Oh Pumpkin! + a FREE THINGIE

Have you ever visited Learning Ahoy? Caitlin has a great blog and some really good activities to do with your kids. She let me try out her Oh Pumpkin game. My kids LOVED. IT! It is a great practice for my educational aide to do with just a couple kids or it can be played in a small group of 4-6, too.

Click on the red links above to go to her blog and her store.

Oh Pumpkin is a game using the first 100 fry word list.  I do have some 2nd graders who don't know all of these so it's been helpful to have this set. Plus the kids that come to my RTI group are first graders who specifically need help with their sight words. 

I store this set in a little container that I found at Walmart. I had to trim Caitlin's cover down a bit so that I could see what was in the box. But it works great this way and is very easy for storage and for the kids to use.

 These pictures show my own 2nd graders playing the game.

They draw a card, if they can read it they get to keep it. If they can't read it, then they put it back into the bottom of the pile.

 If they draw a card that says "Trade Cards With Another Player," then they can trade with anyone. Usually they look for someone who has a lot more cards than they have!

If they draw a card that says, "Oh Pumpkin!" then they have to

 put ALL their cards back in the pile!

I know that you would love this game if you bought it. Plus she has other Oh Pumpkin games with different skills that your kids will like too.

If you have found it yet, don't forget to pick up my FREEBIE this week!

You can click on the picture or here to get your own free set, but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know what you think of this. . . I've had almost 300 friends grab this and only 6 took the time to say thanks!

Patty

Reading Goals FREETASTIC!

At our school we like to post the goals for our reading levels. It helps parents continually know where their child should be aiming for. They are all over our building, in the hallways and the classrooms so parents AND students can see where they are trying to be at the end of the year.

We use the DRA2 system for now. ... 

I say for now, because I know that others don't LOVE it, and it just may be changed sometime soon. 

I wanted to share this with you in case you have the same goals that we have. It's free and you can grab it here.

Clipart from Ashley Hughes, Melon Headz,  

From the Pond. 

Just leave me a comment or two so I know that it is something you would like.  I'd even be willing to change the numbers if you'd like it to fit yours. But it needs to be something simple, please. Email me at prutenbar@sturgisps.org. 

Patty

New Improved Nonsense Words . . . and they can be yours for free!

Two days in a row that I am posting! 

Stop the presses! 

This can't be! 

But let me explain before you have heart failure.

Yesterday was a snow day. . . 

so there's more time on my hand. . .

Today is Saturday and I seemed to have gotten a lot accomplished yesterday

 so I don't feel drained to do too much today. . . . 

And. . . .

I've somehow picked up a head cold from someone, so I don't feel like doing too much activity anyway.

Dang cold! It stopped me from babysitting my granddaughter tonight because I don't want to get her sick. . . and I feel sad that my kids can't go out on a date because I'm sick. They were very good about it, and will do it some other time. 

So pity party is over now.

Yesterday I beefed up my nonsense words. I have a set that I started using with the few first graders that I work with during Reading Shuffle (RTI time). 

This new set of 66 word parts now has blends that can be put together to make words.

 They are called 

Mix & Match Nonsense Words with Blends. 

Besides using different letters, the backgrounds are also different. 

I picked up the cute daisy backgrounds from Michelle at the 3AM Teacher 

(Pssst. . . it's her birthday today. . .wouldn't it be great if everyone in the blogging world 

stopped in and wished her a Happy Birthday? She's only 34! What a youngster!)

If you'd like this same set, all you have to do is sign up for her newsletter and 

you'll be able to get them for free! 

Yup, that's right, I said FREE!

One more thing, I just noticed that I made it over 360 followers! I think that is so stinkin great! And in honor 

of that nice round number, I'd like to have a mini give away. 

I have a lucky number that I always use for everything. The first person to guess my lucky number will receive this set above for free! And if there is more than one person to guess that same lucky number, then I will give them this set also. . . Get your thinking on . . .  What could it be?

(Don't forget to leave me your email address so I can send this to you).

Would you like a hint? 

hmmmmmm. . . . well it's between 0 and 20. 

That makes it much easier. . . right!

Get ready, get set, . . . start guessing!

                 Patty

Snow Day Freebie about Adjectives

SNOW DAY! Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP?

And that makes this a 3 day week, since we had Monday off too. 

Imagine having a 3 day week everyweek. . ... No, I guess that wouldn't work. 

We would never get enough finished unless we went to school all year round! 

I think I'll stay with the traditional school year.

Now that I am home all day and I've been wishing for some extra time to make some STUFF, 

I plan on being right here in front of my computer all day being creative. . . 

Well, that was my plan and then my granddaughter came over so 

I just had to play with her for a while. Great distraction!

Now, I'm back on track to making things.

But then I thought, hmmmmm, I think I'll update my blog and give you a freebie. . .  

I know. . . . I love a freebie too!

I continue to work with my kids on adjectives and I do believe they are really getting it now. 

Go to my TPT store and pick up these March Adjective pages. 

Leave me some loving so I know if they work for you, please. 

I don't have any other March activities there, but that's what today is for. . .

Yea, right. . . get back to work Patty, You have things to do!

WAIT WAIT! One more thing. . .

I am helping Tamara celebrate getting over 100 followers. Go to her blog to join in her giveaway!

Patty

V-V-V-Very Valentine's & You Can Win One!

Have you looked at the calendar? At the end of this week comes February.

Have you noticed a lot of pink, red, and white on other people's blogs? I have and well, I like it. I love the froo froo girly girly stuff. Even if I myself am not froo froo and girly girly!

I have also been creating some Valentine activities and I would love for you to have them. I'm willing to give one of each away.

All you have to do is:

• be a follower of this blog.
• leave me a comment of which one you like.
• leave me your email address
• tell me the blog that you LOVE to follow (besides mine of course!)

I will pick 3 winners on Thursday after school.

The first one I made is to help with fact and opinion. These cute little cards have a statement on them. Your child must read them and decide if they are a fact or an opinion. Pretty easy to do. But oh so good practice for your students. It's called Love Bugs Facts and Opinions. You can get it by clicking on the link.

The second thing I made is a practice in verb tenses. It's called Valentine Verb Tenses.  Each verb is underlined. The students must match up the other verbs with the main one, then decide which one is spelled wrong. That's the one they write on the answer key. 

And the last one I'm highlighting today is my Love In Alphabetical Order. It's a basic practice in ABC order, but there is some sorting of the matching cards first, then they put them in ABC order. There is a recording sheet included in case you'd like this to be a writing activity. 

And here's a freebie if you're still hanging around to read all of this.

I call it a Back to Back.

Students sit back to back with a lapboard for a hard surface. One student will say, "color the word stirrup pink." So they both color that pink. They DO NOT turn around to be sure that they have the right  word. Then the other player tells them what word and what color to use. This continues until the whole figure is colored in. THEN they share their pictures to see how well they read, listen and have chosen the right colors to use. (They can only use the colors that are listed at the top of the page.) In the end the picture will look crazy colored this way, but it will be a good oral language and listening activity for them. 

Don't forget to leave me a message!

Patty

Thanksgiving Freebies that YOU'LL Want to Have!

Today my kids played a game that Heather Price is giving away! You SHOULD go and get it. . . NOW . . . before Thanksgiving is a past holiday! It's simple and quick and these first graders loved it  and had to think to find the answers.  This group is my RTI group that we call Reading Shuffle. They come to me everyday for 25 minutes and I use only the center activities that I pick up on TPT or here on other people's blogs. Well, I do use the things that I make too. . I just wanted to highlight some OTHER fun people who make cool things.

You see, one of the things that I'm truly thankful for, is all the friends that I have made in this blogging community. So helpful, caring, giving, and receiving too!

So you'll need to go over to visit Heather Price at Heather's First Grade Heart and pick up her Thankful Turkeys. These picture cards have words with the missing digraphs of wh, th, sh, and ch. It's a great practice for those who love a good game.

These kids love to pose for a picture. . . what oh what have we done to children that they are so fascinated with getting their picture taken, and then saying, "Lemme see!" right away!

Then we got out this compound word activity from  Sliding into 1st. 

Cait made these cute little weiner dogs and cut them in half to show the two words of a compound. These would be good for first or second graders. 

I picked this up last year, but it's still a good one to use. 

Those are NOT my blue fingernails. . . I wouldn't ever wear blue!

If you haven't already ventured over to Let's Talk Turkey, you need to do that soon too! That's where you'll find some cool and fun Thanksgiving activities to use before the Holiday is over!

Patty

Why read FREEBIE!

I'm drowning and I can't see the top of the water! Do you feel like that? Why do we do this to ourselves?

We . . . (no, I'm not going to drag you into this. . . ) I have to learn to tell myself no more often.

Monday night the board meeting is being held at my school. That's always fun to be sure that our school is all cutsified and that we will impress the board members. ..  but in reality it seems like they just whip right through the front door and down to the gym to get the meeting underway. So maybe it's the front door that needs to be cutsified because that may be the only thing they really look at!

Truthfully, there will be other issues on their minds this week. We are having a controversy in our town and it has really gotten the community up in arms.

(What does that mean? Up in Arms? Why does that mean in a tizzy! Who thought of that one?. . . oh well. . . )

While I shouldn't go into details here, I will just tell you that something went wrong between a coach, a  parent, and the superintendent. The whole deal is a mess and it was not handled right. That's all I can say.

On Monday we also start our RTI (Response to Intervention) time. We divide all the first and second graders into ability groups for 25 minutes. Each classroom does something that fits the needs of these students. This is where all of you come in handy. I get to use all the activities that you've shared or I have purchased from you. I will have only 8 first graders and that will be fun to work with them in small groups.

I have a freebie to share with you. Do your kids ever whine about wanting to skip reading at home? Do your parents ever act like it's not important to read each night? Maybe if you copy this off and share it with them, they will understand better. My teaching pal Cathie created this. (She loves to dig up math data, but then all that she teaches is math.)

Now I have a confession to make. I promised Maribel Sheehan that I would blog about her Christopher Columbus packet and well. . . I forgot. . . I think I got so wrapped up in other things, that it just flipped by me. I feel so bad. And even though Chris's Day is gone for this year, maybe I can still share with you about it, and then you can go and grab it so you'll have it ready for next year.  You can check it out at her site, Learning in Wonderland. 

This packet had many activities in it that are great for 2nd and 3rd graders. There is even a picture of him. My kids really studied him and thought he looked pretty different! The thinking maps help the kids sort through the information, plus there is also some vocabulary words that can be sorted into nouns. There's a Venn Diagram to compare traveling now and then and Christopher Columbus and the student. She also included facts and writing paper to create stories on. Please venture on over the rough seas of blogging to her Wonderful Blog. She's getting close to 200 followers, so maybe you could follow her and help her get to 200!

And . . . one more thing. . . . You haven't seen my granddaughter since she was born. . . Look at her now. . . She's 4 months old. . . Is she not the cutest! And check out that blanket she's on. My mathematical pal, Cathie made this for me. . . "I love Gramma!" It's the best!

Patty

Flashlights, Reading, and a Question

Something new this week. . . . my kids want to work under my desk. . . .

That may not seem so unusual, but it just started.  They've never asked all year long.

When I checked on them this week to see what they were doing under there, I noticed that it was pretty dark down there.

Not that they minded, but the mother in me wanted them to have more light. (Didn't your mom always turn the light on if you were reading in a dim lit room? MINE DID!)

I found a flashlight and gave it to them and BINGO! They were all set to stay there for ever! Well, not forever, but you know what I mean!

Today I looked under to see how they were doing and it was so cute, adorable, creative to see the flashlight somehow attached to my desk so they didn't have to hold on to it while they worked! (Follow the purple arrow!)

That made me think about giving my kids little flashlights for end of the year gifts. I can just see them reading under their own kitchen tables, or behind the couch, or under the covers, or where ever else they have a small dark space! Funny how kids like this. But if it works we have to foster it.

Tomorrow night we are meeting with parents and students. We call it Summer Math and Literacy Night. We have asked parents to come at 4:00 (right after school dismisses) or 5:30. They will go to their child's grade level room. In each room there will be pizza (if you feed them, they will come!), water and lots of information for them.

We are going to show them where their child was at the end of last year in DRA2 and Rocket Math, where they were when the school year started, and where they are now. This will show them the slippage that happens over the summer.

We will also show them where they need to be when the school year starts. We have put together a workbook for them to work on when ever during the summer. They will bring this to their 3rd grade teacher in the fall. Those teachers will send them to us, and we'll award a prize to anyone who returns it finished. We also have dice and decks of cards with games to play with them so they can keep their math skills in place.

The summers that you and I had are long gone. The stakes are too high and the slippage is too much. We need to get parents on board with us to help their child become more successful.

Now for the Question!

Last week sometime, I copied a dice game from someone. It is called Have a Rollin and Shakin Good Summer! and it was in a baggie with a pair of dice. I have a question for that author but I don't remember who made that game up. It has a game called HFW Roll It! but I don't know what HFW stands for. It says to use 18 HFW flash cards. Does anyone know what that stands for or who made this game?

Help a girl out, please!!!

Patty

Back To Back Freebies

One of the things we do for oral language development is called "Back to Backs."

This is how it works. Two students sit back to back with the same piece of paper and the same colors of crayons or markers. Limit the colors to about 5. They can use something for a hard surface to write on. Child #1 tells child #2 what word shape to color and what color to color it. So at that time they BOTH color that same word the same color. They do NOT show each other the word or their finished coloring. They don't peak either!

Then child #2 tells child #1 a word and a different color to color in that shape. They repeat the same as above. This activity continues until they are done with all the words and colored everything in.  The picture won't look good because they may have chosen colors to use that won't compliment the picture!

Only now do they compare pictures. If they listened well, and IF they can read well, and IF they know their colors, then their pictures should be an exact match. This is a fun activity and well . . .  a bit noisy because everyone is talking at the same time!

But when they are done, it's fun to see who truly was listening and who wasn't. I have more of these and will post more, if you think they are worth while for your students.

Click here for the link.

Patty