Vowel Team Oi/Oy

Oi!  Oy! Have we had a lot of fun this past week learning about our new vowel team! Who new learning could actually be this much fun and by the end of the week our entire class could read oi/oy words and new the spelling rule!  YES...I love success stories!  So you ask how did we do it.  Take a look yourself and get a snapshot of the learning that went on this week in our classroom.  The pictures talk for themselves!

We started by learning the spelling rule of the week. 

English Words do not end in i, u, v, or j.

Our rule is to try and get all our kids involved in their learning, so while one is at the board being my helper, the others are actively participating as well!

I'm going to say a word and raise your hand if you hear oi/oy sound.

This picture just kills me! So funny! If you don't hear the oi/oy sound say, "no no never never."

Once we finished learning as a whole group we did a word sort activity. We focused on highlighting the vowel patterns.  We discussed why the oi was used in the middle of the word and why oy may be used at the end of a word.  The students went right to work. They cut and pasted and worked on reading words with oi/oy.

The students learned a new game and had so much fun playing it.  Number It!  You have to try this game.  So much fun!

During Guided Reading we played Oink, Oink, Oink!

The students played Speed Racer during Daily 5 for word work!

 

As you can see, learning is fun in room 117.  Our kids are engaged while learning essential skills that make them all great readers and writers.  We hope you take a look at our new Vowel Team Packet.  You will find whole group lessons, assessments, word list, fluency passages, small group activities to be used during guided reading, whole group activities, centers, games, and more! 

Vowel Team oi/oy

 

White (like snow) Bundle

I am so impressed.  My students' reading levels keep growing, even though it is the last month of school.  There may be a reason my kiddos don't have spring fever yet.... check this out. You'll never believe it, but today - May 2nd - is a snowday for us.  We got 8+ inches of snow!
Does this look like May 2nd?  It really is!

With less than a month left of school, I have over half my class reading at the White (3rd grade) reading level and so making the White Bundle was high on my "To Do" list.  Now that it is made, we want to share it with you.  It has been so helpful as I meet with my students to focus their learning.  (I hope you agree.)

At the White level, the first thing I do is make sure the students have their phonics mastered.  I play games and make them read words with specific patterns to ensure their decoding ability. 
Then the focus turns to the make-up of the word - such as prefixes and suffixes, root words, vocabulary and figurative language.  Once I know what each student needs to work on, we read books, read word lists and have activities to help practice and become comfortable with the skill.  I move each student to the next skill when they are ready.  Using this bundle allows me to differentiate in such an easy way.

So, check out our White Bundle, focused for readers at the 3rd Grade reading level.   

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It's FREEBIE Friday!!

Long weekend ahead...time to plan for President’s Day coming up—check out our FREEBIE below!!  Happy Friday!!



(Click on link Below)

  President's Day Comprehension Set

 

Don't forget to check out our other activities, centers, and SMART Board Lessons!

 

 SMART Board Biography President's Day

Bossy R Words

Ahoy fellow followers!  Arrrrr you ready to work on “Bossy R” words?  This is a 1B (Action 100) foundational skill we focused on last week to help our students become more familiar with r-controlled words.  Included in the pack you will find 10 word cards for ar, or, er, ir, and ur. 

On Day 1 students were sent on a treasure hunt around the classroom to find six of each bossy r word and write them into a word sort. 

On Day 2 students found two of each sort and wrote them into sentences.

On Day 3 students made words using word cards.

On Day 4 students made words with cups.

On Day 5 we played a game as a class where the teacher said a word sort "or" and students needed to get to a word in the room quickly.

We had a fun week learning about bossy r words!  We wish you Godspeed (Good Luck)!

Fairwinds! (Good Bye)

(click on the image to grab this great activity!)

Love is in the AIR!

I'm in love with February and all the colors that go with it!  In Minnesota it is cold, that might even be an understatement.  Inside recess day after day!  Those poor kids.  That is why I try so hard to create a learning environment that is full of warmth and colors.  I'm really into simple sometimes.  I spend so much time focusing on data and how to get kids moving that I don’t always have the time to prep great art projects.  That is why I love this one.  It's beautiful, but takes no time at all to prep.  Did I mention it’s also FUN!  Yes, that’s right, the students are engaged the entire time and are having fun while learning.  Plus, in less than 30 minutes your room looks beautiful!  I should also mention I had an amazing mom helping...that can make or break you sometimes when you're mixing paint and cups of water!

Adjectives have been the topic of discussion this quarter.  Friendships and words that describe,  I can’t think of a better way to truly engage them.  I loved hearing giggles, yes real giggles, as they thought of words that described their friends.  When they shared their master pieces at the end there wasn’t a lack of smiles that is for sure.

I can’t think of a better way to share my love for this month than giving out this freebie.  If you want to have a simple fun art project click on the link below.

Valentine Art Project-PDF

 After having so much fun decorating our room, I knew I needed to get down to the nitty gritty of things.  I wanted to create a Valentine Mini Unit that focused on the skills my students needed.  First, writing…...focusing on creating excellent writing hasn’t been a key priority during our Daily 5 time.  I wanted something that they could connect to.  I think I hit it on the spot.  I made my own children try it out.  One being 6 (boy) and another 8 (girl) I made them write a Wild About You Top 10 List and also a You’re the Doggone Best letter to each other.  I wasn’t sure it would be what I was hoping for, but I sure have raised some great kids.  "You’re a good dancer and your are really sweit" (sweet)!  Not to many 6 year olds say that about their sister.  I am so excited to see what my students write! 

This past quarter we were using cubes and paper clips to measure, but my students were having difficulty with marking off.  I thought I needed to somehow incorporate that skill into my stations.  I found just the perfect center.  MEASURING love MONSTERS!  Oh, I can hardly wait to see their excitement.

I also wanted something that would help with syllabication and Clover since we have been really focusing on 2 Syllable words and breaking them apart.  I want the students to be engaged in activities so much that they don’t even realize how much they are actually learning.  I think I have created the perfect week of activities to celebrate Friendship!  Check out this package to help your students have as much fun as we will be having real soon!

Working with 2R Readers

This week, one of my readers reached the 2R level.  He was filled with excitement as I introduced some of the books he can read at this level.

While reading with him, I found there were still just a few phonic areas that needed to be reviewed.  I pulled out the practice page and game in the 2R bundle for his specific skill and was able to show him exactly the piece he needed.  He had a blast playing the new game and even asked to stay in from recess with a friend to play.  (Yes, we are in Minnesota so students do ask to stay in on cold, cold days.)  I sent the word list and game home with him to practice at home.  When learning is fun, it doesn’t feel like work.

I love that I am able to focus my instruction on exactly what students at this level need thanks to the 2R bundle.  This is an extensive bundle - with 103 pages.  This bundle includes: rules of syllabication, tricky vowels, tricky consonants, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, adjectives, adverbs, high frequency words (outlaws).

2R Bundle

 

Check out our free sample from the 2R bundle - prefixes and suffixes.

Prefix and Suffix

 

What fun things do you do to teach prefixes and suffixes?

President's Day

Mark your calendars, President’s Day is just around the corner.  We just finished taking our NWEA test and I saw some of the questions that were being asked.  My brain started ticking and Walla, here is what I’ve come up with! First, our  class will read biographies about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln around Presidents' Day. We will take time to dive deeper into the information. I have created a  file to explain what a biography is and to look at the details of their lives - in timelines, looking at their character traits (both inside and outside), as well as comparing and contrasting the Presidents.  I like that the students can be involved in their learning with this interactive lesson!

President Biography

During our Daily 5 and Guided Math lesson, I  plan to incorporate stations that align with the standards our students will be assessed on.  We have been working on number patterns and finding the  rule.  We also are working on long vowel patterns and r-controlled words.  I plan to use the activities found in our Presidential Pack to help my students learn in an engaging manner.

Math and Reading Common Core Packet

President's Day Comprehension Set FREEBIE

NEW year, NEW ideas!

Have you heard what all the buzz is about?  We have had a productive winter break and are pumped to share with you FOUR more bundles (2G, 1B, 2B and 1R) to help support you with Action 100 in the classroom.  These  bundles include supplemental assessments, activities, games, take home   practice word lists and organizers that help you stay focused during student conferencing.  We wouldn’t want you to leave our blog without a quick glance at what we are so excited about. So take a look below.....

2G “Freebie” SNEAK PEEK #1:

 



 

2G Bundle:

1B “Freebie” SNEAK PEEK #2:



1B Bundle:

 

 

OOH Yah baby, here’s another.....

2B “Freebie” SNEAK PEEK #3

2B Bundle:

Stop, stop…there is one more…..

1R “Freebie” SNEAK PEEK #4

1R Bundle:

Can you see what we are so PUMPED about?!  We are very excited to come to a new year, organized and ready to teach!  So start your New Year right and head over to our TPT store to help make your life simpler and keep checking back for more bundles!  OH and LIKE us on Facebook to stay connected! Happy 2013!!