Primary Graffiti

Daylight Savings Freebie

2012-03-04T20:56:00.010-05:00

With Daylight Savings this coming weekend, I prepared an informational mini book for a free download. This provides my students with the understanding of what Daylight Savings is about, the history behind Daylight Savings, the advantages and disadvantages. Beliefs aside, we still adjust our clocks and the kids should understand why. I have a cute lil youtube video linked to the unit that will also break down the facts. The kiddos shared in a chuckle watching the video last year. Enjoy! If you get a chance, I'd love some feedback. Thanks a bunch!

Cash Bash Winner

2012-03-03T08:11:00.001-05:00

I apologize for the delay. Between Dr. Seuss exhaustion and preparing for my third surgery in one month on Monday, I working to stay two steps ahead and not behind. Don't you just love those curve balls mid-year?

The winner of the Cash Bash Electronic Flash Card is...

My Random Number is

6.00

Random Number Calculator

Classroom Makeover: Seuss Style

2012-03-01T18:54:00.002-05:00

The kids are going to flip out. I transformed my room into Seussville. Whatcha Think???

Check out Elisabeth's patterns here.

Sneetches Freebie

2012-02-29T20:25:00.002-05:00

Today I introduced the SNEETCHES to my students. We had wonderful discussion that connected to our Black History Content. We began with understanding the theme of self worth and acceptance while facing those who are prejudice. After making deep and meaningful connections, I introduced a few vocabulary words. We followed our discussions with collecting data and determining if any one group was more important than others.

We followed up with a sheet comparing two different people that LOVED the same things!

Grab your Freebie Copy by clicking the graphic below...

Oh.MY.GOODNESS! I have to share a secret. I found an etsy shop that I adore!!! Jaymee of Bubbles and Bugs makes the cutest shirts. AND...She will fill a custom order. Jaymee and I started our discussions on Sunday and I've already received one of my shirts. She rushed the order so that I can wear this BAD BOY on Friday!! I highly recommend you contact her to pick up your own cutie patootie design!!! You can also follower her on Facebook.

I'm looking forward to day four of SEUSS!!

Fox in Socks and The Foot Book Freebie

2012-02-28T20:10:00.002-05:00

Today we wore funny socks to celebrate Fox in Socks and the Foot Book for Seuss week. I searched online for a video of The Foot Book and found this reading of the story.

The kids LOVED his deep voice and expression!

I found this cute freebie on Buggy for Second Grade.

After Seusstastically describing feet with the above freebie, the kids created their own funny feet antonyms.

Flinstone Feet (with warts) and Regular Feet


Animal Feet/Human Feet AND Loud Feet/Quiet Feet

Love Feet, Mad Feet

Bone Feet/Skin Feet

Up Next...Fox in Socks! Love this book. We are working on measurement with various units. The kids are using centimeters, inches, feet and working on 1/2 inches. The kids got a kick out of the Ginormous Fox in Socks!

Here are a few pages I made to support our learning. Hope you find useful!!

Fox-Socks and Foot Books

PS. I have blog followers from my county and had the GREAT opportunity to go to their school today and observe their classroom. These ladies are PHENOMENAL teachers! I really enjoyed both Mrs. McLeod and Ms. Thompson. My favorite moment was watching the kids play I have, Who Has. Their kids play everyday. Students are timed for 3 minutes on their double digit subtraction. Once they beat the time, their teachers introduce a new I have, Who Has game. The kiddos broke the record at 2 minutes and 20 seconds! HUGS TO YOU BOTH!!! I hope we can meet for lunch in the future.

Cash Bash Review and Giveaway

2012-02-27T23:37:00.002-05:00

I've had the pleasure to review several products from Learning Resources. I received the Cash Bash Electronic Flash Card several weeks ago. I decided this product would be a perfect fit for my second grade students

Cash Bash is a hand held electronic game for independent practice. Students worked to race against the clock which is set at 60 second rounds. The game provides different levels to meet the needs of varying abilities.

Level one works on simple coin combinations. The flashcard produces an amount digitally and students are to use the coin buttons to add up the value. I noticed my lower performing students having challenges recognizing the coins. Some students are still working to identify the coins and their values while others are working on combining values. The coins are represented with the heads of the presidents and the picture was a little challenging to see. However, the coins are proportioned to represent the size attributes of a coin which can help with identifying the values.

When observing students, I noticed the kids were not counting efficiently. Since this is a timed game, we discussed how much time was wasted counting by 10s when they knew how to count by 25s. We timed a round skip counting with lower values. For example: when counting to 85, we used 10s and 5s. Then we timed a round counting efficiently and noticed skipping by higher values was time productive with more flash cards solved.

Level two incorporated the dollar bills with the coin combinations. The dollars were easily identified with their value on the bill. Each of the combinations represented were under 20 dollars.

I love the option of having music or being able to put the game on mute by turning off the sounds. The additional sounds are interesting but can be distracting in a hard working classroom. Overall, the kids were eager to play and race the clock to solve the most combinations.

If you are interested in the Cash Bash Electronic Flash Card, you can enter to win here! I will randomly select one winner on Friday.

There are two ways to enter this giveaway:

1: Like Learning Resources on Facebook.

2: Post this giveaway by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or create a Blog Repost.

Good Luck!!

Seussville in the Making...

2012-02-27T21:11:00.002-05:00

Today was a ton of fun. I wanted to share a few pictures from the free Mini Unit I posted yesterday.

Mr. Weird teaches pigs to moo and cows to fly.

Mrs. Trampoline teaches kids to jump.

Mrs. Starfeel teaches the kids to watch the stars.

Mr. Explosive teaches kids to blow up things!

Mrs. Plastic teaches the kids to recycle.

Mrs. Bouncy teaches the kids how to jump.

I've been working secretly to change my room into Seussville. My friend Elisabeth Delk has the BEST patterns available in her store. When she released her top selling unit, I email and asked if she would package just the patterns. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of STUFF I have to do this week and wouldn't have the time to incorporate an entire unit...although it looks FAB! She immediately responded with an uploaded pattern pack. MUCH.LOVE.TO.YOU.ELISABETH!!!! I projected her patterns on the Elmo and made patterns larger than me...NOT KIDDING! The kids are really going to flip out!

I plan on finishing the rest of the Seuss friends tomorrow. When I arrived at school, my vice principal had decorated the workroom with Truffula Trees. The book of the month for March is The Lorax. My school does a fabulous job at transforming the school to match the theme of our book of the month. Check it out...

A Styrofoam ball on a plunger with a boa glued to the the ball. Easy!!

Diffendoofer Day

2012-02-26T22:05:00.006-05:00

Hooray, tomorrow is Diffendoofer Day! My class is wearing different hair styles and excited to celebrate a week of Seuss.

Click the graphic to download a freebie file and celebrate with my class! Link here for a video reading of Diffendoofer Day!

See pictures here.

Leaping for a Leap Year SALE

2012-02-26T01:10:00.013-05:00

Nineteen bloggers have teamed up for the Leap Year Sale!

Click image to access a pdf with links to blogs and TpT stores!

I have my wish list transferred to my inbox and awaiting the sale!!Don't forget L2P9Y for an additional 10% off an already 20% store.

Click the button to browse my selection!

Here are a few Resources in my store...

Student Resource Binder

Data Notebook (Student Accountability)

CHAMPs Behavior Management

Rainbow Behavior Chart

Patterned Calendar Cards

Schedule Cards

HM Strategies (Aligns with Focus Walls)

Pocket Chart Jobs

Birthday Display

Here are a few literature units in my store...


Vocabulary, Sequencing, Life Cycles, Spring, DC Monument, etc.

Teaching Exclusion

Fables

You can also find many math work stations...

And Many More...

I want to thank Cecelia for suggesting the sale to Paul. You can find her blog here and her TpT store here. If you are hosting a sale, please comment with a link below!

$100 Learning Resources Winner

2012-02-25T20:35:00.001-05:00

My Random Number is

48.00

Random Number Calculator

Congrats to

Biography and Text Feature Freebies

2012-02-25T01:43:00.001-05:00

This week we began biographies in readers workshop and reports in writers workshop. I began the week teaching the kids about a biography.

Click to Print

I introduced Wilma Rudolph from the student Anthology and followed up with the school wide book of the month: Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the Fastest Woman.

During writers, we began working on text features. The kids took a keen interest in learning all content thrown their way! It just so happened that I was offered an opportunity to try Scholastic Magazine for February and March just in time for reports and life cycles. After reading Beth Newingham's article on Non Fiction Reading Resources, I jumped at the offer. The magazines are perfect for learning text features and their digital issues would ensure students engagement throughout the entire lessons. With the now!Board, I was able to display and allow the kids to interact with the magazines whole group. I decided to focus on timelines.

This article came from Feb 2012 Scholastic Issues.

I printed the PDF within Beth's article featuring 23 amazing pages of text feature posters!

After reading Wilma Unlimited and observing photos online, we charted a few facts. The kids went back to their anthologies to pull out the rest of their facts. With peer and teacher conferencing, kids ordered their dated facts on a timeline and secured them with tape. Their biographies were the best I've ever seen from 2nd graders.

I tried to enlarge so that you can read!

To conclude biographies, we ended our week learning about George Washington Carver with our 3rd Grade FCAT Buddies. Brainpopjr features a wonderful video on their website. I purchased a membership early this year for a single computer at $8.00 a month. TOTALLY WORTH IT!! I use my laptop for my membership so that I can take it home and search for the videos and display on the white board in school. We worked on the door last night for the school wide door decorating contest.

Whatcha think of our door?

The kids created a list of words from the Brainpop video to describe George Washington Carver. They teamed up with their buddies and used a Thesaurus to identify synonyms. Our students developed wonderful vocabulary. After, the kids wrote a biography on GWC using Fun 2B in First's unit. Click the graphic below to link to her free unit.

I'm very excited about Dr. Seuss this coming week. With pinterest inspired lessons, a few of my own creations, and a field trip to The Lorax on Friday...we should have too much fun!

I'm providing a link to a video about the life of Dr. Seuss. This goes along with Scholastic's March Dr. Seuss issue. For every issue of Scholastic News, there is a video that introduces the topic and gives background knowledge to the kids.

And here is a game. It’s meant to be done after kids read the March issue “Flower Power.” The class can play it in teams and test their comprehension of the issue. There is also a game for every single issue of Scholastic News. Many of them are like this one—reading comprehension—and others use the theme of the issue to test another skill, such as synonyms or ending sounds or math skills.

If you want to subscribe to Scholastic Magazines, you can go to this link here!

Good News!

2012-02-22T20:19:00.001-05:00

In response to my now!Board review, I was contacted by the rep for Learning Resources. The company is working to become an official partner with DonorsChoose. She says that followers can read updates on Learning Resources Facebook page.

When I originally posted, I confused Learning Resources and Lakeshore Learning as current DC Partners. Oops. With that mistake, doors opened for us all. There are so many wonderful Learning Resource technology products that I'd give anything to get my hands on... with their partnership, we will have access to these products with fewer DonorsChoose credits used. TWO BIG THUMBS UP!!! I hope you enjoyed the news!!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the $100 gift card to Learning Resources. Double your changes to win by entering my friend Kristen's giveaway at Ladybug's Teacher Files.

HM 2nd Grade: Theme 5 Thunder Cake

2012-02-20T20:45:00.001-05:00

I've completed Theme 5, Week 4 selection: Thunder Cake. On page two, you will find two graphic images from The Teacher Wife. With Lindsey's permission, I've added these graphics to align with our phonics lessons for the week. The kids enjoyed her unit VERY much! If you get a chance, click the image below or within the pdf to link to her unit. IT'S.WORTH.IT!!! I promise. =)

Theme 5 Thunder Cake

now!Board a Portable Interactive Solution and GIVEAWAY!!

2012-02-19T14:03:00.003-05:00

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I am excited to introduce you to the now!Board, a Learning Resources Portable Interactive Whiteboard Technology to use in the classroom.

now!Board offers similar interactions to SMART technology without the board. This is a cost effective solution to purchasing a $1500 interactive board. now!Board is available at the affordable price point of $499.

I was a bit surprised to receive a package as small as a shoe box. I was certain more was still to come. After opening, I pleasantly stunned to see how portable the device really was! Technology that literally fits in the palm of my hand! With only three steps, my new now!Board was installed and operating successfully!

Step 1: Download the software.
Step 2: Hook up the camera by USB cord.
Step 3: Calibrate the board with the stylus.

NOTE: You will need a projector and a computer to interact with the now!Board technology.

The portability factor is a HUGE plus. As a team teacher, I'm able to pass along the technology to my partner to use in her class. No longer are the worrisome days of moving grade levels or classrooms and leaving the installed technology behind!

The product comes with a wand and stylus for differentiated motor skills. Since you are using a regular whiteboard, you do not have the touch capabilities of the SMART Board.

Houghton Mifflin is my reading curriculum resource. Although I love the eWord games, I often leave this as a center tool rather than an instructional tool. This past week, I was able to allow the students to interact with the eWord vocabulary games for Theme 4 during my mini-lesson AND the kids loved it! We set up teams and without realizing, the kids were learning.

The product will be available in April 2012. Although the cost is affordable for interactive technology, I'm aware of the challenges to come up with five hundred spare dollars to spend. You can set up a DonorsChoose project for the now!Board by clicking the link.

I encourage you to watch the video on how to use the now!Board.

Are you excited yet? Well the fun doesn't stop... You can enter to win a $100 dollar gift card to Learning Resources to offset the cost of the now!Board or use on any other Learning Resources products.

You have four ways to enter:

1. Follow my blog... EASY!

2. like now!Board on Facebook and let them know Primary Graffiti sent you.

3. leave a comment on the now!Board YouTube video expressing your thoughts about the product.

4. BLOG about this giveaway to spread the word about now!Board.

The winner will be selected on Saturday February 25th.

GOOD LUCK!!!

HM 2nd Grade: Theme 5 Carousel

2012-02-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

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Theme 5 Carousal

HM 2nd Grade: Theme 5 Jalapeno Bagels

2012-02-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

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Theme 5 Jalapeno Bagels

HM 2nd Grade: Theme 5 Brothers and Sisters

2012-02-18T13:09:00.001-05:00

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Theme 5 Brothers and Sisters

HM 2nd Grade: Theme 4 Progress Monitoring

2012-02-18T13:03:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay... We are working on Theme 4 Progress Monitoring this week. Be prepared for several post today with updates on Theme 5 Focus Walls.

Theme 4 Progress Monitoring

For NEW followers, you'll find downloads for themes 1-4 in both my TpT store and the label Focus Wall on my sidebar.

Monument'al Tour Guide

2012-02-14T23:39:00.003-05:00

Hi Friends! I've been a busy lady since my last post!! I wanted to share my Monument'al Tour Guide (from my Cherry Blossom Friends Unit). We had a wonderful time learning about the monuments in DC while reading Cherry Blossom Friends by Corkey Hay DeSimone. I've added this guide for $1.50 to my store.

Click image below for more details on the 'Monument'al Tour Guide

If you purchased my Cherry Blossom's Unit, please link to the store by clicking graphic below to re-download your copy. When completing our Tour Guide in class, I noticed a mistake on the Lincoln Memorial page.

Are you interested in reading about how I pulled together the unit? Here's my latest article at Really Good Stuff on Integrating Science by linking on the picture below.

Here are a few pictures of our 100th day celebration...

Mrs. Weaver (my team partner) is on the left.

My Valentines thanks to the wonderful Mrs. Randall's Learning Library and many variations found on Pinterest...

Princess Palace Place Value

2012-02-05T16:34:00.000-05:00

Over the past several weeks, I have received a lot of request for a girl version to my Place Value Wars.

Well... I've completed the request and uploaded to TpT. Palace Princess will provide place value practice that girls are sure to love. Let's see which princess will be crowned to the palace with a fun game of place value compare.

Sale, Sale, Sale!

2012-02-05T09:20:00.001-05:00

Super Bowl day is one of the most exciting days for me because I.LOVE.FOOTBALL. As much as I guy! I'm a hoagie eating, soda drinking, chip chewing, fan screaming at the tv that won't talk back which is really nice. My husband is in heaven during football season because I won't move from the TV on Sunday. So to celebrate many other store owners, I've created a pinterest board for my HUGE sale (I'd love if you repin, please). Yes, it's HUGE. I've discounted many favorites, several sports theme, and sprinkled in a few extra units over 5.00 dollars at 50% off. I will host this sale through the game. It may go on until tomorrow but that may depend on how amazing the games going to be. (((Smiles))) I've also discounted the rest of the store 20% off until Monday.

Click image above to link to my store!

Future Units.. and a winner

2012-02-04T09:37:00.004-05:00

Working with Maria Dismondy has been a pleasure. Please be sure to check out her blog at http://www.mariadismondy.com/blog/. AND stay tuned for a future partnership with Maria on her book Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun.

My Random Number is

32.00

Random Number Calculator

The winner is...

Email me at primarygraffiti(at)yahoo(dot)com with you address. I will send your information to Maria so that we can send you your prize!!!

If you are still interested in this unit, you can link here. If you are interested in more information about Pink Tiara Cookies for Three, link here.

Cool Projects...

2012-02-01T22:56:00.002-05:00

Our 100th day projects are starting to come arrive in class. I just love how creative the ~~parents~~ kids are!!!

Life Cycle of a Cherry Blossom Tree!

I love that she is connecting to our cross curricular unit.

Yummy!

Looks Pinterest Inspired, Right?!?!

If you wish to read more about the expectations of the 100th day projects, read here and grab your copy here!

Did you enter to win my giveaway? You can win...

Character Unit

AND

Link Here...

You Can't C Me
Just Because...

I've Been Tagged

2012-02-01T00:25:00.001-05:00

Playing with Pixie Dust has tagged me. Don't you just love their blog name!?!? They were formerly known as Frogs, Bees, & Under the Seas which was another favorite blog name!!!

12 Fun Facts about ME...

1. I was born in Gainesville and bleed Orange and Blue...Go Gators! Yes, I'm one of those people.

2. I put the boys to shame in FANTASY. I might be thrown out of the league after eliminating the CHAMPS this year. Oh. The. Bruised. Egos!!

3. I graduated with a degree in Sport Management and worked with the Dodgers Organization as a Media Relations Direction. Didn't have anything to do with the boys in uniform. HA!

4. My first year teaching, I co-taught with my assistant principal. Great Experience.

5. I'm addicted to HGTV and glued to House Hunters International. I'm a dreamer!

6. I hate driving at night. Really, it's a HUGE fear. Is there a program for this?

7. I don't have the patience for puzzles. If I'm going to sit in one place for too long, I'm going to sit in front of my computer!

8. Christmas is my favorite season. I love singing carols. Too bad I cannot sing AT ALL!

9. I can get lost in antique shops. Ours of endless oldies.

10. I was married on Little Palm Island, the most magical place on Earth! Google the location, you won't be disappointed!

11. My husband is a police officer. I do love the uniform!

12. I backpacked Europe with friends in 1996 for three months. Still the most memorable experience EVER!

Jennifer's Questions:

1. Do you buy lunch or take your lunch to school? I bring a lunch so I can multi task while eating. Soo sad but so true.

2. What are your favorite shoes to wear to work? I love sandals. I have pins in most of my toes... not a great story. Won't go near a shoe with a heel.

3. How many kids do you have in your room? I'm down to 18.

4. Biggest board you have on pinterest? I'm obsessed with pinterest. 41 boards and more than 1800 pins. I think Language Arts may be my largest board... possibly math. http://pinterest.com/primarygraffiti/

5. What's your favorite place to shop? My favorite place to shop is TARGET!!!

6. What were your wedding colors? We had a destination wedding. White, White, White! a little tan.

7. Favorite TV show? Hmmm... House Hunters and Hawaii Five-0. I have a hard time deciding.

8. What is your escape? My escape being on the water. I love to be on the wave runner, in the pool, boating, etc.

9. Do you always want to teach or do you have other ideas in mind? I want to teach. I love working with the kids!

10. Where did you go to college? University of North Florida

11. Do you have a class pet? No. I incorporate life cycles throughout the year. Beetles, Frogs, Chicks, Praying Mantis, Butterflies. Always excitement!

12. Do you find raising your own children and teaching at the same time difficult? No Children... Unless I can count my husband. Hehehe.

A HUGE Freebie, Character Unit, AND Giveaway!!

2012-01-30T05:00:00.007-05:00

Preview the Book!

Pink Tiara Cookies for Three does a wonderful job at teaching students that exclusion is a form of bullying. There are wonderful connections to be made within the story! I was able to create a wonderful lesson on character development.

Click image to purchase!

I created this terrific character unit to align with award winning author Maria Dismondy's story Pink Tiara Cookies for Three. Maria's message in this story is how bullying can be subtle but hurtful. This book tackles the concept of "Three's a Crowd" and how children have the tendency to exclude others.

I've created posters with the theme of friendship, self-esteem, individuality, and inclusion which are the primary themes within the story. You'll find information and links on bullying. I also created posters for character traits with featured lessons and reproducibles to align with the various traits. Students will work to develop adjectives describing the main characters. Also provided are graphic organizers to make generalizations through inferences to determine character development from the beginning to the end of the story. Don't forget to follow up your studies with a pink party (flyer included) to celebrate a bully free zone.

Click image to download a big freebie!

Still want more... you can watch and listen as Maria reads this adorable story. You will be hooked instantly.

This post is pack with more surprises! Maria Dismondy has generously agreed to giveaway an autographed copy of the book with a cute tiara cookie cutter to make your own set of cookies for your students! I'm including a copy of my new unit as well!

I will randomly select 1 winner on Friday, February 3rd. You can enter by following my blog, following my TpT store, pinning the unit on Pinterest, and posting about the giveaway! You have four changes to win. Please limit your comments to four!

Thank You Maria!

If you are eager to purchase a copy of the book, check out Maria's website first! When you purchase through her website, you will receive an autographed copy. Please visit Maria's website for additional information. You can also purchase Pink Tiara Cookies for Three at Amazon!

PS. Check out comment #3 for another surprise!!!

A little of this and that... Plus Winners

2012-01-26T22:18:00.009-05:00

Thanks to all that Filled My Bucket!!!

The three winners of three items from my store are...

Barbara from The Corner on Character

Ali from What Happens in Kindergarten...Last a Lifetime

And

Emily from Second Grade Silliness

I'm adding an extra winner because Jan took the time to sign up and send me an electronic drop for my bucket.

Ladies, email me with the three files you'd like from my store.

Did you know Classroom Freebies Blog is celebrating 1 Million views? This accomplishment happened in only 4 months. We will host 60 freebie files in 24 hours. WOW! Click the button below to link over and grab your copies!

Please link back to my 101st day post. I added an update with a link to a followers website. She celebrated the 101st day and the pictures of her dog house is worth a look!

We began functional writing this week. The kids are working on how to blow a bubble. There are many teachers that have featured this activity but the one that I downloaded the file from was Lindsey at The Teacher Wife. I will share the graphic organizers and writing as we complete the unit. I require more than first, next, and last for my second graders so the writing will take longer due to the added details. We made the craftivity before the completion of our writing because I wanted to share the importance of recording all steps. I made the directions unclear and useless at times. The kids saw the importance of having clear and useful instructions. My students now understand that functional means useful.

PS... Thanks to all that donated to my last DonorsChoose project! My project was for craft supplies. I ordered the multi-cultural paper used for this activity and the kids were very excited to pick out their unique skin tones. With minimum craft supplies available in class... I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL! Thanks again to Lori, SB, Lindalee, Ms. M, Donna, Jennifer, Michele, Denise, and Dana. You ladies are dream makers. =)

If you are interested in the paper, you can purchase the collection from Lakeshore Learning for $6.95.

We have 10 minutes during dismissal for ME TIME everyday. The kids can work in their journals, finish their scrolls, complete early finisher work, etc. I'm okay with the activity as long as the kids are working on a level 0 and independently. These two boys are texting. This isn't usually an activity but they were quiet, writing, and I thought it was hysterical!

101st Day of School

2012-01-25T22:06:00.001-05:00

I saw a cute mini unit from Kelli of Castle and Crayons for the 101st day of school. Several years ago, my kids and I celebrated the 101st day of school with the 101 Dalmatians. We had a blast. Looping with the same group of students for several years leads to lots of creativity.

We made edible dog collars, ate mutt food (Cocoa Puffs), and made dog ears with 101 dots. I could only find a few pictures but thought I'd share.

Couldn't find the picture of our collars! =( Anyhow.. You got the idea! Go check out Kelli's freebie!

UPDATE: I received a message from Vicky. She celebrated 101st day of school back in 08 and has adorable pictures of the kids. You have to see the dog house. Click here.

Book Buddies

2012-01-25T19:22:00.001-05:00

A year ago, Cara Carroll of The First Grade Parade introduced readers to the Brown Bag Book Club. The idea originated from a workshop Mrs. Carroll attended by Linda Holliman. For literacy week, I'm introducing this club to my class. I've worked tonight to prepare our bags for the lesson tomorrow. The kids will read their own story and fill in the graphic organizer. On Friday we will meet our FCAT buddies for the first time and share our stories. I also prepared a bag for our 3rd grade buddies with questions so that our students begin interacting with meaningful book discussions. I couldn't find a printable available so I recreated the sheet and wanted to share. Although I love wonderful comments, you should link to Mrs. Carroll and thank her for the inspiration.

Click on the picture...

Thank you to all that read my post last night and commented. Love having my bucket filled. I will follow up with the winners tomorrow. I hope you have a blessed night!

Are You A Bucket Filler?

2012-01-24T19:43:00.003-05:00

Are you a bucket filler? This year has been the year of encouragement through our bucket filling program. As early finishers, my students are allowed to write messages to their friends and deposit their kind notes into the recipients bucket. I noticed the kids messages started out meaningful and most recently became superficial. Sooo... the teacher in me decided to find a way to encourage positive praise. I decided to send the kids electronic bucket fillers. These really help build our writing stamina and encourage deeper messages. I displayed the message with the LCD projector. The kids loved that they received an email. So. Simple! Afterwards, the kids and I began writing a few messages to various classrooms. We have received positive feedback.

You can send your own electronic bucket fillers here.

You'll find some useful bucket filling resources here.

I want to fill your bucket too. Please read here!!!

100th Day Expectations

2012-01-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

I've been asked to share more details about our 100th day projects. I've uploaded both the file I used for my first graders and second graders to GoogleDocs. I'm not too crazy about the website but it will allow you to edit the download to accommodate your 100th day celebration.

First Grade

Second Grade

RtI resources and Data you can USE!!!

2012-01-23T18:57:00.001-05:00

I came across a new website to me and HAVE TO SHARE!! Yes, I'm shouting. Actually freaking out in a wonderful way. easyCBM has made RtI instruction easy peasy lemon squeezy! Oh. Yes. I. Did!

My school transitions for RtI from 915-945am EVERY MORNING. Since the entire school is moving at once, we have more success transferring kids to various classrooms that will meet their immediate needs. Sounds easy right? With more than 200 students on my grade level alone... easy it is not!

I currently have tier two word reading, tier three comprehension, and tier three math. Wowzers! easyCBM is a one stop shop. I've linked their screeenshots pages so that you can see all the wonderful tools this website provides..AND for FREE!

In Florida, teachers are required to give FAIR (Florida Assessment in Reading) to all students. This website has K-8: letter naming sounds, phoneme segmenting, word reading list, passage reading fluency, multiple choice reading comprehension, math number and operations, math geometry, math measurement, etc. Various grade levels provide different support options and you have access to ALL. Students can take the assessments online or on paper. I used several assessments for a baseline this morning and input the scores this afternoon and received magnificent graphs. Just what MRT would love to see!

You HAVE to check this website out today!! I signed up and had immediate access to files. YEAH!!! By the way..PURE excited here..I'm not getting paid for this. So stop reading my post and go check it out.

100th Day Projects

2012-01-22T19:09:00.001-05:00

With the 100th day around the corner, my kiddos are preparing for their big 100th day projects. Since we are in second grade, my kids work on groups of 100 through a 1000. Last year was a BIG success. Many students traveled through our primary hallway to take a look. I couldn't find all my fabulous pictures but did manage to find a few.

Here is the rubric used:

Here are a few examples:

The darling who made this project had the final 100 peace sign on a t-shirt to match her project. SOOOO CUTE!!!

This darling made a key (located in the bottom corner) to go along with her arrangement of goodies!

Grab you copies...

2012-01-16T23:19:00.002-05:00

I'm exhausted! I've been working on my school's SIP notebook. I thought writing the School Improvement Plan for Math was challenging... Preparing the mid-year update and the evidence notebook as worn me out!

I created seven covers for the various components of the notebook. I wanted to share since some of the covers could be useful in your classroom. Click the image to grab your copy.

I've had a lot of wonderful comments and emails about my Cherry Blossom Friends Cross-Curricular Unit. Thank you! I gathered a few pages from the unit for you as a freebie. If you are interested in the unit, you can win a copy over at First Grade A La Carte for her birthday bash! Click the image to grab your copy.

I want to thank Lil Book Chompers for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you!!

Cherry Blossom Friends

2012-01-14T02:10:00.007-05:00

Are you aware this year is the centennial celebration of the Cherry Blossom Trees given to the United States by Japan as a sign of friendship? In honor of this remarkable event, Corkey DeSimone wrote a fabulous book called Cherry Blossom Friends perfect for spring. Click image below for more information.

I love how the book features wonderful riddles perfect for primary students and rich history of the National Mall including the Tidal Basin and all the memorials of Washington DC for intermediate students. The author also does a wonderful job of explaining the shipment of the 3800 tress from Japan to DC.

This past year, I recommended this magnificent read to my principal for one of our books of the month. I was even more excited to hear the book was purchased for each teacher to feature in January. My school looks so pretty decorated in pink. I've been working with my students on a cross-curricular unit to align with the story.

Included in the unit: Cherry Blossom Friends vocabulary flashcards, vocabulary response sheet, and vocabulary concentration, picture of schema chart and graphic images used for the chart, blossom KWL, Haiku poetry lesson, pictures of student poetry, and poetry reproducible, Non-Fiction Cherry Blossom book, Life cycle of a blossom tree poster, Non-Fiction vocabulary using Frayer Model, blossom artwork inspired by First Grade Best with graphics printable, pocket chart riddles to sequence, animal flashcards to match to riddles, pictures of the sequence activity, Monument'al Tour Guide book of all the memorials featured in Cherry Blossom Friends (written for primary and blank for intermediate classes).

If you are interested in celebrating with my class, you can purchase this unit from my store.

Click image above to link.

If you'd like more information on the 2012 Festival, link here

Updates...

2012-01-09T22:41:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe this past week flew by so quickly. Here are a few pictures of our New Year Wish. You can find the printable from Erica's Unit here.

I used the hats from my activity last year.

We are working on Persuasive Writing. I introduce the genre with OREO (opinion, reason, example, restate opinion). We begin with graphic organizers until the kids understand how to write without the support. I have a student working on a magnificent paper and cannot wait to share on my students' blog (located on the sidebar) when we are complete.

The follow up lesson models how to transfer the writing into complete sentences. I forgot to take a picture of our shared writing. I will share tomorrow.

This book does a wonderful job at teaching reasons. The kids enjoyed it too!

Here's a chart of various strategies the kids shared during our math lesson.

We are reading Cherry Blossom Friends (pictured on the bookshelf and located on the sidebar). I'm awaiting a clipart request before I can share my unit which has been a huge success in class. Until then...

Here's a freebie for my followers...

Look at my calendar... Click image to download a January Freebie!

Click image above to purchase the entire set for $3.50.

My picture is officially up on the wall at school. The kids pass and pointed today at the wall of honor! Thanks for all the kind comments of Facebook!

Winners, Announcements, Freebies in 2012

2012-01-01T20:12:00.006-05:00

Congrats to Hadar @ Miss Kindergarten, Chrissy @ ReadWriteSing, Jennifer @ Herding Kats in Kindergarten. Email me and I'll send your file to you asap! =)

Thanks for all that commented. I have placed the unit on sale from now until Wednesday.

Sale: $2.80

I featured my winter centers over the holidays. If you missed Thistlegirls Christmas Special, I've uploaded the file to Scribd. The bonus coupon is good through Jan. 10th. Thanks for being a follower.

If you downloaded the Winter Centers file from TpT and would like to keep the file as one, you can redownload by clicking the image below!

Hope King from 2nd Grade Shenanigans is hosting a second giveaway. You still have a chance to win the Calendar Set. Link here to enter~

Look who's in this giveaway! Don't miss out.

2012! WOW. This year marks a 100 year celebration. Viewers gather each year to take a glimpse at natures beauty. A fleeting moment in time before changes occur. I'm currently putting the final touches on a remarkable cross-curricular literature unit in time for this upcoming celebration. The first person to answer correctly can choose any file from my store for FREE!

Happy New Year! =)

2012 Monthly Patterned Calendar

2011-12-30T01:55:00.000-05:00

I've created a patterned Calendar Date Cards file for the 2012 year. Included in the file are holiday cards to match the colors and graphics used for each monthly pattern. Also included are additional monthly cards for birthdays, no school and a blank card in coordinating colors for the monthly pack. Each month has a blank calendar with 2012 holidays to write reminders. This 113 page file has been uploaded to my TpT store for $3.50. Leave a message if you would like this calendar file and I'll draw a winner on New Year's Day.

2012 Giveaway Bash!!!

2011-12-30T01:43:00.000-05:00

Have you heard? A 2012 giveaway! 13 bloggers: Erica Bohrer, Melissa Freshwater, Lesson Plan SOS, Donna Glynn, Rachelle Smith, Jodi Southard, The Teacher Wife, Deanna Jump, Anna Brantley, Alessia Albanese, Michelle Oakes, Amanda Nickerson, and myself. Link here for more details!

Winter Centers

2011-12-22T17:08:00.002-05:00

Polar Opposites is a free download for Thistlegirl Designs 12 Days of Christmas.

Click image above to link to the download.

If you are interested, you'll find additional winter themed centers in my store.

Click image above to link to the download.

Football News...

2011-12-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

Holy Smokes Batman! If you have ever read my profile, you'll know how much I love football. A Floridian, I bleed orange and blue on Saturdays for my Gators. On Sundays, you see me sport teal and black in support of the Jaguars. Each year I claw my way into my husbands fantasy league. 13 boys and 1 lady. This group of boys have been playing fantasy together for 25 years. Over the past 7 years, I have come in and taken trophies. Hard on their egos. I silenced the group once again, beating the 1st seed in the playoffs. I'm heading into the semi-finals against my husband. I'm dancing on the sofa, Tom Cruise...I love Katie Holmes style!

Freebie Preview and Winter Centers

2011-12-19T22:24:00.001-05:00

Do you follow Thistlegirl Designs? Ashley is hosting 12 days of Christmas event. You can link here. She makes an announcement each day on her Facebook page here.

On one of the upcoming days, you can download Polar Opposites as a free. Included is FANTASTIC coupon offer.

I've also created winter centers to align with the freebie offer and features content I'm working on for my return in 2012. The file includes Digraph Dens with adorable polar bears, Snowman Compound Concentration with winter words, and Penguin Place Value.

Click to Link

Holiday Sale

2011-12-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

Winter Learning Packets

2011-12-17T09:45:00.001-05:00

My county has provided winter reading, math, and science packets for the kids to work on throughout the winter break. You can access K-8 packets by clicking the image above. Answer sheets are provided.

Polar Express Pictures

2011-12-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

Oh, WOW! Glad to break for the holidays. I had such a good time today. I didn't take as many pictures as I expected. Here are a few...

Train, CHOO CHOO! (and my thumb)

The Conductors!


The Passengers!

Persuasive

The Ladies

Polar Express File and Grinch Day Photos

2011-12-15T21:23:00.003-05:00

Today was a blast! We read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Used adjectives to describe the green maniac of a character (as described by one student today). Created similes. Compared changes in the character throughout the story. AND convinced the Grinch to Grin through our persuasive organizer.

Here are a few samples...

She has an older brother!

Elfy is our Elf on the Shelf

I've prepared a packet for our Polar Express thematic day for tomorrow.

Click to Download

Hope you can use!

Grinch Day and Exploring New Waters

2011-12-14T23:50:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow my class will dive into thematic learning with the Grinch. I've been inspired by many fantastic bloggers and pins. The refrigerator is filled with homemade Grinch Juice and Grinchy Green Cupcakes. Can you feel the excitement? Click the first picture to download the file!

Click to Download

My class and I finished up our Exploring New Waters unit. I purchased Musings of Me: Holiday Celebrations file and combined with my unit on continents and landforms. I was too excited to receive my DonorsChoose project funded in time for the completion of our thematic unit. Look at the new binding machine.

Click to Download

Isn't this button soooo cute!?!? Link to Kristen's blog and grab a button for your post.

Sleigh Savings Money Work Station

2011-12-13T06:35:00.000-05:00


Click Here

I created this work station to work on counting coins. My class has wallets and uses dollars for our class store.

We count our money each week and make trades. We visit our store every two weeks. I was surprised when we began our money unit and saw the challenges of counting coins. So... Sleigh Savings was created.

I hope you can use!

Fables Update

2011-11-29T17:14:00.001-05:00

I've added a few additional differentiated pages to the fables unit a few minutes ago. My kids had an enjoyable time working on similes. A few of my babies needed a little extra support. If you purchased the file this yesterday or today, please link here to redownload.

My kids had a hard time with the metaphor 'you are what you eat' so I changed it to 'time is money'. SUCCESS! I did find a minor spelling mistake as we read The Tortoise and The Hare. JUST TO AIR OUT MY DIRTY LAUNDRY. (((WINK)))

As always, I appreciate your support!

Here are a few similes created today!

Fabulous Fables

2011-11-27T00:06:00.000-05:00

click photo to download the preview

I've listed this fabulous fables mini unit on TpT for $4. It's on sale for the next week.

I created this fables mini unit to assist my figurative language lessons and align with our weekly selection. Included are fables and figurative language posters, two concept maps, four different fables with aligned vocabulary and follow up activities, writing fables graphic organizer, and scroll paper.

The fables include: The Tortoise and The Hare, The Crow and The Pitcher, The Ant and The Grasshopper, and Belling the Cat.

I used these four Aesop fables to align with Houghton Mifflin Focus on Fables, Theme 2.

It's a HUGE sale

2011-11-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

The Teacher Wife

Are you ready for an awesome Cyber Monday sale on TpT?!?! Many bloggers, including myself, are offering 20% off the products in our stores on top of the TpT 10% discount (use promo code CMS28 at checkout-valid only on Cyber Monday)! You can also enjoy 20% off our products from November 29th- December 1st!!

Happy Shopping to our Sweet Customers!!!

Day Six of Thanks!

2011-11-22T21:12:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful for Mrs. M of Little Priorities.

Mrs. M awarded my blog the Sunshine Award. (((HUGS))) to you Mrs. M!

Here are the rules for accepting this award:
1. Thank the person who gave this award and write a post about it.
2. Answer the following questions below.
3. And pass the award to 10~12 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs and let them know you awarded them.

My answers to the questions:

Favorite color? Black for my clothes, Cream for the house, Hot Pink for my Blog. =)
Favorite animal? Cats
Favorite number? 19. Soccer Jersey Number
Favorite drink? Coke
Facebook or Twitter? Google Reader. Sorry!
Your passion? I have many passions but most of the revolve around children: FOOTBALL
Giving or getting presents? Getting presents. Hugs and Homemade cards.
Favorite day? Saturdays. Includes hot Starbucks coffee and relaxation!

My top 10 blogs!

Doodle Bugs Teaching

Erica Bohrer's First Grade

Fabulous in First

KPM Doodles

Lesson Plan SOS

Lory's Page

Made for 1st Grade

Ms. M

What the Teacher Wants!

A few activities for you...

2011-11-21T22:26:00.005-05:00

I'm still in school for another day. Here are a few grabs for tomorrow...

Stone Soup

Mayflower

Comparison

Mrs. Miners Craft Activity

AND

Click Image to Link

Day Five of Thanks!

2011-11-21T18:51:00.001-05:00

Woody Allen writes, "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." This sums up my day perfectly. Kids can say and do the darnedest things. I'm truly thankful for the daily interactions with my students.

Have you ever given the kids a piece of paper and asked them to write the steps of making a turkey? Uncontrollable chuckles! Minus the milk, please.

Here is a sample: Hunt for the turkey. Watch out for the bears. Then, turn on the over to 100 degrees. Cook the turkey in the oven.

I asked, "How do you prepare the turkey to be cooked?" My darling responds with intensity, "That's what your grandmother is for."

Yes, I'm thankful for these days. Have your kids said things you are thankful for? I have a post from March you may enjoy, link here.

If you haven't already, you might like to link over to Rachelle from What a Teacher Wants and join her thankful linky party.

Day Four of Thanks!

2011-11-20T11:13:00.003-05:00

Those that live in my community make the holidays exciting. I'm thankful for their enthusiasm. This morning I wake with more authority than yesterday. Sundays are structured and well planned. I sit with a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice. I'm thankful the vitamin c will help with the gloomy bug I can't seem to shake. I sit out on my lanai and see that my roses are, once again, going to bloom. I thankful that this delicate plant has provided me with four new blooms during our seasonal change. My eye travels, ever so slightly, to the right and I noticed my holly tree shimmering with red specks. Yes, the holidays are near. I sit reading my community newsletter and the excitement that's to come in the next few weeks. Lakeside residence are preparing their docks and boats for an upcoming holiday boat parade. As well as inland residents are preparing their homes for a decorating contest. Gingerbread men, ornament filled trees, and lights of all types adorn the beautiful homes. Trolleys are rented and carry residents through the neighborhoods before gathering together in fellowship. I'm thankful for this enchanting experience. In excitement, I manage to have my husband pull down all our Christmas decorations in preparation for next weekend. We have a holiday tradition following Thanksgiving. Apple Cider cooks on the stove as the smell permeates the house and the 1984 version on A Christmas Carol pumps through our surround sound. I'm thankful for these traditions. I immediatly set down my community news and put pen to paper. A grocery list must be made! Cinnamon sticks, cloves, pumpkin pie filling, and graham cracker pie crust are among a few remaining items to purchase today at the store. I'm thankful for my husband who so willingly picks up our grocery items as I turn my attention to school. Do you have holiday tradition that you are thankful for?

Day Three of Thanks!

2011-11-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Five days and counting down until Thanksgiving. I love Saturdays. I'm thankful for the extra hours of sleep. I love waking up to the sunbeam, ever so slightly, peeping between my blinds and teasing me about the day I'm missing. I'm grateful that I didn't hear my alarm! I pull myself out of bed, stumble to the living room, hair a hot mess, eyes glazed over, and pull out the computer. Yes! I'm an addict. I'm thankful for my husband which so kindly gets fresh, hot Starbucks every Saturday morning. No Double Shot today! I'm thankful to have the time to sit and drink my tall non fat mocha with no whip cream. The first sip is delicious. I'm grateful for the warmth the drink provides me on this cooler day. FALL. On Fleming Island, we are experiencing fall like weather. The trees are beginning to turn various shades of red and orange. The fruit on our six orange trees are perfect for the picking. The grass has stopped growing which allows me to be thankful for not having to do yard work. I sit this morning looking at the water, listening to the sounds of the kids participating in the community Turkey Trot, and thinking about my family coming to visit on Wednesday. I'm thankful for the DVR which has stored all my favorite shows that I may watch until kickoff time. FOOTBALL. I don't know who loves it more, my husband or I. This usually means uninterrupted time to work, blog, and shop online. I'm thankful for so many things this Saturday morning. What are you thankful for on Saturdays?

DayTwo of Thanks!

2011-11-18T21:42:00.002-05:00

Six days remaining until Thanksgiving. I sitting here tonight reflecting on my day. I woke up this morning with a cold. After twenty minutes at school, I realized I was unable to stay. I'm thankful for for the magnificent teachers on my grade level that volunteered to split my class and allowing me to go home.

Teachers are amazing. I'm inspired by both teachers I interact with each day in person and those that I interact with through the blogs.

I'm thankful for my teacher partner, Jackie. She and I collaborate daily on lessons, assessments, and interventions.

I began blogging with my students in 2009. Mrs. Saoud's Class blog morphed into Primary Graffiti. I'm thankful for Kristen of Ladybug Teacher Files. I met Kristen at the start of the 2010-2011 school year through the blogging community. She gave my blog a make over, encouraged me through her comments and emails, and continues to inspire me with her post and tutorials. Thanks Kristen!!

I'm thankful for Mrs. Wills Kindergarten, Learning with Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Patton's Patch, Ms. Arnold of Oceans of First Grade Fun, Mrs. Kramer of Kindergarten Crayons, and Mrs. Evans of Lory's Page for co-hosting math work stations with me this summer. The book study changed the way I think about math. I grateful for the continued meaningful math post that each of these ladies continue to create. You ladies are the best!

I'm thankful for Erica Brohrer's First Grade. Erica and I became instant blog buddies almost a year ago. We communicate through our blogs, Facebook, emails, and most recently on the phone. I have no doubt that you and I will meet in person before too long. Thanks Erica for allowing me to share ideas and concerns!

I'm thankful for Mrs. Mathes of The Techy Teacher for co-hosting the postcard exchange. Mrs. Mathes is so creative and has many wonderful ideas floating around on pinterest. You should link over and be inspired. Thanks Mrs. M for all your creativity.

I'm thankful for Ms. M K/1 ELL Blog, Kristin of A Teeny Tiny Teacher, Jennifer of First Grade Blue Skies for your continued support and kind comments. It's the wonderful comments that let me know that know someone does read my little blog.

There are so many different teachers that I could feature. What teacher inspires you?

Seven Days of Thanks!

2011-11-17T22:59:00.004-05:00

With only a week to go before Thanksgiving, I'm thinking about all things I'm thankful for! I'm thankful for my Starbucks Double Shot that circulates my inner body as I come to life each morning. I'm thankful for one station that allows me to feel like a rock star as I belt, off key, for my 30 minute commute. I'm thankful that I still receive hugs as my old students dropping by each morning to tell me how much they love me. SNIFF! I'm thankful for the adorable interactions with my kiddos. When talking about text to text connections I asked, "Do you know what the word text means?" My darling who never says a word suddenly blurts out, "Sure! It's when you write a message on the phone." I'm thankful for the technology which allows for my shy student to have confidence to talk in class! 2:30pm. I'm thankful for my scheduled physical activity time. The mild mid 70s in November allows for the kids to run and play with enthusiasm. I'm thankful for my silent 30 commute home each day as I rejoice in the fact that I no longer hear, "MRS. SAOUD!" I'm thankful for my dog which shows no control as she attempts ever trick to receive a treat. I'm thankful for a loving and supportive husband that endures the countless hours I spend on the computer. What are you thankful for?

PS: What the Teacher Wants is having a Thankful Linky Party. Come join the fun. Click the image below to link up. Don't forget to read my previous post.

Holiday Treats and Resource Binder

2011-11-13T18:39:00.002-05:00

Here is a look at my holiday math work stations. The five games are bundled together for $5.00. I placed the bundle on sale through tomorrow night for $3.00. For more information and previews link here.

Did you hear about my states notebook? The kids have enjoyed learning about the different states from our postcard exchange. I take my students on a webquest for information. The links are provided in the file. We check out the state, flag, seal, quarter, motto, nickname, capital, bird, flower, rank, year the state entered the union, famous people from the state, and additional fun facts. After our quest, the kids complete a notebook page for their resource binder. The 111 page file is a free download here.

My kids use the resource binder for everything. Here are a few pictures of how we use our binders...

Book List

Words available in my resource binder download.

Personal Houghton Mifflin focus walls are available in my store for free.

Narrative Expectations, Rubrics, and Checklist

Weather Journal available in my store for free!

Grade accountability sheets in data notebook download.

My student data notebooks should not be confused with my DAN (Data Analysis Notebook) which contains class averages, graphs, benchmark grades, RtI documentation, safety nets, conference logs, running records, etc. I maintain this folder weekly. The data notebook download is for student accountability and has been very successful for my kids.

Pin It

Gobble, Gobble Math Pictures

2011-11-11T20:45:00.001-05:00

First three to respond with an email will receive a copy.
Link here for more information.

Gobble, Gobble Multi-Digit Addition

2011-11-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

I've completed my mulit-digit math work stations for Thanksgiving. I created this set of multi-digit addition work stations to align with strategies taught in my second grade classroom. We have learned how to decompose and move through the decades on a 100s chart. You can find the three games packaged together in my store for $3.00. The first game will provide practice on adding tens to multi-digit numbers using a 100s chart. The second game will provide practice moving through the decades on the hundreds chart by adding both tens and ones. The third game will provide practice problem solving.

Happy Veterans Day!

Published! and Behavior Management

2011-11-07T06:05:00.002-05:00

My recent article at Really Good Stuff's Teacher Blog is published today on Behavior Management. Click the image below to link to the article.

The pictures below feature the various management charts mentioned in the article. The first image show the item in my class room. The second image will link you to a copy of the file in my store.


Behavior Management Chart: Bottom Right

If you have a minute, link over and read my class narratives. I love how the kids are attempting authors craft in their monster writing! Link here.

Help Needed

2011-11-01T06:19:00.000-04:00

Oh No! If you can pass along the word, I would be appreciative!

Pictures, Lessons, and a Freebie

2011-11-01T00:38:00.001-04:00

I've had a tough two weeks. Today it will be two weeks since losing a friend. Tomorrow will be one week losing a parent of my student. This post will feature a few pictures of our past several weeks. We are working on learning the states this week. I've planned and prepared a HUGE free snag. Thanks for following along!!

The kids at the Zoo with our intern, Ms. Blunt.

We are having an upside down fun!

Love the goofy faces and our class shirts!

LOVE this book!

Vocabulary Cards

I read, Kids Visualized, Charted Details, Students Illustrated

Kids used descriptive details about their own monster!

Additional Pictures Tomorrow with a posted mini unit!

Character Pumpkins were amazing. We picked a vocabulary word to define on our crowns and celebrated our pumpkins in the vocab parade!

Nocturnal Night

We watched Stellaluna on Storyline Online featuring Pamela Reed.

Compare and Contrast

Owl Crafts

Spiders are interesting!

I've been working on a States Notebook for a few weeks. I would sale the item but some of the clip art used will not allow for it! If you like what you see, our class would be grateful for a DonorsChoose donation of a small amount.

Notebook Sheet Provided

Save on Paper!

Picture tutorial located in file.

Are you excited about the foldable craze? I am! Went to a math conference several weeks ago. LOVE the foldable presentation.

Foldable Book without stables or tape! HA!

I've also included the picture tutorial with words in the file!

I created this explosive 111 page freebie for my postcard exchange. The file includes several picture tutorials on creating different notebook artifacts. I've included all sheets in color and grayscale. Also included are links to resource websites and book recommendations.

Click picture to link. =)

Spooktacular Sale

2011-10-21T08:13:00.000-04:00

I'm throwing a sale. Everything at my TpT store is 20% off. Thank you for following along and supporting my endeavours along the way. We went on a field trip yesterday to the zoo! I used profits from the store to help pay for additional shirts so all my kids would receive a class shirt. Thanks to my followers, I'm able to continue to support activities and learning in my classroom.

Spooktacular Units

2011-10-21T07:51:00.000-04:00

Yvonne Dixon from Sassy in Second is having a mega giveaway. Seven wonderful teachers are working together to give a holiday theme prize away.

I've included three files from my store.

Link here to follow and play!

An Inch Deep and Mile Wide Just Wont Do

2011-10-19T18:10:00.005-04:00

My second article, An Inch Deep and Mile Wide Just Won't Do, was published with Really Good Stuff. This article explains the importance of vocabulary instruction.

Click the image to link to the article.

This month, I'm working on Vocabulary with the book: A Boy Who Loved Words. Although a bit challenging, the story was a fantastic read. I love watching the kids use STRONG descriptive words in their writing. A kindergartener told me they were voracious as he walked in line to the lunch room. ADORABLE!!!

Each of the kids in our school were given a word book to jot down (vocab from BOM) and develop their favorite vocabulary words. I created vocabulary cards using words from the The Boy Who Loved Words. As I introduced each word during the read aloud, the kids searched through their bags to find the word and glue them into their word books. It took nearly three days to complete the story. After a week break, we revisited the the book of the month today. I read through, stopping at each of the vocabulary words. The kids called out the correct word as I paused. They can read the vocabulary word in isolation. I now know they understand the meaning in the text. I asked for the meaning or a synonym for each of the vocabulary words. Without hesitation, the kids were able to answer. My heart is aflutter with excitement!

After our lesson, I had the kids look determine what they loved the most. They looked up the definition in the dictionary and leaned how to use the thesaurus. We described what we loved with great vocabulary.

I've included the vocbulary picture cards and link a few great lesson ideas #1 #2 #3 for The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter.

The Boy Who Loved Words Vocabulary

I posted about a fun vocabulary activity last school year after Melissa Forney visited our school. You can read this post here.

Rockin with Doubles

2011-10-17T23:31:00.003-04:00

Its the Doubles Rap, Baby! We are diving into doubles and near doubles in class. Nearly a year ago, Heidi Samuelson from Swamp Frog First Graders posted a video tutorial on creating an iPod case out of an envelope for your flashcards. You can link here to see her post.

I gave each of my kids the doubles rap to place in the "screen" of the iPod.

Once the doubles rap was glued on the sealed envelope, the kids colored a border. This allowed for a visual of where they should cut the the top off.

Technology is powerful. The kids love their iPod case and are eager to pull out their math facts.

Here is a example of another iPod.

I'm including a copy of my flashcards and the Double Rap. Enjoy!

Doubles Rap Saoud

The Winner is...

2011-10-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

My Random Number is

44.00

Random Number Calculator

Congrats Jennifer!! Email Abby to claim your prize!

Ghost, Oh My!

2011-10-15T19:49:00.000-04:00

My husband and I have enjoyed a bit of holiday festivities today. We went to our town fall festival. I enjoyed chocolate fudge and snow cones. The smell of funnel cakes was difficult to avoid but I persevered! Free concerts, face painting, craft booths, bounce houses, and lots of straw. Fun stuff. When we arrived home, we raced the darkness to hang our spider, put out our pumpkins, and light up our pinterest inspired ghost. I hope you are enjoying a spooktacular day too!

Top 50

2011-10-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

I've been awarded Top 50 Elementary Teacher Blog based on recommendations from other teacher blogs and because the content posted for elementary teachers. You can check out the review at http://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/top-blogs/elementary-teacher/.

Adjectives that Rock!

2011-10-12T22:51:00.000-04:00

There's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Keep reading!

Descriptive writing has never been so much fun! Abby's Pop Rocking Descriptive Writing Activities has inspired creativity in writing. We began last week with a gift bag sitting on my desk. It drove my kids nuts looking at this bag. My intern captured this on her camera and I'm so sad that we don't have the pictures for this day to post. =(

It's truly amazing to see how engaged the kids become when a mystery sits before them. Oh, the powers of a gift bag! The kids were eager to find out if the bag had anything special hidden inside. Monday, I revealed the pop rocks. GASPS were heard throughout the plush carpet. We've been working on a new book of the month with words such as savory, tantalizing, luscious, mellifluous, and scrumptious among a few. I was blown away to see that the kids use these words to describe the candy. Check out the first paper...

The next day was a blast and a half. I've always loved teaching my kids similes. I've been awaiting the right time to introduce the comparisons with my students. This activity, along with the Brainpopjr video on similes led to wonderful discussion. Grenades, Fireworks, Tanker Trucks, Snaps, Thunder and Lightning, Popcorn, TNT, Dynamite, and Volcanoes were the topic of discussion. If it made a noise, I'm certain it was recorded.

I was pleased with the final art projects. The kids were excited to see the unit pull together with their work displayed.

Uggh, the pictures have turned every way except upside down. Has anyone figured out how to keep this from happening?!?!?!

Here is the best part of this post!!! Abby has agreed to giveaway one copy of this fabulous collection of activities. Here are the terms of the giveaway:

You can enter three ways:

Follow Abby's blog and TpT store. (As if you don't already).

Follow here at Primary Graffiti.

Spread the word for an additional entry.

I will select a randomly generated winner on Saturday.

Weather Data Unit

2011-10-07T20:25:00.002-04:00

My kids have been exploring weather this week. This weather data unit extends through the next few months. During December, we compare our weather to various countries. In February, we compare our weather to various locations across the US to confirm Punxsutawaney Phil's prediction. I've uploaded to my store, if you are interested, link here.

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Yum! Candy Corn Fact Families

2011-10-06T22:56:00.001-04:00

I've pulled together 45 fact families for my students to practice during this month. Today my kids and I had a discussion about the benchmark: MA.2.A.2.1 Recall basic addition and related subtraction facts. I asked the kids what related means. One of my boys said, "Family". This led to the discussion on fact families. To my surprise, my darlings are in second grade and never heard of fact families. YIKES! Tens Go Fish was a success. I've been cutting for a over an hour. I'm determined to get the cards complete by tomorrow. I created the document in both color and grayscale. You are welcome to download for free in my store. Link here!

Trick or Treat

2011-10-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

I've been working on several math work stations with a holiday theme. This week, my students are working on basic recall of math facts. Students will be making combinations of ten and working with double facts. My goal is provide engagement through fabulous Halloween work stations. I've had a blast with the games tonight! Pretty certain that my husband thinks I'm nuts!

Trick or Treat! Tens Go Fish Holiday Edition is sure to provide kids a chuckle! I used place value blocks instead of number cards. I set the pages up so that you can print front and back. My cover page has the instruction on the back. The place value cards have a "Trick or Treat" graphic on the back! This will prevent students from seeing through the paper! Included are two recording sheets. I laminated and allow kids to use expo markers.

Double the Treat will allow practice with Doubles Math Facts. I provided the cards in both color and black & white. I too like to save my ink! Added bonus, kids will graph the doubles data.

Both games are uploaded to TpT for $1.50. I've uploaded Monster Measurement too! I participated in a summer book study for Debbie Diller's Math Work Stations. Great Book. Each chapter inspired wonderful ideas. Due to clip art restrictions, I have to charge for the game. Sorry! You can find this collection of measurement and time work stations on TpT for $3.00.

A Fun Week!

2011-10-02T00:43:00.001-04:00

This past week, I introduced the postcard exchange. It just so happened our weekly strategy was predict and infer. Abby of The Inspired Apple has a fabulous inferencing activity that I used with the kids. You can purchase your own copy here.

The kids are using their office with a personal focus walls to help improve writing! =)

I've been working with my class to develop their narrative writing with fantastic fantasy robot adventures. Our goal is to add descriptive language to describe the setting and characters.

Data notebooks have been a huge success! We work within our data notebooks on Fridays. I love the instant feedback. Kids assist grading their papers. My students know immediately their grades, why a problem is wrong, and able to correct with color pencils. After the assessments, we use our colors to graph the data. We are going to evaluate the progress of our action plans and determine additional goals this upcoming week. If you are interested in starting data notebooks, link here.

I feel like a Super Star! I drove up to school on Thursday and look what I saw...

Easi Speak Winner!

2011-09-30T06:11:00.000-04:00

Congrats Erika! Email primarygraffiti(at)yahoo.com to make arrangements for getting you the Easi Speak USB Recorder. Thanks to everyone for entering to win!

Thank You!

2011-09-28T21:01:00.002-04:00

Today was a whirlwind. I owe a big thanks to many people near and far.

I will begin close to home! I was nominated a week ago for teacher of the year. After a week of voting, this morning the was the big announcement... I am honored to be selected by my colleagues as the 2011-2012 TOY! Flowers, gift card, hugs, a parking spot, pictures, a missing class. Seems as though a principal and 18 kids fit comfortably in my closet.

Through the blogs, I too have been recognized and would like to send a BIG thanks!

I received the I Heart Your Blog Award from Inside the Classroom. Mrs. Mayhew awarded my blog this weekend. Check out her blog here!

I would like to recognize 10 blogs that I heart too! In alpha order: Doodle Bugs Teaching, Erica Bohrer's First Grade, First Grade a la Carte, Ladybug's Teacher Files, Learning with Mrs. Parker, Lesson Plan SOS, Lory's Page, Made for 1st Grade, Mrs. Wills Kindergarten, Ms. M's Blog,

I'm terribly excited to receive a second award this past week because it was TOO hard to select the above mentioned blogs from MANY other fabulous blogs. Thanks to Ana of Ingles360, I received The Versatile Blogger Award. This award allows me to select 15 additional blogs that I think are deserving of recognition!!

1st: HUGs to Ana! Thank You!!

2nd: 7 things about myself...
*I'm a football fanatic! College and Pro. GO GATORS!!
*I backpacked Europe in the 90's. BEST 2 MONTHS of my LIFE!
*I'm certain I need to seek professional help for my Chocolate ADDICTION. =)
*I love air plants. Weird HUH?
*Pools over Beaches! Sand in the Pants is ROTTEN! HA.
*Cocoa Cola and Starbucks keep me ENERGIZED.
*Target is my wallet's worst enemy.

3rd: 15 blogs I'm recognizing

What the Teacher Wants, Welcome to Kinderglynn, The Techy Teacher, The Teacher Wife, The Kennedy Korral Blog, The Inspired Apple, The First Grade Parade, Teaching Blog Addict, Sunny Days in Second Grade, One Extra Degree, Oceans of First Grade Fun, Mrs. Patton's Patch, Kindergarten Works, Kindergarten Crayons, Fabulous in First.

Under the Lemon Moon

2011-09-27T21:33:00.006-04:00

Under the Lemon Moon by Edith Hope Fine is a magnificent book! We worked for weeks to make connections with the text.

The kids watch a Brainpop Jr video on Mexico and identified the country on the map. Understanding the differences between the character or setting led our first discussions on comparisons.

We had a lemon party. YUMMY! We ate lemon cookies, lemon meringue pie, and lemon heads. All the lemon flavored food was washed down with lemonade! What better than creating a HOW-TO!?

VERBS, VERBS, VERBS! Students helped identify all the verbs in our HOW-TO writing! After circling the action words, we created a pitcher of lemonade. Although you are unable to see clearly, the kids added the verbs on ice cubes in the pitcher of lemonade! KEY-U-TE!

Working in science was a ton of fun! Kids created lemon fizz. This fun bubbly science experiment requires baking soda, lemon juice, liquid dish soap, food coloring and a cup. We watched as the lemon juice and baking soda reacted, bubbled, and began to rise up the sides of our cup! The kids were chanting the substance on as if it was a race to make the biggest mess! FUN.

Science Journal

Connections wouldn't be complete without a little math! During our first week of school, students were introduced to data. I couldn't be more than excited to use my NEW MathStart books from DonorsChoose! Lemonade for Sale by Stuart J. Murphy allowed kids to make text to text connections and work with various graphs to represent the data collected.

This book of the month was heart warming and filled with rich vocabulary. Each week, students are exposed to new words. Did you notice the moonbeam in our book of the month board? We are beaming about great work!

Easi-Speak USB Recorder Giveaway!

2011-09-25T02:55:00.000-04:00

This past week, Learning Resources provided a fun twist to group work, accountable talk, and reading assessments through the use of technology.

My students worked to complete balanced meals from our previous selection, Dragon Gets By. I divided the class into two groups. One assigned task was to cut out food from a grocery ad and glue the picture to the NEW food pyramid. Another task was to create a shopping list for a balanced meal. The synergy between group members was captured on the Easi-Speak USB Recorder. I giggled as I listened to the entire 10 minutes of accountable talk!

Click above to listen!

I've also used the recorder for reading assessments. Kids are always so focused on what you are writing when completing running records. During independent reading, I allowed students to record themselves reading from their bag of books. I was able to complete a formal reading assessment while another student recorded themselves for an informal assessment. I was able to take the recorder home and listen with to my student read while my husband watched TV. Although I believe we need to see the students' reading habits and decoding strategies, I was terribly excited to hear my kids read in the comfort of my own home.

In the next audio clip, you'll hear a student read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I hung the Easi Speak USB Recorder around my students' neck from the product lanyard. I will adjust the string on Monday and incorporate recording routines to eliminate additional sounds.

Click above to listen!

As the year develops, I can see using this recorder for digital storytelling, student led workshops, and take home projects.

This compact, wireless device has quickly become a favorite tool in my classroom. I will podcast the weekly selections with the recorder. The built in thumb drive allows for an easy upload and charge. The WAV and MP3 files can easily be converted to fit your needs!

Technology is a HUGE component of my classroom. I'm excited to find new ways to inspire creativity among my students with the Easi Speak USB Recorder!

Here are the terms of the GIVEAWAY!!!

You can enter 1 time for each of the following for a total of 5 entries altogether:

1 entry for following Learning Resources on Facebook and let them know Primary Graffiti sent you!

1 entry for following Learning Resources on Twitter and let them know Primary Graffiti sent you!

1 entry for following Learning Resources on Youtube and let them know Primary Graffiti sent you!

1 entry for following Primary Graffiti

1 entry for posting about the giveaway and linking to my comments!

The contest will end on Thursday, September 29, 2011. The winner will be announced on Friday. One winner will be chosen at random through random.org to win an Easi Speak USB Recorder valued at $70.

Staying Connected!

2011-09-18T09:39:00.000-04:00

Want to stay connected? You can follow my classroom/teacher blog on Facebook and Twitter! I'm linking up with The Lesson Plan Diva to share our account with wonderful teachers across this magnificent planet.

Naming and Action Puzzles

2011-09-17T19:27:00.000-04:00

This week we will be working on action words. I created a grammar work station for the kids to practice both nouns and verbs. Enjoy!

Naming Action Puzzles

Destinations!

2011-09-13T19:38:00.000-04:00

Students have been working on assigned activities in Destinations Reading and Math during our visits to the computer lab each week. I love that the program will allow me to assign a benchmark which assess the kids on their comprehension. The program will automatically assign activities based on their assessment.

I've uploaded several benchmarks address in math. Additionally, you'll find activities to support FAIR in word building for consonants, vowels, blends and cvc/cvce words. I've assigned the weekly HM selections and aligned phonics, grammar and vocabulary skills for each selection. We currently have Dragon Gets By, Julius, and Mrs. Brown Went to Town uploaded. I will continue to upload new assessments and games for student engagement. I encourage you to allow your child to play on Destinations.

For additional assistance, please read the parent guide! Check planner for login and passwords.

Trifold Duval Parents Guide 2011

Guest Columnist

2011-09-12T22:03:00.002-04:00

My article for Really Good Stuff was published tonight. Click the picture above to link over and read!

Click the picture above to receive a free copy of my schedule cards referenced in the article!

Click the picture above to receive a free copy of my job cards referenced in the article!

Ashley at ThistleGirl Designs has updated the Licensed Resellers Logos! Here is my new logo!!

I want to thank my friends across the blogging world for your continued support! I've received many kind emails wishing me well and looking for my return. I'm back!!

Riding the Tide and Digging in Deep!

2011-09-08T22:33:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited to be recognized by Ms. M at Tales from a Kindergarten and First Grade ELL Teacher and Barbara at The Corner on Character for such a wonderful honor!

My apologies for my absence! I'm currently on the Leadership Team at school and we are writing the School Improvement Plan for the 2011-2012 school year. HUGE TASK! Amazing learning experience! And I will run the opposite way if ever asked again! =)

I am grateful for an amazing class! Wonderful intern! Fantabulous parent helpers! I'm truly blessed to have amazing people in my life. I'm eager to share our experiences, lessons, and pictures!

I would like to share a magnificent story for the start of the school year. If Everybody Did by Jo Ann Stover

I used this story to discuss rituals and routines. Through its funny examples, we charted the responsibilities of both my students and I. What a unique discussion on cause and effect! Additionally, we studied rhyming, repetition, and onomatopoeia.