Year Long Monthly Author Study Plans

Hey friends!

Just stopping by to share my latest freebie with you.  If you're anything like me, you're a bookworm.  Part of being a bookworm is learning about the authors who write the books that you read.  The same goes for our students.  I've always loved the idea of teaching my students more about those authors that they love. I've always done an author here and an author there, nothing consistent.

That's where the idea for this product came from.  I've made year long plans with some simple go-to information so that I can focus on one author each month of the school year.  I ordered the authors by months that I use many of their books based on the time of the year. For example, we read a lot of David Shannon at the beginning of the year for rules.  Therefore, David Shannon is my August author.  I have listed 2-3 books that I want to be sure to read during that month, mostly popular reads.  I also included links to the author's website and/or information regarding a YouTube video including that author that may be interesting for students.

I'm still trying to decide where I will be placing the author posters in my classroom, but there will be a specific area of the room that will be changed out monthly with books from our author of focus for the month. It always helps to put a face with a name so I've included a colorful and a black and white poster that both include a real picture of the author.

Many of the authors in my plans are also authors that are included in my Author Study Flip Books pack, so be sure to check that out too.

New FREEBIE at Who's Who and Who's New Blog

Hi there friends! It's been awhile!

I'm just popping in to encourage you to head over to the Who's Who and Who's New blog that I'm a part of.  I just posted about a brand new FREEBIE that is in my TPT store to help you prep and plan for the beginning of the year and to get some goodies and important tools donated to your classroom.

Head on over to take a look!

Vowel Clip Strip {FREEBIE}

One new thing that I've been using as practice and review for my firsties this year is my vowel clip strip.  As we've progressed through the school year, most of my kiddos no longer need this practice.  But we all know there are those select few who just need a little more repetition and practice than others.  For those kiddos I still like to whip this little, but useful tool out.

I've printed mine on colored copy paper just to make them pop a little bit more.  And let's be real.  Everything is just a little more interesting in color.  Bright colors, preferably.  And you will not believe how much fun my firsties have with a simple strip of laminated colored paper and a clothespin.  Totally motivating!

Not only are they super easy and quick to make, but they are super easy and quick to implement with just about anything.  You can use them in a multitude of ways- one-on-one, small group, whole group, small group games or whole group games.  

Here's one way to play.  Each child has a laminated strip of vowels and a clothespin.  {I have a full class set already printed, laminated, and with a clothespin on it.}  I say a CVC word like "dog".  The kiddos listen to the word and then put their clothespin on the vowel they hear in the CVC word.  You can also do it with CVCe words.  What is really amazing about this is that you have an instant informal assessment for each child when they hold up their strips and you can quickly check to see who is "getting it".  You could also do this whole group as a game by splitting your class into two groups and have them race to move the clip to the correct vowel sound first.  Or if you're in table groups or want more kids active and involved with the game at a time, you could also do it that way.

I always have a set of 5 or 6 behind my little easel at my guided reading table.  The rest of them are stored in a nearby container.

Hopefully you will be able to find this useful in your classroom also.  To download this freebie simply click here to go to my store to download it.  If you're not already a follower, I would love that!

Sun Catchers Plus a FREEBIE

Well, you can certainly tell that I'm back to school. I haven't blogged in a month. Insert sad face. My goal was to be better once the school year started. Looks like that goal isn't going so well.  So here's to being positive and trying to do better since the madness of the beginning of the year has is quickly dwindling down and the monotonous routines of the school year have commenced.  Can I just say that this is my 7th year teaching and this may have been one of worst, and by that I mean busiest, start to a school year yet.  Seriously. It's been fifty shades of cray-cray.  Thank goodness all of "my shows" have officially come back for the year. I mean it's almost been 5 months since an episode of Scandal.  I was seriously starting to shake from withdrawal (not really, of course). But you feel my pain I'm sure.

I've been fortunate enough to have windows in all of my classrooms.  Some let in more natural light than others, but it's still so nice to be able to see the outside world with a turn of my head.  I've learned from blogging that this is not always the case for all of you. I don't know how those of you that don't have windows in your classroom do it. It really should be illegal to not have windows in a classroom.  Getting back on track,  I like to use as much space as possible in my classroom to hang any sort of educational posters and/or decor.  I love crafts, especially seasonal crafts.   I always have clothespins hanging from the ceiling so that I can hang different student work throughout the year.  I've found a way to use that beautiful natural light and still be able to liven up the room with some seasonal crafts and decor.

Enter my sun catchers.  They are easy to make and the kids LOVE them.  Plus, once you send them home they make great keepsakes for parents to hold onto to show their kids when they get older.  I know my parents did that for each year that I was in school and then gave it to me at my high school graduation as one of my presents.  It was SO fun to go back through each year and look at some of the work I did, both cute and hilarious.  It was surprising how many of the actual crafts that I actually remembered doing.  Honestly the hardest part about the sun catchers is the time consuming part of cutting the contact paper down to size, especially since each student will need two pieces, and cutting the tissue paper into small squares.  But if you have an eager parent that would love to help out that's the route I usually go.  I will typically cut one piece to the size that I need it to be and send the roll of contact paper and number of pieces I need home for the parent to do there.  I would just be sure to send it home a couple of days before you really need it to give them plenty of time.

The easy part is left to you. Just copy the template onto colored construction paper and you're ready to go.  The kids can cut out the template on the outside and the inside.  If you want the kids to add some additional features to some of the templates you can provide other colored pieces of construction paper for them to draw and cut out they own.  For example, I usually cut small green squares and a small black or brown square for each child to draw their own leaf and stem to cut out and add to their sun catcher.

So here's a breakdown of the actual making process.
The kids cut out the template.  Kids peel back one piece of contact paper and lay it sticky side up on their desk (some of your kiddos may need help with this). Lay the cut out template on the sticky side of the contact paper. Fill in the empty space on the inside of the template with tissue paper squares.  Once the inside of the template is filled in, peel back the other contact paper and lay on top of the template sticky side down.  Flatten out and press out air bubbles as much as possible.  Then cut the template out again from the contact paper. Then voila! You have a beautiful sun catcher to pretty up your room.

I have added 4 packs of sun catchers to my TPT store: a fall, December, winter, and spring pack.  I'm working on a couple more templates to add to some of these packs and hope to have those done by the end of this weekend.  I'll also be working on bundling all of the packs together.  You can see each of the packs below.

And finally for the FREEBIE! I'm sure many of you are familiar with this cute little phrase.  I've seen different versions on Pinterest, but wanted one to match my color scheme in my own classroom.  Of course I couldn't make up my mind as to which background I liked best, so for all you other indecisive teachers out there I went ahead and included all the different backgrounds in the freebie pack.  Hopefully you can find one that works for you!  Enjoy!

P.S. Tomorrow is the first day of October! Ahhhhh!  Because we all know what the topic of student conversations will be for the next 31 days.

Two for Tuesday {All About Math} + a New Freebie!

I'm linking up with TTT today for another link. This week I'm discounting some of my math products 50% off.

First up is my Math Rotation Board {primary colors}.  If you're like me, you're already planning, or at least thinking, about next school year.  This board is a great way to keep your math groups organized and to be able to quickly change them and the activities that your students are doing at each station.

The other product discounted for today is my new money unit, more specifically coins and the identification of them.  This pack includes some fun ways to introduce, review, or practice characteristics of coins and their values.  Mini booklets, flip books, and a practice/review sheet are included. 

An added bonus for today is a new freebie that I just posted to my store yesterday.  Every month I send home my Monthly Parent Volunteer Calendars for my classroom parents to come into the room to volunteer either with the kids or doing odds and ends for me.  One thing that has been a real timesaver for me is my Work Request form.  While I'm gathering things that I need copied/cut/laminated/etc. for one of my parent volunteers to do, I fill out one of these forms and paper clip it to the front of my master copy.  That way, when the parent comes in there is no time wasted on explaining what needs done. They can simply look at the sheet and know all of the information.  I hope you can find it useful in your classroom! It's definitely paid off for me!

Adding a Little Flair to Your Filing Cabinets

Hey there!

Just popping in quickly to share a new freebie that I just added to my TPT store. I made these last summer, but with a different pattern as the background and quickly outgrew that pattern so I made some new ones to match all the bright, fun colors in my classroom.  I am enamored with them and can't wait to print, laminate, and hang them at school tomorrow.  The labels were definitely a great addition to my filing cabinets to add some extra color and make it easier for me to know what subjects or topics were in what drawer.

We are officially on summer break {PTL}, but I have been going in this week to do my cleaning, organizing, and overall set up for next year. Some may think I'm crazy, but I did this the year I was pregnant with my daughter and I didn't end up going back in to school all summer long.  Let me tell you-it was the BOMB.COM! I haven't done it since and every year I find myself stressing out and basically living in the school for the whole month of August.

The labels fit the filing cabinet really well and I just simply add magnet dots to all four corners of the label and they really do stick on the filing cabinet really well. I even have a couple of drawers that have two or three of these labels on them and they still work.

I hope some of you find them useful! Let me know what you think!

Thinking About Next Year...Already?

I'm 99% sure that I'm not the only one in this department right now.  And let's be real, it's okay if you are. I think, as teachers, it's only natural and by golly we just can't help it!

Having said that, I have a couple of new things that I've added to my TPT shop that I do NOT want you to miss out on because they're great resources and two of which have saved.my.life!

First up, my job cards.  I like to have them as a visual for both the kids and I to quickly reference and see who is supposed to be doing which job. I have a card for each job in my classroom with a magnet dot on the back so that I can put them on the chalkboard.  At the beginning of the year I take a picture of each of my firsties.  I cut it down so that it is the same size as the job cards and then I put a small magnet dot on the back of their picture.  It makes them easier to change and move around every two weeks when we switch jobs.

Here is a picture of my old job cards.  Sorry it's not my new ones. I have them all ready to go, but am waiting for this year to end before I use them, but you can get the overall idea.


You can head over to my TPT store to grab a set of these for $3.00 in my Can I Get a Job Please {Classroom Job Cards}.

Next up is a freebie that I've updated.  Hopefully you all have a Pizza Hut around you and have heard of their program BookIT!  If you have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about right now, then let me enlighten you. BookIT! is a program through Pizza Hut that encourages kids to read and as a reward for their hard work they can get a coupon for a free personal pizza for the next month.  BookIT! runs from October to March.  The kids keep track of their nightly reading and fill in a calendar. Once the month is over, the parents have to sign off on the calendar to verify that their child read the required minutes or days for that month.  When the completed calendar is returned to school, the teacher can fill out a coupon and give it to the kiddo to use within 30 days.  

I like to add the extra incentive that if a student completes every month of the program then I will have a pizza party for them at the end of the year with none other than....wait for it...Pizza Hut pizza. Clever, I know.  All kidding aside it really is a worthwhile and additional way to motivate and encourage your kiddos to read. I keep track of which kiddos complete their calendar each month by using my tracking sheet shown here.

You can get my BookIT! Calendars and Tracking Sheet pack here.

Brand NEW tonight is my Monthly Parent Volunteer Calendars pack.  Folks, let me just tell you right now that if you want some extra help in your classroom or want some additional ways for parents to volunteer in your classroom, this. is. for. YOU! 

Implementing the use of these parent volunteer calendars is hands down the most beneficial thing I do all year long as fas as help in the classroom.  This can change your life as a teacher if your school does not have anything in place to help teachers make copies and get parents to participate in your classroom.  My school is fortunate and has copy room parents that come in on a daily basis to make copies, but unfortunately parents don't show up last minute and there's lots to do with 30 something teachers to make copies for.  This has been my quick, easy solution so that I am not spending all my "spare" time in the copy room.  And if I'm brutally honest, I would say that I have only made about 10% of my copies this year because one of my parents has volunteered once or twice a week to make copies for me and get this-she stays until she's done with everything I've left for her! You know those awesome crafts that are over TPT that have the same piece of the pattern duplicated on one page? Yeah, she'll cut those so they're separate and all the kids have to do is go get the piece and cut it out. I don't have to do it after I'm done copying.  Oh, there's more. I team teach/co-teach with another first grade teacher and fellow blogger Whitney at The Crazy Schoolteacher.  She will make her copies for her also!! And her son is in my class!  She is even so kind as to count out all of the copies so that I have enough for my kiddos and Whitney has the copies for her kiddos. It's A.MA.ZING! Now I'll be honest. It hasn't been like this every year. She's been my hidden gem! But I've still had great success and quite a few volunteers every year that help on a consistent basis and take some of the relief of copying things off of me. Which, let's be honest, is nice.  

That's what this pack with do for you!  This pack includes a description and outline of the organization of the system, a sample parent letter that I include on the back of the initial sign up calendar, parent letters that go on the back of the final monthly calendars, as well as calendars for each month. As is the case with all of my new products, it is 50% off the first 48 hours it is on sale.  It's marked down to $2.50 for the next 2 days.  Start planning ahead for next year and grab it!

Finally, I added Monthly Reading Log Calendars to my TPT store for holding your kiddos responsible for their nightly reading homework.  It's also marked 50% off at $1.75, but only for 24 more hours!

Whew....I'm off to watch my Orange County Housewives and 24.  So happy Jack is back!!

Two in Two Days?!?!

I know, I know. You're all probably wondering what in the world is going on with this girl?!  I mean, I've blogged for two consecutive days! I'm pretty sure this is a first for me, and I'm pretty sure it may be awhile before it happens again since I return back to reality tomorrow. Here's to hoping that I'm wrong.

I've been wanting to update my supplies note that I use in my classroom and send home with my kiddos when they need more supplies. I finally got around to it and I'm really happy with the more "catchy" look. Hopefully you all agree. Still the same concept, just some funner (I'm pretty sure that's not even a word) fonts and some Melonheadz clipart which we all know you just cannot go wrong with.

Here's my updated Please Send More Supplies form. Click on the picture to take you directly to my store to download it.

Enjoy!

BOOKiT! Monthly Tracking

Hi friends!

Just popping in to let you know about a new freebie that I just added to my TPT store.

Hopefully you are all aware of Pizza Hut's BOOKiT! reading incentive program! If not, you definitely need to look into it. It's a great, easy to use program to encourage your students to participate in because they can earn a free personal pizza coupon! Who doesn't love pizza?! And a free pizza at that.

Here's how it works.

The teacher sets  a monthly reading goal for your class. It can be measured really in any way you like-minutes per night, per month, or by books read.  I tell my kids that they have to read for at least four nights a week for 20 minutes in order to meet the goal.  They record the nights they read on a free form from Pizza Hut's BOOKiT! website.  At the end of the month, their parent's have to sign the recording sheet and the kiddo has a week to bring it to school. One I received the form, I fill out a coupon with the child's name and school info. I am sure to announce to the class that so and so completed their monthly BOOKiT! calendar, just as a little moment of pride and reward for the kiddo.

I like to take it a step further and try to motivate my kiddos to participate even more by throwing a pizza party at the end of the year for those kids who reached their goal every month (October-March).  We, of course, enjoy Pizza Hut pizza.  They absolutely LOVE this!

If you've never done this program before, it really is great and low maintenance which I'm sure we all love. It's encouraging the kiddos to read and rewarding them with a world-wide kid favorite-PIZZA!

I'll be laminating my tracking sheet Tuesday morning and hanging up this week!  Hop on over to my TPT store to get your copy!

P.S. Don't forget to follow me through Google or BlogLovin'! I'm considering a giveaway of any item in my store once I hit 15 followers!