Oh it's TESTING TIME!

Holy cow BATMAN!

It's testing time already!  Where did the year go?

We are in count down mode....  only 6 teaching days until the BIG DAY!

I spent the morning trying to come up with a list of things I am confident they know and what we need to revisit this week.  My lesson plans are a list with a ton of sticky notes attached to it!  Ha Ha!

For my class, the ELA portion will be much harder than the math.  Might it be that I am a better math teacher than ELA....  afraid so!

I made this anchor chart to give them something new to look at this week and hopefully they will remember to do some of these things next week.

Test prep is SO BORING!  So I wanted a plan that will keep them engaged.

To help get ready for the reading portion, I have picked a different story to use each day as my read aloud.  Each day we are going to focus on the same skills with each book.  My kiddos love to write on sticky notes.  So I made these charts to use.  After we read they will work in groups or with partners to identify their answer and write it down.  We will talk about all the answers and evaluate them.   The best ones will be left on the chart.  Then, one student will be blindfolded and use a pointer to pick the winner!  And....  the winner gets a TREAT!  Nothing like some candy to keep them working hard!

Here are some of the charts I'm going to use this week:

We can't ever get enough practice with this skill.  I'm going to make them write in a complete sentence to get some English skill review in at the same time.

I put some "starters" at the bottom to get them thinking.  Towards the end of the week, I'm going to cut off the words and see how we do without them.  FINGERS CROSSED!

This is something that we really struggle with.  So we are going to do a lot of practicing this week!

I wanted this to be different than the PIE chart that we have in class.  We are GREAT at naming the author's purpose, but struggle to find ways to express how the author feels.  Hopefully working with these questions will help us get some practice.

Easy as can be, helps us review for the test, and everyone will be engaged!    

For math I'm going to do a lot of white board review and some Skittle Math.  If you haven't downloaded my Skittle Math Freebie, click right here.  The kids love it and work so hard to earn those Skittles!  

I'm also going to pull out some math task cards.  One of my favorite ones is a set that reviews all of the Common Core math standards.  It has 4 questions for each standard.  

Are you looking for a test prep bundle that covers both math and ELA?  

Take a look at this edition for second grade!  Just click on one of the pictures!

Take a look at this edition for first grade!  Just click on one of the pictures!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and if you are getting ready for state testing....

A HUGE HIGH FIVE for YOU and your KIDS!

Happy Teaching!

TPT Wishlist Linky!

It is my favorite time of year!

My tree is decorated, the house has lights, and almost all of the gifts have been purchased.  Not wrapped....  let's get serious!  I can't get all of that accomplished during Thanksgiving break!

Another BONUS....  It's time for the big TPT Sale!  Just click on the picture and use the code CYBER2016 to save on all those items on your wish list!

Just in case you need to fill up that cart I've teamed 

up with some other TPT Sellers to bring you....

Can't decide what to buy during the upcoming TPT sale?  Look no further!  These are my top three wish listed items on TPT by other teachers just like YOU!

Wish List Item #1 is a science packet to help you jump into studying living and non-living things!  It includes printables, word sorts, hallway displays, anchor charts and more!  Here are some of my favorite hands-on activities for this packet.

Students create their own riddles and put them in a pile.  Each student takes a riddle and has to solve it by gluing it to the anchor chart.  You can have them work independently or with a partner.  It's lots of fun and gets the kids "talking" about their thinking process.

My favorite part of this packet is the end of the unit assessment.  Instead of a test, the students create a project showing that they can identify the difference between living and non-living things.  Just take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half.  On the inside the student cuts and sort the pictures that come in the packet.  It is easy to differentiate for higher learners by adding a writing requirement to their project or having them add additional pictures to their project.  The kids love completing this and having so much fun they don't realize it's an assessment.

Wishlist Item #2 is everything you need to make your kids LOVE reading centers again!  And you TOO!  These centers have been a game changer for me!  It includes six different centers that you set up and you are done!  It only requires changing out a few books here and there. Can I say NO PREP each week!  YES, PLEASE!

It comes in 3 different themes to fit any classroom.  If you are looking for another theme, please email me and I can create one to match your classroom!

Here is a look into the Paw Print themed pack.  It has 6 different centers.  Each center has directions and all of the printables that the students would need to complete the center.  The only thing you need are some picture books, tiny stickers, and some colorful crayons/markers.  It's things that you already have in your classroom.   Just organize each center into a folder.  Once you set it up, you are ready to have uninterrupted time with your groups while the students complete their centers.

You can check out the different themes by clicking on the links below:

                  Rainbow/Kid Themed
                  Safari Themed
                  Paw Print Themed

Wishlist Item #3 will help your kids become masters at singular and plural nouns.  It includes an interactive anchor chart, projectables to teach the skill, a matching game, cut/paste activity, and printables to practice the skill.   Just spend a week on this packet and your kids will have this skill down!

Here are the anchor charts to teach the skill.   Just open the pdf file and use your projector to show the slides.  Pick slide/presentation view to use them just like a PowerPoint.  The kids love seeing them on the screen to look back at during independent work time.  I put them up each day when we work and if I forget one of the kids always reminds me....  Where are the charts?

     

My favorite part of the packet is creating a word sort as a class.  It makes an amazing anchor chart and the kids take such pride in their work.  All of the pieces to the chart are included.  Just cut them apart and give each student/group some pieces to glue onto the chart.  It lets them get out of their seats and interact with their classmates.  

Want to see more wishlisted items from other stores?  See what others can't wait to buy!
Take a look at the TPT Wishlist Linky!  I know you will find some goodies you just have to buy.  I know I did!!!!!

You will be glad you read all the way to the bottom!  It pays off to read!!!!!!

Want to win a $70 TPT gift certificate to use during the sale?  I've teamed up with some sellers to do an Instagram Blog Hop.  Just click this picture to go to get hopping.  Hurry the hop will soon!  I really hope one of you wins!

Happy Teaching!

Thanksgiving FUN!

We only have 2 days of school this week!  Monday and Tuesday!

We are going to have some Thanksgiving fun these two days!

We have been reading a bunch of read alouds for Thanksgiving this month.  

We laughed and laughed over the Plump and Perky Turkey.  If you don't have this one, please add it to your collection!

Not only did they not have a clue what shredded wheat was, but they got the biggest kick out of the modeling posters in the book.  We each grabbed a partner and they picked out their favorite part of the story.  They used manila paper and wrote about it and of course included a picture.  After they were finished, I read the book again and we sequenced all of their masterpieces!  What a great activity for them.  We had a few people out of place, but worked together to get everyone in the right one.

We are almost finished reading Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chapter book.  I am lucky and have a class set and we have been reading it over the last few days.  The kids are totally engaged in it.  They have been writing down little Thanksgiving facts on paper just like Jack does in the book.  I have just loved watching them get into this book so much.

We only have one more chapter left and then we will be doing some writing activities. This packet has 4 different options for writing.  I'm going to let the kids pick which one they want to do.  It is amazing how much harder they work if it is student choice!

Here are 2 of the writing choices.  It has 4 for the kids to pick from.

Here is a sample of the pages in the packet.

For math we have been working on 2 and 3 digit addition and subtraction.  This week we are going to work in groups to write Thanksgiving word problems.  We are going to divide into groups of 4 and brainstorm some ideas and write up some problems on Monday.  On Tuesday, the groups are to pick their favorite one to put on chart paper and present to class to solve.

We are also going to make this adorable booklet about turkeys.  It focuses on reading and text evidence.  It also includes having them write a paragraph to inform.  We are still very much in the early stages of paragraph writing, so we might have to do that part as a class.  Can't wait to make these with the kids!

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL and SAFE Thanksgiving!

Enjoy every moment!

Halloween FUN!

What a weekend of baseball and RAIN!  Only competitive baseball moms can understand that pure torture of a tournament where it rained EVERY SINGLE GAME!  My feet may never dry out and I am frozen!  The only good thing is a rain delay where you can run to the car and write your lesson plans and get some papers graded.  Of course an extra bonus is if the team eats between games in a fantastic place that has Wifi!  I know I am crazy, but I realize that I only have a few more years and my youngest will be done with these weekend baseball tournaments and that does make me a little sad.

So BIG plans for the week in second grade!  It's Halloween and the kids will be crazy!  So I've planned, planned, and planned activities to keep them busy!

We just finished the first 9 weeks.  In talking with our team, we really wanted to reward the honor roll kids that had perfect conduct.  So much of our time is spent on the struggling students or those with "not so perfect" behavior.  On Friday, we are going to celebrate the best of our grade!   Some of us will be taking those amazing kiddos for some outside fun including some parachute play!  We are going to have treats and drinks for them, but we still wanted to do more.  These are the kids that hang on every word we say and do everything they can to please us.  So we decided that they need bags of FUN! Each of the teachers will be buying Halloween themed "stuff" for their bags of fun!  I bought glow necklaces, pencils, and huge Halloween erasers.  I can't wait to see how excited these kiddos are on Friday.  Time to celebrate them! Time to tell them we appreciate them and that they matter!

Here are some of my favorites activities we will be doing!

We have already started working on two digit addition and subtraction.  I know it's early in the year, but this bunch really seems to have great math skills.  One day last week they asked how you would do it and I jumped on the chance to teach them.

We LOVE, LOVE, SCOOT!  So we will be starting our math lesson off one day this week with this little group of happy ghosts!  If you haven't ever played with you kids, YOU MUST!  They love it!

We are also doing a lot of review on some important skills with some cut and paste activities.  We are covering main idea/supporting details, subject/predicate, common/proper nouns, and a bunch of others! The kids love doing these and they give me a quick look at who really has this mastered and who I need to work with in the next few weeks.

Here is a peek at the main idea/supporting detail activity.

These are the cut and paste pages - I love them because it is 2 to a page, so less copies!

We are also reading some great Halloween stories.  This year I'm giving them more choices.  After we do our read aloud I'm going to let them pick what they want to create to show me the main idea, main characters, and setting.  They can write, color, create!  

I'll be sure to post some pictures of their creations!

Time to get some time in with my kids and carve pumpkins! 

I hope everyone has a great week and a fantastic halloween!

Getting ready for testing!

April is right around the corner....  let the testing count down begin!

No matter how much we try, it always worries us!  Will those kiddos do good?
OF COURSE THEY WILL!

I really want to make this year as fun as I can while we spend time reviewing.  We are going to have table contests daily.  I'm using little cheap buckets from the Dollar Tree and every time someone from the table gets a correct answer their team gets a coin.  I'm going to use the plastic coins we have in our math kits. At the end of the day we count up our money to see who has the most.  The winners get a treat on the way out the door!  So simple and they love it!

We also made an anchor chart for answering multiple choice questions.  We went over this everyday this week and it made a big difference for my low kiddos when we took Friday tests.

I have been working on some big projects and tonight with the help of my teaching buddy who did the editing for me, they are finally ready to go!

I wanted a set of games that my on-level kids could play during RTI time.  I only have one student in RTI, but I pull a few friends to his small group time who need the extra practice.  So that leaves about 15 friends that need something to do.  It is always a challenge to keep everyone on task and a little quiet.

The packet has 4 pre-made games and one blank game.  I am planning to use the blank one for my advanced kids.  A few weeks ago I had them make a math game and they loved it.  So, when I was creating this packet I made a set that they could use to create games.  We are learning all about pronouns next week, so their first challenge will be a pronoun game!  I can't wait to see what they come up with!

The pre-made games cover phonics, story elements, language, and reference book skills.  All of the stuff on SAT10 that we need to keep fresh in our minds!

The game boards come in color and black and white!

These are the game cards.  One from each of the different games!

Story Elements!

                    

Phonics!

Reference Books!

Grammar!

Differentiation is a big deal for my class!  I want everyone to be engaged.  I knew that my advanced kids would enjoy the pre-made games, but I knew they would finish quickly and might need a challenge.  These are two of the projectable pages to use to make your own game.  It also has blank game boards and cards.  I will review the directions with them and the leave the example page up for them to refer back to while they work.

We also had a great time this week playing SCOOT!  My kids love it!  They are always so quiet and on task when we play.  We practiced contractions and telling time.  I print off the cards and laminate them. I let my weekly helper tape them all over the walls of the classroom in the morning before we get started.  We grab clipboards and away we go!  They jump right to work and move so quietly! SCOOT might be the best game I ever learned!  Here is a picture I snapped real quick when 2 kiddos were at the same card and using their pencils to count by 5's.  LOVE IT!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Happy Teaching!
Tracy

Testing Time!

Like it or not....  it is testing time!  With the stakes so high everyone is feeling the pressure.  From the teachers, to the kids, parents, and everyone who works in every building within a school system.  How do we make it as easy as we can for the kids?  That is the million dollar question.

I try really hard to make these next few weeks as fun as I can.  We go outside and use sidewalk chalk to practice our computation skills, ABC order, and even some questions that just require them to listen and write a,b,c, or d.  (I think those might be the toughest of all!)

I'm going to phase in the "review" slowly over the next few weeks.  Tomorrow we return from spring break and we will start the ball rolling by reviewing this anchor chart.

We give the SAT10 and honestly I have never been happy with the test prep materials that we had.  So I created my own materials that I use.  We use color cards (inside that packet) to signal our answers.
The kids seem to love this.  I think it is because they don't have to write anything and we make a big deal about waiting to the exact moment to show your answer.  Sometimes I have them press their card on their tummies and come and show me.  That really helps everyone feel comfortable and know it is OK to make mistakes when we review.  That's why we do it!

I was so pleased with the math.  It has a little bit of everything!  I tried to ask the questions different ways and put lots of answers in that would be correct if they did the computation wrong.  This is something we all need to work on.  We really push NOT looking at the answers and then doing the problems a second time to make sure that you are right.  Click on the picture to see more about this resource.

This is the ELA review.  It was a labor of love.  It took a great deal of research to pin point all of the different skills that the test might cover.  Each skill is identified at the top of the page and then you have several different samples of that type of problem.  We work on this packet a little differently than the math.  We work all the problems on the page and get our answers.  Then, we check in with our partner and compare our answers.  Finally, we work through them as a class.  We do a lot of talking and reasoning out the right answers.  Helping the kids understand that a problem might have an answer that is right, but this other answer is even a better choice is so hard for them.  Click on the picture to see more.

If you like these packets, they are also available in a bundle to save you some money!  Here is the link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-2-Lang-ArtsMath-Test-Prep-Bundle-Standardized-Testing-and-SAT-10-628608

If you teach 1st or 3rd....  NO WORRIES!  I have also written packets for those grades as well.

First Grade Bundle:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-1-Test-Prep-Bundle-Math-and-ELA-great-for-SAT-10-1152301

Third Grade:  (Math Only)
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-3-Math-Test-Prep-Get-Ready-for-Standardized-Testing-1040795

Well this teacher needs to spend some family time with the boys before it is back to work tomorrow!

Happy Teaching!
Tracy