ELA Catalog

Check this out!
Kristen at Simply Novel did a marvelous job with the ELA Catalog.
Don't forget to enter to win the flash drive full of ELA materials!

Math Ideas for Easter Eggs

SO many plastic Easter egg ideas – just. need. to. focus.

Here are a few math center ideas.

Super Idea!

Match clock face, time in words, or time in numbers.

Place Value

Match the Shapes

Match the Color

Match numeral to dots

Match number word to dots

Addition Eggs

Subtraction Eggs

Multiplication Eggs

Division Eggs

Match Fractions

Match improper fractions to mixed numbers

I could keep going; so many ideas!

Why not put away that boring worksheet and bring out the eggs?!!!!

ELA Easter Eggs

It's that time of year again - time for plastic Easter eggs!

How about a few low-prep, super-easy ELA uses for those plastic Easter eggs?

Letter Match

Super fun for sight word beginners

Rhyming Words

CVC Family Eggs

Compound Words

Contractions

Synonyms

Antonyms

Plural Nouns

Parts of Speech

And here is a new idea I am trying. How many words can you make?

How Many Words Can You Make?

You can use this recording sheet for any make-words activity. I like to switch out letter eggs to practice weekly spelling words or as a sight word review. The kiddos arrange the letter eggs in the carton to form a word, write the word on the recording sheet, then rearrange the letter eggs to form a new word.

I now offer the recording sheet as a freebie in my store; feel free to click on the image to download.

Click on the image to download this FREEBIE!!!

Now, that's a lot of ELA Easter Eggs!
Say that three times real fast!!
(ELA Easter Eggs, ELA Easter Eggs, ELA Easter Eggs.)
Whew!
Remember to head back here in a couple of days for Math Easter egg ideas.

Super Sunday

It is indeed a Super Sunday here in North Carolina!

Adding a black & white version to all of my thematic units

And getting ready to watch the Carolina Panthers play in the Superbowl

Nothin Could be Finer Than to be in Carolina . . .

Let's Get Those Clothespins Ready!!!

Before school was out a couple of months ago, I visited a K classroom in a school near mine. This classroom was terrific, and what do you think this teacher had throughout her room? Clothespins! Lettered clothespins, numbered clothespins; ahhh, it was fabulous!!

So, I thought I would repost the guest post I had on Rachel Lynette's blog Mind In Bloom.

School starts soon.

Let's get those clothespins ready!!!

I have 232 clip card products in my TpT store – no beating around the bush - I love Clip Cards and clothespins! And really, who is not addicted to the way clothespins open and close?
Clothespins are inexpensive and versatile, too. Inexpensive? You can get a bag of 50 clothespins for $1. Versatile? Clothespins are crafty; you can make cutesy animals and gifts with pins, but wait, there are so many more ways to put clothespins to work in your classroom.  Please, check out the following activities.

Save a staple, use a clothespin. I remember being in fifth grade and my teacher handed back my paper with big holes at the top because of her stapling it to the bulletin board. Trust me, your students will thank you for not defiling their papers plus using clothespins is much faster and easier than stapling. Glue two flat thumb tacks to the back of the clothespins so they stick into the bulletin board. Totally easy!

Thanks Mrs. Lee's Kindergarten!

I am definitely a centers teacher. I employed centers with my primary students and even during my stint teaching high school. While all centers should be motivating and engaging, let's admit it, some center activities are more fun than others. That is when a centers chart is handy, to help choose and rotate centers. And a great way to keep up with rotating centers? Clothespins, of course.

I should buy stock in clothespins!

I actually squealed aloud when I first saw this idea on Pinterest: using clothespins as bathroom passes. Ingenious! The passes will return - the clothespins are clipped onto the students' clothing; hence, the passes never get left in the bathroom; the passes will be germ free – the clothespins are clipped onto the student before leaving the room then unclipped upon returning to the classroom and untouched in between; hence, germs are super reduced. 

Brilliant idea!

Classroom jobs are a must as they are a great way to instill a sense of responsibility in our students. And, you guessed it, clothespins are once again the go-to tool to use when rotating student names on charts.

Everyone wants to be the paper passer!

Many teachers use the traffic light behavior management system. Green, yellow, and red circles with, of course, clothespins. I have used a similar behavior management system; one that, for my students, was less embarrassing for the yellows and reds and less stressful for the greens.
We had individualized “charts” placed at the student's desk. This “chart” was a craft stick colored in thirds green, yellow, and red and a clothespin that can be moved to the appropriate color. (I never once had a student change their chart.) Either chart monitoring system you choose, there should be clothespins involved. 

Excellent tool, once again!

Yes, clothespins can be used in math centers to show the correct answer to a math problem but don't forget, clothespins can also be used with meatier math center activities. Clothespins can be used in ELA centers to show the correct part of speech or the correct sight word. One of our favorite center activities is clipping final blends. My special ed kids especially enjoy and benefit from this activity.

My students also love making clothespin words - Write letters on clothespins and have students pin letters to make words. They can pin onto hanging string (think clothes line) or even an index card. And this activity can be differentiated by allowing the students needing extra help to clip the matching lettered clothespin to the letter in the word.

So, let's review: Clothespins have so many classroom uses. Clothespins are such an inexpensive resource. And do not even get me started on how clothespins are a perfectly fun way to improve fine motor skills.

Even though my kids have nicknamed me, “The Clip Card Queen”, my TpT Store does have more than just clip cards. But if clip cards are what you are looking for, I have a Back-to-School freebie for you:

Yes, it is back-to-school time; let's get those clothespins READY!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things May

Old cartoons. Who doesn't love sitting down with the family or friends and watching great, old cartoons. Here are our top 3 favorite old animated cartoons.

The groovy colors and vocabulary, the hip songs, and the scary villains - you gotta' love Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (pre-scrappy episodes, of course) Our family loves to find the animation mistakes. Velma talking in Daphne's voice, Shaggy with blonde hair, villains' legs missing. We LOVE Scooby-Doo!

A close second is Bugs Bunny.

One question for you – from where does Bugs pull those items? He must have really deep pockets. Our family loves Bugs. He is so suave, isn't he?

I know Spongebob is not old exactly, but it is still a classic. The creative characters, the townspeople rioting, the songs - everything comes together to form a fun cartoon that appeals to both young and old alike.

Of course, my favorite thing is saving time and money. Yours too? Then check out my End of the Year Awards. I hope it helps you out in this busy end-of-year madness.

Be sure to check out others' Favorite Things.

Currently May

What better way to celebrate the new month of May than a party with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade?!

Listening:
We had a cold snap last week, so it is super nice sitting here with the window open listening to lawn mowers, children playing, and the breeze gently blowing. Springtime in NC is truly lovely!

Loving:
We have one daughter entering grad school, one daughter graduating from college, and one daughter graduating high school. So many excellent opportunities are opening up for them and for our son still at home. I am so thankful to have truly terrific children!

Thinking:
My trunk is full of clothes and items that we no longer need or use. It is a simple process to drop them off at the Outreach in town. I just need to DO it.

Wanting:
So, I am trying to eat well and exercise more. It is such a struggle for me. I am SO hungry and to be honest a bit grumpy. Should be better soon. I hope.

Needing:
I use to have such strong willpower. I need more now though. I cannot fall back to eating junk and being lethargic. I shall overcome!

Summer:
I have soooo many unfinished TpT projects, so finishing those projects are my yes, hope, AND dream!

Be sure to check out others' Currently posts!