Our Literacy Centers this week...

Do you ever have those days or weeks where you are running around like a crazy person, but feel as though you can never catch up?  Well, the past two weeks have been those kind of weeks!  Whew...ever since I went back to work we have been crazy busy in our classroom...me assessing, assessing, and MORE assessing!  I totally didn't know where my students stood academically so I've been figuring all of that out...but, in the meantime we've been having lots of fun learning too!

Check out our weather literacy centers below...feel free to pin to your literacy boards on Pinterest!

(If you're interested in them they are in my What's the Weather pack on tpt)

I always do this type of center after Christmas where they have to listen for 2 sounds...beginning and ending...it really gets their brains to thinking!

For this center, I made and hung these little kites from our ceiling...the kiddos had to walk around the room with their clipboards and find the kites...listen for the ending sound...and record it on their paper.  I LOVE to get them up and moving for at least one center.

We are working hard on spelling cvc words...

Middle sounds...

 That pretty much sums up Lit centers...

And, by the way...do you use comprehension skill posters during your whole group literacy?...I didn't until this year...these posters are AWE.SOME!  I use them every single day of the world...it's so easy to tack up on my board and the definition is right there for me...less quick thinking for me which is a good thing most days...plus there's a cute little picture that explains each skill...SO GREAT!  Click the picture to buy them for your classroom...or stick them in your cart for the next big TPT sale...

My twinsie, Amy Hope, made these and has them in her store...

Tomorrow is Friday...Yay!

Our Math Centers this Week...plus some rainy fun!

Happy Tuesday!  I thought I would go ahead and post about our math stations today and do literacy & morning centers another day.  We are lovin' our math stations so far!  We adopted a new math series this year and since I was out for 3 1/2 months I feel "out of the loop", but am getting used to a little more each day.  It's just different from the way I've always taught math.  What math series do you use? Or do you?  Also, I've changed a few stations to go along more with Common Core.  Check out the pics below to see what we're doing.  Feel free to PIN the pictures to your math board.  

This is a subtraction center...what they do is pick a sun and look at the number.  Then, they take away that many rays by folding them back.  Each sun has 10 rays to begin with.  The little rays fit perfectly behind when folded...can I just say that I would LOVE this if I was a kid...and they DO!  :)  They have done awesome at this center so far!

This is what they look like before...

This is what they look like after they "take away" the rays

Oh my Goodness...this is so fun too!  All you need is cheap plastic sunglasses...I got mine at Wal-Mart in the party favor section...6 for $2.00.  Add sticker dots to each lens and Boom...easy peasy addition plus it's super FUN!  

This is what it looks like...

Chillin' at the rug...and doing MATH...

This game is ordering numbers counting by 5's...then they record what they did on their paper.

Stormy Subtraction...they have to count the dots on the storm cloud then roll the die to see how many they need to take away.  They needed some help with this so guess where I was the most...green basket

I forgot to snap one up close of one that was done but here's what it looks like...

Practicing counting with ten-frames and twisters...

 This was for morning work...and they did really good...happy teacher!

This next part is not about math, but we've been learning about weather...today we learned about rain...how and why it rains...then we practiced becoming a rain cloud...each student was one little rain drop...one by one we huddled together in the rope circle until we were so full that we just spilled out...Just like a rain cloud!!  Oh my...they were lovin' this fun little activity!  We had to do it twice!

 Notice the rope circle on the floor...you can use a hoola-hoop if you have one

 It's getting full...

 It rained...

Look at their precious little faces...so fun!

You can find the math centers you see in this post in my weather unit HERE if you are interested.

100th Day Blog Hoppin' Giveaway

Have you entered yet??

Head on over to Blog Hoppin' to enter the fantastic 100th day giveaway today!!  Click the image above to go there!  

Weather Giveaway Winners

Thanks everyone for reading my blog!!  It was so interesting to see what the weather was like all around the world...while some have hot sunny weather, some are experiencing frigid temperatures and snow!  Wow!  

Check your inboxes...because you've got mail!!

Congratulations to Amanda...

and Ana Marie...

Check back for pictures of the Weather Unit in action...

Last week we did our Animals in Winter unit...I didn't take pictures of this because my head was spinning trying to get back into the swing of things but you can find last year's post HERE & HERE.

Say Hey...It's the 100th Day!

We celebrated the 100th day today!  Yay!  Wow...it kinda snuck up on me seein's that I was out the past 3 1/2 months and all...but hey...we had FUN!  Here's some of what we did today.  But first, MY little sweetie...

We made 100th Day Crowns...you can find this pattern for FREE HERE.

 Kids being Kids....LOVE It!

We are learning about how animals survive during the winter months so our 100 murals this year are

100 Butterflies Migrating...we did interactive writing

and 100 Bears Hibernating

You can find what we did last year HERE and my 100th day Unit you can find HERE.

If you live near a Target, which most of you probably do, unlike me...I have to travel 50 minutes, but I found these cute little dry erase paddles there for, you guessed it, $1.00.  Great for small group fun!

And, these cute little mini clipboards.

Last, I'm not sure where I found the idea of Smelly Stickers, but OH MY WORD...my kids are head over heels with this!  I've been "passin' em out" like crazy this week.  I found a huge set of JUMBO smelly chapstick at TJ Maxx for like 5 bucks.  Jackpot!  

I'll be back with the winners of the Weather giveaway winners this weekend!  :)

Please head over and follow me on Facebook if you haven't already...pretty please.  

1st day back...

 So, today was my first day back...away from my little sweetie, but I got to see my other 19 sweeties.  It really was a great day.  The kids were great!  It was kinda like I never left.  Everything was smooth running...we were even DIBELED today and that was great too!  I still need a few days to get back into the swing of the routine.  However, I jumped right in and began making my newest unit on Weather.  I'm so excited to teach this next week.  I haven't taught a full week of weather in a few years.  I've got some fun ideas.  Here's the preview of the weather unit.  Thursday is our 100th day of school!  Have you had yours yet?  Check back this weekend for pictures.  Click the pictures to visit the unit.

Surprise!  I'll give this unit to 2 people... Just tell me what the weather is like where you live.  :)  

Please click HERE and follow me on facebook.  

This kept me busy for a few hours tonight...

New TPT stuff...

Hey Y'all!  I feel like a big FAIL on the blog train.  I'm SO busy...and trying to get lots of things done before I head back to work NEXT WEEK.  When I get back to work and in the swing of things there, I promise to start blogging on what I'm doing in my classroom...with lots of pictures!  I've posted a few new things to tpt and wanted to post the previews.  Click on the pictures below to go straight to the product. 

This was a request from a sweet friend...she was wanting something to throw in a center that can be used all year...so tada!  :) (the original one is in my All About Me unit)

Rainbow Sight Words 

 Winter Math Centers

 Search & Find Number Words

Winter Literacy Centers

Please head on over and "like" my Facebook Fan page. 

I'll give all of these units to 1 random person who comments below.  But, hurry...only comments until midnight will be considered.  :)

New Year's Sale

I'm throwing a New Year's Sale in my TPT shop today only...20% off everything!  

Thank you so much to every single person who reads my blog, visits my store, e-mails me, and comments on this blog and facebook!  Y'all are truly the best!  Best wishes for a wonderfully blessed 2013!