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!

January and February FUN!

Well I have been MIA for a bit.  I was waiting on my new blog design and decided to take a break. Well the new design didn't work out and I am currently looking for someone new that doesn't have a ton of orders in front of me.  So I decided it was time to go back to old set up until the new one can be designed.

My focus in January and February has been reading, reading, and more reading.  I am not a fan of our reading series, so I have really had to create a lot of materials that we could use in our classroom.  I was so lucky to have a dear friend retire (not lucky that she retired because I miss her SO MUCH!)   She left me a bunch of novel sets that we have been using for our reading instruction.  Without them I would be sunk!  So we have really jumped into chapter books and the kids love it.

To work on work attack, I created a series of powerpoint slides with the national reading vocabulary words on them.  Nothing fancy, but at least they are colorful.  We do a set every morning and the kids are really picking up on them.  I like to have them trade the letters out.  So for the word "jump", I might tell them drop the "j" and make it an "l" and they say "lump".  They think it is a game!  I can really see this helping my lower kids build confidence.  I also might ask them the baseword, prefix, suffix, antonym, synonym, make it plural, or the part of speech.  Anything I can think of to keep them on their toes.  Click on the picture to see more about this product.

We love SCOOT games in our classroom.  I post task cards around the room and the kids get their clipboards and solve the questions.  Here is a an array SCOOT game from one of my favorite TPT authors....  AMY LEMONS!  

We have also broke out a 3rd grade packet for Roll and Read.  They think they are so grown up and can't wait to read the BIG words.  It keeps them engaged while I do my face to face lesson with my RTI friend.  I snapped a few pictures of them yesterday.

Tomorrow is an inservice day for us!  I'm really excited about my presentation this time.  It is all on phonics!  Not something that I am an expert in, but I sure hope it goes well.  I tried to capture the best ideas I could find to teach phonics for 2nd graders.  I will blog about it over the weekend!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Happy Teaching!

Tracy

Reading Centers!

For many years I struggled to find the perfect reading centers.  Everything I put together was either too hard for the kids to do by themselves or it required so much prep time on my part I was going nuts.  I've tried so many different things and I think I have finally find the right combination for me.

It required a little bit of prep work to get them organized, but now all I have to do is switch a few things every six days.  It is mostly add some new books and notebook paper.  It never takes me more than a few minutes to change it up, so it is TEACHER FRIENDLY!

I run reading groups three days a week.  I have six different reading centers and the kiddos go to only one center while I do reading groups.   I've split the kids so that they aren't in the same reading center with someone in their reading group.  This way when I am meeting with a group it decreases the number of students in each center.

Here are My Six Centers:
Spelling Center - 6 different activities that focus the kids attention on the order of the letters - they complete one activity each time they are in the center

Non-Fiction Reading - it helps tie into the common core standards by reading and writing about a non-fiction book of their choice - I try and use books that go with our science and Social Studies topics - the kids follow a list of ten things that they have to locate and tell about in the book - the kids really love this one!

Squiggle Center - they get a blank box with a squiggle line on it and they turn it into a picture and write a story about it - great review of those paragraph skills

AR Center - it is ten to fifteen preselected books for the students to read and take AR tests on - I made a data sheet for them to record the title and their score on it

Writing Center - I pick a poem, letter, or paragraph for them to copy and analyze by answering preselected questions

Sticker Story Center - finally a use for all those tiny little stickers we have - they pick 5 of the stickers and make them into a picture and then write a story

You can see that these centers have lots of reading and writing in them.  The kids LOVE it and want to go to centers each day.  I also have an Early Finisher Folder in most of the centers to keep everyone on task.  I put a review worksheet or a book in it for those kids that finish quickly.  It has allowed me to concentrate on my reading groups and we have very few talkers because they are so involved the centers.

I made a Safari themed set for my classroom and my friend wanted a rainbow set.  Here are the pictures of some of the pages.  You can click on the link to go directly to TPT to see them.  They are on sale this week for only $4!

I hope that helps you get a few ideas for your own reading centers!

Happy Teaching!
Tracy