7icHen-zEvdcamlOdO4kZp_R4b6Tc_IO2F_wuBVXlZbjaf9aFyQsSfUfGe6msQ/w434-h640/11025824_805810712828751_66230980625701886_n.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are so many moments of struggle and doubt as a mom, but then #10 where we, MOMS, would do it ALL again is just so true. Motherhood isn't perfect or easy --- definitely not easy --- but it IS worth all the moments! Happy Mother's Day to the moms reading this!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;">*********************************</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's not forget the dads and other special males out there. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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I also have a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fathers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-Best-Dad-Ever-1258787" target="_blank">Father's Day pack</a> in my store to check out. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fathers-Day-Gift-Book-Craftivity-and-Printables-Best-Dad-Ever-1258787"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUfvsP4CM3wDMrh3eovzfA-UDys_-feRlJSk0O1y3Ez5izhBZXKHhT3bHQJC8ltqka2uv0nrXGyQ2LPHDh1wBNHcz2WVj4qN6yqBdMuDr0oKqMGjNsFX0vtM8JmTF7oKAotRUxFlBNKY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-11+at+11.11.23+AM.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These two packs are conveniently bundled in this money saving <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/We-Love-Our-Parents-Mothers-Day-and-Fathers-Day-BUNDLE-1258913">bundle</a>:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/We-Love-Our-Parents-Mothers-Day-and-Fathers-Day-BUNDLE-1258913"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJFFFnunrrttaFAzSR9HjxitG0V4owGTAbD9tvOXLVFcvnA-D6yjr_UMVW33a_ZjlhZVkG6ttCV3pVqTwedMJ0HaIZ37mTJ_ZvKGD6AVValZr4XInXWY3S6ffS5gsXICl_WVci1Eo0YU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-28+at+9.31.50+PM.png" width="249" /></a></div>
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Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have fun creating Mother's Day gifts with your students. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-15830270448989965772019-07-17T18:54:00.004-07:002023-06-28T18:25:28.819-07:00Back to School: Meet the Teacher/Open House<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div>
It's back to school time and time to meet your families. Every school does things a little differently. Our school has always done an <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Open House</span></b> night a few weeks into school when parents and children come in to see the classroom together. This night is the first time teachers meet the families, but it is obviously not the first time the teachers meet the students since they've been in school for a couple weeks. It wasn't until I moved to Kindergarten that we did a <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Meet the Teacher</b></span> day (sometimes called <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Back to School Night</b></span>), but we just call it Kindergarten Orientation. This is a day the week before school starts when parents and students come in to meet the teacher, see the classroom, ease some nerves, and spark the anticipation. Because this is Kindergarten, this is the first time these little ones are likely going to see the school and classroom, too. There are so many questions that need to be answered, but of course, not time enough to answer them all face to face. Therefore, I knew I needed to prepare the classroom for families to be able to move around, check things out, but also take care of business. </div></div>
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My first step in planning out my day was to make a list of all the pieces I would need and want for this day to run smoothly. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">* Collect information for my purposes</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">* Distribute information to parents</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">* Time to explore the classroom and school</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">* A way to collect the classroom supplies that are brought in</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">* Something FUN for my students</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Step 1: What information do I need to collect from parents?</span></h2>
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<span style="text-align: left;">* <b><u>Sign-in sheet </u></b>so I know who attended in case they slip in and out quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">*<b> <u>Transportation Information</u></b> - how will the child go home from school?</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">* <b><u>Student Information</u> </b>- This is one thing that I really love getting from parents. I love starting the year off with a picture of each child through the eyes of their parents. It gives me something to go from as I get to know them, but it also tells me about the parents and what they view as important. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">* <b><u>Classroom Volunteers</u></b> - If there are any parents of family members that would be able to volunteer in the classroom. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYe5IA8bSr-gCi9YvjQzty-86wsvMXtcZnU6NyRsyaOgqnx4oIzFbKr1yDyGmy2zpMIx3-pjcY_MH6IPUZGp8hF7HGapNsRXES3eF4cliwCMrbKK98norAe13DMi3hcFRGWLN7JMJrt0/s1600/IMG_2854.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYe5IA8bSr-gCi9YvjQzty-86wsvMXtcZnU6NyRsyaOgqnx4oIzFbKr1yDyGmy2zpMIx3-pjcY_MH6IPUZGp8hF7HGapNsRXES3eF4cliwCMrbKK98norAe13DMi3hcFRGWLN7JMJrt0/w240-h320/IMG_2854.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher sign in sheet" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqiDraZ8D0KTXKbOx3mxn1nBWvTquBbHmXix6xZmGEaHYdpDrGIM8YMiFqsrmVCfHvd0M2e7lDiqUgm4OC4HSHm9OADZefF1dhy4EcuGcWWdF03erd6JRWnAOyyfCIDvP8cwKq8xF1Ts/s1600/ACS_0047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqiDraZ8D0KTXKbOx3mxn1nBWvTquBbHmXix6xZmGEaHYdpDrGIM8YMiFqsrmVCfHvd0M2e7lDiqUgm4OC4HSHm9OADZefF1dhy4EcuGcWWdF03erd6JRWnAOyyfCIDvP8cwKq8xF1Ts/w285-h320/ACS_0047.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher parent forms" width="285" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Step 2: What information do I need to distribute to parents?</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444;">* Information about <b><u>me</u></b> to introduce myself</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">* Information about the <b><u>school</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">* Information about <b><u>Kindergarten</u></b> (or whatever grade level you teach)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">* Information about <b><u>my classroom</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzav1gZKteJfDikQT53SXqy-2FNKKAGy_MlfRIvx63w7-JPRZqa3qgs_JmG93xEVqGkcmKlPFNlNIkm5zniJG6Eez-opn2MA1SoL9xbZ76Q3FeDV9IuPP4juYpqsKv7cEg05n23A7WII/s1600/ACS_0046.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzav1gZKteJfDikQT53SXqy-2FNKKAGy_MlfRIvx63w7-JPRZqa3qgs_JmG93xEVqGkcmKlPFNlNIkm5zniJG6Eez-opn2MA1SoL9xbZ76Q3FeDV9IuPP4juYpqsKv7cEg05n23A7WII/w480-h640/ACS_0046.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher forms" width="480" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">I wanted the information about our school and classroom to all be in one place, so I created this booklet to give out to parents. It includes tabs about our schedule, communication/contact information, school information, classroom information, and curriculum information. At first I thought this might be time consuming to put together, but it really wasn't bad. It probably took me about 20 minutes to get them all together once I printed them out. First, I cut the tabs out (I cut about 4-5 pages at a time to speed things up). Then, I set up an assembly line so I could grab all the papers and staple them together. I was SO happy with how they came out and got tons of compliments from parents and other teachers about them -- the time put in was well worth it!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErtMJX-p8fRPYNodTR_-yYNerfXF5juloyahVyrbwr1HQyAn-1KYfa78ZwyjKWvby3fJsBgW4axLpVk_pAHj5fKRky1mFyLo0TtacckpuCpyZIqp_ww-QRa6rBXXoBvszvNmFxSLFu7c/s1600/IMG_2958.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErtMJX-p8fRPYNodTR_-yYNerfXF5juloyahVyrbwr1HQyAn-1KYfa78ZwyjKWvby3fJsBgW4axLpVk_pAHj5fKRky1mFyLo0TtacckpuCpyZIqp_ww-QRa6rBXXoBvszvNmFxSLFu7c/w320-h320/IMG_2958.JPG" title="Classroom information flip book for Back to School" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQ1QXZAlTm6cJtuH9P0ohfr9EaEShq6z75pM0ZAPKTuwrUOuG74eVx1KNye5zjz8bKfQbihTq9mOK8epDyMaSaQZu1AID0D0qcjNxkXIVlpJx0fiy1umQWbPzxnThDq64RprtBx88pWY/s1600/IMG_2956.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQ1QXZAlTm6cJtuH9P0ohfr9EaEShq6z75pM0ZAPKTuwrUOuG74eVx1KNye5zjz8bKfQbihTq9mOK8epDyMaSaQZu1AID0D0qcjNxkXIVlpJx0fiy1umQWbPzxnThDq64RprtBx88pWY/w240-h320/IMG_2956.jpg" title="Classroom information flip book for Back to School" width="240" /></a></div>
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Once I had all the papers to give out, I put them all into a folder. I labeled one side with RETURN to school and the other with KEEP at home, so it was very obvious what parents needed to do. Again -- very much worth the time put in to create the folders. This helped keep parents organized and myself organized as papers started coming in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0TXP-LgUztAFu45NSv7DFD3bCinHTk8BC4lWGneiypd4jtAMV4iaWkm-1MWZAMeWaBrjpSjXdajnFcdSNNh81XOysPLRBxLJ-Hr0XPp8siewNWOHlWWqQQKk-VL4AQ5OZhsBr2DntfM/s1600/IMG_2866.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0TXP-LgUztAFu45NSv7DFD3bCinHTk8BC4lWGneiypd4jtAMV4iaWkm-1MWZAMeWaBrjpSjXdajnFcdSNNh81XOysPLRBxLJ-Hr0XPp8siewNWOHlWWqQQKk-VL4AQ5OZhsBr2DntfM/w265-h320/IMG_2866.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher parent information folder" width="265" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju92mVzb1a0rHXK5h_Q8gumYPzTYcgE-6ot-UOr_YCLq8x-yqY8-N9lOHMsZRXjCP6Z1kqJ6lYIDM_Cj9eOZKZbGl1U2gPQwAh2HJFXctkCOr_WzTiXSohTVg26b_QIDWeFZoRUic9mEI/s1600/IMG_2861.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju92mVzb1a0rHXK5h_Q8gumYPzTYcgE-6ot-UOr_YCLq8x-yqY8-N9lOHMsZRXjCP6Z1kqJ6lYIDM_Cj9eOZKZbGl1U2gPQwAh2HJFXctkCOr_WzTiXSohTVg26b_QIDWeFZoRUic9mEI/w320-h240/IMG_2861.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher parent information folder" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Step 3: How can I help my families explore our classroom and our school? </span></h2>
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It's definitely a good idea to give families a guideline for what they might want to check out while they are there. Not only is this helpful so they can really get to know the school, it also keeps them from just standing around in the classroom or even worse -- taking things off the shelves to play with. And instead of just calling it a checklist, I called it a Scavenger Hunt, which of course makes it MUCH more exciting! :-) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqHoKz55Xd2A76vQBjwUBTDcSRF57sJ1wPBIfakC_koaY6lUovWNedzHh9P-TuIjKVIkaB426gaL6HaKn5j985vgZiMFPG3XTuShMHtOJ4SZz-GbTzIYg11VbGP2PsRX9aiu5lXtqRTc/s1600/IMG_2858.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqHoKz55Xd2A76vQBjwUBTDcSRF57sJ1wPBIfakC_koaY6lUovWNedzHh9P-TuIjKVIkaB426gaL6HaKn5j985vgZiMFPG3XTuShMHtOJ4SZz-GbTzIYg11VbGP2PsRX9aiu5lXtqRTc/w326-h400/IMG_2858.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher/Open House scavenger hunt" width="326" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Step 4: How can I collect classroom supplies in an organized way?</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444;">I used to just have parents put all of their child's supplies in their cubbies and I would sort through it later. WHY would I do that when it is so much easier for them to sort it out as they drop it off? You know, it's sometimes embarrassing when it takes many years of teaching and doing something one way to realize there is a much better way to do it. Face---meet----palm! So, I took some of my many bins and crates and placed labels on them so all the supplies could be sorted right from the get go. You can only imagine how much time this saved me! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBmH9TrDplHwbbJsmGCmED37WtCFUkvdK8ONcsCA9n-rWQgGtFyBFMTVBwwI3AKhPuwK03aF44WOM6uX50cvlkKl-lF9qjdmyKCNsZNGwsLHeBoxcDN0N8yOncCkm9_MAv9Gkt0HjzzY/s1600/IMG_2852.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBmH9TrDplHwbbJsmGCmED37WtCFUkvdK8ONcsCA9n-rWQgGtFyBFMTVBwwI3AKhPuwK03aF44WOM6uX50cvlkKl-lF9qjdmyKCNsZNGwsLHeBoxcDN0N8yOncCkm9_MAv9Gkt0HjzzY/w640-h480/IMG_2852.JPG" title="Back to school school supply organization" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Step 5: What's something FUN I can give to my new students to get them excited to come on the first day?</span></h2>
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The most important thing for me on this day is to meet ALL of my new students and to get them excited for school to start. I like to give a little gift for them to take with them as they leave. Here are some of the things I have given over the years. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6g2VX3-LhnsIzrBeY_wbebaQu_67GJqF64fzfiQa4fTZSF-ifqSbw1wfkEQTbVAo1HmXPJmlafetn2gb_TP6VQ1IlwvFw3EvoJNdzk3CFmNW44T5cAtgUvU9BOdtPVaBMn_DizUhXNRY/s1600/IMG_2886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6g2VX3-LhnsIzrBeY_wbebaQu_67GJqF64fzfiQa4fTZSF-ifqSbw1wfkEQTbVAo1HmXPJmlafetn2gb_TP6VQ1IlwvFw3EvoJNdzk3CFmNW44T5cAtgUvU9BOdtPVaBMn_DizUhXNRY/w400-h300/IMG_2886.JPG" title="Back to school student gift" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEwOD0nkvQ1IF5NwjMiMPiIXDRnoHVAAE0aifFFqOcMRe-byXrh4P5epajsGZ1YTUM_R7mAFHcDjZIick3TMXEHCJ1cM8xqsbsOYrejDNw57sd_6i-iPpF4DMOL9Hak2HwhYmbv3wrS0/s1600/IMG_2887.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEwOD0nkvQ1IF5NwjMiMPiIXDRnoHVAAE0aifFFqOcMRe-byXrh4P5epajsGZ1YTUM_R7mAFHcDjZIick3TMXEHCJ1cM8xqsbsOYrejDNw57sd_6i-iPpF4DMOL9Hak2HwhYmbv3wrS0/w400-h300/IMG_2887.JPG" title="Back to school student gift" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerM2nbIF7CoeE47aPI-GV3IPAhcqDlme_STZaxq5KFgT_MpHyHS0rm4ePbfWanm5K_ecwq7T8Jb1iWh0bM_wu9aHsrFYk1rA352O_6di7FPc9QjxOBdsFnkztNXkzUIoGkPaGS4T3uxI/s1600/IMG_2889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerM2nbIF7CoeE47aPI-GV3IPAhcqDlme_STZaxq5KFgT_MpHyHS0rm4ePbfWanm5K_ecwq7T8Jb1iWh0bM_wu9aHsrFYk1rA352O_6di7FPc9QjxOBdsFnkztNXkzUIoGkPaGS4T3uxI/w400-h300/IMG_2889.JPG" title="Back to school student gift" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtLRBrBStOo2mR7VP56y8iGazGd40blvdoutUOn38oqwdEyIJuzJyDtkN2m3UStwX1TYRypAglxC1mv06ElExwlTlw_Jy1uIt3BaN8SvjxoXCnRXpnH1-xeirsT1brknmm8cc3yiMWUM/s1600/IMG_2890.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtLRBrBStOo2mR7VP56y8iGazGd40blvdoutUOn38oqwdEyIJuzJyDtkN2m3UStwX1TYRypAglxC1mv06ElExwlTlw_Jy1uIt3BaN8SvjxoXCnRXpnH1-xeirsT1brknmm8cc3yiMWUM/w400-h300/IMG_2890.JPG" title="Back to school student gift" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwAUcoHUJGraKkiQ4z_zunDfpOluxF78u6r2i06bqE0IujmZSIvHLyW1c9I7xFC3UepFxoVBnmvLN1PdTfvF_g7eykysDsU22JaSYQHMsuVG0hvScA7olvtsr-aIdPbNGWZpo7JA5xkg/s1600/IMG_2892.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwAUcoHUJGraKkiQ4z_zunDfpOluxF78u6r2i06bqE0IujmZSIvHLyW1c9I7xFC3UepFxoVBnmvLN1PdTfvF_g7eykysDsU22JaSYQHMsuVG0hvScA7olvtsr-aIdPbNGWZpo7JA5xkg/w400-h300/IMG_2892.JPG" title="Back to school student survival kit" width="400" /></a></div>
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The last couple years I have had peanut allergies in my classroom, so I've stuck with the bubbles to be safe. I also leave out a coloring page to either work on there or take with them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHV2fRmI1UDb0ipCEEjsfTHacgi2TYs_4wIiPDPd7yVPwqMhZloDi46rSTh70knOvwOQYuibOQ4sVXbdAigIT3HHa_XVDh74nH3As-ht2zOgWEygUWy8FmZCRTfSOBhDs3Fbt-d7rmiw/s1600/IMG_3018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHV2fRmI1UDb0ipCEEjsfTHacgi2TYs_4wIiPDPd7yVPwqMhZloDi46rSTh70knOvwOQYuibOQ4sVXbdAigIT3HHa_XVDh74nH3As-ht2zOgWEygUWy8FmZCRTfSOBhDs3Fbt-d7rmiw/w400-h300/IMG_3018.JPG" title="Back to school student gift" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Some years I've attached balloons to the gift. Balloons are a HUGE crowd pleaser! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzdHy-yHDJTtEiEF1p5pc_IefJGoLxKpxOTUTG_xPNX2ymgFtb2oo73vxs1cq-e4BOKhdYNxahOw4A1GsLz2btwUsI9cwoZB1XhPrS5myZGr6jjbIU161fws_diSyHS4lEPF-rb80zXI/s1600/IMG_8783.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzdHy-yHDJTtEiEF1p5pc_IefJGoLxKpxOTUTG_xPNX2ymgFtb2oo73vxs1cq-e4BOKhdYNxahOw4A1GsLz2btwUsI9cwoZB1XhPrS5myZGr6jjbIU161fws_diSyHS4lEPF-rb80zXI/w640-h480/IMG_8783.jpg" title="Open House" width="640" /></a> </div>
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But this past year I had a child with a latex allergy, so no balloons.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbzJWVHjWeQBo-RzkHlmMSPP9sa0I4FPak0l7aCKlEeys-nomcMrUMiJ5BqaI2ZAojg9jGj6ix2gDTkpGrucrfyflG008iTZDibjMod6OgvsVsjoHC_y1KqNnlq5BMm565pqbrJJIrRc/s1600/IMG_3016.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbzJWVHjWeQBo-RzkHlmMSPP9sa0I4FPak0l7aCKlEeys-nomcMrUMiJ5BqaI2ZAojg9jGj6ix2gDTkpGrucrfyflG008iTZDibjMod6OgvsVsjoHC_y1KqNnlq5BMm565pqbrJJIrRc/w640-h480/IMG_3016.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher" width="640" /></a></div>
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One more thing I've done in the past (when allergies aren't a concern) is have some cookies out for families to enjoy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-f9jE6MKLG-x5Et1YQN7zigzORS51_kWMY0EMT9CtyEKJIV9YVhPKH77-cBbmcn1iEoWaDCjgnpj4NGe54TjfGZCnpIt1c5W8DjY-0R8vnD4I06Ku0oKyBAPOW44U3J0Oja-RgVyTWI/s1600/IMG_8782.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-f9jE6MKLG-x5Et1YQN7zigzORS51_kWMY0EMT9CtyEKJIV9YVhPKH77-cBbmcn1iEoWaDCjgnpj4NGe54TjfGZCnpIt1c5W8DjY-0R8vnD4I06Ku0oKyBAPOW44U3J0Oja-RgVyTWI/s320/IMG_8782.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi03wiAHouU5bKCM6PBf-qTr1FPwucXpYhBbHLdoKyhqVfl-vFa6cvDygUzW-yug6LoCa1jQsr0l-l4No7KkxoO4eRTGU7aF7e4QXArNJqsATMrZdCarZYzxJhzDKX1NJcnzSbytwcQzo/s1600/IMG_8784.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi03wiAHouU5bKCM6PBf-qTr1FPwucXpYhBbHLdoKyhqVfl-vFa6cvDygUzW-yug6LoCa1jQsr0l-l4No7KkxoO4eRTGU7aF7e4QXArNJqsATMrZdCarZYzxJhzDKX1NJcnzSbytwcQzo/s320/IMG_8784.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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And just one more thing for fun --- set up a photo booth for kids and families to take pictures! For this, I reused a wall decoration I had purchased from Party City for my daughter's Under the Sea birthday party. I hung it on the wall and had photo props for the kids to hold. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioItHnhop8y5LoS81gNWcu_S-OWiCD67WlHVAnFeW1FXPaWC2Tft65gUocuQjgmqWLTcVw8VzhKR0m1b3iUNkRZ2sl1wzu3mWktu_VVwY5W6JkqUDg03K4FYX4KWVIv5bDdmQ0zA2t8s8/s1600/IMG_3063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioItHnhop8y5LoS81gNWcu_S-OWiCD67WlHVAnFeW1FXPaWC2Tft65gUocuQjgmqWLTcVw8VzhKR0m1b3iUNkRZ2sl1wzu3mWktu_VVwY5W6JkqUDg03K4FYX4KWVIv5bDdmQ0zA2t8s8/w250-h320/IMG_3063.JPG" title="O-fish-ally a Kindergartener" width="250" /></a></div>
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The only thing I haven't mentioned yet are the signs and table tents I use around the classroom to direct everyone where to go. I use them both -- signs on the wall and table tents on the tables. This sets up different Stations for the families to visit so they know when they have finished everything. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ao6u8_i_nEzUUqU-rAhAB_MaE4UEe0c6hTPoSvNMne471nTF8gDFqP6gBgodUFMuQwvlwPX14TN9uBIYDbUW0GxJahzUsBMutNY-d6VKiBm_vAqj8TyS-KadQa9hOHBIJ7tke-6PIjY/s1600/ACS_0041.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ao6u8_i_nEzUUqU-rAhAB_MaE4UEe0c6hTPoSvNMne471nTF8gDFqP6gBgodUFMuQwvlwPX14TN9uBIYDbUW0GxJahzUsBMutNY-d6VKiBm_vAqj8TyS-KadQa9hOHBIJ7tke-6PIjY/w400-h300/ACS_0041.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher signs" width="400" /></a></div>
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So there it is! After years of being much less organized, I have finally found a great way to set up and pull off a Meet the Teacher night that will knock their socks off! If you are interested in any of the ideas you see here, you can check out my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Meet-the-Teacher-Back-to-School-Open-House-EDITABLE-4008660" target="_blank">EDITABLE Meet the Teacher pack</a> by clicking below. Just about everything in this pack is editable so you can make it your own and make it fit your needs. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Meet-the-Teacher-Back-to-School-Open-House-EDITABLE-4008660" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="511" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pz1U2PEe11I3jv009MDxRlwcusX_DF4yZfMUe07SjJDGkFDBeVpNSA8hl_fkGtFxA0DIWXfYxn98gL1q5dBUanIwuAY-IVKDRzhU7nDnaiy4AwstlE9N5STNLLQn4OwK8Ogd9bCS9qA/w636-h640/IMG_E2923.JPG" title="Meet the Teacher pack" width="636" /></a></div>
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And if you are looking for any other items as you get ready for Back to School, here are some of the things I use to survive the beginning of the year!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan-First-Grade-Smiles/Category/Back-to-School-140597" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiskUQfBq2u2d-0OI-oSpGN-d9dNZhdjmHillIVN4K_p_kGuwsL51zl0jJMsAxWOnkvxtle8CP-YQfRNcq-wEZRTim8y1WYKolSpZUSqWwWKTWRm_NGtKEcjAjHros7j_feOabhcOT4k/s200/Calendar+math+square+cover.015.png" width="200" /> </a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Star-of-the-Week-Classroom-Kit-3928248" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgps6_SithoQwc2IK-chRzTqqIONSAu_osc0TSz_9tCcu7OsRnuxFgmOgKyxlUOJTBbuNq6PxuQc5r_T_SRNpmEgrcCLtLae-I7yBOX-_NffLOh5sboQ8Gl6kYLipKd_1qMYF24hWYNQ/s200/Star+of+the+week+square+cover.034.png" width="200" /></a> </div>
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Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-51072666150263660332018-07-27T19:47:00.002-07:002018-07-27T19:47:41.995-07:00Organizing Your Classroom: Back to School Organization 101<div style="text-align: center;">
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Summer is slowly slipping away from you, but hopefully you are excited to get into your classroom and start decorating and organizing. As much as I love my summer vacation, I still (after 16 years) look forward to setting up my classroom for a new group of kiddos. This post is part of a series of blog posts about Back to School Organization. In the first post I gave you <a href="https://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2018/07/classroom-decor-back-to-school.html" target="_blank">4 tips for Decorating your K-1 Classroom</a> and showed some pictures of a few of my classrooms I have had over the years. I also linked a FREE checklist to help you decide what to decorate your walls with. If you want to go to that post first, click <a href="https://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2018/07/classroom-decor-back-to-school.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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If you're sticking around here for a minute, then I'll get right to it. This post is about organizing your teacher supplies in your classroom. I'm talking about all the lesson plan materials, copies, office supplies, and just STUFF that teachers need. After 16 years, I have A LOT of STUFF!!! But even if you are just starting out teaching, you still might inherit a lot of stuff from the teacher before you and you will need to sort through it all before organizing it all. I have a few tips to help you do just that. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW13LohWgplcDdpyzloRandZ71wRkNnjet-_pHeiqJZkwqgLu_SpMB0cihNxIkcaF76N6ySZuTjBYS7N7lc5Q8ISke1l0BA2c5Vn90d3_TNYxsPQH88klX2yWUURBV0WuTdtjkI_M3xE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+6.08.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="652" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW13LohWgplcDdpyzloRandZ71wRkNnjet-_pHeiqJZkwqgLu_SpMB0cihNxIkcaF76N6ySZuTjBYS7N7lc5Q8ISke1l0BA2c5Vn90d3_TNYxsPQH88klX2yWUURBV0WuTdtjkI_M3xE/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+6.08.09+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">1. Take everything out and sort it on your tables/desks in your classroom.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I like to sort things by subject area (reading, math, etc) and then by categories like office supplies, teacher tools, guided reading supplies, etc. Then I go through and decide if I am keeping it or tossing it --- or possibly putting it in the teacher's room for others to grab because one person's trash is another's treasure, right? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is definitely an important tip if you are moving into a new classroom and you need to get to know what you have in the room, but this is also something you should be doing even if you've been in your classroom for many years. As I explained in my last post, I have changed classrooms 8 different times since I started teaching. Each time I had to get an inventory of what was in the classroom and what I had to add to it. However, I also try to inventory my materials each summer even if I am staying in my classroom because if it's something I haven't used in a year then I either need to move it to a different location so I remember it's there or get rid of it. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Let me warn you though, taking everything out can become very overwhelming and it will look like your room is a complete disaster. But I promise you will be happy you did it when you go to put things back into their places. </span>In my opinion, organization is an endless cycle and is never quite perfect. As you grow, you change in how you teach, your priorities, and what materials are given to you or you purchase yourself. Summer is a time to assess and reset!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">2. Decide how and where you plan to organize your materials. MEASURE your shelves and cabinets to help find the best storage containers for your space. </span><br />
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This one is tough to give too much direction with because every classroom is different. Each classroom has a different layout, different furniture, and different cabinets and shelves. But one thing that is a must is to measure <b>first</b> before you buy storage containers so they will fit in your space. Here is a picture of some shelves in my current classroom. They are very shallow so most of the bins that I already had were an awkward fit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3JC4Slt64mRI-FspS_28rEzKaBImw_syzenu1WdxodMVpZkyVSWqbsD0KY7yDqbW7C1sw_ZOHi9OwtN0Aj4ig4bGpLg3NH736_UfNt61hkfMNLpkRN5y-AxKQtAuwUo2Vw_T2ZSNr3Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.37.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="624" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3JC4Slt64mRI-FspS_28rEzKaBImw_syzenu1WdxodMVpZkyVSWqbsD0KY7yDqbW7C1sw_ZOHi9OwtN0Aj4ig4bGpLg3NH736_UfNt61hkfMNLpkRN5y-AxKQtAuwUo2Vw_T2ZSNr3Y/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.37.10+PM.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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On the left you can see one way I tried to use bins I already had, but then the extra space on the right side of the shelf was pretty much wasted because I couldn't fit much else there and I ended up just shoving things in there. But once I measured I found that I could use these bins from the Dollar Tree and fit 2 bins on each shelf. Not as much wasted space and not a very expensive change.<br />
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This next picture also shows how I used something that fit my shelf to organize my construction paper. These are black plastic magazine file holders and the construction paper not only fits perfectly in them, but they also fit perfectly on my shelf. Now I just need to get a couple more and I will be able to organize the rest of the paper. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr-_gDgPhNruN-Gc892E0XxG84RfYVol07ZoyEjkU-mB-esZ2B4X8cKXBrk2jJUp-HTwOU-CyyrxtkQs3OfNksIzp3sZ2y03eEFJsP9GLzGWMncmk5eEpj15eJavmvkjb5W7nPd2iTLg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.35.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="675" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr-_gDgPhNruN-Gc892E0XxG84RfYVol07ZoyEjkU-mB-esZ2B4X8cKXBrk2jJUp-HTwOU-CyyrxtkQs3OfNksIzp3sZ2y03eEFJsP9GLzGWMncmk5eEpj15eJavmvkjb5W7nPd2iTLg/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.35.13+PM.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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I like to scower Pinterest looking for organization ideas and pictures, but in the end you have to do what works in your space. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">3. Create a Teacher Corner in your classroom.</span><br />
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Now this tip is something that works for me and my organization, but maybe this isn't your thing and that's ok. Personally, I like to have my desk in a corner of the room where I can utilize the shelves and counters around me for some other supplies that students won't need to access. You can see in this first picture (although it's a little washed out because the sun was streaming in when I took this) that I created a teacher corner that utilized the counter under the cabinets and the shelves and counter by the window. I loved this teacher corner because I had everything I needed at my fingertips! Some of you might not have a desk anymore or maybe use your kidney table as your desk, but you can still create a corner for your lesson plan materials and copies so they are organized. I also pointed out in this picture where I would keep my daily copies (those M-F bins are from Really Good Stuff) and my monthly copies or extra copies I have yet to use are in the plastic drawers under the counter. I keep all of this in my teacher corner along with my laptop, plan book, calendar, and sub bin. I like having it all in one place and then students don't need to access that area for anything and the rest of the classroom is theirs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV8hJ49mL8WISY4Muh9Sx__tBysI6NTu3oHayNz_SMplHjlG96iX_oFFCjyWJpzBcVQdv3w40JbI6MmtRjKtTii-6T8AMTAjPyuTz92puRK_jiX4acl2nJxh7-Vee_OV1UF4bgu22tFg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.26.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="687" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV8hJ49mL8WISY4Muh9Sx__tBysI6NTu3oHayNz_SMplHjlG96iX_oFFCjyWJpzBcVQdv3w40JbI6MmtRjKtTii-6T8AMTAjPyuTz92puRK_jiX4acl2nJxh7-Vee_OV1UF4bgu22tFg/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.26.18+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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These next pictures are in my current classroom. The first one shows my teacher corner behind the bookshelf that has the students' book boxes on it. I can use the shelves and counter behind me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjqKXxpo_YoqVCX684ffUKFxyLHANuNbkxzmr38peNAqAERjQoL19SzWIwyuE83DhyWqRpElJmFYSBU8n27FSyJKASUcxMCXevdjVdLs0_t_a1AZnE02QaT8ALESeYR398-OBb-GIPzU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.28.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="584" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjqKXxpo_YoqVCX684ffUKFxyLHANuNbkxzmr38peNAqAERjQoL19SzWIwyuE83DhyWqRpElJmFYSBU8n27FSyJKASUcxMCXevdjVdLs0_t_a1AZnE02QaT8ALESeYR398-OBb-GIPzU/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.28.21+PM.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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This year I turned my desk against the wall and was able to move my kidney table closer and gained a little more space. I have lesson planning materials and copies on the shelves near my desk and then I have all my guided reading materials right next to that and behind my kidney table. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSieT6vNQJ2nu7om-4InkVS8_hNp2awn06WUzLbia8MOO9WOvO2ZuVTLbkPtJOE7Buon11eztX2ikaA-t6j-R9UnkXTYwVVXT7ZYdyepSobPH18iklRda09bpO7ZXw31i2PQ6cPa0OjJs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+10.08.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="776" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSieT6vNQJ2nu7om-4InkVS8_hNp2awn06WUzLbia8MOO9WOvO2ZuVTLbkPtJOE7Buon11eztX2ikaA-t6j-R9UnkXTYwVVXT7ZYdyepSobPH18iklRda09bpO7ZXw31i2PQ6cPa0OjJs/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+10.08.15+PM.png" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgZzy-uXeOYVnP1xwlCiQKZiyllVK2Y2CyjzeubejcT-rUbqkHrZ-wJcZ8gOcFLn2DoMpzsCymt0JfA6iE54LaRzPoCPcfQlnh9c81ibpH0Cyq1jUuvWe2wMFz5xvY15yA4M8FNc52LY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+7.00.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgZzy-uXeOYVnP1xwlCiQKZiyllVK2Y2CyjzeubejcT-rUbqkHrZ-wJcZ8gOcFLn2DoMpzsCymt0JfA6iE54LaRzPoCPcfQlnh9c81ibpH0Cyq1jUuvWe2wMFz5xvY15yA4M8FNc52LY/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+7.00.13+PM.png" width="240" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">4. Organize as you go throughout the year.</span><br />
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When you are just starting out or maybe changing grade levels, it's tough to keep all your new materials organized. When I switched to Kindergarten a few years back I decided to go with binders to keep my copies in for each month. Prior to that I used files in a file cabinet. I must say, I really like binders! The best thing about migrating over to binders was I got rid of my file cabinet in my room so now I have more space. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC5QnAR-B8dHu0uxvejPkfg16UxwkAZXg_cqP5AzQGFDzf3XrOz7Husuqb9pocpdsFENAEOX8D04j0r1tGQoE15BBZKl72D4GFgiOjNUsTVr4MtRmmIPl1EkNhVTOuPecUFngudyt60M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+6.54.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="579" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC5QnAR-B8dHu0uxvejPkfg16UxwkAZXg_cqP5AzQGFDzf3XrOz7Husuqb9pocpdsFENAEOX8D04j0r1tGQoE15BBZKl72D4GFgiOjNUsTVr4MtRmmIPl1EkNhVTOuPecUFngudyt60M/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-27+at+6.54.31+PM.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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I got these binder covers from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Haley-Oconnor/Category/Teacher-Binders-195318" target="_blank">Haley O'Connor</a>. I place a master copy of every paper we use in the binders. This way I can just grab a binder and head on down to the copy machine or send out for copies when I'm ready. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoImKtmTdlri2zJe-ibvBeFiOz5YibZNM-Ephi3UrdjUnk7Y-ckTliseBggryqG5cvUlVn3ZBpcPCDFtWg_nVfK4mvhDxo06V-z2cj5imXdP7hdvV4rzlUDE0TcwJQP3EOJxhgVkkz7Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.40.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="507" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoImKtmTdlri2zJe-ibvBeFiOz5YibZNM-Ephi3UrdjUnk7Y-ckTliseBggryqG5cvUlVn3ZBpcPCDFtWg_nVfK4mvhDxo06V-z2cj5imXdP7hdvV4rzlUDE0TcwJQP3EOJxhgVkkz7Y/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-26+at+2.40.43+PM.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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I also have these (picture above) clear plastic Rubbermaid bins where I keep things like seasonal crafts, centers, pocket chart pieces/sentence strips or activities for that month that can't fit in a binder. Looks like I need to step up my label game with those bins though. :-0 But sometimes you just slap on any old label because it's all you have time for -- am I right? <br />
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Here are a few pictures of my closet where I keep my binders and monthly bins---BTW this is the first classroom where I have had a closet and I think it makes me waaaaaaaay more happy than it probably should! :-) But just look at the space! Every teacher DESERVES a closet!!</div>
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You can see the binders with monthly papers, but I also have binders for Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies on other shelves in the closet. </div>
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The picture above shows the bins and next to them are my monthly themed books. If you look really close you will see a red heart hanging from one of the bins.....that was placed there by my oldest daughter when she was in my classroom one day. It says: I love you Mommy so much! I keep it there because it makes me smile everytime I see it. :)</div>
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You can also see in the closet under my monthly binders I have these paper size snap bins with centers in them. This is one of the results of taking everything out and doing an inventory of what I had before I moved into this classroom and what was left for me. After taking it all out and sorting it on my tables, I measured and found these bins to store them. </div>
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And just a couple more pictures of some of my cabinets. I have most of my office supplies in my desk area, but here I have whatever I don't use on a daily basis but still need. I know lots of people have those really cute Teacher Toolboxes with cute labels, but I have never had a classroom where I would have space for something like that so I use these small plastic drawers because they fit almost anywhere. </div>
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Putting the time in during the summer and then throughout the year to get organized and STAY organized in important.<br />
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I have one more little tip to share with you ----- If you place bins on a shelf or baskets on a shelf and don't want them to be pushed over by one of your kiddos as they are leaning, then cut up those Contact paper Grip shelf liners and place them under the bin so they don't slide easily. It really works and you don't even see them underneath the bins. <br />
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<span style="color: #575757; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 19.8px; line-height: 27.72px;">I hope you were able to find some helpful tips to get organized in your own classroom. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: 19.8px; line-height: 27.72px;">If you are looking for more tips for Back to School and Classroom organization.....check back to see more posts in this series. Sign up to receive emails when I make a new blog post. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: 19.8px; line-height: 27.72px;">Happy organizing!!! :-)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-27545282794555409102018-07-19T05:38:00.001-07:002018-07-27T19:50:12.283-07:00Classroom Decor: Back to School Organization 101<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hey, hey teachers!!!! It's summer and you are loving life, relaxing, enjoying all the free time you have.....except, let's be honest, all you are <i>really</i> doing is scowering Pinterest and Instagram to find pictures of classrooms and thinking about how you will decorate your classroom when it's time to go back to school. It's one of the best and worst things about being a teacher -- we love our time off, but we just cannot turn off the teacher brain. As much as we try to check out, it's still so exciting to plan and prep for a new school year. <br />
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If this is your first year teaching....Congratulations!!! Such a huge accomplishment to now have your first classroom. And if it's your 30th year teaching....that too is a HUGE accomplishment. Whichever point in your career you are at, decorating a classroom can still get very overwhelming and also very costly. Personally, this will be my 17th year teaching. 😳 It's so hard to believe it's been that long because I still remember setting up my first classroom like it was yesterday. And since that first one I have been in 4 different schools and 8 different classrooms, so I have had to start from scratch 8 different times. It is certainly exhausting, but to be honest, I really love having a blank slate to work with and changing things up from time to time. I see a new classroom as always so full of potential. Having said that, I am <i>suuuuuuper</i> relieved that I am now in a classroom that I think I will be staying in for a while and I don't need to start all over again (unless I get that itch to move again). 😉<br />
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So my purpose for writing this post is to share some of the things I have learned over the years and through the <b>many</b> classrooms I have decorated. This post is dedicated to deciding how to decorate the walls and bulletin boards of your classroom. I will have more posts in this series about <a href="https://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-back-to.html" target="_blank">organizing teacher supplies</a> and students supplies, so check back to see those. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRY17TpeCvifq8ZJx2JL95L8OGq_welTOuogFqqoHeN84A0JvtNCIMt7aPu5i0FcI4X-BDAs6kT-OaG2M8R29wbt5hwtnd8uNrrBS1JqtHpxugVC3GcjIJ2dcHjmoMdLJ-SbIs8hTN84/s1600/4+tips+for+decorating+your+K-1+classroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="661" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRY17TpeCvifq8ZJx2JL95L8OGq_welTOuogFqqoHeN84A0JvtNCIMt7aPu5i0FcI4X-BDAs6kT-OaG2M8R29wbt5hwtnd8uNrrBS1JqtHpxugVC3GcjIJ2dcHjmoMdLJ-SbIs8hTN84/s400/4+tips+for+decorating+your+K-1+classroom.png" title="4 tips for decorating your K-1 Classroom" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Now let's get started with a few things to think about when searching for decor to put up on your walls....</b></h3>
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<span style="color: magenta;">1. </span> As much as I love cute trends like pineapples and unicorns and would have so much fun filling my walls with all the adorable decorations that are out there, my first tip is to keep your decorating <b><span style="color: magenta;">PURPOSEFUL</span></b>. What will you and your students refer to throughout your days? What resources will help you teach? What resources will help your students learn and complete their work? If the only reason you're hanging it up is because it is pretty....don't! <br />
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<span style="color: orange;">2. </span>You <span style="color: orange;">DO NOT need to fill every inch</span> of wall space that is in your room. Do not make your walls so busy that your students are overwhelmed and can't find anything they are looking for anyway. Use the bulletin boards that you have and <u>some</u> of your wall space, but plan for some "white space" to let the eyes rest and to break up the different areas of your room.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">3.</span> Let your <span style="color: #6aa84f;">curriculum help guide</span> what you hang on your walls, but don't try to put everything they will be learning on the walls from day 1. Leave an area where you could hang anchor charts you create together or vocabulary for a unit you are doing when you get to it. Allow your students to have some ownership over some things that go up. In my district we do not have to post standards or daily objectives, so I don't do that since my first graders (now my kindergarteners) can't read them anyway so who were they really for. <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">4.</span> Don't forget to make spaces that will <span style="color: #674ea7;">make the students feel that they are a part of this classroom</span> and the classroom was made with them in mind. I hang up a birthday chart and a Star of the Week bulletin board. I also try to leave spaces for student work to be displayed. They will be spending about 1,000 hours in this classroom throughout the year --- you want it to feel like a special place to be!<br />
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Here are some of the items that I know I personally need in my classroom when I have taught Kindergarten and First Grade along with a few pictures of some of my previous classrooms. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/138tXilt5xea_JX9BUKQVvKh2T188DLTV/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Click HERE to download a <b>FREE K-1</b> <b>Classroom Decor checklist</b></span></a> to use yourself as you think about what you will hang up in your classroom.<br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Calendar bulletin board</span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">that includes: monthly calendar, days of the week, months of the year, number of days we've been in school, and some other math resources that we use during morning meeting like number posters and a 100 or 120 chart (or sometimes I used a 180 chart if I had the room to count all the way through the year). I try to keep this bulletin board right at my carpet area so we can go through it each morning together. </span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBDeI5AUV9oBJoo3d9rdYygK2lBXOQnGebbPHGVZ91defUErnQZKUQLcV2-G4x41e4SOz8OSWjQtWCXYGOogI9YV5_vr6Mh23yLYp-AY2mV6nH2JiWsslk5UlEJJc6poUl2B1kF2YXrs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.13.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Calendar bulletin board" border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBDeI5AUV9oBJoo3d9rdYygK2lBXOQnGebbPHGVZ91defUErnQZKUQLcV2-G4x41e4SOz8OSWjQtWCXYGOogI9YV5_vr6Mh23yLYp-AY2mV6nH2JiWsslk5UlEJJc6poUl2B1kF2YXrs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.13.51+PM.png" title="Classroom Decor" /></a><br />
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This next classroom was very limited on bulletin board space. I only had two small bulletin boards in the front of the room, so I had to split up my calendar and math resources. You can also see in this picture that I hang up a visual schedule for the day as well. We go through the daily schedule each morning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVvm7PldeqDVVVeyel8rytv06v_e2fBvjdbt9OJk-d32oQ9GRhf_uLu8vXCdMpbDOFTyfyvt93Rgads7fF1RjSUMqMlueaH6xavRumzg_GVv5z_fm0vj1Y80t6CbNxrujIeVQVMhrWIM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.25.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVvm7PldeqDVVVeyel8rytv06v_e2fBvjdbt9OJk-d32oQ9GRhf_uLu8vXCdMpbDOFTyfyvt93Rgads7fF1RjSUMqMlueaH6xavRumzg_GVv5z_fm0vj1Y80t6CbNxrujIeVQVMhrWIM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.25.37+PM.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalSrOV3p2zbHD7rD1NScudamU2CA-_L2Qa_tyL6TwFr2Q8dR50jsqonnmoJT1L03DksfXJ9Gr3ciRpn-eZ-ot5Ujz5GMuCUuqXu9mUEBYt5MxxlwvM1gk4X1cJuVBFZpqa-0ZPBNKHUg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.25.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="100 chart" border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="209" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalSrOV3p2zbHD7rD1NScudamU2CA-_L2Qa_tyL6TwFr2Q8dR50jsqonnmoJT1L03DksfXJ9Gr3ciRpn-eZ-ot5Ujz5GMuCUuqXu9mUEBYt5MxxlwvM1gk4X1cJuVBFZpqa-0ZPBNKHUg/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.25.45+PM.png" title="Classroom Decor" width="305" /></a><br />
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This is my current Kindergarten classroom. You can see I moved the number posters off this board and added in some ten frames that we use along with the straws to count how many days we have been in school during our morning meeting. I will show you where the number posters have gone when they are not on my calendar board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFH9O5YMkFMC1HbgAr5Ry7FaflEacZqI3V-goffdteAIURHe-q__ggK30cFgNK8IaaFKWylaPTENdw74krzK1Xni_zJYYaXuXv9WcXOhL8Y9cEWvoNtsSPkrNzXlSs55i52mkvXiueQ0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.25.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Calendar bulletin board" border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="352" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFH9O5YMkFMC1HbgAr5Ry7FaflEacZqI3V-goffdteAIURHe-q__ggK30cFgNK8IaaFKWylaPTENdw74krzK1Xni_zJYYaXuXv9WcXOhL8Y9cEWvoNtsSPkrNzXlSs55i52mkvXiueQ0/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.25.52+PM.png" title="Classroom Decor" width="400" /></a><br />
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #ffe599;">Word wall</b> - I have had to get creative with my word walls over the years. In some classrooms I would have a large bulletin board where I could put my word wall, but in my last 2 classrooms I have not had the space so I used the cabinets and some bright laminated cardstock. I actually like the cabinet word wall the best!</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFrDbG1yABakVYMfWcx2ETPUn29_ygrT7NIM3Fwl7IDtmmHF-WHTw7MK14zgZDRZBL0EAYz6f9XfEcYlLsahHaPTPxu4jG65l2ZxlyB1ahE8sCHoGdLpC_Z5KHbEqMUOF5Ps0g_PUi4o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.21.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom Decor" border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFrDbG1yABakVYMfWcx2ETPUn29_ygrT7NIM3Fwl7IDtmmHF-WHTw7MK14zgZDRZBL0EAYz6f9XfEcYlLsahHaPTPxu4jG65l2ZxlyB1ahE8sCHoGdLpC_Z5KHbEqMUOF5Ps0g_PUi4o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.21.13+PM.png" title="Word Wall" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0plXIyXb5uq9FlhJihQ3NZMaTCmc1Je9dPocR7eBjOloiXUdWcg62LwuAS0FRGeFffKbKIdxvempAZc0FlN1e4T-wNXXH5b7tY232CnkmJdW4O4j2r_ao92JwHpR-B_Rsq5m3qa01fDA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.22.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0plXIyXb5uq9FlhJihQ3NZMaTCmc1Je9dPocR7eBjOloiXUdWcg62LwuAS0FRGeFffKbKIdxvempAZc0FlN1e4T-wNXXH5b7tY232CnkmJdW4O4j2r_ao92JwHpR-B_Rsq5m3qa01fDA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.22.10+PM.png" title="Word wall" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYjh9cgOPAPgTZexWUnX7Vv-RwawfOOg9K_-QgtsdDvETvMSXH4U0kt6Kdyim_Nb3jvbnHOqv1MWnwhJs0ZdgM3C_Wg-mjBiA8WWiQBWNSsKyvNGVkjRgcSb9zEE_FO545nxm3KEFZI4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.22.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="word wall" border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="356" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYjh9cgOPAPgTZexWUnX7Vv-RwawfOOg9K_-QgtsdDvETvMSXH4U0kt6Kdyim_Nb3jvbnHOqv1MWnwhJs0ZdgM3C_Wg-mjBiA8WWiQBWNSsKyvNGVkjRgcSb9zEE_FO545nxm3KEFZI4/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.22.17+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="320" /></a><br />
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Here is my current classroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EeEd2Y_jxaSCZhu1EIRgCsO8-Q-eb7dzhBFkpSvlbjSIu7ekPGtw149VtDxsOK9npPPQctzfiusfnMI5AihlT6RH6IcKYq9vjfg927AYtG-JDRGmC59aRs7ANmrVRB2Y92uw2bfUvdI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.23.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="word wall" border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EeEd2Y_jxaSCZhu1EIRgCsO8-Q-eb7dzhBFkpSvlbjSIu7ekPGtw149VtDxsOK9npPPQctzfiusfnMI5AihlT6RH6IcKYq9vjfg927AYtG-JDRGmC59aRs7ANmrVRB2Y92uw2bfUvdI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.23.13+PM.png" title="Classroom Decor" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXTG8QJuDueJXeGefISLlCjYoF3VQvna7x6ODCkk-O7Kx7eF9gRZPleZUWiWQ0iGs7z9l5aLuTloYlj3fQxrfksCbFQBPJ3QdnXJjPuUjRhyphenhyphenxXZZnNTeAYjwFw4S7PXzAW7bQuMGqsE0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.23.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="398" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXTG8QJuDueJXeGefISLlCjYoF3VQvna7x6ODCkk-O7Kx7eF9gRZPleZUWiWQ0iGs7z9l5aLuTloYlj3fQxrfksCbFQBPJ3QdnXJjPuUjRhyphenhyphenxXZZnNTeAYjwFw4S7PXzAW7bQuMGqsE0/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.23.23+PM.png" title="Word wall" width="320" /></a><br />
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Alphabet</span> - </b>Depending on the letter formation you are responsible for teaching, it is important in a K-1 classroom to have an <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Alphabet-Posters-853545" target="_blank">alphabet</a> posted. I like to have mine right in the front of the room above the board. </li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aLgUBXQ7Ojnge-k32X2kKU04QkM77JqfcuNoAJtSr71wfRInLh5ooz8nOesYfcrixWu5uUTr00ObqjM9m9XcAR8ijQkYa-jY0EY8ChRzTj9Z1wufxBXIzdkXF3yh_oTusfyvIhB24Ig/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.09.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alphabet posters" border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="385" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aLgUBXQ7Ojnge-k32X2kKU04QkM77JqfcuNoAJtSr71wfRInLh5ooz8nOesYfcrixWu5uUTr00ObqjM9m9XcAR8ijQkYa-jY0EY8ChRzTj9Z1wufxBXIzdkXF3yh_oTusfyvIhB24Ig/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.09.09+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ylenjonJqeJFxkfpG997jisCM9kCnHgMMswxrfZuwlr4NkWO3MCQKC50BV8S8UPpYEmbn6xOsEoGXAqL987nWo2Rkea9E29EilGKPAQFaIYRPJmQ1d_MuPktibWgqn1Hw0spayQfNps/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.09.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="333" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ylenjonJqeJFxkfpG997jisCM9kCnHgMMswxrfZuwlr4NkWO3MCQKC50BV8S8UPpYEmbn6xOsEoGXAqL987nWo2Rkea9E29EilGKPAQFaIYRPJmQ1d_MuPktibWgqn1Hw0spayQfNps/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.09.27+PM.png" title="Alphabet posters" width="320" /></a><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Math resources like a Number line and Number posters</span> - </b>I find that K-1 students need to see lots of different representations of numbers and how to use those to help count. I hang up a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Classroom-Number-Line-0-120-1264121" target="_blank">classroom number line</a> that I made that is color coded by tens so students can visually see each group of ten. </li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IG_VuMARr3NMdTn9Xg22CyzYZUsekTEQD0bzQ0R_BJRssjbekvoNWgkWFnaElzyO7OKuBg5qCiOpyel_0No66YASnbfskR8VhQeZSYPRqVlI_4rQce9PHwl5CvQCQvkjtu1KuXAkjTs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.45.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IG_VuMARr3NMdTn9Xg22CyzYZUsekTEQD0bzQ0R_BJRssjbekvoNWgkWFnaElzyO7OKuBg5qCiOpyel_0No66YASnbfskR8VhQeZSYPRqVlI_4rQce9PHwl5CvQCQvkjtu1KuXAkjTs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.45.03+PM.png" title="Number line" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbXztkMaObL2Mu_skQaOJmm-wYARbWsdY9GdVebLRn023GfzamVP2lFNusHtYabapB8PgdW6D29RsH6O3CyMQtHcB2GR5Pbj_R3TRtqZzV5LLVSYryu25TU2reaIB25kyPt0YgTC_AQo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.45.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Number line" border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbXztkMaObL2Mu_skQaOJmm-wYARbWsdY9GdVebLRn023GfzamVP2lFNusHtYabapB8PgdW6D29RsH6O3CyMQtHcB2GR5Pbj_R3TRtqZzV5LLVSYryu25TU2reaIB25kyPt0YgTC_AQo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.45.12+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" /></a><br />
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And here are the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Number-Mini-Posters-0-20-853550" target="_blank">number posters</a> I hang up. This first classroom had a large space on the wall that I used.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hxR0-8dqkZQgIn6QqwkkLXi7Q58__Ky5tghKg3WFuXgcM24MHfxahsN569NCy5lW6oJ5t24299YmUWLth_F279JKmzB6aAnvcrli5vYm0yZNvk0rvPy_SMdtB8Tri3kbuEuQ-FRjpLc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.33.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hxR0-8dqkZQgIn6QqwkkLXi7Q58__Ky5tghKg3WFuXgcM24MHfxahsN569NCy5lW6oJ5t24299YmUWLth_F279JKmzB6aAnvcrli5vYm0yZNvk0rvPy_SMdtB8Tri3kbuEuQ-FRjpLc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.33.04+PM.png" title="Number posters" /></a><br />
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This is how I had them the last two years -- on part of a bulletin board in the front of the room.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQamNY839Se6xXcYFCLoh7F-RQbX2RaeFZE79vUerAOyeBA70RH7M2ojnbRubuTD6wJ89XfJSRE8ZzKHPH0A-6kjiCnMvULO6W3kToYaMOG1ZMIrYts5AlU6cOS8Ui2ZOjbCsf5mU8oI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.33.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Number posters" border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQamNY839Se6xXcYFCLoh7F-RQbX2RaeFZE79vUerAOyeBA70RH7M2ojnbRubuTD6wJ89XfJSRE8ZzKHPH0A-6kjiCnMvULO6W3kToYaMOG1ZMIrYts5AlU6cOS8Ui2ZOjbCsf5mU8oI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.33.16+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-hq-b8JSEvYrm160xMOFI-FYRLGZup1S-2B6k42oDNtc9W9Ue9PC-vL6bfKUKr0iS1aFIQzrfgXPsjlXXwzEaxOdcnD5JnYZrvJiTKo5zqYM_EdtQyb9Gym9zzFAN9Lw-3fkcaZoSj4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.33.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Number posters" border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-hq-b8JSEvYrm160xMOFI-FYRLGZup1S-2B6k42oDNtc9W9Ue9PC-vL6bfKUKr0iS1aFIQzrfgXPsjlXXwzEaxOdcnD5JnYZrvJiTKo5zqYM_EdtQyb9Gym9zzFAN9Lw-3fkcaZoSj4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.33.10+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" /></a><br />
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And for this upcoming year I have moved them below my board in the front of the room so children can come right up to them and count on them. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigK8JiY3aQvh3ExG1sdCkzdk7bRjBOrVxF78Rqe4vJBr_VrWaOBooDXpXXpRG2q18TdwbvAAtDc5vrYEgDtFICNKK1f0P_blVr-bZDS54QxpeeM0DFE5FfNCF8wAunhT-gzsSvHdDjwjg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.32.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Number posters" border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="344" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigK8JiY3aQvh3ExG1sdCkzdk7bRjBOrVxF78Rqe4vJBr_VrWaOBooDXpXXpRG2q18TdwbvAAtDc5vrYEgDtFICNKK1f0P_blVr-bZDS54QxpeeM0DFE5FfNCF8wAunhT-gzsSvHdDjwjg/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+12.32.56+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="320" /></a><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #ffe599;">Rules</b> - I do like to create a classroom constitution in the beginning of the year, but inevitably these are the main rules we all come up with together anyway. The reason I think it's important to post <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Classroom-Rules-Posters-853630" target="_blank">rules</a> is because I refer to these often when there is a behavior problem. When I speak with a student, I remind him/her of the rule that he/she is having a hard time with and what can be done to improve. It's always easier when there is a visual to refer back to. Remember though, you want your decor to be things you refer to and use, so if you post rules then try to refer to them from time to time so they have a purpose for being on your wall.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfIdtRNl0nW5ZfKuhYwjaLDbZpJHkSFy45e8Z0jxsjAqBRbdN97EmPk4dKlD4akGINEe6z4qIHiYBHlW5fQczDC47NZFxPnCQ9e1wcYBFHK9jpyn-emDjBPlek6b8KDosTF_npVwZVR4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.41.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfIdtRNl0nW5ZfKuhYwjaLDbZpJHkSFy45e8Z0jxsjAqBRbdN97EmPk4dKlD4akGINEe6z4qIHiYBHlW5fQczDC47NZFxPnCQ9e1wcYBFHK9jpyn-emDjBPlek6b8KDosTF_npVwZVR4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.41.33+PM.png" title="Classroom rules posters" /></a><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #ffe599;">Lunch count and/or attendance </b>- This varies from school to school, but here is what my lunch chart looks like. Students use clothes pins to make their choice for the day. I do not have an attendance chart on the walls because I use the lunch chart as a way to quickly take attendance.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOrMEHM11CBslpdOuts7rifYi8Fwv6iFNXm6MLGaXUtDAtfF9ieE1AvgHK5d98ZdwXo5VxUA7UTg-O5vCFRKO_tv8sjTr9FpUkhGL-MMez-w2Uw6b5mOgM-h_whyphenhyphen-h_zPuztxBHBkjhg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.42.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lunch count chart" border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtOrMEHM11CBslpdOuts7rifYi8Fwv6iFNXm6MLGaXUtDAtfF9ieE1AvgHK5d98ZdwXo5VxUA7UTg-O5vCFRKO_tv8sjTr9FpUkhGL-MMez-w2Uw6b5mOgM-h_whyphenhyphen-h_zPuztxBHBkjhg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.42.27+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" /></a><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><b>Special student areas like birthday charts, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Star-of-the-Week-Classroom-Kit-3928248" target="_blank">Star of the Week</a>, etc.</b> </span></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTCOnypqAVHTHEEkED_GpQbGtkXyCpM3VjXlY-kglw0-4JJ3DTNhLfk1kiJHzOfnLz_O5MEpC-J0LPeTfHnkIlexJjBHquSGQJhrEa0qBzGeTLP3Cb6DurExcFrhkE6CdAzVCgbDzx4Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.41.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Star of the Week bulletin board" border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="347" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTCOnypqAVHTHEEkED_GpQbGtkXyCpM3VjXlY-kglw0-4JJ3DTNhLfk1kiJHzOfnLz_O5MEpC-J0LPeTfHnkIlexJjBHquSGQJhrEa0qBzGeTLP3Cb6DurExcFrhkE6CdAzVCgbDzx4Q/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.41.42+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="400" /></a><b><br /></b><br />
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #ffe599;">Space for student work</b> - I don't have a bulletin board in my classroom for student work, but I do have them in the hallway. Typically I will hang student work from the ceiling (if I'm allowed because of fire code) or on the windows in my current classroom. </li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">Other</span> </b>- Depending on the classroom I have put other things up on our walls if there was space and if it fit with my intentions, like this reading strategy bulletin board I had behind my guided reading table. I referred to this often as we would read, so it was definitely useful. Plus, my first graders LOVED the beanie babies!!!</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFJbtRpn64PcY7bsybPBxforJ2-BUauQm8rj1_khuLmDybVDYM5HJ6VuKTTnC1q2Es-GImYP_UEHq6QXoW_zaL-_Q-LtQ5Lx02iDLfGUjsSEShSbNvMA-ytwmL6wcA45cCCZbz4n1_RI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.42.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reading strategies bulletin board" border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFJbtRpn64PcY7bsybPBxforJ2-BUauQm8rj1_khuLmDybVDYM5HJ6VuKTTnC1q2Es-GImYP_UEHq6QXoW_zaL-_Q-LtQ5Lx02iDLfGUjsSEShSbNvMA-ytwmL6wcA45cCCZbz4n1_RI/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.42.11+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="317" /></a><br />
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I also had this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan-First-Grade-Smiles/Category/Sight-Words-157315" target="_blank">Amazing Sight Word Race</a> track up in one of my first grade classrooms that had a ton of bulletin boards (and only one tiny window, so that's probably why). I used this as an incentive to learn sight words throughout the year but since it was going around the track multiple times, the kids didn't always know which lists the other students had mastered - they were only racing themselves. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Hxmcvo8_Z77Za8UbEIFNgsT_P4yh1yf1g-Q9lksjbZqcIF1oWGT5hDko3DRAJn77DonYKxKf0lxMoW0vl0QqIOxhyz83GQN2sGuhr2X6lEeT_zHqs8SkkEF94axM5GsnLw0_09TWu8w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.41.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="194" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Hxmcvo8_Z77Za8UbEIFNgsT_P4yh1yf1g-Q9lksjbZqcIF1oWGT5hDko3DRAJn77DonYKxKf0lxMoW0vl0QqIOxhyz83GQN2sGuhr2X6lEeT_zHqs8SkkEF94axM5GsnLw0_09TWu8w/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.41.50+PM.png" title="Sight Word bulletin board" width="243" /></a></div>
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And finally, I do like to have at least one space to talk about kindness, character ed, or bullying. I really like this poster paired with some Melonheadz kids so I have this in a little space on my wall in my classroom right now. I know what you're thinking - I should have kept it as white space, and you might be right, but I really enjoy watching the kindergarteners throughout the year as they learn to read what this poster says and hopefully put it into practice. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKW1YYaC0n3eRNKqlcsaZW_IsnIc0yMx7fqHSbqguuJOk3OHMwCxjkQ8ISNbo8sXPLKdcTB5GHCvzZ9T0zQeqh39MwllzYduz3Jkcoc40zgyrGIKhpWX6Zxz1eIl1F9W3EbjbqyEbZCk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.42.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kindness poster" border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="242" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKW1YYaC0n3eRNKqlcsaZW_IsnIc0yMx7fqHSbqguuJOk3OHMwCxjkQ8ISNbo8sXPLKdcTB5GHCvzZ9T0zQeqh39MwllzYduz3Jkcoc40zgyrGIKhpWX6Zxz1eIl1F9W3EbjbqyEbZCk/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-18+at+1.42.02+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope this was somewhat helpful for you as you are deciding what to decorate your room with. If nothing else, it's always fun to see pictures of other classrooms and see how other teachers decorate. Then you have to find a way to combine what you like with what you see and what you can afford and how much room you have on your walls. What works for one teacher doesn't always work for another one, so I am just sharing what has worked for me over the years. If you are interested in any of the decor you saw here, here a few links for you to check out:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan-First-Grade-Smiles/Category/Back-to-School-140597" target="_blank"><img alt="Polka Dot classroom posters" border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="338" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnyp5hrXq4zWUU_EP25YWQhgsH0L6rHjnNYR1Q9TfHGuZuV04XPmM0HlLo8qXX4WOrw4Did9I7kXq3DwHkq4MZh28oFU5diHLfN4-XbL4t7pPr0fMepILj2ZBSeYw3hFGMPj9RelQpGM/s320/Screen+Shot+2014-07-13+at+5.16.12+PM.png" title="Classroom decor" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan-First-Grade-Smiles/Category/Back-to-School-140597" target="_blank"><img alt="Classroom decor" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP_n4I5LYSCPZnRBeUwbHPzOaABAjApqsrusq-PmrhloD73eOMdSpE5YezSafv9kKKDViXrpxDrcpokK4JGsZtw2BcohczjRCEi-BTbW-66lx8XJGcmhrYhWsY5gc60mjNwJm54Gcnv0/s320/Star+of+the+week+square+cover.034.png" title="Star of the Week" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan-First-Grade-Smiles/Category/Back-to-School-140597" target="_blank"><img alt="Sight word bulletin board, games, activities, worksheets" border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="766" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXhEmvHOB2J8GshqmDqvenkNtRteZHHOMXxvPmx_VtziDlXIn6x8FEtPpTEfqOOFCETxcts13p_gZug4h7W39wQGswQCjdDP1mdZf2MXoFkUN1H8EAAsXPXXeCXqn-iyqiKr_zlYD-Gc/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-15+at+2.53.32+PM.png" title="Sight Word activities" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy decorating!!!<br />
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If you are looking for more tips for Back to School and Classroom organization.....check the next post in the series: <a href="https://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-back-to.html" target="_blank">4 Tips for Organizing you Teacher Supplies</a>. Sign up to receive emails when I make a new blog post to see future posts about organization as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-87183763303781889532018-07-18T08:44:00.003-07:002018-07-18T08:44:52.194-07:00Get the Most Out of Your Planning Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hi there! I'm here to share a little something that took me 12 years of teaching to fine tune. It's not something you would necessarily think would take 12 years to figure out, but some of us are a little slower than others. ;)</div>
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So what I'm talking about is this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgVOWUUs8T17MF_dea0yZ2MB8bGygEmBspke3EE4CODj6wxnm_414_fF5U1kHCfg8iH2AdkwVrryTNOcmFvg3rYeVANJGvkjpoKw3qqsXss0PQcFwvy04H2SkkXdTTEQsuGf482wNP_g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+8.08.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgVOWUUs8T17MF_dea0yZ2MB8bGygEmBspke3EE4CODj6wxnm_414_fF5U1kHCfg8iH2AdkwVrryTNOcmFvg3rYeVANJGvkjpoKw3qqsXss0PQcFwvy04H2SkkXdTTEQsuGf482wNP_g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+8.08.34+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In my 12 years of teaching I have ALWAYS brought home work to do. Every. single. day. It's not that I haven't been also working during my planning period, but somehow I would spend that time going from one thing to the next, really only accomplishing small tasks while the bigger ones would need to be taken home. I can't be the only one who falls victim to this. </div>
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So this year it got to the point that I just couldn't be bringing so much home anymore. Mostly because I would inevitably not have enough time to do it all and have to bring it home again the next day. My school bags were getting to go for some nice rides in the car. </div>
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Well, not anymore people!</div>
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This year I decided to make a schedule for myself in order to stay focused during my oh-so-short 40 minutes. Here is how I decided to split up my week:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlAbgnGq7LNDsbE5VPWWdNPN1zQI73joaIrvJEzF9T7mLfM2Vu2aKALs9R2LWimD9MK9Zj1iwuDJvyn7q1CjXQvVxjyIizMRw-SqezcoCS3j5fezCES9dOL9VBMxsW6-uB4Fg7v6Cr_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+8.17.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlAbgnGq7LNDsbE5VPWWdNPN1zQI73joaIrvJEzF9T7mLfM2Vu2aKALs9R2LWimD9MK9Zj1iwuDJvyn7q1CjXQvVxjyIizMRw-SqezcoCS3j5fezCES9dOL9VBMxsW6-uB4Fg7v6Cr_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-11+at+8.17.41+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's not groundbreaking - I know. In fact, some first year teachers might have already figured this out. But like I said, I tend to get distracted and really needed something to keep me focused. </div>
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Here's a little more detail for my reasoning in my schedule. </div>
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In my district we send out our copies to a copy center in the district and it takes about 2-3 days for them to come back. I wanted to be sure they would be back in time so I send them out on Monday and then they are back by Thursday. </div>
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Tuesdays is my day to grade papers. I had to make one day for this because I really don't enjoy it and don't want to do it everyday. </div>
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Wednesdays is my day for writing out my plans. I can't do this too early in the week because I need to know how things are going in my current week to get a sense for what I can plan for the following week. </div>
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Thursday is my day to catch up on parent contact or really any communication about students, whether it's paperwork or talking to service providers. </div>
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And finally Friday I am ready to organize my papers and materials into my Monday through Friday bins for the following week. I switch out my centers too. </div>
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Don't get me wrong, I do still bring home work sometimes, especially when it's cutting out laminating, but this little schedule has helped so much. </div>
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So now it's your turn to tell me <strike>how much smarter you are than me</strike> how you get the most out of your planning time. What works for you? I'd love to hear. </div>
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Thanks for stopping by with me again. </div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-61795141009822652302017-11-22T11:23:00.001-08:002023-06-28T18:01:37.342-07:00Not Your Normal KWL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi there! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I don’t know about you, but when I went to school to become a teacher I was told that the</span><span style="color: #9929bd; letter-spacing: 0px;"> KWL chart </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">was one of the best ways to begin learning about a new topic. It accomplished the task of activating prior knowledge, had students asking questions and setting a purpose for learning, and then they recorded any new information that they learned. </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> I still think a KWL chart is extremely useful and can be very meaningful for students, </span>but I have personally found a new way of beginning units and I don't think I will be going back - a Schema Chart. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Penguin-Unit-Nonfiction-and-Fiction-Literacy-Activities-472772"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzA6_wO1U6uU32bo_p4ISZrXEAYxyB3CmnsM96hyphenhyphenE3gqW_rhlCpRUvEdVBxv7-mDS1_5ygoIZW9fXPS4sEZFd-96NDS5rgNyTwhWi_Aw06LC70pY62le1TRjKCc1vvNwSPNnsEbsfp0PY/w391-h640/Screen+Shot+2014-12-10+at+9.58.18+AM.png" width="391" /></a></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>*The idea for this cutie penguin chart came from the very talented <a href="http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/">Cara Carroll</a>*</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s why I love me some schema charts: When students share what they “<i>know</i>” about a topic on a KWL, sometimes they are not correct. For example, Penguins can fly. As a teacher, what do you do when that happens? Do you tell them right then that they are wrong or do you write the incorrect information on the KWL only to have to cross it off later? I never liked that decision because I didn’t think either one was a good solution to the problem. I didn't want to ruin the discovery of learning and I also didn't want to knock down the children who were brave to volunteer information only to tell them they were wrong. That child will never raise his/her hand again after that. But b</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">y using a Schema Chart you don’t have to make students feel bad anymore and you can let them DISCOVER their own misconceptions while learning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">We begin each unit by sharing all of our schema about the topic we are about to study. I use post-its so we can easily move them around later if we need to. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">When I first introduce the terms <span style="color: #77bb41;">SCHEMA</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> and </span><span style="color: #0061ff; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">MISCONCEPTIONS</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> I explain that schema is what we “think” we know about a topic. Sometimes we “<i>know</i>” something and then realize that we didn’t have all the facts. This is called a misconception. I’ll say something like: “Is it ok to be “wrong” when we really thought we knew something? Of course - it happens to the best of us! Is it fun to be wrong? No, but in our classroom we don’t make anyone feel bad when they get an answer wrong. It’s all part of learning. None of us, including me, knows everything there is to know, so we won’t make anyone feel bad if they had a misconception. We just move our ideas over to misconceptions and write down some of our new learning.” Give them a quick explanation of how we will handle misconceptions and how that is all part of the process of learning. </span>Of course, it’s all in the way you, as the teacher, deliver it. </div>
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The next two parts of a schema chart are the same as a KWL - <span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTIONS</span> and <span style="color: #e69138;">NEW LEARNING</span>. We think of questions we want answered and as we move through the unit we add new learning to our chart. And again, we move misconceptions over as we discover our new learning. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I started using schema charts to begin my units I really saw my 1st graders using the language of schema and misconceptions. I heard them support each other when they learned they were wrong and say, “Oops, that was a misconception! Now we have some new learning!” It really was a great thing! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, you can make your charts look cute and more engaging like my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Penguin-Unit-Nonfiction-and-Fiction-Literacy-Activities-472772">penguin</a> or <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reindeer-Unit-Nonfiction-and-Fiction-Literacy-Activities-430083">reindeer</a>, which of course take a little longer. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reindeer-Unit-Nonfiction-and-Fiction-Literacy-Activities-430083"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKgpnVISoN9hvkrFCjEldowQAL2klhtsGvVDn9Cq7DJAA6m8uG4Q-681RKgN3yYgc_029Oi8UPDHmIi4b6XE8GiQsusc3vtDsIf0-5tOg1vgQLINqbI4JwVG7gHRmhtLB1cHa_VgydeQ/w640-h598/Screen+Shot+2014-12-04+at+10.47.02+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or you can just use a piece of chart paper with columns for each part. Personally I like the visual, but sometimes I don't have the time or might forget to prepare my charts ahead of time. Here is one that I did on the fly about 5 minutes before we started learning about <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Reading-The-First-Thanksgiving-First-Grade-1552732">The First Thanksgiving</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Reading-The-First-Thanksgiving-First-Grade-1552732"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTSkZy09vHPgT47E22EiNI82AkFXZLWefA0LZtCM72iDq-AKHxrC8voRMIKij2WWFoWOOUXmohc_BIjeP2eQhwnGAdakq8Um7mGYCmSChnDvdqffSXa5XKQzpqxFeymdItSFtq9c0vdE/w529-h640/Screen+Shot+2014-12-10+at+9.57.59+AM.png" width="529" /></a></div>
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The kids were eating snack while I was making it and it was actually so fun for them to see me put this together and talk about what they thought we would be doing next. Bad teacher planning on my part, but it did spark a bit of curiosity. </div>
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After I realized how much I really loved using schema charts to begin my units, I created a little pack called <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Be-a-Fact-Finder-Resources-for-Reading-Informational-Text-822696">Be a Fact Finder</a> that I could use with ANY nonfiction unit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzNukIwczTTof_WzbyurrJKm1ZfayML9wP20cQwNGRPWt2TOh5XLVNtP9QeLIS_VWkSitjtSmQdc8wXf8vM9oazuB3UQQtKHv7rrns0l_9F03Ts1tkLERspwnaCnjAsaIPgCqx_XodKM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-08-11+at+6.22.56+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzNukIwczTTof_WzbyurrJKm1ZfayML9wP20cQwNGRPWt2TOh5XLVNtP9QeLIS_VWkSitjtSmQdc8wXf8vM9oazuB3UQQtKHv7rrns0l_9F03Ts1tkLERspwnaCnjAsaIPgCqx_XodKM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-08-11+at+6.22.56+PM.png" /></a></div>
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It includes chart pieces and a student component of the schema chart, as well as tons of other activities that can be used during whole group or guided reading and writing. My favorite are these Stop and Think bookmarks and signs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9k6OCPHBtJ6Y56ub-PMfeBVJz2D8qEKxCDOmxw7ZYC1hfHkbfn2-f6oUswl9XebUqVVcRZndZJQYQhu08kQtrAKW0pIjgb3VJ_aCYYPX9WD04RXK8vsRdKET5pZjO2G02tbhDExCTv0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-11-17+at+3.06.58+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="427" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9k6OCPHBtJ6Y56ub-PMfeBVJz2D8qEKxCDOmxw7ZYC1hfHkbfn2-f6oUswl9XebUqVVcRZndZJQYQhu08kQtrAKW0pIjgb3VJ_aCYYPX9WD04RXK8vsRdKET5pZjO2G02tbhDExCTv0/w400-h268/Screen+Shot+2013-11-17+at+3.06.58+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdTtbfaKZPSYKetN5xtpTCoLkN3efAKeCKWwMKOFQoFwHT0lfvk7iHgYJqtDVSDABfZQsLwsPykkzjWMKeyhpysKMg7-g7vKO3um9y7RMROPpLP_TzMrG1vcPyIbflUy32pqcJwYimeM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-11-17+at+3.11.18+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="460" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdTtbfaKZPSYKetN5xtpTCoLkN3efAKeCKWwMKOFQoFwHT0lfvk7iHgYJqtDVSDABfZQsLwsPykkzjWMKeyhpysKMg7-g7vKO3um9y7RMROPpLP_TzMrG1vcPyIbflUy32pqcJwYimeM/w400-h310/Screen+Shot+2013-11-17+at+3.11.18+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Click <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Be-a-Fact-Finder-Resources-for-Reading-Informational-Text-822696">HERE</a> if you want to check this pack out in more detail. </div>
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I would love to hear any other ideas you have for sparking interest and activating prior knowledge when you begin a new unit. Comment below and share :)</div>
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Have a wonderful holiday!! </div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-10136356589587414622017-03-11T11:38:00.003-08:002017-03-11T11:38:47.172-08:00Plants Lapbook<div style="text-align: center;">
Part of me has always wanted to try interactive notebooks. But being a first grade teacher and now kindergarten teacher I just know I do not have the time to dedicate and really be able to feel as though it's not time wasted on cutting and gluing. The management of interactive notebooking seems like more than I want to bite off with my little learners. I can just picture my class cutting things all wrong and having pages all stuck together. </div>
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On the other hand, when they are done correctly don't they just look so cute and fun. I'm positive there are teachers out there who rock at INB's. Unfortunately I don't think I am one of those teachers, at least not yet. Maybe in the future. </div>
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For now though, I've discovered and fallen in love with lapbooks. These are a smaller version of interactive notebooks that focus on one topic or theme. They seemed much more manageable for me and I really loved the final product. After seeing a few of these out there, I decided to make one for us to use for our plants unit. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plants-Lapbook-1841723" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlH1FZjLEQAghHKO8G4elRubwk8uhVWesJ2nBsEWLMEW_72UXGSY995modIzIoNwkZYeMqBuH7FVog_RoxWpdYYwIFcCG7eiwLxJxF8bzlgV5DuqvIbe2Cu6RHFBLgjl0skXGWf_1pQY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-11+at+10.14.18+AM.png" /></a></div>
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This was so much fun to create, and even more fun for both my students and me to work through together. I tied each piece of this lapbook into a fun picture book to guide our lesson. Essentially this project takes about 6 days and was definitely appropriate for my little kiddos. </div>
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First, we read the book <u>Splat the Cat: Oopsie Daisy</u> by Rob Scotton. I love Splat books and this one is a nice quick intro to plants and what they need to grow. We used this quick foldable to list the things they need. This was an easy way to get the project started. </div>
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By the way, I think I forgot to say that I used colored file folders for this project. Before we began I folded all of the folders so they were ready to go. You could also use 11 x 14" construction to make these too. I like the folders because they are more sturdy and can stand up to be displayed if you want to.</div>
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The next day we read the book <u>The Tiny Seed</u> by Eric Carle and then created this little flip book to put inside our lapbook. There are a couple different options of the stages on the life cycle depending on how you'd like to teach it to your students. The students color, cut, and put the stages in order before we staple them together into the lapbooks. </div>
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On Day 3, we jumped into learning the parts of a plant by first reading <u>From Seed to Plant</u> by Gail Gibbons. We then completed this foldable where the children had to cut out labels for each part and then fill in the purpose of each part to glue under the flaps. </div>
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On the 4th day we read this adorable book called <u>Tops & Bottoms</u> by Janet Stevens. The kids loved this book the most I think! Then we started talking about how we all eat plants even if we didn't realize we do and how we eat all the different parts of the plant too. I made this chart to help them in their thinking when they completed this flower-shaped foldable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv_oc9-Pn5Tt_lIZPgQS4hTaWugQkm-x2jePmDW0jS1FZJLBQkc1Qx7R0zrRAHMMkZ2-EA8Se6QB7ZtIyVXTPM_-BQuis1bRfhd9-H6rvbrPcihHGMauDiRBp-wLllkqc9Loh0LdFX_M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-11+at+1.36.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv_oc9-Pn5Tt_lIZPgQS4hTaWugQkm-x2jePmDW0jS1FZJLBQkc1Qx7R0zrRAHMMkZ2-EA8Se6QB7ZtIyVXTPM_-BQuis1bRfhd9-H6rvbrPcihHGMauDiRBp-wLllkqc9Loh0LdFX_M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-11+at+1.36.48+PM.png" /></a></div>
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For Day 5 we finished by thinking of plants and flowers of all the different colors of a rainbow. Again I read a great book called <u>Planting a Rainbow</u> by Lois Ehlert and made a chart to keep track of what we came up with. I had the children choose one plant for each color, write it under the flap and draw a quick picture too. We colored the rainbow on the front of it <u>before</u> making any of the cuts - just a quick tip since it's harder to color when the cuts are there. </div>
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Finally on Day 6 we added the cover pieces. You could choose to do this part first if you'd like. There are boy and girl pieces for the cover for you to choose from for your students. </div>
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I loved this so much that I really want to try to find or make more lapbooks for my class to use. It was such a fun and interactive (obviously ;) way to teach. If you want to try it out in your classroom, click on the picture below to head over to my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plants-Lapbook-1841723" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers</a> store. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Plants-Lapbook-1841723" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2FSq0rSl8MYyVYXJaaDnkckxdlezA0ao-uDLPv4W_CLlBTbC5u7CTtUlI05lw9vvQYpoCFo_sFPwND9hhLbb1KNZWVkiXMbfAGjA_hkbknOecNLHOvmehaARpX-TJHzCzY9divcMl6E/s320/Plants+lapbook-page1-1.jpeg" width="247" /></a></div>
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And maybe someday I will be ready to jump into the world of interactive notebooks. But for now, I'm loving lapbooks!</div>
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Hope you enjoy it too!</div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-55621888044343240912017-03-05T20:35:00.000-08:002017-03-05T20:35:17.645-08:00Learning about Rabbits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Teaching holidays and themes has always been something that I have loved about teaching at the primary level. The children get so excited and frankly a little crazy in the weeks leading up to any holiday, vacation, full moon --- pretty much everything --- am I right? But tapping into that excitement when planning my lessons is what makes teaching so much fun! What teacher doesn't want their students excited about what they are learning and motivated to do the work? I don't know any.</div>
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The tricky thing about teaching themes is that holidays can become a touchy area in some schools in order to respect the diversity of its students. Every school is different and every group of students is different so it could likely change from year to year. But then the reality is that you have these giggly, wiggly, little cuties who cannot possibly contain their excitement about an upcoming holiday and it's hard to get them to think about anything else. For this reason I try to plan lessons where I can teach about the holiday without teaching about the holiday. Around Christmas time I love to teach units on <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reindeer-430083" target="_blank">Reindeer</a> and the Gingerbread Man. My students have always loved these units and it helps channel some of the excitement. So for this time of year and the Easter holiday, I decided to create a unit that would accomplish the same things. </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">This unit begins with some informational reading about rabbits including fact cards with real photos and a student mini-book. I have used the fact cards projected on my screen and have also printed them out and had them available for students to look through. They love the authenticity that the real photos bring. </span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrc8Nmdsv59rwq9ybTYqGHAI-eXe-tSjz-HYY5yBKKM-1n-7wNDff4OBAb9n2MqXKyiWTPBF-T8LHtdbxYqfnBlwxuJmeKa_MRa9-FTXW_O-uKkikJN-lLMk8dimm1WB70NXIQ183gPpg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+9.54.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrc8Nmdsv59rwq9ybTYqGHAI-eXe-tSjz-HYY5yBKKM-1n-7wNDff4OBAb9n2MqXKyiWTPBF-T8LHtdbxYqfnBlwxuJmeKa_MRa9-FTXW_O-uKkikJN-lLMk8dimm1WB70NXIQ183gPpg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+9.54.51+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b;">I also use the student mini-book for small group reading and for students to search for information. These worksheets are great for helping students learn how to find evidence in the text to answer questions. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">Next we move onto distinguishing facts from opinions. I have a card sort and also a cut and paste worksheet. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ2RE7LZcxLMoQjLdyXlrlmggqRJzLebDumaiEaCFl95fQ1dwhsO7Im0f3eTiYkpuCVQWLCY1ia8R14fg8jCkFvCMEoQk_kpaZVP06SLxm2xUA8NaKnemMWrEOVC8wt003_k-kTJrZZM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+10.00.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ2RE7LZcxLMoQjLdyXlrlmggqRJzLebDumaiEaCFl95fQ1dwhsO7Im0f3eTiYkpuCVQWLCY1ia8R14fg8jCkFvCMEoQk_kpaZVP06SLxm2xUA8NaKnemMWrEOVC8wt003_k-kTJrZZM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+10.00.11+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bringing vocabulary to life is a huge part of informational literacy. I use whole group instruction to match the word, definition, and picture. Then I have students work on the vocabulary book. For the young ones, like kindergarteners, I included just a word and picture match since reading and writing the definition would be a little much for them. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQSArEF_jkBlv0Qzcl5Z-ABuqPPOkalcQsJ88Vu6H3V9Y0Xud02VJx9ZWtTAjCaLBPkBls4YYMt7Mwd8garjLa0mvumXy2XDpsLtFqObegJkpnTYuMLzYuIOW93AZmebDATnOFgjvy_0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+10.05.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQSArEF_jkBlv0Qzcl5Z-ABuqPPOkalcQsJ88Vu6H3V9Y0Xud02VJx9ZWtTAjCaLBPkBls4YYMt7Mwd8garjLa0mvumXy2XDpsLtFqObegJkpnTYuMLzYuIOW93AZmebDATnOFgjvy_0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+10.05.04+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Finally, of course, we tie in some writing. I included a blank mini-book for students to write freely what they learned about rabbits. There is a flip book where students can write down 3 facts and an opinion. There are also some writing prompts for students to respond to. </span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">And how cute is this rabbit? You can use it with any of the writing options. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoAbHnQ_7yyO_ygPATMq8jE1eouys5ZS26nnEFaE80w5O36Xj07FW538o9IljqBs0HpYnjuDzjsiBUGfIoS3FXhNI45OqueTMrx7KbDqv6TGRZwszmD7l6cYFt7YULzMLmTVdb5EHj4Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+10.14.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoAbHnQ_7yyO_ygPATMq8jE1eouys5ZS26nnEFaE80w5O36Xj07FW538o9IljqBs0HpYnjuDzjsiBUGfIoS3FXhNI45OqueTMrx7KbDqv6TGRZwszmD7l6cYFt7YULzMLmTVdb5EHj4Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+10.14.38+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">If you have some of the same holiday struggles or are just looking for a fun spring topic to teach, check out this unit. Just click on the cover below:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rabbits-3046226" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_H0D5eYbCTfNKNB1H3WNdn8gS2vUYuCyBxUduWT2uU3-DJymJKC1bQbOhgl2hCcrm4w9kDTBCIpoaHFgPuIYNE3A_OhLoQ_oVOZgJ5Zl9HFRNVysUn1vNZ8A3uvoFjn6Ok5yYKH2uWkE/s320/Rabbits+unit-page1-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rabbits-3046226" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksLr6Qh3W0kJjVzMMt9Hxoce2y8rdOz96C6wB3dcH7b6hJhhQiboyALod-fS5_jp24pzjP_Rhy3Tkt9mQbj49_HyJ8fHiZuFm6cZlnALSCvJtuLJs_8KSr9UeVs63L7e0mpGJXlgVcEE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-05+at+1.45.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-13666495809305394652017-01-29T10:05:00.001-08:002017-01-29T10:05:57.660-08:00Groundhog Day Activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-2976062" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAQs479rcUA0g2n4GiBH63wV8E6mg-KZ20kc4sKKuYuuUmpTtT73Ull5L2ull7OotUZzPl3ogSoQ_3hW-XMarSgWMZq7bEFTGDACr5vOMXFU9Z3UZZq8f59uLZ0wJVxvrzbhWZ606wPA/s1600/Groundhog+day+First+Grade+Smiles+7.png" title="Groundhog Day First Grade Smiles" /></a></div>
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One thing I just adore about teaching in the primary grades is that we have the ability to expose students to fun themes and holidays throughout the year. These things are always fun and of high interest to the students. Even more important though, I really love expanding on these themes and holidays with activities that are jam-packed with learning. It's a win-win because the kids are working on topics that are fun and interesting, the teachers have fun planning and also get to hit the standards at the same time, and of course administrators are happy that it's not all just fluff. </div>
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When I create a pack, I try to be sure I am including activities that are exciting for the students, but also worth your instructional time. With this pack I started with some informational reading about these little guys we call groundhogs, or as they will learn are also called woodchucks or whistle-pigs. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-2976062" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTqXpWwfMpeDBkXbnmqJHNFmwD0FksxbXHFBup0uBAs5v2WlVtC-jJ_-cEYyymm5Fo2kZz2iRISGi1hRwwq6hZcVE-z2aAzOw0ZbwnJI3_ZU3ZUm08hyuwANRnhtyu5tOzHnJb_c4BTc/s1600/Groundhog+day+First+Grade+Smiles+6.png" title="Groundhog Day First Grade Smiles" /></a></div>
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I started including these Fact Cards with real photos in some of my other thematic units like <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reindeer-430083" target="_blank">Reindeer</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Penguins-472772" target="_blank">Penguins</a>, and I have gotten tons of comments and feedback from teachers that this was their students' favorite part of these packs! I have to agree -- my kiddos love it too! These sheets can be printed off and laminated to show students, or can be projected from your computer so students can read along. The second option is what I usually do because it offers students a different media to learn from and switches things up a bit. After reading and learning together, we move on to some comprehension. I kept the comprehension simple in this pack because I know we don't have all that much time to devote to only groundhogs, but I think you'll find that it is just enough to show students how to gather information from texts. </div>
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The next part is an informational mini-book about the actual day of Groundhog Day. This is perfect for shared reading and can be followed by buddy reading or independent reading for further practice. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOBXCh6mJUQxt004iMv1iFQC3vCpCiU5MZdtbAqP77-q9cPUKu7rWzP7AYAFwf8Jkxsb-NjB2T8GkVAXPHV8qHjQ499UvlCBhVImoNt3dmoPLYdG_1A6WYDtQxRc3YmsDoO7W8W5Vnc4/s1600/Groundhog+day+First+Grade+Smiles+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOBXCh6mJUQxt004iMv1iFQC3vCpCiU5MZdtbAqP77-q9cPUKu7rWzP7AYAFwf8Jkxsb-NjB2T8GkVAXPHV8qHjQ499UvlCBhVImoNt3dmoPLYdG_1A6WYDtQxRc3YmsDoO7W8W5Vnc4/s1600/Groundhog+day+First+Grade+Smiles+4.png" title="Groundhog Day graphing" /></a></div>
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Once students are thinking about whether or not the groundhog will see his shadow, we start making our predictions. I use these chart pieces to create a class graph where students can predict what they think will happen on Groundhog Day. Then we all fill out a graph to show what the class chose. I also have the students do a quick writing about their prediction. I included this writing page, along with two other options without a sentence starter and different writing lines.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-2976062" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIx1d4fzGMtvAiH40XWfVfPl3wAqMH-X5vEEQPC-4Y1hinAAU7GhDE3sSjHhh1KF9cBfGaQ1jHQMjhqLeR1k_c1qYCIFIpX0aat4WZh0aD9Qir74BnmWSO8UlSwYLynRJm9efj6sbi-k/s400/Groundhog+unit-page26-26.jpeg" title="Groundhog Day writing" width="400" /></a></div>
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Along with the informational reading I do, I always like to tie in some fictional reading as well. There are some really cute read alouds for Groundhog Day, but my favorite is <u>Go to Sleep, Groundhog!</u> by Lucy Cox.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM2K9fd280Ffgi03hyphenhyphenfSW0ky7f44UVld7jVNZrklQAYAasSzJQlh7d1XlDgr0IowwpjwCx5ZJjv-KAnzeRAB7RYEm-8Qlq54qcuPGh587XgkXG-juXFFHoe5FpFiStxcPwYKqjAAeywo/s1600/51ZMX6FEBTL._SX371_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM2K9fd280Ffgi03hyphenhyphenfSW0ky7f44UVld7jVNZrklQAYAasSzJQlh7d1XlDgr0IowwpjwCx5ZJjv-KAnzeRAB7RYEm-8Qlq54qcuPGh587XgkXG-juXFFHoe5FpFiStxcPwYKqjAAeywo/s320/51ZMX6FEBTL._SX371_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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I made two different sequencing activities to go with this book. One is a quick picture cut and paste worksheet, and the other is a cute flip book which is also cut and paste with events from the story. Choose whichever one you have time for and fits your students' abilities. I also made a blank sequencing flip book that you could use with any groundhog read aloud you choose.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBAjAnMgEopJJp8Oy2-kNHN4W_pjxuoTR0iF-glz6EFwywQpwLkIpa5s3yVEBbpDKV3nD_I4wKwXFdwu1s6aw9ZvT7VyvCYSWy6uL2dvxPCj44mWs3IpL8xzG91GGhUD7ZW9QqZneVtc/s1600/Groundhog+day+First+Grade+Smiles+9.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBAjAnMgEopJJp8Oy2-kNHN4W_pjxuoTR0iF-glz6EFwywQpwLkIpa5s3yVEBbpDKV3nD_I4wKwXFdwu1s6aw9ZvT7VyvCYSWy6uL2dvxPCj44mWs3IpL8xzG91GGhUD7ZW9QqZneVtc/s400/Groundhog+day+First+Grade+Smiles+9.PNG" title="Groundhog Day First Grade Smiles" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, I like to have some filler activities for these days to use either in centers, for morning work, or just for fun. I made a couple printables for math and sight words. I also made a groundhog page topper if you'd like to use it for a bulletin board or it can also be used as a cute hat. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-2976062" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JN-oazqnoDXoK8HsGu1dH8AVrxW7kBGi8AdNfeEAYCiBEPi53bzB6mpNXohTKLSdtvH_83LKhVC4uivrUW7qYsmBH_suobyxscmdMjzu1PUj6tRRzyyn9xgQ5BftWDkC8Tg3DkpLHyQ/s640/Groundhog+day+preview-page3-3.jpeg" title="Groundhog Day activities" width="640" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to get started on the Groundhog Day fun tomorrow in my classroom. If you think you could use some of these activities too you can grab it in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-2976062" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers Store</a> by clicking on the picture below. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-2976062" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNM4CWr9CITECjazQp60QUrQyvsgC-MSwCmunyLUC6onq8hU2YnFUHozxVyq5_TJ2FhDqlTxiHijO5uk-HTUKVtrYiy9v4t0syh4aAt7WX_bZcwXDyI7F7td6SUH5I84wKjg5g316WaA/s1600/Groundhog+Day+First+Grade+Smiles+8.png" title="Groundhog Day activities" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but I am ALWAYS hoping Puxsutawney Phil DOES NOT see his shadow so we can have an early spring. Where I live that really never happens though. We're happy if it stops snowing by April (sometimes May). So if you are someplace warm -- send me some of that! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-13353154194453173552017-01-07T09:43:00.001-08:002017-01-07T09:43:57.487-08:00Animals in Winter: Hibernation, Migration, and Adaptation<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hey friends! Just popping in to tell you about one of my favorite units we do this time of year - <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Animals in Winter</span></b>. It's pretty cold up here in my neck of the woods right now. So I figure if it has to be sooooo cold outside, we might as well have a little fun with winter inside. Here is a quick overview of what this unit looks like. And if you stick around till the end you will find a little <i>FREEBIE</i> too :) </div>
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First up in this unit is an Informational Mini-Book for shared reading. There is a color copy for you to use as the teacher and a black and white copy to make for students to have their own. I packed in a ton of important information in this book so your kiddos will be learning a lot. Good time for an impromptu observation by your principal. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66AGVHm48EdgBQua2z_X9mLT8JF_gPs1_VvWrBGSsyRzS9NhYWgqysMbdFj6VIdwAeRC7A3Pz2jC8lAWhxlOf2LXKNuhIPqpuWAtK2sBWCieu5BTNAir6MRzj6ekgxlcnY_S0Z43y3Qo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.08+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66AGVHm48EdgBQua2z_X9mLT8JF_gPs1_VvWrBGSsyRzS9NhYWgqysMbdFj6VIdwAeRC7A3Pz2jC8lAWhxlOf2LXKNuhIPqpuWAtK2sBWCieu5BTNAir6MRzj6ekgxlcnY_S0Z43y3Qo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.08+AM.png" title="Animals in Winter informational reader" /></a><br />
Here's what it looks like in action:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pYWfM9ofmb6RZI2R_RLX2L2QkuBiaRsBkcdnCkftfD3zA62XSapgtRnjzpLbKPoBxiaUTKMEL69L5jNLshyphenhyphenD2vsH-MoLBbeUYERbwgk08jLjVtxpUm_EAWml_L5Diu2WP-yOO5g-pTc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-02+at+10.17.27+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pYWfM9ofmb6RZI2R_RLX2L2QkuBiaRsBkcdnCkftfD3zA62XSapgtRnjzpLbKPoBxiaUTKMEL69L5jNLshyphenhyphenD2vsH-MoLBbeUYERbwgk08jLjVtxpUm_EAWml_L5Diu2WP-yOO5g-pTc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-02+at+10.17.27+AM.png" title="Animal in Winter informational reader" width="640" /></a><br />
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Speaking of being observed. . . I'm sure your principals like to see the Common Core standards in action. So I included a bunch of practice to hit those reading for information standards. You're welcome!</div>
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Included in those standards is learning new vocabulary, so that's in there too. There's pieces to use when teaching the vocabulary and then a student book to fill in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCkmXazrtflihfLAxd7-DhsxZ7XX2flGlmkiAgKAYPOJ0OI7ZseM-mWNbPBhZjKE3UOq65ZmqOoQnKWUs26I1SaoOYG9GFcRsFaCYI2M3ntnndrcFL66ZK6kIDgxaPJNelzrBls4fmP0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCkmXazrtflihfLAxd7-DhsxZ7XX2flGlmkiAgKAYPOJ0OI7ZseM-mWNbPBhZjKE3UOq65ZmqOoQnKWUs26I1SaoOYG9GFcRsFaCYI2M3ntnndrcFL66ZK6kIDgxaPJNelzrBls4fmP0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.01+AM.png" title="Animals in winter vocabulary" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5aQe2hrBIZ_NMpKa8WYA3cs8FL9Iqa-zw9IWL_2Y49gtB-LlW59EYvrp097-IwIXOr9RXnBo2klQQ6KRwYOv9cHnVwv6zQgOnDA3jsLMSiHj3uupRqxT0Z0GqG4l5eVPHqbATlOOiRU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-02+at+10.17.37+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5aQe2hrBIZ_NMpKa8WYA3cs8FL9Iqa-zw9IWL_2Y49gtB-LlW59EYvrp097-IwIXOr9RXnBo2klQQ6KRwYOv9cHnVwv6zQgOnDA3jsLMSiHj3uupRqxT0Z0GqG4l5eVPHqbATlOOiRU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-02+at+10.17.37+AM.png" title="Animals in winter vocabulary" width="640" /></a><br />
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Next up - writing.</div>
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There's papers for your students to write about what they learned and make their own book. There's also templates for a class book about what kind of animal your kids would want to be in the winter and why. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTHDH7TTXmZg-U7QvLu1SKKdWnmeqx0fefZwE9l7U7UUdqiGPSpc9Z-vjJlUPPFJXvo1anLPUc3-BskS92_Z2-Qn_aEOSYpu9NgYSod50wXBWleVQyDvZbAc0NcjHIb4sIwhlWpHu7uc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTHDH7TTXmZg-U7QvLu1SKKdWnmeqx0fefZwE9l7U7UUdqiGPSpc9Z-vjJlUPPFJXvo1anLPUc3-BskS92_Z2-Qn_aEOSYpu9NgYSod50wXBWleVQyDvZbAc0NcjHIb4sIwhlWpHu7uc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.15+AM.png" title="Animals in winter informational writing" /></a></div>
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I also wrote a little fact filled song called Winter's Here. </div>
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Finally, I included some center activities and printables to complete this thematic unit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXHm30kAD7HQAoz-Wy39UK1awzw0zttkEGGe97ygXVzFl0nvnSRrVcKADUP7zOFWVwEl2WPiAaUGlP5Z3wsPgweY1PtyLgM7-gIQUEodI1r-GjqKngmS6ZX1JUVTrWPXftYYLnEfMUUQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.21+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXHm30kAD7HQAoz-Wy39UK1awzw0zttkEGGe97ygXVzFl0nvnSRrVcKADUP7zOFWVwEl2WPiAaUGlP5Z3wsPgweY1PtyLgM7-gIQUEodI1r-GjqKngmS6ZX1JUVTrWPXftYYLnEfMUUQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+10.15.21+AM.png" title="Animals in winter fact and opinion" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8CtwBuALQnXW46mtg5-DmpxI62Yaxz7-TN1wRX6g263lp4X9hPaHgXUpzMRRUjE_HFv0EY_vSCHTr_zNFYnL_Hb8Y45DHkOjzUoPvDxO1DJBin-uLsgqj7uXFqqe-D47zGtWd_nVEhw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-02+at+10.17.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8CtwBuALQnXW46mtg5-DmpxI62Yaxz7-TN1wRX6g263lp4X9hPaHgXUpzMRRUjE_HFv0EY_vSCHTr_zNFYnL_Hb8Y45DHkOjzUoPvDxO1DJBin-uLsgqj7uXFqqe-D47zGtWd_nVEhw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-02+at+10.17.45+AM.png" title="Animals in winter activities" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you will find this a useful unit too. Click on the cover below to check it out on <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan">TpT</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOHoXgXmLt5FF0tqgdRFKexnDthwW5GsS_-rqflgbdqEwD_OeBfWTXewEmnvhja3OorqqyCZPs4eRBKiFNq6bwUbts0C6MskJUhgsGbbI13GIQJuGtrIIbikuotqsfHDOSsfT1V0eNYQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-18+at+4.42.09+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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And as I promised - here is a little sampler freebie for you. To grab this freebie, just click on the picture below.</div>
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/3v6phrjjn68s5d0/Animals%20in%20winter%20sampler.pdf?dl=0"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLL9FNHg-tcJAV19d9FmUSUc9y4Yqv9m7gVYRxtR7S17PJoOUq5pCljcueuDJs2mFmDQ_BLrtWh6noTX6AOHYl0pRXNe2kei9PkOl5TPtRMe0SXHxQ4HtzzUUAcTY0OTGBP3iIasUUSFw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-10+at+10.45.15+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks for stopping by and joining me for a little cleaning break this weekend. </div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-85404212205057094522016-08-22T06:30:00.001-07:002023-06-28T18:28:02.643-07:00Setting up a new classroom...again!<div style="text-align: center;">
8 times!!!</div>
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That's the number of times I have changed classrooms in the 14 years I've been teaching. </div>
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That's a lot! </div>
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You would think that I would have it down to a science by now, but it still takes me forever to get things just the way I want them. And inevitably, halfway through the year, once I've spent time moving throughout and living in the new room I want to change it ALL. I clearly have problems. ;)</div>
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So here are a few pictures of how my new room looks (so far). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSHdmRGDhuk5AD4cK3WQ02PyK9DloL__gQ8Nyf4zgHTAD3zXeZFCT7g_5qm1-rIXUjYof16b-KD2ctitpG23zF4GEhL6z8Y0_X9RgtDHjBttXDdv3RAYpSTU2_k08zkcShG4A8PIe-40/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.28.21+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSHdmRGDhuk5AD4cK3WQ02PyK9DloL__gQ8Nyf4zgHTAD3zXeZFCT7g_5qm1-rIXUjYof16b-KD2ctitpG23zF4GEhL6z8Y0_X9RgtDHjBttXDdv3RAYpSTU2_k08zkcShG4A8PIe-40/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.28.21+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's hard to see specifics in the pictures above, so I will try to take more detailed pictures for some future blog posts to explain my reasoning behind each part of my room. But you can get a general idea of our space. I try to create as many different areas in the room as I can including: a teacher desk area (for all my mess that <i>will</i> happen on busy days), guided reading/small group table, our whole group meeting area with smart board, and a some center areas you can't really see in these pictures. I think the kids move better in a room with specific areas for different activities. </div>
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Here is my calendar bulletin board below. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZdgjLgffBVzhRjofy-VHrMaklDZKW_BxwC8W2r2gHB4O54PRfSff25GdgPzJBHEuxl7CAXga8x8fmD0FKIhXTw1N1Vy8x-HAO9s1xiPldCBQb9urd9zJQnHEVD0OTpHX2c6CTrH_a_M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.27.56+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZdgjLgffBVzhRjofy-VHrMaklDZKW_BxwC8W2r2gHB4O54PRfSff25GdgPzJBHEuxl7CAXga8x8fmD0FKIhXTw1N1Vy8x-HAO9s1xiPldCBQb9urd9zJQnHEVD0OTpHX2c6CTrH_a_M/w640-h484/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.27.56+AM.png" title="Calendar bulletin board Kindergarten classroom" width="640" /></a></div>
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This bulletin board always take me so long to create it just the way I want it. I put this up and took it down at least 3 times before I settled on this arrangement. This year I created some calendar ten frames for us to count our days of school each day along with the counting straws. I felt like I needed another visual that the kiddies could see and use each day, because you can really never have enough visual teaching aides. When I posted this picture on <a href="http://instagram.com/firstgradesmiles/">Instagram</a> I had some sweet folks ask if I had these for sale. I really just made them quick for myself so I decided to just post them here as a FREEBIE instead of putting them in my store. If you'd like them, go ahead and download them below.</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Xm939N5m6yUmt0c0ZpSlNjMEU/view?usp=sharing"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYC-9rpa4LQW269_Rp6saA_gOZ8gyaNmQNL0tYpRUhOTlTtHV2cakrmwRBASQWvOMUV9ntjUkAnhq1tImxa2uGdq5G16t3uQFhrH0XqoMKzlwtVIj37sTixTEkKve9EdKGwioI3ns-kI/w640-h506/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.36.04+AM.png" title="How many days have we been in school FREEBIE" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is my word wall. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJEH8Skv54ISNyWswvqEYvHNse0qjcLu9qNyaDhYgtHaKnQdIVID1GzSWFLcyDU3uA2nGdv2j7Xg1lZzc_OzY2248Ylnc09exxKZTIVJRinBwEZZ22qjf4JGhS0NEAUYSIIzuYR-1ul8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.28.11+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJEH8Skv54ISNyWswvqEYvHNse0qjcLu9qNyaDhYgtHaKnQdIVID1GzSWFLcyDU3uA2nGdv2j7Xg1lZzc_OzY2248Ylnc09exxKZTIVJRinBwEZZ22qjf4JGhS0NEAUYSIIzuYR-1ul8/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+8.28.11+AM.png" width="434" /></a></div>
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A new classroom means adjusting what you might normally have on your walls to what space you now have. Last year my word wall looked like this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZs-LHzQlYYwqY4A6h8TPMI-neddSqUeqx9-_O76vYifNewCynEtapdi7dFKCswOYtdwAtvVlcOyamEXzVasKRaF5-6XPTMyUqaNxNhOzyD7CUaZTA6RXGDwDXlJieMVARg4UZk3cLjBE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+9.13.18+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZs-LHzQlYYwqY4A6h8TPMI-neddSqUeqx9-_O76vYifNewCynEtapdi7dFKCswOYtdwAtvVlcOyamEXzVasKRaF5-6XPTMyUqaNxNhOzyD7CUaZTA6RXGDwDXlJieMVARg4UZk3cLjBE/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-08-22+at+9.13.18+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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That classroom had zero wall space and only two small bulletin boards which needed to have my calendar/morning meeting items on them. So I used the cabinets and I LOVED the way this word wall worked for us. The colors helped visually separate the letters and students could easily locate words. This year my cabinets were smaller and I needed to change the size, but I wanted to keep the same general idea. I also plan on making it interactive....more on that to come. </div>
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So there is just a little peak into my classroom for this year. I don't know about you, but I LOVE looking into other people's classrooms. In fact, I often pop into my colleagues' rooms in the summer to see how they've arranged things. I love exploring <a href="http://pinterest.com/mmachan/">Pinterest</a> for this very reason too! Every teacher has such a wonderful way of organizing things for their students and creating a fun learning environment. If you have any links to some great classrooms to check out, leave a link in the comments so I can take a peek too! It's kind of an addiction :)</div>
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On a different note, I just uploaded TWO new products too and they are on sale! These are perfect to use during guided reading, as a center, or a fast finisher activity. Your kids will love this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Search:rule+breakers">Spot the Rule Breakers</a> game!!! Two versions are currently available with more to come. I hope you'll check them out. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-JO8IWy4fugTxo3EpGLRQYaV9wOb3sAx_Zya-BAj0f56Ce0rIPcfAmgfqW843hlYR_iW0pefe2RzIt-25hzNI3NtbBwj5acW5QuXIr4zZQjXqbaTIw9NbVJJdt14nr2Sl8RvEQQgoLQ/s400/IMG_3762.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy back to school to all of you! I know we all love our summers, but there's something so exciting about getting ready for a new school year. Soak it up!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-22051733326781323852016-04-03T07:00:00.001-07:002023-06-28T18:05:34.926-07:00Reading Comprehension for Beginning Readers - 1st and 2nd Graders<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGgKzJU4eaxZwr3WGNiSFQwCfq0UOpxmaY5oqLdsW0cewt8naM_erHNPE9BYhyphenhyphennPpQxJR5yKJH81UD9qIZT069BqFnzDrkQ6q1oQoppaqxz10WOkwe8FuGtQsJv0DjbIugKGP6uvroTo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.20.17+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGgKzJU4eaxZwr3WGNiSFQwCfq0UOpxmaY5oqLdsW0cewt8naM_erHNPE9BYhyphenhyphennPpQxJR5yKJH81UD9qIZT069BqFnzDrkQ6q1oQoppaqxz10WOkwe8FuGtQsJv0DjbIugKGP6uvroTo/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.20.17+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension for young learners" width="400" /></a><br />
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I used to teach 3rd grade, for 8 years, and before that I taught 4th grade for 2 years. I liked how independent the kids were. I liked how I could joke with them and they actually got my jokes. I especially loved how those years were such a huge turning point in a child's elementary life and I was the one to help them through it. Students in those grades actually remember, for years, the things you do in the classroom....and come back to tell you ALL about it! It really is a great age to teach!!<br />
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What I didn't love, however, were the state assessments. Yuck! They really sucked the fun out of teaching for so many weeks leading up to the tests. Then when Common Core was adopted and the tests consequently changed to being so much harder, so much longer, and frankly - so much more unfair....I decided I needed a change too. That was when I took the opportunity to move to 1st grade. This was the best decision I could have ever made because 1st grade is just ME. <br />
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First grade and me go together like peanut butter and jelly. <br />
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I could go on and on about the things I love about my little firsties, but what I love the most of all is knowing where my students have to get to in a few short years and being confident that I can be the person to help them get there. I feel effective! And isn't that what all teachers want to feel? <br />
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You might be wondering why I went on and on about all that and how it has anything to do with reading comprehension. Well I'll tell you. When I watched my little third graders - and yes, they are still little in 3rd grade - struggle through a reading test for HOURS and feel defeated, it broke my heart. I wanted to do anything I could to try to prepare them for the stamina they would need and the strategies to get through it. Now that I'm in 1st grade I feel like I can help them on this journey by providing as many opportunities to practice strategies they will need but <u>at their level</u> and <u>with my support</u>. It is my hope that I can give them the foundation that will help them down the road.<br />
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So this year I started creating some opportunities to guide my students through the process of reading comprehension. It definitely is a PROCESS - am I right? So besides being able to read (kinda important) - what DO children need to be able to do when answering reading comprehension questions?<br />
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Here are 5 things that I think young readers need to learn when it comes to reading comprehension:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1YTY7nqHHShv4ZQS782jVcS2Fm7uR56J6fTWESCmkScG4mQ5C_ETwlTZOcCRb1eIMRN1-XmabIWAGp4Bbp7LTh3W2n37WlYrclhEyv2t-tQMbJvA7CQgcnag9-b4c7s6eMBLFlk228A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.14+PM.png"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1YTY7nqHHShv4ZQS782jVcS2Fm7uR56J6fTWESCmkScG4mQ5C_ETwlTZOcCRb1eIMRN1-XmabIWAGp4Bbp7LTh3W2n37WlYrclhEyv2t-tQMbJvA7CQgcnag9-b4c7s6eMBLFlk228A/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.14+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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One of the hardest things for students is just knowing what exactly a comprehension question is even asking. I spend time teaching those question words: who, what, why, where, when, and how. I teach them how to read those words, of course, and then also what kinds of questions they might see with each of them. <br />
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As with anything we teach, it's important to start out with some modeling and guided practice. I use my whole group reading time to model using our read alouds. I use my guided reading time to practice with texts at their level. When it comes to practicing independently I wanted to give my students the opportunity to just work on the <u>questions</u>, so I made these Picture Comprehension pages with some basic questions like: <b>Who</b> is in the picture? <b>What</b> are they doing? <b>Where</b> are they? And then also some inference questions like: <b>Why</b> do you think they are doing that? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzfZFC_P7prpyknoeUFffHPw3bLZtfsZW7dgr1BHTPlnF-fuTxTIF36L8jEWctZb28NQXQ8FF_RHB3M2gwAKWXaTKpYf2H6MGBXSHvdT3FidFRhtOP56oy9CadC8vrtvERgm2sbljYSw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.18+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzfZFC_P7prpyknoeUFffHPw3bLZtfsZW7dgr1BHTPlnF-fuTxTIF36L8jEWctZb28NQXQ8FF_RHB3M2gwAKWXaTKpYf2H6MGBXSHvdT3FidFRhtOP56oy9CadC8vrtvERgm2sbljYSw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.18+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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These allow the students to practice reading those question words, but keeps it quick and simple for independent work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaA9DkYM-3CFh5hE_2xzovYV2I0rXtXpYF9B1tOC1eKh7zj0OtKzCbi7IsiVckjR8qjCzmPvAv_8Trls-DrV1JaBlvCpo6CIlwOoUSetKG6yUfEozssZuro8X52AF2pseubNoM7HjXE4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.27+PM.png"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaA9DkYM-3CFh5hE_2xzovYV2I0rXtXpYF9B1tOC1eKh7zj0OtKzCbi7IsiVckjR8qjCzmPvAv_8Trls-DrV1JaBlvCpo6CIlwOoUSetKG6yUfEozssZuro8X52AF2pseubNoM7HjXE4/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.27+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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The next skill that children need to learn is to read ALL of the choices when answering multiple choice questions. They need to get used to being tricked by similar answers and not just pick the first one they read. So again, I use the Picture Comprehension to practice this, but I also made these simple Sentence Comprehension pages for that as well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOZnQg_8McSilDXfymCKXnrXCYUlh7i2KkOpqhBE9TcnoCaJzMBgoXqeX4Qhfrk5ldE-FHA5maJgdrNkaKOzIjamLKMnQF-kosdFcLZHdl5NxR6vDuaYO5DGe-49nPavhpS_NljpAYig/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.28+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOZnQg_8McSilDXfymCKXnrXCYUlh7i2KkOpqhBE9TcnoCaJzMBgoXqeX4Qhfrk5ldE-FHA5maJgdrNkaKOzIjamLKMnQF-kosdFcLZHdl5NxR6vDuaYO5DGe-49nPavhpS_NljpAYig/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.28+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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Many of the choices are similar and students really need to pay close attention to the answer they choose. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3Prwr9hOeDekhfF48NKpNodYcyjNaabL-KSSquNLcFw-hpkIhai4stJHGmPZqNmyX9pulFP__SMmbQtiTYXwD98CBl5xJ_XD0i2ycO5-qCtvqks6RMRVA56xbjn6B3H0BQ6InjH9o0o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.42+PM.png"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3Prwr9hOeDekhfF48NKpNodYcyjNaabL-KSSquNLcFw-hpkIhai4stJHGmPZqNmyX9pulFP__SMmbQtiTYXwD98CBl5xJ_XD0i2ycO5-qCtvqks6RMRVA56xbjn6B3H0BQ6InjH9o0o/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.42+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's important for us as teachers to understand that children don't naturally know how to answer comprehension questions. We need to start out simple in order to help them practice and be successful from the get go. When students get into reading longer passages they will need to pay close attention to detail and be able to search for important clues in the text. Again, I like to provide the support of pictures to help students practice this. Important clues can be found in the text and also in pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOIzDOVeuUUmE03HidsoQhYUECi7uNeQwP0-sJ5CxCnLKyECKw4QeP5yedfb0S6f-FOqLrigUi-P-Vp0ZBAIR2OgPR17aNuqlppVVSazVw2fkZC61hJpL0hNz4Hoqs6CDIPIUVizVSIQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.07+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOIzDOVeuUUmE03HidsoQhYUECi7uNeQwP0-sJ5CxCnLKyECKw4QeP5yedfb0S6f-FOqLrigUi-P-Vp0ZBAIR2OgPR17aNuqlppVVSazVw2fkZC61hJpL0hNz4Hoqs6CDIPIUVizVSIQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.07+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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These Picture Match Books have become a favorite in our classroom. The kids cannot get enough of them!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3bFNDrTzFQSw06xzYVRW5iZmQbRn5YZNIlKYxYXz-x6f5j3izXaZn7-AW63zN7W8t0mU0kK6lEtAHQy7sqiUq-It235tpObj-wt5O3CqM5LKYHgpbhB-l8tKg9kJ1GsvG8Z60XJ_epo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.30.55+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3bFNDrTzFQSw06xzYVRW5iZmQbRn5YZNIlKYxYXz-x6f5j3izXaZn7-AW63zN7W8t0mU0kK6lEtAHQy7sqiUq-It235tpObj-wt5O3CqM5LKYHgpbhB-l8tKg9kJ1GsvG8Z60XJ_epo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.30.55+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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I also use these CLOZE Comprehension pages for practice. Children need to fill in the missing words and then answer a couple questions about a short passage. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87Sco0NkYTz85BSGvY7r18s-YXHELRlcSubZbjBG57pqnRfH3a2LmaIr5tzomP1bNS8_B22CrWnk8cVwzYDKrwxhe9z7nsHPqQnsHai_P2_EW5a4AqOll9gsmgfF8VmVXZEsTWMoq0bs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.32.10+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87Sco0NkYTz85BSGvY7r18s-YXHELRlcSubZbjBG57pqnRfH3a2LmaIr5tzomP1bNS8_B22CrWnk8cVwzYDKrwxhe9z7nsHPqQnsHai_P2_EW5a4AqOll9gsmgfF8VmVXZEsTWMoq0bs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.32.10+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB02sP5_c-iMrOwjREdWWzAeVeNtrCrZxODZ9nF_O7XTVOY0OAwXkD4KTROHRnF-2RE0G0go1qFMuC97yfwoioxWEqf_mNPrjllIF9-ZlBIAB67Zw7CUETFNLsYT549jHpyG9TjnRvpU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.51+PM.png"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB02sP5_c-iMrOwjREdWWzAeVeNtrCrZxODZ9nF_O7XTVOY0OAwXkD4KTROHRnF-2RE0G0go1qFMuC97yfwoioxWEqf_mNPrjllIF9-ZlBIAB67Zw7CUETFNLsYT549jHpyG9TjnRvpU/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.51+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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One of the hardest parts of reading comprehension for beginning readers is the amount of time it takes to get through a reading passage and THEN they have to go back and find answers to the questions. Teaching students to find the key words in questions and then skim through the text to search for the answer is one of the best skills they can have in their back pocket. This takes TONS of modeling and guided practice. When I am working on this with students I really like to have a short passage with questions to answer. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbS1OaRNV0PpEB8n4e1gQ1zwbOHcYt2ie_O1eYSY9laT3XElhez6TLT5xExPLXJ0RtSAP2t54rVEGHbtysNIrqPqHniQk-MfO7ozuTMJomSmT4vIIJqs-gqUNrPJ-e8Hso1cTDuChjkyQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.44+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbS1OaRNV0PpEB8n4e1gQ1zwbOHcYt2ie_O1eYSY9laT3XElhez6TLT5xExPLXJ0RtSAP2t54rVEGHbtysNIrqPqHniQk-MfO7ozuTMJomSmT4vIIJqs-gqUNrPJ-e8Hso1cTDuChjkyQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.44+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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I teach them to read all the choices first, pick out key words to search for, and then skim to find those words. In the Earth Day example shown I would have students read #1 and the choices. Then we would skim for the numbers 2 or 22 in the passage since numbers are easy to skim for. The next questions in this passage involve a little more inferring, but we would still search for key words to give us clues that help us answer the questions. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7iPbRr6l1tvBpgbNGFtRgwVg56-dWHjVUxkVzgVuvpPJldYdF42cSRRcabYLZeQiAw2WqZxdUg7cC8OoQdU5sQamzD-L4Mx6CHXp4b62mlmmCkR7ByU5NDmvGBTeKFq5spnfwpaDbns/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.20.02+PM.png"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7iPbRr6l1tvBpgbNGFtRgwVg56-dWHjVUxkVzgVuvpPJldYdF42cSRRcabYLZeQiAw2WqZxdUg7cC8OoQdU5sQamzD-L4Mx6CHXp4b62mlmmCkR7ByU5NDmvGBTeKFq5spnfwpaDbns/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.20.02+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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The final strategy I teach my first graders really goes along with #4. When they are skimming for key words, they then need to underline where they find the proof for their answers. We try to make this more interesting by using crayons or highlighters when we practice. This also lets me see quickly if students are actually using this strategy and doing it correctly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg827PAbZ5TVCCQPAV7qgslMjLpTC-THHIE5H5fHgMdPBlFeOGUl0pb4NZmO_4BNyljRsmefVR8wcCsRIlOTJL5j25DcCOyo8VUfIka9stX9vrLbzaBSI_YVXBhF75KX5NdJMHF4M0y4cU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.57+PM.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg827PAbZ5TVCCQPAV7qgslMjLpTC-THHIE5H5fHgMdPBlFeOGUl0pb4NZmO_4BNyljRsmefVR8wcCsRIlOTJL5j25DcCOyo8VUfIka9stX9vrLbzaBSI_YVXBhF75KX5NdJMHF4M0y4cU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+9.31.57+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" /></a><br />
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When we take the time with our beginning readers to model, model, model, then guide, guide, guide, and finally practice, practice, practice -- it gives them the time they need to internalize these strategies. They do so with manageable texts and are able to build up their comprehension confidence. I strongly believe that providing these opportunities for them early on is the key to helping them further develop these skills in later years. <br />
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So for a quick recap, here are the 5 strategies again:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZV8cRSqa3LyHOoGu_WmuA_a7AO8TAgqUu6cVfzPBbNPnyK97Go_M8KQqcoEvjbSCjLtMA_02bPW8NNwq57Qvme0sDtwKIZb_G10J6qOF5f5sQ5E82Z6mMvWEIqydfkyufihzq-cJ4bY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.05+PM.png"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZV8cRSqa3LyHOoGu_WmuA_a7AO8TAgqUu6cVfzPBbNPnyK97Go_M8KQqcoEvjbSCjLtMA_02bPW8NNwq57Qvme0sDtwKIZb_G10J6qOF5f5sQ5E82Z6mMvWEIqydfkyufihzq-cJ4bY/w542-h640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.19.05+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" width="542" /></a><br />
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You can find these reading comprehension pages in my seasonal <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension">Building Readers packs</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AhNW6AHyAZNX0ERugqjMWEWwrVda4Ubrssx9b3dhJcuVkv2OCiFUJqp6J2DVopBWD6Wee556mT1960bRt820KWQFFrcU1HsoGqB2CHQeOG78RNcAslrRZcga51lU25X6y-wktsEsK0w/w592-h640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-02+at+5.20.34+PM.png" title="Reading comprehension first grade" width="592" /></a><br />
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The ones pictured here are from the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension">Spring Edition</a> (March-May). I also have <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension">Fall</a> (September-November) and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension">Winter</a> (December-February). <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKegTj14P2roiTOkpUCqKPlG_HhP7Ykqa__SdWpj4jp8KiMi14vzrqxphBlfF_FukthDw4vlMHSXnGYnspKPaB5RV-cLYRoEu4rDddDmEd9tapVWehR0IWPi_9ipKK72W7g2J2DILFdzU/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-10-03+at+11.04.04+AM.png" width="154" /></a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpgQ5v3aDtZPfVh36ea01_C5IxguCCi2hp34AQwHFvvsM9LV5E2AZkTz3pQU1KsD5Q2_p6eKP9TWp7rEh_9WSU6ok0oaLET9rzu6K0D6r5P7m7xNM-PBMyKjZ2_zIQBgXbBXa7R38uxw/s200/Screen+Shot+2015-11-05+at+6.02.50+PM.png" width="155" /></a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Reading-Comprehension"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWVwu8fD3IIPx-U57kQQjmIs4LeMQQ7K3zqY8TfPfQijiqKQQ5FetPZ4BbmccfA_iG5ZsfMwid6f0u60KMDz3Gj0KMGewFBPqSG4TPtT3A1wTMdm12fiHm0w7sEiNfOfZ5oxHHglP_Uw/s200/Screen+Shot+2016-03-20+at+9.05.05+PM+copy.png" width="154" /></a><br />
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I have plans to make more of these packs as well because I've seen such a difference in my students as readers this year. These have become an important part of our reading routine and I think they could do the same for your class. </div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-54797257645196239812016-03-30T11:01:00.000-07:002016-03-30T11:01:39.729-07:00Back from Maternity Leave<div style="text-align: center;">
If you've followed me along my journey, whether here or on Instagram, then you might know that I <strike>recently</strike> not so recently welcomed my third daughter into the world. On October 10th to be exact. Almost 6 months ago - wow!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3c3lHtq87-QSpesuJ2mkIwgMj9l3iDatcXUglZSQtzDhLR0g5GawTOQxrod5e0nGZhrHLCMgxMIVdDIz8nyjuCS8OZNWLKWA0TZG2AIR9ytbnE8yNc8AqohOmd-iWK7GtxdPdeBcJ2Y/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3c3lHtq87-QSpesuJ2mkIwgMj9l3iDatcXUglZSQtzDhLR0g5GawTOQxrod5e0nGZhrHLCMgxMIVdDIz8nyjuCS8OZNWLKWA0TZG2AIR9ytbnE8yNc8AqohOmd-iWK7GtxdPdeBcJ2Y/s320/IMG_0194.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SCzlkimiyAQzAv7fGqJfVgm5aoNPq05kdTEvWX6vYwxJpoBHi8LwDFrYM1Eq0YymnQt2cr7b9P-gRgPu2lg10WHvB5TZ3CKu4NFrYEiBnTfibExEp_vKMIuxJULBUu-TVkoGZ9ALhVg/s1600/IMG_0148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SCzlkimiyAQzAv7fGqJfVgm5aoNPq05kdTEvWX6vYwxJpoBHi8LwDFrYM1Eq0YymnQt2cr7b9P-gRgPu2lg10WHvB5TZ3CKu4NFrYEiBnTfibExEp_vKMIuxJULBUu-TVkoGZ9ALhVg/s320/IMG_0148.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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If you are a mom (or dad), then you understand how having a baby can completely consume your life. And since this was my third child and I already had two other girls at home, it's safe to say that I was completely and utterly consumed by family for the last 6 months. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFB1wikIkFNzXmJ2SoR-8rICB8drqhCP-gPD3tdrpa1FMYVR8wxSdzW09yPxdSHf7oF-sXCoH8pYen1OFoqWfnvrtip-6Nf5gFsSl0lQpiaa22ENsKF5IvyClpJGPGvpgYXnrcECUlaOg/s1600/IMG_0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFB1wikIkFNzXmJ2SoR-8rICB8drqhCP-gPD3tdrpa1FMYVR8wxSdzW09yPxdSHf7oF-sXCoH8pYen1OFoqWfnvrtip-6Nf5gFsSl0lQpiaa22ENsKF5IvyClpJGPGvpgYXnrcECUlaOg/s320/IMG_0186.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEpXScHZtB3h-naOcljzONjHSjFOEbbpbbnOVm7AuHOQ8fDU906LVmLVFDDimGXlKjkTGYsHOMB2NlFLv85ujaAgXeN_Y7fFQ0MoGSFGsKL29PxNXiFfHlSp3i_5JiERaMuMcJAomoUc/s1600/IMG_1930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEpXScHZtB3h-naOcljzONjHSjFOEbbpbbnOVm7AuHOQ8fDU906LVmLVFDDimGXlKjkTGYsHOMB2NlFLv85ujaAgXeN_Y7fFQ0MoGSFGsKL29PxNXiFfHlSp3i_5JiERaMuMcJAomoUc/s320/IMG_1930.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'm not here to apologize for it, but definitely wanted to explain my absence from this little blog. I've missed blogging and am ready to try to get back into it after my so-called maternity leave. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEpXScHZtB3h-naOcljzONjHSjFOEbbpbbnOVm7AuHOQ8fDU906LVmLVFDDimGXlKjkTGYsHOMB2NlFLv85ujaAgXeN_Y7fFQ0MoGSFGsKL29PxNXiFfHlSp3i_5JiERaMuMcJAomoUc/s1600/IMG_1930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>So stay tuned for another post about TEACHING (go figure) hopefully very soon :)</div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-54748726357155193982015-10-05T04:28:00.003-07:002023-06-28T19:16:10.478-07:00Halloween Literacy Activities for 1st Grade<div style="text-align: center;">
If by chance you've been checking out my Instagram, you might be aware that we are expecting our third baby girl any day now. To be exact - our due date is today! So right now, we are just in waiting mode.</div>
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A photo posted by Melissa Machan (@firstgradesmiles) on <time datetime="2015-10-03T12:29:40+00:00" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 3, 2015 at 5:29am PDT</time></div>
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Or maybe you saw <a href="http://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2015/04/party-of-five.html">this post</a> way back when where we told our other two girls they were getting another sister. </div>
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If not, now you know. This is the reason why this poor little blog of mine hasn't seen much action over the last 9 months. But now that I am here just waiting for #3 to arrive, I have a little time to talk about one of my favorite times of the year. </div>
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If I were in school right now (my last day was Friday) I would be taking out some of my favorite Halloween books. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppx7nFMG9gYk_9XMxncT6_5F5dg4t4oOTyPYpu-Au2Xsw6vX7ZMEgPOMSXgXsWrXOdkFLbaSfHJnOwBhE6TSNoXiO8ixqLj4vusc8iQgRYtrL9DJNs17L3SMQOY6KW2Q05_RZlGowIQs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.15.03+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppx7nFMG9gYk_9XMxncT6_5F5dg4t4oOTyPYpu-Au2Xsw6vX7ZMEgPOMSXgXsWrXOdkFLbaSfHJnOwBhE6TSNoXiO8ixqLj4vusc8iQgRYtrL9DJNs17L3SMQOY6KW2Q05_RZlGowIQs/w567-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.15.03+PM.png" title="Halloween Read Aloud picture books" width="567" /></a></div>
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I might also be getting my favorite bulletin board ready.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLkm-pX8956JEN3vUJvGxYxRKb7FWvZiHdaMd69dzwa1EjigUdLl-WEWAqPwJwmN2QtcKh81UYY6mlwYIzoC9o7MvMQHXdfoRjHVRWb0_s4gWXFLM79u2gLTPZW7HRhjADrFHlGEFsDQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.16.13+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLkm-pX8956JEN3vUJvGxYxRKb7FWvZiHdaMd69dzwa1EjigUdLl-WEWAqPwJwmN2QtcKh81UYY6mlwYIzoC9o7MvMQHXdfoRjHVRWb0_s4gWXFLM79u2gLTPZW7HRhjADrFHlGEFsDQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.16.13+PM.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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And I would most definitely be getting some of the following activities out and ready to be copied for these next couple weeks. I wanted to share them with you because even though these pictures are from last year, I never got a chance to properly share them amidst the Halloween chaos. Plus, I'm a little sad that I won't be there this year for all the Halloween fun they will be having. I'm sure my sub will be lovin' it all because I have a great group of kids this year that will eat. this. up! So here are some of the activities (mostly literacy) that I love to do with my kids this time of year. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Literacy-Pack-Bewitched-1498258" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6lFbyzPmnoBeBBv2ef5e8K7CyEARWxI3KjPQw7XK9PAf-H9vLuK7D92VHOx1yiHqOp3N2ZblXbJEXMB5TpPFhUru0yfZu_ElbaiRTRO7vEZpnX45b35WKH49D0sDnbnRObUKvVMwfI8/w497-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.16.59+PM.png" title="Halloween Literacy Activities for 1st grade" width="497" /></a></div>
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First up is this little rhyming story that I LOVE to read with my students. I was lucky enough to have Nikki from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melonheadz">Melonheadz</a> clipart make me these little witches and the other clipart to go with my story. We read this book together and then the students complete some activities afterwards like some comprehension activities and also a pocket chart activity. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Literacy-Pack-Bewitched-1498258" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFloIdkqvuOUcyiVLTOVvHT5FxJTHxqEIqz5axTfRo6ZAn4VINzREgnOd4oyh2LzYM_GWRToHVkj-NUcn-hFkI5aTeE_iHwTkCVeWe38JRQubYl9bzsdhyx6pQRTe0QzX5Z6XUzHDpls/w566-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.19.18+PM.png" title="Three Little Witches activity for Halloween" width="566" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned earlier, I love to take out my Halloween books each year. One of my favorites, and probably most teachers' favorites, is <u>The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything</u>. I love using the book on tape (yes I said tape -- I'm not throwing away those cassettes until they do not work anymore). This one is a fun one to listen to with the background music and noises. Then students complete this sequencing activity and put together this mini-book. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPmUjJv417G5RYdhysXrrSNVI_QPhA0xLGrpvhVcRtTE7xv7wpM_WzIsbSLoAmLkMLn1BWuMFfkjcprQQbQdty-hiMg2s1UXiZrAnFE_n5XkwSDwiJh9U2QBbaXbbjaxjc5f-FFpCr4I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.19.09+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPmUjJv417G5RYdhysXrrSNVI_QPhA0xLGrpvhVcRtTE7xv7wpM_WzIsbSLoAmLkMLn1BWuMFfkjcprQQbQdty-hiMg2s1UXiZrAnFE_n5XkwSDwiJh9U2QBbaXbbjaxjc5f-FFpCr4I/w504-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.19.09+PM.png" title="The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything activities" width="504" /></a></div>
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Halloween is also a great time to learn about parts of speech. There are so many fun nouns and adjectives that fit with Halloween like: spooky spiders, creepy ghosts, wacky witches, and slimy skeletons. There are tons of great activities to go with teaching Halloween parts of speech. I like to sort them and practice using them first. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviAjA0e_4tcjNVUYOCm-RNjZrmB6XPfUzcclapTz9yYzgQv30o4T0O_k5J74CU344NIr54ypV1RFZRG5cjRaAubmcOGoAoGi2t3qcttwwxyGLY9yGu9pbm8Ot6DvNLf5lcyTa5OPKg3U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.37+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviAjA0e_4tcjNVUYOCm-RNjZrmB6XPfUzcclapTz9yYzgQv30o4T0O_k5J74CU344NIr54ypV1RFZRG5cjRaAubmcOGoAoGi2t3qcttwwxyGLY9yGu9pbm8Ot6DvNLf5lcyTa5OPKg3U/w623-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.37+PM.png" title="Halloween parts of speech" width="623" /></a></div>
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Then we turn them into something adorable like this Witches' Brew writing and craft. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvqzI7Tms_oYZmzntQ38WeDNYDvMjsGpW_blGx71UAYSjLimJi06Y4J9wxxkjVIn4YsJQptBI55LoD0fl7A0B26a7mkPsQ5hyphenhyphenZ9yURfUEx2LYwkEPAjr7dru2_tARdqBjm2_Q_amf6Ks/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.45+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvqzI7Tms_oYZmzntQ38WeDNYDvMjsGpW_blGx71UAYSjLimJi06Y4J9wxxkjVIn4YsJQptBI55LoD0fl7A0B26a7mkPsQ5hyphenhyphenZ9yURfUEx2LYwkEPAjr7dru2_tARdqBjm2_Q_amf6Ks/w549-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.45+PM.png" title="Witches' Brew craft" width="549" /></a></div>
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OR this Haunted House book. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR3JTTQTHiurNNfrCQxFLN_N6_ZrEUUnSV3E1O9eaBOdyjBE9jsxkHhJPOJxn25g0PhUBcJt9rIJu2JCEgFwnkGE-KTUu9e49ZBl6n1dmjvr3ES1MfDf4puW25iTyfNRf_KEviGAw4ik/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.29+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR3JTTQTHiurNNfrCQxFLN_N6_ZrEUUnSV3E1O9eaBOdyjBE9jsxkHhJPOJxn25g0PhUBcJt9rIJu2JCEgFwnkGE-KTUu9e49ZBl6n1dmjvr3ES1MfDf4puW25iTyfNRf_KEviGAw4ik/w640-h599/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.29+PM.png" title="What's Inside my Haunted House writing" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also have another quick activity in my store that uses nouns, verbs, and adjectives called: <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Fill-in-the-Blank-Poetry-Parts-of-Speech-352120">Halloween Fill-in-the-Blank Poetry</a>. </div>
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Did I mention I love to do as many Halloween read alouds as I can??? So an easy activity to do with a read aloud is a story map. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3toswwmeAXTu-6ftWHtYpF2JJ5pauT4cX41oHbpIvFWKnEnyr7xdnSpxKspTinWJmU2mhNl_gubiZR6vCJSZstB4xCYF4zxXfhgzarj0w5HH0YLP6gYt6yBrMx3kJ5LxciWzXAZfHFVQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.11+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3toswwmeAXTu-6ftWHtYpF2JJ5pauT4cX41oHbpIvFWKnEnyr7xdnSpxKspTinWJmU2mhNl_gubiZR6vCJSZstB4xCYF4zxXfhgzarj0w5HH0YLP6gYt6yBrMx3kJ5LxciWzXAZfHFVQ/w640-h570/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.11+PM.png" title="Room on the Broom activities" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is another book activity that is fun to do. These two books are perfect for a compare/contrast lesson and finding text-to-text connections. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9k3v2LIZcAYTjgj1y6XLKplZXqrxQjtk_gNssHBzBkrK4h1s4F8dWpjo94HaFz8JHtHWDB2E3ngNM9-eoeu4nnroDHIOdb_dS9UsEyE9_2MqvaAkjjyF4dQW4HLqPbC0I7uUFsaBmVU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.20+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9k3v2LIZcAYTjgj1y6XLKplZXqrxQjtk_gNssHBzBkrK4h1s4F8dWpjo94HaFz8JHtHWDB2E3ngNM9-eoeu4nnroDHIOdb_dS9UsEyE9_2MqvaAkjjyF4dQW4HLqPbC0I7uUFsaBmVU/w640-h599/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.17.20+PM.png" title="Halloween read alouds" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now after all this literacy fun, it will be time for a snack. I love making this Witches' Brew with the kids. I use the labels on paper lunch bags and put the ingredients inside so they can't see them. I add them one at a time --- making a big deal about what it is. "Time to add some witch warts --- now these are yummy! But not as good as these smashed bugs -- plus, they have protein!" You get the idea. I mix it all up in a large bowl and serve it in cups for the kids. Obviously they figure out that dragon wings are really Doritos and smashed bugs are raisins, but it's still fun. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMDW0p6s0ojqU4uWvWmI-eU9Nic-d2BfleTFxHyxpgkOnSojoSQPl41oFGz73kkVyA46Fp0g5HxhNBrmAMOPq0HpIH4hUVowkdvHL3DrhtwPfIGOS-A-M2geskO4HO5Uy22OsV0Leqx4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.16.27+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMDW0p6s0ojqU4uWvWmI-eU9Nic-d2BfleTFxHyxpgkOnSojoSQPl41oFGz73kkVyA46Fp0g5HxhNBrmAMOPq0HpIH4hUVowkdvHL3DrhtwPfIGOS-A-M2geskO4HO5Uy22OsV0Leqx4/w640-h599/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.16.27+PM.png" title="Witches Brew" width="640" /></a></div>
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These activities can be found in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Literacy-Pack-Bewitched-1498258">Bewitched: Halloween Literacy Pack</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-Literacy-Pack-Bewitched-1498258"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E3-WQMNeHNXvgNrolwqUxC4fm7TPnyGk3ReFXDXV-VzZ9IJDQ8qk8BYHUrwBsD2C0Rj87AZVSNzbBft2vIbNwprrrZXArsCUZB6huvaQkoMzbNWu8FaSTV1gyo7gKagXGyQumgv3FIM/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.14.20+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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So although I won't be the one teaching these activities in my classroom this year, I can't wait to see the pictures and hear all about it from my sub. <br />
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I will be home, being a mom! The best job in the world. I might be able to go in to school for my daughter's classroom Halloween party that I usually have to miss. Maybe I will bring in a snack. The two snacks below are suuuuper simple if you are looking for something to send in to your child's class. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVb_gPOc7GUdoVt7A9rDAkr2lzibyhwbGpB-xYHso1iUjgoMpG8FsIMX2FrPh2C_WXCX_qkTum4MXdCIX4sITzrFesr2NTbLjlCLoUFpWSF6WGmxnQ4xFxm-g_tfTPEHFUavFII287tKk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.14.46+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVb_gPOc7GUdoVt7A9rDAkr2lzibyhwbGpB-xYHso1iUjgoMpG8FsIMX2FrPh2C_WXCX_qkTum4MXdCIX4sITzrFesr2NTbLjlCLoUFpWSF6WGmxnQ4xFxm-g_tfTPEHFUavFII287tKk/w640-h572/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.14.46+PM.png" title="Halloween party treats for the classroom" width="640" /></a></div>
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The bottom pictures are just mandarin oranges with a black sharpie. Sometimes it's nice to have something other than candy at a Halloween party. The Jack-o-Lantern is made out of a pan of brownies. It was so simple to cut the outline of the pumpkin, frost it with orange icing, and then use the leftover brownie pieces for the face. My daughter loved it so much she has requested it again this year instead of a birthday cake for her end of October birthday. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhrPAhcVcbm6QoKCqnWE4uVchBdTe7nQ4aEuvYmYjoT1XBym8bxY2aH958JT7nKnELn-2iU5pQjnOJIgRNf1yJdn7_gX4M4eRGXDVgHhT55Dz7gwHaQ3kI-wuCRpi1ozfUoYBbqiNNK0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.14.36+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhrPAhcVcbm6QoKCqnWE4uVchBdTe7nQ4aEuvYmYjoT1XBym8bxY2aH958JT7nKnELn-2iU5pQjnOJIgRNf1yJdn7_gX4M4eRGXDVgHhT55Dz7gwHaQ3kI-wuCRpi1ozfUoYBbqiNNK0/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-04+at+11.14.36+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even though this year will be a little different than it usually is for me, I am still so excited to have some Halloween fun! </div>
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Happy Early Halloween to you!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
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Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-8325296650346675552015-08-19T05:29:00.001-07:002018-07-18T08:43:02.211-07:00Back to School Resources for 1st Grade<div style="text-align: center;">
Hi friends!</div>
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I wanted to write a quick post to show you my must-haves for this time of year. There is a One Day Sale over at Teachers Pay Teachers and I thought a post with some of my favorite resources might be helpful. </div>
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First up is this All-In-One bundle I made for anyone just starting the year in 1st grade. These packs keep me sane in the beginning of the year, so I put them together into this bundle. You can read more about it <a href="http://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2014/08/fun-times-2.html">HERE</a> or click on the picture to see it in my store. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-ULTIMATE-First-Grade-Starter-Kit-1357686"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppL8rwcdFT7MloXWfFWGHvI6Cz6H568pzP_BzhoTE4OKywKcWuPaBC8QN7k9DtDldFOjKSsZt-4_Ut_qxjNPOd51gfFzaO4LB_JQgXKHqaNlzTB_AKtVbdsPONDEY-tWwEy0om6y_Bxo/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-19+at+7.23.29+AM.png" width="498" /></a></div>
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I also bundled some of my favorite math resources that I use starting Day 1. You can read about it <a href="http://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-new-bundle-of-joy.html">HERE</a> or click the picture. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-ULTIMATE-First-Grade-Math-Bundle-1357800"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzhJcBTPIR3zF0U9o1UbNfWeQrpclgdFEcBmEWFFYkeEXkeM-VJGUEoDPYTVp3IGBBnFHq88q7cZE6hGZGCaWr8wJ7pg4RojzKquYVWaTYLakwEFb1m_8vnLXdczqoYzM7Kn8wMQAzBc/s640/Screen+Shot+2014-08-05+at+11.26.36+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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This next one is a new resource that I created. I can't wait to use this with my RTI groups this year. You can read all about it <a href="http://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2015/08/math-intervention-part-1.html">HERE</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-RTI-K-1-Early-Number-Sense-Counting-and-Cardinality-2009046"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXmnQXSLBdjspPkKxXSEpgbm3reHbTELCX7ad4Zzv2Xl5ltIkEXrZ0kp2vs197vftAz9xIllP_8ubllp7u4pt6_9QsKB1ZfNSfjPk3t8N7yCS6BFNuwoTJ6am6yGXxpb8BYUEePk0F8A/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.22.17+PM.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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For small group instruction, I also made these Guided Reading packs. <a href="http://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2014/08/guided-reading-and-some-more-fun.html">This post</a> gives you some more information on these babies. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Guided-Reading"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDA0wfZ-FXyDNHGXCesu3XfvsxaSyGUwajW_lq8_3WW8_nXRiAXWboeEZbJUiSo87csvxHlBrv_yXu_USSGkADFW5FKBp5F8H4Lnz56Mkvyzf4PUuRgTDnTsIx2WPuREhXY5Tmi88Z40M/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-08-18+at+8.16.52+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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How about this fun sight word program? My kiddos LOVED this and really learned their sight words. I am in the process of writing up a post to show you these packs. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Sight-Words"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvdECyVN88ZOheaRL6ufbzqZMNvD_OXybx7-G9HPhheYpLrM5LmhCVjN0F-jf14omv4R0iM7wbr3qg4RwP2TjbWoyJH6Vo0MrVN1-QxgVVFcSjEKvGjBW6nJFFI_MhBXPeGj384DJThM/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-07-15+at+2.56.43+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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But for now, here's some quick pictures to give you a preview. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Sight-Words"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCTFaQNaKyFLqwFoNzjhlK2LivSe7RfflThKIWWuTz5nSq2x6OdR17867VluFkJnNJnO3bKjkSxWoIFbdFduPjJIDhRjCK0NZzN1RCw_sBzlWhtgTy-rGIBAaEjC46vF6Vz1MN8uiEKo/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-18+at+8.49.07+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, some Fall themed resources for my favorite time of year (that isn't summer vacation of course). </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Fall"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrbNjmS6dmMtu15r3f4-nxhqYJ20u_vpHQ-slHejzmenXsPN8jzgTWUclTIxPZfQD6PInF1Zr2rQL3ABWQonksJceoFtEH03vJTlmKhe82qr-U-blgpc6R_WX-1C8v834neglLeGd-9w/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-08-19+at+7.59.51+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are two new fall themed packs that I just finished and am also excited to use this year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnn-mH5QfC0OO4EVIjkChMFJHi15-Hb5Mb9wcQRFaNmbAZqfW8fzvQJhk0uM4GbXhUTEna2QrdpyW53V4_7WSdatCSwawIKCNKDZgilyx3fJb_TokYBTBLKDkzVIcHxeDR3pu1dIJqJU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-03+at+11.06.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnn-mH5QfC0OO4EVIjkChMFJHi15-Hb5Mb9wcQRFaNmbAZqfW8fzvQJhk0uM4GbXhUTEna2QrdpyW53V4_7WSdatCSwawIKCNKDZgilyx3fJb_TokYBTBLKDkzVIcHxeDR3pu1dIJqJU/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-03+at+11.06.15+AM.png" width="492" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Melissa-Machan/Category/Fall"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZphe2UfWZvwXE4fKfcKJXjE2o3hu6_cRy4zCoNoCYqRs_95h0LCy2wvnBvBC3X1rdGaKpGlCIl2Oq8zgrvgekItMNSyu0ZDdZNA-xF-WD3zmVaXplu-ZVhd2mOLthYzmgA8lkCrEGz8/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-16+at+9.49.56+AM.png" width="494" /></a></div>
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I know that was a lot to throw at you, but I didn't want a sale to go by without letting you know all about it and sharing what I will be using!! </div>
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I will be back soon to give you more about my prep for back to school (we go back after Labor Day).</div>
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Happy shopping!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9BrmKxWDUpRgrzddaJvT589e_LVGNgr9tmRJzttjx20MZV2yGt5vwMA1b46SP0OZ3LWYRdPFyWFtBWNx0i1CMTuFxkWv4usjyQHQ_l3g3Rt8rNGGM942mvhIvGu6tEXu2MON7XGQJIE/s1600/Signature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-42943647186589782882015-08-13T10:53:00.003-07:002023-06-28T19:19:26.641-07:00Math Intervention Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
As I gear up for my 14th year teaching (Yikes - I'm getting old), I am thinking of all the changes that have happened with education even in my short career so far. I won't go into it all, but one obvious change has been increased high-stakes testing. I'm sure we all have our opinions and ideas about this one, but I'll save that for another post at another time. I don't have the energy to get into it right now with my summer brain still in charge. </div>
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Ahhhhh summer!!! I just love it!!!</div>
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Oh, sorry - back to why I'm here today. </div>
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Along with the changes in testing and teacher evaluation, there has also been a huge push for more specific interventions in the classroom in order to target individual skills as best we can. Response to Intervention (RTI) is something that my district has been doing since it was introduced; however, this upcoming year will be our first year that we will have an actual RTI time in our schedules everyday and group our students across the grade level based on needs. I know other states have been doing this for some time now, so we might be a little behind. Either way, it will be an adjustment for all of our teachers. </div>
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As with anything new, we teachers are immediately on the hunt for materials to use. I knew I would be searching like crazy come the fall and decided to start making my own packs to help with this RTI time. I decided to start with Math because I think we will need more than what we currently have. I started with where my lowest students might be since I knew they would need the most support and I will work my way on from there. </div>
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So my thought process as I started creating consisted of 4 main aspects of what I wanted in an RTI pack. Here is what I came up with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V1hoatHheOmIstI6YlEXFsLKz8SMBnF7kKH2Qt-GGhaOlIHc74X1HxpqS9rC8Oe0sqHnhXeLzudbEhp9BZB277TpZ69uhJyAHMN6wYU5jSty8aOlfjkn7VlF5qPXVQm9A1pbeh9MYYU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-13+at+12.20.47+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V1hoatHheOmIstI6YlEXFsLKz8SMBnF7kKH2Qt-GGhaOlIHc74X1HxpqS9rC8Oe0sqHnhXeLzudbEhp9BZB277TpZ69uhJyAHMN6wYU5jSty8aOlfjkn7VlF5qPXVQm9A1pbeh9MYYU/w596-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-13+at+12.20.47+AM.png" title="Small group math intervention RTI" width="596" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><b>#1</b></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojOurYfxRugDeaWZ9wYdrU6dKPBVsFPrang_gKjnNIpLXVL5-ojalXVAWZ9sxPfyJA4oXPru-OkisK5RlcceQtwL_lfqA-JAuLNXuhLj5qTZOizIKctn64bbSxzy9ScaOZ8vRf79QzdI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.22.31+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojOurYfxRugDeaWZ9wYdrU6dKPBVsFPrang_gKjnNIpLXVL5-ojalXVAWZ9sxPfyJA4oXPru-OkisK5RlcceQtwL_lfqA-JAuLNXuhLj5qTZOizIKctn64bbSxzy9ScaOZ8vRf79QzdI/w640-h556/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.22.31+PM.png" title="Small group math intervention RTI" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course it is important to assess students to find out where they need help and what skills they have and don't have. </div>
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<span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#2</b></span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXRxtH9a9hIIhcR1aIHwW61Iwpt-hfklBRTbntpq-vjNe0qh1HCfUz5AgHq0b62810heYP0qV1gz1zcLsK0jHcEeodTnB05HCq3GtdrCTJ7YcVAy_5dm0ujfQRBaDCyFhiou2cKn2FtQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.33.25+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXRxtH9a9hIIhcR1aIHwW61Iwpt-hfklBRTbntpq-vjNe0qh1HCfUz5AgHq0b62810heYP0qV1gz1zcLsK0jHcEeodTnB05HCq3GtdrCTJ7YcVAy_5dm0ujfQRBaDCyFhiou2cKn2FtQ/w640-h451/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.33.25+PM.png" title="Small group math intervention RTI" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once you have assessed all of your students, you can group them by need and focus in on those specific skills within your groups. </div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><b>#3</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMODYKG5ZghYV9kO2p2RssQK33kiGBCUgzcg5Fo2YmgVu3OYgA-aw0WyCWjmNWdDQODdx0jxYBiEjK31X5ndauQn8mZfm_c62LfeolQy3BNN2p9GsuEwaq1pAhDMJXs0zS1ADMPr3lR8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.33.13+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="629" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMODYKG5ZghYV9kO2p2RssQK33kiGBCUgzcg5Fo2YmgVu3OYgA-aw0WyCWjmNWdDQODdx0jxYBiEjK31X5ndauQn8mZfm_c62LfeolQy3BNN2p9GsuEwaq1pAhDMJXs0zS1ADMPr3lR8/w640-h629/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.33.13+PM.png" title="Small group math intervention RTI" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but I get bored doing the same thing over and over. And I think my students do too. I wanted more than just worksheets or printables to use within my groups. I did include those things in my packs as well, because of course there is a time and place for this stuff; however, I knew I needed to create more fun and interactive ways to target the skills I was looking for. You gotta keep it interesting and motivating in order for learning to happen. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>#4</b></span> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXk9nAwzMn0Sciv_nn1NI5sJqicMfuIypN7d3lAvr3hPBLYcnOpXk-5nYOZ4ojIsMS1C82PuntZUwPl8Fo-NaJEFLK9Qcupqk8z9KnR7a6FaimP72TMxoMsV3Ywk5-Y-wUx16HXMX5PeM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-13+at+1.56.54+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXk9nAwzMn0Sciv_nn1NI5sJqicMfuIypN7d3lAvr3hPBLYcnOpXk-5nYOZ4ojIsMS1C82PuntZUwPl8Fo-NaJEFLK9Qcupqk8z9KnR7a6FaimP72TMxoMsV3Ywk5-Y-wUx16HXMX5PeM/w610-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-13+at+1.56.54+PM.png" title="Small group math intervention RTI" width="610" /></a></div>
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Finally, I knew that with any intervention, you need to be able to monitor progress along the way and adjust as needed. Therefore, although I'm not a huge fan of over-assessing - again, there is a time and place for it. In my mind, in order for RTI to work we need to collect as much data as we can in order to help our students grow. </div>
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So with those 4 things in mind, my first <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-RTI-K-1-Early-Number-Sense-Counting-and-Cardinality-2009046">Math RTI </a>pack was born:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-RTI-K-1-Early-Number-Sense-Counting-and-Cardinality-2009046" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhl2e9SvqtNPHAcB_6miaBPgshephKlTcGs6QybiNZ8PPvIXX_Jd6Am-BBI_sSumcB13eNB81EWmj8PXmJIKZ7Xh_DM0eirnXF0wYeQXbqT5EnLj2q_JCKvm1hzcdbLl7WO4xoxJSkkIg/w491-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-04+at+1.30.00+AM.png" title="Math RTI - Early Number Sense" width="491" /></a></div>
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This baby took me FOR-EV-ER!!! It is 238 pages and focuses on 6 main skills for early number sense. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo60kVJohq5Nhl2TQnrQ9b-JiWp7LoUjgUG9VRDFBgAXI06zQLv0-cE32aOV9eIcA7zZDcPzlbEF4HGrPH2MjRU4Ero_X3BYBLRNWrlwivMGKRCOLMsOqYw9qrrmwJI10O4LUYoPY-LM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.41.05+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPo60kVJohq5Nhl2TQnrQ9b-JiWp7LoUjgUG9VRDFBgAXI06zQLv0-cE32aOV9eIcA7zZDcPzlbEF4HGrPH2MjRU4Ero_X3BYBLRNWrlwivMGKRCOLMsOqYw9qrrmwJI10O4LUYoPY-LM/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.41.05+PM.png" width="598" /></a></div>
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I knew I needed to have some form of pre-assessment to help group students, but that I would also need to progress monitor along the way with further assessments as mentioned earlier.</div>
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And of course we needed lots of ways to practice, practice, practice!!! I've included easy prep directions and ideas for each skill, task cards, practice printables, and interactive games or centers. Everything that is shown in color is also available in black and white. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5Vw9TuBv34ynXVtfg8qNz-BCOx8CxlV4-9uGtgws7sTzISW7bwJ3au-RZWOcjYaaFVhhQG1uZyvffwpMXPVRU6p3bTOMTF8HWiuNabVZSPN4_e7X232wbwT2taBm1O6f4tjRfpme5ho/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.42.48+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5Vw9TuBv34ynXVtfg8qNz-BCOx8CxlV4-9uGtgws7sTzISW7bwJ3au-RZWOcjYaaFVhhQG1uZyvffwpMXPVRU6p3bTOMTF8HWiuNabVZSPN4_e7X232wbwT2taBm1O6f4tjRfpme5ho/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.42.48+PM.png" width="618" /></a></div>
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I am so relieved to have something to start my year off with when we begin our RTI groups. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-RTI-K-1-Early-Number-Sense-Counting-and-Cardinality-2009046"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGzbcBAfD_Zd2KpeJsY40SFm47D-SoYrA_-xoB_K2sAc55bXz18Eu3qROXvPb64Esp4XvbMZCOVCXMFmeoakdccM9x1gz8r8RmzBi9Piqa9C6OtEmLmrJ_EDYDgyunr9C-RmzyiFbUr0/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-12+at+11.22.17+PM.png" width="481" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to finish the next packs that will continue to work through the Common Core standards in both Kindergarten and 1st Grade: </div>
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Math RTI #2 - Operations and Algebraic Thinking</div>
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Math RTI #3 - Number and Operations in Base Ten</div>
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If you'd like to check out the pack in my store, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-RTI-K-1-Early-Number-Sense-Counting-and-Cardinality-2009046">HERE</a> or on the above picture. </div>
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And if you are back to school already - I hope it's going great so far!!!</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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<br />Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-92218598872949910942015-06-28T09:44:00.006-07:002023-06-28T19:21:56.976-07:00Summer Teacher Mom vs. SAHM<div style="text-align: center;">
Alright all you Stay at Home Moms --- how in the world do you do it????</div>
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What I mean is, how do you motivate yourself to get <i>anything</i> done each day when it's just soooooo easy to stay in your pajamas and watch Netflix or scan Pinterest????</div>
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Because here is me when summer hits...</div>
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and a little of this too...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAXLsqdmMKPPK27fvJ4_MTNN-abFdZy4fFOkJ-wmQl4t5b3brMITO4KPomkDrc7TXYcRSZuANkQziJZeWy_N4ktJuBpJmusBsqd7SzjrJpOvyuFHD6-D6Et08dH7yjnL-upphKNsw1Ec/s1600/tumblr_static_dv2aktmsgs0swos0c8okssogk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAXLsqdmMKPPK27fvJ4_MTNN-abFdZy4fFOkJ-wmQl4t5b3brMITO4KPomkDrc7TXYcRSZuANkQziJZeWy_N4ktJuBpJmusBsqd7SzjrJpOvyuFHD6-D6Et08dH7yjnL-upphKNsw1Ec/w640-h411/tumblr_static_dv2aktmsgs0swos0c8okssogk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, what is your secret????</div>
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I am asking. This girl's gotta know! I need some help.</div>
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Here is how we are different. This is my thought process as summer begins. </div>
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No alarm clock to hit snooze on. Just wait for the kids to come in and lay in bed while we watch a little Disney Jr to try to wake up together. </div>
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Then it's time for breakfast and coffee. It's amazing how good HOT coffee actually is!!! I think to myself, Should I make the beds before going downstairs? No---because I might want to climb back into bed when it's nap time. Just pull the covers up a little. </div>
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So we all go downstairs in our pj's. Why would we get dressed? There's just no answer to that question. </div>
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Then we spend our morning hanging out. The kids venture into the play room and I sit down to watch a morning talk show. I've missed a lot in the last 10 months so there's so much to catch up on. I realize I don't even know what they're talking about so I have to go online to do a little <strike>celebrity</strike> news research. </div>
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Time for a morning snack. Then the kids want to go outside. I check out what I'm wearing and am thankful that my pj's can double for real clothes. I am a big fan of that kind of summer wardrobe - yoga capris and t-shirts. Keeps people guessing - Did she just work out or maybe on her way there? Maybe that's just what she's wearing today. A total mystery!</div>
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We play until it's time for lunch. More eating of course and I actually have time to chew AND taste my food. A thing of beauty!</div>
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So I could keep going, but I think you see what I'm talking about here. It's just so easy to let the days slip away without doing that load of laundry or going grocery shopping or really anything at all!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2TjXDMCGeuk7QztHMyi0HX7tRhUU-oRbD2al10j2dX-lhwi-aaqy0uLb-AdZhu0ihk8ZhVjRwHbXo5thlsd_PSbZzd2YYST9ZP1x0wRrT3hUjClN6hzvdFxHVY8HRTMBl6vmH2XDWkU/s1600/MjAxMy03NjdmOTdlYmU2ZTYzMmE2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2TjXDMCGeuk7QztHMyi0HX7tRhUU-oRbD2al10j2dX-lhwi-aaqy0uLb-AdZhu0ihk8ZhVjRwHbXo5thlsd_PSbZzd2YYST9ZP1x0wRrT3hUjClN6hzvdFxHVY8HRTMBl6vmH2XDWkU/w640-h448/MjAxMy03NjdmOTdlYmU2ZTYzMmE2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The problem is - there actually are things that need to get done. And as much as I would like to not be on a schedule in the summer, I might need one. There's just too much freedom and I don't know what to do with myself. </div>
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So now I'm off to search Pinterest for new blogs to follow or organizing tips that might help me. This might take a while so I guess the laundry can wait until tomorrow. ;)</div>
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If you have a schedule that you follow or any fun sites for me to check out - leave them in the comments below. </div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7699906712318762342%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5TIqp6NSdAo%2FVZAczRUWUVI%2FAAAAAAAADVg%2FDBHaB-KZmOo%2Fs320%2FMjAxMy03NjdmOTdlYmU2ZTYzMmE2.png&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1539px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7699906712318762342%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5TIqp6NSdAo%2FVZAczRUWUVI%2FAAAAAAAADVg%2FDBHaB-KZmOo%2Fs320%2FMjAxMy03NjdmOTdlYmU2ZTYzMmE2.png&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1539px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-80328339214292265442015-04-10T19:12:00.002-07:002023-06-28T19:25:28.711-07:00Party of Five<div style="text-align: center;">
Hi there! Long time, no blog! </div>
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If you are reading this ---- thank you SO much for checking back on me after my looooooong break! The last 10 weeks have been a little rough around here. It was right around that time that I started to feel a bit queasy (Is that how you spell that?). </div>
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One day I was out to dinner with the hubby celebrating this next stage in our lives, and the very next day I was no longer able to eat anything (or really smell any food for that matter) after 4:00 pm. It started out slow, but every day was getting a little worse. </div>
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This is my 3rd pregnancy (If you didn't know, we are blessed with two beautiful, smart, fun little girls). Each pregnancy has been a little worse than the one before and this one decided to really blow the last pregnancy out of the water with <strike>morning</strike> ALL DAY sickness! On top of becoming best friends with my porcelain throne, I was also finding that I had little to no energy. Thank God I have the most amazing husband who didn't even bat an eyelash. He took over as full time parent and took care of the cleaning and pretty much everything else around the house. I don't know what I would have done without him. </div>
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I only wish he could've followed me to school and helped out there. It is not easy to teach energetic, excited, little firsties when you have zero energy and just want to lie down on the ground all day. My students were also great, even though they didn't know any better. They went along with their less than enthusiastic teacher and some slightly boring lessons and didn't seem to mind. </div>
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So now here we are, 15 weeks in and I am finally feeling more like myself. It was also time to tell our girls the big news!!! We held off telling them before now because my older daughter goes to the school I teach in and I wasn't ready to share until we were further along. It was definitely not easy keeping it from them. They would ask why I didn't feel well and were they going to catch it. </div>
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Um, you <i>better</i> not catch this!!! </div>
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So I wanted to share how we decided to tell them that they were going to be big sisters. We wanted to do something fun for them because they are 3 and 6 and old enough to really understand and get excited about this news. So we prepared a little surprise package with some goodies inside that were supposed to reveal the big news. Let's just say it took a little longer for them to catch on than we thought. </div>
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When the girls came home from soccer we told them we had a present for them to open. </div>
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As they opened the bin we had pink and blue balloons come out. We soon learned that that was a mistake. </div>
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We had a VERY difficult time regaining their attention after they saw the balloons. Who knew balloons could be <i>this</i> exciting?</div>
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So we tried to get them to keep looking inside the bin. </div>
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They pulled out some Big Sister t-shirts and some baby onesies. </div>
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The onesies said, "I have 2 big sisters" and "I love my sisters".</div>
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I love Hannah's face in this picture. You would think she was catching on, but nope! They still had NO IDEA! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL3Sg4cTGEYh_kyfRryHZGP8fPUKmYzUPyrN_v7-eTo4uakaDgLXB0gpQ51xfc8XaB9fZB3aCEURkvHafwDBx8HJ_S6FZn-w_VskAa1xLI0HCkczblAlQ6Oi95r7iDWOEqUuZsb-Jawo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-07+at+10.10.04+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL3Sg4cTGEYh_kyfRryHZGP8fPUKmYzUPyrN_v7-eTo4uakaDgLXB0gpQ51xfc8XaB9fZB3aCEURkvHafwDBx8HJ_S6FZn-w_VskAa1xLI0HCkczblAlQ6Oi95r7iDWOEqUuZsb-Jawo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-07+at+10.10.04+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another great Hannah face. Lauren just figured out the baby stuff was for us and that meant........</div>
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Here is what was inside the bin (underneath all the balloons). I used fabric markers to write on the onesies. </div>
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And of course, here they are posing for the final picture and very excited!</div>
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Although they were extremely distracted by the balloons, and it did take them forever to catch on, it was so fun for us to watch them as they finally figured out that we were going to have a baby. </div>
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And now we are ready to share our news with the world (or whatever part of it that actually cares). =)</div>
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Thank you again for sticking with me here. I promise to get back on the blogging and creating track now that I feel like a person again - technically like one and a half persons =) </div>
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Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-36651240976590850372015-02-24T12:17:00.003-08:002017-01-07T09:47:53.403-08:00St. Patrick's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This year I have really been focusing my time on updating some of my first products. As teachers, I don't think we are ever able to just teach exactly what we did for years before. We are always looking for ways to make things better. I personally think this is a good thing, except that sometimes I feel like a dog chasing its tail. Stuck in the never ending cycle. Unfortunately it is who I am and I don't think I will ever be the kind of teacher who can do the same things every year. Sometimes an activity or lesson is THAT good that you do it each year, but most of the time education is changing around us and we need to adapt as we go. </div>
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So with that being said, here is my latest revision - my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Nonfiction-and-Fiction-Literacy-Activities-534165">St. Patrick's Day pack</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Nonfiction-and-Fiction-Literacy-Activities-534165"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpt2CVx3xxWM6XodrUvZpLGQJbn9QN6SxnWXFgkcs-vh0GfN6Z0mdI85R_XOqKdgfzUj-5VQgeix2oxG_U520RSQNzZXdsBWJluylkkKFHZKL_iGPNS3Rnp9BLqWAhPcHJAzFHKYIAoA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-24+at+1.54.48+PM.png" width="247" /></a></div>
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I love this unit because it includes a nonfiction reader where I can teach my students about what St. Patrick's Day is (without any religious specifics). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj1wqfSfTddd1DSPEqux1WuMGvV6bVlLB5kEcnpzNTOjOkcbvjG504BYtLB8pD5-Br8O1yeWH4QJ3vs4RQLzjzKrDWG5kHwk-zFm45tVkc-dpLJkkya4r3a5y2eiZoMbpUj6RcU-rucE/s1600/IMG_4724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj1wqfSfTddd1DSPEqux1WuMGvV6bVlLB5kEcnpzNTOjOkcbvjG504BYtLB8pD5-Br8O1yeWH4QJ3vs4RQLzjzKrDWG5kHwk-zFm45tVkc-dpLJkkya4r3a5y2eiZoMbpUj6RcU-rucE/s1600/IMG_4724.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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AND it has some super fun activities centered around Leprechauns, which is always fun to read and write about. Here are some of the books I like to read to my class to get us ready.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ64X3_v9psM7DLBzYQAhFLneoVUEy81IawxY_QLCPEKb6pCx8JnnFyU8kx8m5NlCBEdrZRutwB69adICjA_Af_oKFozPyabE6QZlAcTNudZY4bk6qA3t7SwbMlriowSOm_bn2qU96yXU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-24+at+2.45.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ64X3_v9psM7DLBzYQAhFLneoVUEy81IawxY_QLCPEKb6pCx8JnnFyU8kx8m5NlCBEdrZRutwB69adICjA_Af_oKFozPyabE6QZlAcTNudZY4bk6qA3t7SwbMlriowSOm_bn2qU96yXU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-24+at+2.45.01+PM.png" width="490" /></a></div>
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Then we will do a tree map about leprechauns so we can lead into how we are going to catch a leprechaun. This is what I've used in the past and it is still in the pack.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-HvWTIPVOgpxjauHrLJ5En8cJhHdR2CM_AD5Xh1AUvzsuez3g9kGTRdWWfPniGVyQ9aMM0MjAGMz6fCmEePfbayxqOwzvwsdqHaFhTdJBUyt15Q453BTVcJtpU64OXL7JghKDVXq6SU/s1600/IMG_4737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-HvWTIPVOgpxjauHrLJ5En8cJhHdR2CM_AD5Xh1AUvzsuez3g9kGTRdWWfPniGVyQ9aMM0MjAGMz6fCmEePfbayxqOwzvwsdqHaFhTdJBUyt15Q453BTVcJtpU64OXL7JghKDVXq6SU/s1600/IMG_4737.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But I've also added this flip book that I will be using this year. Just a different way to present our writing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpTI1y-OP7Q3Eo9-kLxFNi7nInCGNdriLDvZBU5EJQsiyNH-DymVUtLDXWnl1wF_98nBQW990pvalPEpRBa34z4As4N03XYAr8k3kjfb5G0zObe3Vwsy4EKVWMTaUeSPWLdJy_K9-dww/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-24+at+1.48.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpTI1y-OP7Q3Eo9-kLxFNi7nInCGNdriLDvZBU5EJQsiyNH-DymVUtLDXWnl1wF_98nBQW990pvalPEpRBa34z4As4N03XYAr8k3kjfb5G0zObe3Vwsy4EKVWMTaUeSPWLdJy_K9-dww/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-24+at+1.48.42+PM.png" width="309" /></a></div>
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After we have decided how to catch a leprechaun I share with them an original poem I wrote called 3 Wishes. It's about catching a leprechaun and then he gives you 3 wishes. Students get to choose what their wishes will be and then make this cute craft to go with it. </div>
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(I've added the pocket chart pieces to the pack for the poem)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMIRhk3TigoV7xYxo2vL0aHS7b5ZZMLq4M9DLAmntn2hpzY9nz9IyUwsBHS2GEeCvvOUkk4tJXjYhHt8PrB6JNq3OmHamLZsngZDFS7x4P50S7s-pGAV5sh8dp48FXJ_wU_a9GmxuV3c/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMIRhk3TigoV7xYxo2vL0aHS7b5ZZMLq4M9DLAmntn2hpzY9nz9IyUwsBHS2GEeCvvOUkk4tJXjYhHt8PrB6JNq3OmHamLZsngZDFS7x4P50S7s-pGAV5sh8dp48FXJ_wU_a9GmxuV3c/s1600/photo-4.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Finally, I've added a couple printables to this pack - some writing prompts, story maps, and mixed-up sentences. You never know when you're going to need an extra center, morning work, or time filler. Here is what is included in this pack. </div>
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If you already own it, please re-download to get the updated file. If not, you can click on the pictures above to check it out in my store. </div>
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And BY THE WAY.........</div>
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It's that time again! Time for another AMAZING TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS SALE!!!! These are my favorite sales because I can really stock up on what I need. I hope you are getting your carts ready too!</div>
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And in case you are overwhelmed by all the wonderful things on TpT, here are a couple of my must-haves for the upcoming months that you might want to check out:</div>
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Happy shopping!!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7699906712318762342%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-MJciivHll70%252FVOzQ3fBqHrI%252FAAAAAAAADGk%252FN-jswbkMXag%252Fs1600%252FIMG_4724.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 576px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7699906712318762342%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-MJciivHll70%252FVOzQ3fBqHrI%252FAAAAAAAADGk%252FN-jswbkMXag%252Fs1600%252FIMG_4724.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 576px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-5901418845065623582015-02-21T03:00:00.001-08:002023-06-28T19:27:56.894-07:00Back to School Read Aloud Picture Books and Activities<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! </div>
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We're here again for another month's edition of Weekend Warriors. </div>
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This month's theme is Favorite Books. I think I could write a blog post every day of the school year about my favorite books. There are just SO many great books out there! I find new ones everyday it seems. So here are just a few that I love and a couple freebies to go along with them around making connections to texts. </div>
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These books are actually PERFECT for the beginning of the year and back to school time, but they can really be used at any time because some classes (all classes, really) need some refreshers now and again about the importance of kindness. </div>
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Before I get into the books, here is a mini anchor chart I put together to use when talking about the different ways to connect to a text. </div>
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The first book I love to use is <u>Chysanthemum</u> by Kevin Henkes. I LOVE using this book, at the beginning of the year especially. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQwKfkeRxnwsQjMy4lKIePPhhtFclR4QKtttyTLrre7MUIcDAwbw1kWBPvxIaiE9DG_GILXB5ubmq2nnpYveQrlnUReIeZ85Yk46Px_Ql59UWShlvbr9h64j5x1sGFtkoS2X9Q0CEqn8/s1600/Chrysanthemum_(Henkes_book).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQwKfkeRxnwsQjMy4lKIePPhhtFclR4QKtttyTLrre7MUIcDAwbw1kWBPvxIaiE9DG_GILXB5ubmq2nnpYveQrlnUReIeZ85Yk46Px_Ql59UWShlvbr9h64j5x1sGFtkoS2X9Q0CEqn8/s1600/Chrysanthemum_(Henkes_book).jpg" height="400" width="327" /></a></div>
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This is the ideal book to discuss Text to Self Connections. All students can connect with this cute little story about a mouse name Chrysanthemum. She LOVES her name, until some of the other kids start making fun of her. Not cool! </div>
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This first idea I got from <a href="http://www.firstgradewow.blogspot.com/2013/08/great-start.html">First Grade Wow</a> to go along with this book. She cuts out a large paper heart and passes it out to the students while she reads the book out loud. She says everytime someone makes fun of Chrysanthemum to crumple up the heart a little more. At the end she looks at the heart and talks about how Chrysanthemum felt when the other kids were making fun of her name. Then they try to smooth out the heart, but it doesn't really smooth out completely. She uses this poem to go on the heart and has the kids write their names on band-aids to put on the heart. This is hung up all year long as a reminder that words can hurt and kind words are best!</div>
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Such a cute idea and a great classroom moment! </div>
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After this activity I do some more activities with the students' names. You can read <a href="http://first-grade-smiles.blogspot.com/2013/09/working-on-routines.html">this post from last year</a> where I discuss this a little more. I love to spend time where kids get to know each other, but it's also fun to just do some fun activities about something they know a lot about - their names!</div>
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Click on this picture to check out this pack in my store:</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Whats-in-a-Name-Name-Activities-for-Back-to-School-874136"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7JXn7vDahEHw5BVVtlV8nTFD6sjvO1nP5kylYvEAWDytDjGBV3_A2WLEIZQP02iboEec3bfo5FbCtK0LBj5siS4rBPP0pTU_oo76Bz1e-ln-dFM2QzzngU7mvadj4WwFYTte-baSF5U/s1600/Recently+Updated1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is a little poem I found that I also be using this year when we do these activities. Just a cute reminder of how we should be proud of who we are!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo67YKJWrc5HSgxZTTTBh8-RxhU_BNEfrpt6K_2XyWCeB0DqT-n-RD-0YEwcOz9tV8ZuYqLmh-hbW3U9W0QM1dtP0AuzzczKpb045eUL8q41xWZAzTGP08FpbslmsxQxYttEEqPgU0XJc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-24+at+4.45.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo67YKJWrc5HSgxZTTTBh8-RxhU_BNEfrpt6K_2XyWCeB0DqT-n-RD-0YEwcOz9tV8ZuYqLmh-hbW3U9W0QM1dtP0AuzzczKpb045eUL8q41xWZAzTGP08FpbslmsxQxYttEEqPgU0XJc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-24+at+4.45.13+PM.png" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next book I like to use is <u>A Bad Case of the Stripes</u> by David Shannon. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ja4rjSWvR8rhLPuIXyKwPWL8FRgKZiP8JOvq_udiy-Z85NSPzQYf601uu_3xj13pZWOGyJjrfZKeg8_br3EsC6Da_MybAP3wEx51N8LyHGin1gM5uC4XuWYGTMlsRiwrf_QxOT8kmBM/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEbFdQO5agW1_a03b6-Si4BO-tS-Mp5axQT_J5nYjZwolpYHENYnexvthUPewslLLoucT5bBTeYuNjx4sEB8pgl1J9tMV3WrtLbR-vKlOXRdRfxq5LkqSUqHKyEcrcFgsq7MvCmd_Ugo/s1600/bad-case-of-stripes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEbFdQO5agW1_a03b6-Si4BO-tS-Mp5axQT_J5nYjZwolpYHENYnexvthUPewslLLoucT5bBTeYuNjx4sEB8pgl1J9tMV3WrtLbR-vKlOXRdRfxq5LkqSUqHKyEcrcFgsq7MvCmd_Ugo/s1600/bad-case-of-stripes.jpg" height="400" width="310" /></a></div>
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This book is about Camilla Cream who loves lima beans. But her friends don't like them, so Camilla decides to stop eating them. It is a great book about how you should be yourself no matter what other people think! I love to tie this story in with the next book: <u>Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon </u> by Patty Lovell. </div>
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These two books are PERFECT for a little Text to Text connection. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaonsP90ldQyJbfsBdzrCeWlL7y2-RyLYN-nkO5-bQybZug01g9MUPo0FWv4M1iXXn9pnmB-eHg0yY0TOLsyVAluz-GaXYf-f4VLpW3B48ROm1H4mK1pa_VVAmwNmgyukZ4VHddWfYRHw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-24+at+5.01.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaonsP90ldQyJbfsBdzrCeWlL7y2-RyLYN-nkO5-bQybZug01g9MUPo0FWv4M1iXXn9pnmB-eHg0yY0TOLsyVAluz-GaXYf-f4VLpW3B48ROm1H4mK1pa_VVAmwNmgyukZ4VHddWfYRHw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-08-24+at+5.01.08+PM.png" height="400" width="310" /></a></div>
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Molly Lou Melon is a GREAT character! She does not care what the other kids think of her because she is proud of who she is! What an awesome message! I especially love Molly's grandma in this book because a lot of the confidence that Molly has is because the things her grandma says to her - like this quote: </div>
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I think it's important for students to reflect on why they are special. I spend lots of time sharing these altogether and celebrating what makes us all special people. <br />
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At the end of all of these books, I try to bring it all back to a very important topic - bullying. In each of these books there are kids who are being bullies. Text to World connections come in here. We discuss what a bully is and how they make us feel. We also talk about how we can get rid of bullies and one way to help is to stand up to bullies. Here is a quick little activity we do where we talk about about what we can do if we see bullying or if it happens to us. <br />
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I make an anchor chart for ideas of what we can do and then the students complete this sheet. Since I'm not in school yet I don't have a picture of the anchor chart but some ideas we come up with are: tell an adult, tell them to stop, walk away, avoid the bully, be nice to the bully (make friends with the bully). I think it's important to give students ways to deal with these problems because we all know they will encounter this at some point in their lives - probably many times. </div>
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So wraps it up for me today. If you are interested in any of the activities I shared in this post you can get them for FREE by clicking below. I hope you like them and can use them!</div>
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<!-- inlinkz code end -->Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-26131342729421546322015-01-31T06:38:00.002-08:002023-06-28T19:30:27.750-07:00Lovey Dovey Valentine's Day<!--inlinkz code start-->
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Hello, hello! We're back with some fun ideas for this month. We decided to share some LOVE for Valentine's Day this month for I {heart} January!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJrGpAAS2kw30nc1ikhc7M0zEnFFD5YJMo4gXgmjmF_sv9EMY9AKvy9oEMS2UE9ALviY6efBt2MhysQ7hlTpzD2jzbMK2SdTaWuxnJJXBmc_AGiKP4VQ7YIEUz4itI1CC_l0HplWY9us/s1600/1779090_10206009395609176_1976248573959355064_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJrGpAAS2kw30nc1ikhc7M0zEnFFD5YJMo4gXgmjmF_sv9EMY9AKvy9oEMS2UE9ALviY6efBt2MhysQ7hlTpzD2jzbMK2SdTaWuxnJJXBmc_AGiKP4VQ7YIEUz4itI1CC_l0HplWY9us/s1600/1779090_10206009395609176_1976248573959355064_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are a few things I've done for Valentine's Day over the years. First up, of course we must focus on the academics as we lead up to Valentine's Day. It can't ALL be candy and games, right?</div>
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We do a little How-To writing on How to Make a Valentine and put it together in this fun flip book.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIojk7jFVvytolWg2qU1bbFJcjGu-QAZOt3-vSw1hQMGV8lsIns00zUgQ7UmXaHpiqPkKsNzpY9EKckYUFBg016sPZvRIDnXKV0cexCvS-DE2yPwNt7Znr_bXu59HoaI7Ec2ttZSVUvqQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.27.47+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIojk7jFVvytolWg2qU1bbFJcjGu-QAZOt3-vSw1hQMGV8lsIns00zUgQ7UmXaHpiqPkKsNzpY9EKckYUFBg016sPZvRIDnXKV0cexCvS-DE2yPwNt7Znr_bXu59HoaI7Ec2ttZSVUvqQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.27.47+AM.png" /></a></div>
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We also do some reading, of course. Here are some of the cute books that I love to read aloud around Valentine's Day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTokO6fS0WxOcM0jKWyEZg_poetNSAJdyu_EtLHSgg9JfqrlUTIzfLz-kTi0FV5MsN6Z1l9p-kWvrinnLQraaT95YsobA-dPZ8FJedpN1HYifqCpJGOjkBiWqpsciw2r3jj5eV7dOM-BM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+9.23.14+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTokO6fS0WxOcM0jKWyEZg_poetNSAJdyu_EtLHSgg9JfqrlUTIzfLz-kTi0FV5MsN6Z1l9p-kWvrinnLQraaT95YsobA-dPZ8FJedpN1HYifqCpJGOjkBiWqpsciw2r3jj5eV7dOM-BM/w494-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+9.23.14+AM.png" title="Valentine's day read alouds" width="494" /></a></div>
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We do a variety of activities with these books, but sometimes we just read for fun. Imagine that in the common core days. That's right - I'm a rebel. Haha!!! </div>
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This is a little writing and craft that goes with <u>The Day it Rained Hearts</u>. I love tapping into the kids imagination and asking what they would do if things from books happened to them. It's that great way of modeling for our kids that reading is all about getting lost in a book and becoming part of the story. So we put them into the story as often as we can. For this quick writing I have the kids think of "the most amazing thing" that could happen after it rains hearts. They always come up with some fun ideas!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6WbkB7Oaq1VTTyPZQkOYZzZBB9CRIPvzVpLZkOcppR5ZjtENq5k0QJc3da1__N-IjsBbTeR4ZBPM_KKFo9_fpfEA1IWzp05nEk2lIRlA0m_fEiHTVp72-jwPH6ZE4tae6zUSpZrsxWE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.29.52+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6WbkB7Oaq1VTTyPZQkOYZzZBB9CRIPvzVpLZkOcppR5ZjtENq5k0QJc3da1__N-IjsBbTeR4ZBPM_KKFo9_fpfEA1IWzp05nEk2lIRlA0m_fEiHTVp72-jwPH6ZE4tae6zUSpZrsxWE/w640-h637/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.29.52+AM.png" title="The Day it Rained Hearts craft and activity" width="640" /></a></div>
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Around Valentine's Day, it's fun for kids to talk and share about all the different things they LOVE. I mean, really, any time of year 1st graders want to talk about themselves. Am I right? So here is a cute heart shaped book that we make and they love sharing with their friends. The pages have People I love, Things I love, People who love me, and How I show my love.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeBfWRZ40zsJaV02iTvqOiLhWXiGV2wpokVIkypFyy1Wr5PJ42w3j0FMkThDtwy4oY0-LPMimD-RvRUVAuVunQ4wI7aYd5cDj63IUyD10NfNj11SiJ_OXPA110HCwRIStiHqeGHvrzDE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.34.52+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeBfWRZ40zsJaV02iTvqOiLhWXiGV2wpokVIkypFyy1Wr5PJ42w3j0FMkThDtwy4oY0-LPMimD-RvRUVAuVunQ4wI7aYd5cDj63IUyD10NfNj11SiJ_OXPA110HCwRIStiHqeGHvrzDE/w586-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.34.52+AM.png" title="Valentine's Day" width="586" /></a></div>
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The next thing we love to do is make valentines and cards for the people we LOVE. Here is a cute card we have made for parents and other loved ones. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9pr1NAvt6RsXzuw7xh9lp9xyYOXdieZtDCkRSZCpTycJNy7OTyprJoOj-f5x10q1eGVBmjRIuK2bqUyUNVBTRYInSvnBbY3ofqeKZikLY2eHhn0FQi0QYS8W8QQEdwUm_7m4dDtrbuc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.27.56+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9pr1NAvt6RsXzuw7xh9lp9xyYOXdieZtDCkRSZCpTycJNy7OTyprJoOj-f5x10q1eGVBmjRIuK2bqUyUNVBTRYInSvnBbY3ofqeKZikLY2eHhn0FQi0QYS8W8QQEdwUm_7m4dDtrbuc/w640-h564/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.27.56+AM.png" title="I Love You to Pieces craft" width="640" /></a></div>
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On Valentine's Day we love to play games at our classroom party. I compiled a quick little list of some of the simple games we've played. Maybe you will be able to use a couple of these at your next party. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK3uAPUPyNKQZZ7ro1CHq37LkTH7mAzUt9TdQ1Q0S5i2AAgdOuNvbqDEYQbC-8B0SKR9OPyBJRMY1oVvU0JJ8HsIigLNe0UwyHPKeX6shyrQ2zTu5Ai_jyu_Jr83vhA1SFKMP1Iila0M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.51.38+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK3uAPUPyNKQZZ7ro1CHq37LkTH7mAzUt9TdQ1Q0S5i2AAgdOuNvbqDEYQbC-8B0SKR9OPyBJRMY1oVvU0JJ8HsIigLNe0UwyHPKeX6shyrQ2zTu5Ai_jyu_Jr83vhA1SFKMP1Iila0M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+8.51.38+AM.png" width="490" /></a></div>
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Here is a little Valentine Bingo freebie if you'd like to use it. The kids create their own bingo boards. Click the picture to grab it. </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Xm939N5m6yMWN2NFBLTkRzUTg/view?usp=sharing"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYKm3T6UOnVJPmktVHFMA9A5n8p8j2OrNvcaZ57zq5i7PzmL79HaZaD4WLx8rKnDD5FQ1y90WW2ceRZFaaz8pQutQlwoXnpCM_wfblBHF_yjxr6hry9l8gVganesslKe0jD3TqXe-6PI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+9.01.33+AM.png" width="279" /></a></div>
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Side note: Years ago when I started creating these bingo boards I would have my students generate the words we would use. One of my favorite little boys wanted to use the words: Lovey Dovey. The whole class erupted in giggles! I will never forget it!! So in honor of him I titled this post Lovey Dovey and of course included it in the bingo board. :)</div>
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I can't forget to mention that throughout the week/weeks before Valentine's Day we also do a variety of themed literacy and math centers and activities. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6UqISOJ5oyc9hYhDIbEGusYArPpW2dKLoCFMUVJb0Khq2lB8oAuGJ9r9kgmZAfUDV5Ju_nHuZ-yrx6mdhU4yBaNycdtZI6_yL8s5QJlAUlvSqtS54JbiEaO3bNaB42o6OB2t3A349sE/s1600/Valentines+day+pack+preview-page2-2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6UqISOJ5oyc9hYhDIbEGusYArPpW2dKLoCFMUVJb0Khq2lB8oAuGJ9r9kgmZAfUDV5Ju_nHuZ-yrx6mdhU4yBaNycdtZI6_yL8s5QJlAUlvSqtS54JbiEaO3bNaB42o6OB2t3A349sE/s1600/Valentines+day+pack+preview-page2-2.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div>
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All of what I mentioned above and much more is included in my NEWLY UPDATED <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Pack-Math-and-Literacy-Games-Crafts-and-MORE-513478">Valentine's Day pack</a>. If you already have it, you will want to re-download it - I added over 50 pages!!! If you don't already have, it's on sale for the weekend so go grab it. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Pack-Math-and-Literacy-Games-Crafts-and-MORE-513478"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J0SGdwgKA3-4epRDbHvYZVi7dtG5pWgtPGWt_x3JDb38fbwtxCPFlXfjvea6hAcGVVZo5YHFtEUmn927Ojcn6S44cnomWkjYYU8izZp5b6QY93dDDZ74_9BacBc4Oamgyd5Ht0HXy8c/w490-h640/Screen+Shot+2015-01-31+at+7.56.45+AM.png" title="Valentine's Day Activities" width="490" /></a></div>
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Here's some more of what's included in the pack.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxqH9R0n8PamDq36hJaFkn0LbFXD9mAiwEr2RnNT7SyKTxNpNAjttRYNO8i85J3EK8p3ZRWo4L0BlQ05s06zXM1LZI_cWKZwfx7DaIXGH60mudebW3Z0wRoMoiodlkYrDjgFvPdvQBNw/s1600/Valentines+day+pack+preview-page1-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxqH9R0n8PamDq36hJaFkn0LbFXD9mAiwEr2RnNT7SyKTxNpNAjttRYNO8i85J3EK8p3ZRWo4L0BlQ05s06zXM1LZI_cWKZwfx7DaIXGH60mudebW3Z0wRoMoiodlkYrDjgFvPdvQBNw/s1600/Valentines+day+pack+preview-page1-1.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRjwItk_yJIWlSW3eVJXKIJCPtxMVD4LoVhyphenhyphen53fSxh7xNxZ53o32xOiSRWFgaY2iYVq2nzrrOwpxj0LdTjWrl0Uz7RxOdVBG5PVCyTeOi5BQytv0Xjg_yVFNIsuDyTYvkGyXyhvMfn8o/s1600/Valentines+day+pack+preview-page3-3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRjwItk_yJIWlSW3eVJXKIJCPtxMVD4LoVhyphenhyphen53fSxh7xNxZ53o32xOiSRWFgaY2iYVq2nzrrOwpxj0LdTjWrl0Uz7RxOdVBG5PVCyTeOi5BQytv0Xjg_yVFNIsuDyTYvkGyXyhvMfn8o/s1600/Valentines+day+pack+preview-page3-3.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div>
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Thanks for stopping by for this edition of Weekend Warriors. My friends below have more amazing ideas to share with you so check them out!</div>
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Have a great weekend!!! :)</div>
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<!--inlinkz code end-->Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699906712318762342.post-47556680204802429242015-01-28T08:24:00.000-08:002015-01-28T12:40:53.758-08:00Organize My Life...Please!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hello there! Coming at you this time with my fellow SUPER teacher/bloggers over at <a href="http://primarypowers.blogspot.com/">Primary Powers</a> for a fun Organization Blog Hop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKHhZFpFLLrHDuyxfd3dduDnzMyauGBHOZybcyoOKZFJdrsY2tJSM38FleBuevCQbKHCC6uYBIVW4qDD1OwQp7qKEol9RkWtcQrB8P0lZGWJFCrL86kSg7pdTy4tStkCQw8d-zVAM6yo/s1600/10409699_10103132954091741_8492759826998772205_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKHhZFpFLLrHDuyxfd3dduDnzMyauGBHOZybcyoOKZFJdrsY2tJSM38FleBuevCQbKHCC6uYBIVW4qDD1OwQp7qKEol9RkWtcQrB8P0lZGWJFCrL86kSg7pdTy4tStkCQw8d-zVAM6yo/s1600/10409699_10103132954091741_8492759826998772205_n.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you read the title of my post then you might be thinking I am <u>not</u> the most organized person. </div>
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Well, you are absolutely correct! </div>
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I don't know about you, but I am constantly looking for ways to be more organized. I even have <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/mmachan/">2 Pinterest board</a>s - one for the classroom and one for home - where I pin all those fabulous ideas that I <strike>plan on doing</strike> probably will never do, but they look so pretty!! So I am just as excited as you might be to be hopping along here because I cannot wait to pick up some more tips on how to be better organized. </div>
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My organizational post is about how I organize my student data in my classroom. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DE3bCRj3kFh-khzsjGSHOiXvDc0a_XuTMKkmyLoaHKarGJJSXFjSW1Df9S8AT8g_Zfw0QL1ulklMTlxOb8AS_zcxruZIBs_ljzdHz3ZqfOYnnxD8GrcmvgrfGFvvEm6VUEPnnady-9w/s1600/student+data+post-page1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DE3bCRj3kFh-khzsjGSHOiXvDc0a_XuTMKkmyLoaHKarGJJSXFjSW1Df9S8AT8g_Zfw0QL1ulklMTlxOb8AS_zcxruZIBs_ljzdHz3ZqfOYnnxD8GrcmvgrfGFvvEm6VUEPnnady-9w/s1600/student+data+post-page1-1.jpg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the days of Common Core, RTI, APPR, and whatever else is out there that I'm forgetting, a teacher can go a little bonkers trying to keep track of everything and have the evidence needed to support student performance. It can be exhausting and stressful just gathering all the data you need, but it can also be challenging finding a way to organize that data once it's collected. Last year I decided to keep an all-inclusive Student Data Binder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mObu2MPaxmNDpb38kYDtFOeLU2eeSFVZjffgkMs2nmb7cad_TtOU27oQpvwy3s_xA28owMF_pDJxE52yKLNibtqMSTzl3Iz4wJtCbUb0ia9jPwbGDzaskB-WmKhvHrf93NkrjfnoXWU/s1600/student+data+post-page2-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mObu2MPaxmNDpb38kYDtFOeLU2eeSFVZjffgkMs2nmb7cad_TtOU27oQpvwy3s_xA28owMF_pDJxE52yKLNibtqMSTzl3Iz4wJtCbUb0ia9jPwbGDzaskB-WmKhvHrf93NkrjfnoXWU/s1600/student+data+post-page2-2.jpeg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
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To get started, I went to Office Max and got a large binder - mine is only 2 inches and I think I need to upgrade to a 3 inch binder. I also got these numbered dividers. In my classroom, I assign numbers to students from the first day of school and we use those numbers for a lot like our lunch choices and behavior chart. The dividers come with this Table of Contents page, so I laminated that page and each year I will just tape in a copy of my student's names and numbers into it. This way I can reuse it for as long as it will last. </div>
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I have tried to include as much into this binder as I can so I have one place to go when I need information on a student. One thing I keep in the binder is any and all parent communication (that is not in an email). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF2piWeit_0E_I151b4B6LBkGNNnpIPxhj2iO8xyNUB2S2mdu1B5b3DSaQPhh3Z94cfJAOkr4BjH0zvR40SeRW5HnXyQ7J6EcC0oXbnL1JMnmL5J4BojyDUmu9SRHKzPPThgDcIO3DtU/s1600/student+data+post-page3-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF2piWeit_0E_I151b4B6LBkGNNnpIPxhj2iO8xyNUB2S2mdu1B5b3DSaQPhh3Z94cfJAOkr4BjH0zvR40SeRW5HnXyQ7J6EcC0oXbnL1JMnmL5J4BojyDUmu9SRHKzPPThgDcIO3DtU/s1600/student+data+post-page3-3.jpeg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
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I bought this 3-hole punched, plastic zipper pouch at Dollar Tree this summer and they are awesome. They are very sturdy. This one is in the front of my binder and I put any notes that parents send in throughout the year. I keep them all! The only ones I don't keep in this pouch would be excuses that go to the office. I'm always surprised when I need to go back and look at a note, whether it's to grab a phone number or email that I can't find anywhere else or if I just need documentation of correspondence with parents- I am always happy that I keep them. Under each student's tab I also put in the parent letters I have parents write to me in the beginning of the year about their expectations, goals, and concerns. I also keep our parent conference notes and other notes I take when making phone calls. This is so helpful during report cards to remind myself of what our goals are for each child and what I've already discussed with parents. </div>
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I also keep each student's assessment data in my binder. This includes running records and other testing documentation like AIMSWEB or informal assessments. I also tend to write anecdotal notes on post-its during guided reading or math and then I can just stick them in the student's section so I don't lose them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDs-9x6MMhv1rWtF5jKualAmjEoasadylzSr3iOsiCrwzMpf1QxK2FhrtCAsLGDCtD0RZV1Kx4BsuQKJHTJeoaZggg8iwz7qGgBOprHcIoBji4WN0eoRYr4Vsbxvd6znlufztHv2YViA/s1600/student+data+post-page4-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDs-9x6MMhv1rWtF5jKualAmjEoasadylzSr3iOsiCrwzMpf1QxK2FhrtCAsLGDCtD0RZV1Kx4BsuQKJHTJeoaZggg8iwz7qGgBOprHcIoBji4WN0eoRYr4Vsbxvd6znlufztHv2YViA/s1600/student+data+post-page4-4.jpeg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't keep copies of the actual assessments in my binder because they take up way too much space. I keep these in a crate with numbered file folders. So in my binder I do keep any grading sheets that have the scores for these assessments on them, but the tests themselves get filed away. (I don't have a picture of my grading sheets, but they are very basic).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwY744q0QbtuZ1uufe2vs0y2mT8T591ktNtWtWmrDYngHNo_nNTehYWIdKMqVlBXTy7dXt1edHbkHJFdSmSByk2e0fkyhxg9ZFoL6boysRHU2z9fofx8sh0b7kw4gaZJO9Zr_A-iPfoo/s1600/student+data+post-page5-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwY744q0QbtuZ1uufe2vs0y2mT8T591ktNtWtWmrDYngHNo_nNTehYWIdKMqVlBXTy7dXt1edHbkHJFdSmSByk2e0fkyhxg9ZFoL6boysRHU2z9fofx8sh0b7kw4gaZJO9Zr_A-iPfoo/s1600/student+data+post-page5-5.jpeg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last thing I keep in my binder is behavior data.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOZpgpNffswsFy1CNdsPJ1G4JPcFTD3l-VxP6InaF_TauusXXP-HIDTd9mIuNOnIb-i44tq52IF2wXNpycbCN9dnyKXNbko5FWnZUc7mhLFsGe5S4YdPkFfFtIyfBr5KIL-mpAIO88go/s1600/student+data+post-page6-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOZpgpNffswsFy1CNdsPJ1G4JPcFTD3l-VxP6InaF_TauusXXP-HIDTd9mIuNOnIb-i44tq52IF2wXNpycbCN9dnyKXNbko5FWnZUc7mhLFsGe5S4YdPkFfFtIyfBr5KIL-mpAIO88go/s1600/student+data+post-page6-6.jpeg" height="494" width="640" /></a></div>
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I use a card system in my room for behavior. Each day I very quickly take some markers and document what color card each student was on. I will often write a quick note as to why they were on a different color or again use a post-it and stick it in there. I keep these so I can look back at trends, for report cards, and so I can share this with parents if I need to. I allow students to earn a sticker when they are on green and then earn a reward when they get to 5 stickers. It might seem like it would take a lot of time, but actually it is only about 2 minutes at the end of the day and it is SO important to reinforce the child's behavior for the day - especially the positive!</div>
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So that's about it for my Student Data Binder. It has really helped me stay <i>a little more</i> organized this year. I can grab it when I have conferences or if I need to bring a student up for intervention support. This week as I am finishing up my report cards for the quarter, I am so, so happy to be able to grab this binder and just get to it. <br />
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If you would like to start your own binder you can find the binder cover in this download below. There are also binder covers for Lesson Plan, APPR, Common Core Assessments, and more! Just click on the picture.<br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/yffz915vj4qbxte/Binder%20Covers%20Freebie.pdf?dl=0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMQYY2lzlvmGmAefgdxTMuVBTCd5uOGVgsZgXblSIVCJrg7Kih_Qky8ZV-Uy5woUi6ir8K7m766anB-cP6PbY7jrjKfT7eWUusCIW2YGaCIm3ivnS5mZ1DtE_v2MKVc-LyjpuVhwLM1c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-25+at+2.45.43+PM.png" height="320" width="248" /></a></div>
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Thanks so much for visiting. I'd love to hear any other great ideas you might have on how you organize your student data or really how you organize anything. I'm always looking for more ideas!!! </div>
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So it's time to hop on to the next tip from Valerie over at <a href="http://www.allstudentscanshine.com/2015/01/organization-blog-hop-desk-disaster_28.html">All Students Can Shine</a>. (I just love her, so I know she'll have something great to share).</div>
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Melissa Machan - First Grade Smileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689221140779019629noreply@blogger.com3