Common Core App

Friday, January 31, 2014

Morning Work (Student samples PLUS FREEBIE)!

Morning work comes in so handy when you are trying to get your busy day started. Every student has something new to tell you when they come in. You have a new student enroll in your class. You have 3 different messages for bus changes and students bringing in lunch money. One of your students gets sick and starts throwing up, and you have 2 parents standing at your classroom door trying to talk with you. Does any of this sound familiar?
 
Having morning work waiting at each student's desk each morning seems to help settle the students into the school day and gives them meaningful, yet independent work to be completing. My morning work includes language arts and math daily. Students love seeing what they get to do for morning work each day.
 
This is also a time when students can peer tutor each other. I do not mind if my students are discussing the answers. This is all review work for my students. I do not take it for a grade. When they are discussing, they are learning from each other. I do a quick check of it each day, and it also helps parents see if their child is struggling.
 
Here are a few samples from the Morning Work of my kindergarten students. 

 
 
 
 
 
If you like this and want to use it in your classroom, I have a two page sample from my February Morning Work below.
 
 
FREEBIE SAMPLE
 
If you wish to download the complete 20 page packet, you can find it HERE.
 
I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!
 

Sunday, January 26, 2014

GIVEAWAY (K-2, 3-5 and clip art products)!

Join the GIVEAWAY to help celebrate 100 TPT Followers for Carol's Garden.
There will be one winner for the K-2 products, one winner for the 3-5 products, and one winner for the clip art products. The GIVEAWAY begins on January 30th and ends on February 10th. Take a look at the products included in the GIVEAWAY below.

Scroll to the bottom to enter the GIVEAWAY beginning January 30th!
GOOD LUCK!






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 16, 2014

More Opinion Writing for Kindergarten (Writing Samples)

I am so proud of my students' writing again! They are doing a fantastic job with opinion writing. It is so fun to read their writings. Their writings make me smile and laugh.

My students wrote about pets again, but this time, they had to decide whether a rabbit or a fish is a better pet and tell why. There's probably not as many students who have rabbits or fish for a pet, so we read some informational books about these two pets to provide them with some background information.

 
After reading the nonfiction texts, we made a chart listing information the students learned about each pet. This is some of the information the students gave me. 
 
 
We used this information to decide which pet we thought was better and why. Then the students wrote to tell their opinion about which pet was better. I reminded them that when we write our opinion about something, we tell how we feel or what we think about something. I really stressed that opinions are not right or wrong, they are just your opinion telling how you feel about something. We all have our opinions about many things in life.
 
Then the students were given their writing template as shown below and they started writing away. They had so much fun with this opinion writing activity. I think they are hooked on writing their opinion about different topics.
 
I wrote in pencil under some of their words in case you have difficulty interpreting some of their invented spelling. I hope you have fun reading these. If you would like the template below, you can download it HERE.  
 
 
Writing Sample #1
 
 
Writing Sample #2
This student even wrote some on the back of the paper also.
 
 
 
Writing Sample #3
 
 
Writing Sample #4
 
 
I hope you enjoyed reading these opinion writings.
Again, if you would like to download the template, you can do so HERE. I have many different opinion writing topics available. I'll be sharing more samples soon! :)
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 

Sunday, January 12, 2014

100th Day of School! (Writing FREEBIE)

Students get so excited about the 100th day of school. I usually have my students bring in 100 useful items after they count them out at home. I request things like wiggly eyes, craft sticks, cotton balls, paper clips, stickers, brown paper bags, beads, and the list can go on and on. These items become useful items throughout the school year and students get to practice counting out the items at home.
 
I also do this writing activity and they simply LOVE it! After being in school for 100 days, students are to tell their favorite thing to do at school. They draw a picture of them doing their favorite thing in the box at the top. It is amazing to see the different thoughts they have about their school day. I love it when they say they like writing in their journal, reading, learning sight words, or going to literacy centers, but some are funny and tell that they love going to lunch, recess, and PE. These are always fun to read! I hope you and your students enjoy this writing activity FREEBIE! Please leave me some feedback!
 
Click HERE to download your FREEBIE!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100th-Day-of-School-Writing-FREEBIE-1057880
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Measurement: Weight: Balance Scales Recording Sheets (FREEBIE)

We just started our measurement unit last week. I have created these measurement recording sheets to go along with our weight activities next week. These sheets are differentiated to meet the variety of student needs in your classroom.

On the first page, there is a question about real life objects with each balance scale. Students are to decide the answer by drawing the pictures on each side of the scale to show which would be heavier or lighter. Then students circle the item that is heavier.

On the second page, students should be given premade bags of items such as a paper clip, crayon, marker, glue stick, eraser, cotton ball, pencil, and rock. Any items can be used. Students are to choose two items from their bag to test on the balance scale. After testing the two items, they are to record their answers by drawing a picture on each side of the balance scale to show which was heavier or lighter.

On the third page, students are given their premade bag of items. After testing the two items they choose and recording the answers by drawing the pictures, then students complete the sentence by writing the name of each item in the correct blank to record their findings.

Please visit and follow my TPT store for more ideas, freebies, and products
 
Click Here to download this FREEBIE! Be sure to follow my store to be notified of future FREEBIES!
 
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-Weight-Balance-Scales-recording-sheets-FREEBIE-1055294
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!

 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Opinion Writing in Kindergarten

Wow! I am so excited! Today was the first day I introduced this class of kindergarten students to opinion writing  and they did an AWESOME job with their writing. I was so excited, I had to share it with you!

For starters, we simply discussed the word opinion and what an opinion (what you think about a topic or how you feel about a topic) is, and we talked about how opinions are never wrong or right. Just because you don't like broccoli but your friend does, doesn't make your friend wrong and you right. It's just your opinion. Some of my students actually said they like broccoli. Students on each side of this opinion had to tell me reasons they did or did not like broccoli other than "I just like it" or "It tastes good." One student said she likes it because it's a vegetable and it's good for you.

We also gave our opinion on which color we thought was the best. Students gave all kinds of reasons. One students said she thinks yellow is the best color because it reminds her of all the golden things pirates find and that it's a light color that you can draw on. I thought these were great reasons for her opinion.

Then we discussed pets. Students can relate well to this topic because the majority of the students have a pet of some kind or have had a pet. Students had to tell whether they thought a cat or a dog is the best pet to have and give reasons for their opinion. We discussed some of these reasons. Then we discussed what "good writers" do when they write and then they were off to write independently. Take a look at these awesome writers. Let me know what you think. I would love for you to share some of your student writing ideas and samples with me.

As you can see, dogs were chosen by the majority of my students as the best pet. Let's see if they gave good reasons for their choice.

Sample #1:
In my opinion, dogs are the best because they are good watch dogs. They can play. Dogs are fluffy. They can sniff good. They beg for their food. Dogs can run fast. Dogs can play fetch. Dogs have sharp claws. Dogs can roll over (on back of paper).
 
I thought this student did a fantastic job of providing reasons for her opinion.
 
 
Sample #2:
In my opinion, dogs are the best because dogs are fun to play with. Dogs bark. Dogs are soft. Dogs sniff. Dogs play with you. Dogs play catch with you. Dogs are big and little.
 
Another great job of providing reasons for her opinion.
 
 
Sample #3:
In my opinion, cats are the best because they are lazy like me, and they sleep a lot, and they're fluffy, and they can jump.
 
I though that was so cute says cats are lazy like her. More good reasons for her opinion. :)
 
Sample #4 (last one)
In my opinion, dogs are the best because I like dogs because I will throw the ball. They will bring the ball back. Dogs can dig. They eat bones. My dog is little. They beg for food. He sleeps with me. He is brown. I love him. I like dogs because they're fun.
 
This student even added details telling about his own dog which I though was really good after he had given reasons for his opinion.
 
I was so excited about my SUPER writers today. I'll be sharing more samples in the near future. I can't resist. Please share your writing ideas and samples with me. Writing is my PASSION! I love teaching writing! 
 
If you need this writing template, you can purchase it HERE and many other opinion writing topic packets in my store! I also have a freebie opinion writing activity posted here in an earlier blog post and in my TPT Store.  
 
Please leave me some comments.
Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

GIVEAWAY TIME! (One product of YOUR CHOICE from my TPT store)

GIVEAWAY TIME! (One product of YOUR CHOICE from my TPT store) Just browse my TPT store in the link below (177 products to choose from).

There are 2 ways to enter the giveaway for a chance to win: either

(1) Go to my Facebook Page to my post on my GIVEAWAY and comment with the ONE item you would most like to win along with your email.

or

(2) Leave me a comment below on this blog telling the ONE item you would most like to win along with your email.

I will pick 2 WINNERS next Saturday, January 11th. 

Enjoy!


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

GIVEAWAY! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year everyone!
I hope everyone has a great 2014!
 
I am currently having a GIVEAWAY in my Teacher's Notebook shop! There will be 5 lucky winners! The giveaway started tonight (1/1) and ends on Sunday, January 5th. My "Fix It Up" sets are one of my best sellers. This is the January set. Students love finding the mistakes (missing capital letters and ending punctuation) and correcting them. This is a great activity to start the new year with as we remind students of capital letters and ending punctuation when writing.
 
Click on the picture below to enter the GIVEAWAY!
Good luck!
http://www.teachersnotebook.com/deals/giveaways/2925