Common Core places such a huge emphasis on comprehension.  I am working hard this year on using the text to pull vocabulary from.

Our district has adopted Wonders by McGraw-Hill as our new reading series.  After reading the book, Word Nerds this summer, I have placed greater emphasis on helping the students make personal connections to the text and the vocabulary words.

In my Wonders Supplemental Units (Units 1-4 have been completed), I have added  vocabulary connection pages for each story where my students have the words and definitions and draw a picture to match the words.  This has helped them to make that personal connection to the word.  As the year goes on, the children will be adding their own definitions and them sentences for each vocabulary word.



I am thinking that I would like to combine them into a vocabulary notebook so the children can go back and review vocabulary words.  That, however, might be a summer job:)

In order to aid in the review process and incorporate the vocabulary into their daily conversation, I have created an interactive vocabulary wall just for vocabulary.  The words are categorized alphabetically and include the word and the definition on a ring.



You can read about one of my favorite Vocabulary products HERE.  I would love to hear about what you do with Vocabulary!

OK, I know I have been missing in action, but I (along with all of you) got buried under my huge TO-DO LIST and I am up for a very short breath!

So, I will be back this weekend to share a bit of what has been going on in my classroom so I hope you stop on by!

Until then, head over to Jen's Kinder Kids and check out her AMAZING giveaway.  While you are there, wish her a HAPPY 40th!


I am giving away one of my fall units over there... A Cornucopia of Learning.  It contains fluency phrases, doubles facts, words with /or/ and counting by twos.


So what do your kids need extra practice on this fall?  Leave me a comment and I will be giving away a copy of my Cornucopia of Learning here too! Check back on Friday and don't forget to leave your email address:)

We just completed out third week of school and I can't believe progress reports go out in a week and a half!  That is CRAZY!! Anyways, I am linking up today with Michelle at Run! Miss Nelson's Got the Camera with Saturday Snapshots (yes, even though its Sunday!).


Last Sunday, I went into school for a few hours to get some work done and finally got up my sounds board in the Word Work Center.  I believe this was a Deanna Jump freebie from years ago, but has since been taken down.  It is a great visual for digraphs and vowel combinations. I also decided to use my teacher desk for a word work center this year!  My firsties get to stand up during this rotation or they can take an activity back to their seats:)  It helps get their wiggles out!



Here are a few of the things I printed and laminated over the week that have  been since cut out! Writing Right Through August/September, Behavior Tags, Flash On! The Fry Edition,  Primary Colored Polka Dot Classroom and Daily 5 Goodies (freebie) are some of my favorites this week.  Click on the links and check them out:)



I took the boys bowling with their cousin this weekend. It was nice to spend time together.  Although we only live 30 minutes away, we seldom see them. It is a reminder to me to not let life get in the way of the important things!


Fall is one of my favorite times of year which is crazy since I live in Florida and we don't really have a fall.  It is usually in the 90's through October!  However, look what I found:) Has anyone tried them yet?



I finally finished my Super Reader Fry Words 1-100 pack!  It includes a master check off list for the teacher, 4 smaller lists (25 words each) for students to work on at home, "Super Reader" flashcards and awards when they have mastered the first 100 Fry Words!


I am off to finish plans for the week:)

I love Farley's Currently series and I love blackboard backgrounds so this month its a win-win!


I think all of my Currently thoughts for the month are self explanatory!  I am super excited about my team this year.  They are such a positive group and since I am a half full kind of girl, it makes me smile...A lot!

I am giving away my Wonders Supplemental Units for Units 1, 2 and 3!  Even if you do not use Wonders, there are tons of activities that will work in first and even second grade classes so head on over and check it out HERE!


So after you have entered (Wink, wink!) head over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade and link up with her Currently.  Remember to give some love along the way:)

This week has been all about establishing routines.  I am linking up with Kasey over at Doodlebugs Teaching with Five for Friday.


This was our first week jumping into our new reading program, Wonders.  I am working hard to teach the skills introduced in Wonders as well as introducing the Daily 5 and its components.

Here are a few of our favorite Daily 5 activities from the week.

Read to Self:  We made is to ten minutes successfully this week!  I am so proud of my firsties for reading leveled books in their book boxes.  The book boxes are from an old math series and fir perfectly in their desks:)


Word Word:  Stamping, letter tiles, rainbow spelling, scented markers  and dry erase were introduced this week at word work.  I used the spelling chart from my Wonders Supplemental Unit 1 for a reference at this center.


Read to Partner: The kids used this week to review kindergarten sight words.  The kids loved this game. (Kindergarten Sight Word Review FREEBIE) This is great to use as you work through kindergarten or as a review in first grade.  In addition to reading books to their partner, I also include Fry Words, fluency passages, poetry notebook, reading book assignment and fluency phrases.


Work on Writing:  We worked on writing about school this week.  For some reason, no pictures were snapped.  We are also using the Six Traits of Writing this year with Wonders and I am integrated this into the Daily 5 time.  I will be posting more about this.

Tonight my husband took my son to his first high school football game.  My son is in middle school and came home saying "Everyone is going!" and the really cool part is it is the same high school my husband played football at and graduated from!



I said to my younger son, "Someday you could have a teacher that daddy had!" and he replied, "I don't think so.  They are all dead!"

Don't forget to link up with my Wonders Supplemental Units 1-3 Giveaway!


Happy Friday!

Two weeks are almost under my belt and I am still treading water! We did just finish our first week in our new reading curriculum and testing is tomorrow.

Our county has adopted Wonders by McGraw-Hill and the tests have my firsties using a cold read on the first assessment!  We have worked REALLY hard on kindergarten sight word review over the past two weeks as well as our new sight words and spelling to boot!  Fingers crossed! I will keep you posted:)

I have also been behind the screens creating some Wonders Supplemental Units to keep me organized and ready to jump in!  My team and I have used them and love them.  Just print-laminate-cut and you are ready to go!

I am giving away a SET of my Wonders Supplemental Units including Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3!  That will set you up and keep you going for HALF the school year! You can click on the Units above to check the previews out at TpT!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just a reminder that each week has a reading and spelling game that works well in all first grade classes and even second grade!  That means there are 15 games in the giveaway that EVERYONE could use-regardless of your reading series!

I am working on Wonders Supplemental Unit 4 as we speak (or read as the case might be!).  I have had a few people ask when the rest would be up and running.  I am hoping the have them all completed by the end of September or sooner:)

Coming soon...


and good luck!

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