All Set for "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie"! {mini giveaway}

Hello friends! I just got back from working in my classroom to get set for next week. Sadly, we are testing most of the week. We have to give the benchmarks from our Central Office for Math and ELA. They have made these in such a way that they have to be given one on one. It takes FOREVER! On top of that our interims go out on Thursday (again, one on one testing). We don't have them yet (which is stressing me out a little bit). So I'll have to get that in somewhere too. Their thinking with interims is that if we test as we go, we shouldn't have to test before we fill them out, just copy our previous assessments onto the interim. However, MY thinking is that I want to send home the most up to date information to these parents to prevent many unnecessary emails and parent notes.  Ok, rant over, I promise. 

Anyway, I'm hoping to squeeze in some Thanksgiving activities. I'm going to start with "There Was an Old Lady to Swallow a Pie". I adore these books! 

We will use this sequencing circle to retell the story. I have pocket chart cards so we can do it whole group as well. They also love it when I put these cards in a station for them to do on their own. 

 This is my absolute favorite writing from the pack. On this one they get to pick their favorite thing she swallowed and write about it. 

 We have been working on syllables kind of informally. Most of it has been during our morning circle time. So I feel it's about time to do it "for real". We will be sorting based on syllables with the pocket chart cards. Then students will get their own pictures to cut and paste to sort the syllables.

 I'm sorry trees, but I love using emergent readers. I know not all of my little ones have many books at home. They do such an awesome job reading this little books and always get excited about taking them home. 

I'll have these on my focus wall for students to use in their writing. It helps tremendously! 

You can click here to see this pack in my little store:

Now if you have stuck with me this long, I have a funny...

While working in my room today, I was getting things ready to start running records next week. As I was reaching for one of my notebooks, a big ol huge spider darted across my books! Here is a Google image similar to the one in my room.

I'll be honest, I screamed. I will never casually grab anything from that shelf again!

I'm going to be giving 3 of my "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie" units away.

Leave a comment (with your email) about what you have been  up to in your classroom.

I'll use random.org to pick the 3 winners tonight before I go to bed!

Turkey Time {with FREEBIE}

Hello friends! I don't know about you, but I am almost turkeyed (is that even a word?!) out!  We have been doing a lot of work from my Turkey Math and LA unit. We did write the room for the first time today. Somehow I just have not squeezed it in until now. My kinders really did awesome and enjoyed it. I can now put it in one of my literacy stations. :)

 

Their awesomeness was hung up on the wall.

Here is a math station for students who are still working on numbers to 10. *Fingers crossed* that these little sweeties pick it up by Christmas. I made it a clippy station, because they need the fine motor work as well.

They have LOVED making their own turkeys! Little do these little turkeys know that they are practicing skills with each feather (heehee). You can get this little packet for free!

And finally here is my Fry word station completed. Our turkey now has all of his feathers covered in words. :) My kinders actually pinned the feathers on themselves without any "help" from me. I am amazed at how the feathers are placed. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Working With ABCs and Fry Words

Hello Friends! Shew, has this year flown by, or is it just me? I cannot believe we are almost done with the alphabet and my kinders have got it! This week we have really been focusing on alphabetic sequencing. I got this packet from Marsha from A Differentiated Kindergarten{all of her stuff is awesome and you can get it here}. It has been a huge hit with the kiddos. Here are some pictures of it in action.

I couldn't believe how quickly they just picked it up and went with it. They LOVED how the clothespins helped hide the answer and getting to check when they were done.

 

On to some turkey fun. Below is one of the language arts activities from my new unit - Turkey Math and Language Arts Craftivities

As the kids make them, I am going to hang them around our Fry word station.

 At the Fry word station, I have a turkey without his feathers! My kiddos will get one feather when they are at the station and write as many Fry words as they can on it, then pin it to the board. I don't know what it is, but they get a kick out of pinning things to the board. For fall this station was a tree and they added fall colored leaves and then pumpkins with Fry words on the board. I have a feeling this station will stick around all year, I'll just change it to match the seasons/holidays. This was a great idea from my partner in crime - Becky - who always has fun creative ideas.

Giveaway Winners & Thanksgiving Freebie

My birthday giveaway is now over and here are the lucky winners:

PreK-2 Bundle: Karen Cassels   

3-5 Bundle: Gale Reed 

Middle and High School Bundle: Kirra Lehmann

Congratulations!

My new Thanksgiving unit was bundled in with this giveaway. I'm really excited about it and can't wait to use it in my classroom. Here are some freebies from it for you and a link to the unit. :)

Just click on the picture to get your freebie!