Spring Dollar Sale

Are you in need of some items to get you through spring?  Check out the Indiana Bloggers dollar sale!  Every year after a much-needed spring break I feel refreshed and ready to add new activities and spice up the everyday.  This is a great time to try something new!

Happy Shopping

An InLinkz Link-up

Learning Mats- Tens and Ones

I have always struggled with math small groups.  Where to start, staying focused, having a complete meaningful lesson.  In an attempt to better myself, my lesson planning, and most importantly my students I starting working on an interactive learning mat.  The mat focuses on the standards we are working on that month/week, depending on the rigor of the standard.   I incorporated basic math skills we work on all year.  After using the mat for the first time, I was hooked!  The lesson went smoothly, students were having ah ha moments, and I felt SUCCESSFUL!  Isn't that the best when you walk away knowing you did your best and it worked!  Here is an overview on how it works and the lesson I taught!

I use 5mil laminate.  The students can write and wipe right off!  

 One of the biggest struggles for my students is understanding 1 ten can equal 10 ones.  

 Organized kids are successful kids!  I like the students to keep their materials in neat organized piles.  The designated area really helps with keeping students organized. 

While teaching small groups I have a focus student.  The student is usually the one I need to progress monitor.  On top of progress monitoring, I usually spend a little more time on the main skill taught.  While I am working with that child the rest turn their mat over and complete the 100's chart activities and fact families.  I love how they are focused on foundational math skills and are able to stay engaged while I get some great one on one time with my focus buddy. 

So here is how the lesson goes!

 I give the students a number!  They then count out tens and ones to make the number

After they have counted the number out we talk about how many tens and how many ones.  We write it in expanded form and on the tens and ones table. 

Next we practice exchanging a ten for ten ones and determining the new amount of tens and ones.  We document the change on our tens and ones table. 

After a few numbers, I have the students turn over their sheets and work through math review while I work with a focus student!

I love that smile!!!

I hope this gives you some great ideas for math small groups!

Also available as a hard good!

Small group set of 6- $25.00!

Small Group for on Level Students

I am absolutely obsessed with Fun-in-First comprehension notebook.  They are a great fit for my on grade level students.  A mixture of fiction and nonfiction text is great for developing comprehension.  The notebook is formatted for a daily read with a set of questions for each day.  I use the notebook twice a week and we complete all five days in two! Take a look at our small group!

This group of students does not like to use pointer fingers.  They love to use a marker to point and read.  Not just any marker, a super smelly marker!

After reading the question we go back and find the answer and underline it in the text! 

I love the response to reading.  The students each connect to their own background to develop an answer.  This question asked what would your parents say if you got into trouble at school. 

Some of the answers...

"You are in so much trouble!"

"You are not going outside today!"

"You must do the right thing!"

Great topics to spark conversations.  This really helps develop language in my ELL students.  

 We love these Crayola  smelly markers!  Anything that helps to keep engagement I am willing to let them use!

I hope this gives you some ideas for small groups!

Here is the product I used! 

A Frozen First Grade

My entire class is obsessed with Frozen.  I made centers just to get them excited about reading strategies.  I found my students were not staying engaged at centers with practice phrases, sight words, phonics skills, and reading.  Adding Elsa, Anna, and Olaf did the trick!  As soon as I announced that this week's centers were all frozen themed, the crowd went wild!  Literally :)  Take a look at our Frozen reading centers. 

The kids decided in order to stop people from cheating, they would have to put the bucket on top of their heads to draw a card!  Solve your own problem! lol 

Happy Teaching!