Let's go green!

And celebrate St.Patrick's Day!

What are you doing with your class? 

We made leprechauns that I found from a pin from Theme Party Palace.

We also made a different type of leprechaun adapted from one I saw on I {heart} crafty things. 

Next week during our Reading Roundabout we are going to be using the sight word board games from Make, Take and Teach, but with some little counters that I made from some St.Patrick's Day clip art from My Cute Graphics.

The Challenge Area is equipped with my Leprechaun Number Bonds to 10 (grab this freebie from my store!).

I'm also quite tempted to make the children watch Leprechaun Gold because its a classic!

Happy (early) St.Patrick's Day to you all!

Five for Friday and a Freebie!

One of the main reasons I love the Five for Friday link up as it is my chance to post all sorts of randomness about my week!

1

Playing with boats as part of a Science lesson this week.

2

Loving the Creative Clips Club as I get new clipart every week! So far have some very cute spring and Easter sets that have given me several ideas!

3

Had to do a cover lesson this week with Year 2 so I figured lets make some leprechauns (though had to beg, borrow and steal enough green paper!) I got the idea from a pin from Theme Party Palace.

4

2 evenings of parents evenings this week = tired!

5

Rhyme has been a focus as we start poetry and the kiddies have got into this Roll a Rhyme game I made. Click on the image below to get it for free from my store! I would also really appreciate feedback if you do download it!

Take a challenge

The Challenge Area is a very popular spot in my classroom so thought I would blog a little about it and what I do there.

Basically its for my fast finishers, who have completed their classwork before the end of the lesson. I try and make them quite practical activities that the children can complete independently so that myself and my assistant can continue with our guided work with the slower workers. The children always have the opportunity to go into the book corner instead.

I like to put out a mixture of activities, usually making sure that there is a balance of reading, writing and maths. I will often put something they have already done in a lesson there as a reinforcement of previous learning. I do give them an explanation and demonstration of anything new.

Most things stay in the Challenge Area for about 2 weeks, but I swop themed activities in for a shorter period if appropriate. I also make sure that there is a mixture of old and new activities so they have some they are familiar with as well as new ones to try.

Some of my (and their!) favourites have been:

Word sort (from Doodle Bugs Teaching)

Colour by number - they also loved a Chinese New Year lantern version I found (forgot to take pictures of it)

Valentine's themed sentences

Alphabet puzzle 

120-square puzzle (template from First Grade Blue Skies)

Lollypop word sort (in my TpT store!)

Popcorn words (soon to be in my store as am trialing it with my class at the moment!)

Must Read Mentor Text - Willy the Wizard

Linking up (a little late) with Collaboration Cuties' Must Read Mentor Text link up.

Just coming to the end of an English unit based around the story 'Willy the Wizard' by former Children's Laureate, Anthony Browne. The children love this unit every year (possibly because its an incredibly boy friendly book, even with my two-thirds girls class!) so thought I would share some of my favourite activities I do over the unit. 

Synopsis

Willy the Chimp loves football, but doesn't have any boots. One day he meets a mysterious stranger who gives him some 'magic' boots. Willy is fantastic! But on the day of the match, he forgets the boots, will he still be able to play as well?

Lessons

Verbs

Look at all the different words for Willy's football skills. Get out onto the playground with some footballs, show off our mad football skills, then write as many verbs to describe what we have been doing as possible on post-its.

Similes

Using different pictures of the setting (my favourite is the one of the old pie factory) get the children to create simple similes to describe what they can see. Once they get the structure of a simile, they all have really interesting views for comparison.

Story map

Draw a story map of the main events from the book. Orally rehearse this together along with actions to help them learn the structure of the story. Then help them change character/setting/events to map out their own imitated version of the story.

What did you buy?

With the TpT 3 million strong sale over, its time to share those bargains that you bought!

Let's just say I spent a lot more than I earnt, but hey I saved money right?!

My bargains include:

I'm particularly excited about the clipart (I've got several product ideas on my to-do list!) and Listen Up as my class loved the freebie I tried on them, so I'm sure they will love the whole pack. 

Since its the 1st of March today, its also time for another Currently hosted by Oh' Boy Fourth Grade (with a funky new blog design!).

Listening - Just keeping up with another series!

Loving - I bought several new clip art sets which I'm very excited about (see above!)

Thinking - That weekends need to be longer for the amount of stuff I always seem to have planned and need to do!

Wanting - I have to plan a unit of work on Art, but can't decide where to start. Anyone with any ideas?!

Needing - 

?????? - Guess the question in the comments!