Summer Fun Journal!



Dr. Jean and I had so much fun putting together this Summer Fun Journal Writing Prompts Packet to help keep our students writing over the summer.  It's FREE at my TpT store if you would like to make some books for your students to use this summer.

Each prompt has 3 versions:  one with all the same font (black and white); one with different fonts (black and white); one with fun fonts and colored clipart.

There are 4 different covers you can use for the book- OR you could print out some prompts, put them in a pocket folder for each student, and encourage the children to add "summer treasures" to the folder.  They can include things like ticket stubs, pamphlets from trips, or pictures.

These packets are a great way to show students how useful, fun, and creative writing can be.

Enjoy!

Five for Friday January 15

I'm linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching for Five for Friday!  Thank you for hosting, Kacey.  I hope all of you had a great week. Happy Friday!  

I saw these sweet cardinals from Fairfield Elementary School, and wanted to try them with my class.  

Mine didn't QUITE come out so cute, but I still love the personalities!  I only did one cardinal on a branch.



I also saw this cute salt dough robin (which at first I thought was a cardinal) and realized that I liked how the thumb was the little peak feather on the head!  Some of my cardinals may look a bit like red fish, but I love them to pieces! 

                                  

I hung my cardinals over the children's lockers.  Above the cardinals, I used different sayings from "Advice from a Cardnial," and had children write a piece of advice on a sentence strip.  This would make a cute bulletin board, too.   I also printed out one of these pictures to go with each cardinal when I send them home.  

We played Hidden Partners this year for the first time.  The kids LOVE it.  It's such a great way to practice fluency with addition facts- and so much fun!  

I thought of the game a while ago.  Here is the back story:

We had a half-day conference day last week to discuss our math vocabulary with grades Pre-K- 2nd, so that we were sure we were all using the same math language.  As we went over the language, I realized that I had never actually said the words, "hidden partners," to my class at all.  (Actually, I had never used those words to anyone at all- which I think is a good thing... cause it sounds sort of soap opera-ish to me...) 

Anyway, as we talked math talk for the next couple hours, and everyone else moved on to other math vocabulary, I was sort of stuck on Hidden Partners.  I came up with a fun game to play during that class called... wait for it... Hidden Partners!  All you need is 3x5 cards and a marker.  It doesn't get much easier than that! 

Basically, Hidden Partners means there are different ways to make a number. 

We have been making charts about Ways to Make... numbers 2-5.  



I made 3x5 cards with numbers on them that added up to our target number.  I have 17 students, so I made 9 sets of cards- for example, for "5"  I made 0,5; 1,4; 2,3; 3,2; 4,1; 5,0, 3,2; 4,1; 5,0.  So I would also play the game since there are 18 cards.

Before we play, we review the facts that add up to that number. So- 5+0,0+5, 4+1,1+4, 2+3, 3+2.



I had the children spread out, and gave each child a card with a number.  They could not show their number to anyone until I said, "Go!"

Once I said, "Go!" the each child had to walk around and find a "Hidden Partner" to go with his/her number to make 5. 

Once they found their Hidden Partner, that team of two had to sit down on the floor so everyone knew they were paired up and done. 

The kids loved this game!  We had so much fun.   We also played it with the number four.

I made sets of numbers for 3, 4, and 5.  I just used different color markers for each set  in case they get mixed up.  You could go all the way up to ten!  We are really working on learning and knowing addition and subtraction facts to five right now.

This was my first group to sit down today.  They were a little excited.  

This book is fabulous for lots of things: opposites, predictions, retelling, and talking about the text, just to name a few.  We had so  much fun with it this week.  You can see it doesn't have many words- only "Good news."and "Bad news."  But that's actually great- because I used it to have each of my students explain a page as we read it.  They had to tell me WHY it was good news or bad news on the page.  The kids loved it- and it was great practice for them to speak in a group, pay attention to the story, and stay on topic.  

Another way to use it would be to have students predict what will happen on the next page- "What will the good news (or bad news) be?"  Then, you could read it again and have them explain what actually happened.  

I got this book from Scholastic. Here are some pages so you can see what it's like:

After we read the book, I had the children draw and write about something that was good news and something that was bad news for them.   (The picture quality came out awful- not sure why.  )

I like doing a quick writing activity because it really gives me a chance to focus on the conventions with each student.  Sometimes when we write books- I feel so overwhelmed, because I can't get to everyone, and while I'm working with a few of the children, I know I need to get to another group to get them going in the right direction...  But with one sentence, I can quickly remind them to use spaces or talk about "magic e," or notice misspelled sight words, or missing periods.

Just click the picture if you'd like a copy of the simple worksheet I made.



Here is another one of my FAVORITE books to use for writing about books.  

 If you haven't read it, it's about a little fish who steals a hat from a big fish.  The little fish thinks the big fish is sleeping, and will never know... but... he's not!  And trouble ensues!  You can see how this first page gets the kids' attention:

At the end, after a suspenseful trip, the big fish comes out of the weeds with his hat- and the little fish is nowhere in sight.  What happened?  It's up the the kids to decide what they think.  I LOVE it. They all have opinions- and they all want to talk about it.

So, we each write what we thought happened to the fish.  Then, after they write, we all share.  It's also fun to make a graph afterwards to see who thinks the little fish got eaten, and who thinks the he did not.

                                                

 ( I think "that" it made a loop-de-loop.  I thought that was a clever one!)

I love a quick writing prompt with a story because it lets me see exactly what each student needs to work on with writing- neatness, sight word spelling, spaces, etc. 

This is one of the 102 stories in my QR Codes and Writing Prompts.  I use these prompts all the time.

They're perfect for an ELA lesson.I use them to work on conventions with my students, because I can really see from these assignments if they are staying on topic, using spaces, beginning with a capital letter, using ending punctuation, spelling sight words correctly, and writing neatly.  

I also leave these for substitute plans.  They work great for that. 

I posted lots and lots of snowflake ideas if you'd need any ideas for winter!  I shared favorite books, ideas to go with those books, and LOTS of TPT Freebies!  Have fun!

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

QR Codes and Writing Prompts!

My students LOVE listening to stories.  This little group is one that says, "Read it again," the minute I'm done with a book.  I love that.

We just started using our iPads, and the kids are amazing with those, already, too.  I introduced QR codes - and they are hooked.  Already!

I also love using writing prompts with my students. Writing prompts provide such great insight into students' thinking as they make connections to the books that we read.  They provide perfect opportunities for authentic, purposeful writing, and they are a great way to meet the CCSS for ELA.

I decided to combine these two wonderful things and make a packet of Writing Prompts with QR Codes.

 I made 160 writing prompts for 102 different stories.  I put a QR code for each story read aloud right on the writing prompt, so that the children can take it home, scan the code,  and listen to the story again and again!  I also put the QR Codes together at the end of the packet, so they can be made into Listening Centers.   I also have a packet of only QR Codes for the 102 Stories. 

I scanned each video through ViewPure to take out any ads or distractions.  Viewing the videos at home won't be a problem because nothing would be blocked, but if you are using these at school in a QR Listening Packet, check the sample to be sure you can scan and see ViewPure video.  If that site it blocked, often the IT person will unblock a site for you if you ask and explain what it is for. 

I just wrote a note home to parents explaining that they could download any free QR code reader and access the stories on the papers!

This packet has so many stories to choose from, that I am making different books of Listen Center Stories to use throughout the year.

To start the year, I printed off the stories that had to do with colors and made a Color Book of QR codes.  I actually couldn't believe how many stories I had about colors!

 (I made a realllllly fancy cover for mine... but it serves the purpose. They want to get to what's inside!)

Some weeks, I am going to hang up  QR codes around the room for the children to "Read the Room" with their iPad for center time.

I made a variety of types of writing prompts.  Some require more writing than others.  Some are drawings with just  a little writing.  It's fun to see the children grow with these throughout the year- and into first grade!  In first grade, they write more and add more to the answers.

I wanted to show you some samples of some of the completed prompts. I thought they were actually great, considering it's only the second week of kindergarten!

Go Away, Big, Green Monster was so much fun!  The first time I read the book, I had the children draw as I read.  I gave them each the colors of crayons they needed to go along with the story.  As I read the book, I didn't let them see the pictures.  It's a great listening activity.  When they were done, they came to the rug,  and I read the story with the pictures.  (They said, "Read it again." So I read it again!) After that, we shared the monsters we drew before we had seen the pictures.  The drawings were really pretty close to the book!  The kids are so proud when I notice something special on their picture.  "Look at that great purple hair!"  "I love that long, bluish, greenish nose!"  "WOW- those are really BIG yellow eyes!" They were great listeners.

I originally had the song to go along with this book as the QR code.  BUT- I changed it because my class just loved this video! They loved it because it actually scared them a little at first- and then they felt very brave that they made it through and realized it was fun. So then, they wanted to hear it again. And again.  That' s why it is so wonderful to have the story right on their prompt that they can share it at home.

Here are a few other samples to show you.  Like I said, I was really proud of the kids this early on in the year for getting any letters on their papers!

"It is raining."  (and "cat")

"I am a bee."  (She couldn't spell "I" but she could draw one...:) 

These are some samples from last year, later in the year.  These were the prompts without the QR codes (in my Writing Prompts for 115 Stories Packet), but look at the difference in the writing a little later in the year!  I printed this out on black and white ink to save ink.  You can do that with any of the prompts.  

I always keep a copy of my writing prompts right inside the book it goes with. That way I'm never searching and I always have the activity right there.  These are perfect for sub plans, extra or unexpected time you have, or if another teacher needs a quick activity.

I made a bunch of these for my daughter when she substitute taught last year.  I gave her a copy of some of my favorite books with the prompts right inside (and even 20 copies made ahead of time!) just in case she ever found herself in a room without enough planned for the day.

I hope you and your students enjoy these QR codes and prompts!

Thank you for stopping by!