May Giveaway

I am joining Stacy at "The Learning Lab" for a May giveaway!!



Enter to win from May 5 - 12 - Stacey has over 60 items!!
I entered my Rumpelstiltskin Mini-Lesson.

This lesson includes posters for parts of a fairy tale:

As well as organizers for plot, parts of a fairy tale, Caldecott Honors and theme . . .

Enter the giveaway: "The Learning Lab" for a May giveaway! - I hope you win!!

Primary Math Linky Party

I am linking up with Linda at Primary Inspiration . . .

I posted about my Number Sense packet a few days ago . . . I couldn't resist linking this up. These basic number sense activities are perfect for primary grades. I made them for my older students who have gaps and deficits - but they would be useful for Pre-K and up.

Check out all the ideas and products that are part of this linky!

Concept Confession - Math Madness

I have been working on math activities for my classroom. The issue comes in when the WIDE range of students requires me to make different things. So, on one hand, I was making some fraction activities and on the other hand I was making number sense activities.

                                                            Number Sense Activities


I have had the pleasure of have some extensive training on the importance of number sense. These skills provide a solid foundation for all other mathematical skills. If there are gaps or deficits in basic number sense, then math thinking will not develop naturally and students will rely on steps and procedures as opposed to understanding the concepts. With this being said, I have some students who have splinter skills with numbers . . . I also have students who are just learning their numbers. For both, I have been using these activities from my packet of Number Sense Activities:


These are number cards that could be used for an endless list of activities!

Subitize! This was something I learned a great deal about and had never intentionally taught. I used dots from dice and cards to get quick recognition, but I didn't realize the power it had for visualizing numbers.

Five Frames - basic number sense starts with 5 - this gives a framework for visualizing five and then constructing and de-constructing five.

A fun way to get students to count and make sure they are understanding the value of numbers. Try it as a brain break!

Building numbers is a great way to work on facts. Using a ten frame and two colored chips, this activity requires students to visualize the adding and what that looks like. The more they can visualize these concepts the more it becomes their OWN knowledge and takes on a personal level of understanding.

I love this one. You could play this with dice and cups, but then it would be a great center! It pushes students past using dots to COUNT the answer for both numbers. A great way to lead students to count on, but not tell them to do it.

 . . . these are some of the activities from the Number Sense Packet. My students have really enjoyed using the the materials.

Fractions

The fraction packet is new to my TpT store. It is designed for students in 3rd and 4th grade but who require some modifications to the curriculum. With that in mind, I think it would work for students in 1st-5th, whether beginning fraction work or needing some review.

Here is the cover . . . Super Heroes are big right now for my students. They have enjoyed having a character to associate with their fraction work . . . CAPTAIN FRACTION!

These two are great for reading fractions, fraction identification, and fraction matching. For kids who need challenged, I was able to use these cards to sort equivalent fractions and play Go Fish for equivalent fractions.

These task cards were the hardest for my students . . . trying to color the fraction of the group. This offered LOTS of extra practice. I could easily get manipulatives for them to physically sort and then color with a dry erase marker on these laminated cards.

The comparing cards were a great way to see if kids needed to have a visual or if they were starting to understand the relationship of the denominator and the numerator. I always allow my students to draw or use materials to figure out answers, and this one had a range of student supports.

Finally, I made a Fraction Battle Game - just like war. We mixed it up, having the larger fraction win sometime and the smaller fraction win other times. There are fraction number cards as well. It was great when the kids got equivalent fractions and had to battle for a group of cards! Competitive learning at its best!



LLI - Leveled Literacy Intervention

I have been using LLI for about 2 years and I LOVE IT! I have students all over the board, in terms of their reading levels. the fact that this intervention resource lays out the word work, the book lesson, comprehension skills and running records allows for teachers to plan more individualized things for students. I know I have the framework when i sit down and teach a guided reading intervention session. But, I usually want to dig deeper and add specific IEP objectives to the lesson. LLI allows me to do that without planning for hours each night.
I have a student who is a non-reader. I started using the Orange Kit with him to expose him to basic, patterned books. I have created some activities to go with the first few books. I thought I would share one of these activity packs and see if they could help someone else. Click here to download.

 

A writing activity to go with the story and includes icons to student selection.

A sorting activity for awake and asleep . . .

And icons to sort onto each mat
There is a teacher instruction sheet at the end with a brief explanation of each piece of this mini-packet. If you have LLI and you try this, let me know what you think.


Okay - a few more links to some of the other books:
At the Market
Rex
Frog Food

Concept Confession

Number Two

Okay, I skipped a week . . . so I will throw two things in this post.

I have been working on a Mini Lesson to go with Patricia Polacco's  Thunder Cake! It's a cute book with some links to weather (great time of year to study that) and character development. I just posted it on TpT - but here is the character development page as a FREEBIE . . . hope you can use :)

My second concept is a social skill guide for personal space. I have a student who is struggling with knowing WHO she can hug and HOW CLOSE she can get. She wants to talk to everyone and she immediately loves every person she meets. I am sure you can think of an adult like this :) but, I need to help this girl set some limits. SO . . . I started to make a personal space guide called THE KNOW ZONES. I am still working on it, but here is a peek.

My concept confession is Thunder Cake AND Know Zones!

Inspiration

I'm linking up with Dana, from Fun in First Grade . . .
Something that always inspires me is a great Torey Hayden book! Hayden was a special education teacher, among other jobs in the same field. She wrote numerous nonfiction books about her experiences. Each book allows me to refocus on WHY I teach and reminds me that I can make a difference in the lives of kids. Hayden works through some serious behavior and emotional trials. She approaches her students in a way I admire and she believes in them, when many others have given up. If you haven't read one of her books, pick up One Child.

Giveaway Link

Check out the giveaway on Teaching and Tapas!! I gave my guided reading mini lesson for Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, by Leo Lionni. There are so many great products you could win - they are sorted by grade level, K-5. Thanks to Alyssha, from Teaching and Tapas, who set this all up!

Enjoy :)