Time away to create teaching a different way!

Wow!  It seems like forever that I have written anything on here, but the time has been very rewarding.  I spent a lot of time reworking my centers and learning areas after attending a workshop on differentiating my learning centers.  The presenter, the wonderful Margo Southall, was hilarious, insightful and in my book a genius!  She has some wonderful ideas for making comprehension a part of your Daily Five choices using some very cool printables and creatables.  There will more to come on that project as the year winds down and I try out a few things that I think I want to do for next year's class.  I have a group of kiddos that just don't seem to be progressing with the rest of the class and I am trying some new things to help motivate and get them movin'.

I have also been busy creating lots of new freebies and adding to my TPT store.  Here are samples and links to all the fun new things I have created and will be using with my class for the next few weeks. 

This is a printable to use with your Daily Five working with words if you want your kids to have spelling practice. Click here to download a copy.

This is a poster with pocket chart cards that I am using for fluency practice with my kiddos.  The poem is one that has been around a long time and is adorable!  Click here to download a copy.

Click here if you would like a copy of the shopping list I added to my Work on Writing-Real World Text area.  It is a printable that will give you three shopping lists per page for kids to use to write a shopping list.  I added several cookbooks along with it, and my class is so excited about the area now!

Click here if you would like a copy of the printable I use with my classroom magazines.   I never seem to be able to fit in all of my weekly readers that my school pays for, so I found a new use for them.  I put them in my Work on Writing area, but they would work in the Listen to Reading area also.  I made a shortcut on one of my computer desktops to the online version (which will read to the kids if they choose that button) and as they read they fill out the fact poster. 

This is a copy of my reading log that my students use during Read to Self or Read to Someone...they also can add books they have heard in Listen to Reading.  I added a book response to it after going to my last training...although that idea is still a work in progress.  Click here if you would like a copy.

I also added a rainbow writing paper to my Working with Words area.  The kids just seemed to do better with a specified piece of paper to rainbow write on...so here it is!

Last, but not least, I made a printable to use with all those million of alphabet beads I have.  I created a word building station for Working with Words and added all the beads...some chenille stems (pipe cleaners)...and this printable...VOILA!  Word Building Station.  Click here if you want a copy!

I have several other projects in the works...so check back every so often to see what I've added!

Daily Five Minilesson idea on ch with a freebie...

Hey everyone!  I'm gearing up for a new week and I thought I would share one of my Daily 5 ideas with you.  My district uses the Treasures Reading Program, and this next week we will be studying ch and tch spelling patterns.  Now, I don't know about your class, but in my class there are always students who confuse the sh and ch (tch) sounds during spelling.  I thought I would create a poster to help my class remember the look and sound of ch.  Well, my ten year old son always goes around the house singing this song he made up about french fries.  LIGHTBULB!  My class needs fluency practice and our rule is ch and tch...why not use my son's song and create a song (poem) poster for my class to learn. 

Click here if you would like to download a free copy from my TPT store.

Then I had another idea...create a word practice or word sort game for my Working with Words area. 

 I think I am going to go with a word sort using three fry boxes...one marked sh, one marked ch and one marked tch.  I will write the words I want to put in the word sort on yellow popsicle sticks that can be sorted.  I am going to be creating a printable with the words on paper for those that need a quick printable activity as well as a self-check chart.  I will get those uploaded as quickly as I can get them made...

If you would like to download a free copy of the poem you can get it here from my TPT store.  The printables to go along with it will be part of a kit, that will be available for purchase later this week.  I hope everyone has a great week!