We Love Back-to-School SALES!!!

TPT will be having a Back-to-School sale starting August 3rd & 4th. Go check out the amazing sales that your favorite TPT authors have created. You will save 28% off your purchase. I will be having a back-to-school sale on all of my products.

Click here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Unforgettable-First-Grade

I will also be taking advantage of this sale myself. I can't wait to add to my teaching tool box. :)

MY BACK TO SCHOOL ADVENTURES

It has been a long time since my last post. (Sorry!!) As many of us are coming back from our summer vacation, hopefully you had a chance to relax and rest. I know its hard to start thinking about school but it will be here before you know it. Nooooo!! I have been thinking about the what & how when it comes to the changes I will make in my classroom to deliver a successful school year. This summer, I have been finding the time to catch up on some educational reading. YAY!!!

I have decided to take you along for the ride on My Back to School Adventures as I am embarking on a new chapter in my educational career. In the next four weeks, you will have a chance to read all about the craziness that comes with preparing for back to school. 

STAY TUNE!!!

Memoirs of a Goldfish {Freebie}, The Watermelon Seed {Update} & My 1st Grade Memory Book {Freebie}

4 more days of school!!! YAY!! As summer vacation awaits, my kiddos will be reading one of my favorite books before we close out for the year. Memoirs of a Goldfish is such a great picture book with bright and colorful illustrations and a clever but adorable goldfish. This book is written in a diary format which will work well this last week of school. In writer's workshop, we have been learning and creating personal narrative pieces. I chose this book because it fits well with small moments. I want my kiddos to reminisce about small moments we shared this year.

I created a reader's response flip book for my students to respond to this wonderful book that has a true meaning. Students will be actively engage with this book by following a clever goldfish as he recounts 14 days of his life starting with day one. In the end, students will be able to learn the meaning of friendship and the value of sharing one's life with others

You can download this freebie below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Memoirs-of-a-Goldfish-Readers-Response-Flip-Book-1876543

This past week, my students just loved The Watermelon Seed. I had a great time reading aloud to my students to this hilarious book about a crocodile eating a watermelon seed. 

You can download this freebie below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Watermelon-Seed-Readers-Response-Flip-Book-1870568

Are you looking for a first grade memory book? You have come to the right place. 

You can download this freebie below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/My-1st-Grade-Memory-Book-1872676

The Watermelon Seed {Freebie} & Adventurous Addition

This week I will be reading The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli. This book is one of my favorite books to read before summer vacation. The Watermelon Seed is just right for beginning readers and the kiddos are always on the edge of their seats with the crocodile's humor, but thats not all, the illustrations are to die for.

I created a watermelon reader's response flip book for my kiddos to response to this engaging but humorous story.

I plan to celebrate this funny story with a watermelon treat for my students. You can find this freebie by clicking on the link below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Watermelon-Seed-Readers-Response-Flip-Book-1870568

Understanding addition helps students understand the role of mental arithmetic in developing numerical reasoning. Students should experience the kind of lessons that help them learn basic facts in meaningful contexts and through reasoning rather than rote memorization and isolated drills. This addition unit focuses on ways to help students become more fluent with small numbers and emphasizes the importance of such fluency as a foundation for working with larger numbers.

{Back to Basic-Understanding Addition}

This addition unit covers the following standards:

-Recognize instantly the quantity of structured arrangements.

-Use objects and pictorial models to solve word problems involving joining.

-Apply properties of operations to add two numbers.

In this addition unit you will find:

-Addition Vocabulary Posters

-Math Centers

-Storyboard Activities

-Addition Stories Book

-Addition Printables

-Addition Craft-Ladybug

-Addition Craft-Butterfly

This addition unit is an introduction to the understanding of addition. Your kiddos will be actively engaged in the math centers and addition crafts that this unit has to offer. 

 You can find this by clicking on the link below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Adventurous-Addition-Math-Centers-Printables-and-Crafts-1869873

Morning Journal

Have you ever had a student who says "I don't know what to write about"? I have heard this statement many times in the classroom especially during writer's workshop. When we transition to writer's workshop, many times students have what we call writer's block. Currently at my campus, we have students who struggle with the elements of writing.  Since leaving fourth grade, I continue to see students:

-not capitalizing the first letter in a sentence
-capitalizing words in the middle of a sentence
-not using appropriate punctuation marks
-spelling, etc

I am a strong believer of implementing morning journal as a morning routine in the classroom. Since the implementation of morning journal,  I have seen students answering in complete sentences, beginning a sentence with a capital letter, and end sentences with the appropriate punctuation mark. Kiddos are not afraid to approach any writing that may come their way because through morning journal they have built extreme confidence as a writer.

First thing in the morning, my students start their morning routine which consist of unpacking, unstacking their chair, and sharpening two or three pencils for the day. Once they complete these small tasks, kiddos take out their morning journal from their caddies. Starting each class with an open-ended morning journal prompt gives kiddos, who sometimes have difficulties with written language,  a time to use previously taught mini-lessons on spelling, punctuation, and other grammar mechanics.

Setting a purpose for writing is so important when implementing morning journal. Morning journal enables me to develop a personal relationship with each and every students in my classroom. I make time to respond to each journal entry every day, so we have a sort of an ongoing dialogue. It always excites me when I see my students expressions when they read a note from me.

Morning Journal can also play a valuable role in creating and planning for future mini-lessons. Student writing can tell you many things such as spelling patterns, using punctuation marks, recognizing/identifying high frequency words, and many more. I can honestly say I sometimes have a hard time fitting everything into one day. One thing I tend to forget is handwriting. Handwriting lessons are beneficial for students especially since we are building the foundation for our future fourth graders when taking the STAAR writing.

                 
I had the opportunity to create a mini morning journal packet for my students. The packet includes open-ended prompts for each week in the month of May. Each prompt will help students not only with writer's block but with handwriting as well. It's important that our kiddos write every single day. The prompts could be extended to your writer's workshop curriculum. I always include share time to build the confidence and set a purpose for writing.

          https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/May-Morning-Journal-1752354

Tick Tock, Tick Tock Telling Time

My students are gearing up for our unit on telling time. Telling time is so important to our kiddos. I've taught fourth grade for two years and experience many students who have difficulties telling time. It's my job as a first grade teacher to build the foundation needed for the upper grades.
First, I want to give kudos to all of the hard working STAAR teachers. I teach in Texas and this week teachers across this great state will be administering the STAAR test. These students have been hard at work gearing up for this very important test. Teachers from Kinder thru Fifth grade have played in important role in preparing our students. Good Luck!!!
This year, my goal was to enhance my academic word walls. I've created a reading, math, writing, science, and social studies word walls. This is my campus expectations for all classrooms. I enjoy making mini anchor charts with academic vocabulary for my academic word walls. This makes it visible for students and basically reminds me to use it while teaching. Anchor charts are so important in the classroom because it is a visual representation for students to refer to while learning a new concept.

For my next math unit, I wanted to brighten up my math wall so I created these bright vibrant anchor charts for telling time. The anchor charts include: Analog, Digital, Clock Hands, and O'Clock posters.

 After creating these telling time posters,  I got to thinking since the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be testing this week. I will be with my students for a long period of time. NOOOOOO! Just Kidding!!

 


During this unit, I wanted to engage but teach my students about time by capturing their attention with some arts and crafts. So, I created a froggy time craft and caterpillar time craft for my kiddos. This would hopefully keep them busy during this weeks testing.
You can purchase these telling time posters and crafts below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tick-Tock-Telling-Time-Posters-Crafts-1818740

These past few weeks, I've been reading Texas theme books such as The Three Little Tamales, Little Red Hot, and Armadilly Chili.

 


This Friday, my students will be off for the Battle of Flowers holiday. This is a San Antonio holiday. Every April, San Antonio holds a 10 day party called Fiesta. There are hundreds of events held all over the city, including parades, fireworks, games, rides, and so much fun! San Antonio celebrates Fiesta to honor the heroes of the Alamo and to commemorate the Battle of San Jacinto.

My class will be having a Mini-Fiesta this week to celebrate the each of the Texas theme books I read this week.

Reader's Response Foldable

This year, my kiddos are moving fast through their reading levels. My campus is currently using Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System to monitor reading levels along with weekly running records. 

As you know, first graders have to move through 8 reading levels in one year. I can honestly say its remarkable how fast they move through the levels. Each and every student knows their own reading level and are very competitive with one another. 

Since my kiddos are great readers, I've decided to give the tradition book report a face lift. I created the Reader's Response Foldable to help organize kiddos thinking while targeting reading skills. I wanted my kiddos to be able to response to authentic literature using higher order thinking questions. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Readers-Response-Foldable-1763199

My goal for this packet was to incorporate it with my read alouds. I would first choose an engaging book. After reading it, I will pick a reading skill to go along with the book. Kiddos would then complete their reader's response foldable by writing the title and author, drawing the cover of the book, and tracing and circling the type of story. At the beginning, this would be done whole group but afterwards kiddos should be able to complete it on their own with little guidance.

Check back soon to see some of the kiddos products. :)