A Facebook Freebie

As a thank you for being a follower I am giving you frequent freebies and looks into my work.  Here is something that I have worked very hard on and have posted on before.

Second Grade Dolch Sight Words List 1

These are interactive and fun activities for your students to practice a set of 5 sight words.  I also have sets already posted for pre-primer through First grade.  The Second grade set is almost finished!  You can either by the entire bundle with all the sets or each individual set.  PLUS....if you buy the bundle there are some surprise activities in there!  Please if you have any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a message or email me at any time.

Pre-Assessments, Centers, Guided Groups Oh My!

Let me start off by stating that I am influenced by many people when I write and create!  So if any of this sounds familiar, its because I have done a lot of research and stalking of many, many, many people to get ideas and suggestions from.  I think most good teachers should do that!  Of course we have our original ideas too but many things most teacher do are similar in nature or what I like to call best practices.  So, that being said let me describe some important parts and procedures I have in place for my math block.

First, I start every unit with a pre-assessment.  I usually give the pre-assessment a week or so before the end the unit we are on so I have time to plan my next unit. Here is a example of a few questions from a pre-assessment I have given.

Here I gave the same question in three different levels to see what type of numbers the students need to be working on. 






Then I take the scores and levels of the students and create some fun centers, interactive notebooks, word problem stations, and guided group lessons.

The following are some tiered interactive journals that I have created based on the scores that I received from the pretest.

 Each student knows what number bag to do and if they get that finished they can do another one!

I also have differentiated centers students go to and scaffolded word problems students are working on.  Not all students go to all centers during the week either.  They also meet with me once or twice depending on their needs as well.

Here are a few centers I have for this unit as well...

I added pumpkins with numbers on  them depending on what numbers they needed to work on based on one of the questions on the pre-test.

I have tons of fun coming up with these activities and just finished a greater than, less than, equal to one that is going to be observed by the administrators from our entire district so fingers crossed everything runs smoothly!

Pumpkins! Pumpkins Pumpkins!

The following set has been up loaded to TPT this week and is like my apple set PLUS MORE!





Two differentiated books on the life cycle of a pumpkin
Three differentiated sheets for a life cycle activity

Choice of two writing activities 
**choice is differentiation too
Differentiated would you rather activity

 

These sheets are included as well as well as a senses page and senses poem too!

The following is a peak at some pages from a giveaway I am having for my first 5 followers on my new Facebook page! It is not even on TPT yet!

 

Sorry....

I know I promised to start blogging about all the changes in my new classroom but things just got away from me this summer personally and professionally.  My classroom turned out amazing (there will be pictures) and the year started out great!  I even reached my goal for my Donors Choose items super early!  I am so so so excited to have the items I needed for my class, especially since we lost out computer lab! Now, I may need to go back and try again for a few more things to have some more technology in the classroom instead. But anyway, I have been busy creating some tiered activities for apples and pumpkins and even working on my sight word pack too!


Since I can not upload any pictures from my computer to my blog I have a new surprise...I started a Facebook page! Yup, another thing to do:) Something fun at least! So I will post some pictures there and offer the first five friends/comments my NEW pumpkin math (not even on TPT yet) set.  So come on over.  Do not forget to visit often for more exclusive freebees too!

Facebook Page

Take care and enjoy your weekend:)

Donors Choose-A Place to Sit!

So... I never ask for anything, I usually, like most teachers spend their paychecks on items for their classroom but I figured why not try this great site because I am running out of money fast this summer. AND, this week they are matching dollar for dollar with the promo code INSPIRE when you donate to my classrooms new rug. Now why me, why do I deserve a new rug? First of all it is not for me and would you like to sit on the linoleum? Last year my room or most of it was carpeted so I didn't mind not having a fancy colorful rug but this year most of the room is not carpeted.                                      


Also, since I do not give assigned seat and I am going to try and let the students work where they want to this year it would be nice to have them sit on a rug. Now, I already bought the clipboards, some lap trays, bean bag chairs, and a bench so all I really need is the rug. So please help my deserving students out (just click on Donors Choose Project to check out my page) and following along and glimpse into my world!

For now a few updated photos of my progress in my classroom. The top two pictures are of MOST of my binders. This is the material, books,stations and activities I use for my curriculum.  On the top are the hands on materials I am starting to collect for the units.  The sea of mess you see to the right is actually an improvement and did get a little better before I left. So long for today, I promise to blog about some great organizational ideas I plan to use this year very soon.

It's a Start?

Today I attempted to go back in to do something with my classroom! Because it's the summer and I haven't blogged in a while I think maybe I will try something new...blog about my journey moving into a new classroom, getting a new teammate, my adventures with Donor's Choose and keeping up with some TPT products. Oh ya and I can't forget about differentiation! I am teaching a class this summer and into the fall so I'll be sure to mention my great adventure into teaching adults for the first time!

I'll start you off with some pictures of my new, tiny, jam packed classroom!

I still have two more bookshelves, another table, and a chair that needs to be put together!

Also, my stuff from home needs to make it in too!

So today what I accomplished was unpacking three boxes just to uses the boxes to pack up the piles and piles of stuff left over from the teacher before me. Then, I moved around a few chairs. Friends, I have NO IDEA where I am going with this! I spent the remainder of my time looking around thinking "I had a plan now what?" SO that is...was my adventure for today!

Now, as for tomorrows plans. I KNOW where my library is going so I am starting there! Start with what I know. As for that heaping pile of boxes...over half is books to label with my new labels (soon to be in my TPT store) and sort. WAIT....

Thank goodness I already did that! See, I was smart when I was packing up my classroom at the end of last year!

So hopefully putting my library together will be a smooth process... I will keep you up dated! Below is a sneak peak into my book bin labels and a banner I have made to go in my reading area. Hope your classroom organization is going smoothly, until next time...

Dolch sight words and a portable word wall

It's been a while but big have I been busy! I have been getting ready for the end of the school year and trying to figure out a way to differentiate my sight words next year. For starters I am making a portable word wall for each student!

This is available in my TPT store. I am also making several activites for each set of five dolch words preprimer through second grade.  

These and other activities are also for sale in my TPT store as well as a pack.   Now I need to make an assessment for the dolch words.  I am going to dictate sentences to the students and see what words in context they need to practice. I have found that many students can write the words out of context but struggle using them. I have also played with the idea of incorporating my phonics assessment in with theses assessments as well, not sure how this will work yet. Last, for the tricky part making groups and organizing them. I already had five phonics groups going this year, with differentiated sight word groups how will this work? A few questions I am still working on: how will I assess phonics with sight words, how and where will I keep all the materials and when will I introduce the new words? What I do know is not all students NEED the same list of words so they shouldn't waste their time on words they already know. What do you think?

Getting Ready to Go to the Zoo!

I don't know about you but before we go to the zoo we research, study and learn about those animals! But have you ever looked at those books in the library from a first graders point of view?

Now, the computer research is fun, pebble go, enchanted learning, our zoo web site and national geographic all have great information but we can't forget to show children how to use books too!

A Page From National Geographic Kids

Here is a flip book you can use
to gather information for
each animal.

So I made some differentiated books for each animal we will research books for two levels in my class ( my one group can read the books). I also made a note taking flip book and matching writing paper for each animal.

I am so excited to start this research in a couple if weeks I couldn't help share what I had planned!
Below I will share one of my book sets on elephants just for my followers! Please if there is interest for more leave me some feedback and I will out them up in my                                   TPT store after I get the photographs for all of my animals.

Click on either picture caption below to view my African Elephant research pack!

Here is a page from my book showing
the two leveled text. Each book has text
features such as a Table of Contents,
bold words, and a Glossary too!

Here is one of the two pages
of paper

Instagram!

Follow me on Instagram to see what's happening in my life and classroom at Amy_Laude 

Spin a Coin

Need a differentiated way to reinforce coin values, coin names, or coin attributes? I just uploaded for only a $1.50 Spin a Coin! It has many uses and ways to differentiate with in your class.  Below is what you will get in the pack:

The pack comes with two spinners and four game boards. I have even included the fronts and backs of the coins as a choice! Just print, laminate and play.

Dinosaur Unit Including Several Tiered Activities!

Need help planning out your dinosaur unit? I have included all the first grade common coreinformational reading standards, plus a few more, in a month long guided plan. (The last few days will be completed with in the week) NOT ALL RESOURCES ARE NOT PROVIDED FOR in ELA PLANS! A list of books and places to go are included. I have included some dinosaur themed materials for the unit plan.

Such as:

Vocabulary page

Text Feature Cover and Page

Writing Paper

Question Parking Lot

Fact Recording Sheet- In Preview!

Vocabulary Cards with Definitions

Main Idea Worksheet

I have also created several math dinosaur themed stations to go along with your dinosaur unit. The topics include:

Word problem matching

Differentiated true false sort (2 sorts)

Differentiated Place value sort (2 sorts)

Missing Addends game

Fractions (2 activities)

Here are the two fraction activities that are included:

Please ask any questions as well, I am happy to provide you with any information I can to make your dinosaur unit go as smoothly as possibly!

Binder Cover and Spine label are also included!

Here are a few handouts I include as well in the pack:

Go to my Teachers Pay Teacher store to get it on sale until March 31st and then it's only 5.00 after that! Also, there is a free download in the preview!

Tiered Stations in Math!

If you class is anything like mine one activity just won't do.  This week I have been teaching missing addends.  Many students were at different levels and after giving a pre assessment I found and made several stations that were tiered for missing addends. Here is a picture of three stations.  The fourth was a word problem station not pictured here. There is also a guided station with me as well as a fifth station.

Students go to two stations in one day and two the next.  I decide which stations they go to based on their pre assessments and what skills they need to work on and how well they are doing with missing addends.  The stations came from the following places:

Group 1 and 2: The Printable Princess-Let's March Into Spring!

Group 3: Jessica Williams's March Interactive Math Notebook

How do you differentiate your math? 

Daily Routine

I thought tonight I would share a little bit about my day.  Here is a copy of what my lesson plans look like!

Here is the link to a downloadable version as well!

Lesson Plans

Hopefully I will get a photo version of my day up as well soon! We have a fun filled day packed into a short amount of time.  Have questions? Feel free to ask! For now I have to run, I just got a new student and I have so much to do to make her feel welcomed.  Have a great night and I hope to be back very soon!

Here it is TIERED INSTRUCTION

One of my favorite ways to tier or differentiate my mini lessons is to tier my activity after my mini lesson. Now, yes it is A LOT of work but well worth it and it is a meaningful task. Later, I will get more into more detail about tiered instruction but I wanted to share an activity I just created with my followers to show everyone how much fun it is.  Also, it is a winter activity so if you want to use it you may need to hurry up or save it for next year!

So... The idea came from another blogger that I love and I started with her ideas and my class just needed some more differentiation so if what I made doesn't fit your class check out Fabulous In First and her pack on TPT for more ideas for The Snowy Day.

After we read the book a few times we were ready to discuss setting. We had talked about what setting was and I had given my students a pre assessment on a previous lesson the week before so I knew who needs what task. I usually design my tasks based on how the students perform on the pre assessments.

When I go over my task I usually do it whole group and then send off each group to a different area of the classroom. Depending on the task and the support in the classroom I may or may not have the students working together. I usually float around working with each group making sure they are doing the tasks correctly. Then at the end I will call everyone back to the rug and go over the task.  Many times I will have another type of assessment.

Tier 1 Students write and draw the beginning, middle and end of the story

Tier 2 Students get the pictures from the story to help them write the beginning, middle and end

Tier 3 Students get the words and pictures to help them sequence the story

I have also included a blank lesson plan template that I use for my tiered lesson plans.  Please ask any question you have about this topic. I love sharing what I have and am very passionate about differentiation!

Lesson Materials and Blank Lesson Plan

Sight Word Leveled Readers and Jan Richardson

First of all if you don't have Jan Richardson's Next Steps in Guided Reading (see below) quickly go out and get it! Then read on...

If you have done guided reading for awhile or new at it, either way, its an AWESOME book.  It is so easy to read and understand.  I have read it three or four times now. Jan Richardson also has a free website with a lot of material and information for you as well. 

The link is: http://www.janrichardsonguidedreading.com/home

One of the fist things I did was take her level A-C sight word lists and make a pre assessment for my students. Then, I made some sight word books to help my students learn and internalize sight words. We all know that it is not enough for students to see the sight words, they need to use them in context as well, over and over again. In my teachers pay teachers store I have all the level A books completed and either sold separately or bundled. I am currently working on level B books. Not only do students work on the sight word from that level but the books are written based on the characteristics of that level as well. I am also going to include a level B book that is not in my teachers pay teachers store here for you to download as long as you become a follower! I promise that there will be more great freebies and interesting rants from me along the way as well!  Click below for your free sight word reader and visit my teachers pay teachers store to get more!

Level B Sight Word Reader-And

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Day One-Trying to Figure it All Out!

First, let me warn you I stink at spelling and even with spell check I make mistakes!  Finding a site to start a blog on took me a while so I googled free blogs and most of them were NOT free. Then I found google had a great one that was free and pretty easy to navigate.  They had a lot of choices and even an easy to use help section.  Then, I had to come up with a name. My first choice...Teacher Now and Forever, I used it for a few hours but it was a little long for me so I had to change it. So here I am writing my first blog.  Any suggestions are welcome for this newbie!

Next, I am going to write about my favorite topic Jan Richardson's Guided Reading.