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Back to school TPT Sale!!

I don't know about you, but I sure have a long wishlist over at Teachers Pay Teachers.  

Good news is that TPT will be having a 10% off sale with promo code B1T1S. On top of that, I (along with many other wonderful bloggers) will be marking my products an additional 20% off.  So between August 1st-4th you can purchase my products for 30% off!!


Stop on by!

New Blog for 1st Grade

I have found a fantastic BRAND new blog dedicated to the Common Core State Standards for 1st Grade that you have to check out and become a part of!  




Meesabelle from First Grade Frame of Mind created this blog for educators to list and search for free lessons and downloads aligned by the CCSS!


I know we have so many creative educators in the blog world, who all have lessons and materials to share.  To be a part of this, all you need to do is choose the lesson you would like to share, browse through the Common Core State Standards to find the standards your lesson correlates with, and then add your link!!  Directions are listed right on the blog!


You can also check out Meesabelle's blog here:




Thank you!

The Book Whisperer-FREEBIE!


Okay, so I have to admit...I had fallen WAY behind our book study!  I have been meaning to comment along the way, but life has been crazy here and I am ready for it to slow down a bit.  I am happy to say that I finally caught up with the reading!!

Donalyn Miller is such an inspiration!  Although I have many, I want to start by going back to highlight just a few things that I could totally relate with (just a couple…I can’t retype the whole book!)  
In chapter 2, Everybody is a Reader, Donalyn Miller discusses how she classifies the different types of readers who enter her classroom in more encouraging terms.  This totally struck a nerve with me because I work with the students who do not meet grade level benchmarks for one reason or another. Instead of calling these readers “struggling readers” which can be somewhat negative, she calls them, “developing readers”.  I love how Donalyn Miller has identified these readers in a much more positive light.
Then in Chapter 4, Reading Freedom, Donalyn Miller begins by discussing how she gets her sixth graders to tell her how they go about choosing their independent reading books.  They begin by giving her the answers they think she would like to hear, but she then gets into discussing the methods they are reluctant to admit.  I truly believe these reasons are important to discuss with some of the upper elementary aged students to help choose books that will continue to increase their motivation to read.  Validating that it is okay to:
- Choose a book based on length-because it is short, because it has chapters, etc…
- Choose a book they have read before, and want to read again and again.
- Read the first paragraph or the last page to decide if they want to continue reading the entire book.
- Choose a book because it is easy.
I also think it is important to have the discussion about what to do when a book they have chosen is not working for them, whether it is too hard or simply too boring for the child. She states, “I never want my students to feel that they are roped into a book just because they have started reading it.”
Now for the chapter (Whisper) that I am scheduled to host, End-of-Year-Evaluations.  When I think of evaluations done at the end of the year, I think about the assessments done in my district, the DRA2, Pals, local assessments, etc…  She discusses the survey she gives her students at the end of the year to provide them with a time to celebrate their reading accomplishments, express their opinions about the structure of her class, and to set future reading goals.  She states, “By visualizing and stating plans for reading after my class, I hope that students will continue to move forward as readers.”  I love this and have modified the End-of-Year Evaluation she had in the book to suit some of my 3rd-4th graders and am including it below.  Feel free to click on the picture to download it for free from my TPT store.

Thank you!!

A party on Facebook!!

Tonight I created a Facebook page for this little blog of mine!  If you are a Facebook user, I would love it if you would click on the "Find me on Facebook!" box in the upper left and then "Like" my page.  


I also joined in the fun over at Kinder fun!  She is having a Facebook Mixer party!!  Come and find some links to other educational blogs who are also on Facebook!!
Thank you!!


I Have, Who Has Rhyming game!

I just added a new I Have, Who Has Rhyming game to my inventories at Teacher's Notebook and Teachers Pay Teachers.

In this game, the students match 24 rhyming pairs using pictures. What better way to reinforce rhyme than to have the students work cooperatively!  

Please note:  this game is different than the FREEBIE I posted about here.  The I Have, Who Has Rhyming FREEBIE does not include pictures.  Instead, the students need to blend the sounds to read the words and then match the rhyming pair.


Thank you!!

Word Ladder Freebie!

I just whipped up a Word Ladder FREEBIE to share with you all!
Click on the picture to download it for free from my Teacher's Notebook Store.


If you like this FREEBIE, check out the following listing at my Teacher's Notebook Store:


If you would prefer to shop through TPT, I also have them listed here.


Finally, if you would like to read more about Word Ladders, click here to see my original post.


Stay cool!!

The Alphabet

Hi everyone! I apologize for not posting in a bit.  L


Things have been quite hectic in my household...from our home renovations to the recent loss of a dear loved one in my family...it seems as though I am still waiting for the relaxation of summer vacation to begin!


I have been meaning to share something I created about a month ago, but just haven't had time to share it.
I created an alphabet board and letter cards using clip art from the Graphics Factory.  Along with the letters, I provide some simple suggestions for their use, but they could be used in so many different ways.  


I created both a black and white version as well as a colored version.  The black and white version will not only save on ink when printing, but will allow the child to color in the letters.  This provides them with some ownership of what they are learning.


You can download this 29 page file at either one of my stores!
(Just click on one of the buttons on the top left corner of this page.)

Last Day!

Today is the last day to celebrate Christmas in July!

Here are some new items listed in my Teacher's Notebook Store.  I've even marked them down 20%!!

Skating Party is to help reinforces letters, sounds, sight words, math facts, or whatever you would like to target in an activity I called, Skating Party.  This is just like previous activities I have posted (Road Race, Take a Hike!, etc...)


Winter Wonderland  includes 2 games in 1 download to help reinforce the Fry Instant Sight Words.  I separated them out by the 1st 100, 2nd 100, and 3rd 100, so there are three separate downloads.



Now you can add your link and join in the fun!!


And the winner is...

First and foremost, please let me apologize for not announcing the winner earlier!  I am so SORRY!

Secondly, I want to say THANK YOU to all who took the time to enter!  


FINALLY, the winner is....
CINDY!


Cindy-I will email you the Hearing Individual Sounds in Words Lesson Pack.  There will also be information regarding your new membership to the Graphics Factory!!


For those of you who did not win, you can purchase the lesson pack by clicking on the picture below


For those of you interested in memberships to the Graphics Factory, you join for $49.95 and receive unlimited downloads for the year!  Don't forget, you will receive a free membership for a friend with the purchase of your membership!
Click on the picture below for more information


Christmas in July!!

Happy Holidays!!

To celebrate Christmas in July, I have posted some new activities in my Teacher's Notebook Store.

Skating Party is to help reinforces letters, sounds, sight words, math facts, or whatever you would like to target in an activity I called, Skating Party.  This is just like previous activities I have posted (Road Race, Take a Hike!, etc...)


Winter Wonderland  includes 2 games in 1 download to help reinforce the Fry Instant Sight Words.  I separated them out by the 1st 100, 2nd 100, and 3rd 100, so there are three separate downloads.




Now you can add your link and join in the fun!!

Blog Mixer Linky Party

Yearn to Learn is having a fun Blog Mixer Linky Party and I would love to play along!!

1.  My favorite "New Kid on the Blog" would have to be a blog authored by two teachers; Robynn teaches kindergarten and SueBeth teaches second grade:


2.  Since I teach across different grade levels, I will go ahead and share two bloggers who also do the same.  Both Angelia and Kristen have blogs you do not want to miss because they both share great resources and activities.  Angelia works with students who receive special education services and Kristen works with English Language Learners.


3.  Now for a blogger in a different grade level, hmm... a little hard for me since I am across grade levels but I will go ahead and link up another favorite blog and my good blogging friend.  Annie is a former teacher and stay at home incredible mom who shares wonderful ideas, activities, and resources!



4.  There are so many cute buttons out there.  I think Read Write, Sing's button is creative and adorable!

Now you can join in the fun by going to

Just a little reminder-Closed

Just a reminder that my giveaway ends tomorrow at 10 pm E.S.T.

Click on one of the pictures below for more details!

The author of The Moffatt Girls is also hosting a giveaway for a membership to the Graphics Factory which ends on the 15th.  Be sure to hop over there to double your chances on winning the membership!!

Thank you to all who have entered and are following this little blog of mine!!!  

Guess what is coming???

Get ready to join myself and other authors to celebrate the winter holidays in July!!
Stay tuned for some new winter themed products!

GIVEAWAY you won't want to miss!!-CLOSED

Are you ready for a fantastic giveaway to help me celebrate having over 500 wonderful followers?  


I am going to be giving away two things!
The first is a full year membership to the Graphics Factory!


They have a large variety of clip art and offer each in multiple formats. I love that they offer many images in both color and black and white!  You can use these images on products you create and sell.  You can see their F.A.Q. here.


I was introduced to the Graphics Factory by my good blogging friend Annie Moffatt. A promotion they are having right now, is when you buy a full year membership you will get one for free.  So she and I went in on a membership together.

The second thing I am including in the giveaway is my brand new Hearing Individual Sounds in Words lesson pack!
 I created this 15 page pack with clip art from the Graphics Factory!  I designed it to provide activities to help hearing sounds in words become more concrete for our little literacy learners.  It includes visuals, picture cards, and worksheets that increase in difficulty as the child develops proficiency with the skills.
Here is a sample of the worksheets:

Here are the 5 Ways to Enter:
1.  Become a follower (or tell me you are a current follower).
2.  Grab my new button for your blog!!
3.  Add my new Teacher's Notebook blog to your favorites (I just opened it yesterday...stay posted for products).
4.  Follow my TPT store (or tell me you are a current follower).
5.  Blog about this giveaway on your fantastic blog!


Please remember to make a separate post for each entry!!
You can enter until Thursday, July 14th at 10p EST.


Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog!!

Look, look, look!!

I just had a makeover!!

What do you think?
I LOVE IT!!!!

I want to thank Alicia over at Dreamlike Magic Designs!
She has incredible work and is SOOOO easy to work with!!
She does so much more than just design blog templates, including creating A-DOR-able clipart!

Check out her Etsy shop by clicking on the picture below:

You can also find her blog here.

Thank you so much Alicia!!
I LOVE IT!!

Online Storytime

I learned something new today!
Did you know that Barnes and Noble has an online storytime?  
These are stories read by authors and celebrities which can be played right on the computer and are FREE!

This month Molly Ringwald is reading a book called, Splish, Splash, Splat! written by Rob Scotton.

Just below the book of the month, you can click on books they have featured in the past and watch/listen to the story!
~ Enjoy!!

Favorite Fonts Linky Party

Jenn over at Finally in First is having a Favorite Fonts Linky Party!
So I am joining in on the fun!
Here are some of my favorites:


Most of my faves come from Kevin & Amanda and the best thing is that they are provided for FREE!!

Thanks for doing this linky party Jenn!!

Blog hop 'til you drop!

Did you know that today has been deemed 
International Blog Hopping Day?
To kick off the festivities right, start by heading over to TBA where you will find links to several A+ blogs by clicking on the picture below!
Blog hop 'til you drop!
~ Enjoy~

Freebie Linky Party

Who doesn't like FREE stuff?
Just Add Clipart is having a fabulous FREEBIE linky party
How awesome is that?
Click on the picture and get ready to download some great things!!
Enjoy!

Alphabet Bunting Decoration

I love little things that list my daughter's name.  
Not only do I love them, but they help her recognize her own name in print and each of the letters that make up her name.


One decoration I made for her room is this name bunting that I hung over her valance.


  I simply went to this cute little blog called Ruffled and printed out the letters in her name and the hearts for each end.  I used a hole puncher to punch holes in each of the top corners to string ribbon through.  I then tied little blue bows in between each letter to help with the spacing.  


I think it would also be cute if you print out a bunting to hang in your classroom, welcoming your students to a new year!