Spring Break!!

WoooHooo!! Isn't vacation great! I'm so excited for this one because it is going to be our first vacation with our son! There is so much to prepare though so not really looking forward to that!

As I said goodbye to my kids today I tried to give them good tips on staying active with reading during the break.  When they come back they have to face 3 days of rigorous testing! (Unless they refuse to take it! - fingers crossed!)  I wanted them to have something to do over vacation that wasn't just busy work with them reading random stories and answering questions.  I put together a close reading pack with tons of stories of ocean animals!  I leveled all the stories (because ya know I have so much free time!!!).  This way each of the stories met the needs of all my students.  I'm really happy with how it came out!

This is one of the stories about crabs.  They have a close reading guide on the right side to help them locate important information.  On the bottom right is a small dot.  That is the lowest level story.  On the teacher guide for each pack it tells you the level of each of the stories.  They are leveled with a lexile and I used a conversion chart I found online to convert it to Fountas and Pinnell.  So the Fountas and Pinnell levels are estimates as there is no direction correlation between the two leveling systems.  

Check out the whole pack here!!

After getting home today I was so tired! I picked up my son from my parents house because I am lucky they can watch him for me during the day!  I definitely stopped for coffee because thats my fuel these days, that and the gym.  I haven't been to the gym in a few days so happy to get back tomorrow!  I settled in and decided to start working on a close reading pack on water pollution.  I figure its a great pack for Earth Day.  My class is doing another module from EngageNY at the end of the year and it discusses conservation so I thought this would be a great way to help my students gain a better understanding!

Make sure to watch for it!

I find it hard to work at home lately.  I feel guilty because I don't get to see my son all day while I'm at work so I really want to spend all my time with him but I also need to get work done!  Lately I have been having him sit next to me while I work on projects so at least I can interact with him while I'm trying to work!

Enjoy!!

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Easter Close Reading Pack

Today is going to be such a long day! I have parent teacher conferences tonight, which means a lot of running around inbetween school and the conferences to get my son ready. I'm very lucky my parents are always ready to babysit (my husband is in the process of starting his own business so he always works late). I don't know about you guys but we start our spring recess this Thursday and we are going away on vacation on Saturday so I have a lot of packing to do. 

Last night I finished my Easter close reading pack (Logan, my son, fell asleep early!). This is such a great pack because it is differentiated on 3 different reading levels so it meets the needs of all my students. I'm using this pack with my AIS students this week because it reviews the close reading strategy and also gives them practice answering short response questions. 

Make sure to check it out!! 

Easter Close Reading Pack

Enjoy!!

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

A New Direction...

So as I sit at home trying to get so many important things done I try and think of what my next blog post should be... if I actually can fit in writing it.  I realized that just writing about what I do at work is such a small fraction of my life.  Trying to balance a career with being a new mom is rough and I often find myself trying to find other blogs out there to relate to.  I decided to shift from just education to fitting everything in because I'm hoping to have other people relate to me and my blog.

So I had a baby in September (2014).  I was lucky enough to stay home with my son for 10 weeks which wasn't nearly enough time but would any amount of time actually be enough?  I really doubt it.  So I went back to work knowing things would be harder than they were already but I never imagined it would be as hard as it was.  I was miserable leaving my son, knowing I was probably going to miss all the milestones like rolling over and crawling.  I also had a really hard time adjusting to being a teacher and a mom.  Being a teacher, like many of you I'm sure know, is beyond a full time job.  My school is completing 3, yes I said 3!!!!!, modules this year.  That in itself is an adjustment since it is all new.  So how do you balance being a mom and a teacher? Well if anyone has an answer please share!!!

Things have definitely started getting easier as I have found tricks to help me multitask.  I do still have breakdowns almost weekly where I just sit and cry because I don't really know how I'm going to get everything done.  Then I pick up the pieces and get everything done!

So multitasking tip number 1 for me was to really utilize my time while I'm pumping.  My number 1 goal after having my son was to breastfeed for a year but after some complications I became and "exclusive pumper".  This is so time consuming but I'm still determined to last a year.  So back to my multitasking tip! I have found I can get work done while I am pumping at work!  I now bring my computer back and forth with me and while I'm "in my office" as my friends and I call it I can get work done to run my TpT business that I am so desperately trying to succeed in!

I'm definitely open to anymore multitasking tips if you have any! Please share!!

:)
Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Two Bad Ants - Bundle Pack!!

My activities for the book Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg has been flying off the shelves!  I've decided to bundle them all together to help everyone save over 20%!!!

There are 4 different items available in the bundle pack.  The first one is one of my best sellers.  This is an inferencing pack.  This is differentiated to meet the needs of your students.  This particular activity below gives different quotes from different parts of the story.  I have also added in the clues for the students.  They then take that information to make an inference.  This is also given with the clues box blank for them to complete.

Next I have a point of view activity pack.  This book is a great way to teach point of view!  This was also a great way for my students to identify evidence in a text.

Before I read the story with my groups I introduced vocabulary.  There were a few words my students were unfamiliar with throughout this story so reviewing the words before hand really helped.  I put them on the board and we read them together.  Then when we came across them in the text we worked together to identify the meanings.

Finally I let my students play a comprehension board game.  They worked so hard throughout this unit it was only fair they get some time to play a game.  Plus the game was measuring their comprehension of the story so it definitely was a great addition.

Enjoy!!

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Higher Order Questioning

With the introduction of the common core, questions have become much more complex. When answering Short response questions students have to make sure they are using a correct format to ensure they have answered the question correctly and with enough detail!

Adding enough detail to a short response question is where I notice my students struggle the most!  In order to get better they need to practice. I decided since it is the holiday season to start answering a question daily. I chose to base my questions on The Polar Express by Chris Van Allaburg. I know my 6th graders have heard this story many many times but I figured I could use that to help them succeed. 

For this activity I'm not really assessing their comprehension of the story. I am assessing whether they can analyze a question using evidence from a text. I created this graphic organizer for them to use to help map out their answer:

This allows my students to make sure they have all the information they need before finalizing their answer. 

You can download this product by clicking HERE!!!

Literacy Centers.. Effective strategies for older students

Hey all!! Hope you are all getting ready for the holidays. I just wanted to share some tips on using literacy centers in the upper grades. A few people have asked me how I am able to keep the centers going once the students get older!  

The first thing I do is organize my centers on one board:

I put the students into random groups and each day they are assigned a new center. Next to this board I keep bins with all the response pages in. The envelopes I have hanging hold different sorting or task cards they may need or any other needed materials (highlighters, paper clips). 

Every Monday I go through each center with the whole class so they know what to do. I also write the directions for each center on a dry erase board in case they forget. 

On this board I also put the objective of the center. 

Since I teach 6th grade the writing center activity usually takes them a week to complete. Whenever they finished their assigned center for the day they go onto writing. 

During this time I am pulling reading groups. If I pull their reading group and they miss a center they know that sometime during the week they will need to make up that center! 

It takes a lot of training in the beginning. I usually start in September and just have then do centers for a month before I start pulling groups. That way they really know what is expected of them during the reading group time. 

What To Expect... Reading Carousel **FREEBIE**

I always like to start the year off with my kids moving around the room.  I don't want them to come in and think I'm going to just lecture to them and give them rules.  This carousel allows them to create the rules and tell me about their feelings about reading in a fun way instead of just giving them a worksheet.

I put each of these questions on file folders and have the students write their responses on the inside of the folder.  In the past I had them write on chart paper but it was hard to store.  The file folders go right into my file cabinet and are pulled out at different points in the year to have the students reflect on their progress, or to remind them of the rules they created!

(I'm going to add more pictures after my students complete this activity tomorrow!! Stay tuned!!)

To download this activity FREE click HERE!!

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Holiday Word Wall Cards and Activities!

Getting back into the swing of things at work! How about you?  I always feel overwhelmed in September since I have a summer of ideas flowing through my head that I want to implement ALL in September!  The next thing I'm putting into my classroom is a holiday word wall!  I want to increase my students vocabulary and feel that my students tend to stick with their known vocabulary out of fear of using a word incorrectly.  By having this word wall I'm hoping my students will be encouraged to use new words!

The holiday's included in this pack are: 

* New Year’s Day * Martin Luther King Day

* Groundhog Day * Valentine’s Day

* St. Patrick’s Day * Easter 

* Memorial Day * Halloween

* Thanksgiving * Christmas

This word wall pack includes 2 sets of words for each holiday.  One set is geared towards K-2 and the other is geared towards 3-6.  This really allows a teacher to differentiate the word wall to meet the needs of their students and challenge students when needed.

To get this holiday word wall pack click here!!

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick!

Synonym Word Walls **FREEBIE**

I haven't really been writing due to the beginning of school! The first few weeks are always so stressful being a reading specialist. There are tests to administer and grade and schedules to create! Really looking forward to a successful year! After grading a quick assessment we gave I notice the students need to increase their vocabulary. They all use basic commonly used words when there are much better words out there!!

In my classroom I have a synonym word wall.  I leave it up all year and have the students refer to it when they are writing.  My students always find more words to add and really enjoy adding them to our wall.

This is the word wall I have in my classroom.  Each year I end up adding new words based on what I observe in my classroom.

I created a FREE synonym word wall starter set to encourage everyone to start this in their classroom.  The one I created is an ocean theme.  I plan on elaborating more on the file and include many different themes.  If you are looking for a specific theme please comment below and let me know!

To download the starter set click HERE!!!

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Turn and Talk Task Cards

Well a new school year is about to begin.  I hope everyone had a well rested summer!  I was looking for a fun way to begin the year and came up with these turn and talk task cards.  I know so many teachers start by reading a great picture book (For example The Best School Year Ever or A Bad Case of Stripes) and instead of just reading the book to your class a great activity would get them involved in the reading.

The students are excited to see their friends and this gives them the opportunity to have a conversation and keep them engaged during a read-aloud.

Make sure to check out this great activity by clicking HERE!!!

Also available for Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5

Give A Hoot for Latin Roots!

Teaching Latin roots really helps students connect to unknown words.  I like to introduce them into my classroom and then have students go on scavenger hunts to locate words throughout our lessons that have the same Latin roots!  This makes learning more exciting for my students!

I don't know about you but I'm always looking for fun, interactive ways to teach.  I can only stand up in front of the class for so long giving a "lecture" before I find my students staring into space.  I know at that point I've totally lost them.  I usually teach my whole class for about 15-20 minutes before breaking up into small groups so the students can do various assignments.  My students typically do well in small groups and for the most part all the activities are differentiated so I know the students are performing at their level.  This also makes for great RTI data (Make sure to check out the Confer App to keep track of your data.  To read my review click here!)

I'm really not big on "worksheets" but I found making this Latin Roots notebook for my students really helps them to connect and understand each of the roots.  When I introduce a new Latin root we always go over the meaning together.  Then they draw a picture and come up with examples.  For the picture and the examples I usually let students work in groups that they choose.  It's great to see the work that they can produce when bouncing ideas off each other!

I really love teaching using hands on activities.  They can be used for small group work or even during literacy centers.  I feel my students are much more engaged in the activity when they can become involved and even move around the room.  

One of my favorite literacy center activities is giving my students task cards.  Although this can be done in a small group I prefer to use them during a literacy center as a review of what we have been learning in class.  Their answers make for a great assessment and since the task cards all ask different questions you can incorporate different learning styles on them.  They all don't have to be question and answer, you can have students draw pictures or do other activities so the assessment can benefit all students.

You can purchase this activity by visiting my TpT page HERE!!

Download the Task Card activity FREE by clicking HERE!!

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

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Latin Roots Task Cards **FREEBIE**

Latin roots are an important thing to implement in a classroom.  It teaches students how to break apart unknown words to find meaning.  This FREEBIE can be used as a literacy center or as a small group activity after a lesson on Latin roots.

The Latin roots mentioned are mono, bi, tri, deca, cent, and mill.

Great ways to incorporate Latin roots in your classroom:

* Make a Latin roots notebook for students to use throughout the year
* Write Latin roots on index cards and hang together using a ring.  Put them outside your classroom door for students to use as an entrance ticket into the room every morning.
* Create a Latin root word wall - Make Latin root flowers as an ongoing interactive bulletin board

Download this free by going to my TpT page!

Please share your ideas for incorporating Latin roots in the comments!!

Enjoy :)
Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Make sure to follow my blog on Bloglovin by clicking HERE!!

The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson *ACTIVITY PACK*

This week I am linking up with Book Talk Tuesday from Mrs. Jump's Class.  I love all the activities and books posted so definitely check it out!  The books are all about what to read on the first days of school!

I really enjoy using The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson.  I find my students are really able to relate to the story and we are able to have many good discussions.  Some good discussion starters could be found from my Reader's Notebook post from yesterday! Check it out!

There are many skills that can be taught using this book.  I created an activity pack to use that contains skills such as:

• discussing genre (realistic fiction)
• citing supporting evidence 

It is important that students are able to sight evidence from the text.  Typically students give you a brief summary rather than analyzing evidence to support their answer.  This is a good way to introduce this skill to them in the beginning of the year.

• character traits 

This graphic organizer is also given without the characters names filled in.  This gives you an opportunity to differentiate the lesson within your class.  This also goes back to students have to cite evidence from a text and makes for a great group discussion once students are finished.

• narrative writing 
• the 4 types of sentences

My students love this activity.  I have the students work in groups using large chart paper.  I hang the chart paper around the room and give each group about 5 minutes to go through the story and identify a phrase from the story that matches the type of sentence they are assigned.  After about 5 minutes students rotate to the next chart paper station.  They really enjoy this scavenger hunt activity because it allows them to work together.  I really like this lesson because of the discussions I hear throughout the activity.  My students really start to analyze the sentences and this helps them comprehend the story better.

To check out the activity pack click HERE to go to my TpT page!

And don't forget to check out Mrs. Jump's Book Talk Tuesday!

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

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Having A Reader's Notebook

Having students complete a reader's notebook really allows students to interact with a book. It gives them the opportunity to reflect and record their feelings about what they are reading, as well as giving them the chance to analyze the story and how its written.  I find this important because students often just rush through their reading assignments rather than really trying to understand the text.  My students are often reluctant to begin a reader's notebook but I often find it is something they eventually enjoy doing because it lets them be honest about their feelings without the fear of being judged by their peers. This benefits me by really being able to see what they understand and what they are struggling with.

I like to have my students glue the checklist in the front of their readers notebook.  It is important to me that my students use different prompts so I like the checklist because I can quickly monitor how often they are using a specific one.

This is the checklist.  I have students write the dates on the lines next to the prompt.

On Friday's I have my students complete an exit ticket response page that they turn in.  I respond to their writing and return the page on Monday.  This gives me the opportunity to monitor the responses and I get to respond to their entries.  On Monday they glue the response page into their notebook. Sometimes I have students work in pairs or triads on Monday to discuss the prompt they chose and their responses.  It is great watching their skills grow as they become more involved with the book and their discussions become more in depth.

To purchase this activity click HERE to go to my TPT Page!!

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

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Is It Fiction or Non-Fiction? FREEBIE

I hope everyone had an amazing Fourth of July weekend! I know I did!!  Now it's back to the grind!  I wanted to post a FREEBIE to go after Fourth of July, thought it would be appropriate!  This one features students sorting whether titles are fiction or non-fiction.  Even some of my 6th graders sometimes struggle with the meanings of fiction and non-fiction, they always mix them up!  This is a great center activity to reinforce those skills.

These are some book titles that students will sort into
fiction and non-fiction categories.

These are the sorting mats that students use to sort the book titles.
It helps them organize their answers before recording them on their
response page.

I love having students complete hands on center activities because it keeps them engaged while I work with a reading group.  Another great idea is to have students check each other's work.  I know my students really enjoy this task because it gives them the opportunity to be the teacher.

Writing Rainbow **FREEBIE**

I LOVE this activity!  My students all complete a rainbow every time they go through the writing process.  It helps them keep track of their writing to ensure they are going through all the correct steps.  I also created a colorful interactive bulletin board where students move a star to each color of the rainbow to represent each step of the writing process.

To download this FREE click HERE!!! 

Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Summer Reading Incentives!! - MUST SEE!!

I know I just posted a little while ago but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to share these great resources!  I have stumbled upon many different summer reading incentive programs, and being a reading specialist I couldn't resist sharing them with you!

1.  Barnes and Noble - They have a printable reading log that must be completed.  Children must read 8 books and complete the reading log.  Then they bring it into a participating store and will receive a FREE BOOK!!

2. Scholastic - They have a reading program that tracks the minutes read throughout the summer.  There are also contests to enter! Check it out!

3. TD Bank - Their summer reading program allows kids to earn up to $10!

4.  Half Price Books - Their summer reading program gives kids the opportunity to win a $20 gift card to their site so they can order books!

5. Sylvan Learning Book Adventure - Students search for specific books on their site and then read them.  Once finished the students take a quiz on the book to earn points.  They can earn points for each book they read and use the points to earn prizes!

I really hope your children are able to participate and earn great prizes for reading during the summer!!

Enjoy!

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

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Monkey See, Monkey Do - Vowel Board Game

Yes, I know summer vacation starts today but I just have to continue posting.  It's really important that kids keep up with their reading throughout the summer.  Kids do not want to do "work" over the summer so why not play reading games that still allow them to have fun but they can continue to review their skills.

Monkey See, Monkey Do is a great game to play to review vowels, long and short.  This is important for kids to reinforce so they can keep up with their decoding skills.  In this game students are given cards that have words with the different vowels on them.  The players will roll the dice and move along the banana spaces.  When they land on a banana they will have to pick a word from their hand that contains the vowel written on the banana.  If they have one they put it in the discard pile, if not their turn is over.  The first player to get rid of all their cards wins!

There are 3 different sets of game cards so the game can be played at different levels or many different times by a group!

Enjoy :)

Get a copy of this game by clicking HERE!!!

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Have a great summer!!!

Beach Bum Literacy Chick

Parts of a Letter -- FREEBIE --

Hey everyone! I know I'm counting down the days until summer vacation! I have 4 schools days left and can't wait! I'm so excited to relax but also to create great new activities for the next year!  Today I wanted to touch on writing a letter, especially since many kids go to camp over the summer it would be great that they knew the proper way to write a letter!

This FREEBIE is a great follow up activity for a lesson on the parts of a letter.  It can also be used to assess their understanding, plus its a fun activity and they kids get to use crayons.  I know my students ears perk up when I mention crayons so hopefully that will give them some motivation!!!



Download this activity FREE by clicking HERE!!!

For the complete activity pack click HERE!!!!

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Enjoy :)

Beach Bum Literacy Chick