Top Teachers' Blog Swap and Hop...I Have a Guest

Hey everyone! It's Heather (aka HoJo) from HoJo's Teaching Adventures. I'm so excited about the Top Teachers' Blog Swap and Hop! It's such a fun event where you're going to get some great ideas and maybe even a few freebies along the way!

Monica and I were brainstorming what you might like, and we decided you deserve a FREEBIE! So I'm going to keep this pretty short and sweet, but read on to see what you're getting...

I started creating Magic Squares this past November. Basically they are puzzles that match up "magically" (or perfectly) when put together correctly. Here's an example of one -

Students will get to practice 12 problems about a certain concept, like addition in the Magic Square above.

Here are some Magic Squares in action -

So now that I've told you about Magic Squares, I hope you are excited as I am about them! But - just in case you're not - it's time to give you a freebie! Maybe then you'll be convinced that this is a FUN educational tool that will have students begging for more.

Click on the picture below to get your FREE and EXCLUSIVE Blog Hop and Swap Magic Square 0-5 Addition FREEBIE!
There is one little catch with this freebie - it's only available for FREE until Saturday, July 7th at midnight CST. So make sure to download your copy before then!

Well, folks, that's all for me! I hope you'll consider jumping over to my K-6 blog to say "hi"! =)

~HoJo~

Thank you for hanging out with HoJo today...you'll find me at Melissa's blog Transitional Kinder with Mrs. O! Enjoy the Blog Hop!

Daily 5 Book Study - Chapter 3

Welcome to week three of The Daily 5 book study...our host this week is Mrs. Freshwater's Class.

This week's shared reading: What's the Difference?: Key Materials, Concepts, and Routines For Launching the Daily Five

What "rings" true for you in this chapter?


Book boxes!!! Thanks to generous donations through DonorsChoose.org, I got these fabulous book boxes...that replaced our dumpster-diving teacher-created recycled cardboard boxes. You would have thought it was Christmas when they arrived in early October!! We just love 'em! Plus, they held up when they were dropped repeatedly accidentally on the way to the 6th grade portables for buddy reading.

beautiful, new book boxes

I think it's important for each student to have their "own" place to keep their books. If they have books at home, they're kept in the closet, under the bed, or in a box. And you know they fill their book boxes with high-interest books of their choosing...and a few more from me, too, for good measure.

cardboard recycling at its best

Signals...need I say more? When I first read this book last summer, I fell in love with the idea of tabletop chimes...they're melodic and not as harsh-sounding as a bell. I want to get their attention, but not jar them like an alarm - that's what the fire alarm is for, right? Think about coming out of Shavasana after yoga...you would be startled if your teacher rang a bell, wouldn't you? It would kind of defeat the whole relaxation thing. My lovely chimes are at school, so sorry, no picture...

How are your students progressing with picking appropriate books?

Do you have a system in place for when your students choose good-fit books? Do you have certain groups pick books on certain days? I've kinda just let my students go book-shopping whenever they ask. I thought about having them "shop" on certain days, but then we have so many holidays on Mondays and Fridays or one of my kiddos wants new books after a couple of days...and who says no to that? Here are two super cute I-Pick signs I found:

from Casey McArdle

from Frogs and Cupcakes 

To help my kiddos with selecting appropriate books on their reading level, I found these amazing Five Finger Test bookmarks...and they keep one...or two, or seven...in their book box. And since they l-o-v-e bookmarks, it's a win-win.

click here for your copy

What (if anything) could help improve the processes from this chapter in your classroom?

One big question that still lingers is...what do I put in my students' book boxes so that we can start Read-to-Self on the very first day of school? Well, I thought that since I always do a quick review of my students' cumulative folders from Kinder, I can see their end-of-year DRA scores. That way I know what reading level they ended on the previous year and start from there.

I'm going to put a couple of books from the level below, the same level, and one level above their DRA score so that they have a range. Then, after we have modeled our just-right shoe lesson, they can add more books of their liking.

What were your ah-ha moments in this chapter?  I would love to hear your thoughts about how you prepare for your first lesson!

Don't forget to join Mrs. Freshwater's Class and Jan from Reading and Thinking Out loud for the blog hop!

My Book Shopping Spree and a Smoothie...part 2

I know I am not alone in my book obsession...ask my kiddos...ask my boyfriend...you can even ask my mom. I have seen many a picture of me with that-half-eyes-closed look of surprise as my mom would call my name whilst my nose was buried in a book...and FLASH...another picture for the ol' family album. Where is Oprah when you need her?

Here are my latest treasures that arrived in the mail...I hope you like 'em as much as I do...

In Pictures and In Words: Teaching the Qualities of Good Writing Through Illustration Study by Katie Wood Ray. Oh.my.word...let me tell you, in just six, short, easy-to-read chapters, Katie (we're on a first name basis) has changed my views about the importance of children's illustrations in creating books. You can read more about that in my book study.

The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland. This is a cute story about a very busy beaver who learns the importance of impulse control. After some mishaps and some reflection, he uses kind actions and the words "I'm sorry" to make amends with his friends.

Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades, Book 2) by E.L. James. This book is for my guilty pleasure. Need I say more?

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. To be perfectly honest, I'm new to the whole bucket-filling concept, but I will be reading Conscious Discipline: 7 Basic Skills for Brain Smart Classroom Management over the summer and into the school year. I'm all for books that inspire my students to be kind and respectful to others. For more resources, check out Bucket Fillers. If you want to check out my other recent book finds and a lemonade recipe, you can get that here.

And here's a little something sweet and healthy to leave you with to enjoy over the dog days of summer...

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
1 ripe banana
5-6 strawberries
1 tbsp flax or chia seeds
1 tbsp honey or agave
1 cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender until desired consistency. You can also substitute your favorite fruits (raspberries, blueberries, peaches) for the strawberries. Another tip: freeze your bananas so that they'll keep longer.

What are some recently discovered books that you just love? What are some of your ol' favorites? What's on your wish list? I'd love for you to share your favorite summer drink...and the recipe :)

Oh, and look what's coming this Saturday...

My blog will feature a blogger friend of mine, Hojo, from Hojo's Teaching Adventures...and you can find me...and a new freebie...at Melissa's blog, Transitional Kinder with Mrs. O. See you Saturday!!

Facebook Post Party

Hi, friends...welcome to our Facebook Post Party!

Tonight from 9:00-11:00 EST, go to my Facebook Fan Page

to see posts from some of my favorite bloggers directing you to their fabulous blogs. Some will be offering FREE items on their blogs for this special party! See you tonight!


For visiting me, I am offering to you some freebies that you may have missed:

I Can Sort and Graph

Shoe Box Report

I would love to hear about your favorite discoveries :)

In Pictures and In Words Book Study Ch.1-6

Hi, and welcome to the In Pictures and In Words book study hosted by Deedee from Mrs. Wills Kindergarten.

by Katie Wood Ray

I know what you're saying, another book study?! Well, I have to admit, after being out of grad school for a year, I miss it!! Well, maybe not the hours upon hours of graduate work, but the professional resources and children's literature that I had to read in order to complete my coursework. So, this is the next best thing (without driving my boyfriend completely craazzyyy).

This first part of the book (section 1) covered chapters 1-6, so I'll give you an overview of my thoughts (in part based on Deedee's guiding questions). I was surprised at the level of thought that the kindergarten students were able to put into their illustrations as depicted in the book. Wow! I feel like it was eye-opening for me. I know I did not give enough emphasis to my students' illustrations as I did their writing. But, that's all about to change :)

How might you explain to students that illustrating is composing?
What stood out for me was this quote from Chapter 1, "If teachers are willing to make a composing connection and show children how an illustrator's decisions about pictures are a lot like a writer's decisions about words, she forms a bridge of understanding that nurtures children as both illustrators and writers." I could end right there, but I won't...

My thoughts were to have my students start their writing workshop, then after about 5-10 minutes of planning, have them stop and share their illustrations (thus far). This will help them to tell their story before they even start writing. So, hopefully they'll take as much consideration in their word choice as do their pictures. Also, during reflection, I would have share time for good illustrations, not just great stories.

How might your attitude towards writing affect your students' willingness to write?
I think teacher attitude affects all content areas. Students feed off your excitement and consequently, lack of enthusiasm. Children need to see the purpose of their writing, not just as a task that needs to be done.

How might you help students build stamina in their writing?
We work hard on building our stamina due to our use of The Daily 5. So, this naturally carries over into our writing. I know I need to spend more time listening to my students tell me about their pictures and not make the illustrations just a means to get to an end (the story).

What language might you use with your students to talk about reading like a writer, both as a writer of words and pictures?
I will have to model the "habit of mind" for my students. We will discuss getting into the illustrator's head to notice why they think the author made a particular decision about a picture. And, to point out that when they are illustrating their own stories, what do they want their readers to "see"? Also, it is important to link the idea to a new topic, so they don't think the illustrator's decision to zoom in on something is only for nature, it could be for a trip to the store, too. I would emphasize that like their words, pictures make meaning.

Name several books you would gather for your classroom's units of study on illustration.
Here are my book suggestions:

by Steve Jenkins

by Istvan Banyai

by Alexandra Day

by Alan Zweibel

by Pat Lowery Collins

I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions :)

Please join me again next week on the 29th at Mrs. Wills Kindergarten for Chapter 7: Ideas and Content.

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

Daily 5 Book Study - Chapter 2

Welcome back to our book study!

Here are my thoughts on Chapter 2, from "Management" to "Principled Habits" of The Daily Fivehosted by Mel from Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations. I used Mel's questions to guide my reading below.

1. What goals do you have for your classroom as you work to implement the principles and foundations of the Daily 5 discussed in Chapter 2? What support do you need to do this?
As I reflect on what has been successful in my classroom (after 1½ years of implementation in a first grade classroom), I realize that my students progressed in the areas of “choice” and “stamina,” while I became better prepared to “stay out of the way” during their D5 choice time. The principles that I need to continue to work on are building D5 “community”, “trust”, and their “sense of urgency.” When I had an off-task student, I could almost guarantee that they would make eye contact with me at some point and I could signal redirection with a “look”, but I would have liked their partner/ table mates to correct their behavior instead. I also noted that some students were not chosen as read-to-someone partners due to their less-than-desirable behaviors. Though I did require my students to say “yes” anytime they were asked to be someone’s partner. How did you handle this in your classroom?

2. What stands out as the most significant aspects of this chapter?
For me, the important parts of this chapter are the ones that I still need more support with. As the sisters gave an example about “trust” and the students taking restroom/ water breaks – I still do not allow my students to go individually (unless it is an emergency, of course); we all take hourly breaks as a group. What do you do? It just seems as soon as I let a small group go by themselves, they start playing at the water fountain or running down the hall. My stomach turns at the thought of another teacher having to correct my students because I wasn’t “watching them.” You all know how the gossip train works. What advice, tips, and suggestions do you have for improving “community,” “trust,” and/ or “sense of urgency?”

3. How do the foundational principles of the Daily 5 structure (trust, choice, community, sense of urgency, and stamina), align with your beliefs that support your teaching strategies and the decisions that you make about student learning?
I agree that these principles set the foundation for my students’ literacy practices. What I wasn’t prepared for was that I was able to use these same principles to guide other areas of content instruction. For example, my students know how to partner read social studies and science textbooks. They know how to choose “good-fit” books when selecting books from the math basket (during independent math practice). They use their knowledge of building stamina to practice playing a math game several times (versus playing one time and saying “we’re done” or getting up to make another choice).


If you want more ideas, stop by Nicole's blog for the 2nd / 3rd grade book study. She has a great stamina chart freebie for you :)

I would love to hear your comments, feedback, or questions. I'm glad you stopped by!

Join me next Wednesday, June 27th, at Mrs. Freshwater's Class for Chapter 3.

Books, books, and more books...part 1

Hi, friends. Nothing says summertime like a glass of cold lemonade. Or in my case, a pitcher of Sangria, tangy citrus lemonade. Basically, it's a mixture of the juice of several lemons and limes with honey and raspberries added in for good measure (vodka is purely optional). It is so yummy.

Although I have officially been out of school for 17 days, I spent the better part of four days purging my 4-shelf file cabinet (which I gave to a colleague), one day in G/T training, and made a whirlwind overnight trip to Lubbock for my daughter's new student orientation. I am gonna be a Red Raiders momma!

So, my summer has been off to a slow start. But, now, I can start to relish in (part of) my Amazon book order. Some of these books I found through this amazing blog Books that Heal Kids.

Pink!by Lynne Rickards is a story about a boy Penguin named Patrick that wakes up one day and is horrified to discover that he is pink. He goes in search of flamingos due to their similar color, but soon figures out he doesn't fit in with them. He returns home and realizes that despite his unusual color, there's no place like home.

My Mouth Is a Volcano! by Julia Cook is a book I desperately needed last year for one of my kiddos. I could have read it to the class (and to him at least once a week) as a good example to show how (constant) interrupting distracts the speaker and others' learning.

Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells is not new, but I wanted it to go along with these great literacy activities from DeAnne over at First Grade and Fabulous. This packet includes cause and effect, retelling, and sequencing events. She is indeed fabulous!

I got Conscious Discipline: 7 Basic Skills for Brain Smart Classroom Management by Dr. Becky Bailey because of all the great things I have read about it from Heather from Heather's Heart. She is not doing a typical book study per say (no reading deadlines), but she just started posting how it has changed her classroom discipline and how she interacts with her students. She has 25 posts on CD, and I haven't even read them all...yet. But, I will now :)

Pink Tiara Cookies For Three by Maria Dismondy is the typical story of a friendship between two girls that is interrupted when a new girl moves to their school. Thus, the friendship triangle begins.

I love using children's literature for author studies, to supplement academic content, and for teaching citizenship lessons through character discussions.

I would love to hear from you! What new books have you found recently? What are your go-to read aloud favorites?