I can't believe that it is already the middle of March. Only one week until spring break!
Here is a little taste of what we are doing this week!
Today we read
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! This is part of series of books that we have read throughout the year. The kids are familiar with the format and were so excited when they saw it in the book basket.
After we read the book we worked in groups to see if we could recall all the things she ate and put them in the right order. We have done this type of activity with all the books, except this was the first time they didn't have retelling cards. They had to make them up themselves.
Each group had a stack of large index cards and went to work.
Once the group had all of their cards done, they sorted them into the right order.
Then, we came back and reread the book again to see if they had them in the correct order. I am happy to report that 5 out of 6 groups had them right! We were all so excited!
We glued the cards onto sentence strips so we could hang them up! The kids were so proud of their work. When we do projects like these I like to have them do some reflecting. Not only on their work, but comparing it to what others came up with. It really helps them improve their ideas and creativity. Some groups numbered their cards, while some added backgrounds, and one drew a picture of the Old Lady.
Being good during the week before spring break is hard.... even for me! So to help use remember to do our best we have a daily contest. Each morning a new friend at the table gets to be keeper of the group's bucket. We earn coins all day long for staying on task, being kind, answering tough questions with correct or thoughtful answers, and everything else that makes a happy classroom. At the end of the day each table counts up their money. The table with the most money gets a treat from the candy jar! The only thing is they better be sure they have counted correctly. If they tell me an incorrect amount their group is disqualified. It is great for reviewing coins and makes them work so hard to earn them. If your kiddos are having a tough time this week, you might want to give it a try.
This is the BIG WINNER for today!
We usually have time for a game of SCOOT on Tuesdays. This week we will be reviewing time with this little packet called
What Time is it Mr. Leprechaun?
It focuses on telling time to the 5 minutes and is something we can always use more practice with. It has 20 game cards and answer sheet.
SCOOT might be my most FAVORITE game of all time! It is super easy. Just post the task cards around the room and the kids move from card to card and write their answers on their answer sheet. SO MUCH FUN! It gets them up and moving.
We are also doing a little work care of the Easter Bunny!
Like it or not, state testing is right around the corner. So I try to hit at least 5 tested skills during the week for review. We will become "Editing EGGSberts" by editing some Easter themed sentences to practice capitals, dates, and commas.
I'm also still "a work in progress" with organizing my classroom. Every time I think I'm finished something else catches my eye and start moving things again. Here is the best way I found to keep all my anchor charts organized.
I attach them to hangers with binder clips. I can usually put 2 or 3 on each hanger.
One $12 clothes rack from Walmart holds all my hangers. The best part is when someone needs a refresher or we are reviewing, I can quickly pull the chart off the hanger. Easy as PIE!
I hope everyone has a great week!
Happy Teaching!
