Gingerbread, Sparkles and Surprises

Follow my blog with Bloglovin I love this time of the year! I know it tends to be crazy . . . crazy schedules, crazy kids and crazy time crunch, but I try to throw some fun into it and relax wherever I can. My class has been reading different versions of "The Gingerbread Man," including the version from Karen Schmidt, Jim Aylesworth, "Gingerbread Baby" by Jan Brett, and "Gingerbread Man Loose in the School" by Laura Murray. We do the usual compare and contrast activities. Their favorite activity, however, is when we act Karen Schmidt's version out. I have laminated 9x12 pieces of posterboard and tied ribbon on it to put around their necks. We go through the story and write each character name on one of the pieces of posterboard. (The gingerbread man, fox, 3 farmers, etc.) Then the children get to choose a character (sometimes I draw sticks with their names on it so there isn't any fighting). I also have a narrator. The narrator reads the story and the kids act out the parts. I usually have to do this twice so everyone gets a chance to be in it. It is such a fun activity!

Today is my birthday (yes, 29 AGAIN!!!!), so I made some special gingerbread cookies as a surprise for my class tomorrow. I think they will be excited. I have a few ready to go . . .

I hope you are taking some time to do some fun activities with your kids. It's amazing how the simplest things can make the biggest impression. Here's to a magical season of gingerbread, sparkles and surprises! Have a great week!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/8624713/?claim=rah2epxqj85">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Too Hard, Too Soft, Just Right

No, I'm not retelling "The Three Bears," although my firsties love the song that I taught them about the beloved story. (Thanks to my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Hines, for teaching us that song way back in the dark ages. I still remember it!) I am actually referring to leveling my classroom library. This daunting task has hung over me for years. Do I level it by subject? By reading level? I prefer by reading level, but I have never found a solid way to accomplish this task, so it gets pushed aside in favor of the million other tasks I can finish.

The other day I was reading some Facebook posts and someone mentioned an app called "Level It" which gives the reading level for many, many titles. I'm not one to jump on the app bandwagon easily. I checked out this app, and found that it has many uses. It will give the level for many books, including the GLE, Lexile level, and DRA level. They can be found manually by typing in the ISBN number, author or title, or I can simply scan the ISBN code. Eureka! I can also build my library on the app and search popular titles by grade level. Wow!!! That makes me happy! It does cost a small fee, but I am willing to pay it for something like this. I'm thinking if I take a few tubs a week, it should be accomplished easily. This app can help me find new, appropriate titles for my below-, on- and above-level readers. Suh-weet!!!! Have an amazing week! (Here's a screenshot of one of the screens from the app. Happy leveling!)

I'll Love You Forever . . . .

How many of us, as mom's or teachers of very young children, both love and dread that beautiful story of "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch? It's a beautiful story of the circle of life and the love of a mother for her child. I cherish the love I have for my step-daughter and my son. I am, also, dealing with the second Mother's Day without my mother. She passed away last April 5 after a brief battle with lung cancer. I lost my dad 27 years ago (when he was 48--the same age I am) from the exact same disease in the exact same timeframe. Both were diagnosed around Christmas and Dad died March 26, Mom in April. Sadly ironic. . . I admit, I'm trying my very best to avoid recognition of this day. I would rather clean the pantry than celebrate. It will get better in the future, but not for right now. This makes me think about the kids that I have in my class and the ones from the past. So many of them have issues with their families. Sometimes school is the only safe place for them to fall. I can't imagine never being able to know that someone loves me so much that they would crawl in my window and hold me during the night. I hope and pray that I am sensitive enough to each of "my kids" that they will know that I will always be there for them. That's what we teachers do, isn't it? We love them forever . . . even if they are on our very last nerve? Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

The Clock is Ticking . . . The End is Coming and So is a Sale!

It's such a strange time of the year, isn't it? The clock is ticking to the end of the year and the beginning of summer. You are finishing up units, testing, testing, testing, and there is not a "normal" routine day in sight! What to do? I've come up with an easy, free activity for your literacy centers or for your "done firsties" to do while the rest are finishing up. Feel free to download it from my TpT store!

Summer Dreaming Make a List Tic-Tac-Toe click here.

Also, I'm throwing a sale! Yes! I'm participating in the TpT 

TpT Love Teachers 2-Day Sale!

Have an amazing week and I hope you feel appreciated for what you bring to your kiddos every single day!

Spring Has Finally Sprung (I hope!)

Wow! What an absolutely GORGEOUS day we had in central Ohio! It has been a long time coming! I was fortunate enough to be able to spend it at a tennis tournament at our school that my son played in. He is a senior this year, so each event is bittersweet. I'm sure many of you know how that is! We even took the puppy, Lola, along for a while. (Some day I'm going to start a blog about our puppy. . . she is QUITE a character! Notice where she is sitting! She gets up there with a vertical leap!)

But, enough about that character! I am SOO excited about the new Egg-cellent Spring and Easter Phonics Games pack I finally finished. Egg-cellent Spring and Easter Phonics Games {Aligned to the CCSS}This is one of those intense, short weeks this week. First of all, it's Holy Week. As a pastor's wife, our life takes on a whole other intensity during this most blessed of weeks. On the school side, we only have four days of school, but we have to pack in a reading unit test, Fountas & Pinnell testing on each of our students, and all of the usual stuff. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, but these games will definitely help keep the class on task while I work individually with kids. I hope you find them helpful, as well!

Have a wonderful week, and a Blessed Holy Week!

It's Time to Kick It Up a Notch!

I am SO excited! I have had this idea floating in my brain for over a year, and I've finally put it down on paper! I have created a reading journal to go along with a chapter book for my high-level reading group, and I can't wait to get started on it!  I get a lot of gifted children in my class because I like to do fun and challenging activities with them. They love reading the Magic School Bus Chapter books, but I don't like to just read and move on. I created this journal using Bloom's taxonomy so it will challenge the kids to higher-level thinking skills. I can assign 2 chapters a day, and they can complete the pages as they read and then share them during reading group time. I'm anxious to get started, and if it works well, I will be creating more journals very soon, so STAY TUNED!

February Fun for Firsties Linky Party! Yeah!!!

I'm trying my first linky party with Primary Inspiration for fresh February ideas! Check them out, when you have time! I can't wait to try some of them!