CHECK OUT the Classroom Organizer

If you have not heard of this you HAVE to check it out.  I was JUST telling the hubs like two days ago that there should be an app that scans the ISBN number on your books and catalogs them and
LO AND BEHOLD... there it was...on Pinterest (oh how I love Pinterest) the Classroom Organizer!


 

I have already scanned and cataloged a stack of books.  It was SO easy.  You can manually enter the ISBN number on the site or you can download an app to your iphone that will let you scan the bar code and it enters the information for you!  Just go to the App Store and search for Classroom Organizer and you will be scanning your books in no time.  It gives you all kinds of categories, lets you list the guided reading level, picture (if available), location, etc., AND lets you scan to check books in and out.  I was in love with Pinterest before but now...there's a whole nother level of love going on!

I am so excited.  I can't wait to scan...and scan...and scan...  I see some major organization in my future.  No more biting my nails and wondering if I'll ever see (or remember that I had) a book again when someone borrows it.  No.  Now my nails will look like this...

or this...

Did I mention I love Pinterest?

Word Work Wednesday

I worked with my little readers on sneaky e.
We worked and worked and worked.

I worked with my little readers on the rainbow rule.
We worked and worked and worked.

Everything seemed to be going so well...
then we put the words together and - oh my!

Some of them had such a hard time getting their mouth to say what their head knew about these rules!  So I thought it would be fun to make a little snowman.  In this game the kids have to look at the word, decide which rule to use, and read the word.  If the word matches their rule they get to draw a part of their snowman.  The first one to have their snowman "built" wins.

We played it whole group first, team Rainbow against team Sneaky E.  It was a tough battle.  It came down to the last button and team Rainbow was victorious.  We had a lot of fun playing together and now they should be ready to play with a partner!

Frogs and Kisses and Fluency Fun!

I know it's getting late for Valentine's Day goodies but I just had to add this.  I went to a fluency seminar featuring Tim Rasinski and it was GREAT.  He had so many ideas to increase fluency and they are easy to implement and effective!  I know, I know, I had you at easy... So, as soon as I got back my wheels started turning.  I whipped up some easy Valentine Froggy fluency activities.

I {puffy heart} Froggy so I made a fluency phrase game as a follow up to the story Froggy's First Kiss using Rasinski's fluency phrases.  I'll add more later, but for now, I made cards using the first two pages.

To play, put three kisses at the top of the page and help froggy collect his kisses by reading the fluency phrases as he "hops" to the top.  Each time he reaches the top he gets to collect a kiss!

I left the top of the fluency pages blank because I see some leprechauns collecting gold coins in the future...maybe even a bunny collecting carrots...the possibilities are endless!  Click the image below to download the fluency phrase cards.  The oh-my-goodness-that-is-so-stinkin'-cute frog came from Mr. Bubblegum.  Check out his store for this cute froggy and more!

Now back to Rasinski...he talked A LOT about singing in the classroom to improve fluency.  And since I was in the Froggy/Kissing mode, a perfect tie in song came to mind.  Think frogs, mice, and romance - those all go together right?  Did you guess the song yet?  Froggy Went a Courtin'!  There are SO many versions out there.  Here's a link to a version I found on a nursery rhyme MP3  that you can download from Amazon for $0.99!

Dr. Rasinski emphasized the effectiveness of using songs to introduce vocabulary, as well as improve expression, phrasing, smoothness, and pace.  So if you hear a terrible noise coming from down the hall it might or might not be me...trying to carry a tune (which I couldn't do even if it had handles).  Don't I at least get credit for diligently trying to implement new strategies to help my students? 

I was also really excited to find this book to read.

Throw in a little Frog Prince and we have waaaaayyyy too much amphibian affection going on!

Editing Ed

Are there too many errors in your kiddo's stories? 
Stuff to take out.  Stuff to be added.  When you say it's time to edit their papers do you hear a universal groan that includes the yourself?  I always dread trying to tell the kids that the papers they have labored over need some tweaking.  


They don't want to add.  They think it's just fine.  They don't want to take away.  They think it's just fine.  Even if their story is without punctuation, without capital letters, without juicy words.  They. Think. It's. Just. Fine.  


I knew I needed a plan, a way to get them excited about editing.  What could possibly make them want to see red marks on their papers?  I needed someone to "save the day" but  Captain Capital was already busy capitalizing all of our proper nouns...so I decided he needed a friend...or maybe a relative...in a crazy Cousin Itt kinda way (and no that's not a typo he has two t's in his name - like I said, crazy).  


I needed someone who liked to leave his mark.  


Enter Editing Ed. 

Who can be upset with a wild haired, google-eyed character - even if he is marking up your paper.  And if you are feeling really frazzled (not that writing ever makes me feel that way)  you can give him a few twists and you will feel much better.  I promise.

So...here's a step by step tutorial on how you can make your very own Cousin Itt Editing Ed!

Get yourself some crazy hair, google eyes, and red pens.  Yes that price tag says 24 cents 

(for the whole bag) 

thank-you-very-much Target clearance!

Cut a 4 inch strip.  Make sure you fluff the "hair" up (think 80's big hair bangs that stand straight up - and yes, unfortunately, I am speaking from experience) before you cut so you don't cut off the long pieces.  Ed does not look good sportin' a crew cut.

Glue.

Glue. Roll.

Glue some more.


And now you have a reason to LIKE editing marks!

I like to introduce editing marks and make an anchor chart with the class.  Later in the day, when they are out of the room, I put this note on their desks with Ed attached to the space on the side.  Before they come in I tell them we have a special visitor that has come to help them with editing.  

Click on the picture to download the note.  

The five mistakes are:  ed, together, and i need to be capitalized, yoo is misspelled, and there should be a period after papers. 

  

 Happy editing!

Word Work Wednesday

Well...it's not too chilly in my neck of the woods but it is January so I went with penguins for word work today.  Maybe all this talk about ice will bring some flurries our way and not pollen.  Yes, you heard right,  pollen! That's what Bonnie over at Living a Wonderful Life saw on her car the other day!  Can you believe it?  Check it out on her super cute blog.

Here's a word work activity for soft c sounds.  I used the glass pebbles from the dollar store for my "ice."  The kiddos can play by themselves with one side of the board or two players can sit across from each other.  

Click on the picture to download your copy.