Alternative Valentine's Party

I'm sure that your minds are beginning to think about your upcoming Valentine's Day party. I'd like to share with you what we do for our Valentine's Day parties.

First of all the kids are asking all day long, "When is the party? When is the party? Is it time yet? How much longer until the party?" 

Be honest. . . your kids say that too.

Here's something you can plan that will eliminate those questions. 

Have your party in the morning. . . first thing! Right after they arrive. Right after the pledge, attendance, and lunch count. DO IT! Get it over with! Be done!

Here's how. 

You can either plan it with your food service people and order a special breakfast from them. We have had pancakes, or scrambled eggs, or whatever is available. You will have to contact them and plan this ahead of time. That's why I'm telling you now. 

Or you can have families bring food in. Maybe a breakfast casserole, muffins, a pan of scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, regular toast, fruit, juice, or whatever sounds good to your kiddos. Maybe some moms can stick around to help serve it too.

Once breakfast is over you can start the party. . . because, let's face it, the party is what they really want!

We passed out our valentines to the classmates at this time. (our whole school did their parties in the morning, so it was convenient to pass out to other teachers too.) 

Once they are passed out, they can then open them.  Read them. Laugh at them. Blush. Giggle. Scream. Whatever they like to do in your class. 

After that, you are on your own. You can do a craft, a story, an academic activity that is a Valentine Theme. Or you can go back to doing regular work. It's your choice. Your kids might be a bit high, but they will not be asking, "When is the party? How long until the party? Is it time yet?"

Story Problem Woes . . Help is on the WAY!

I have been doing lots of practice with story problems with my 2nd graders. 

I felt pretty strong that they knew or at least had an idea of what they were doing. 

But!!!!

I was wrong!

When they had to take a test on only story problems, 

they just collapsed and forgot how to do them. 

Some kids could just find the answer, 

but had no clue how to draw the picture (a needed skill on the test!).

Some kids could draw the picture, 

but ended up with the wrong equation or wrong answer.

So on Monday, it's back to the beginning 

for me and those students. 

 They say repetition is needed. Sometimes a child needs to hear something or do something 28 times before they have committed it to memory. Monday will be #1. 

I will start with these  problems: 

 We had been focusing on the CUB method. I think they can circle the numbers, underline the question, and box in the important words now. 

 But do they really know what to do once they find the important words. I need to help them visualize what the problem is doing. 

We will spend a lot more time drawing the pictures that match HOW to answer the problem correctly. 

If my kids are struggling with this, I just can't be the only one. . . so I'm going to put this set of story problems on sale for $1.00 until Sunday night at 9:00. 

Click the picture to go to my store.

You can print the work pages front to back. 

And just for fun and to help you out, I'm also putting 2 other products on sale for just $1.00 until Sunday night at 9:00. 

Warming Up To Regrouping using QR Codes

Click the picture to go to my store.

Frozen Fractions is a great way to match up the fraction number with the words, the set, and the fraction picture. 

Click the picture to go to my store.

Click the picture to go to my store.

I decided to make up another set of 10 story problems for practice. 

You can grab them for free right here. 

 If you do, please leave me a comment below. Let me know if you think these will work for you. 

If you are one of those who are snowed in this week, these activities will be great to do when you come back. And if you're not snowed in, maybe these will help you pretend that you have snow all around you!

My Store. Big Sale. Clean Out The Wish Lists!

Everything in my store is on sale for 2 days. Clean out your wish list and get those bargains!