We Were Moving and Grooving Today

Go ahead and call me a softy. . . "SOFTY!"

I couldn't decide who to give my Eggstra Value package to, so I just caved and gave it to everyone who left me the message that I had asked them to. So if you're reading this, you might want to check your email soon. 

If you didn't enter my little contest, you can still pick up 

the Eggstra Value activity at my TPT Store. 

You can use this game as a Scoot game or part of a center activity. But I set mine up a bit differently today. I wanted to be sure that all my kids had a chance to work with them today. (You know how there are those ornery  lovely students who try to get out of doing their work!) 

This picture shows how I set them up on my counter. (Are you as strapped for space as I am?)

 I taped them to the side of the counter and 

to the top right above them.

 I put them in random order so they had to pay close attention to detail and be sure that they were in the right spot.

I left them up tonight so that those who didn't have a chance to finish could do it tomorrow.

Have you met Deana Kahlenberg from Primary Punch? I have been using her Text Features package. 

It's a wonderful way to help your kids really get to know each text feature. We have been working with these for about a month. There are dominoes, fact cards, and a couple other activities to use to help them learn this skill.

One of the activities has the kids going on a scavenger hunt. I placed the riddle cards around the room. I let the students work with a partner (that I picked). They each had a white board to use as a hard surface to write on. They each had a recording sheet. Together they were supposed to teach each other about the riddle as they were trying to figure out which text feature they were reading about.

It was great to see them working together, moving around the room, and truly learning from each other. Check out some of these pictures. 

 Don't cha just love how daintily they are holding their suckers? Ha ha!

 Can you see that man on his knees? He was repairing my heater, and  my kids didn't even notice him there! 

They were so involved in doing this.

After everyone was finished, we checked them together using my Elmo. My kids were so proud of their results. 

We'll take the actual test tomorrow. 

Then we'll know how much they truly 

learned about Text Features.

For the actual assessment, you can do the same thing, place the test cards around the room (or use a gym if that is available to you). But I think I'm going to show the cards on my Elmo so that I can read it for them while they put their answers on  the test paper at their seats. (we use offices, trifolded cardboards to shield our work so others can't see their answers.)

The last movement that we did for the day was a perfect way to end the day. Deanna also has a pack of activities for April  called Hippity Hop. One of the games is called Think Ink. This is a practice with synonyms. I put a card on each desk. I started the music and the kids had to move around the room. When the music stopped they had to read the card that was on the desk in front of them. It was their job to think of a synonym. Then I pulled 3 names of students. They had to read their card AND give me a synonym for that word. If they could do it correctly, I gave them a reward ticket! Then I'd start the music again, and they just loved moving and jiving around the room. There was a lot of learning going on and a lot of fun too. It would have been a great day to have been surprised with a walk through from my principal!

These pictures don't show them reading, but it does show them loving it!

I highly recommend that you visit Deanna's store and check out all the goodies that she makes.

Patty