Compund words... and a Dr. Seuss givaway!

So today is a day off with the Mr. and I plan to enjoy every moment of it! So here is a quick post on our adventures into compound words this week (we're just getting started!) and read on for my Dr. Seuss giveaway.

One of our HM focuses this week was compound words, so all week we have been compiling any compound word we thought of or came across in reading

sorry for the glare :( .. hello flash in a white board!

Then at the end of the week we made compound word raincoats! Here are a couple of my kiddos coats...

I'll go to the moon in my spaceship.

And since Dr. Seuss' birthday is fast approaching along with Read Across America week I put together this Cat in the Hat Mini Unit to go along with the book. It includes all you see below and can be picked up in my TPT store for just $2.00!

Of course, someone should always get to win one, so... If you are the first to guess my favorite Dr. Seuss book I will send it your way for free, just don't forget to leave your e-mail! And if no one can guess I'll randomly choose a comment tomorrow night!

Happy Monday!

It's All About America! with a freebie!

We are in the middle of our All About America unit and things are really getting going! For the past couple of weeks we have been focused on American symbols. This is one of those topics that he kids just get! Which makes teaching it so much fun. I read through a ton of books on the symbols, monuments, documents etc... (thanks Donors Choose!) and we learned all we could.

I put this symbol page together for us to do after we had be discussing for a few days (click the pic to download!)

We made directed art liberty bells...

the plan was to also do a white house, bald eagle and statue of liberty but time is flying!

Then we did our big group projects! This is by far my favorite activity of the entire year... I love seeing them working in small groups independently, figuring out how to function... it's great!

They each received a "Top Secret" envelope that included books, pictures, articles about their symbol. Then in their groups they had to go through the information, work together to complete a worksheet and a poster and then work with me to create a presentation (at least one sentence per group member about their symbol). So dang cute! Here are pictures that document our two day group project excursion...

 I have a ton more pictures so share, but I'll spare you all! Seriously, aren't those posters cute as can be! And bonus... I had kiddos ask to do more symbol investigation and give presentations! LOVE IT!

The next couple of weeks will be dedicated to heroes! And we will begin our hero projects... I can't wait!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Oh and... Miss Amberleigh please send me your email address so that I can send you the Dinosaurs in the Dark!

What We've Been up to, a Give a Away, and a freebie!

Happy Monday! Has it been crazy busy lately, or what? I feel like we are go, go, go around here, but I guess it's that time of year! Here's what we have been up to:


We did our February Quilt using the book Mama, Do You Love Me? Such a great book! Then the kiddos wrote about how they know their parents love them... their reasons were so sweet :)

tissue paper and starch hearts

We also made this cute groundhog day project...

You can't tell from the pic, but he's attached to a pop stick and he can poke in and out... the kids were in love! lol... I got the idea from this amazing art book. It's perfect for when I'm in a pinch and need an idea...

Last week was polar bear week, so we did expository writing about polar bears and made this funky sponge painted bear...

Sorry it's so dark... our hallway lighting isn't great

And after attending a release day, we have begun.... Language Board! Do any of you do this? It's all the rage in our district right now...

our HM focus wall is on top, but the bottom three sections are language board... a strand by strand daily spiral review.. so far, so good

Also... I am lucky enough to have some amazing readers this year so I am starting The Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark with my highest kiddos during UA time...

I put together this 35 page packet of guided reading/response worksheets, comprehension checks and story vocab cards... I am giving one away to the first commenter that names their favorite dinosaur!! If you are not a winner, you'll be able to pick it up in my TPT store for $4.00.

this and much more :)

And now for the freebie... My kiddos are in need of a base 10/tally mark review so I made up this little Leap Frog Scoot game! Just click the pic to download! Enjoy!

Have an awesome week!

The Day It Rained Hearts and a Monkey...

Yes, you read correctly... a monkey! But before we get to that... I have posted my mini unit to go with the book The Day It Rained Hearts, by Felecia Bond. I LOVE this Valentine's Day book! If you don't have it... GET IT, you'll be happy you did! And then check out my mini unit, on TPT right now for only $3.50!


This is what you'll get:

check it out HERE on TPT

and now for the monkey! Have you seen Mrs. Cupcake's cute V Day crafts?? Well I love them but we have a different craft on the agenda for Valentine's Day... Still, I couldn't resist putting a little twist on hers and making this one! I'm sending it to my sister for Valentines Day ( I wish I could be there for when she opens the giant envelope!!)

not as cute as Mrs. Cupacke's, but fun none the less!

 Happy Tuesday!!!

100th Day Fun!

This week was our 100th day of school. I love this school celebration because the kids take so much pride in how far they have come! Our day was a little tight since we had specials that day but we did manage to fit in some fun. This is how we spent some of our day...

We started the day by introducing these cards. OMG! The kiddos LOVED them... Periodically throughout the day I let a kid (chosen at random) tear a card from the ring and read it aloud, then we all did what it said. By the end of they day we had done everything from jumping jacks to high fives (10 things 10 times each!).

If you would like the cards you can get them HERE.

And we needed to make our hats... I know the norm is a 100th day crown, but I love wacky. So instead we made 100th day Crazy Hats! Each kiddo added ten strips with ten squares to their headband to add up to 100.

Can you find the zombie? Oh, first graders...

We also did this book imagining our life if we were 100. Their answers were great!

just in case you can't tell he wrote... Farrari, brother, mom's house

I love this one!

If you would like the book you can get it HERE.

I hope you all have a fun 100th day too! I'll be back soon with some polar bear fun and can you believe that is is almost February... yikes! I'll post some of our valentine to dos soon. Happy Saturday!

Workshop Revamp! In Pictures

I don't know about you, but language arts workshop is my favorite time of the day. But ...

I felt like it was lacking. My small groups were rockin' it out over at the table with me, but the others were drowning in a sea of worksheets (and we are not "permitted" to do centers) . In any case it's NOT what I wanted for my kiddos. So a revamp was in need. After many months of blog reading and pinterst searching I found it... ADD A NEXT DO! duh!

So now my kids have three steps to their independent workshop. 1. Must Do (related to our HM lessons) 2. Next Do (a skill related game or activity) 3. May Do (independent reading) And I pull kids as needed!

Check out pics of our new system!

Our Next Do activities lists... I rotate their numbers every other day.

This is where the kiddos can pick up their Next Do activities.

These are some the next do activities that they have...

Thank you Donors Choose for the CD players and books!

HM vocabulary ABC order

Monster HFWs and and Fry's Phrases

HFW Pass It Sticks

Making Words- Short Vowel Version

HFW Blast Off!

And my favorite next do is this take on Boggle Jr. that I made (lots of love and hours went into it, but the kiddos are eating it up!)

The kids are really digging our new workshop (and I am saving on grading and copies... YES!). 

So... do you have any other next do ideas? I'd love to hear them!!

Let's Catch Up!

So it's been super crazy around here lately.... way too much going on. But here is what we have been up to :)

We completed our January quilt. I think this one turns out the funniest because they have to free cut all of the shapes. I mean... look at the boots!!!

We started our I Love America unit and kicked it off with talking about how we honor America. We do the pledge and sing flag songs every morning (their favorite if Yankee Doodle, mine is You're A Grand Old Flag) so the concept of honoring America is totally relatable. We made our American flags and completed a pledge cloze worksheet.

And this weeks HM story was The Sleeping Pig. It's about a pig that falls asleep in a watermelon patch and the child in the story calls on her animal friends to help get the pig out of the patch. So, to go along with the story we made ourselves enjoying watermelon (just like the girl does at the end of the story) and wrote how we would get a pig out of our patch. I think they came out darling!

(on left: I would get Mrs. Pig out by rolling her with my skateboard on right: I would get Mrs. Pig out by playing the gong)

See busy... Ill be back soon with some freebies, plus I have to tell you all about my new workshop (I'm in LOVE with it)! See you then!