RTi and Small Group Reading

Here is a snipit of their RTi page

For two years I have failed miserably tried to grasp RTi and what it should look like with each individual student.

I know what small group reading should look like and feel I have it going on this year (read about the Daily 5 here), but how to probe, monitor and record for RTi is driving me into OVERLOAD!

I am in Georgia and found a site that is very helpful!  Hall County put it together for their teachers, but it is not blocked so they are sharing it with all of us - right?  Here is a link to their literacy page and all of their goodies!

I am currently tracking one Tier 3 student and my responsibility is sight words.  I found these documents very helpful and LOVE the forms!  They are very useful and will work for probing and graphing!  Thanks Hall County!

Top Three Post from 2011

I read EVERYTHING from top to bottom about Debbie Diller's Math Stations book.  I wanted to have access to everything and made a page about all of the post.

I have put together some sites for 2nd grade skills for the Promethean Board.  There are so many FREE things out there, you just have to dig! How do you do the Daily 5?  There are so many blog post about the Daily5, but this is what works in my room.  December was C-R-A-Z-Y!  I am looking forward to getting back into small group reading!

Do you want to link up with your top3...Click here for everyone's list!

Happy Birthday Jesus

With all of the pretty paper, glitter, and lights, let's not forget the TRUE reason for the season -

Merry CHRISTmas to all and to all a good night!

Dinosaur Research Pages

We are going to do our research topic on dinosaurs.  They will pick a dinosaur and use two research guides to complete their research.  I wanted to find several sites to assist my low babies in their research.  We will discuss encyclopedias and Internet and how to use both.  The Media specialist will assist with the encyclopedias.  We will continue to work on using guide words and how to look up information using a dinosaur encyclopedia.

These web pages are interactive.  We will also be able to discuss text features (time lines and maps) with the site.

Triceratops Information Page

Tyrannosaurus Information Page

Pteranodonaurus Information Page

They really get into this project.  They will make a small poster (on butcher paper) and they will create a mask to use when they present their project.

2nd Grade Promethean Board Sites

I am so excited!  I found another site that reads books aloud.  Barnes and Nobles.

The author of The Polar Express read the book and they turned the pages with soft music playing in the background.  It would have been perfect!!!  I cannot wait to use it next year!

Here are additional resources I have found for Second Grade Standards:

Apostrophes - Contractions and Possession

Sentence Types - All four

Compound Words

Sentence Maker - great for my Korean students

Characteristics of Materials

Friction

Helping Plants Grow Well

Lights and Shadows

Mapping our World - Maps and Globes

Here is a BOARD OF SITES from Greenville, SC BOE

Dinosaurs in January

I am getting so excited about the upcoming unit!  There is so much information for the month!
I found an interactive website that I want to put onto the student computers in my room.

There are several activities I will require (Dinosaur Write, Research Starters and Quiz), but the rest of the site will be available to play on!  I really think they are going to enjoy this month!  Research and report writing are two standards that will be covered.  Unfortunately we do not have dinosaurs in a standard, but my low-babies really get into the chapter book - Dinosaurs Before Dark.  For many of them, this is their first chapter book.  I feel it encourages them to break out of the picture books and try the next level.  Last year they were so eager to read more after we started the Magic Tree House series. Here is another activity to play from Scholastic.

We Give Books

This site looks great!  IF.....if, I mean if.... there is an elf at the school hooking up a SMARTboard in my room right now, I want to use this site. 

If not we will have to go across the hall to Willis' room to watch hers.  I want to do a couple of winter books to go along with our weather unit we will start soon.  It would be great to project these on the big screen!

Dinosaurs Before Dark

I am so excited about January!  We are going to do a dinosaur unit for three weeks!  I am looking for interactive sites we can use with the Promethean Board!  I would like to ask Santa for one, but I know times are tough, so I will just plan on using Miss Willis'.

We have prepared the notebooks and have all subjects planned and ready!  We will read the story and have discussion and vocabulary.  We have also included phonics and ELA skills like ABC order, dictionary, homophones and antonyms.  We have a research project about dinosaurs planned out as well as math and science.

This is going to be a great month!!

Christmas Giveaway!

I love a giveaway!  One of my favorite blogs is hosting a giveaway that includes her ENTIRE Teachers Pay Teachers Store!!! 

Pick me! Pick me!!!!

Go here to check it out!

Christmas Door

I made this super cute door for the month of December!  It is compliments of PINTEREST!  My new favorite LUV!  I have found so many lessons and cute ideas from there - it is addicting! 

I am looking at door ideas for January and February now!  I made a board for every month and as I find cuties, I pin it to that month!

Mrs. Lemons

When I grow up I want to be a teacher like Mrs. Lemons!!  She has soo many cute ideas and is so generous with her lessons!

When we return in January we will start graphing.  One of the first graphs we will explore is the Venn Diagram.  We do these all the time, but I want to break it down for them so they fully understand what a Venn is and how to graph the information.

She has a snowman activity that will be perfect!  Two friends write what they like and dislike and then compare their answers.  They will then make a Venn about the two of them in the form of SNOWMEN!

I love it!  I know they will too!  Check out her page and her whole site!  Super cute stuff!!

The Grinch

We bought a unit on The Grinch last year and used it again this year!  They really get into it!  I found several things for FREE this year on Pinterest and thought I would share!  Thank you Babbling Abby for compiling several items to add to the unit!  Make sure you scroll down for find everything!  We found the following pages:

Text to Self

Character comparison of the Grinch and several others!
Here is another site that has super cute ideas for next year!

Holly Bloggy Christmas

I sent off my gift and I cannot wait to receive mine in the mail!

WHAT BIG FUN!!!
I love surprises!!!
Here is what I sent to  Monica Talley from Arlington, Texas!  
Merry Christmas!


Thank you Sarah and Caitlin for putting this together!  It was so much fun!  My husband and I did not exchange this year because the children's gifts were so $$$.  This was such a pleasant treat!

Butterfly Life Cycle

Thank you to Ms. Bainbridge for the SUPER cute butterfly life cycle project!  I was not pleased with the lesson and knew they needed more hands-on to get a better understanding of life cycles.  Miss Willis found a video on United Streaming and I found the craft compliments of PINTEREST!  Super easy - Super fun!

Phases of the Moon

FUN FRIDAY!
     I love having something extra for them to work on that is a treat!
     I had three tests on Friday, so they deserved a break!  They took a spelling test on digraph review words from first grade, a noun test (common, proper, possessive and plurals) and a math rounding test (nearest tens and hundreds). 
     For our Science lesson, they took paper plates and divided it into fourths.  They wrote the four moon phases that we covered (Full, 1st quarter, New and 3rd quarter) onto the plate.  Then they had to eat the Oreos to make it match the plate.  They loved it! The one she is holding has the Oreos glued to the plate.  They did not glue theirs; they ate them once I checked them off! 
It was a FUN FRIDAY!

Daily 5

     So, how is it going?  It has taken me a few weeks, but it is really running smoothly now!  I have 5 groups:

Read to Self

Word Work

Listening Center

Computer Center

Teacher Table.

     I divided the students into 5 leveled groups.  Some groups have four, three or two in a group.  They go to TWO centers per day.  It works out that each student is coming to my table every two days.  I made a small section on a bulletin board with the centers labeled and attached to the board.  It is in a pocket chart, but I stapled it directly to the board.  I gave each group a number.  I rotate the numbers each morning.

So it looks like this:

Read to Self            1

Word Work            2

Listening Center       3

Computer Center      4

Teacher Table          5

     On Monday, Group 1 will go to Read to Self for the first 21 minutes and then to Word Work for the second 21 minutes.  On Tuesday they will start at the Listening Center and the move to Computers.  On Wednesday they are at the Teachers table and back to Read to Self.

     On Tuesday morning, I will move the numbers like this:

Read to Self            4

Word Work            5

Listening Center       1

Computer Center      2

Teacher Table          3

     I told the children that I would NOT move the numbers during Small Group Reading, but we would all know to drop down to the next center at the chime.  The first day one of my girls went over to "help" me move the numbers and the rest of the class jumped all over her - NOT to move it during SGR.  I have so many "helpers."

     I have 45 small cubbie boxes in my room.  Twenty are for their backpacks and Basal books and the rest are for storage.  I cleared a row of five and made a box for each group.  I have group one's sight word cards, leveled readers, fluency check sheets... and so on in THEIR cubbie.  Group two does not need all of that, they have their guided reader books and a different set of fluency packets...

     I love sitting at the half moon table and being able to turn around and EVERYTHING I need for that group at my fingertips!  It has really worked so much better than last year!

   I am glad I took the first few weeks to teach "Read to Self", listening center, word work!  When we divide up into groups, the talking is minimal and everyone is actively engaging in reading!!  My principal would be so proud!  Small Group Reading the way it should be!  So what does your small group reading look like?  I would love to know!

My Classroom

 I am having a wonderful year!  All of our planning this summer has really paid off!  I have enjoyed having all of my reading and language arts lessons planned out and ready to go!  It has really been a smooth start!
Here are a couple of shots of my classroom.  I spent a couple of hours getting everything ready for small group reading.  I have taught many segments of the Daily 5 over the past few weeks.  Now we will see if it pays off!
I am enjoying the table tops.  Everyone has a partner the way I have it set up.  The one thing I did not plan on was one of my students not speaking English!  Every year has its challenges...that is this years challenge!
I am absolutely LOVING Pinterest!  I have made so many anchor charts from all of the great finds on there!  I LOVE it!!!

Class Room Rules

We have discussed what rules we are going to use as a team.  I found a cute poster on pinterest that I had to reproduce and wanted to pass along.  Since I can save documents into a PDF and upload, I will be able to print in COLOR at school with my cutie-pa-tootie fonts!!!!  I am such a happy girl! 

It's the small things in life that keep me going!  Now if I could just sleep.  My mind is racing with everything I NEED to do and everything I WANT to do for my classroom!

CUPS Poster

I am preparing my Writing Center and want to introduce CUPS during one of the first lessons.  Of course I will need an anchor chart.  I made these super cute word posters that I am going to paste onto a Tea Cup made from poster board.

I am using a new site to upload PDF files.  Check it out if you need to upload files.  I always had so many problems uploading to googledocs since I do not have Chrome.  Do you have Chrome?  What is the big advantage (other than uploading to googledocs??).

Math Giveaway

Super Cute Blog with a givaway that would be Wonderful to own!

I LOVE Math... :)

Go check her out - 2nd Grade Shenanigans

Good BEEhavior Catalog

I spent the ENTIRE day in the classroom setting up and getting things prepared for Meet the Teacher!
I saw a super cute idea for rewarding good behavior.  It is a "catalog" that they can shop in.  I think the girls will love it!  I am going to laminate the pages and make it into a spiral in the media center.  I really felt bad last year that I did not reward them more often.  If I introduce them to the good BEEhavior catalog on the first day, maybe they we hold me accountable!

Classroom Helpers

I have been thinking about classroom helpers and DREADING it!  I am so bad about changing it out.  Today I came across a blog that has my solution...

They apply for the job by selecting their top two choices.  I make the decision and hire that student on for the next 9 weeks. 
I am going to retype her job descriptions, but use everything else!
WOW this is going to be a lifesaver!

Check out her super cute blog!!

Time to Decorate the Classroom

What does your classroom look like?  When I re-entered the building for the first time this year I felt like a school girl and not the teacher!  I love getting everything organized, the smell of new notebooks and the way a newly sharpened pencil feels!  New school supplies - it is a sick obsession I know, but I cannot help it.  I know I am going to log on one day to read my daily blogs and I am going to find another sick blogger with this crazy obsession.  I wanted to share a few photos with you!  I hope this works!

Here is the pic I saw and wanted to copy for my door...

The Help Is Coming To A Theater Near You

While I was on our family vacation going from city to city, I read so many blogs and books!
If you have not read the book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett  HURRY and read it so we can go to the movies together on August 10th when it comes out!  It was SO good!  I read it in two days!
I also read on Ms. Durnings Blog about the handbook she created about the Daily Five and CAFE.  I am sending you to her blog, but also attaching the handbook here.  She has taken all of the key points and made a handbook of each section.  It is very similar to the two books.



Hurry and Read it before the movie comes out!



Have you seen Pinterest?

I set up a Pinterest profile where I can share the things I like and I want you to follow me so you can see it! Once you join Pinterest, you'll be able to create your own collections and share your taste.
Click here to check it out!   Click here to see my Pinterest boards.  I luv this site!  I have so many things I want to try, but can never remember them all.  Now I pin it and I will have it forever!!!

Reading and learning with the Daily Five

I found a linky party for Daily 5.
Check it out! 
I am working on increasing my class library.  I am going to order the BIG order in August for the  5000 Bonus points!  I cannot wait to get that scholastic box full of books!

What Does Daily 5 Look Like In the 2nd Grade Classroom?

I am very excited to launch the Daily 5 this year.  I have read and read and read all about it this summer.  After trying to describe what I was going to do with several teachers, I decided it would be better to write about it.  But I remembered the site I was so inspired by and thought I would link you up to her!  I  love the visuals and she explains it beautifully!

While on vacation I made the family stop multiple times for a TARGET run!  Their dollar section for teachers is amazing.  If you have not stopped into a Target in a few weeks, NOW IS THE TIME!  I found the magazine boxes for $2.50 each.  They are similar to the ones at Really Good Stuff.  I wanted 25 of them in blue, green and yellow, so we stopped in Chicago, Louisville, Atlanta... until Mom had everything she was looking for!  I can't forget about my Stapes run on Sunday to get my penny pencils and highlighters...

A teacher has to do what a teacher has to do!!!  :)

Tagxedo - Oh What BIG Fun

I am so excited about a new website I found!  Tagxedo !!!! You will have to register, but it is free.

You can put any words in and pick the shape to make a different kind of WORDLE!  We are going to have fun with this one!  Look at the one I made for Jack and Annie and the Magic TreeHouse!  There are so many possibilities!

Birthday Party

I want to display birthdays differently this year.  I found a super cute blog with a giveaway and thought I would share!  Check it out!

The Daily 5

I have spent majority of the summer working on Math.  I have read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and now The Daily Five by the Two Sisters and I am focused on reading.  I found a wonderful blog that has outline what the Daily Five is and thought I would share.  There are so many different ways to use this system in your classroom.  What I have read the most is you have to make it your own and do what is best for the children.  What works one year, may not work the next year.

Read Alouds

I am reading Daily 5 and working on my centers.  I just discovered Speakaboos and I am so excited.  I plan on using my teachers computer as the center with a pair of headphones.  I have four additional computers in the classroom, but I will use these for Lexia and Successmaker.
My first story will be Cinderella.  Click to see how simple it will be for them to use!

Folklore Unit is Complete

We have had a wonderfully productive summer!  I cannot wait to get  back into the classroom and start setting everything back up!  I was given a new title, "OCD teacher."  I am starting to think it is not such a small club with all of the blogs I have read this summer! 
Here are a few freebies that I have made over the past week!  Enjoy!
This graphic organizer covers the first six skills we teach in reading - predictions, author's purpose, characters, setting, retelling and nouns.
For Realistic Fiction we  have planned a week of Mr. Putter.  They are going to love this character.  After we read several books we are going to introduce poetry with an acrostic of his name.  I am so excited about this school year!  I took my girls to the dollar store with me and one of them said, "I feel sorry for your kids last year.  They did not have any fun."  Bless them...

Math Lesson Plan Index

I was looking for more ideas for math and found a site that has majority of Georgia's 2nd grade standards with WONDERFUL math games for centers.  Most are online and will be great to have on the computer for different days.

I am linking  the site instead of each game - Math Lesson Plan Index

Math Work Stations - Debbie Diller

At the beginning of the summer I discovered a "Blog-Book-Club." 

I am so excited and look forward to implementing this in the Fall!!

I am going to give the links to each of the chapters. 

Once you click over there, you will see all of the other link-ups with TONS of ideas. 

This is so much material, but I love the free downloads and pictures! 

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Dots..Dots... Dots....

I attended a three day Number Literacy course as soon as school was out.  It was about Reading and Writing The Language of Numbers by bby publications.  I have so much to learn before school begins.  Several other schools in the district have had previous trainings and it was great having some of their insight throughout the training.  I will continue to update my progress!

Here are a few Ten Frame Games to play online.

Here are a couple of the documents I have worked on...
First week of school DOTS lesson plans
Blank Dots Lesson Plan Template

Folklore Unit

We worked for four hours yesterday planning this first nine weeks.  We made many decisions about reading strategies, stories, writing, grammar, phonics and spelling.  Here is a spreadsheet of the calendar we are going to follow.  You may need google docs to open up the file.  I have also made a template for lesson plans that I hope to upload soon!  ENJOY!

First Post

After four weeks of summer, I am starting a blog! I have enjoyed reading how other teachers are implementing new strategies into their classroom and I want to jump on board! There is so much out there to learn! Join me on my TEACHING adventure!

Changes with Pinterest

I think I will enjoy Pinterest more if I organize my boards.