Five for Friday {ok Saturday}

This is my first link-up with Doodle Bugs Teaching.  I know this is a FRIDAY link-up but really... I can't get my act together to actually link up on a Friday! :)

So here is my week in a nutshell...

1.  Laptops!

Our fantastic PTA has provided our school with a laptop cart which I conveniently park inside my room most mornings.  I really love this time of year in second grade.  The kids could really run the show without me :)  We have a routine of morning work, laptop work on our math facts, and then Daily 5.  It runs smooth as silk :)

The program we use is called Fasttmath from Scholastic.  The kids really like it.

2.  Spring Kites

This is one of my favorite projects and the parents LOVE it!  The kids write an about me poem, type it on the computer, and make a kite!  It brightens up the room and they are so fun to read!

Check it out here:

3. Fluency!

I posted a pretty long fluency post HERE

and I promise I am working on another one coming soon!  I started writing down all the things I do with fluency and the list was a MILE LONG! :)

This past week we really looked at punctuation in a sentence.

Two books I plan to read this coming week:

  

Hehe...

4. Math Double Digit Subtraction

Ok, all I can say about that is... 

wowsers!

Our school is fully implementing Common Core next year.  Our team has been dabbling with it all this year.

We learned that we are no longer to teach double digit addition or subtraction in the "traditional" way.

{gulp}

I nearly had a panic attack this week trying to figure out how to teach subtraction WITHOUT "borrowing!"  

We are currently trying out the "jump" strategy on an open number line.  I will be posting pics and talking about this more next week.

I'm also working on a subtraction companion to my addition pack:

I think the subtraction one will be a work in progress!

5. Easter!

This is of my little bug-a-boo on Easter morning.  My sweet bloggy friend Sarah posted a Q-T scavenger hunt and I grabbed it and had my son do it... it was the cutest! 

I was shocked at how quickly he put that sentence together since we have never done anything like that before! (he's a natural! :)

Thanks for the FUN Sarah!!

***BTW-- are you a Facebook follower??  Get on over there and follow!!  Those peeps get in on so many fun/free/fabulous things!!

FOLLOW ME HERE

I'm doing some stuff there today so get on over there! :)

Fluency part 1 (5 days of lessons and freebies!)

Hey Everyone!

Getting back into the swing of things after a nice long week off has been tough.  My class is definitely showing signs of - I've been home too long running the show and not listening to authority- syndrome.  We are working on that.

I am trying to locate my GIANT 600 follower giveaway winner!!

If you are, or know Jillian Ramoly, Please tell her to check her email!! :)

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year!  The kids are really reading... I mean REALLY READING!

Ok, I know, I teach second grade and I know they come to me reading.  But in the spring... something just clicks for some of them.  They enjoy books more, they light up with new vocabulary, they get the author's message, they actually want. to. read.

It's AMAZING!!  :)

{big smile}

So that is why I love this time of year, the time when fluency comes together for them!

I start by reminding the kids of a poster I actually show at the beginning of the year when I introduce our "fluency phones"

Click to get... leave some feedback if you like it!

I love the visual of this poster.  It helps them realize that they should sound like they are talking to a friend not like a robot (#1).

It is a lot of fun to model this poster for the kids! :)

We've been using these all year to work on fluency:

These beauties were given to me by a retired teacher... PVC pipes put together.  I hear they were easy and inexpensive to make!

Then I read this book in 2 ways.  I first read about half of it with no expression, reading quickly, and not watching the punctuation.

(do you know how hard it is to read it that way??!!)

If you've ever read this book you know there is some MAJOR opportunities to show expression! :)

After I finish reading, we talk about the things I could have done to improve my fluency.  We discuss things like:

~notice the punctuation

(it tells us to do something)

~slow down when reading

~think about character's emotions

~read smoothly (not like a robot)

So on my second read I HAM IT UP and read it with all of the above and more. (yeah, that's better!)  We compare the two reads and of course there is a unanimous love for the second read.

All of the above is on day 1.

  

On day 2, I start by reviewing what the kids learned about fluency (the list above). Then I share one of my all time favorite poetry books:

There are so many poems in this book with great opportunities to show expression, however, my absolute favorite is... 

SICK.

I actually have the book with the CD of Shel Silverstein himself reading a few of his poems... he does a GREAT job adding expression!

After listening to a few poems, we talk about punctuation.

hehe... I LOVE this poster!

What does the period tell me to do when I'm reading?  And we think about the question mark, exclamation point, the comma, quotation marks, and even what it means to have a ---->   . . . 

(I always say,  more .   to  .   come  .)

That finishes day 2. 

 On day 3, we review punctuation and what it all means to the reader.  Then I pass out strips to the kids.  The look on their faces is classic.

click above to get a copy

This is the BEST way to teach punctuation!  I love that it removes the "reading" and it focuses on the punctuation!!  We have some good laughs reading these!!

Each child gets one and then reads it to the class as we follow along.

We did this today and the kids really got the idea that their voice should change depending on the punctuation.

It's a beautiful thing!

Oh, and super hilarious!! ;)

On day 4 and 5 I partner the kids up and give them a poem.  They get to decide on how they are going to read it together as a team.  I usually partner the kids so they can learn from one another (i.e. the one with good fluency understanding who can help the other one).  They practice the first day and they present their poem the second day.  Here are some of the poems I use (click pick to grab these)

All of that is just our first week!  In the next post I will share what I do the next 2-3 weeks! Plus more goodies!

I'd love to hear what you do for fluency!  Please share in the comments below!

Spring Galore, Giveaway, Freebie and a Sale! Phew!

I'm not sure why I am surprised that it is Saturday ALREADY!  I say it every time I have a week off... "where did the time go??"  

At the beginning of the week I think I have all the time in the world and then POOF... gone.  Today we have an egg hunt and egg decorating on the agenda .. my husband has been prepping my son to find the "golden" egg.  I'll hopefully have some pics to share next time.  :)

I wanted to quick share two "new" products.

I put new in quotes because the first one I had on my blog as an idea and now it is all ready to go as a product! :)

I've used this in my classroom all year and my students LOVE them!  Plus it just looks super cute any time of the year!  If you don't have brain breaks in your classroom yet, this little diddy would be perfect for you! It's easy to make, the breaks are SUPER QUICK to do, and it will get you out of the last 2 month rut! :)

This is only $2 AND it is on sale right now! :)

See it HERE

Next up...

This little pack is full of surprises!  It even surprised me!! hehe...  It has math, reading, writing (common core aligned) and some "fun" sheets too!

Here is a look at some of the pages:

Addition facts and money coloring

Money match with alike and unlike coins- you can mix and match! 

There are 3 non-fiction reading passages!

I love this one! :)

And some FUN too!

I can't wait to start using everything in this one Check it out HERE:)  Oh and it is on sale too!! :)

Which leads me to....

Sale ends tomorrow night! 

EVERYTHING is on sale... even all the new stuff!

I also have a freebie for you that I hope you can use...

This would make a super cute spring center or just a fun cut and paste activity (I have this in grayscale too!)  Click HERE to get it. (if you do grab a copy pretty please leave me some feedback love!) 

Remember that gigantic sale I had a few posts ago?  Well it ends TONIGHT!!  Time to get in those last minute entries!!

Finally, I will be giving away TWO of my new products- it will be your choice of either the brain breaks OR the Spring Surprises Pack!!

Just leave a comment, tell me which you would like to win, and add your email!  I will choose someone TONIGHT (10 pm central time- sorry to my email readers but this is a quick giveaway!).

Have a GREAT day today and Happy Easter!  

Future posts:  Huge giveaway winner and FUN with  FLUENCY!!  This will be several posts and lots of ideas!! :)

Spring has Sprung a...

Sorry for the quick post... I hope to share TWO new products either later today or tomorrow.  But until then ch-ch-check out the FAB sale going on in my store through Sunday night!

Happy Friday Friends!

Let's Get Acquainted

I am a sucker for a good linky... I've been watching this one float around and I missed last weeks... So here I am hookin' up with Latoya @ Flying into First Grade

for the NOUN Game :)

Person

My favorite little Person would have to be my son.  He is my miracle. 

He came into this world a tad bit early  

(3 months to be exact)

...Because as we say, he wanted some extra snuggle time with his mom and dad. :)

He spent 75 days in the NICU (I know it is that many because I was there every.single.day and knew every nurse, doctor, and valet by name).    He is now 5 years old and the happiest, healthiest, cutest, sweetest little thing I know :)

8 days old- 2.6 pounds

He is holding a very small white stuffed dog.. you'd never know how tiny that dog is because he is so little

5 years old- and HUGE :)

He's holding the same stuffed dog :)

Ok, Tori- pull yourself together... you've got more acquainting to do...

PLACE

Does my chair by my computer count?  I feel like I'm there A LOT! hehe...

Probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to is Banff, Canada.  We arrived at night so I had no idea the beauty of the mountains until I walked outside the next morning. You know the saying... "it took my breath away?"  Well that is exactly what happened.  It was that amazing!

THING

I'm going to say it... ok, no I'm not... YES I am...

Ugh.

My phone.  Ok, I said it.

If someone can be addicted to a phone... I most certainly am.  And it is getting worse.. I check it during school {gasp!}

I think I need cell phone anonymous.

ANIMAL

Here's another thing I'll admit (man, who decided to do this linky... I'm spilling all kinds of stuff)... I LOVE LOVE LOVE....

Bulldogs.

I seriously freak out when I see one walking on the side of the road.  If I'm close by... you better believe I'm there in a flash to pet that guy...

Who wouldn't love that face??

I don't know if it is the wrinkles or the rolls- but they get me every time.  <3

I'm coming up on my 1 year blogversary!  I can't even believe its been one year already!!

Not sure how I will celebrate just yet... but I do know that everything in my store will be on sale this weekend! :)