Ever have this feeling?

I do! With spring upon us, the thought of overloading my plate with amazing activities for the kids is sooooo tempting! I've decided to make a list of just a few things and really take the learning to a deeper level. It sounds so obvious, but there is SO MUCH out there to explore with the kids...I really have to make sure I don't fall into the trap of skimming the surface of a million things.

Here are a few of our adventures:

Hatching chicken eggs (life cycles)

Looking more into research

Fairy tales

Poetry

I can't wait!

Technology Show and Tell - again!

O.K., how many of you have so many books that you can't remember if you still own a specific title or you know you own a certain book, but you can't find it because you have no idea which teacher you so generously loaned it out to last spring?

Put your frustration aside because I have the perfect book organizer app for you!

Classroom Organizer

Create a free on-line account, then download their free app on your smart phone. Use your phone to scan the bar codes of your books. You can view your entire collection on your phone, sort different ways AND use your phone to scan/check out books to students and colleagues. It is great!

(Warning: If you have old books that do not have bar codes, you will need to enter the titles yourself.)

It's still fabulous! Check it out!!

Technology Show and Tell

It's been a busy week - hopefully I can share more about it with you in the future!

Until then, I thought we could wrap up the last part of the week with a little bit of Techno Show and Tell. Here's an app that I've been loving lately: Confer

I've been rock'n this great app in my class over the last few weeks and it has been a great way to keep my small group instruction on track. Check out the tutorial video!

Teaching is better...

No matter how you take it...teaching is better with coffee.

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Listening to Reading

Sometimes parents think that the best form of homework is to have their child do all the reading. We know that listening to reading (especially for young children) is critical for children's literacy skills. I love recommending Reading Rockets to classroom parents each year. The site is FULL of valuable resources, including videos and podcasts that are very helpful to parents. Check it out!

A Little Helper

I am so in love with Michelle Oakes' grade level helpers that I can barely stand it. How cute are they?! If you have a student that needs a bit of help at home, create a file folder with this inside and provide strategies for how to manage their tasks independently. Check it out!

Rock and Roll'n with Spelling

Here's a super fun way to practice spelling words (or high frequency words) at home. Most families have a pair of dice at home so there is no need to worry about sending home extra materials.

Check out this nifty idea from Mrs. Reynold's blog - simply roll the die, read the type of writing your should use and write your spelling word. This is a great activity to introduce at school in a station, then email the info sheet to parents for practice at home.

Happy Writing!

Stamp Cards

The lovely folks over at VistaPrint.com make many teachers happy by offering free business cards (you pay shipping only). You can make your own cards to look super fabulous, but have you ever thought about using them to make cards as a homework tool?

Some teachers use these stamp-card style cards for classroom management (like Tiffany at The Nest Effect), but you could also use them to have students keep track of their reading at home. Kids are really motivated to fill up their reading card each night at home!

Literacy Fun at Home

This week I want to share fun ideas your students can try at home. Teachers are sharing some amazing ideas these days - I hope you find these helpful!

Today's tip is on sending home high frequency words and fluency phrases. The literacy coach at my school sends these home with students on a binder ring and note cards. She runs loads of address labels with the texts she needs, then puts the high frequency words on one side and the fluency phrases on the other side. What a great idea!! Thanks Ms. B!