Reading Response Home Reading Log {Freebie}

Happy weekend, friends! I hope everyone is having a great day! :) Today is a busy one for me, oh my goodness in about a month we're moving and school starts again.  Oh my word.  Talk about craziness, but it's a good kind of crazy!  We were able to "sneak" into our house last night because all the doors are now locked, and saw our hardwoods, cabinets, and crown molding were installed.  Yay! Plus they painted earlier in the week, so our house is really coming along.  :) 

Earlier in the week, I shared my resources for my reading response journals on Amber's blog. 

This freebie has been downloaded from TpT almost 1,500 times! Wowzers. :) This easy to implement reading resource is one of my favorite resources to use in the classroom and I'm so HAPPY that many of you found it useful too.  

 Today I wanted to share with you another reading response freebie with you, my home reading log.  I used this baby for four years when I taught third grade, and LOVED it. 

 

Interested? Download it {here}. 

Thanks to Scrappin' Doodles, Hello Literacy, and Fabulous in First for the graphics and fonts.  Love them! 

Each week I required my kiddos read 100 minutes a week.  Our reading log went home on Mondays and was due the following Monday.  Ideally, I encouraged my kiddos to read 20 minutes a night, five days a week, but with sports, dance, and all the other things kiddos were involved in, I often saw logs with 50 minutes during the week and then 50 minutes over the weekend.  

Third grade, in my state, is the first year our kiddos take high stakes assessments.  What most of them really struggled with at the beginning of the year in third grade was creating decent responses to test questions, as so many wanted to write simple response made up of just a few words.  My reading response journals and reading response home reading logs, in addition to regular classroom practice and instruction, really helped my third graders get comfortable with creating quality reading responses.  

I stressed what quality responses looked like at open house with the parents, and put a completed reading log in my parent resource packet.  This really helped the families in my room really understand what was expected of their child.  

I monitored my kiddo's reading logs pretty carefully.  If they were reading the same book over and over again, I would let them take books from our classroom library home, and when the public library's bookmobile came to our school, really encouraged them to pick out books for their reading log.  I also used their ratings of books to help me decide what books to order from our book orders. :)

My fourth grade team does not do reading logs. I know there has been a lot of talk recently that reading logs can do more harm than good and cultivate readers who just read until a timer goes off and then stops, instead of readers who do have a passion for reading.  That was my team's rationale for no longer requiring them, which I totally understand too! 

I don't quite know what the plan is for reading practice at home this year, as I feel reading practice is so important, at home and at school.  My plan currently is to  implement reading challenges such as adapting this book challenge that I used from The Teacher Wife with my second graders, to fit my fourth grader's needs or doing monthly reading challenges, no idea what this would look like yet. Or just simply do the reading chain that I've been doing with my summer school kiddos, and once the chain reaches a certain length, rewarding the class with a prize. My summer kiddos are loving it.  Obviously, my mind is still brewing up ideas. :) 

If you don't require a nightly reading log, do you do any incentives to get kiddos still doing some reading at home? If so, please share! :)  I'd love to hear what you're doing. :)

Thinkin' About Lesson Plans and Behavior Sheets

Today I spent a little quality time with my computer drafting up my lesson plans/behavior communication sheets for next year.  

Back in my third grade days, my awesome team and I shared the same lesson plan template.  It was great because we often shared lesson plan writing duties for certain subjects and could just email the template back and forth.  This worked really well, because it was back in the days before I discovered dafont.com and downloaded a bajillion fonts on my computer that that others don't have at school and word documents could be shared easily.  Now that I hoard all kinds of fonts from all over the web, not so much.  ;) It looked like this. 

Loved seeing the week at glance.  Hated Times New Roman and the tables in Word if you need more space in one column.  Only the good Lord knows how many times I wanted to scream, yell, and throw my keyboard out the window when my table went onto the next page.  

Last year, I went through lots of different templates, but I never quite found one that worked for me. You can read more about that, here.  One of the things I really liked about using a whole page for a day template last year was that it was much easier to write sub plans, as I tended to be a little bit more detailed, and I could just leave the lesson plan page in a pinch, like a meeting, etc. 

I played around today and came up with this.  At the beginning of the week, I have this Week in a Peek sheet where I can list our overall scope and sequence for the week.  Plus spaces for my intervention focus skills/groups.  This is the first time we've done ELA intervention groups as a grade level at the same time, so I'm sure this template will change, but I really like having a rough map of the week and a place to list my centers/intervention groups for math.

 This is my actual lesson plan template draft.  What I like about it all the boxes lay out my day in sequence, I've seen a lot that don't, and the lesson break down in math.  I do a lot of group rotations in math, and I like having a place to put the structure of that day's lesson.   Plus it was created in Powerpoint, meaning formatting is a little bit easier!

I'm fortunate that we don't have to submit our plans weekly and we have the freedom to create plan templates that work best for us.  Our plans are reviewed twice a year though by our administration.  Again this is very much a draft.   I'm not sure I'm crazy about it yet, but at least it's a start.  

I also created a VERY rough draft of my grade level's daily behavior check in.  

I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet.  I like the color coding and number coding, but I'm still playing around with the words.  I've never really had success with a daily check in sheet like this, so I'm hoping the coloring and number coding makes it more manageable and hoping that fourth graders are responsible/independent enough to color their calendar on their own.  My second graders NEVER got the hang of it and I kinda just gave up! I am continuing my clip chart again, but modifying a bit to fit my needs a little more since I will be doing ED full inclusion, so I just picked colors for the color coding at the top. 

 I plan on copying this on the back for days that just need a little bit more communication than just a number code. 

Any thoughts?  Are either one of these something you be interested in seeing in my TpT store?  Friends who have used behavior calendars, any tips for me?  Behavior calendars are a tool that my grade level has found very helpful in the past for informing parents of behavior and for documentation for conferences/meetings, so I'm hoping to finally find something that works for me! :)

Reading Response Questions for Any Book {freebie}

Hiya friends! I'm not posting on my own blog today.  Amber was sweet enough to feature me as part of her Summer Spotlight Series. :)  

Over on her blog, I shared my reader's response notebooks for my student's independent reading and a special freebie that I use to help pull it all together. 

Click on Amber's button to check out my guest post! :) 

Hope to see y'all over there! :)

My Favorite Picture Books Linky

I know, I know it's probably in some blogger etiquette book somewhere not to blog twice in one day, but this linky party from The Teacher Wife looked like too much fun to not join in on! 

I love using quality children's literature for mini lessons, in science, in social studies, and even math! I'm fortunate enough to have a Marilyn Burns classroom library in my classroom, and I love having so many math books at my disposal to use to help reinforce math concepts. I have lots of favorite picture books, but this list is definitely my top five.  The books that instantly put a smile on my face when I open it up to read to my kiddos. 

1. When Jo Louis Won the Title {click the title to find it on Amazon}

This precious book is all about a little girl named Jo Louis who dreads the first day of school because she doesn't like her name, until her Grandpa tells her all about the night when Joe Louis won the heavyweight boxing title, and why she was named Jo Louis.  It's a sweet story about self acceptance and pride in yourself.  Plus it is the basis of one of my favorite writing units.  

Available {here} on TpT. 

2. Annie Bananie {click the title to find it on Amazon}

Annie Bananie was one of my all time favorite books as a child.  My childhood best friend moved away before we started kindergarten and she gave me a copy of this book. I love everything about it, to the rhyming text and the fun illustrations.  When I student taught in first grade, I gave the class a copy as a goodbye gift.  I think I sobbed my entire way through reading it to the class. 

3. Ruby The Copycat (Scholastic Bookshelf: Being Yourself){click on the title to find it on Amazon}
 

 

I love this book! It teaches such a powerful lesson of the importance of being yourself! I feel this book does such a better job than I any motivational speech I've ever given on the importance of just being you.  It's also a plays an important part of my Cooking Up a Great Year Together unit.  

 

 Available here on TpT. 

4. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers {click on the title to find it on Amazon}

 Every year on September 11th, our district requires us to do an activity to commemorate Patriot Day in classrooms.  I've always struggled with this because I do feel that it's important, but teaching younger kids, I struggle with what to include in our discussion and what is appropriate/not appropriate.  I've loved this book since I read it in a children's literature class in undergrad.  I love how it focuses on how the spirit of the towers remains, and lets my kiddos know that the Twin Towers were so much more than just a victim of a terrorist attack.  They were buildings were people worked and visited, and played a huge role in the city.  Each year on/close to September 11th, I read this book to my class.  Since my dad and uncles are/were firefighters and my cousins is currently in the application process for FDNY (so proud!), I always tear up when reading it!

5. Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10 {click here to find it on Amazon}

 

I read this to my kids every year when introducing myself to my kiddos.  Some years I go all out, meeting them at the door with my robe on pretending that I really do live at school.  Some years I don't, but either way it opens the door to a little discussion about me.  I show them some items from a bag that represent me and my interests, and even give them a little pop quiz afterwards to introduce our classroom testing procedures. ;)  

I loved this linky, thanks Lindsey for hosting! I can't wait to check out everybody else's favorites! I'm sure my Amazon cart will become even fuller! 

Bursting With Excitement: Monday Made It

Today I start teaching summer school.  I'm actually pretty jazzed about it.  Not only is it a little extra cash right around the time we close on our house, it's also being a held at the very same elementary school I attended as a little girl. :)  Plus it's for incoming fourth graders, win win.  After a year in second, I need to get used to big kids again! 

I'm also super excited because it's Monday Made It! :) 

 Click on the picture to visit Tara's fabulous blog!

Since back to school is quickly approaching, I started getting my typical back to school activities ready.  I always like to have a little something on my students' desk at open house.  This year, my partner teacher and I plan on giving my students a little bag filled with Starbursts!  You can see an example of the completed bags below. :) 

Over the weekend, I made my bag topper for my Starburst bags.  I plan on using 3" x 4" bags from Wilton.  You can find similar ones {here}. 

I have created an edible Powerpoint for you to use so that you can type in your name and your student's names, if you so desire. 

I also added two additional templates this year. One for departmentalized/team teachers and one that is a little more generic since there can be so much movement/transition of students before the beginning of the school year.  

If you want to create your own "Bursting With Excitement" bag topper for your own students this year, you can download the Powerpoint Template for free at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  

You can check out these bag toppers by clicking {here} or on any of the images in this post. 

Thanks, Tara again for hosting this fun party! 

Back to School Activities {Freebie}

I've been a workin', workin' girl the past few days, trying to get all my back to school activities ready so I can focus on other parts of the planning for back to school.  I ADORE planning for the first few days of school.  I love picking out the perfect getting to know you activities, and I truly enjoy being able to spend time just getting to know my kiddos before the hectic demands of our curriculum calendars take over. :)  

I bundled all my favorite back to school activities together in one easy to find file over the past few days.  Which was quite the undertaking considering my back to school file folder is about five inches tall, no kidding. :)  I'm so glad to be able to purge some items now that they are cleaned up, and digital! These are all activities I used with my third graders previously, so this pack is perfect for early intermediate students (3rd to 5th graders). 

My latest pack has eight of my favorite back to school activities, all with detailed directions included so you can implement them in your classroom with ease! :)  

 Included are:

*5 Somebody Who Icebreaker Sheets

*Interview a Friend Writing Activity

*Skittles Sharing Activity

*Template for your students to make their own All About Me Ts.

*Pop Quiz Template- An editable file for you to create a "pop quiz" about yourself to give your students to introduce your testing procedures.  I do this after I introduce myself to my kiddos.  It also shows you quickly who is a good listener. :)

*Toothpaste Word Activity and Class Book Cover

*Class Book Template/Forms and Templates for a your students to create a Top Ten List of the most important things about them.

*Everything you need to create school year time capsules with your students!

This year our first week back is three days long, so I won't be able to get to all of these activities, even I wish I could because I LOVE every activity in this entire pack!

Even though time is short, you bet we will be making our time capsules, always a favorite, doing a Find Somebody Who each day, making All About Me tees, doing a little Pop Quiz about their teacher to introduce our testing procedures, and the all ways a hit Toothpaste Words Activity.  :)

Since I love y'all so much, I'm sharing my Toothpaste Words Activity with you today.  One of my all time favorite books to read with my class is Mr. Peabody's Apples.  

 

Which sadly looks to be out of print, but I've always had success ordering out of print books on Amazon and half.com.  Believe, this book is worth every penny, especially if you teach older kiddos.   Mr. Peabody's Apples tells a powerful story of a little boy who learns the power lesson of "not being so quick to judge and to remember the power of your words." 

After reading, I discuss the power of our words with my class and try, try, try to instill in them that once our words are spoken, they can never be forgotten, just forgiven.   To help this stick, I give each group of students a paper plate and a travel bottle of toothpaste.  I encourage the groups to work together to get all of the toothpaste out of the tube and onto the plate.  Once all the toothpaste is out, I give each student a toothpick and they have to work together to get all the toothpaste back into the tube.  Once it's obvious that this impossible, although I've had some groups come very close to putting all the toothpaste back, we have a discussion about the activity and relate how the toothpaste is like our words.  Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, all of it will never back in.  Much like our words, once we say something, it can't be taken back.  So if we say something hurtful, we can only hope to be forgiven.  

Once all the toothpaste is cleaned up, your classroom will smell minty fresh, I have my students fill out the following organizer. 

 Click on the picture or {here} to download your copy!  We fill the organizer with words that make us feel good and with words and phrase we should use when talking to others.  I usually try to collect all the organizers and make a book for my friends who have problems throughout the year saying kind things to others to read.  

I realize that many of you probably have a collection of back to school activities that you adore just as much as I love mine, so I created a separate pack with just the Time Capsule files in it. 

 Oh my word, I can't express to you how much I love doing time capsules with my kiddos.  My third graders always LOVED them, and I'm sure my fourth graders will too.  I had them complete the surveys as morning work one day during the first week of school, which works out quick nicely.  I also measure them with yarn during the first week and attach it to a labeled piece of paper.  On the last day of the week, I have the kiddos make a prediction about what they think the year will be like, and then they attach a picture I took of them during the first week of school to their prediction page. Everything then goes in a large shipping envelope that the students decorated, and into a large file box that I no longer use.  The last week of school, the kiddos fill out the same survey, are measured again with yarn, and write a reflection on the year with a current picture attached.  On the last day of school, I give them their time capsule from the beginning of the year, and oh what fun it is! It's amazing to see how much they have changed! Plus this makes for a great memento of the school year.  

If you're interested in either activity pack, the links are below. 

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers

Must drag myself away from the computer to do laundry now! :)

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That...

I've so not been productive over the past few days.  I had a meeting a few days ago for summer school, and since then I haven't done much teaching wise.  My creative juices haven't been following and I've spent way too much time watching The Golden Girls and Will and Grace every morning this week.  Oh and reading this blog.  

I'm a sucker for celebrity gossip, and this blog "written" by Suri Cruise is about one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. 

I've also been cheating on Pinterest with Olioboard.  Have you heard of it?  It's like Pinterest but you get create interior design inspiration boards.   Except the fact the picture resizing button works just like Picasa's resizing tool, which I despise, it just either makes them bigger or go sideways rather than simply resizing, it's pretty awesome.  I made this Olioboard with some of my favorite things I pinned to my entry way board on Pinterest.  

Although, I'd order most of the prints in the colors of the subway art that is in the center, blues and greens. Our whole color scheme is blue and green with a touch of orange here and there for our downstairs, so I'm in love with this look once everything is ordered in the right color.  Although the Steelers print will remain black and gold. I guess that makes us those people who hang up sports teams paraphernalia in our house, but I tried to keep it classy. ;) Fact, my mom and dad have a bedroom in their house painted scarlet red with all my dad's Ohio State stuff on display with one of those Brutus fat head stickers on the wall.  Another fact, I won't be doing that at our house.  I've selected this stylish little OSU subway art for my home office. 

Source: etsy.com via Lisa on Pinterest

I also procrastinated and made cookies yesterday. They were supposed to be crinkle cookies, but I didn't have powered sugar.  So these are just wrinkled lemon cookies, but they're still really, really, really good. 

 

 Fact, I don't even bother with traditional cookie recipes anymore.  I just use cake mix.  Cake mix makes the best cookies ever.  My favorite recipes are here and here.

Another fact, my dog really wanted those cookies.  She had to settle for dog food instead.

I've also been analyzing my classroom theme direction for far too long this week.  When I first start teaching, I inherited a bunch of  stars and stripes/red, white, and blue items.  It worked for awhile and I really liked it.  After six years though, I got a little sick of it.  This upcoming school year, I really wanted to do a primary polka theme, very much like this from School Girl Style. 

Source: schoolgirlstyle.com via Lisa on Pinterest

But without the apples and the worms. ;) However, with our house closing right around the time of back to school, aka that very day, I've decided to stick with the good ole Stars and Stripes this year again.  Sometimes making budget friendly decisions are hard, especially when I see everyone's beautiful classroom designs popping up everywhere in blog land.  But my money needs to be, and should be, spent on things like cabinet knobs, blinds, and area rugs right now. 

Next year though, I'm totally going after my primary polka dot dream! :)

I realize that this post had nothing to really do about teaching, but I always think it's fun when my favorite bloggers show me a glimpse into their personal life.  My husband has class tonight and I've now have lots of ideas for my back to school pack, which I hope to have available by the weekend. :) 

I also will be receiving my Scrappin' Doodles license for my blog soon, so I can share some classroom management freebies I've created with you! :) As well as some goodies for those of you who use Treasures like me!