Spin Class

So all summer, when ever I visited The School Box, I kept eyeing something awesome.  I talked myself out of it every time.  Then the school year started and I finally caved a bought one.  So without further ado.....

So the package I bought was just one, and it was the red arrow.  I am so happy I made this purchase, it makes lessons so much more interactive and fun for the kids.  It has been a great center activity as well.  Here is a picture of when we used it to learn about Word Families:

You can use it for anything, math, reading, or language arts.  It's magnetic and sticks to the board for easy storage.  You can pick one up at your local School Box, or online from the company,
http://www.educationalinsights.com/

I have already had friends get them and they love them as well!

Happy Spinning!

Story Element Cards

Comprehension is big and it is something students need to continuously need to work on. Here are 12 cards that are kid friendly with picture cues. There are many different ways they could be used. Here are a few we thought about:
1)  During Guided Reading you could fan them out and hold them out face down. Have each student pick a card and then answer the question.
2) Put the cards in a bucket and have students pick at random.
3) Give each student a set to use during literacy centers.
4) Have a few class sets for the students to grab while at buddy reading, independent reading or the library. 
5) Keep a set of the cards at your circle time spot and pull one  or two each time you read a story to the class.

To download your own set click here! 
ALSO: There's still time for the Scrabble Pack Giveaway! Click here to find out how to qualify! It ends Monday July 4th! And thank you as always for your support!

Guided Reading "Ticket out the Door"

Both of our schools participate in the Guided Reading program.  I LOVE this program and think it is extremely beneficial for the students.  The struggle that I have is finding an accountability piece for my first graders.  I know that they are working hard on reading when they are in a small group with me, but what about when they are doing their independent centers?  I had this idea tonight during grad school and I couldn't wait to come home and create!  Here is my "Guided Reading Ticket Out the Door"!  My vision for this writing assignment is not a daily assessment, but rather something I pull out sporadically, hopefully at least weekly, to check what my kids are doing.  It is important for me as a teacher to involve my students in meaningful work, and this is a good way to make sure they understand that what they are doing is purposeful.


Hopefully this is something some of you can use as well!

Reader Hard at Work