Infusing Your Reading Block with Technology

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for ways to spice up my Reading block.  While practicing the same activities to get the students used to the routine is important, I never want my students to become bored (because we all know what happens when they become bored!).  As teachers, we want to have everything running smoothly during centers.  We do not want behaviors that will disrupt others' learning and we want every child to remain engaged. If things are not running like a well-oiled machine, it makes it harder for us to conduct our small groups.  There is nothing more frustrating than having to interrupt your lesson to deal with behavior issues or answer questions that could be answered by friends or center-mates.  If our instructions are good, the kids should know where their materials are and what they should be doing at each center.

In my classroom, we have five laptops.  I ALWAYS use technology as one of my centers.  While I like sites like ABCYA and PBS kids, I think it is important for the students to have meaningful activities that incorporate the skills or topics we are working on that week- not just play "games" (as they like to call them) during computer center time.  Don't get me wrong, there are many sites out there that have valuable practice that correlates with our Standards of Learning, but it takes a while to scope those out prior to making the center assignments.  Sometimes I just don't have time to do that in a pinch!

This is where Google Classroom has been a lifesaver.  When I have planned ahead, I can assign a particular website OR I can pull an activity from my own Google Drive and assign that to each child. The great thing about some of these assignments is that they will last alllllll week!!!  Three to five days worth of center work?  Count me in!!!  :)  Plus, the kids are SO engaged and using their reading and writing skills to create something that will stay in their digital portfolio (their own Google Drive).

I wanted to create several activities for my students this year that they could use ANY time and MANY times.  I was also looking for something that the kids could work on at home for homework. Then it came to me- BOOK REVIEWS!!!  So I sat down and created one for fiction, one for non-fiction, and one for biographies. Each is in digital flipbook format, which the kids love.  They are colorful, easy to navigate, and pretty self-explanatory.  I love that the flipbooks are assessing my students comprehension and improving their technology skills all at once!  You can even print them out and compile them to send home, if you'd like.

If this sounds like something that your students would enjoy, I hope you will check out these products in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Try them out and let me know what your kiddos think!  It's like a book report but better, right?!?!  :)  Happy teaching!!!

Click this link to get to TPT:

Book Reviews for Google Drive

Organizational Tools for Students

Being on the lower end of the upper elementary spectrum in Grade 3, students are expected to be "big kids" since they are not in the lower grades anymore.  This can be tricky with students at this age (8 and 9) because they are not quite ready for the management and workload that the upper grades bring.  To make the transition easier for my students and their families, I have devised an organizational binder to house EVERYTHING of importance that we use and need throughout the school year.  It has been a lifesaver for me, my students, and their families!  Things stay in their proper place and our weekly routine keeps everyone straight.  I create a new one each year to go along with our school theme.  This year's theme is Happy Campers.  :)

Click the image to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

On our school supply list each year, I have the parents purchase a 1.5 inch clear-view binder (I always suggest the Avery Heavy Duty binder because it holds up so well and the one-touch opener is easy! I also ask for plastic page protectors and a three hole punched supply bag for each student.  The page protectors are key in keeping the divider pages in our binders nice and neat (no crazy papers hanging out- yuck!) and the supply bag will hold notes, checks, cash- you know, all of the things that we DON'T want to misplace but always seem to fall to the bottom of our backpacks!

Once the basics are put into each binder, I compile the page dividers in the protectors in the same order for each child so that everyone can locate things easily when directions are given.  I have dividers for all of our important documents:  my contact info, our daily schedule, resource times, homework directions, behavior checklist, study guides, spelling words, etc.  The kids get so proficient at putting their papers exactly where they belong, and they know exactly where to look when they need something!  This system has really cut down on lost items and crinkled up papers pulled from the depths of the bookbags.

If the thought of an easier way for you and your students to manage your classroom paperwork sounds enticing to you, then check out my other organizational binder packages on TPT!

How do you help your students stay organized throughout the school year?  I'd love to hear some of your tips and tricks.  Leave a comment below.  Thanks for stopping by!

Friday Freebie {Dolch Sight Word Assessment}

Happy Friday, y'all!
One of the most important tools to have in your classroom is a good, comprehensive assessment. Student assessments tell us where we are, where we need to be, and where we are going. Track your students' growth using the Make, Take & Teach Dolch Sight Word Assessment and Progress Monitoring protocols. This download includes assessment materials for 220 Dolch sight words, student recording forms and progress monitoring charts! Perfect for your school's Response to Intervention (RtI) initiative.

Click picture to download

Phonemic Awareness vs. Phonics- What is the Difference?

Ready for BTS13?

Who blew their entire first paycheck at the TPT Back to School Sale this weekend?  This girl did!  At least now I can say my wish list is only a mile long instead of three.  :)  I bought some really fantastic resources for my new classes this year.  I can't wait to use them.  One of the Language Arts activities I picked out was called "A Dab Will Do Ya."  My K-1 kiddos love to use those bingo markers and dot paints every time I pull them out.  Plus, you can get them at the Dollar Store for super cheap.  The pack that I purchased at TPT from The Printable Princess contains 60 pages of fun and covers these skills:

Differentiate between letter and number
Differentiate between uppercase and lowercase letters
Letter and number formation
Letter matching
Match uppercase to lowercase letters
Beginning sounds
Number matching
Ten frames (a basic introduction)
Counting to 10

Here is a FREE 10 page sample highlighting beginning sounds and CVC words with short vowels.  Check it out.  :)

Teacher Binders- Let's Get Organized!

Psssst......
Are you still using that yucky green lesson plan and grade book from the 70s? Do you usually have stacks of papers up to your eyebrows on every corner of your desk?  Would you like to have your lesson plans, standards, and assessments right at your fingertips at all times?  Then I've got the perfect solution for you. Check out my Binder Organizers on TPT or TN.  I have used these for two years now, and they help to keep me so organized. My binder is my lifeline, and I have it all down to a science.  I always know EXACTLY where to find things. Take a look at my Sock Monkey and Hipster Monster designs here-

If you click on my TPT button on the top right side of my page, it will take you to my store.  Hope this tool will help you in your endeavors to stay organized and be the best teacher you can be!!!

TPT Sale Today and Tomorrow! Don't miss it!

Hey all!