Making Words Fun

Probably the biggest job I have for myself this summer is learning all about and preparing materials to use the Daily Five literacy model in my class next year. 

I've had the book for years but never really jumped in with both feet to really give it justice.  While talking about next year, all the fourth grade ELA teachers in my building decided to use the Daily Five next year, and we are all so excited. 

We've all been reading up on the model, checking out upper elementary blog posts about the Daily Five, and sharing ideas we have found with each other.  It's been awesome.  I've been spending a little bit of time this summer mapping out how I'll get my classroom ready for Daily Five this fall. The biggest thing I need to prepare this summer is my word work materials.  I figure if I prepare a choice a week, I should be golden, and not broke, by the time August rolls around. :) 

It's been raining on and off today, so it was the perfect time for me to finish up a file I've been working on to use as a word work choice. 

I think there is a perception out there that making words activities are only for the little ones, but that's not true at all! Big kids love playing with words too! My fourth graders LOVED when I gave them a word, like cooperation, and challenged each table group to make as many words as they could as a team building activity.  Making words easily differentiates itself, making it a great choice for my classroom next year, as I'll have a beautiful mix of ESL, gifted, and students with behavioral needs in my classroom. 

The file itself includes twelve back to school themed word tile sets that your students can use to make new words with.  

 I also included a couple different recording sheet options as well. 

Personally, I am going to stretch this file to make it last ALL month long.  Each week, I am going to introduce/put three new words in the center and take out the three from the week before.  I plan on storing each word in a baggie with the larger word it spells written on it.  Just so my sweeties don't mix up the cards, each word will have different colored backgrounds every week. :) 

I plan on having my students record their work in their word work journal.  This way I can grab a few journals a few and just keep an eye on their work. :) That's the great thing about TpT, each product can be used in so many different ways! 

If you'd like to check out my Back to School Making Words Packet, just click on the pictures or {here} to check it out on TpT!

I've spent enough time behind the computer for awhile, it's time to finish up some odds and ends around the house, and maybe read a little bit of my latest summer read. Goodness, I love summertime!


 
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Summer Lovin'

Hey friends! Sorry I haven't posted in well like a month.  Opps! The end of the year is always crazy, and then when you teach the grade where you sweeties leave elementary school, it seems there is an event or field trip every single day the last ten days of school.

This poem below is literally one of the few pictures I took the last few weeks of school. :) Enjoy! :) I will miss the kid that wrote this poem, SO much!

My students' last day was Wednesday but today was my first real day of summer.  I spent Thursday, and part of Friday and Monday moving classrooms, which is never fun.  Glad to get away from the playground noise and a to gain few extra feet, but I hated moving classrooms for the third time in three years. 

Admit it, you are so jealous of those chalkboards! Any great ideas to cover them up?  Paint is out of the question, so I'm thinking about black contact paper but haven't decided yet! 

Basically friends, I'm LOVING this summer.  I've been trying to balance being productive with relaxation and having fun.  I am taking a class for my masters this summer but it starts next week and only goes through the first week in July.  So even though I'll be in school, I will still have lots of summer to enjoy!

I've spent lots of time reading on my iPad mini already this summer.  We went to Pittsburgh to visit family this weekend, so I got to finish this fantastic book! Such a great summer read, click on the image or here to check it out! 

Karen White is one of my favorite authors land I read Falling Home and its sequel, After the Rain this past school year and loved them. So I can't wait to read her newest book, The Time  Between.  What is on your summer reading list? :)

I've also been watching lots of baseball. Go Reds! :)  Nothing screams summer like a Reds game to me.  Even though I love going games, I love watching them at home too.  In fact, we are heading to Great American Ballpark for my birthday this weekend! :)

McDonald's dollar drinks are back.  Which means I've consumed about four large Diet Cokes in as many days. #addicted

I've pledged to be active every day and not get Blogger Butt again this summer.  Blogger Butt is when you spend all your time behind your computer in the summer and your clothes don't fit in the fall.  So far, so good because the pups and I have gone on long walks at our local parks each day.  I don't know who enjoys it more, them or me!

My husband and I have also been busy in our yard.  Our fence is under construction and we've redone the landscape in the front of our house. After years of renting, we've fallen in love with taking care of our yard and doing little weekend projects around the house. 

I love, love, love our front porch.  If my hubs isn't working, we spend a lot of time out there at night. We light our citronella candles and chat while the sun goes down.  It's always the favorite part of my day! 

My grade level is implementing the Daily Five next year, which I am very excited about, so I haven't been all play and no work this break! I've worked on this a little bit last night and today, and I hope to have it ready tomorrow.  

It's my hope to make one for each month! I know my big kids will love them, since they always enjoyed doing making words activities as team builders this year, so it's been a lot of fun making this packet!

Well friends, I'm off to catch up on your blogs now! A few FB fans asked me to share how I organized math workshop, so look for that in the next few days! :)

Fabulous Feedback Link Up and Teacher Appreciation Sale

Are you guys SO excited for Tuesday and Wednesday? I know I am because it's TpT's Teacher Appreciation Sale! TpT is taking an additional 10% off any stores' sale price.  My store will be 20% off.  Click here or on the sales graphic below to check out my store.

Thanks so much much to the sweet Beth of Zip A Dee Do Dah Designs for the adorable graphic.

Some of my favorite teacher blogging friends are joining forces for a super fun link up highlighting some of our favorite products, with a twist! :) 

 
Click on the image above to check out the Fabulous Feedback posts from some of my dear blogging buddies! 
 
We are highlighting some of our favorite products with a special twist.  Below are images for three of my favorite products and some of the fabulous feedback that I have received from my fabulous customers.  Guess what? If I highlighted your feedback, you get a FREE item of your choosing from my TPT store, just email me at lisa@fourthnten.com if I did, I just ask that you be honest. :) 

One of my favorite products is my Fabulous Back to School Fun pack.  Although this school year isn't quite over, my mind has been thinking a little bit about next year too! I love, love, love building community with my students at the beginning of the year and getting to know my students before the pressure of the curriculum starts. :) 

 
Click on the link or picture above to check it out on TpT. :) 

One of my goals as a teacher this year was to improve my students' fluency.  Many of my students were far below grade level in fluency this year, so we've played lots and lots of fluency games but Straight A's is probably my kiddos' favorite. They love the dog ate your homework cards, they always make them giggle.  

Click on the link or picture above to check it out on TpT. 

Another favorite product of mine is my end of the year memory books. :)  I have them for second, third, and fourth grade.  Last year my second graders loved filling them out and they were the perfect way to fill some of those awkward empty spaces during the end of the year.  Plus it makes a great memento of your class' year together.

Click on the links above or here, second, third, and fourth, to check them out on TpT. 
 

Also, lots of you have asked for school themed roll and covers, and I am happy to say they are available! :) Click on the link or picture below to check them out on TpT.

 

Check all my fabulous friends' posts below and see if your fabulous feedback made you a winner! :) 

  

Pass the Tardy Sauce...Five on Friday on a Sunday

So every week, I have great intentions of joining up for Five for Friday and well then Friday slips away from me. I'm sure falling asleep on the world's most comfortable coach at 8:00 doesn't help. ;) I'm serious, I have the world's most comfortable couch. I fall asleep on it pretty much every night and head up to my bed at about 2:00 in the morning. 

 
So let's get started! :)

ONE: We changed seats this week.  PTL. :)  We do A LOT of cooperative learning in my class and my kiddos are always talking and working together.  Which is great but after a few weeks, the bickering starts, which lets me know it's time for a change. :) Since I don't want to change seats again before the end of the year, we did lots of talking about what we wanted from our group members and each group made little promises to each other that I hung up in the room. 

  

 

They've been great for solving little bickering that has come up.  "Do you remember that you said you would be _________ blank?" was all I had to say and it stopped. #magic :)

TWO:  We went on our field trip to Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds, and had a great time on Thursday!

 

We had a great time touring the stadium and creating our own baseball teams.  Each group of students was given a budget and they had to create the best team they could.  Then we toured the Reds' Hall of Fame and Museum.  I have lots of baseball fans in my room and we all had a great time!

THREE: The weather has been super nice lately.  So my yard and grill has been getting lots of attention. :) 
 

FOUR: We started our Mother's Day Cookbook project last week.  I have to say this years' class is a huge fan of spaghetti and brownies!  It's always fun to put these cookbooks together because usually some kind of theme unfolds. One year it was very appetizer heavy and then next pretty much every recipe was sometime of sweet! You can check this project out on TpT {here}.

FIVE: Fourth and Ten is now on Instagram! I have had a personal Instagram for a few years now and LOVE it. :)  So I'm excited to be have one for the blog as well. :) 

 

 Click {here} to follow Fourth and Ten!

Have a great week! 

Mother's Day Cookbook Project

I don't know about you, but May is a crazy time in my classroom.  Personally, my class has four field trips and a handful of all day events that take us out of our classroom.  So, sadly sometimes Mother's Day gifts are really rushed and well not that great.  

My first year in third grade, I decided to have my kids make a cookbook and we've done it ever since.  The kiddos and moms in my class love them! What I love about this project, is that it is meaningful BUT doesn't take a ton of class time to complete. 

To make our cookbooks, I send home a recipe card and letter home with each of my kiddos asking their mom to write out the recipe for their child's favorite dish.  I try to be very mindful during this process and have two letters that I send home.  I use different clip art to keep them straight.  One goes home to the kiddos that are having mom fill out their card and one for those who are having stepmom, grandma, aunt, dad, etc. 

Then, once all the cards are turned in, we spend a class period or two filling out a page that goes on the back. 

Now, I could be super picky about this page, but I'm not.  I have my kiddos write their responses in pencil first, I do a quick check, and then have them write their copy to be included in the cookbook in pen.  I always LOVE reading what the kids write.  Previously, I had my kids write how to make their mom's recipe too, and well I got way more compliments about this version, and the kids like this page so much better!

After the kiddos have finished their page, I run it with their mom's recipe on my copier 1-2 sided with their mom's recipe on top.  Once I have double sided copies of the mom and kid's recipe card, I attach the cover and make enough for my class.  I have included an editable cover page for you in the file. I let my kiddos color theirs. 

   
The moms and kids in my class love this project.  Not only do they get to read some sweet nothings written by their kiddos, they get a yummy collection of new recipes! :)  One year, a student in my class and his mom made EVERY recipe in the cookbook.  It was so fun to get his emails that summer with his little reviews. :)  I also have my mom submit a recipe and my kids get a kick out of it!  

If you are interested in creating our Mother's Day Cookbooks, click {here} or on any of the pictures is this post to check it out on TpT!

Paper Saving Memory Books

Friends, the end is near.  We are on letter F of our ABC Countdown tomorrow.  Letter F....where has all the time gone?  Since the end of the year is quickly approaching, I decided to freshen up my end of the year memory books.

I always love doing memory books with my class, but the one I usually used required way too much paper.  There is a lot less paper to go around these days at my little school.  I might even have to take in a ream or two of paper from home to get through the year!So, I decided to go green this year and make little memory books, so I could get two pages for each book on a page.  I love using little books in my classroom for math and vocabulary, so I know my kiddos will love these. I teach at a Title One school, so a lot of my kiddos aren't able to purchase yearbooks, and I love being able to send home a little keepsake of memories with them.   Of course, they are the most excited about the autograph pages. :) Especially if I let them use markers. 

Since I have taught second, third, and fourth grades, I have memory books for all three!

If you're interested, all three of these memory books are available at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  

During My Days in Second Grade

Teachers Pay Teachers

During my Days in Third Grade

Teachers Pay Teachers

During my Days in Fourth Grade
Teachers Pay Teachers 

Testing Treat Freebies and a Flash Sale

On Tuesday, my little sweeties start our state testing. On Tuesday, they will take the reading test and on Thursday, they will take the math test.   

Typically, I always put something out of my kiddos desk the morning of testing.  I try to make this not sugary candy related.  Our student council gives each kiddo that is testing some candy with a little motivational note but I pass those out the day before we take the tests, I tell them that they are smart candies and they have to eat the them the night before the test. :) 

Usually, the first day of testing they get a brand new pencil. 

    
Then on Wednesday, I put a few peppermints on their desks. My English teacher in high school always gave us peppermints before big tests to help calm our nerves.  So I do the same with my sweet friends. :)

 

I have uploaded both of these little notes to Google Drive for you.  Just click {here} to download the file.  If you download, I'd love it if you leave a comment, follow my blog, OR like my Facebook page. :) 

I copied our fourth grade ABC countdown on Friday night before I left school to pass out tomorrow.  Our countdown starts on Tuesday and our last twenty-six days will be busy! Our last few weeks are filled with field trips, a visit to the school my babes will be attending next year, award ceremonies, a poetry tea, a DARE community service project, book clubs, our fourth grade party, AND field day.  

I'm thinking about starting our memory books tomorrow just to fit them in! :) I know many of you are in the same boat, so my end of the year items pictured below are 15% off until tomorrow at midnight.  Click {here} to check out all my end of the year goodies on TpT! :)

 

We are doing lots of cooperative learning/team review tomorrow in ELA to review and have some fun before the test, so I guess I better go get that finished! Have a great night! :)