summer

Monday, February 29, 2016

Free Activity Calendar for Reading At Home

Would you like your students to see that reading isn't only in a book? Then you can grab this freebie and print it off right away so your kids can read at home all month long.


These calendars have things that they can read at home at their own pace. They can color in one square as they complete it. They can do many in one night. They can skip a night if they wish. But by the end of the month they will turn in whatever they have done. 

Some of the activities are Read some Poetry, Read the label on a package, Read the back of a cereal box,  Read someone's hat, and many more. 

You can choose to use the prize chart that I have provided or you can white out my choices and make your own. 

I chose things that were not too expensive but also something kids would want to earn. 

There is a Spanish version attached in case you need that too. 

It's fun and it's free! So grab it and please let me know what you think. If you have any questions, please ask them in the Q&A section. The same goes for if you should ever find a typo. Take care of that in the Q&A section so I can fix it before you rate it. 



Saturday, February 20, 2016

Do You Need to Add or Subtract?

Is that a problem for your kids? Do they just guess whether they should add or subtract? I decided to let my kids practice listening to the problems and just decide on which action they should do. 
They don't even have to find the answer (although you could if you wanted to). 

 I made these paddles with add + on one side and subtract- on the other. I used two small paper plates with the stick in between them. The plates spoon each other so they are easier to store for another time. I hot glued a craft stick to them. 


Read the problems in the file attached below. Let them hold the paddle to their chest so their neighbors can't see how they voted. And you can easily get a feel for their understanding. 

This can be practiced over and over
 until you think they finally get it. 


If you'd like to grab the free short story problems to use with these paddles, click Here
Remember if you grab them, to leave me a comment. I'd love to hear if this is a problem for your kiddos and if you think this would work for them too.


Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Comprehension Snapshots! SMILE!


Do your kiddos need help or more help with comprehension? Mine do and I wasn't ready to do the ordinary comprehension questions that I always seem to ask.

Suddenly I remembered that I own Christina Bainbridge's set of Comprehension Snapshots. (Please tell me that you also forget some of the things that you own! I can't be the only one!)

If you are wondering what her Comprehension Snapshots are, take a peek at the sign she has on her TPT store:




I think that's a perfect definition.
They are quick and just the thing my 2nd graders need.



Click the picture to go to her store.

I work with small groups of students in my part time job. I also run one RTI (Response To Intervention) group. In this particular session of RTI, I have been given the top readers from all three of the 2nd grade classrooms. These 17 kids will come to me for 30 minutes four days a week.

(Don't laugh, but I have to work in the basement with this group. My little room upstairs is about the size of your home bathroom (NO JOKE!) So any background you see in these pictures is purely basement walls and storage junk!)

It occurred to me that Christina's Comprehension Snapshots would be perfect for this group. The pages are good for 2nd or 3rd graders. I knew they would be either perfect or maybe a bit of a challenge to this group. And THAT'S just what I needed to stimulate them. 


First I asked them to independently read and answer the questions on their sheet. 

 Then I asked them to share with a partner how they answered the questions and see if they had similar or different answers.

 And lastly we discussed their answers. On this particular paper we found there could be a couple different problems and a couple different solutions. We also were able to spend more time deciding what the setting of the story was. It wasn't a right there question in this story. You had to read between the lines to figure it out.  (Great practice for kids to read between the lines!)


 The pages are setup with two of the same stories on one page, so you only have to print half as many as the students you have in your class and then cut the pages in half. 



When the students see these, they are not overwhelmed by thinking the have to do a full page of work. Seeing a half page is easier for them to handle. It's just like the title. . it's a Snapshot!

If you're wondering what the lessons are, you can see the table of contents in the preview that Christina has in her store.  Click here to see the preview. 

She also has many other Snapshots products for 1st graders, for math, and for other language arts skills. Click HERE to go to her Snapshots section. 


If you would like to know more about Christina, be sure to check out and follow her blog. Click HERE for that!
I hope you will check these out. I have NO doubt that you will love them as much as your students do. 





Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Pick 3 Linky for February

I'm joining with my friends from Pawsitively Teaching, Just Reed, and Inspired Owl's Corner to share my top 3 Valentine Picks. I hope you find something fun for yourself. Be sure to go to their blogs and see many other fun picks from other teachers. 





I'm all about quick and easy. So when you see the things I share, you can be sure that I'm showing you things that don't take a lot of time. Because I KNOW! We don't have an extra 5 hours in our days!



It's Valentine's  Day and you just have to have something Pink, Red, and white.  . . . and Chocolate!

"Click on Image to View Original Pinterest Link

Don't those look just yummy? I am here to tell you they ARE!

When you click on the picture it will take you to Cooking Classy. The picture shows the same treats, but for the Christmas theme. Do everything the same, just substitute the M&M's for the Valentine colors.



If you are encouraging your students to read (and who isn't?) then maybe a cutsified bookmark will encourage them to read and read and read! These look pretty simple and easy to do. You can make these while you're watching The Bachelor, or a football game, or one of the Housewives shows!

"Click on Image to View Original Pinterest Link




This is a great idea for any of your kiddos. . .
 preschool, kinders, firsties, or even second graders.

"Click on Image to View Original Pinterest Link

This cool idea comes from KidsKubby.com If you go there, you'll find many fun things to do with toilet paper tubes.

So there you have it. My list of fun things to do this month! 
Happy Valentine's Day!