Intervention Goodie Bags for Students & Wednesday Linky

So this is the second attempt for writing this blog. My husband just felt the need to interrupt my train of thought and I lost about 45 minutes of my work.  UGH!  Doesn't he know not to interrupt...apparently not!  

I wanted to share my Intervention Goodie Bag Idea with you this week.  I am getting ready to send them home at our Fall Parent Teacher Conferences and am pretty excited with what I came up with this year.  I've always sent goodies home but this time is more extensive than in the past.  And if you do something similar, I would love to hear what you include in yours or if you have a product you sell that you think simply must be included.  Just comment below this post!

The first item included in my Goodie Bag is a set of Lowercase Blue and Red Magnetic Letters from Educational Insights.  I love that they are lowercase, they match the letters I use regularly in my classroom, and I absolutely love that the PTO funds them for me.  They requested that I collect them at the end of the year instead of gifting each student with a set.  My first order dwindled slowly over about 5 years and my second order is ready to go this year. Not bad...  I also love that students can visually see that each vowel is red and that EVERY SINGLE WORD WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE RED LETTER!

  Educational Insights Red and Blue Magnetic Letters- Click Here to Order on Amazon

In addition, I include a list of how to use the magnetic letters as well as an explanation that the PTO purchased them for "temporary use"!  

Next, I include an alphabet strip that shows "The Phonics Dance" as most K-1 teachers in my building use this.  Intervention students benefit from the consistency between in class and out of class so this applies to at school and at home as well! If you do not use this program, feel free to include any alphabet strip that works for your students best!

  The Phonics Dance Alphabet Strips- Order Here  

Also, I included a string of beads for segmenting words. I use these in my classroom as well so my students are all to familiar with these.  Simply have all beads on the left end and say a word.  A bead is moved for each phoneme to the right.  This helps students break the words apart as well as reinforce the left to right progression. I have attached them to a card with an explanation to parents on it.  I also ordered these beads from Amazon...are you sensing a trend.  The shoe laces were just from the local store.  Take a peek here:

  Bright Beads for Phoneme Segmentation- Order Here

The rest of the goodies, I will tell you about this weekend. So be sure to stop back then.  Also, check out below for some great items that your students will benefit from doing at home this time of the year for extra practice. My TPT friends are sure to post some goodies that will be of interest to you!

Until Next Time,

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday Linky- Spooky October

What fun and spooky things have you been up to this week?  I am working with seven of the most adorable kindergartners in intervention and letter identification, letter sequencing, and matching capitals and lowercase letters have been on our agenda.  And if you know me, I'm all about throwing some fine motor skills in whenever possible.  So I created these adorable Pumpkin Letter Match Punch for my kiddos and I could not wait to see how these worked.  So today was the day for a little trial run.

Take a peek for yourself...

 Let me just say that this clip art is totally adorable.  A big shout out to Kinder Alphabet for the pumpkin clip art.  Here is what you need to know:

*Punch cards are on card stock for ease in holding it.
*The letters on the cards I used today are sequential (ABC order) around the perimeter of the card to help these emergent readers find the letters.
*The cards come with out of sequence letters too.
*Some of my hole punches operate more smoothly than others.  If anyone knows of a simple hole punch, please comment below because I'm on the lookout.
*All of them were able to hole punch after some guided instruction.
*We could also discuss the shapes of the pumpkins so that was a bonus!

If you would like to take a closer look at this product in my store, just follow the link below.  And take a peek at the other links below from some TPT friends and you just may find something you can not live without this October.

Letter Pumpkin Punch

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday Linky- Favorite Halloween Book

I have been teaching for close to thirty years and I have to say I pride myself on not doing the same things year after year. However, when you find a true classic, you definitely have to break this rule and just repeat.  I found a favorite Halloween book to use when I student taught. I can't remember if my cooperating teacher had the book or if I somehow stumbled upon it on my own.  But I made a "felt board story" for it and my cooperating teacher insisted that I make one for her as well.  Remember the old "opaque projector" and tracing in the darkest corner of your classroom?  We still have one in our building and I am pretty sure that none of our new teachers know what that hunk of junk is.  But, I have to say I think I've used the book and felt story every year since 1987-1988.  I think it has to be my hands down favorite Halloween book. It is definitely the kind of book that you know  every class will ooh and ahh and at which parts they will do so.  I've had a few books come close to the sheer joy I have when reading my favorite, but I think the longevity that I have with my favorite Halloween book definitely makes it stand out as number one in my mind.  Do you have a book like that in your collection? It's the kind of book that makes you want to buy a back up in case you can no longer keep the loose pages in order, you have put it through the binding machine and it still isn't working for you, and it goes out of print and is no longer available at your local bookstore.  In fact, this is not one that is typically even on the shelf at your local Barnes and Noble.  Are you just the slightest bit curious?

Drum roll.....please!

"Humbug Witch" by Lorna Balian- Available Here

So good news...it is still available. And my suggestion is to run, not walk, and pick up a copy of this classic.  Your young readers will love this story I can guarantee it.  And so will you.  It lends itself very well to creative writing, story sequence, and story elements.  If you are so inclined, you can even plug in the old opaque projector and make yourself a felt story to use just like mine.  It will be perfect for literacy centers after you read it to your kiddos the first time.  Take a peek!

So don't let the rest of the month get away from you without checking out this book.  You will not be disappointed. And if you are in need of some great new Halloween products, check out the links below.  You surely will find some great products from my TPT friends to use this month as well.

Until Next Time,

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday Linky

My weeks constantly feel like a whirlwind...do yours? I'm trying to find more hours in my day.  So far I haven't succeeded. Take a peek and see what's been happening recently in my world!

I have mentioned before that I am in charge of our Sunshine Committee at school. I occasionally host a "breakfast cart" and set one up this past Friday. It is always a big hit and most of what I buy is gone by the end of the morning.  Do you have this in your building?  I'm thinking about suggesting that a grade level hosts this each month so we can have it more often.  I would love to hear if you do this in your building or any other suggestions to boost morale or team build! Here is what the cart looked like on Friday!

The Hubs and I went on an overnight to Louisville, Kentucky.  He humors me each year and we attend the St. James Court Art Show.  He had a great dinner out planned for us on Saturday evening and we attended the show on Sunday before heading home.  I collect glass perfume bottles and added this little beauty to my collection.  I absolutely loved it!

And a few other happenings from my Intervention Office that have been happening recently:

Letter Play and Pound with Play Doh

Beginning Sound, Letter Recognition, Find Motor Skills

Color Words

So as you can see...there has been a lot happening.  If your classroom has been that busy or if you are creating materials for teachers to use this October, feel free to share up to three products you have been using or that you have created.  Let's include one FREE item for this time of year if you are posting!  

Until Next Time,

An InLinkz Link-up

End of October- Wednesday Linky

Happy last week of September.  It's hard to believe that time is going by so quickly. I'm certain you are gearing up for all the fun that October has to offer.  This week we are focusing mainly on literacy and math centers to use in October.  Here are a few of my favorites that you might want to take a check out for your classroom!

120 Chart Puzzle- Fill in the Missing Numbers +/- 1 and 10

This next one is my number one seller in my TPT store. It is perfect for so many reasons.  Not only are you teaching kids to pick the word that makes the most sense, you are helping them learn this reading strategy....when reading a word and it doesn't make sense, go back and fix it.  I have two different versions of this clip card.  Definitely, check this one out.  You won't regret it.

Context Clue Clip Cards- My #1 Best Seller!

Finally, this super fun format can be found throughout my store in a variety of different phonics sets as well as "Math Riddle Sets.  These are really fun for kids and not only teach inferring by beginning sounds as well.  Be sure to take a peek!

Beginning Sound Inference Riddles

Please be sure to check out more great products posted by some of my TPT friends.  Such great variety from so many great teacher authors are just waiting for you to take a peek!  And sellers...be sure to link up to three centers!  

Until Next Time,

An InLinkz Link-up

It's Officially Fall

Tomorrow marks the first official day of Fall.  Here's hoping the weather decides to catch up soon. Sixty degrees, slightly cool. leaves changing colors, and that Fall aroma in the air.  It sure seems like we go straight from hot summer to freezing winter these days. So if you love Fall as much as I do, take a minute to post or check out the following products on TPT by some of my favorite Teacher Authors.  You are bound to find something here that you can use in your own classroom.  Have a great rest of the week!

Until Next Time,

An InLinkz Link-up

Spread a Little Sunshine- Sunshine Committee

Do you have a SUNSHINE COMMITTEE at your school?  This is my second year being in charge of The Sunshine Committee at our school.  And if your school is anything like ours, we can get caught up in the small details of our job and it can take a toll on the staff.  So it's become my personal mission to increase the FUN FACTOR in our building and spread some cheer when needed on a regular basis.

So here is how our Sunshine Committee works in our building. All staff are invited to participate and contribute $25 per school year and I have to say that the majority of our staff participates.  We recognize and contribute to showers, get well flowers, family illnesses, and try to incorporate staff events to increase our fun factor.  Last year we had a Chili Cook Off which was a huge success and this September we had a Staff Restroom Decorating Contest.  We have several staff restrooms throughout our building and most are in the grade level wings.  The idea came to me when visiting a staff restroom that had a cozy corner set up with some decorations and I thought this was a great idea.  After all, it is the only place where we can get a moment of silence during our day.  Here is the flyer that I posted on all of the restroom doors and waited for everyone to think I was crazy!  I sat back and waited while I hoped people would participate.

Most grade levels did participate which was great.  Those that did participate truly impressed me. Here are some pictures showing the results of our contest.

Fourth Grade Teachers went the philosophical route and hung framed art work, quotes, lights, and adorable fluffy pom poms from the ceiling!

Second Grade was the grade level that inspired the whole contest by setting up this cute corner.

Our First Grade team went for the seasonal approach and I think the candy bowl right outside the restroom was a bribe but I'm not sure!

And our Kindergarten Team just took it over the top! This was the winning restroom. Take a peek!

So a good contest always needs a winning prize and although they were declared the winners, the prize will be awarded at our next staff meeting.  What could it possibly be I bet you are wondering. Don't tell...

The Golden Plunger Award!

So do you have a Sunshine Committee in your building?  What do they plan for your staff?  I would love to hear from you so comment below!

Until Next Time,