Sunday, September 29, 2013

All Things Fall and Nouns and Verbs...

I LOVE all things fall...I love blankets, leaves, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice coffee, football, decorations, and cold southern nights...umm...well living in southeast Texas that last one is kind of a stretch...but hey, when we do get one, I LOVE it (and just to let ya' know the weather channel says we'll be getting our 1st one next weekend!!!)! I found a great recipe on Pinterest for pumpkin spice muffins...3 ingredients: 100% pure pumpkin in a 15 ounce can, one box spice cake mix, and 1 cup of water.  Mix together and then put in a muffin pan...it makes 24 muffins!  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes!   A little piece of heaven in my mouth!  I did add cream cheese icing and it was unbelievably yummy!

In my room, we have been working on any and all things fall.  Usually I organize each week and focus on one topic: leaves, apples, bats and then pumpkins.  But this year I just can't help it...I'm ready for fall weather so I'm just "mushing" it all together!  Fall makes me feel so happy and calm!

I also managed to created a L.O.W. FREEBIE for G...super cute! It is a craft of a guitar and I made the sentence to go with!
Click here to download the FREE letter G craft!
If you download it and you like it please leave positive feedback and let me know!  :o) Thanks!
 
I also needed to make a cute craft to put up for open house...we make cute things all the time but I wanted something special so I made this....
 

 
If you're interested you can find it on TpT!
 
We are also working on bats (nocturnal animal)! 
 I love...love...love teaching simple sentences.  There is this cute little ditty on unitedstreaming that has lyrics of " a simple sentence is a noun and a verb...a noun and a verb...a simple sentence is a noun and a verb...to make a simple sentence"!  I love that song (I wish I could find it to link to but you can search Unitedstreaming)!  In my experience, when you are working with struggling writers if you break down the most simple of thoughts for writer's workshop for them and explain what a subject/noun and a verb/predicate is....they are less afraid to write! By doing this you are taking away the overwhelming thought that they have to have LOTS of words...this is way less intimidating! I usually start this off by explaining that a noun is a person/place/thing and that a verb is what the noun is doing.  I use a lot of simple examples that I can easily illustrate...so this year I am using bats to start this topic.   Bats hang. Bats fly.  Bats sleep...you get the picture...right?
 
This is a little simple sentence reader I created that the students can illustrate and then on the last page create their own simple sentence.  The pattern for the adorable bat craftivity comes with it...if you are interested it is here!
 
YouTube has some awesome videos for explaining nouns and verbs as well...here is one that I love!



 
And here is a great verb song from YouTube...
 
 
Also I have to mention that my lil' man started i9 football...which is supposed to be a flag football league...but those little guys must not have got the memo because there was a whole lotta tacklin' going on out there.  My little man got to run the ball in and he played so good!  But...ummm...he may not have realized that it was a real game because at the end of the game he kinda of sorta might have yelled out "Who's ready to play some football?"...uhhh....did I mention the game was OVER and his team had won?? We *might* need to work on that....
Have a great week!  Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Workin' on Some Fine Motor Skills...

Fine motor....what can I say about it?? Well, my own child struggles with it, he's got so much inside his little head and trust me there is no problem verbalizing...but those little fingers of his struggle to get his point across on paper.
 
So while I've been working with him at home, I've been thinking of fun ways to integrate fine motor skills into my academic centers...Here's are some of the things I am trying...

1. Have student hold the pencil in the correct grip...with the remaining fingers that are not gripping the pencil have them hold a soft pompom against their palm.
2. Have student practice writing with chalk...they can feel the motion a little more while forming the letters/shapes/numbers.
3. Write with the paper elevated on some type of ramp.
4. Use LOTS and LOTS of playdough...its exercise for those lil' fingers!

Gel Bags...simple and cheap!  Fill up quart size bag with hair gel (from Dollar Tree...) zip it closed and reinforce with duct tape!  I'm lovin' all the precious duct tape available....
 
Pinning Letters
I found giant push pins at Hobby Lobby and I cut out some cardboard...because I didn't have sample carpet squares...but that would work, too!  Then I made a letter and sound association push pin station. You can bet those little fingers had to work hard to finish this!
 
We are also working on sorting shapes...
 
I also made a cute little shape pumpkin craft...the first two followers to comment will get the pumpkin craft and the shape sorting activity above for FREE!

 
Have a great week!
Brandy Nicole



Monday, September 2, 2013

I Know All About Me and My Five Senses

It seems each year I try to find a new and fun way to decorate my room...this year I went with a little shabby chic theme!  It is fun and bright for the students and just a little more "home-like" feeling for me. 

Here is one of the projects I made to hang my "stuff" on each day...

I will post pictures of the new shabby chic look later this week...I was busy taking pictures of my students and my own little kinder baby!
 


He was so excited!  I just can't believe that he is actually 5!  Where did the time go?? I was asked this summer if I could learn to do anything what it would be to do?  I knew immediately...slow time down!  Seriously!


So since we used last week to get to know the rules and practiced (and practiced and practiced) walking in the hallway, we will use this week to learn "All About Me" and the "Five Senses". 
 
 I created this little packet if you are interested...


 
I am so glad to be back blogging!  I hope you all have had or will have a great first week!
 
Brandy Nicole