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Showing posts from 2014

Letters For Building Words - Free Download

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Just a quick post to share the letters my students use when we Build Words. The vowels and consonants print on separate sheets so you can copy them on colored paper, if you wish. I usually use colored paper for vowels, since it helps us make sure our words always contain a vowel. Enjoy! Click here to download for free from Google Drive! There are many ways to use these - I usually keep a few laminated sets at my small group table. They are handy to pull out and demonstrate a concept quickly with a small group. Another way I use them is as an accommodation for students with disabilities. I have had several students with reduced muscle tone, so I try to modify assignments that involve cutting for their benefit. My problem? They loved to Build a Mystery Word . My solution? They have their own set of letters in their pencil pouch, and when we Build a Mystery Word, they can participate without stressing over the cutting. I'm sure you can think of other uses for these cards! H

Sometimes, $45 Buys Peace of Mind...

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I'm a teacher. I know teachers don't make much; I knew it when I began teaching in '98. I never got into teaching for the paycheck. I want to make it clear that I am *not* complaining. I am a very fortunate person with a family who makes me laugh every day.  :)  I feel a huge gratitude to have a job that helps me feel as though I am making a difference in the world. Teachers have lean times like everyone else, and we have times that we are overcome by the goodness that comes from the world. That being said, today I want to tell you what a relief to be able to walk into a grocery store and spend an unbudgeted $45 without guilt. By the way, I know unbudgeted is not a word, but you know what I meant. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? Well, here’s my journey to that $45: it is 3 weeks until Christmas, and the only people  I've  been shopping for are my kiddos.  I  have a little health issue, so I'm working half-time this year. The budget is key to keep away f

Bright Ideas - A Round Up!

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Welcome to the November edition of the Bright Ideas Link-Up! This one is a special one! Over the past 10 months, we have shared thousands of great ideas through our monthly Bright Ideas event. This month, we’re re-capping all of those great ideas, just in case you missed any! Back in August, I wrote about ways to use classroom magazines effectively, which you can read all about here : In July, I shared my most popular Bright Ideas post, all about my Brain Booster Box : In May, I shared Bright Ideas for Word Work . I was so happy to share the little tricks I use to keep Word Work fun and organized! Back in April, I shared my eco-friendly Reminder Bracelets ! This tip saves me so much time, and is a great way to keep the lines of communication active between home and school. March was Cheap Ways to Tame the Clutter : (And what teacher doesn't have stacks of clutter everywhere?? I can't be the only one!) Last, but my favorite, is from last February - Use

Make and Take Literacy Night = Fun Parent Involvement

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The ultimate goal of literacy is to help students become life-long readers, so they can be educated citizens. The child's first and most influential teacher is their parent and/or guardian. With that in mind, it is crucial to give families the tools they need to help this child, as well as other children in the household. {Here's a link to an article from The Atlantic:  How Family Game Night Makes Kids Into Better Students } I love to invite families to school for Literacy Night. I've helped organize, prepare, and lead Literacy Nights at least 8 times over the course of my teaching career, and I plan to continue this for years to come. Here are my tips for an easy and successful Literacy Night in Upper Elementary classrooms. Make and Take for Literacy Night, grades 3-5 At a recent Literacy Night at my school, the parents met in the gym to see a quick presentation about state testing. The students went to the media center to watch a video, learn how to do the Make and

Beyond Oral Reading Fluency ~ Dig Deep

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The Reality of Oral Reading Fluency Often, teachers are asked to give too much importance to a bit of data. The current trend is a focus on Fluency in struggling readers, particularly in grades 2-5. The Oral Reading Fluency score (ORF) is simply a look at how many words the student read correctly in a minute.  If it is below the magic number, the teacher needs to take a closer look.  The magic number varies, depending on the grade of the student, the time of year, and if you are using DIBELS , mClass , EasyCBM.com , etc. Here comes the tricky part - looking past the oral reading fluency to why the student is struggling. Too many teachers are being asked to provide an intervention in fluency, when that might not be the issue at all. Teachers and parents spend tons of time reading (and timing their students!) with the goal of reading faster. That's right. The goal is to read faster. They chart it, celebrate when the numbers rise, and fret when the numbers stay the same. All w

6 Ways to Support Struggling Readers in grade 2-6

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In chatting with teachers, I often get questions about how to support struggling readers in my upper elementary grades. Here are the top 6 ways I support struggling readers in grades 2-6. Thought I would pass them along.  If you find them helpful, I appreciate your sharing this post with your colleagues.  Thanks, y'all!! Find out their interests, then help them find tons of cool books on that topic.  If the books are way too difficult a text, but have rich, engaging pictures, let them keep them in their reading box.  If the majority of their books are at their reading level, let them keep a few that are interest-based, even if they are far too easy or difficult. Find out their needs, then help them find materials they can keep in their reading box.  If they can't tie their shoes, find a preschool book with the big, chunky laces , and let them quietly practice during reading time.  Yes, sometimes 4th graders don't know how to tie their shoes.  It gives them practice wi

The Functionally Cute Classroom to Inspire...

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Great news!  I finally finished my "Back to School" stuff.  :)  I've been back at work for 4 weeks now...  I've finished most of my beginning of the year assessments, analyzed my data, and am ready to dig deep into learning to fill the gaps of my struggling readers.  (If you want to read about how I do this each year, check out my series: Supporting Struggling Readers in Grades 3-5 ) One of the most important things I needed to do was to make sure my classroom is inspiring, even though it is *not cute!*  I do have touches of cuteness, but it is always functionally cute, not just cute.  Here are a few examples of functionally cute from the Upper Elementary Literacy Room: Common Core Rules for Discussion from Jen Jones @ Hello Literacy .  These are a fantastic resource for my students, and are posted in a spot that we refer to as needed to remember to make eye contact, respectfully agree or disagree, etc. What's Your Graduation Year? Freebie from me @ Hello

Use Classroom Magazines Effectively - A Bright Idea

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Hello!  If you are lucky enough to have a subscription to classroom magazines, then you know how easily they can slide from being effective to being something else to take care of.  (If you don't have classroom magazines, be sure to check your Scholastic book catalog at the beginning of the year - they usually have a deal where you can "try it for free in your classroom.")    Here are my top tips for using Classroom Magazines effectively.    I know... slap a post-it on there to help you remember that this is a great article for summarizing, casue/effect, etc.  That will save you a bit of time in the future.  I have class sets of several classroom magazines that I received ages ago.  I love, love, love using these magazines with my Upper Elementary kiddos, because they have great content that can used for close reading (annotate with sticky notes), reader's theater (I just love watching them prepare to perform; they don't realize they are practicing flue

5 Resources for Teachers of English Language Learners

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If you are a teacher, you will eventually need to have resources to help you teach students who are English Language Learners.  Here's a quick round up of my favorite go-to resources for working with ELLs.  Enjoy!

Take Care of Yourself and Each Other :)

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Ugh.  One of the worst parts of having depression  is that sometimes, for no reason at all, everything stinks.  This happened to me last spring.  It started with being a bit tired/unmotivated.  A month later, I realized I had neglected housework, the yard, and things I am usually passionate about - like this blog.   At the same time, I felt completely overwhelmed. by. everything.  I got through it with a lot of rest, time, support from friends, love from my family, and learning not to be so hard on myself.  I am working on my gratitude, and seeing the blessings present in my daily life as a way to beat depression, including opening myself up to new friendships and opportunities. { source } As we gear up to begin a new school year, I just want to remind myself (and all of you) to be gentle on yourself and each other.  We truly don't know what personal struggles each other face, and we need to be mindful. { source } Teachers are a resilient bunch, and I am no exception.  

5 Back to School Freebies!

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Here's a quick roundup of 5 freebies and tutorials as you gear up for Back to School from my TPT store: 1.   A tutorial on  how to create your own Chair Pockets  from a person who rarely sews... 2. The Guided Reading Cheat Sheet: A handy reminder of what to do before/during/after reading: 3. The Mystery Word of the Week:   Print a free week here... This one isn't a freebie, but you can download 2 weeks of Mystery Words free from the preview on this product... 4.  The Brain Booster Box:   Grab the instructions and a free set of open-ended questions here. 5. Do your kiddos need to learn Greek and Latin Stems?  Here's my 5 Minutes a Day Strategy: Also, you may have heard about the upcoming BTS sale on TPT !   Shop my store now to add to your cart , and they will be 28% off (August 4 and 5) when you enter the code: BTS14  (Friendly reminder to use the code...  occasionally I forget!) Button credits: Creative Clips by Krista Walden Off to d