Five for Friday December 2nd

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey!

       

We had the BEST day EVER on Thursday!  Dr. Jean was in town doing a conference, and stopped by our school to do a concert for our children.   We all sing her songs all the time- and to have her in REAL, LIVE person was just amazing.  I know it's something the children (teachers) will remember forever. She is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. the way she captivates the children.  They were so star-struck.  I always am, too.   

Guess what song this is?!  

Here is a site our Literacy Coordinator shared with us. It's called BookBuilder Online, by Pioneer Valley Books.  It's awesome!  You can print  FREE personalized books for your students.  They have different leveled books and different topics. Here are a few to show you:

I printed out Christmas books for each of my kids.  I did it when they were in computer lab- and it took maybe 10 minutes to make and print books for each of my students.  (The color printer is right in the computer lab, so it was just perfect timing for me!)  Then, I just cut them in half and stapled them- so fast and easy!  Here are some pages of one I did for my kids to show you:

This is a post I wrote and just updated with LOTS of Christmas light freebies from TpT.   I just love Christmas lights! 

This is always one of my FAVORITE activities to do with my kids-

I used this fabulous Christmas Lights Pattern by Meredith Fitzhenry that she shared at her TPT store.  Thank you, Meredith!

I enlarged it 200 times and printed it on 11x17 paper.

I wrote secret sight words on each paper with a white crayon.  There are some on the paper above and you didn't even know it!   I made each paper different, and the children could watercolor however they wanted.  They loved this!  I got lots of "I love you's!" after this activity, so I knew it was a winner.  My kids love any kind of secret messages. Who doesn't?!

After the children discovered their secret words and read them to me, they wrote them on their paper.

I also enlarged Meredith's paper not quite so big and made some number papers for my little ones who still need some number recognition practice.

We followed this activity up by closing the shades and reading this sweet book that lights up.



I wanted to share  my Holiday Homework with you.   I love sending home some fun, simple family activities for the children (nothing too time-consuming) this time of year.  I used to make Christmas Countdown Chains for each child, and have an activity for them to complete on each link.  Then, I would send a bag with all of the "extras" needed to complete the tasks.  For example, on the night the chain said to "Drink your cocoa while you draw a picture to show how you like to stay warm in the winter. Write a sentence to go with your picture,"  I would put a cocoa packet in the bag.  This is what I sent home when I had the children eat a special meal on their Christmas plate and then write and label the meal they ate on the paper.

Everything was just something little, like a special holiday paper plate, a holiday pencil, a highlighter, special worksheets...   The Dollar Store is the place to go for the extra goodies!

  

I decided to change it up a little and make this Holiday Homework packet with activities in it.  I cut the activities apart, so I only send home one at a time.  I send about two or three a week. I attach the extra item with it, if it needs one. I tape the candy cane onto the paper for the first activity, etc.    I have found that more of the activities get done when they go home one at a time rather than when they were given all at once on the chain. (Even thought the chain idea was fun, too!)

I actually also think the children and the families appreciate everything more, too.

Here are some  pictures of the pages and the different activities:

 

 

I write a note to parents explaining that these are just for fun activities that don't need to be returned to school, butI wanted to think of something fun to put on the children's papers if they brought back something completed, so  I taped  a Starburst on these cut-out stars to put on the papers.  Sometimes I tape a silly band onto their paper.  I like to put on a little something special, because I appreciate the extra help at home!  Plus... it's that time of year for something special!

Finally- here's a quick little thing I have my kids do when they come in each morning before morning work.  I write a few sight words on a piece of chart paper, and they trace each one with a marker so we make class rainbow words.  I watch each child write because it's a good opportunity for a quick assessment, too, to see who is forming those letters correctly!  This day we were working on "m" words.   You could do this anytime- before lining up, for early finishers, after snack...  

Have a wonderful weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!