Back to School Sale & Freebie

Click on the image to find great products that are FREE and on sale!!  I have to admit, the start of school is always stressful, but all of these great deals makes me super excited for school!

I have a freebie that I've posted AND my Kindergarten Homework Pack is on sale! 

My freebie can be found by clicking on the image below.  I always love having a student of the week.  I've been using these forms for the past two years, and my students get so excited when they are the student of the week!  It is a great way to get to know each student and let them practice speaking in front of the class.  

My product that is on sale is my Kindergarten Homework Pack for the 2014-2015 school year.  There are calendars available and worksheets for each day of the year.  There are also editable calendars that you can make to adjust your school calendar.  Click on the image below to get your packet today!

Thanks for visiting!  Be sure to follow my TPT store to learn about my newest creations and freebies! Happy back to school shopping!

Back to School Apple Fun!

August is a busy month for teachers!  We are getting back to school and looking for anything that might make our lives easier.  Well...check out this fun place value game I created just for YOU!  It is free the month of August to help you get back into the swing of things.  

This is a great way to review place value with your students or introduce a new concept in a fun and exciting way!  There are 3 games included in this pack to provide you with different activities while teaching this concept.  Place value can be tricky for our kiddos!

Click on the image below to download your free pack today!

Another fun idea for the start of school is to practice place value using real apples.  Yes, I said real apples!  I don't know about you, but I love teaching when it involves food.  I cannot make it through the school day without a small snack, and apples are the most fun because they are healthy too!

1.  Buy some apples from the store.  I would buy 3 apples per small group.  This way, you would have one apple for the hundreds place, one for the tens, and one for the ones. 

2.  Take an the apple and cut it into 10 strips. (the tens place)

3.  Cut another apple into small cubes. (the ones place)

4.  Then, place one apple (uncut), 10 strips, and small cubes with a group.

5.  Students can then practice making certain numbers using the apple pieces.

6.  I would have the students work together and write a number on the board.  Then, they would have to use the apples to make that number.

7.  Since they've touched the 10 strips and the small cubes, I would have them throw it away when they are done, but I would rinse off the whole apples and cut those up for a small snack!

This might be a sticky way to learn place value, but it would be fun and different! Honestly, who doesn't mind getting a little messy sometimes?

I hope you enjoy this fun packet!  Please leave a comment below on how you use apples in your classroom at the beginning of the year!  :]

Markdown Monday July 28-August 1

It's that time again!  Monday Markdown Sale just for you!!  Click on the image below to find all the items that are on sale this week. :]

This week I am featuring my BRAND new Kindergarten homework pack!  I am SO excited about this item that I made.  It will truly make your life so much easier.

This pack includes homework calendars for the school year AND editable calendars so that you can adjust assignments as you see fit or add to the calendar with important dates!

There is one worksheet each night (Monday-Thursday) for the students to complete.  They are receptive so that the students can complete the work independently and not have to ask their parents too many questions.  They also follow the curriculum at school.  

The packet includes, math, language arts, and writing activities.  I hope you enjoy this K homework packet!  Check out the item by clicking on the image below.  I think you will really like it!

Thanks for stopping by!  :]

Kindergarten Homework Pack

School is about to start and there are always a million things on our to-do lists.  Do you feel the pressure of getting things completed before school starts?  I do!

Well, this new Kindergarten Homework Packet I made will make your life SO much easier!! All you have to do is print and go.  Click on the image below to check out the product!!

There are calendars available for each month of the school year (mid-August to June).  This allows you to stay organized and provide parents with an outline of the month's teaching points.

There are also editable calendars for you to adjust!  Yes- I said EDITABLE!  I know that some of you have different schedules throughout the year, so you can adjust some of the assignments.  I made over 160 assignments so that you can place them where you want them and even remove some if you would rather use a different assignment!  

I do not give homework on Fridays - just Monday-Thursday.  The homework assignments are only 1 worksheet a night.  They cover reading, writing, and math curriculum.  They are also repetitive so that your little kinder students can complete the assignments without parent help if necessary.  

I know that Kindergarten seems to young to give homework, but I feel that it really helps them become more responsible.  My students also loved getting homework because they felt like "big kids."  

I used this curriculum last year with my class, and I really enjoyed.  So... I thought I would make it an item on TPT and share the love.  :) 

Now for some of my Reading Wonders users - this homework calendar also follows the Kindergarten Reading Wonders curriculum.  When the letters of the alphabet are introduced, as well as the sight words - this homework packet follows their calendar!  But, as I said there are editable calendars so that you can make adjustments to follow your class needs if necessary.  Therefore, you do NOT have to have Reading Wonders for this packet to be useful.

I would LOVE to share one of these packets with one of my followers.  So...if you leave a comment on this blog post I will choose 1 winner to receive this product!  Feel free to share this blog post so your friends have a chance to win, too. :]

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you have a great start to your school year!

Christmas in July

It's a Christmas in July sale, again!  You are in luck!! I have brand new creations in my TPT store that you will NOT want to miss!

*Click on this image below to see where it all begins!!

I taught Kindergarten for 3 years, and I absolutely loved it!  I just started my TPT journey this past year.  I am so excited about the products I am making and having the chance to use them in my classroom.  I feel that I am learning so much more about teaching through this experience.  I also truly believe that God put me on this Earth to teach, and I love having the opportunity to share with other teachers!  I am blogging more and really researching the various ways to teach strategies.  This is great because I am starting my first year teaching second grade.  I have to refer to other teachers for help during this process.  

You may be wondering why I moved to second grade when I loved Kindergarten!  Well, I just moved from Indiana to Chicago this summer.  My husband got a new job, so I had to leave my job.  Fortunately, I was given a job at a school in Chicago teaching second grade.  I was/am thrilled!!  This is a great experience for me, and I am excited about this opportunity.

With that said, you will find items in my TPT store that range from Kindergarten to Second/Third grade.  I hope that you check out my products and find them useful for you!

Thanks for visiting!! :] 

Happy shopping!!

Click on the image below to see my TPT store!

An InLinkz Link-up

Markdown Monday

Click on this image to check out the Markdown Monday items!

It's Monday again!!  You are in for a treat.  This week I am posting my brand new Classroom Data Notebook Pack.  This pack of materials allows you to track student progress in their individual data notebooks, as well as track class progress using the class data sheets.  This pack is also perfect for first, second, and third grade students.  There are also some resource pages that would work perfectly with Kindergarten!  

This product includes the following items for student data notebooks:

-Math Facts

-Fluency

-Math Tests

-Reading Tests

-Spelling Test

-Poetry Race

-Behavior 

-Attendance

This packets includes the following class data sheets:

-Math Facts

-Math Tests

-Reading Tests

-Spelling Tests

-Attendance

-Fluency

There are also data binder cover pages included with this product.

The math facts are based on addition and subtraction facts 0-12.  The poetry race goes along with my Morning Poetry Pack.  Check out this fun product to see how I incorporate fluency with my weekly poem!  The behavior tracking sheet in this packet follows the Class Dojo system.  If you have not checked this out yet - you need to do so.  You can find it by clicking the image below.  It is a great way to track student behavior and keep parents informed!

I am willing to make any necessary adjustments.  Feel free to message me in my TPT store and I can change the behavior chart to meet your classroom needs.

This product is also very useful when tracking class data.  I like to use a class data wall to show student growth.  We then create class goals and post our student progress throughout the year.  I use a specific color for each month so that we can keep track of our progress easier.  I also use this color in the student data notebooks.   I typically go in rainbow order - so August is red, September is orange, etc.   We make goals for each month, and if we reach our goal then we earn a class party.  For example, our goal could be that 8 of the 20 students will earn a 100% on the second math test or 8 of the 20 students will earn an 80% or higher on the second math test.  You can create your goals so that they are appropriate for your classroom.  

Check out some pictures of my class data wall!

Thanks for checking out my Markdown Monday item!  You can get it by clicking on the image below.  

Christmas in July Sale!

Brrr!!! It has actually been a little chilly in Chicago!  It seems so fitting to have a Christmas in July Sale!  Fortunately, we have put together this great sale so that you can benefit in July!

Check out all of these awesome items that you can receive for just $1!  Wow!! That's a steal!  These are the items I have on sale in my TPT store!  Click on the image below to purchase your item today! These resources are perfect for grades Kindergarten to Third grade!

An InLinkz Link-up

Be sure to follow my TPT store of my latest creations and my FB page to see what's happening in my classroom!

Markdown Monday

I am participating in Markdown Monday with Kelly and Kim's  Kindergarten Kreations!  Be sure to check out all the items that are discounted for the whole week - July 14-18! Click the image above to visit their page!

I don't know about you, but this summer is just flying by!  I seriously feel like I can't get all my items on my To-Do list completed.  I also have the issue of adding more items to my list before I finish my other things. :/   When you are a teacher, there are seriously so many things racing through your mind constantly.  I'm not sure who claims teachers do not work in the summer- because they are wrong!  Sometimes I feel busier in the summer. 

The item that I am marking down this week is my "Take the Punctuation Leap!" activity.  This skill is great for grades Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade!  It helps you review the three basic punctuation marks at the end of a sentence.  For some reason, my students always forget to put punctuation at the end of the sentence - no matter how many times I tell them to!  Therefore, this product allows you various activities to practice this skill.  It is great for a small group lesson or a center activity.  I am selling it for just $1.00 this week!  Please check it out!

Thanks for visiting my page! 

Poetry for Breakfast

Morning Poetry

I know it is summer - but I cannot stop thinking about the beginning of the year.  Since I am starting in a new grade, I've decided to change my morning poetry routine.  Leave me a comment below letting me know your thoughts!

Each morning we gather on the rug to read the poem for the week.  I choose a poem that we focus on for the week.  I think it allows students to practice fluency when they reread the poem.  Each day of the week, we read the poem.  The students also take their poetry folder home each day to recite the poem of the week.  In my Morning Poetry Pack you will find the fluency recording sheet.  I require students to read the poem at least ten times in order to receive their name on the class Poet-Tree.  Then, they are able to enter their name in a drawing on Friday to be the Poetry King or Queen of the week.  If their name is drawn, then the student gets to wear a crown for the day.  Once a student has their name on the Poet-Tree ten times, they receive a prize from the prize box.

Check out the recording sheet below:

The students enjoy reciting the poem at home and competing to win Poetry King or Queen of the week!

During the week, we practice our poetry in the morning.  I think this is a great way to get the day started and to have a daily routine. The students also get a chance to review several literacy skills when working on the poetry activities I have placed in my Morning Poetry Pack.

Check out the two different schedules I use throughout the year depending on the poem we work on.

I made Monday-Friday baskets that hold each worksheet for the day.  This allows me to stay on track, and the students know where to find the activity for the day.  I also create the poem in a PowerPoint document and place it on the Smart Board.  You could also write the poem on chart paper.  I think it is important to have a large display of the poem to practice tracking the print on and searching for other literacy components.

Here is an example of one of the activities in the packet:

Please feel free to check out my product in my TPT store.  Just click the image below!

Thanks for visiting my page - please be sure to leave a comment below about what you do during your poetry time!