Long Vowel Word Work - Common Core

  I'm so excited about my new Long Vowel Word Work Activitites Pack!!  By the time I had finished making the Short Vowel Word Work Pack, I was almost done teaching Short Vowels.....:( Boo!  But we just started Long A (a_e ) last week, so I've been using the activities from my Long Vowel pack with my kids and they are really loving them...and I LOVE not having to spend hours prepping centers and activities that involve so much time cutting and laminating! :)  This pack also lists the Common Core ELA standards that it covers.  Click the picture to download from my TPT store!  I hope your kiddos love these activites as much as mine do... 

 

   Blessings!!   - Beth

Common Core True & False Equations Freebie

     Is it bad that I'm getting Spring Fever already?!  It is January 12th and it's going to be 75 degrees today in good ole SC.  I mean, I know we're in the South and all....but we're usually looking at 40's and 50's in January, not 70's!  I'm kind of loving it..but it's making me want a break so I can enjoy it! :)  
     Anyway, this week I spent a lot of time with my kiddos on these True & False equations, which is one of the new 1st Grade Common Core standards.  The kids have to be able to look at an equation, determine whether it is true or false, and justify their answer, which is kind of an abstract task for 6 and 7 year olds.  While some of my kids got this with no problem at all, some were really struggling to "get it."  I tried to explain the equals sign like the middle of a balance scale, with the numbers on each side having to be the same in order for the scale to balance.  This seemed to help them to understand that an equation is true when the number on each side is the same, and it is false when the numbers on each side are not the same.  I also had some kids trying to say whether an equation was True or False without solving the problem first, so it was quite the effort to get them to understand that you have to solve the problem on either side FIRST before you can determine whether the equation is True or False. The diagram above kind of portrays my explanation! :)  I also made these activities to help my kids practice True and False equations.  They are FREE!  Just click the link the picture to download!  Have a great weekend friends!

Short Vowel Word Work Activities Pack (aka NO Fuss stations!)

Dear Blog Readers & Followers,
    I want to express my sincerest apologies for being MIA.  I am embarrassed to say that the last post I wrote was almost 3 months ago!!  Whoops....  The only excuse I have is....well....LIFE.  School, family, friends, Pampered Chef, being sick with flu, strep, and sinus infections....the list goes on....  But my New Year's Resolution is to get back on track with the blog and start making more resources for my classroom to share with all of our wonderful readers and followers!!  So, my latest project is actually something that I started working on at the beginning of the year, but I'm just now finishing it! :) Talk about procrastination...  

    One of my pet peeves is literacy station materials that have to be cut, laminated, and then re-cut, etc.  Some of these stations are great and are wonderful to use from time to time (I have made some myself..), but honestly, who has time to do that for every literacy station or word work station you make for every week??!  Not I....  So, for my kids' Daily 5 Word Work stations, I have been making these interactive Word Work activities that are interactive (meaning the kids have to DO something...roll a dice, walk around the room and hunt for words, etc...) but they require NO prep time whatsoever.  All you need is a dice, or a pair of scissors...or something else you already most likely have in your classroom!  So I hope you enjoy these activities and find them useful.  I know I do!  Click the pictures to download from my TPT store!

     Happy New Year!!   Love, Beth

JOURNEYS Smart Board Lesson 6

    So, I just have to say that I am SO excited FALL is here!!  I just had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks this weekend, and it was fabulous!  I am also going to the mountains this weekend with my hubby and some friends and we're going apple picking!  I can't wait.. :)  I think I'm pretty much obsessed with apples and pumpkins.   I made pumpkin cupcakes this weekend for our Carolina vs. Georgia game party at our house, I have pumpkin decorations ALL over the house, and just thinking about apple picking makes me kind of giddy inside.  Fall is just happy, and it means Christmas is just around the corner, which is my favorite too.  Anyway....enough about fall....so WOW!  These JOURNEYS lessons are kicking my butt!  They are taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r to make. Blah!  My poor husband has to put up with a laptop glued to my lap for hours.  Haha.  I can't wait for Thanksgiving break so I can get ahead a little.  :)  I just finished Lesson 6, though, so if you teach Journeys, it is ready for download on TPT.  Have a wonderful week and God Bless!
      Beth

Katie is DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR! Whoohoo!

   We are SOOOOO excited!  Life and teaching truly is SIMPLY SWEET! Katie won District Teacher of the Year last night for Columbia County, Georgia!!  Whoohoo!  She called me on her way home from the banquet while driving her brand new MERCEDES..what?!  I'm so jealous! Haha.  Congrats Katie!!  You're an awesome teacher and I'm so blessed have an awesome blog with you too!  Just make sure I get a ride in the new Mercedes..... :)

     Beth 

1st Grade JOURNEYS Smart Board - Lesson 5

Hi fellow 1st Grade JOURNEYS teachers!!  Smart Board lessons for Lesson 5 (Days 1-5) are ready!! Click the picture to visit my TPT store and download.  Have a fabulous week!!         Love, Beth

Houghton Mifflin JOURNEYS Smart Board Lessons!!

   I'm finally done with my Smart Board Masterpiece (I think...)!!  I've literally been working 12 and 13 hour days on the weekends in addition to work after school getting these done (Can you tell I don't have kids?? haha), but now they are here for you all!  My school district adopted a new reading curriculum this year, Houghton Mifflin Journeys (the new 2012 Common Core Edition), and it has really been a big change for a lot of teachers, including myself.  Thankfully, though, I had taught a similar curriculum in another district (SRA Imagine It!) and had some experience using a more scripted curriculum.  However, at my old district I had made Smart Board lessons for each lesson to help me pace myself and make things more interactive for the kids, and I found myself starting Journeys this school year wishing I had the same!  So... even though it meant starting from scratch, I have started making Smart Board lessons for each Journeys lesson for 1st Grade, and it has been fabulous!  I am really keeping my kids engaged and also making sure that I am pacing the lessons well and getting everything in that I am supposed to in order to ensure my kiddos reading success.  I am SO excited about these lessons and I couldn't wait to share them with you!  I am kind of backtracking right now, because I just finished  Lesson 4 (Lucia's Neighborhood) and I am working on Lesson 5 now (Gus Takes the Train)..... so I will have to go back and do Lessons 1, 2, & 3.  But from this point forward, I will be making these each week and posting online to TPT.  So if you teach Journeys, stay tuned!!  I hope you find these as helpful as my team members and I have!  

    If you are a 1st Grade Teacher and teach JOURNEYS, please visit my TPT store.....just click on the picture.  I would love some feedback too from those of you who teach Journeys!  God Bless!
      Love, Beth