Free Printable St. Patrick's Day Subway Art

Valentine's Day has come and gone, and now it's time to add a hint of green instead of red.  Rainbows and gold.... that sounds like happiness to me!  :-)  I made this cute St. Patrick's Day subway art, placed it in a black frame and Voila!... It turned out so cute!  Feel free to print yourself out one, as I am offering it for free.  Simply place it in an 8.5x11 frame and it will look so cute and colorful on your desk in your classroom or on display in your home.  Mine is actually on a table in a hallway off  my den.  Enjoy!   Just click the link below to print. FREE Subway Art for St. Patrick's Day
Check out my teacher themed subway art here.

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God Loves You Valentine's Day Cards

Free Valentine Cards

My son attends the church preschool, so for a change, I can actually mention God on classroom materials. Imagine that!  I made these for him to deliver to his three year old class friends for Valentine's Day.  They would work for any age. Just print and sign a name. I stapled a heart sucker to each one. They are free to print, so I hope you can enjoy on a e future Valentine's Day. Click the link below.
God Loves You Valentine Cards

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Text Annotation Codes

The big push in the classroom is to get kids thinking about their reading.  They should be digging for deeper meaning. A basic yellow highlighter just doesn't do the job.  After all, most kids use a highlighter as a coloring tool, more like a paint brush in art class, rather than a tool to look for important information. Plus, kids should really be doing more than just shading over important points.  They need to be interacting with the text. They need to "read with a pencil". What better way to do that than to give them some codes to use while reading.  Interacting with text by using annotating codes can help the teacher monitor comprehension.  Codes can also help the reader stay focused and engaged; whether it be looking for important points, connecting the text to their life, asking questions, or just being aware of the 'ah ha!' moments.   In order to teach your students how to annotate while reading, you might like to use this code sheet.  I am offering it as a FREEBIE.  There is one for upper and lower elementary. Enjoy! Click the link below. Text Annotation Codes

For all other FREE READING POSTERS, click HERE.

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Building Fluency

Fluency-  The ability to read with  speed, accuracy, and proper expression.
Building fluency is a main focus in my upper elementary classroom.  The majority of my students can say the words on the page, but reading the words with proper speed and expression takes practice.  Working on fluency carries over to other areas of reading, such as it helps to increase comprehension. As I tell my students..... to read is to understand, and if you don't understand/comprehend what you are 'saying', you aren't really reading. Building fluency is just one reading skill that is going to help them better comprehend.

We have all had kids in our classroom read aloud, whether it be whole class or in a small group, or even one on one.  As a teacher (and even as a student), we can easily recognize a child that struggles with fluency. It can typically be identified within the first few sentences of having them read aloud.  The same struggles we hear when they read aloud are most likely carrying over to their quiet independent reading.  Because of this, there needs to be some kind of activity within the classroom (or for homework) that focuses on building fluency.

 In talking to other teachers about what they do in regard to building fluency, I have come to the conclusion that many teachers assess fluency, they correct fluency, but they simply are not providing activities to build fluency. As always, time is a factor.  With that said, I wanted to share a little activity I do with my students.

I named this fluency building activity "Read It and Repeat It".  Yep, it's as simple as that!  Just practice and improve.  I don't have the kids read an entire book, but rather I assign them a Read It and Repeat It paragraph or short passage.  I actually take a suitable passage from a book, type it, and then give a copy to each student.  The passage is not long, most likely just a paragraph, but I make sure it's one that allows for expression.  It may have commas and other punctuation that kids would typically struggle with.  When I type the passage, I can fit 3-4 on a page, so that cuts down on copies. I know you could just have students read a short passage from a book they have, but for some reason, the kids get so excited about seeing what the passage is.  Having it on the small slip of paper doesn't seem so overwhelming. 

So, how does it work?  I have done the activity several ways.  I have made it a homework activity where I pass it out on Monday and they are required to practice reading it aloud each night. Then they come back and read it to the class on a Friday.  You don't even have to pick all kids to read aloud, as you can draw five names and just have those few read it aloud. I have also encouraged my students to make two recordings at home, and I even pass that suggestion on to the parents.  The students love to hear how much they improve, and when they do, they are amazed!!  You could even do this activity with just your weakest readers in the area of fluency.  You could easily pull them to the hallway and record them reading their passage.  They can practice reading it aloud to you each day in their reading group or even in the morning while all of the kids are arriving, and then record them again at the end of the week. You are sure to hear major improvements that will carry over to other reading activities.

I encourage you to give it a try!  Try it once. Do it weekly.  Add it as a bi-weekly activity.  However you do it, I feel sure you will have readers that love it and want to hear themselves improve in the area of fluency. 

Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags

Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I am quickly getting into the Christmas spirit.  It's kind of hard not to when you see all the Christmas decorations in stores. I always like to give my co-workers or neighbors a little something for Christmas, so I made these whimsical tags to use on gifts for friends.  I thought I would share the tags with you.  Just click on the link below.  The file is a png image saved in a power point.  All you have to do is open it up and print the slide. Punch a hole in the corner and add a ribbon. Instant Christmas tag. :-) Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags

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Turkey Toes Baggie Toppers

Your students will think these are the funniest thing.... turkey toes!!  I have made the baggie topper, so all you have to do is get the candy corn and print the turkey toes baggie topper and your are set.  If you are a room mom, this is an easy treat to take in for the kids. Teachers, your coworkers might also find this cute if you leave a baggie in their mailbox.  :-)  Just click the link below. Enjoy! Free Turkey Toes Baggie Toppers

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Free Printable Thanksgiving Bookmarks

Your students will love receiving one of these colorful Thanksgiving bookmarks.  Laminate the bookmarks for durability.  I love placing something like this on my students' desks where they find it when they arrive in the classroom. Another option is to meet them at the door one morning and pass them out as they come in.  It brings a smile to their face and makes them feel appreciated.   Click below for the free printable Thanksgiving bookmarks. FREE Thanksgiving Bookmarks

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Free Fall Summarizing Activity

Fall Summarizing Activity

When we teach students to pull out the most important details from a text and organize those details in a meaningful way, we are teaching them to summarize.  According to a statistic I read on the West Virginia Department of Education website (taken from Marzano research), the skill of summarizing is one of the top ten most important skills taught in school.   I would say that means it's pretty important. :-)  With that said, it's not something we should just teach once and walk away from it never to return. It should be a skill we come back to time and time again. In order to do just that, I have made a fall summarizing activity sheet that can be used with any book or story.  It's a free activity and can be found in my Teachers pay Teachers store by clicking the link below.    Free Fall Summarizing Activity  

   

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Fun Fall Preschool Activities and Treats

Yesterday my son had a little Halloween party at his church preschool.  The room mom did a great job of putting together  a fall activity that I thought was perfect for preschoolers or even kindergartners. The finished product turned out so cute, so I thought I would share.   It was a little water bottle jack-o-lantern. It was made using a small water bottle (the more rounded kind), a piece of orange construction paper, some black face pieces that were already cut out, and a green cap for the top.  All the kids really had to do was tear the paper into small pieces, kind of give them a crumpled look, and stick them on the bottle.  Once the bottle was filled up, they screwed the top on and stuck the eyes and mouth on.  Those pieces had little sticky pads on the back which worked well.  The craft was such a great idea for little hands. Here are some pictures.

In addition to the fun water bottle jack-o-lantern craft, they enjoyed a few fall themed treats.  One was rice krispy candy corn on a stick.  The other were cute little acorns.  The acorns were so cute and would be fun for any adult to serve at a party too.  They were made using a Hershey Kiss, a small Vanilla Wafer, melted chocolate to stick everything together, and top it off with a small peanut butter chip.  Adorable!!  Here are some pics to share.

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Sarah, Plain and Tall Activities

I love reading the book Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan with my students. I actually have an entire class set, so we typically read and discuss it together. I have also used it with a small group, such as with non-struggling readers that may be working together while I am working with a lower level guided reading group. I like the book Sarah, Plain and Tall because of its realistic fiction and because of its plot, which I would consider a slower paced plot.  It's sort of old school, way far from today's favorites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and such. My kids never seem real sure about the book when we start, but then they always end up loving it.  As always, I tend to create activities that go along with what I am doing in the classroom.  So, you guessed it.  I have put together a fun little activity pack to use with this wonderful book. These activities are great for holding students accountable for their reading, especially if it is independent reading. If you use interactive notebooks in your classroom, these activities are perfect.  If you don't use interactive notebooks, you can still use them.  You could have them glue the activities onto construction paper, tag board, or inside a file folder.  If you use a file folder, it will be like a lap book.  You can learn more about the activities by clicking the link below.  Enjoy!

Sarah, Plain and Tall Activities

You might also enjoy these activities:

How the book evolved- Click HERE for audio.

Video reading of Chapter one- Click HERE for video.

Interview with Patricia MacLachlan- Click HERE for interview.
 

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The Brilliance of Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers,  aka  TpT,  is the place to be. I am not overstating when I say 'brilliance' because I truly mean it.  As a teacher of twenty years, I am telling you... it is the hottest place on the Internet to get the most up to date, fun, interactive, common core related lessons.  The best part about these great lessons is that they are designed by teachers for teachers.  What does that mean?  It means they are tested in the classroom and reworked until they are perfected.  You simply can't beat that as an educator.  In addition, they are time saving for the buyer.  In a day when teachers are pushed to their limits with meetings before and after school, limited planning time during the school day, in addition to having family activities after school, time for creating the perfect lesson is slim to none.  That is where TpT is a brilliant idea.  It helps teachers all across the world be better teachers by providing them with the lessons they might not otherwise be able to create. The designing and creating is already done.  Sure, you can still add your own individual ideas as you go to implement your purchase into the classroom, but what TpT can provide teachers is like none other. It buys teachers time, it buys them peace of mind...It buys so much.  Like I said... it's brilliant.  

I also think TpT is a brilliant idea for the seller.  Let me say that I was creating long before TpT came about.  I am one of those stay late, spend hours researching on the internet, clip art junkie, software loving kind of teachers that wants something new, innovative, and eye- catching.  I want people to like my lessons. Actually, I want people to love them. I want people to walk down the hall and think, "OMG.. that is the cutest idea. I want to do that with my students!" So, with that said, when I came across TpT it was an avenue for me to sell my items, and of course give some away for free, too.  It was validation for the hours I was spending on creating lessons, games, centers, and more.  Keeping in mind that other teachers asked for my materials and even offered to buy them, TpT was like the perfect fit for me.  Many teachers I have gotten to know as my buyers on TpT don't really care to spend the hours I was spending creating, and they are very appreciative to spend five dollars for something that took me fifteen hours to make.  It is a win win for everyone involved.

Since I brought up the idea of selling on TpT, I want to take a moment to discuss that aspect of my TpT story.  I joined TpT nearly four years ago.  I was probably one of the first 1,200 to join.  I have believed in the concept of TpT from the moment I first read about it.  I would say that my success on TpT is something I am very proud of.  If you are a seller on TpT and post in the seller's forum on TpT then you are very familiar with questions like, "How long is it going to take me to start making money" or "I have been at this for two months and I have five products, and I have only had a few sales.  Is it worth it?"  Here is my thinking...

I like to equate TpT to a fine wine.  By the way, the funny thing is that I don't even really drink wine, but it makes for a wonderful analogy. So here goes...You have to work hard to make your wine. It may need to sit for a while for perfection. You have to package it up real nice and pretty.   In the mean time, you better advertise the wine if you want to sell it.  You also better be working on other flavors to restock the shelves. As far as TpT,  you need to create wonderful lessons and activities.  You need to package them up with pretty covers.  Your products may need so sit for a while, a long while, in order for them to be found on TpT, for the search engines to pick them up, and for word to spread about your wonderful store.  In the mean time, you need to keep on making items and stocking your TpT shelves. You need to advertise by doing things like building a blog, developing a brand, building a facebook page, pinning on Pinterest, and whatever else you can think of to get the word out about your lovely store.  When people buy your items and they love your 'wine' they are going to come back for more.  It sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  

Well, the truth is that there are a few people with a few great items that make really good money on TpT.  But the fact of the matter is that most people that make good money have lots of products, they spend countless hours creating, marketing, blogging, pinning, facebooking, etc., and they truly embrace TpT as a second job. I fall into the second category. Actually, in  many cases TpT might be someone's only job.  Regardless, it is probably in the best interest of new sellers to walk into TpT knowing that it's not going to be a 'money growing on trees' kind of endeavor.  If you are willing to invest time and energy, TpT can truly be a blessing.  It can be a blessing to you the seller, as well as you being able to bless many teachers with your wonderful work.

As you can see, TpT really is a brilliant idea.  I don't even think I mentioned all of the FREE stuff that the dedicated teachers make and are willing to give away.... yes..., GIVE away! Thousands of items for free!! Isn't that just fabulous.   Whether you plan to simply buy on Teachers Pay Teachers or if you are willing to take the plunge and become a seller, I do hope that you love the experience as much as I have. I really do love TpT!

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Constitution Day Reading Activity

September 17 is Constitution Day.  Did you know that if you are a public school educator then you are required by law to touch on the Constitution in your classroom? The act states..
 "all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day.". 
So, with that said, I have put together an easy print and go poster that is a perfect way to help your students understand how the Constitution came about and how it affects our country today.  Because I have highlighted vocabulary, this would be a great time to discuss some of the government related terms.  For example, delegates, Articles of Confederation, and branches of government.  If you wanted to elaborate further on the Constitution, you could then do a follow-up activity or maybe show a Brainpop or other video, or maybe even do a writing activity.  Have fun sharing with your students this very important document.  Get all of the details by clicking the link below.  

Constitution Day Reading Activity

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Teacher Desk Organization

If you are like me, desk top organization at school is really mandatory. Is it always easy?  No.  But, I do find I am much more productive if everything has its own little place.  I came across these really nifty desk top organization ideas that might be helpful to you.

An InLinkz Link-up

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4th Grade: Integrating Social Studies and Reading

If you are an upper elementary teacher, particularly fourth or fifth grade, then you are aware of the massive amounts of content that teachers are required to teach and students are required to master in the area of social studies. I have had parents say to me here in Georgia, "This social studies curriculum is beyond ridiculous!"  My response has always been, "I agree with you that it is a lot of material for a fourth grader to learn, but please understand that I don't decide the standards to be taught, I simply teach them."  With that said, I teach them to the best of my ability, and yes, it can be quite the challenge to get all of the material covered before standardized testing time.

After spending many challenging years trying to get all of the fourth grade social studies content covered,  the best solution seemed to be to try and  integrate the two subjects, such as work on reading skills while covering some of the social studies topics. It all seemed fine and dandy, but  the next problem would be trying to find social studies reading material to cover the content I needed it to cover.

Because I wanted very specific content, and I wanted it written in a certain way, I decided the best thing to do was just write the material myself.  Keeping in mind that my husband is a high school U.S. history teacher, I was able to converse with him about important details or facts that I should include,  in addition to referring to the Georgia curriculum standards. After working all summer, the finished product makes it very easy to integrate socials studies into reading.  I ended up writing 25 close reading passages that begin with Native Americans and end with Westward Expansion.  Many of the major historical events that fall between those two time periods are included in the close readings.  In addition to the close readings, there are teacher questions, as well as activities for each passage to be used in an interactive social studies notebook.  I am proud to share the finished product with you, and offer both notebooks to you for sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Here is a sneak peek, and then click on the links to get more specific details.

Please note that the grade level in which specific social studies content is taught varies from state to state. These notebooks happen to follow the Georgia fourth grade social studies content, so if you teach 4th grade in Georgia, this would be perfect for you.  If you are not sure if these notebooks follow the content for your state, please look closely at the detailed descriptions and then decide.

Interactive Social Studies Notebook/Journal #1

Interactive Social Studies Notebook/Journal #2

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Place Value and Number Sense Lessons Link Up

Most teachers start off the year with number sense, which means working on the common core standards that fall into the category of "Number and Operations in Base Ten". Below you will find some fun and interactive lessons that will help you meet that standard in your classroom.

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Got Black Lines on TpT?

Black Lines Printing on Files

If you are seller on Teachers Pay Teachers then you are all too familiar with the black line question. If you are a buyer who is opening a file that has black lines, is blurry, or some pages just don't seem to print when others do, TpT offers suggestions on how to hopefully fix the problem.  

Feel free to pin.  Just hover over the image and click on the pin button.

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If You Give a Teacher a Compliment.....

Here is my take on teacher morale and what it can do for a teacher, the kids, and the school.

Feel free to pin. 

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How to Add Your Own Text to an 'Editable' PowerPoint File

Add Text to a Powerpoint Slide

If you purchase a Powerpoint  file from Teachers Pay Teachers that says it is 'editable', this most often means you can add text to it. In very rare cases you might be able to change the graphics out, but most graphics are embedded into the file in order to protect the images for copyright reasons.  If the file is saved as a PowerPoint file, here are some steps to follow if you don't know how to add text boxes to the file.  Hope it helps.

Click on the images to enlarge.  Hover over the images to pin.

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