Monday, October 31, 2011
Intervention Documentation
Last week I had an anonymous comment on my post for Parent Communications Documentation form asking if I had anything to document interventions. Here's something I whipped up. Nothing special, but it'll get the job done! Hope it's useful to you!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Fact Family Village
Sometimes when I set out centers I want my students to to have something to turn in to me. Sometimes I just want them to practice and check it themselves. This new Fact Family center allows you to do both!
In these Fact Family Houses you can laminate a work page, cutting a slit into the top of each square.
This is where you will insert your Fact Family house, leaving only the roof with 3 numbers exposed.
When fully inserted, only the 3 numbers of the Fact Family can be seen.
Once students write on the laminated page with a dry erase or Vis-a-Vis marker, they can pull the roof up to expose the answers, self-checking their responses!
If you would like to see evidence of their understanding, I have also included a worksheet that can be completed and turned in to the teacher!
Click the preview link below to get this Math Center!
Hope you like it!
In these Fact Family Houses you can laminate a work page, cutting a slit into the top of each square.
When fully inserted, only the 3 numbers of the Fact Family can be seen.
Once students write on the laminated page with a dry erase or Vis-a-Vis marker, they can pull the roof up to expose the answers, self-checking their responses!
If you would like to see evidence of their understanding, I have also included a worksheet that can be completed and turned in to the teacher!
Click the preview link below to get this Math Center!
Hope you like it!
Blog Surfing Made Easy
Here's the good news: there are TONS of amazing blogs out there.
The bad news? there are TONS of amazing blogs out there, so it can sometimes get a little overwhelming. You find great stuff left and right but sometimes it's not quite right for your grade level. Or maybe it's perfect but you don't need it until later in the year and by then you'll probably forget that you've got it!
Well there's an amazing new blog out there that makes it just a little bit easier! Go check out
It's got lists and lists of amazing blogs grouped by grade level. If you're a blogger and hope to get more traffic to your site, submit your blog to have it listed on Teaching Blog Central as well!
As for finding great activities you want to use at another time, how about using the increasingly popular
Perhaps you could organize yourself by creating folders for different skills on Pinterest to "pin" great finds. then when the time comes for you to use it, all those great ideas are stored away for you and accessible from home and school!
The bad news? there are TONS of amazing blogs out there, so it can sometimes get a little overwhelming. You find great stuff left and right but sometimes it's not quite right for your grade level. Or maybe it's perfect but you don't need it until later in the year and by then you'll probably forget that you've got it!
Well there's an amazing new blog out there that makes it just a little bit easier! Go check out
It's got lists and lists of amazing blogs grouped by grade level. If you're a blogger and hope to get more traffic to your site, submit your blog to have it listed on Teaching Blog Central as well!
As for finding great activities you want to use at another time, how about using the increasingly popular
Friday, October 28, 2011
Simply Learning Centers . . . Check It Out!
Simply Centers is now Simply Learning Centers and is now up and running full force!
Visit this awesome new blog for resources for Literacy AND Math centers grades K-8!!
The site has an easy to navigate format. Look on the left hand side for quick and easy buttons that take you straight to posts labeled for the grade level and subject area!
Visit it often because it's constantly being updated. Click the button below to go now!
Visit this awesome new blog for resources for Literacy AND Math centers grades K-8!!
The site has an easy to navigate format. Look on the left hand side for quick and easy buttons that take you straight to posts labeled for the grade level and subject area!
Visit it often because it's constantly being updated. Click the button below to go now!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Owl Theme Now Available!
My new Sight Word Game Boards are now available in your favorite OWL theme!
Get it here!
Get it here!
Skippyjon Jones Fan?
Is anyone else out there a Skippyjon Jones fan? I mean...I know I sure am! But I can pretty much guarantee you that you are not a bigger fan than my dear friend, Mrs. Jones! (Yep! She REALLY is Mrs. Jones!).
Only a true fan would do this:
Only a true fan would do this:
Yes, that would be a giant paper mâché Skippyjon Jones head (with a hole on the bottom to fit over her head) for tomorrow night's Family Education Night at school. Gotta love her!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sight Word Game Boards
Here's a fun way to get your kids to practice their sight words!
We use the Fry 1st 100 Sight Words (which overlap with the Sitton Sight Words). If you've seen my Place Value game boards, then you're familiar with how these work. All you have to do is print a copy of the game board for 2 (or more students to share). They will also need some sort of place marker (like a counter, colored bear manipulative, etc.), 1 die, and 1 colored marker or crayon for each player. The player will roll the die and move that number of spaces. He must read the sight word in the space where he lands. The other player(s) must confirm that the player is correct. If correct, the player may color the space. Each colored space claims the word and gives the student a point. The space may no longer be played again and must be skipped. If incorrect, however, the student must return to the space they started prior to rolling the die. The board loops around so once students make a round, they will loop around again playing only unclaimed spaces. The game ends when all spaces have been colored. The student with the most colored spaces wins!
There are 3 game boards in the collection. My kids love to color directly on the sheets and keep them, but if you prefer not to make a lot of copies, print the game boards and slip them into plastic sheet protectors! Your students can claim their spaces with dry erase markers.
Enjoy!
We use the Fry 1st 100 Sight Words (which overlap with the Sitton Sight Words). If you've seen my Place Value game boards, then you're familiar with how these work. All you have to do is print a copy of the game board for 2 (or more students to share). They will also need some sort of place marker (like a counter, colored bear manipulative, etc.), 1 die, and 1 colored marker or crayon for each player. The player will roll the die and move that number of spaces. He must read the sight word in the space where he lands. The other player(s) must confirm that the player is correct. If correct, the player may color the space. Each colored space claims the word and gives the student a point. The space may no longer be played again and must be skipped. If incorrect, however, the student must return to the space they started prior to rolling the die. The board loops around so once students make a round, they will loop around again playing only unclaimed spaces. The game ends when all spaces have been colored. The student with the most colored spaces wins!
There are 3 game boards in the collection. My kids love to color directly on the sheets and keep them, but if you prefer not to make a lot of copies, print the game boards and slip them into plastic sheet protectors! Your students can claim their spaces with dry erase markers.
Enjoy!
Documentation
I've been looking over the students that I need to take through the RTI process and gathering all the data and documentation I need to be prepared for my meeting with my AP. Have you done that lately? As you were doing that did you realize that you forgot to write a few things down so you don't have exact dates? If so, then you're probably searching through files and your calendar trying to figure out when you talked to or met with one of the parents!
I know I should be more organized than this, and I really think I might have been at one point! The problem is that as things got so busy, other things (like detailed documentation) has slipped through the cracks. That's why I made this Parent Communication Log form to put in the file folder I have for each student. Whether or not I will need documentation of parental contact, it never hurts to have it on hand "just in case"!
Here it is if you'd like to use it. Pretty straightforward with the main details without it being too cumbersome. Snag it for free below!
I know I should be more organized than this, and I really think I might have been at one point! The problem is that as things got so busy, other things (like detailed documentation) has slipped through the cracks. That's why I made this Parent Communication Log form to put in the file folder I have for each student. Whether or not I will need documentation of parental contact, it never hurts to have it on hand "just in case"!
Here it is if you'd like to use it. Pretty straightforward with the main details without it being too cumbersome. Snag it for free below!
I Forgot to Mention . . .
Hey all!
So when I introduced the new blog "Simply Centers" I neglected to tell you something very important! This blog has all things blog related for grade K-8! That means there's a lot to be found for a wide range of ages, grades, and abilities! It's a brand new blog, so keep checking back as the goodies are accumulated!
So when I introduced the new blog "Simply Centers" I neglected to tell you something very important! This blog has all things blog related for grade K-8! That means there's a lot to be found for a wide range of ages, grades, and abilities! It's a brand new blog, so keep checking back as the goodies are accumulated!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Another New Blog!
I just found out today that another teacher at my school has started a blog! She is a wonderful and interactive Kindergarten teacher. I've stopped in her room before to observe what goes on in our Kindergarten classes, and I must say that Ms. Conley is a wonderful teacher! She incorporates a lot of song and movement into her classroom, and the students I get from her (when they move up to 1st grade) are always so in love with her!
Take a moment to send some love to Love for Kindergarten with Mrs. Conley! She's got so much to offer!
Take a moment to send some love to Love for Kindergarten with Mrs. Conley! She's got so much to offer!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Great New Blog!
If you love centers or if you just use them in your classroom, here's a GREAT new blog!
Check out Simply Centers for some great ideas, freebies, and products!
Check out Simply Centers for some great ideas, freebies, and products!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Facebook In Your Classroom?
About a month ago I got this idea to bring Facebook into my classroom. Is that weird?
Actually . . . it's just the idea of Facebook status updates that I wanted to bring in. I would have had this up sooner but the poster maker was out of paper at one point and then I got really busy with grades and all sorts of other deadlines!
Anyhow, I decided to create "classbook"! I got so excited about the idea that I launched right into creating a logo for it before I realized that I wouldn't even need a logo for the format of the page I was setting out to create!
I know 1st graders are pretty young, and if any of my kids were actually on Facebook I'd probably think it was a bad idea. However, I figured most of my kids would already know what Facebook was through either their parents or older siblings. A quick survey before launching into the lesson proved I was right!
What I did was create a template that looks like a status update page so that I could make it into poster size for the hallway. I took a picture of each student and let them smile, pose, or act goofy. They were hilarious!
Next came the part I was a little worried about . . . would they be able to understand what a status update is?
I took a screen shot of my facebook page using some "safe" examples of status updates and projected it onto my mimio board. On one status a friend posted a quote which I explained was just something the person read somewhere and liked so they decided to share it. The next status was of a friend's thoughts regarding how the sound of a baby's giggle makes her smile. The last status was a message a friend posted thanking her friends for all the birthday wishes on her facebook page.
Then I gave them a sentence strip cut to the width of the poster I had made with the school poster machine and set them loose to write their "classbook" status updates. I was pleasantly surprised!
You would not believe how excited and into this "status update" thing my 1st grades are! This is great considering my condition for updating statuses - you can only update your status if you are finished with all your work including your unfinished work! I'm not sure about your kids, but a handful of mine have a hard time getting all their work done in time and begin to accumulate unfinished work. This has turned into a great motivator for my kids since they all want to update their statuses. I leave a stack of sentence strips trimmed to our poster size clipped with magnetic clips next to my door. They are free to take one to change their statuses when they have satisfied my requirements.
I have had a lot of teachers stop by (including one of my APs) to tell me how they enjoy the classbook page. We also notice how not only our class, but every other class passing by wants to stop and read the statuses . . . even if they are rushing off to lunch or specials! When we came back from recess, a new mystery post appeared . . .
One student's status declared her Kindergarten the best teacher. So what would any good Kindergarten teacher reading this about herself do? Why she'd create a like, button of course!
It's so fun and gets the kids engaged in writing and expressing themselves! AND it's a FREEBIE!
I'm posting the files here for you to download if you'd like to give it a try. I went ahead and typed my students names in while it was still in a Publisher format, but I also have the PDF file available to preserve the font if you'd like to enter student names another way. The font used was Franklin Gothic Medium.
I think this ongoing activity would be great for any grade level. I actually originally thought it'd be great for 5th graders since some of them are actually already on Facebook, but my kids really love it. I plan to keep it up all year and let them change their statuses as they choose. My 2nd grade teacher friend shared the idea at a teacher leader meeting in our county and the Kindergarten teachers were the ones going wild over it. Whatever your grade, give it a try . . . hope you and your kids enjoy!
Actually . . . it's just the idea of Facebook status updates that I wanted to bring in. I would have had this up sooner but the poster maker was out of paper at one point and then I got really busy with grades and all sorts of other deadlines!
Anyhow, I decided to create "classbook"! I got so excited about the idea that I launched right into creating a logo for it before I realized that I wouldn't even need a logo for the format of the page I was setting out to create!
What I did was create a template that looks like a status update page so that I could make it into poster size for the hallway. I took a picture of each student and let them smile, pose, or act goofy. They were hilarious!
Next came the part I was a little worried about . . . would they be able to understand what a status update is?
I took a screen shot of my facebook page using some "safe" examples of status updates and projected it onto my mimio board. On one status a friend posted a quote which I explained was just something the person read somewhere and liked so they decided to share it. The next status was of a friend's thoughts regarding how the sound of a baby's giggle makes her smile. The last status was a message a friend posted thanking her friends for all the birthday wishes on her facebook page.
Then I gave them a sentence strip cut to the width of the poster I had made with the school poster machine and set them loose to write their "classbook" status updates. I was pleasantly surprised!
You would not believe how excited and into this "status update" thing my 1st grades are! This is great considering my condition for updating statuses - you can only update your status if you are finished with all your work including your unfinished work! I'm not sure about your kids, but a handful of mine have a hard time getting all their work done in time and begin to accumulate unfinished work. This has turned into a great motivator for my kids since they all want to update their statuses. I leave a stack of sentence strips trimmed to our poster size clipped with magnetic clips next to my door. They are free to take one to change their statuses when they have satisfied my requirements.
I have had a lot of teachers stop by (including one of my APs) to tell me how they enjoy the classbook page. We also notice how not only our class, but every other class passing by wants to stop and read the statuses . . . even if they are rushing off to lunch or specials! When we came back from recess, a new mystery post appeared . . .
One student's status declared her Kindergarten the best teacher. So what would any good Kindergarten teacher reading this about herself do? Why she'd create a like, button of course!
It's so fun and gets the kids engaged in writing and expressing themselves! AND it's a FREEBIE!
I'm posting the files here for you to download if you'd like to give it a try. I went ahead and typed my students names in while it was still in a Publisher format, but I also have the PDF file available to preserve the font if you'd like to enter student names another way. The font used was Franklin Gothic Medium.
I think this ongoing activity would be great for any grade level. I actually originally thought it'd be great for 5th graders since some of them are actually already on Facebook, but my kids really love it. I plan to keep it up all year and let them change their statuses as they choose. My 2nd grade teacher friend shared the idea at a teacher leader meeting in our county and the Kindergarten teachers were the ones going wild over it. Whatever your grade, give it a try . . . hope you and your kids enjoy!
|
| Click here to snag the PDF version |
|
| Click here to snag the Publisher version |
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Vote for me PLEASE! =)
What an honor! I just received an email (on my husband and my 3rd wedding anniversary) that Plug-n-Plan has been nominated to the Top 25 Teacher Mom Blogs list on Circle of Moms! So unexpected and so exciting! I'll take it as an anniversary gift! Hee, hee!
Please do me a favor and vote for Plug-n-Plan by clicking this link! I sure do appreciate your support!
Circle of Moms Top 25 Teacher Mom Blogs
Thank you!!!
Please do me a favor and vote for Plug-n-Plan by clicking this link! I sure do appreciate your support!
Circle of Moms Top 25 Teacher Mom Blogs
Thank you!!!
Love Stands the "Test" of "Time"
Today my husband and I celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary! YEA! I will not go on about how much I love him or how wonderful he is, BUT I will ask you to celebrate with me!
In honor of our 3 year anniversary I am putting my 2 best products on sale for $3! And since "true love stands the test of time", you can get my 1st Grade Math Assessment package for $3 instead of $5 and/or my "It's Owl Time" Unit on Time for $3 instead of $8! That's a crazy deal because I'm crazy in love with my hubs!
Haha! So now that I've thoroughly sickened you with the puns, sappiness, and corniness . . . here are the links where you can get my Anniversary Sale Items! Enjoy!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Place Value Quickie
Gonna make this one super quick!
Here's a quick Place Value game. All you need to do is print a game board, 1 die, and a crayon for each player. (Oh . . . and some sort of game piece. I often use those little counting bears since I always have some lying around!) Roll the die and move your game piece. Look at the tens and ones pictured and say the number it represents. If correct, color the space to claim it! Keep playing around the looped game board until all spaces have been colored. (Do not count or play colored spaces after you loop back around.) The player who has the most spaces colored at the end wins!
Need to differentiate? Require students to give the expanded form ("4 tens + 8 ones equals 40 + 8. That makes 48!") or have them write the expanded from on the whiteboard!
Click on the preview picture to snag this quick and easy game!
Here's a quick Place Value game. All you need to do is print a game board, 1 die, and a crayon for each player. (Oh . . . and some sort of game piece. I often use those little counting bears since I always have some lying around!) Roll the die and move your game piece. Look at the tens and ones pictured and say the number it represents. If correct, color the space to claim it! Keep playing around the looped game board until all spaces have been colored. (Do not count or play colored spaces after you loop back around.) The player who has the most spaces colored at the end wins!
Need to differentiate? Require students to give the expanded form ("4 tens + 8 ones equals 40 + 8. That makes 48!") or have them write the expanded from on the whiteboard!
Click on the preview picture to snag this quick and easy game!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Medial Sounds
Done with Beginning and Ending Sounds? What about Medial Sounds?
In this fun game students will visit their friends from Safari Elementary again! This time it's recess! Help the students at Safari Elementary form teams according to their medial sounds. Each card has a word with a long vowel medial sound, but the long vowel is formed in different ways. This game is great as a center and includes a recording sheet. Extend the activity by highlighting the letter combinations that make the vowel long!
Click on the preview to get the game . . .
In this fun game students will visit their friends from Safari Elementary again! This time it's recess! Help the students at Safari Elementary form teams according to their medial sounds. Each card has a word with a long vowel medial sound, but the long vowel is formed in different ways. This game is great as a center and includes a recording sheet. Extend the activity by highlighting the letter combinations that make the vowel long!
Click on the preview to get the game . . .
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Fun and FREE for Halloween!
I haven't been able to do this one in recent years due to students with religious differences, but it was always so cute in the past! Here is an easy activity for your kids to practice their cardinal direction AND geometry. It's a Jack-o-Lantern Face map!
Cut out a large pumpkin onto poster board as the template. (You can use the one I've attached too.) Students trace and cut out a large pumpkin out of orange construction paper. Then they will need to choose a shape for each facial feature of the Jack-o-Lantern. They will record this on their map key. Next the students cute the shape out of black construction paper and glue them wherever they choose on the face. They can glue them on in the conventional facial feature areas or make the face goofy.
Fill in the blanks, draw your compass rose and viola! Jack-o-Lantern Face Map! This is great as a center as well.
Maybe this year I'll go ahead and do it . . . and the students who cannot participate in a Jack-o-lantern can do a regular face instead. You can even use intermediate directions for students who need more challenge.
 |
| Jack-o-lantern Face Map |
Cut out a large pumpkin onto poster board as the template. (You can use the one I've attached too.) Students trace and cut out a large pumpkin out of orange construction paper. Then they will need to choose a shape for each facial feature of the Jack-o-Lantern. They will record this on their map key. Next the students cute the shape out of black construction paper and glue them wherever they choose on the face. They can glue them on in the conventional facial feature areas or make the face goofy.
Fill in the blanks, draw your compass rose and viola! Jack-o-Lantern Face Map! This is great as a center as well.
Maybe this year I'll go ahead and do it . . . and the students who cannot participate in a Jack-o-lantern can do a regular face instead. You can even use intermediate directions for students who need more challenge.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Quick! Don't miss it!
I know I'm SO late (it's been a busy weekend), but head over to the Lesson Plan Diva. QUICK! She is celebrating 1000 followers and is having a great 1 day giveaway. You have a few more hours, so don't miss it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
