Another Give Away For You to Enter. (and hopefully win!)

Sally at Elementary Matters is having a Give Away and I just bet you'd love to win some of this stuff. You just better click on this picture below and head on over to her blog. 

Among the many things that others are giving, you can win my Apple Addition Splits activity. It's great for a center or a 

small group led by an adult. 

And if you like that (or if you WIN that!) You might want to check out this subtraction set that compliments it. 

(If you click on either picture it will take you to my store.)

Get going now, I want one of you to win this!

Patty

Math Movers May Be For YOU!

At this time of year my kids (and I) are tired of sitting around. 

I found Deana Kahlenberg's Math Movers Spring edition 

to be just what they we needed!

(I took this picture on my floor so I could show you the cover of it.)

I set it up in the hallway on a bulletin board. 

(Don't anyone mention about how crooked the word Moving is!)

I backed them with a colored paper so they 

would pop off the bulletin board a little better.

Here is a sample of what some of the pages look like.

I was ready to set my kids to work! I allowed 4 to

 go into the hallway at a time to work on this. 

With a white board in hand as a hard surface to 

write on, they were set to go!

When I checked on them later, this is what I found!

So far my kids love this. 

Plus it makes my room at least 4 children 

quieter when they are in the hallway!

If you are interested in picking this up for yourself, 

just go to Deana's TPT Store and you can get one too!

It just may be the thing to help YOU (and your kids) 

make it through to the end of the year.

Patty

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

Merry Giveaway . . YOU Don't Want to Miss This!

Wednesday is my big day over at Primary Punch! It's the day she's giving away my Snowy Story problems.
This is an activity my kids need LOTS of practice with. They can't seem to remember whether they should add or subtract to find the answer. Be sure to check it out!

I know you'll love entering this contest as well as all the others she is having every day until the 12th day of December. I'm Day 5, so you have 7 more days to enter!

I just love Ashley Hughes drawings.  She is so creative and colorful. Check out this place value activity that uses her clip art with Christmas trees!

The student must look at each tree and figure out what the 3 digit number is that is made with the expanded notation numbers.  I've added this to my TPT store and you can see more of it here. It works great in a center and can also be used as a Scoot game. 

I hope you enter Primary Punch's contest. . . and I really hope you win!

Patty

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Parent Teacher conferences are done. .. . CHECK!

Well, at least I only have 4 to do for the people who didn't show up.

Report cards are done. . . . CHECK!

Well, at least I only have 2 more grades to put in, then they will be done!

My house is decorated for Christmas. . . CHECK! AND OH I'M SO HAPPY TO CHECK!

My husband's cousin has arrived from Houston. . . CHECK!

Oh we are having so much fun! She is a Premier Designs Jewelery Consultant. She is training my sister so she can sell it. (Remember that my sister is 9 years younger than me and she decided to retire from teaching this past summer. YOUNGER than me and retired! That is just too weird!)

Have ya'll ever seen Premier Designs jewelry? OH my goodness. It is so pretty, fashionable and very versatile! If anyone wants to know more about it, contact me. In the meantime, I get to wear all kinds of fun jewelry while she's here! This morning before church, she asked if I wanted to wear her jewelry to church. . . so she placed her 5 cases out on the counter and I got to pick WHAT EVER I wanted to wear! What fun was that! I felt like a kid in a candy store. . .

I do love Bling! and Glitz!

We also saw the movie Lincoln last night. I agree with all the critics that Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field will probably win Oscars, but it was a little long of a movie for me. I like a bit of history, but that was just too much for me. . . I think if you're a history buff or if you like to know more about the civil war or the end of slavery then you would enjoy this movie.

Oh but the popcorn was perfect! I would go to the end of the earth to get movie popcorn. . . Wouldn't you?



Did ya'll have a lot of fun (did you catch that I can't help saying ya'll all the time?? hee hee!) at the cyber sale? I did. . . I bought more clip art. I am stoked to get working on it so I can share it with you! Have you seen Ashley Hughes art? She is very creative, has neat lines, bright colors, and cool pictures!

That link takes you to the Christmas trees, but once you get there browse around to her other works.

Don't you just love these pretty trees! Can you imagine all the pretties that you could make with them? 

Stay tuned. . .I am already creating something with them.

One of the big sellers during the Cyber Sale was my Christmas Whisperings.  

It's a Fact and Opinion activity that doesn't take long to copy, laminate, or cut up. 

There are 13 pages so it's a quick one to prepare. 

Another activity is called Snowy Story Problems.  

My kids have a problem knowing when to add and when to subtract. This is another way to practice which number model you would use to solve the story problem.

You can find both of those at my store.   

Or you can enter a give away and maybe win the Christmas Whisperings Fact and Opinion. Deanna at Primary Punch is having a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway. Enter each day and you can win from me and lots of other people too.

My day is Dec. 5th, but check in every day to win from someone!

Happy blogging!

Patty

One More Newbie for my Store

I am so excited to be able to participate in my FIRST EVER Cyber Monday Sale online. My blog isn't a year old yet, and I've only been selling since August. Not doing too shabby if I say so myself. I'm not going to be able to buy too many pairs of shoes with my earnings, but I feel confident that someone likes my stuff enough to buy it!

I have several things in my wish list. . . Have you got yours started yet? You better get to looking. . . there's a lot of good stuff out there.

But then it hit me!

WHAM!

Right between the eyes. . .

BAM!

When am I going to SHOP?

I have to teach all day Monday.  . . .

And Tuesday. . . .

And I only have one break that is 25 minutes long (other than lunch)

But I can't shop during lunch, . . . Oh woe is me. . . I've scheduled a parent conference on both days at lunch time.

And I have parent conferences on both nights until about 7:00. . .

Oh NO!

What have I done?

Maybe I'll get up at 5:00 am just to get this done.

How long will it take me? Does anyone know?

I'll just have to cross my fingers, talk fast to the parents, eat fast during lunch and maybe I can get this all in.

Where there's a will, there's a way!

I have fallen in love with The 3AM Teacher's graphics. Have you seen them? She is so creative, and she is just as nice as she is talented. I'm a huge DJ Inker Fan, (They are having a 25% sale right now too!)
but I'm being easily swayed to other creative artists.

So I took some of her snowy back grounds and made some story problems for my students. They just don't get story problems. They can't remember the magic words that tell them whether to add of subtract. I do have all the wonderful posters all over my room that share those magic words.  But for some kids it just takes them much more practice.

So my newest activity is Snowy Story Problems. The student reads the story problem, then decides which letter matches the number model they will need to find the answer.  There is a recording sheet and an answer key if you want to put this into a center. It also would work well in a small group with an adult supervising it.

You'll find them in my TPT Store and if you grab them on Monday, you'll get them even cheaper. So add them to your wish list if you like them. And I hope you will.

Here are some more blogs to check out. 

Each of them are putting their things on sale!

Patty

SWAP and Place Value Practice

I have a new adventure that I'm excited to be a part of. . .

It's a SWAP with another teacher! I have had a lot of fun teaching with Nicole Rios 3-D shapes. So come back on Saturday and you'll find out all about it. . .and I even have pictures to prove how easy it was for my 2nd graders!

And not only will I be swapping ideas, so will lots of others. I can't wait to see all the fun stuff that is going to be shared. I better get my wallet out!

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you an activity that I made up with place value. I know it's a tough thing for kids to learn, so when we can do as many different things as possible to help them understand it, the better their lives will be.

It's called Monster Place Value and you can get it at my TPT store. And while it isn't quite Halloweenie, it is made with monsters that I think of when Halloween rolls around!

It is made using DJ Inkers clip art & fonts. © www.djinkers.com. I also used the fonts created by

Nicole at Rowdy in Room 300. They are cutsy!

Gotta run. . . . Greys is on . . . and I don't want to miss it. . .

See you soon!

Patty

The Nuttiest Give Away!

Do you like to win things? I do! In fact today I just won the Common Core 2nd grade Math assessments from Primary Possibilities. Woo! Hooo!

So if you're in the mood for winning, go on over to Going Nutty and enter her contest. She has many give aways, but one of them is mine and it's these multiplication cards to help your kids see what they are doing when they are learning to multiply.

You have until Friday to enter for these. So become a follower of my blog and my TPT store and you'll increase your chances. . .

Hurry, it's quick and fast and you won't regret it! I promise!

Patty

Free the lambs! No I mean FREE Lambs!

I am still up! Yes, it's past 11:00 and I'm stuck in my computer chair! Somebody come and get me out of here!
My husband is in bed so he can't help me. . . .

I guess I'll just finish this one more thing and then I'll go to bed.
Do you say that?

And do you finish just that one thing?

Ya right, I didn't think so!

I remade a freebie that I posted earlier, but now it's in my TPT Store.

You'll love this . . . I added a bit to it and . . ..  It's still FREE!

There is nothing better than FREE. . . well, maybe a McDonald's Diet Coke, that's a bit better than FREE!

Raise your hand if you are one of those addicts like I am. . .

yup, 1, . . . . 2. . .. . .3. . . . ya, I see ya all out there with your hand slightly raised.

SQUIRREL!

I have to admit something else besides my addictions. . . My tpt store is pretty flat.
I mean I'm just not selling. . . so I've been thinkin and thinkin. . .

Then tonight I read over their TPT manual to see if there was something more I could do to boost my sales.
They said I should give something away for FREE! I like to be obedient and to follow the rules. So here's your FREE! But you do need to go to my store and look for the Subtraction With and Without Regrouping Lambs. They are pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. You already know that I'm addicted to Diet Coke, well, I'm also addicted to DJ Inkers. This activity plus a few more that I've added are created with those cutsy pictures.

Do me a favor, go on over to my store HERE, and just take a look around. Then if you do pick up something, be sure to leave me a good comment. And if you'd like to be "in like Flint" on the upcoming items, sign up to be one of my followers.

P.S. (added this morning) I did finally go to bed at 12:30. . . what in the BEEP am I going to do next week when I have to get up to an alarm clock and be out the door by 7:30?
Patty

Multiplying with Pictures

A while ago I made this multiplication activity with task cards. I have updated it, and added black and white copies for those who can't copy in color. I've used DJ Inkers for my clipart and fonts for this. You can check them out and other specials at djinkers.com.

That's weird. . . when I tested that link, it says "Smiles to you , Patty Rutenbar" Do all of you see that when you click on it? I don't know how to get rid of it. I'm not logged in to it, so I'm puzzled by that! Let me know what you see!

For my second graders who have to start mulitiplication, they need to see pictures to help them see the process. You may have 3rd, 4th or even special education students who might benefit from this. There are task cards, a recording sheet, and an answer key. This is self checking so it can easily be put into a center. You could also use it as a scoot game.

By the way, my kids have LOVED playing scoot. I'm not sure who made that game up, but it is a great way to review a topic by moving around and being able to be a little noisy! Who doesn't love that?


I  hope that you take a peek at this in my TPT store. Here's what one of the pages looks like:

Many of you have been very gracious to show your pictures of your rooms. I am still in the process of getting everything finished. We don't start until the day after Labor Day and then it's just a half day! Whew! That's long enough for the first day. Do you also have half days on the first day?

But when I get done, and feel brave enough, maybe I'll share some of it with you. . . Maybe!

I have seen my class list. Right now I have 24 students. So does the class across the hall, but the other 2nd grades in the other buildings have 26 or 27. . . what does that tell you? That every new kid from now until whenever will be put in our rooms!

I've heard someone on here talk about the things we don't know about a student before they come into our classroom and how we need to accept, love, encourage no matter what. I have one of those . . . and yes, I know about her already. I will call her B. B has been living (court ordered) with Gramma and Grampa. The court has allowed her to go back to mom. Dad of B is in prison in Michigan. Dad of B's brother is in prison in Indiana.  And she just moved back to our state after living some place else. She was previously in our district for kinder. That's a huge amount of stress and disorder for one little 7 year old little lady.

So when you pray for all the little ones of the world who need it, I know that this little B will be included in your prayers.

Patty

Flashlights, Reading, and a Question

Something new this week. . . . my kids want to work under my desk. . . .

That may not seem so unusual, but it just started.  They've never asked all year long.

When I checked on them this week to see what they were doing under there, I noticed that it was pretty dark down there.

Not that they minded, but the mother in me wanted them to have more light. (Didn't your mom always turn the light on if you were reading in a dim lit room? MINE DID!)

I found a flashlight and gave it to them and BINGO! They were all set to stay there for ever! Well, not forever, but you know what I mean!

Today I looked under to see how they were doing and it was so cute, adorable, creative to see the flashlight somehow attached to my desk so they didn't have to hold on to it while they worked! (Follow the purple arrow!)

That made me think about giving my kids little flashlights for end of the year gifts. I can just see them reading under their own kitchen tables, or behind the couch, or under the covers, or where ever else they have a small dark space! Funny how kids like this. But if it works we have to foster it.

Tomorrow night we are meeting with parents and students. We call it Summer Math and Literacy Night. We have asked parents to come at 4:00 (right after school dismisses) or 5:30. They will go to their child's grade level room. In each room there will be pizza (if you feed them, they will come!), water and lots of information for them.

We are going to show them where their child was at the end of last year in DRA2 and Rocket Math, where they were when the school year started, and where they are now. This will show them the slippage that happens over the summer.

We will also show them where they need to be when the school year starts. We have put together a workbook for them to work on when ever during the summer. They will bring this to their 3rd grade teacher in the fall. Those teachers will send them to us, and we'll award a prize to anyone who returns it finished. We also have dice and decks of cards with games to play with them so they can keep their math skills in place.

The summers that you and I had are long gone. The stakes are too high and the slippage is too much. We need to get parents on board with us to help their child become more successful.

Now for the Question!

Last week sometime, I copied a dice game from someone. It is called Have a Rollin and Shakin Good Summer! and it was in a baggie with a pair of dice. I have a question for that author but I don't remember who made that game up. It has a game called HFW Roll It! but I don't know what HFW stands for. It says to use 18 HFW flash cards. Does anyone know what that stands for or who made this game?

Help a girl out, please!!!

Patty

Rocket Math Drills and Celebrations

Our school uses a math program to supplement Everyday Math. We felt that the students weren't learning the basic facts well enough.

Rocket Math is a one minute drill sheet, but each child only completes the number that they are able to write in that amount of time. (A pretest determines how much they can write.)

The levels are named each letter of the alphabet. As they pass one level they move to the next. As they pass addition, they move to subtraction, then on to multiplication and finally division.

In our building each level has it's own reward. If the child passes the letter, they get to stand on their chair and the class gives them a chair cheer (really, REALLY loud screams, cheers, banging on the desks, what ever makes a loud noise!)

When  a child passes addition, they get to stand on their own desk and get their picture taken for the Wall of Fame.

 If they pass Subtraction they stand on my desk.   If they pass Multiplication, they stand on a roof outside my room. All the kids who are at recess come up and cheer them on. If they pass Division, they stand on this roof and spray them with silly string!

This is the Wall of Fame where the 2nd grader's pictures go if they pass.

Below is the Wall of Fame for the 1st graders who have passed Addition.



 

This is the bulletin board that changes daily as students pass a level and their rocket gets moved to a new letter. This is two classes of first grade and two classes of 2nd grade. We also put a string by the letter that shows the goal they are trying to reach by the end of each trimester. It helps them see where they need to be.

Not sure why these two pictures won't stay together!

I hope this helps some of you who feel the need to beef up your Everyday Math program.

P.S. I wanted to let you know that our service project total is at $1596! We have raised enough for the one house and now are trying to get enough money for the bathroom.

That is amazing. . . no, it's AH -MAZ- ING!

This Friday is the last day. Let's hope we can help this family out and get them a bathroom!

Patty

Testing questions and a freebie

I haven't been away. . . . I've been reading your posts.

I haven't been any busier than any of you. . . . and this week will be worse!

I think the time change affected me more than I wanted to realize. .. . or maybe I'm just feeling lazy!

And it only took one. . . .

One message from a new follower to get me back on track!

So Thanks Lesa Moore for lifting my energy and reminding me that blogging is something I love doing.

My kids need more practice with regrouping and subtraction. That's what they need. . . practice. . . some have it. . . some don't. Today's freebie is just that. . . practice but cutsy-fied! They may want to have some scrap paper available to help them find the answers, while some kids can do this right in their heads.  This is no longer available. . . I took it off and remade it with Subtraction Stars.

I have checked and double checked to make sure the answers are all correct, but if you should see something, don't hesitate to let me know.

We had Friday off to look at data. I hear you. . . "that's sounds real interesting!" NOT!!  But truly, it wasn't so bad. We looked at the kids we had last year to see how they did on the MEAP (this is a Michigan assessment that is given in the first 2 weeks of 3rd grade after they have had the entire summer off  and most kids aren't even used to getting out of bed early yet!)  {I know. . . DUMB!}

I found this interesting because some of the kids did amazingly well as I would have expected. And then there were those who I expected to do well who didn't! That was a SHOCKER!

Why is that? Why do kids who you know can do it, . . . DON'T? What changes from year to year that causes them to not do their best? Is them? Is it the teacher, of course not! Is it that long summer they just finished? I wish I had an answer, but I don't.

All during their 2nd grade year we are pumping them up to take this BIG test. (we probably scare them more than anything!) We encourage them to read during the summer, practice flash cards, etc. . . but still their scores go down the tubes. If any of you have any ideas of what your school does to encourage good test taking, I'd LOVE to hear it!

I did think about sending a post card with a congrats on it to those students of mine who did a great job and passed. I wondered if that might help them feel good about it.  (oh and another problem. . . you remember WHEN they took the test. . . ? In September.  And when are we seeing the results? . . . March! That gives me a lot of time to work on this group that I have right now!)

This post is getting way too long . . . so enjoy your St. Patty's day from your friend, St. Patty! I hope you can use this subtraction activity! Let me know if you grab it!

St. Patty!