Five for Friday! and some Under the Sea freebies!

While everyone else is getting out of school and already on summer vacation, I've still got 5 more weeks left.  Then I have to go to school at the end of July!  But I keep telling myself that it's okay because I get a nice long fall break! And 5 weeks in winter.  And 3 weeks for Spring Break.

So since I'm far from being done with school, I thought I'd share what's going on in first grade!

I always have to jazz up my writing center to change with the seasons.  It keeps the room fresh and adds interest.

The fishing net came from Michael's...

Y'all can get the word wall cards HERE FOR FREE.

My new Work on Writing for May/June is up and running in the Work on Writing center.  It includes many topics that the students are familiar with in the summer time. 

I also include little booklets for the students to pick a word from the wall and put it in a sentence.  You can get the May books HERE FOR FREE.

I was tickled that this little friend made sure her rubric was beside her as she wrote!

I added new sight word work mats for the new season and...

I have reinstated sand.  

(We couldn't handle sand at the beginning of the year.)

They pick a word, (from the beach bucket of course) place it on the mat, read it, and use the sand for the "build it" section.

My friends also love the shells!  This activity is at Word Work.

They observe a shell, draw it, give it a name and make a list of adjectives to describe it.

You can get this book HERE FOR FREE.

For number 5 I had to show y'all these adorable bags for listen to reading.  It's gotten to the point where I've gone overboard with the bags for every season but they are so stankin' cute!  And I don't know why I didn't do bags sooner.  Back in the day, I would have 4 or 5 kids crowded around one big cd player listening to ONE story!  Then they would fight over who would press the button, the story would end before the center rotation would end and they would start playing and it was a big ol' mess!

Now they grab a bag and go! 

They find a spot in the room and LISTEN.  Usually I'll see a few friends just switch bags when they are done.  It's so worth it and saves a lot of argument.

Since I'll be in school for another month, I'm working on this pack for Word Work.  It includes many phonics skills that first grade learns at the end of the year.  

It's gonna be so stankin' cute when it's done!

Link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and find other teachers with fabulous ideas!

Mother's Day Gift Idea

I KNOW Mother's Day is this weekend but these little prezzie's were too stankin cute to not talk about!  So I figured I'd post it to help you keep them in mind for next year :)

Every year I pull out this "MOM" sign.  I have used it for MANY things and other teachers like to borrow it too.  I got the letters from Michael's and hot glued them together.  Then I sprayed it pink.  My students stand in front of the overhead screen and I snap their pic.

I found these wooden pieces at Michaels for $.39 a piece.  With your teacher discount it brings them down to about $.33 a piece (yes, my husband ACTUALLY did the math for this one.  he loved that they were so cheap!) 

Have your friends paint those bad boys...

Then you cut around the pic and Modge-Podge it onto the wood.

Then when it dries, add a magnet to the back and a precious bow.

Put them in a little cellophane bag, tie it up with some raffia, add a darling tag, and you are done!

They turned out so precious!  

Don't forget to call your mommies on Sunday!

Teacher Appreciation Sale Linky Party!!!

I LOVE teacher appreciation week!  It's like Christmas!!

I'm linking up with these fabulous teachers to show some great products that we all could use!

Below are some products that I have on sale that I just can't live without in my classroom.

1.  180 Days of Word Problems

I have just about every kind of word problem available in this pack.  It starts out pretty simple in the beginning of the year and grows in rigor.  My students do one every morning for seat work and we take a few minutes to go over it.  

#wesorockwordproblems

2. First Grade Phonics for Interactive Notebooks is something I use as interventions.  I have 2 friends that still struggle with CVCE words (bless their hearts) so this pack really helps practice those skills in small group.

3. Seasonal Sight Word Work Mats 

Playdough.  Enough said.

4.  Work on Writing May/June

Since I have started making these packs my students have had so much fun at Work on Writing.  I would have to say that writing a letter is a favorite across the class.

Make sure you check out My Silly Firsties for some other teachers with fabulous resources!