Stylish Blogger Award

Thank you to Mrs. Johnson at Wild About Kindergarten, Mrs. Adcock at The Joy of First Grade, and Miss Griffin at Fantastic First for awarding my site the Stylish Blogger Award!

Here are the rules for receiving this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 5 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

7 things about yours truly:

1. I grew up in a very small North Texas town, Nocona. I am a proud product of their public education system.
2. I moved to Arlington, Texas to attend The University of Texas in Arlington where I earned a degree in English and Sociology. Go Mavericks!

3. This is my third year teaching first grade. I was honored this year to be chosen to represent my school as Teacher of the Year!

4. Prior to teaching first grade I worked in a faith-based early childhood center and then as an administrator in Montessori education.

5. I am an organizational crazy woman when it comes to work and my classroom but could care less about organizing at home.

6. In my free time (what little there is, ha!) I enjoy reading James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks books. I also enjoy watching all of the Real Housewives t.v. shows...gives me brainless relaxation time!

7. I'm addicted to blogging!

5 Stylish Bloggers

1. Not Just Child's Play: Teaching Gifted First Graders

2. The Inspired Apple

3. The First Grade Sweet Life

4. Mrs. Patton's Patch

5. First Grade Best

Math in Review

To prepare for our end of six weeks math exam which is this week, the students have been working in rotating math stations. They have been practing ordering larger numbers from least to greatest and greatest to least, creating and extending patterns with a variety of materials, and identifying and solving addition and subtraction problems through the use of Doubles and Doubles Plus One.

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Doubles and Doubles+1 Sort

Last week in computer lab the students created a t-chart using Pixie 2 as a way to sort Doubles and their related Doubles+1 addition facts. They modeled the addition facts using dominoes which they then labeled. We first did the lesson as a group using the school's new Promethean Board. The students then completed the work independently at their student stations.

Making Words

We use a word activity in class called Making Words by Patricia Cunningham. In this activity the students use a set group of letters to brainstorm and build various words. The set of letters when put all together make a mystery word. Usually the students cut out letters to manipulate but occassionally we do a quick version on the board if we only have a few minutes of time. I write a set of letters on the board and have the students brainstorm as many words as they can. Parents, this would be a great activity for your child to do on a piece of paper in the car for those long road trips or when you are waiting at the doctor, etc.

Doubles' Neighbor: Doubles Plus One

Last week we reviewed Doubles Plus One by creating Double and Doubles Plus One neighborhood houses. We talked about how if you learn a Double, you can learn a Double Plus One because one addend goes up by one therefore the sum goes up by one. The students were able to see that the two addends were numbers that are next to one another on a numberline - they were neighbors. The students then worked in groups to complete fact families for Doubles and their Doubles Plus One neighbor. As we discussed their fact families they noticed that Doubles Plus One have more number sentences than Doubles, that Doubles are always even because since the numbers are equal they each have a partner, and that Doubles Plus One are always odd because there is always one too many. You can read their reflections on Doubles and Doubles Plus One at their student blog.

Measuring Up!

The students experimented with measurement last week. First they made predictions about who had the longest or shortest ribbon just by viewing them with their eyes. We talked about comparing length and decided the best way to be sure which was the longest or shortest would be to measure them. I asked the students if it would be fair to measure the winner of a race if one person got to start in the middle and the rest had to start in the back. Of course they said it would be unfair. I then explained that it was the same with measurement - you have to start at the end. You also have to start with the same units of measurement. The students then measure craft sticks using Lima beans and pop cubes. We discussed that if you measure with a smaller unit of measurement it will take more units than if you measured with a larger unit of measurement. The students then chose three items from around the room that they measured independently with pop cubes.

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Gardening Lesson

The students had an exciting, hands-on science lesson last week from our Literacy Strategist, Mrs. Reed. They got to plant potatoes and onions! Mrs. Reed read the students a story about potatoes and then they created charts about the parts of potatoes, how to plant and take care of them, and ways they like to eat them. They then went outside to one of the plant beds and took turns planting rows of onions and potatoes. Mrs. Reed also included a great mini-lesson on measurement and skip counting as she taught the students how to space the vegetables properly. We can't wait for our big garden to be completed!

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KidBlog

Our class recently started their own blog site through http://www.kidblog.org/. You can visit our class site here. Each student has a password to log in which has already been sent home. If you would like another copy, please let me know. The students have already written about 40 blog entries in one week. We are using the site as a place to journal personal narratives, to write critically about recently taught concepts, and to write affirmations to one another. Writing affirmations is a part of the Capruring Kids' Hearts program we use district wide. Parents, feel free to leave your child comments in their blog entries; please leave your name if you do. The comments are moderated before posting so you may not see it appear immediately. I encourage you to let your child blog at home through this site as it helps with their writing and spelling as well as giving them an opportunity to show what they know.

Valentine's Day Party

Last week the students had a great time at their Valentine's Day Party as you can see in the pictures below. They enjoyed cookies, fruit , and drinks along with passing out and reading their Valentine's to one another.

A scrapbooking design by Smilebox

What Love Means to Me

Today the students wrote what love means to them in honor of Valentine's Day. They wrote very sweet things! Take a listen below to their podcast:

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Pattern Block Fences

Today in math the students extended repeating patterns based off of pictures of pattern block fences. They had to extend the pattern at least three times. After extending their patterns, the students rotated around the room on a "gallery walk" to compare and contrast the different types of pattern block fences. Once everyone had a chance to see the variety of patterns, they went back to their own seat to remove two pattern blocks from their pattern. They then traded places with another classmate to see if the classmate could identify which pattern block piece was missing.

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Repeating and Additive Patterns

Yesterday in computer lab the students had the opportunity to use the school's new Promethean board. The students took turns creating, extending, and labeling repeating and additive patterns. They then created patterns at their individual student stations.

Johnny Appleseed

This week we have been learning about the American legend, Johnny Appleseed. After reading about and watching a short video about his life, the students brainstormed facts that they learned about him on a Circle Map. They then used the Circle Map to help them write "Did you know?" questions. Writing facts as questions is a fun lesson I learned from my teammates a few years ago.

100th Day of School

With all of the recent school closings due to weather, I wasn't sure if we were ever going to make it to the 100th Day of School! But, we did and we had a great time exploring the number 100. The students began their day by decorating crowns to show they were the "Kings and Queens of 100."  Then in math the students took turns being leaders to sort through number cards to 100. They would hold up the card for their classmates and ask if the number was even or odd. They would then color-code the number with a sticker to show if it was even or odd. Every time the students completed a set of ten numbers, they would ask a volunteer to create a row of those numbers from least to greatest. As they continued to add rows, they began to see a pattern of skip counting emerge. Once completed, they realized that they had made a 100 chart similar to the one we use in calendar everyday. After completing this activity, the students made predictions about how far they thought 100 tiles would be from our classroom door. Using the same cards from our previous lesson, the students taped the cards down, one per tile, in the hallway to reinforce the skip counting pattern and to test their predictions. The students were surprised to see that 100 tiles reached all the way to the nurse's office. After taping down the number cards, the students then went back and added another color sticker to show skip counting by fives.

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Pattern Practice

Last week (the short time we were in school) and this week we have been reviewing repeating patterns and learning about additive patterns. Additive patterns are patterns that grow. To help us practice, the students rotated through stations making patterns out of various manipulatives.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

A few weeks ago the students formed "season committees" and brainstormed everything they learned about their assigned season on a Thinking Map. They then used what they learned to create a beautiful painting of their season. Each group member contributed to the paintings. They did a wonderful job of working cooperatively!

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Place Value Flashcards to 99

To help the students with identifying larger numbers, I created a set of Place Value flashcards with both numbers and Base Ten Blocks. We use the flashcards in a variety of ways:

• drawing a number card and building it with Base Ten Blocks
• drawing a Base Ten card and writing the matching number on a dry-erase board
• playing "Around the World" with the Base Ten cards
• identify the number of Tens and Ones with the number cards by drawing sticks and dots
• drawing three cards of either number cards or Base Ten cards and ordering them from greatest to least or least to greatest
• matching number cards to Base Ten cards

Story Elements

As a way to help your child with their comprehension, you can use this story elements chart to help them understand the key characteristics of a fiction story: characters, setting, problem, and solution. The students can draw the pictures and/or write notes about each part. As students work on these, encourage your student to look back at the text to find answers. Also encourage them to use specific details such as the proper names of the characters rather than "the boy" or "the girl" and the specific setting such as "a farm in the winter" rather than "outside."

                                         

Doodle For Google

What parent couldn't use $15,000 towards their child's future education? What school couldn't use $25,00 towards technology? Google is once again hosting their contest Doodle For Google. It is a great opportunity for our young artists to redesign Google's homepage logo with the theme "What I'd like to do someday..." Previously the contest could only be registered through a school but this year it has been expanded to allow parents and legal guardians to register their child. You can find information and forms here. Below is a previous year's winner:

"Go Fish" Doubles and Doubles+1

Last week we learned about Doubles+1. The students built Doubles towers and then added 1 to the second tower to practice the addition equations. For additional practice the students played a Doubles and Doubles+1 version of "Go Fish." You can download the game here to practice at home or in your own classroom. Just print the fish on the back of the number cards and you're ready.

First Grade Word Wall PowerPoint

I recently updated our First Grade Word Wall PowerPoint. The slideshow advances every five seconds to reveal a new word. You can help your child build automatic recognition of these words by having them use the PowerPoint at least once per week to read all of the words.If you do not have PowerPoint on your home computer, you can download PowerPoint Viewer.

Rainbow Days

Each Friday for the next few weeks, our class will have a guest teacher, Ms. K. Ms. K. is a part of a program called Rainbow Days which "teach children and youth a set of essential life skills: skills to help them learn how to cope with difficult family situations, resist peer pressure, set and achieve goals, and refuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs." She teaches through read-alouds, discussions, and hands-on activities. You can learn more about their program by visiting their website.

Thinking About MLK

Last week as a precursor to writing about Martin Luther King, Jr., the students created Bubble Maps in computer lab to show what they had learned. They created the Bubble Maps using the software Kidspiration.

Base Ten Blocks

This week we will be working on identifying, building, and comparing numbers to 99. To help practice this at home, there is a great online manipulative program at Learning Box. The online program generates random two-digit numbers (can do three-digit for older students) which the students then build with Base Ten Blocks. As an added bonus, the game shows where the built number belongs on a number line or ruler. This helps students visually see which number is the greatest or least.

How To: Podcasting

Fellow teachers, several of you have asked how we do the podcasting in our class. At first I wasn't sure I could do this either, but Moseley's technology facilitator, Sharon Thornton, showed me that it wasn't as hard as I thought. Mrs. Thornton can explain it better than I ever could and has already done so at her technology integration site. She has examples of how to use podcasting in your classroom, steps to think about before you start, and step-by-step directions on how to create and implement your podcasts. She also has directions for how to download and use the recording software Audacity. She also has several options listed of sites that can host your podcasts. The podcasting host that I use is PodBean. While you are at her site, check out all of the other great resources and downloadable directions that she has shared - she's amazing!

I Have a Dream

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the students wrote their dreams and recorded them using Audacity software. These might bring a tear to your eye! The students came up with the ideas all on their own. Click below to listen to their dreams. You can download the podcast to your computer or phone through our class podcasting site.

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Short Vowel Poetry

Over the last few weeks we have been focusing on short vowel sounds. To help practice reading the sounds fluently, the students practiced the poem "Ted." You can listen to their poetry reading below. The poems were recorded using Audacity software. A link to Audacity is at the side of the page along with many other helpful links. For fluency practice, a highly recommend Dr. Tim Rasinski's poems which can be found in his books Poems for Word Study. There are several different versions of this book for different grade levels.





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You can also hear other examples of their reading at our class podcasting site.

Martin's Big Words

Today we began our study of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We read Martin's Big Words to read about the history and important contributions of Dr. King's life. As we read the book we discussed good character and how we should treat one another. After reading about the events of his life, the students read, sorted, and ordered the key events into a timeline on a sentence strip.

The Three Snow Bears

Today in our whole group comprehension lesson we worked on making inferences and drawing conclusions. The students looked at the cover of the book The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett and discussed what they saw. After discussing that the cover had three bears - a papa, a mama, and a baby - the students were asked if they had ever read a book about three bears. The quickly came up with Goldilocks and The Three Bears. The students then retold the story of Goldilocks to a neighbor. After retelling, we talked about how we can use what we already know to predict what will happen in our new story. After reading a few pages, we would stop to allow the students time to predict what would happen next. To complete our comprehension lesson, we created a Double Bubble Map to compare and contrast the two stories. The students then created their own "snow bear" by only cutting out simple shapes.

Guest Author

We were fortunate today to have a guest author in our class - one of Moseley's own 4th grade students! She also happens to be the sister of one of our class members. The 4th graders did a great writing lesson where they took a Kinder level book are rewrote it using more advanced descriptions and details. A few of the students were chosen to share their new stories with the first graders. The first graders loved the story and illustrations. The fourth grader was a great inspiration to the beginning writers about how much better a story becomes when you pay close attention to the details. Thank you to the fourth graders and their teacher, Mrs. Francis, for being great inspirations!

Snowy Numbers

On Monday we were so excited about the weekend snowfall that we decided to practice our math in snow - otherwise known to adults as shaving cream! To review larger numbers, the students built two different numbers in the snow by drawing ten rods and ones. We then discussed which number was the greatest and which was the least. The students had to explain how they knew. We have been focusing looking at the tens first to compare the numbers and then at the ones place if the tens place is equal. The students are getting really good at this!