Monday, November 17, 2014

Wikki Stick Time


You would have thought it was Christmas when I gave out the Wikki Sticks today.  We were practicing time and these make perfect hands for the clock!  I kept hearing, “You’re the best teacher ever!”  HA! HA!   I was thinking,  not really,  because it took me 69 days to remember to get them out!!  Anyway, they had a blast!  I let them take them home, along with the clock.  Due to the excitement, I feel like they will be practicing at home! 

 

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Monthly Math


We have compiled some of our favorite math activities into Monthly Math Packs!  Inside each pack you will find a variety of activities.  You do not have to use everything!  You probably won't have time!  There are several activities that you might want to use every week…not just one day.  The skill levels are varied so that you can differentiate as needed. We have been using most of these activities for 25+ years. We have been through Math Their Way, Marilyn Burns, Math Investigations, Calendar Math and 7 or 8 different textbook adoptions.  We would love to give credit where credit is due, but we honestly don’t remember where all the different ideas came from!  Most ideas were tweaked a little to fit our style or theme, but most ideas did originate from somebody!  If it was YOU and you want credit, let us know.  We will gladly give it to you.

Here is the link to January!



Here is the link to December!
 
Here is the link to November!

 
Here is the link to October!
 
Here is the link to September!
 
Here is the link to August!
 

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Spooktacular Nouns

We have been working on common and proper nouns.  Today, we went on a little hunt and found eyeballs all around the room!  Some were common nouns and some were proper nouns. 
 




The students had to write the words in the appropriate columns. Simple, but fun! It's always fun to get up and move around the room...while learning!
 

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Runaway Pumpkin

Here's a little FREEBIE to add to your Halloween collection or sub tub.
Read the book The Runaway Pumpkin  by S.D. Schindler.
Then have the students read the statements and decide if they did or did not happen in the story. Then have them cut and paste yes or no in the box next to the statements.

                                            
To get it click here.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Trick or Treat Roll and Add


Today we played roll and add  using this cute little witch game board.  The children take turns rolling, add two to the number rolled, and cover their number.  The person with the most covered at the end is the winner. We used the cute little candy corn and Frankenstein erasers I found at Target last year in the dollar section to cover the numbers.  I've looked this year, but haven't found them again sadly.  If you find them, grab them up.   Well, you KNOW how they love competition.  They had a blast and didn't want to stop to go to PE. Some played the game three times. 




Monday, October 20, 2014

50th Day of School

It is hard to believe that it is already the 50th day of school!  Where has the time gone???

Of course our number of the day was 50.  We have a certain format we use to work with our number of the day.  After watching me model for the first 30 days of school, they finally get to take turns doing it on the interactive board.  The kids love using the interactive board to show what all they know about numbers.  We also practice once a week on paper so parents can see what we do everyday!


Then we played a game called "Rockin' and Rollin' to 50".  We played Teacher vs. Students first on the white board!  I show no mercy and always try to win!!  Today, they did!  We were going back and forth trying to get the last square!  They finally rolled a "1" and won the game!





After the whole group game, they played with a partner!  I let them play two times so they would have a game page to take home!  Plus, each child had a part on the bottom to do.  They had to write to 50 by 2's. 






After all that Math...WE HAD TO DANCE!  
We had a lot of twistin' goin' on! 
It's really hard to capture "dancing" in a picture, but trust me, they were good!!!

Monday, October 13, 2014

The Little Orange House

This is one of my favorite activities to do during the month of October.  It's a story about a little witch that was looking for a house.  She found a piece of construction paper and decide to make a house.

First, she folded the paper in half.   Next, she cut the corners to make a roof.  Then, she cut herself a door.  She had to make a point at one side for her tall hat.  She thought her house was perfect, but maybe just a little dark.  So, she cut herself a window.  Now, her house was perfect. 
She went back outside a saw a little ghost.  The ghost was sad and crying because he had no where to live.  She invited the ghost to live with her and even made the ghost his own special door.  In the end, the lived happily ever after!
 
Of course the actual story is a lot longer, with more detail, but you get the picture.  I do it in front of the kids and then ask if they'd like to see inside the witches house.  When I open up the house they are amazed!!! 



Next I pass out paper and let each of them to the house.  I retell the story, telling them exactlly where an how to cut.  I've been doing this 26 years.  Believe me, you will have atleast 1 (more like 3) that will not listen and then you will have tears.  Just do it again for those while the others clean up!