Book Boxes

I love my book boxes.  I bought these from Really Good Stuff three years ago.  They are holding up very well.  They should for the price!  I love the colors!    

This year I numbered all the boxes rather than write their name on the box label.  That way I won't have to do it again next year!  Time Saver!  

This is what I put in their book boxes.

1) Phonics Phone 

• Red ones are from Lakeshore Learning. I had a Donor's Choose project and had them donated to me.
• PVC pipe
• One large elbow
• Two piece hooked together

2) Reader's Bag - 

• Popsicle Stick for pointing.
• Highlighter Plastic Bookmark
• Retelling Hand Card
• Somebody... Wanted...But...So...Then... Anchor cards on a ring (Smekens)
• Index card with highlighter tape and post-it notes

3) Large Ziplock bag to hold paper readers that they get during small group.

4) Of course - Books!  I let them have 8 books at a time.  I have to monitor this.  They love to collect books! Especially if they are the new books or book of the week!

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Sight Word Games and Unit 4 Freebie

It's taken me all year but I finally finished all the sight word games that I've been using for review weeks.  In two weeks we will be starting our last reading book in the Treasures reading series.  I can't believe we have less than 30 days left!  I have so much to do.

I use these review unit games during Daily 5 Word Work, one on one and full class games.  It covers CCSS 1.RFS.3g.

Stop by to pick up Unit 4 for free by downloading the preview!  Leave some love if you like the download!

TpT or TN

Don't forget to stop by TN to get shop items on sale!!  

You guys are the best!

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Cause and Effect

Today I introduced Cause and Effect!

We started by making an anchor chart!  Surprisingly, they were able to provide some input on what it was even before I taught it.  My anchor charts are not as cute as some but the students get the point!

We came up with some clue words to look for when we were reading.  But we also discussed that sometimes there are not clue words to help us and we need to ask ourselves why did that happen?

This is my CAFE board.  I love having the pocket charts.  I refer to it almost on a daily basis.  I move them around to fit my needs.  If you want the headers click here.  They are free.  You can also pick up other Daily Five items!

Tomorrow, we are continuing on with Cause and Effect.  We are reading I Repeat, Don't Cheat! by Margery Cuyler.  Click photo to go to Amazon.  There are a lot of cause and effects in this cute book and a great discussion topic!  Great for many ages!  We will be filling out a cause and effect graphic organizer after we read the story.  We will also look for clue words.  Get those magnifying glasses out!

For Earth Day we used the Lorax mustache to add to our writing.  This unit was provided by Seusstastic.blogspot.com.  It's a freebie!  Very Cute!  But isn't my little guy the cutest too!  He spiked his hair - I think there is resemblance!

  

Let's Compare and Contrast!!  All kinds of comprehension going on in our room!

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CAFE board transformed

This is my CAFE board from last year.  I followed the method as described by The Sisters.  I struggled with the organization of this.  The board was too high to be accessable and the post it notes kept falling off.  I can't remember where I saw it but I saw someone use pocket charts for each category.  I'm going to like that I can easily take the cards down to use them.  Instead of post it notes I'm going to use cards with their names on them that will be put in the last pocket of the chart.

Here's my new board!!

I moved it to a lower board so the students can move their name to the skill they are working on.  In the box on top of the dvd player I have all the skill cards and name cards.  My next goal would to be able to have the microwave somewhere else!  Wish I had more room!  So far we have 3 skills we have been working on:  Check on Comprehension, Retell Beginning/Middle/End and Characters and Settings.

I am really liking this system!  You should try it!!

Get the poster headers for free!  Click here!

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Read to Someone!

Wow - we got to 13 minutes of stamina for Read to Someone today!  They were so on track!  I was so proud of them.  Today we learned how to choose a book if we couldn't agree!  1) Let's Make a Deal and 2) Rock, Paper, Scissors!  Look at these awesome partners!

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These boys were reading so nice just not to someone.  They were however both reading about ocean animals and then were comparing facts.  Still pretty cool!

I showed these pictures to the class in a slide show and we talked about what showed independent practice of Read to Someone.  Then we talked briefly about anything they would do differently.  There wasn't too much to talk about because they were so great!!!

How is your Daily 5 going?

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Daily 5 Headers - Freebie

Daily 5 has been the best system I have used over the years.  It reduces teacher management and it improves student learning! 

Somewhere in the room you will want to post the I-charts that you develop.  Use these headers for a buttletin board.  This was the board before we developed our charts.  Click here to pick up the headers for free.

Also pick up some Daily 5 management sheets Here!

Help me reach 500!  Follow me!!

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My New Zazzle Binder

I am so excited I just designed my own personal binder that I'm going to use for my Daily 5 Assessments.  I saw this last year but never got around to making one.  It was really easy.   I can't wait for it to come.  The Sisters from Daily 5 have worked out with Zazzle to give us teachers a discount.    The promo code is TEACHERSROCK.  It's 40% off!  Click Here to go to Zazzle.  Basically that takes care of the shipping cost.  So it came to $19.32.  More than I would normally pay for a binder but I'm looking forward to it sticking out around all the other binders so I always know where it is.

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Jungle Room

I've been working at my bulletin boards for next year.  They're not all done but I thought I'd share! 

This board used to be my calendar area but now I do the calendar on my Promethean board.  So I put the schedule, rules and birthday together.  My No Monkey Business is my behavior system.  All children have a monkey with their name on it.  They all start on green - the happy banana!  If they break a rule they move to the yellow banana and stay in for 5 minutes of their recess to talk with me.  If they move their monkey again to the red banana they owe 15 minutes of recess and talk with me again and they get a note home.  If they continue to get in trouble then I will send them to the principal.  However, I only had to do that once last year.

I put my desk flush against the wall to help me not to sit at it when the kids are there.  This is my teacher board.  The photos are my five adorable kids!  I used a thumbtack to hold the frame.

My rainbow color monkeys!

This board isn't done.  I made new CAFE signs in the Jungle theme that I will hang.  Then I bought 4 pocket charts to hang below each category so that I can put the task cards in the pocket and easily take it out when I want to.  I'm trying to find a new home for my microwave.  I never used to have it here but I brought it in to make smores and thought I'd leave it here.

Jungle Jobs!

This is going to be my math board.  I have been following all the Debbie Diller blogs.  Last year I tried Daily Math so I'm going to try math tubs this year.  The pocket chart is an old calendar pocket chart for the rotations.  The strips are erasable sentence strips.  I have categories paper practice, number games, fact practice and math tools.  I wrote the activity on the sentence strip for them to do.  I don't know if I'll continue this.

Oh yah - I need a title suggestion!

Word Wall

This one is a work in progress.  I have labels for each Daily Five.  When we make our anchor charts they will be added to this board.

Outside my door!

Sorry this blog was so long.  I won't be able to get into my room until August now -they're cleaning so I'll have to be patient to stay out!!

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Summer Letters to students

I'm getting ready to send out summer letters to my kiddos.  Last year someone had inspired me to do this and I used some of their wording but I'm sorry that I do not have the source for this. 

In their report card envelopes I include a self addressed postcard so the students would write to me!  Hopefully, this makes it easy for them to write me!

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CAFE Jungle Signs

I just made these Jungle Posters for my CAFE board.  I haven't even printed them yet for myself so if there's a problem please let me know.  I hope they print as well as they look.



 I've been trying to make all my bulletin boards have the jungle theme to keep the room looking cleaner like suggested on Clutter Free Classroom.  I hope to also work on my Daily 5 posters and all the labels in my classroom for math boxes etc.  Enjoy!

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