No School Today and a Sale on TpT!

Hello Everyone!

Our district closed school today and I am blessed with a work day to try to catch up get ahead  on some work here at school.  Do you have to go into school when school is called off?  Last year was the first year we had to, but to be honest I love it!  I get a whole day to work in my classroom without a second of nagging from my husband that I work too much :). 

Here is a view of the school playground on our snow/ice day. 

We had a staff development day yesterday and I spent the majority of the day working on English Language Arts assessments that align to the Common Core State Standards AND our report card standards.  I only completed 1.RL.1 and 1.RIT.1 and even after completing those assessment I still feel like I need more.  I have two assessments for both standards, but that is not enough for the whole school year.  Does anyone know of any good TpT products that could help me?  I would create them all myself if I had more time, but time is ticking fast and I need them ASAP. 

I have been busy making my math fact assessment packets more presentable to be sold on TpT.  I have created a math facts program for my first graders and I have been soooooo impressed how well they are impoving!  I have collected math fact data in our school for a number of years and EVERY year we have the same results!!  It was so frustrating so I decided to create a math fact program that builds on the skills and strategies needed to be successful in math facts.  This is not a "drill and kill" math fact program, but one that works on skip counting not only forwards, but backwards as well to help build the dreaded subtraction skills.  I also teach BOTH addition and subtraction at the same time to help students see the patterns between the two functions.

I only have the + 2/- 2 and the +5/-5 math fact packets posted and will soon have the +10/-10 off the decade.  I am in the works with the +0/-0 and +1/-1 packet.  All packets include a weekly lesson plan that you could use in your classroom as well as a chart for progress monitoring.

 

Add and Subtract 2 Math Fact Instruction

 

Add and Subtract 5 Math Fact Instruction

I am having a SALE in TpT!  I am extending my sale on all my sight word packets until Thursday.  I created three separate Dolch sight word packets (pre-primer, primer, and first grade sight words).  I created each packet as a sight word program.  There is consistency between the packets, but I also varied the lessons in each packet so your students do not get bored doing the same activities.  Here are the links:

 Dolch Pre-Primer Sight Word Program

Included in this packet:
* Weekly word lists that can be sent home with students to practice 10 words each week.
* I Have Who Has game for each of the 4 weeks.
* Roll, Read, and Record along with sight word lists and an option of using spinners if dice is not an option for you in your classroom.
* Weekly sight word booklets for each of the 4 weeks that practice on recognizing how the word is spelled, writing a sentence using that word, and practicing each word in a variety of fun ways.
*Sight word flashcards for your students to practice at school and home.

 

Dolch Primer Sight Word Program

 





Included in this 140 page packet:
*Weekly word list for each of the five weeks to practice at school and at home.
*Weekly speed read sheets that students can practice at home or at school.
*Weekly sight word booklets that focus on spelling, identifying, and writing a sentence using each word.

Dolch First Grade Sight Word Program

Included in the 125 pages are:
*Weekly sight words for students to practice at school and at home.
*Weekly speed read sheets that students practice at home to work on reading each of the 10 weekly sight words.
*Weekly sight word booklets that work on spelling, identifying, and writing a sentence using each word.
*Weekly roll, say, keep games
*Weekly word searches to further practice identifying each sight word.


Thanks and have a great day!!

Tina Parker

Brrrrrrrrr.

We had a wonderful week of writing working on Allertiation.  I found these great lesson ideas from Cara Carroll over at The First Grade Parade. 

This anchor chart is also from The First Grade Parade.  I tried to look at her anchor chart and then create some of my own alliterations.  My daughter Madisyn did not like the one about Madisyn making major messes :).

 

I then wrote their names on chart paper and they had a chance to think to themselves about what alliteration they could make using their name, think with a partner to come up with more ideas, and then we shared them as a group.  They all had a blast! 

After we came up with alliterations using everyone's names we had them go into the computer lab and type their alliteration.  I was even brave enough to try to teach them how to highlight the text and change the font colors.  They did very well!  Here are some pictures of some student work.  Sorry for the dark pictures- I have to remember to open up my shades when I take pictures.  There are too many outside playground distractions if I leave them open :).

DeShea likes to disco dance at dawn.

 


Amarie arrives on an angry alligator.

Tom takes tigers to Tim's truck.

For target time I have been choosing to work on math facts from my math fact strategy packet.  If you would like to see an outline of the facts I have mapped out for my first graders you can see one here.  We just completed the +10 and -10 off the decade this week and my students do not yet fully understand the concept of adding tens off the decade so I will give them one more week.  Otherwise they have +1, -1, +0, -1, +2, -2, +5, -5 (with multiples of 5), and doubles.  Before I even started any facts I made sure to really focus on number before, number after, and skip counting both forwards and backwards by 1, 2, 5, and 10.  I have a number of math products that I have finished and just need to post at my Teachers pay Teachers store at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tina-Parker

Some of you may know that I have been trying to keep up with two blogs and failing miserably this school year.  I have decided to combine both blogs together to hopefully do a better job blogging more consistently.  My other blog was a math blog designed to provide resources to teachers in my district, but a new district wiki will be the new home for those resources.  I will still post about math on this blog along with pictures of activities I have created for my students. 

Next week we will be focusing on inferring and we have some great activites planned.

Have a great weekend!

Tina