Syllable Sort for spelling {printable}

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a little document that has helped my students a great deal with their spelling this year.

I think I've mentioned before how our new spelling series focuses a great deal on the syllables of each word...which is great because that is something I have always done with my ELL students.

The more we focus on syllables and the patterns of certain syllable sounds, the more my students progress in their spelling (which can be a challenge, since they are just learning the language, but working with words at a fourth and fifth grade level).

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Learning Resources Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!! The winner of this giveaway will receive a $100 giftcard to Learning Resources!

The winning number is 14 so that means...

Jenny has won the prize!

Jenny, congrats!! Please click here to contact me...

I'll be back later this evening with something to share! :)

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Four Leaf Clover Doodle Border {printable}

Happy Saturday bloggy friends! I wanted to share a little border I made earlier this morning...I hope it's something you'll be able to use for some of your March activities (I haven't made a border since Christmastime, with that Starry Trees Frame and I've been wanting to make more!!).

This border is available in a png format AND also in a Powerpoint format...with the border already loaded so you can just create your printable right over it! (One of the best tricks I learned on the blogs is to use Powerpoint for creating files--it's so easy to maneuver graphics and you don't have to worry about margins...Powerpoint automatically reduces everything for you when printing!).

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New Scientific Method Signs {printable}

Happy-almost-weekend!!! We have one more day of school and then it's time for February vacation! I am greatly looking forward to the break. Do you have a vacation coming up soon? I hope so!

So, we just had our annual science fair assembly to kick off everything this year. I have several students who are very excited to participate in the science fair this spring. So, in class, we'll be going over the scientific method and work on some of our own experiments.

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now!Board review and a giveaway!!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to share this new product with you!! (plus it's been like an eon since I've been on here--I've missed you all so!).

So...I first learned about now!Board from Erin Klein's fantastic and comprehensive blog, over at Kleinspiration. I was then asked to review the product and was ecstatic to try it out!

So what is this product?

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Descriptive Language We Love {printable}

Hey there lovely bloggy friends! I wanted to share a little document I whipped up today on my planning period...

It was a last-minute add-on to a lesson and was a teensy bit inspired by Valentine's Day. I just love Valentine's Day in elementary school!!

Anyhow, we are in the beginning stages of our Memoir unit in Writer's Workshop so we'll be reading lots of memoirs in Reader's Workshop.

Today we read Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen (I LOVE this story). We focused on the descriptive language in the story, since a huge part of our Writer's Workshop focusing on "showing, rather than telling".

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Word Rock! Every day we're expanding...

our vocabulary!! To the tune of Party Rock Anthem, of course. That's all my students have sung. For the entire year. Not that I don't love the song, but it's been a long year.

No matter, I've figured out a way to jazz up an old routine that has worked well for my classes in the past!

Last year, I posted how I used the Word of the Day...

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Launching our Memoir unit {printable}

Oh boy, I almost just said Happy Thursday! That's wishful thinking, I guess! Ok, Happy Wednesday instead (are Wednesdays happy?? For me they are because they signify the end of the duties for the week...I am duty-free on Thursdays and Fridays, woohoo!).

So, we just wrapped our our Report of Information unit last week and the kids were SO EXCITED about their final reports! They have been reading each others' a ton this week. I love it!

Our next unit in Writer's Workshop is focused on Memoirs and they are so psyched for this one!

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Salmon eggs & a printable!

Ok, I feel kind of redundant in posting this, as I've already shared it over at Critters in the Classroom. By the way, have you seen this blog yet?? It was created by the fabulous Erica Bohrer and is just the coolest idea!

Anyhow, our salmon eggs came on Friday and my students are beyond excited!

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Reader's & Writer's Workshop binder covers

Happy Superbowl Sunday!! While waiting for the game, I've been working on some items for my classroom.

We use binders in our class. A lot. And our Reader's and Writer's Workshops are no exception. I actually started out the year using composition notebooks, as suggested by the program we are following.

But as the year progressed, I realized how many times we utilize graphic organizers, reference materials, and rubrics in Reader's and Writer's Workshop...

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Venn Diagram {printable}

It's almost Friday! I can't wait for the weekend because...it's Superbowl time!! We are allowed to wear Patriots' shirts to school tomorrow and I am psyched!

In the meantime, I am sharing a little something. I needed a quick Venn for my class and wanted to post it here, since so many of us use these in various lessons.

I hope it's something you'd like to grab!

{Border by Miss Tiina at www.misstiina.com}

Venn Diagram

Are you watching the Superbowl this weekend??

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Publishing student books that last!

Hi everyone! We've been wrapping up our nonfiction reports and are in the final publishing stages (phew!). It's been so fun to see how excited the students get when they see the final product!

We actually publish three to four books a year and I have tried a few different ways to make these books last. I mean, they really come out so beautifully and I hate to see them come apart over time.

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