Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Word Work!

Hey Friends!!

I have been posting lots of pictures on Instagram of my classroom and my word work area. I have had a lot of teachers asking what word work I use and commenting that they liked the labels I created.

So.... I am going to share a little bit about my word word and I am also going to share a friends word work station as well!


This Year!!!


Last Year!!

The games have really stayed the same for the start of school however I am using my smaller shelf this year because I just feel that less games is actually a little better! I change these out around September - October.

Top of the shelf I always have my Read the Room, 
dry erase boards, and clip boards for write the room!

Shelf number 1 

first up is our Ipad - sight word practice
I have different lists that the students can use for this
The lists are normally already in the basket for them. 
They can sit with a friend and "text" sight words to each other :)

ZAP is next! It is a really simple and fun game to play
You right the students sight words on popsicle sticks and on about 
6 extra sticks write the word ZAP. When they get ZAP they have to put 
all their sticks and start over. The kids LOVE this game!

This is just my Rainbow Write the room!
The students take a clipboard from the top, a piece of paper, 
and a thing of crayons and off they go to write the room :)

Shelf Number 2

First one up on this shelf is the Sandwich Maker
It is just all of the students sight words on items that look like bread, 
meat, cheese, etc. They use the flippers to make sight word sandwiches. 
(Can't remember where I got this specific one, but my 
friend Jess at Two Friends in First has one for sale)

This is something old I made in college for Kindergarten, but at the beginning of the year it comes in handy! Just a match the picture to the correct umbrella digraph.

Tower Power!! Another student favorite! They stack the cups that they can read to build
a very large tower. If they do not know the word they cannot use it to build the tower. 
It gives them incentive to practice!!

Shelf Number 3

These are letter tiles for the students to practice word building with. They are new - someone game them to my this summer so I am going to try these. Typically I have the pizza pans with magnetic letters
but I decided to put those somewhere new this year! 

This is another old game from Kindergarten. It is all the color words and basic K sight words written on  cutouts of frogs, flowers, and bugs. The students spread them out and SLAP the sight words they know! This game goes away quickly because most of the words are practice/review.

The last basket is also a NEW one for me! I saw these at the Learning Supply store and
I could not help but get them. They fit on lined paper so that the students have to make 
sure they are using top, middle, and bottom lines. The best part is that they are 
transparent so the children can see where they are placing it and how close it is to 
other letters or words. Wish me good-luck! I hope this one goes alright!


My teammate does things a little different in her room.. but I love the way she does it!
In all the pictures below you will see that she provides the students with different ways to create letters and words. I got to see her kids using the pipe cleaners last year and they loved it. They were spelling out words and reading them to one another! It was awesome!!




Then she stores all of her word lists in these (THAT I LOVE!!) and it is located right next to the shelf!


I do have some other items for sale in my TPT store that I use for Word Work

My FAVORITE!! Is my Taco Tuesday. I am sure you have read my many blog posts about how it helped to ramp up engagement and got the students really excited! 

Well here are some pictures if you have forgotten! 



























The packet includes both phonics and math games!
It is a really great price for all that you get. Those of you who have purchased 
things from me before know that I load my packs with lots of goodies! 
Click HERE to get it and LOVE it! 


The other one I have posted in my store right now is an ice cream word work


If you click this picture it will take you to my store where you can find more information!!

NOW if you are still READING this blog post you are going to see that you can have the labels on my word work bins for FREE!! :) Hope you enjoy them. Click the picture below to take you to my TPT store!





Saturday, August 3, 2013

Summer Love

I am in LOVE this summer!

1. I am in LOVE with Chevron!!! How about you? Look at this "bench" that my hubby made me for my classroom! It is not quite done yet, but this is it so far.



This is what it looked like before I covered it in foam and material!

 My new chevron crate seats! Again my wonderful husband made me these :)

I worked so hard setting everything up that I needed a little break on my new bench!


2. I am LOVING making my classroom inviting for my babies! I cannot wait to meet them!



Books are in the bins! Woohoo!

More books :)

My desks! Trying to decide if I like the table numbers handing from the ceiling... what do you think?

Another view of the table numbers


3. I LOVE making clip art! My hubby may even start to help me! He is very creative and a much better drawer than I am! 

My NEW Flashy Chevron Paper Pack - Just $1.00 in my TPT Store
Click the picture below to make it yours!

 I am still working on the one below! I am excited it has like a fade/ombre look to it :)

4. I am LOVING my new Meet the Teacher pack! It goes with my End of the Year Red Carpet Premier! I will start and end the year in Hollywood Style! 

Student Goodie Bags
(Thanks to Miss Kindergarten)

Student Scavenger Hunt

5. I am LOVING my teammates! 

My very AWESOME friend Tara approached me about this idea of making curtains out of table clothes. (You must understand that Tara can make a joke but look completely serious and you have no clue...So that is what I thought was going on!) Then she tells me she wants to staple them!!! I start laughing because I seriously thought she was pulling my leg. But once I saw the supplies I knew she was serious. 2 Packs of tablecloths, 4 dowel rods, command hooks, a stapler, and 4 puffy balls later... Waalaa! They were done! I could not believe how great they turned out!! Here are some pictures! 




This is before Tara's puffy balls made it up! I will post another picture next week.


6. I am LOVING Walmart and there back to school selection this year! 

Tara & Beth seem to think I have a problem.... I have NO PROBLEM with chevron! ;)

7. I am in LOVE with my husband and I am LOVING being his wife! 

Saturday night dinner on the grill and then a walk to get ice cream! 
(Just 3 weeks ago today we were saying I DO)

Have you ever eaten a fresh waffle cone & ice cream??
OMG it was a little warm and soft and ohhhhh soooo gooood! 




8. I am LOVING the wedding photos we have seen so far! Our photographer was AMAZING! If you live in Pennsylvania and are getting married or just want photos taken (especially if you have children) you need to check out her website!!

Click on any of the pictures below to take you to her site! 



9. I am LOVING all of my followers! You make me love blogging even more! Please know that if you ever need anything that I am MORE than happy to help! Just send me an email at firstgradeteacherlady@gmail.com! Thank you for supporting me on Pinterest and Instagram also!!

LOVE,