Novemeber... ALREADY???

Yes... November is indeed right around the corner. Tuesday is Halloween... the start of Holiday insanity here. It does not end for me until mid-January as we not only have holidays but birthdays galore to deal with.

That is why I am truly loving my new monthly series and I know many of you are as well!! It is now in stores and ready for your use.

I took a poll on FB and election information was not included in this package by request. My election unit and freebies are also in stock. Just a few more days until the move is over and I am hoping to complete a few more items I have been working on. =)

Instead - we are focusing on families, harvest, fall, and Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions on additions you would like to see in future packages, leave me a comment. I am trying to add more to each one to make it truly one stop shopping.

I polled my children and this month they wanted to make 3 different sets of calendar numbers and letters. I also changed it by making the vowels a different color than the consonants.

One of my personal favorites of these packages are the monthly sight words. I included an easy way to track these with my Sight Word Magic set as I use the same method for both. We all know how important vocabulary is.  We have all seen and used the Fry's list for sight words but I wanted something more.

Each monthly kit includes 50 seasonal "sight words"! These are words that are specifically related to the season and the events that occur in this month. These are words your students will encounter while reading seasonal books. By creating a list of words for them to learn, I know that no matter what they check out of the library, they will know these words.

It is also a great way to challenge your "gifted and talented." =) 

As a bonus... my students know that these words MAY show up as challenge words on their vocabulary and/or spelling tests. I may require them to use these words in their writings this month. There is so much I can do with these lists!!

Just like last month... this kit includes calendars, journal prompts, newsletters, center labels, stationary, and interactive notebook pages. Some of the fun this month includes:

Creating a family tree! Writing about our families and traditions. Exploring our origins and learning more about the trip to a new land.

Math in action... recipes! There are 2 different versions. I am hoping to complete a freebie to go with this to take this one step further math wise. =)

Speaking of math... I have been working a lot on a math project lately! But I realize that many students are still struggling classifying numbers. So this month's packet focuses on identify odd, even, and prime numbers.

In addition I spent A LOT of time this month going through my personal library (well the boy's library anyways), polling teacher friends, and researching to find books for this months collection! I found some new favorites and hope you will as well.

Please leave me a comment with your book suggestions for fall, Thanksgiving, or the upcoming elections and I will be sure to add them.

As always... there is a lot more inside but this is just a sneak peak at what is in this month's  packet o'fun! You all enjoyed my freebie weeks this month and so I am going to try and schedule another freebie week and linky party too!

As always - leave a comment and I will have one of my boys pick a lucky winner! =) 

Differentiated Instruction Funny & a Winner!

My professor is driving me crazy!!!! This is my day...



Is your day like this?

Okay... in other news. The PaperMonster Contest is over!

Congrats to Kelly! I sent you an email requesting your information. =)

Football Sunday!

Have you all seen this sign? I totally need one for my house!

My oldest son's first word was football. Not mama, not dada, not even baba... football. I should have known what life had in store for me from that moment on.

Many of you know that I homeschooled my children for awhile but I have never shared the story of how it began or the frustrations that came with it. When my oldest was 2 I found him reading a book. Not the pictures.... the actual words. What sounds he hadn't figured out he made up.

I thought it was so amazing! He could read!! Little did I know the heartache this would cause. (To catch you up he has a form of Autism known as Asperger's Syndrome. He is very high functioning. He excels academically across the board but struggles socially).

Because he was so intent on learning, I taught him. It was sooo hard to keep up with his need for knowledge. One day when he was 4 he suddenly stopped learning. I was so happy but also concerned. He only wanted to know about football. I needed resources but couldn't find any. So I made everything myself... a huge massive collection of all things football. He loved it!

I have learned that sometimes to get students to move ahead we have to meet them where they are. My bff went into teaching before I did and has often pulled my football resources to get her reluctant students to write, learn vocabulary, or to do math.

So... Melonheadz and I have decided to create a complete line of football products! I am finishing them up now so they will be appearing in my store in the next few days BUT you can get a set early by leaving a comment below!

These are the original materials that I used all those years ago with new graphics to jazz it up! This packet includes 20 sentence stems/journal pages, 7 compare & contract activities, 2 goal pages, 4 pages of math, 6 pages of vocabulary, 1 geography activity, 3 class books/bulletin board projects, 1 research project, and 1 creative writing project. Over 60 pages of football fun!

My kids still love this packet. This is my baby's worksheet from today's game... he is working on adding more than 2 numbers together. Since adding is too simple for him he then groups each picture together and multiplies those and then adds. So the 2 field goals would be 2x3... it gets harder as the game goes on. =)

This is 17 weeks of greater than/less than score fun! Students record the score and then using > or < determine the winner. My son never understood Allie Alligator but he understood he wanted to be on the winning team and that the arrow always pointed toward the loser as their score was smaller.

And of course I had to do matching calendar numbers and a boggle board! We are working on getting a set out for every NFL team so if you are looking for a set, please let me know as I will put you on the top of the list.

What could be even better for football fans?? I will be selling exclusive Melonheadz Graphics for each of the teams as well. Again... I am a big tease as they are a work in progress but I couldn't wait to share with you!


I also wanted to share with you a post from Kinderzoo. I cannot imagine the grief she is going through at suddenly losing her husband, her best friend. I know that I would be devastated. She would hate it if she knew we were doing this but several of us would like to show our love and support during this difficult time.

If you have a moment - please visit her store and make a purchase. She has some amazing products. My favorites are her emergency Kinder plans. I could have so used them for that first week in school!!

Daily 5

I believe it was last week that I shared with you my philosophy on the concept of the classroom skeletal and muscular systems. Then I began to share with you my plan for exercising my class or in other words, creating a system that would support my lessons plans and goals for my students.

I LOVE the idea of Daily 5 and I think it provides a framework I can work with but as with everything I will want to tweak it as there are some "must do/have" items on my list. 

The premise behind daily five is to start your language arts time with a mini-lesson of 5-15 minutes followed by one of 5 activities for the next 30 minutes. Repeat 4 more times.  This brings your total language arts time to 3 - 3.5 hours per day!

The components are:
1 - Read to Someone
2 - Listen to Reading
3 - Read to Self
4 - Work on Writing
5 - Word Work

Sooooooooooooo........ what do I want to change??

Read to Self - I would like this to be set up ala the Book Whisperer. This would be our daily bell work to start off our morning and get us ready for the day. Our goal would be to read 40 books per year.

Read to Someone - I love the idea in Book Whisperer of the small groups reading various level books on similar topics to add understanding to a discussion. I would like to do this for read to someone. Sure, I will have some free time to but I think this is a great combo of ideas.

Listen to Reading - After lunch, I like to read a chapter or two aloud to settle everyone in. This is our "listen to reading time." I may set up additional items as needed ala Daily 5.

Work on Writing - I think this is going to be more of a writer's workshop thing with a writing assignment due each week. Still thinking and researching...

Word Work - Will be centers for spelling and vocabulary development. Some of this will be remedial to assist students who are struggling. 

No matter how you decide to implement it, you will want to display it in your classroom.

If you have read the book you know that creating anchor charts for each area is a big part of the first few lessons and implementing it in the classroom. I  LOVE this bulletin board. Just imagine it on as seen on the first day of school... chart paper is ready for action!

Now I just need it to match my colors more! Hmmm... need a cute idea with black, red, and white....

In addition to the anchor charts -- you will need a few other posters, like these: 

Teaching your students how to pick good books for them. This is also essential to the Book Whisperer so these two items fit well together.

You will need to remind students how they are to sit together during partner reading. I love EEKK!

I used this with my ESS (SPED) students and they LOVED it! They felt like they could truly read for the first time ever. Afterwards, we went on a hunt around the school to find words. 

There was so much that these children passed by everyday and had no clue. They were so disconnected, it was so sad. I loved watching their faces light up as for the first time EVER they truly felt a part of the school community. 

I struggled to keep them from running in the halls to the next bulletin board or sign but couldn't help but smile. These kids read the pictures, hunted for words they knew,or even shared what they remembered from class when they helped create the display. They were excited! 

We came back to class and talked about all the things they could do now. All the things they missed out on. We talked about where words hide and the kids came back the next day with new knowledge. They read the labels on the condiments and cereal boxes. They found words on their clothes and in the shower. They were able to use clues to discover new words! Those words became new sight words and their fluency grew. 

All because of 3 ways to read a book. 

I just ordered the CAFE book and can't wait! I am sure with this new knowledge I will be tweaking some more. I am also planning on making my own signs and posters to match my room. Look for them in my store soon!

Prefixes, Suffixes, & Root Words, OH MY!

Well peeps.... I was picked up out of  "student-land" today and dropped into "teacher-ville." Translation, my grad classes are now requiring lesson plans from me. No more cute papers or charts or PowerPoints... well I still have to do those now I just have to have lesson plans, materials, and printables. WOO HOO! Bring on the fun!

So today, I was working on a review for Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root/Base Words in prep for standardized testing. I had so much fun! It is so chaotic but in a nice organized fashion.

First up... I won the giveaway from Hello Mrs. Sykes - Resources for Teachers! Yes... I won two giveaways in one week! I am so excited!!






I was able to pick out four items from her store and received a few other packages of amazing items. However, I was able to use this today:

You all need to head over to her TpT or TN to purchase this amazing pack of games. I had my kids play with them first to "test them out" and they were in love! 

Prior to this I gave them come cards that I made up and had them try to solve the "mystery of the missing rule." I gave them cards and told them I forgot how they went together or why. There job is to discover it. While they are wondering the room to solve the mystery and pair up, I suddenly remember! If they can't figure it out, we will play a game of hangman. 

I am all about the games today!

Reading Resources is a new site that I discovered today with so many, many amazing ideas! I was so excited when I discovered this.  Perhaps my favorite thing about it is that it is FREE! Just click and print and implement.

I love this idea for a checker game from Reading Resource! I can't wait to make this board. They also have really cute bulletin board ideas to go with all the subjects you are teaching!

So I have kept (I think) my "crazy music-loving I need to move" -ness a secret until now. Looky at what I found!!

I totally love this song/rap! The chorus gets stuck in your head and it will help the kids remember. If I break the song down into verses to teach with the initial lessons into this subject my kids will be rapping during the test. I already have my seven year old singing "words are power and that's the truth!" Hubby is not so thrilled and is now answering "word" to everything you ask him.

Son: Good night, Daddy! I love you!

Hubby: Word

Me: Do you need anything before I go
get some work done?

Hubby: Word

Sigh... 

I want to make a bulletin board called "Words are Power" and use is as my language arts focus board but that will have to be for another day.

My iPad was starting to feel a little left out of the fun today so I had to go see what I could find. McGraw-Hill has a free vocabulary building game called BLUSTER! You get to choose number of players (single, team, or versus). After choosing a grade level you can choose a game to play (there are three options per level).

Grade 2:  Rhyming Words, Prefixes, or Synonyms

Grade 3:  Prefixes and Suffixes, Homophones,
or Word Roots

Grade 4:  Rhyming Words, Prefixes and Suffixes,
or Adjectives

The game is pretty basic. It does not tell you what the prefixes or suffixes mean but it gives the student a chance to learn to identify the different parts of the word and match them up. It is timed so you have to be fast at recognizing. It will be good for building fluency.

Also on my iPad is Brain Pop! You will need a subscription to access Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes.

These cute guys are a freebie over at Differentiation Station! They were so cute that I could not leave them out of this post but have yet to figure out a way to incorporate them. The students have to feed flies to the frogs with the matching prefixes. LOVE IT!

So there you have it. Lots and lots of prefix and suffix fun! ENJOY!