Stretchy the Word Snake

Do you use Stretchy the Word Snake in your classroom?  Stretchy helps us with words we don't know and he stretches them out and says the word and is a big help to my struggling readers {run on sentence  perhaps?}.  He's a great helper when we are reading in guided reading!  I bought this *not* so cute puppet on Amazon to really go for the gold on this one.

He's completely creepy. My kiddos loved him.  OF COURSE THEY DID! :)

I have students come up and *whisper* a word that stretchy can stretch out REALLY slow and show them how to do it. Then, my students guess the word.  They LOVE it!  Stretchy even stretched out the words Justin Bieber.  :)

After they get the hang of it.  I give them some CVC words to stretch out {idea from Deanna Jump} and write in these writing boxes, so that they can hear each sound.  I laminate them and they use a dry erase marker with them!I got this download from the AMAZING Deanna Jump. You can download it for free on her blog {here}.

As they get better at stretching words out, I give them another mat with 4 boxes.  I made this one and you can download it {here}.

As a quick-check practice during my lower guided reading groups, I give them this assessment that you can download {here}:

Clipart/fonts used with permission from Djinkers.com and are copyright Diane J. Hook

Management Monday - Behavior Linky!!

We're happy to say that today is Management Monday!

I don't know about you, but my students this year are a lot different from my students from last year. What worked last year with behavior, was not so much working this year.

So I tried to come up with a fun way that would help students take control of their own behavior. I thought about it for a couple days and came up with a Baseball Behavior Card.

This year in class, we are focusing on being Teammates. We read this awesome book about working together and standing up for one another.

(I got my copy of this book from the *amazing* Deedee from Deedee Wills' Kinder and her new online bookstore Clever School Teacher.)

Going along the lines of being a team, I thought that a baseball type behavior system would be perfect for my class this year. So I came up with something that went along with the saying, "Three strikes and you're out." Only I changed it to, "Three strikes = time out."

Here's how it works in my classroom:

Each week I tape a card to each student's desk. Each day of the week students record their behavior based on a 3 strike system. One strike = reminder, two strikes = warning, and three strikes = a time out.

You decide what a time out looks like in your classroom.

As a reward for good behavior, I collect the cards at the end of the week and trade them in for class dollars. Two class dollar for no strikes at all, one class dollar if they have strikes, but didn't make it to a time out.

Click here to download your FREE copy of the Baseball Behavior Cards

What the Teacher Wants - Behavior Linky Party!!

Want to join our Linky Party? Simply blog about how you manage behavior in your classroom. Link your direct link {not your blog url, but your specific post's url} it to this post by Friday night using the graphic below. We'll choose 3 of our favorite posts to highlight next week!

Student Teacher Binder

Do you have a student teacher or are you getting one?  Or, are YOU a student teacher? I have just the thing for you! I'm getting a student teacher in my classroom next month! I'm super excited and I want to do everything I can to make her feel at home.

I've created this packet to help her feel comfortable, organized, and ready to go! :)

Ready, Set, Go! Getting Your Student Teacher Off to a Great Start!

This customizable packet is full of resources to compile and put in a binder for your student teacher {or for yourself, if you are a student teacher}. What a great way to show your student teacher that you care? They will feel loved and organized and a lot less overwhelmed! Each page comes in color and black/white!


Included in this student teacher packet:
*Binder Cover {2 options}
*Welcome Letter
*Schedule Form
*Lesson Plan Template
*Helpful Hints Form
*About our Class Form
*Class Roster
*Behavior Management Idea Forms
*Weekly Planner {To-do list}
*Website Resources
*Bright Ideas 
*Student Teacher About Me Page
*Student Teaching Survival Kit {Gift Idea}




** This packet comes in a zip file with a PowerPoint {customizable} and PDF file!

I've got my Student Teacher Survival Kit that I'll give her on her first day, along with her binder, and her own little desk in our classroom:

This is a gift idea that is in this packet! It's called the Student Teaching Survival Kit:

Click {here} to see more!

Reading Forms - Freebie!

Want to know my happy accomplishment of the day? 

I started my guided reading groups this morning!! 

It's always a good feeling to get reading groups up and running after getting all of the beginning of the year reading assessments out of the way! 

Part of getting your groups ready is having all of the necessary forms ready to go and organized in a reading binder. If you have not done this yet, I might be able to help. :)

Here are some {FREE} forms for you to download:

These forms will help you take a running record, identify a reading strength (something great), focus on an area for improvement (something to work on), and give a daily lesson to the individual student or reading group. 

{A special note: This free download is hosted in my TeachersPayTeachers store. If you don't already have an account, please sign up for one today. This will give you access to thousands of fabulous resources made by teachers all across the country.} 

Make sure to follow our stores so you will know exactly when our new products get posted.

Substitute Survival Kit {EDITABLE}

This Substitute Survival Kit will help you plan for a substitute! THIS IS AN EDITABLE PRODUCT (customer must have PowerPoint)! All forms are available in color and black/white. 

*Sub Tub: Decorative tag and directions are included.

*Substitute Binder: Directions and title pages included.

*Sub forms: Included in this packet are the notes from the sub, a note from the teacher, all about my class, all about my school, allergy information, office pass, class roster, attendance slip and class information. 

*Secret Message: This is an activity where you will leave your students a secret message. Your sub will guide the students through decoding the message. 

*Treasure Chest: This is a behavior management tool for the substitute to use. This includes 2 activities to go along with it.


This product is in a zip file and has both the PDF and PowerPoint versions of the product {the PDF is non-editable and the PowerPoint can be edited to add text to your sub forms}. Pictures/frames cannot be edited.

Included in this pack is a behavior management tool that I use ONLY when I have a sub. It's called the "Treasure Chest". This chest travels around to students' desks when they are quiet. The substitute teacher can move it around as much as they please. When the day is over, whoever's desk it lands on, that student gets to open up the chest and keep the prize inside! 

For some substitutes I leave directions on how to use the technology in my classroom. 

This is a free, editable download for you {here}. It's not included in my Kit, but it's free for you to download!

You've gotta leave a little love for the substitute! I like to leave a pack of gum or mints and say that it "Mint" so much to have you sub my class! 

All of this is included in my Substitute Survival Kit!

Number Sense Freebies!

At the beginning of the year, I always do a big push for number sense {and throughout the year, too!}. Here are some number sense items I've posted about on ABC and 123 last year that I think you might like! Head over there and check out their great site!

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This math game can be played in partners, groups, or independently.  Just copy the game pieces on cardstock, laminate and cut-out. Then, have the students match each number to the number word and record on their recording sheets.  I've included a number-word reference sheet too!  Enjoy!

Here is a little Number Sense activity I thought would be fun to reinforce number words, number pictures, and numerals {1-10}.  For more math ideas from my previous posts, click {here}.

You need these {Toy Cars}- You can buy them at the Dollar Tree:

{source}

And you'll have your kiddos drive over {trace} the numbers on these:

Clipart and/or fonts are copyright DJ Inkers and used with permission: www.djinkers.com

Click {HERE} to download  Driving Numbers!

 I got this sweet little idea from another teacher/blogger {here}. 

Mrs. Morrow does this same thing with sight words. Fabulous!

 I made this little game to help my kiddos with their number sense of numbers 11-30. They can play in groups of 3-4. It's called CRASH!

Procedure

Draw a card from the pile. Read what is on the card and tell your group. Write it on one of the cars if you are right. If you are wrong or don’t know, ask your group the correct answer and then put the card at the bottom of the pile. If you get a crash card, you lose a turn. Once you have all of the cars filled up, you are the winner!

For the teacher:

*Copy the cards on cardstock

*Print the numbers on labels {avery 5160}

*Stick labels onto each card

Print these cards multiple times

Print these on labels {5160} and stick on cards before laminating
Click {here} for number labels.

Recording sheet

Here's a little secret...you can use these cards with any concept you want!  Sight words, numbers, addition, subtraction, etc. {just make your own labels to put on the cards or write them in}.