Cute Storage!

I snatched up some of the cutest polka dotted metal pails last year at a hole in the wall surplus store(I'm a bit in love with polka dots). They were a couple dollars each and I thought I'd surely find a use for them. They've become gift "bags" for my teacher friends birthdays- filling them with a soda, some sweets, and little office supplies and such. Of course I saved this one for myself. It's bigger than the little ones in Target (about 6 inches tall).

While I was cleaning up the house a little this morning (more like moving junk piles from one place to another) I stopped to admire my little pail and found a website on the sticker in the bottom. So of course I grabbed the computer and looked it up and wowie wow wow! If you love cute and cheap pails, bins, boxes, and bags then take a look.

  

All the items are about $.75 to $1.50 each but it seems that you have to order in bulk (like sets of 36 or so) but maybe you could go in with some friends. Here's website bloggy friends, www.italia100.com, don't spend too much!

Word Wall Printable Cards

If you want to download the high frequency words that go with Harcourt Storytown here they are! I printed mine on colored cardstock, laminted them, wrote the week they are introduced in the back, and then put strips of magnetic tape on the back since I post them on my whiteboard. (Click here to go back to my word wall post to see pictures.)

I'm adding the colors I used, not that you have to follow my color code (there's no rhyme or reason to it).

I printed these Kindergarten review words on red.

Words from book 1 (on orange paper).

 Book 2 (on yellow paper)

Book 3 (on green paper)

Book 4 (on blue paper)

Book 5 (on purple paper)

If any of these links don't work let me know!

Math Station Organization

For the next few weeks I'll be anxiously awaiting Debbie Diller's newset book, Math Work Stations. Until I get the book in my hands I'm closely following a group of bloggers who are reading and blogging about this book. Mrs. Wills has read and reviewed the first 2 chapters and I'm linking up to share my organization of materials. Click over to her blog to link up or check out others who have.

I've tried a few different ways of storing math games for stations. At first I stored games in a file box and put them out in these drawers as I introduced them.

Each drawer is labeled with the skill that is addressed. Unfortunately, these drawers are too hard for the kids to put back in correctly and they always end up off track and I have to help with clean up everyday (which is not what I want to be doing!). So this year I just stored the games in these drawers and as I introduced them I took them out of the drawer and put them out in white dish pans on a shelf for the kids to choose from.

I also keep other manipulatives such as geoblocks, linking cubes(I have about 3 different kids), counting chips, and pattern blocks in the drawers below, some were empty in this picture since they were in use in a dish tub at the time. And yes, there is one drawer of plain blocks that are only used on indoor recess days (and are always the most popular indoor activity).

Next year I am excited to be focusing on math and science. I'll be trading classes with another teacher who will teach reading to both of our classes reading while I teach math and science to both. I really want to get all things math super organized and set up over this summer so I can be a complete math guru next year! I'm looking forward to reorganizing my games and activities and getting more ideas from all of you!

Word Wall

Just before I took down my word wall last week I snapped some pictures of it thinking I might post about it and wouldn't ya know, Ms. M. is having a word wall linky party!

I'm lucky to have two huge magnetic white boards in my classroom. So I can use a whole board to display the high frequency words that go with our reading series (Harcourt Storytown). The first 20 days of school we use to review, so the red words are kindergaten words that my kids "should" know already. Then we have 5 reading books that we use throughout the year. I color coded the words so that the color changes each time we get a start a new book. The real reason I made the words different colors was so when little Timmy asks how to spell "what" I can say "That's on the word wall; it's a yellow word." By having multiple colors I can give hints if the kids are having trouble finding a word.
Also, I put magnetic tape on the backs so my kids can take words down and to their desks if needed (if they can reach it- sometimes I grab it for them). And I just organize them in one of those coupon envelopes that have dividers (it really takes 2 coupon envelopes to store all the words!).
So if anyone uses the Storytown reading series and wants to print these off I'm sure I have them saved somewhere on my computer. =)

Edit: I posted  link for all the words. Click here.

Melissa

Vocabulary and Drawing Conclusions

Once again, I'm linking this to Mrs. Patton- check out her great organization week (clearly I like organization- not saying I'm good at it though!).

I thought I'd quickly share how I teach vocabulary to first graders.

One summer I pulled out some of my favorite read alouds, many were seasonal. I have less and less time to read to my kids just for fun so I needed a chance to read these fun stories while tying in some skill I have to teach already.

So I looked through them for quality (Tier 2- if you know what I'm talking about) words. I chose 3 words from each book and if a book just didn't have 3 suitable words I didn't use it. Then I typed the words on cards and I found an online image of the book to print.

I've got them organized in a storage crate (in the order I will use them all year) and each week I just pull out the next book and its word card and picture card. I introduce the 3 words, give definition and examples, we discuss a little, then I read the story and they listen for the words. Then I post them on our vocabulary word wall. As a bonus, I tried to choose books that I also had on CD so I could then put the book in my listening station.

I've used this for 3 years now and the kids love it! And even better, they often use these words (correctly) in conversation and if ever see the word in another book they always say "Hey, that's one of our old vocabulary words!"

Here's our vocabulary word wall so far this year:
Click any of these photos to download the vocabulary book pictures cards that I use on my word wall. I've put the entire vocabulary packet, with word cards, the books list, words and definitions, and a few printable activities in my TpT store, click here if you are interested, and thanks!

I also wanted to share this game I made for our reading comprehension skill this week, drawing conclusions.

I made clue cards for my kids to practice listening for details and after each detail they are asked to draw a conclusion as to what the object is, the topics are foods, jobs, and animals. I made enough clue cards to play three games without repeating any. And there are different point cards if you want high values (make your kids work a little harder to figure out their score!) There's also a sheet for the kids to write their conclusions and keep up with their own score.

I designed it to be played like a jeopardy game. I've played Phonics Jeopardy with my kids and they always love it, so I made one for this skill as well.

I've uploaded the game on my TpT store if you want to check it out. It's easy to make, just print and cut.
Click either picture to go to TpT and you can download a preview. Thanks!

Happy Saturday!

Literacy Station Rotation Chart

Yesterday I was in a hurry and I forgot to post pictures of my literacy station rotation chart. The Daily 5 says to eventually allow kids to choose their own stations and I've tried that but I never felt comfortable with it. I also have an inclusion class and sometimes those kids (and others too) just need more structure. So my kids have to follow this rotation chart.

We only do 4 stations a day (and they stay the same all week). The kids' names are on index cards and then they see the order in which they will do their 4 stations that day. Each week I move the index cards down a row. And I may change the station cards. For this week I don't have read to buddy as a station, so next week I may replace work on writing with read to buddy. I just try to change it every few weeks, but it involves no set up, just moving cards around.

The green, red, yellow, and blue tags above the stations show which reading group comes to my table at that time. The yellow and blue groups only come every other day. And during the 4th station I have intevention, so I just call a few kids by name to visit my table again.

This is a close up of the charts we made at the beginning of the year to learn and practice our stations and graph our "stamina". I got the idea from http://www.jmeacham.com/ - an awesome site for kinder and 1st! I tweaked her charts just a little. I have the charts saved somewhere and can share if anyone wants them. (Edit: I found the charts and posted them here)

And an awesome special ed. aid made these pics to remind my kids of what is expected during stations.

This has worked for me for a few years now, but I love to see how everyone else sets their schedule up.

Literacy Station Organization

I'm linking up to Mrs. Patton again!

I, like many others, do a version of the Daily 5 for my literacy stations. So the only ones I really need to worry about organizing are word work and listening. Of course I have to organize my classroom library too, but that doesn't change throughout the year.

So here is my word work. I had it set up at the beginning of the year with about 5 or 6 activities in each drawer and they were just labeled #1-6 (the same thing was in each drawer). So the kids would take a drawer to their desk and choose whichever activity they wanted to do independently. Now I have organized it so that they have to do a certain activity each day of the week and then they can choose a game from the 6th drawer. I changed it becuase they were really just playing around and not working on words. Not that this keeps them from playing, but I feel like they are better about finishing the daily task before they play (or goof off).

Monday's box- spell weekly words with letter beads and pipe cleaners

Tuesday- word sorting (I've posted about this activity, here's the first link and another one)

Wednesday - spelling words with scrabble tiles (again, I posted about this too, here's the link)

Thursday- sight word activity

Friday- stamping

I hope something here is helpful to someone=)

Home/School Communication

My plan was to link up with Mrs. Patton everyday for her organization week. But Monday and Tuesday just flew by (no complaint here). Anywho, today the topic is home/school communication.

The only thing I really have to share is my take-home folders and how my kids turn them in, along with notes from home. Nothing too exciting here.

I have this cart by my desk and when kids unpack they put take-home folders inthe top box, but before they turn it in they check for any notes or money from home and put it in the notes box onthe 2nd shelf. The 3rd shelf is for finished work to be turned in and the bottom shelf holds some random social stories for me to read with kids if needed. Sorry this picture is so terrible!

I use the folders to send home a daily behvior chart and papers. Parents return things in here as well. These folders are AMAZING! They hold up all year long, they're $1.05 each (no shipping!), and they have a clear pocket on the front, the back, and two clear pockets inside. That's $20 bucks a year I don't mind spending. I somehow got a free sample in my mailbox at school last year so if you ask they might send you one.

Here's a link for these folders, can you tell I like them?!

 

Math Organization

I finally took some pictures at school today so I can link up with Patton's Patch Organization Week.

I don't have anything fancy for math materials. I keep my geoblocks, linking cubes, pattern blocks, and counters, in the larger drawers. The items we use daily for calendar time are on top along with bags of flashcards used for games in the red tray.

Beside the drawers is some piece of furniture my neighbor was putting out on the street one day and I grabbed it up to take to school! My computer fits perfectly and I have the drawers and cubbies full of other math manipulatives. It's a hot mess though! My end of the year goal is to clean it out and reorganize.

And the colorful set of drawers on the bottom holds games that my kids play in math stations

I've been trying hard to set up my math time more like reading block and do a quick whole group lesson and then meet with small groups. I'm sharing a form I made to help me plan for "Math Workshop". I really like teaching math this way so much better, it's easier to see if the kids are really getting the gist of the concept when you're teaching small groups. And I can easily modify or enrich for those who need it.

In case I run out of time I schedule my high kids last. And usually on Fridays I cut their time short and do assessments. Poor high kids, they always get neglected=(

Classroom Photos

One of my favorite things is looking at pictures of other classrooms. I especially love to do this on a lazy summer day and mentally plan how I'll arrange my room for the next year. Always First Grade is having a classroom pics linky party. So here are some photos I have saved on my computer from the beginning of this year before the kids came. Share yours too!

Here's a view from the door. We do all our whole group stuff on the rug and there's a big white board behind and to the right of the easel. See that chair? I found it in the school attic this summer. It was black plastic with nasty orange rough fabric, a little spray paint and fabric went a long way to transform this sweet little chair.

Now moving around the room counter-clockwise:

Reading area (with books covered so I could slowly introduce kids to the book area after I went over how to find, use, and put away books)

Small group area.

Computers on the back wall.



My desk area.

This was going to be a listening station, but I'm now using it as a writing station. The table top is chalkboard!
The "tree" thing on the wall is where backpacks are hung and lunches and snacks go on the white shelves.

Sink and mailboxes.

A view from the front of the room.

I've changed things a little since these pics were taken in August. I always get an itch to rearrange midway through the year but I've tried to resist this year, it's just so much work!
I can't wait to see more of your rooms!