new math unit

I completed a new math unit that is perfect for a center.  Since this is a new math unit for me, I am offering this unit for free for a limited time!

 

The unit has 6 different I Spy boards: 3 for addition and 3 for subtraction.  There are 2 recording pages included.  This math center comes ready to use - no prep, except to laminate!

 

Click here or on the images above.  If you download, please rate it!

 

Enjoy!

 

 



summer school update, Pinterest party, & Book Talk Thursday

Yesterday was the last day of our summer school program.  Did you hear me sing for joy?!  I wanted something special for our math session, so we played "I Spy" using addition sentences.

 

Yesterday was also our pinterest party day!  My friend Brittany makes bows and she taught us several kinds.  Here's a picture of one of my bows.

 

Today I am linking up with my friend Andrea, at Reading Toward the Stars! for Book Talk Thursday.

 

My book for this week is called I Need My Monster, by Amanda Noll.

 

One of my sweet firsties purchased this book for me last year during one of our Book Fairs.  Our primary children read this book in library classes because it was a Virginia's Reader Choice book.

 

The story is about a little boy who, when heading to bed one night, finds a note from the monster who lives there, that he is on vacation to go fishing.  The boy doesn't know how he will get to sleep without Gabe being there.  Other monsters show up to try to scare the boy, but none of them are able to accomplish the task.  It's a cute story, especially if you love monsters! 

 

Happy reading!

 

vacation wrap-up and math freebie

Yesterday's post included several pictures from the Natural History Museum in DC.  I have a couple more to share today.

 

Josh and I at the World War II memorial

view from the Lincoln Memorial

 waiting outside the National Archives

 

We had a wonderful time away and already have plans made for our next trip to DC!

 

This week I didn't take pictures of our summer school activities, since we are playing the same activities!  We continue to work on addition and subtraction activities using some of my new centers. 

 

Since my children have loved this unit so much and are becoming more fluent in the addition and subtraction facts, I am giving this to you!  Click here or on one of the unit pictures above to open yours!

 

Have a great weekend and enjoy the rest of your summer!

 

 

 

 

Book Talk Thursday

Today I am linking up with my friend, Andrea, at Reading Toward the Stars for ...

 

 

 While on vacation in DC last weekend, my husband and I visited the Natural History Museum, which is part of the Smithsonian.  One of my favorite exhibits was the jungle animals.

The giraffes reminded me of one of my favorite stories, Giraffes Can't Dance, by Gail Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.  This was one of the books featured at Kohl's last year and I couldn't resist picking it up! 


The story is about a giraffe, Gerald, who longs to dance, but realizes his body is not made for it.  He is embarrassed when it is time for the Jungle Dance and all of his animal friends laugh at his clumsy dancing.  He is encouraged by a cricket on his way home, who shows Gerald that he doesn't have to dance like the others. 

When I read this to my children in the spring, they wrote about something they can do that giraffes can't.  One of my favorite was, "I can eat spaghetti, but giraffes can't!"

What book do YOU love to read?

I'll leave you with a silly picture of Josh from the museum.

 

summer school: days five, six, and seven in pictures

The last 3 days of summer school were jam packed!  Here's a peek into what happened ...

 

addition Write the Room

 math lesson on the computer

 when struggling to add with a number line, switch to bear counters

 more addition activities

 And then the monsters came!  monster sight word game

 sight word coloring activities

 sight word Write the Room

 monsters roll, add, and cover

  monsters roll, add, and cover

  monsters addition file folder games

  monsters roll, add, and cover

 

On Monday we had one on one math centers.  I had enough games for my 9 firsties to play independently.  They did a fantabulous job!

 

 a peek into next week's lessons ...

 

Be sure to check back next week for a freebie from my new addition and subtraction math centers!

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Monday Made It! {July 8}

Woah!  Two weeks in a row for Monday Made It!  I'm linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics today.

I found several pictures on Pinterest that I liked for READ letters for my classroom.  Click here and here and here to see the original pins.

Michael's had the letters (with a coupon!) and washi tape

 covering the letters

 getting ready to put mod podge on them

 letting them dry

this is what I did with them at school - I glued them to the side of my bookcase

 

 

When I was at Michael's, I found these cute owls on little clothespins that I couldn't resist!  I put thumb tacks on the back of some and mini magnets on the back of the others.

 This is the corkboard covered with fabric and hot glued down.  I added the owls to this one.  Ready to use!

 

Check out other ideas on Tara's linky!

 



July ...

It is hard to believe July is here!  With a new month comes a new currently!  I'm linking up with Farley!



fonts by Jessica Stanford

listening - I love Chris Tomlin's praise and worship music

loving - we are piloting a summer school program - 2 mornings a week for 6 weeks; we are hopeful that the children will retain more by being spread out than previously (4 mornings a week for 3 weeks).  I love that I have days off in between!

thinking - our 10th anniversary is next week and we're heading to DC for a few days; planning now what to see and do while we are there

wanting - when I went into my classroom one morning last week, several of my alphabet cards had fallen and others were curling up, so I want to make new ones to match the color cards I just made

needing - we have had problems with our basement flooding due to the slope in our front yard and lack of a proper drain; we just refinanced our house and are waiting for the contractor to come to regrade our front yard and fix the problems in the basement.  With all of the rain we've had lately, we have kept the shop vac busy!  My husband has been in the front yard with 2 shop vacs running; he posted on Facebook: "You might be a redneck if ... you are shop vac-ing your front yard during a rainstorm!"

tips, tricks, or hints - when what we do is no longer fun, step back to reflect and reevaluate