Christmas Conversation

Abby over at The Inspired Apple has created a fun conversation! 

I decided to join in (as I am really, really trying to learn how to use a Mac). My Dell laptop went crazy. I lost. everything.  Yes, everything.

You don't know how long it has taken me to do this little bit. And I am not a happy Mac user yet!

Long A Word Work Freebies

Our Benchmark Universe series begins long vowel sounds quickly in first grade. In order to help the little firsties use the words and increase vocabulary at the same time I have tried to develop several activities for practice at home and at school. The Spelling pages work super for homework. The word work becomes a station for Daily 5.

Benchmark Word Work Unit 8

Benchmark Spelling Unit 8

Y'all can leave me a comment letting me know what you think.

Currently

It is October??? Where did September vanish to? Oh, well... I am linking up with  for the October currently.

Isn't Netflix great? It works out so well with the busy days and nights!
Our much cooler weather is actually hitting tomorrow. We have been in the 80's and tomorrow won't make it to 60. BRRR. Does this mean I have to give up my flip flops? UGH.
I am checking the score every few minutes of the football game. Now if only I had a pumpkin spice latte it would make the nail biting a little easier!
I am working on the jeans and jackets in the laundry. Definitely. Maybe. I hope to finish.
And the Trick: Actually it is a trick for teachers. Planbook on the web. It is awesome. Standards are a click away. Bumping ahead for those lessons that I didn't make it to. Extending some skills, Definitely a time saver.

September Currently

I am linking up with Farley's September "Currently". It's been a long while since I did!!!

Is it really September? It is definitely hot. And so the air conditioner is a "nice" sound to listen to.

Yesterday was Labor Day and I did no labor! Enough said.

My last uncle passed away on Saturday. He was getting ready to watch the Tennessee Vols play and suffered a major heart attack. My aunt had passed away ten years ago so he was ready to see her again. 

I am enjoying reading on my Ipad. Can't get enough of reading! But I am always searching for the next book to add.

Tomorrow I will take care of the mani and pedi. It's been four long weeks and my hands and feet are embarrassing!

I am going to Vegas "baby" in a week. I've never been to NYC and am really wanting to make that trip. Anywhere with a beach, blue water, and sand is always great also!

S Blends==at the beginning

Decoding short vowel words is a MUST for successful reading. When kids enter first grade they are expected to know all their consonants and vowels and be ready to move ahead. Well, that is an expectation but not a realization. I've made another set of beginning blends in order to give them practice.

Benchmark Unit 3 Word Work

Benchmark Spelling Unit 3

       We also use this from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits to practice with different phonetic blends, word families. They are so easy to make as long as I have some sticks and sharpies--my kind of management.

Beginning R Blends--Word Work

Benchmark Unit 2: beginning R blends with short vowel words. A little tough when you might be missing your two front teeth!  I want the kids to become independent during Daily 5.  A little something for daily practice.

Benchmark Unit 2 Word Work by Jean Brown Nelson

Benchmark Unit 2 Spelling by Jean Brown Nelson

Feel free to use!  

Beginning with Blends???

Our district uses Benchmark Universe as our non-basal ELA series. It is definitely a different type reading and language arts program. First grade BEGINS with blends! In order to use large group, small group, and word work Daily 5 rotations, I began developing materials mid-year. Now I am going back to the beginning--use those blends.
You are welcome to use if you wish!

Benchmark Unit 1 Word Work

Spelling Benchmark Unit 1

August Currently

I am linking up with Farley's August...

I am listening to HGTV. Needless to say sometimes it makes me feel better and sometimes ready to throw up my hands and say "I forget this!".

Who doesn't love the lazy days of summer--sleeping until I decide to awaken! Sitting on the screened in porch! Listening to the birds chirp!

I am thinking about our trip to Vegas next month. I guess I better save my $$$! But wanting to go back to the beach too! I would love to live close enough to go to the beach any day of the year!

I need to get up and water the flowers so that they will survive!

And I just retired so I am feeling a bit lost! No room to set up. No drive by to Target dollar spots. No searching for baskets, tax free buys...

Reflections of Classroom Setup

Hours, hours, hours are spent setting up a classroom (in the summer on our own time--right?)

This summer our school is having renovations so we have no access to work, change, clear, organize--you get the picture. So my planning is done in the back--very back of my mind.

Last year I changed the decor to chevron and I still love that part.

The desks arrangement were a trial and error. I must have moved those desks 1,000 times at least. The issue was accelerated by a larger number of kids than I expected.

16 became 21 and with that came little bodies and more chairs and more desks.

This original plan was to use the end of the groups of desks to house their book baskets, water bottles, etc. Those baskets tipped over...constantly...many times the contents made a domino effect. So I tried a different approach: 

I purchased the inexpensive bookcases at WalMart and used Chevron fabric on the back. The problem with this was that the book baskets were too tall to place on both of the bottom and top shelves.

Finally I just shoved the bookcases against the wall and the kids had to actually walk TO the bookcase to gather their things. I could put four, five, or six desks together in table groups. Win, Win.

I set up a nice area for the kids to choose their Daily 5 station. Epic fail. The way the district was setting time requirements made lead me to set up a streamline approach to moving the kids due to RTI changes. Next year it will change again so maybe this would work.

Then there was the issue of a meeting area:  

1: No rug--kids were everywhere.

 2: One 5 X 7 rug--too small.

 3: Back to my uncoordinated colors of square foam tiles--too big!

 4: Just right--I found this awesome rug on a discount and it was 8 X 10. Worked out wonderfully!

So, I'll keep thinking in the deep spaces of my mind as July moves along!

Sweet Treats

February = another chance for sweets (think chocolate candy!). It just works out fine for  my word study this week (ea, ee).

• I try to have something  for my Word Work station that is a little "special". I made this little activity to give the kids a chance to think --figure out what some of the pictures really are. Therefore I hope they will actually work as a group. After they match the pictures to the words the recording sheet makes them accountable. Well, it probably makes the high fliers more accountable and the others better copiers!

Long E Word Station by Jean Brown Nelson

I hope you will leave me a little sweet note that this is beneficial!