Updating Your Blog List & a Freebie

This first part is for all my fellow bloggers.

Are your blog lists up to date? Is every one that you are following showing up in your lists of blogs you follow? Do you know how to be sure that everyone is there? I would love to show you just in case you weren't aware that you could update this list.

Here are the steps:

1. Go to your Layout page
2. Find the gadget that says My Blog List
3. Click on the link that says Add to List
4. Then click on Blogs I Follow.
5. Select All, Add, then Save

That's it. Now when you look at your blog anyone who has a new post (that you follow) will have their link show up. This is a great way to share your friends with other friends. 

I don't know about you, but that's how I roll!!! I go to one person's blog, read it, then try to leave a comment because that's the polite thing to do. Then I look at their list of blogs they follow and I go to someone else's. You know, Share the Love!

Speaking of sharing the love, have you seen these yet?

They are my blingiest thing I have ever made! (Thanks to Glitter Meets Glue!) Making nonsense words is so important for preschoolers, kinders, and first graders.

Here's the best part. . . . 

It's FREE! 

Go grab it here, then don't forget to leave me some kind words. I hope you love it.

Patty

After School Programs and a Give Away

It seems like we are always trying to find ways to get parents involved. It's not always the easiest thing to do is it? 

One of the things that I think is deterring parents from coming in is our locked door policy. Of course they can still come in, but it isn't as easy when they have to ring a buzzer and be allowed in by the secretary. I know we are trying to be safe, but are we also keeping parents out?

Last year we started having once a month meetings that parents could attend. We tried to find a good time that was convenient to their schedule. So we called it "Ask the Teacher" and we hold it right after school lets out for about 25 - 30 minutes. We provided child care and let them know the topic ahead of time. These meetings are proving to help some of our parents. We get less than 20 each time and usually it is different parents. We select the topic and give them some information on it. Last night we shared math. So we gave a perspective of what 2nd graders are learning, but also touched on Kinder and First too. After we are finished we let the parents ask or share about math or any other topic. We usually try to give them something for coming. Last night they got a small white board, marker and two magnets. We told them that kids need to draw pictures to explain their math work. Then they need to be able to explain the actions they used to find the answers. So the white boards were perfect. 

We also tried having breakfast meetings where the parents could come in when they dropped off their child for school in the morning. These were run by our counselor and principal since we were teaching. It did get some parents to come in. 

I'd love to hear what some of you do to keep them coming in to help or learn.

We know that children just don't get enough time to read and enjoy reading at home. So this week we started a new program. We call it "Relax and Read." We invited only 2nd graders (and their siblings if they are in our building.) These kids get a snack (one of the main reasons they want to come!!!!) and then they go to the library to just relax and read. They can read to themselves, a partner or a teacher. We even have some high school and middle school students who want to come and read with them. If it is needed we can also pull a couple kids to work on some of their essential skills for this marking period. 

These pictures show some of the kids doing just what the title says they should be doing.

 There's even a competition to see who reads more books. They have a chart to put a sticker on when they finish a story. The computers are also available to take Accelerated Reader tests if they want to.

If you have purchased my Valentine Contractions, you'll want to go back and grab the update. I added in some more contractions and answer keys. If you haven't bought it yet, but would, you can click here to see it in my store. 

We are in the middle of a super cold week AGAIN! No school today for many schools in the area because our wind chill dipped down to -28. Dang! That's cold!

In honor of this cold spell, I want to warm your heart and give a set of these away. Leave me a comment and your email address and I'll have my husband pick a random number on Saturday around 9:00 PM EST.

Patty

Spelling Around the Room

Spelling! I know it's a very important and as a kid, I loved it. 

But through the years, I believe that there just are kids who are spellers and those who are NOT!

We don't use a spelling book or series. So I purchased a  Differentiated Spelling Lists from Surfin Through Second.  I absolutely love them. Corinna has 2 lists for each week. I give the first list to everyone on Mondays. If anyone passes 80% or better, then I give them the 2nd list to study all week for the test on Friday. Those who didn't pass the first test will study that for the test on Friday.

So how do I help them practice these words? Corinna has several activities that are included in her product. Usually we pair up with a partner. I put both lists of words on the Elmo. One person sits with their back to the screen while the partner who can see the words, asks them to spell them. Then they switch places and do the words with the other player. My kids like this and as I walk around I can hear lots of good practice going on. Who needs papers to do spelling on all the time?!!!

In the beginning of the year one of the activities we did was to find rhyming words for a couple of the spelling words. As a class we would make a list and hang it in the room. It didn't matter if it was spelled differently as long as it rhymed.

This week I had the kids do the writing as a group. There were five sheets of paper with a different spelling word on it. Some from each list. This week happens to be the long I sound. The groups were given about 5 minutes to brainstorm words to rhyme with the main word. 

Then they rotated to a new word. They had to read the written words first then think of any other words that would fit. They were not allowed to write a word that was already there.

 

We continued switching until they had visited each word. As they got to the end, it was harder to come up with a word that wasn't already written.

My kids loved this. I love how they are so focused as a team to find new words!

When they were finished we put them all on the board in front of the room. We read each one and decided if it actually DID rhyme or if it should be crossed off. 

I know my kids enjoyed this for many reasons. It was different, we were moving around a lot, they were in charge of their actions, and they loved working together. 

Patty