Jasper Roberts Consulting - Widget

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Write Your Heart Out!!!

I've had many requests to write a blog post on how I run my writing center.  As you can see by some of the pictures, I've been meaning to post this since October...well that didn't go so well.  But, I was able to snap a few more pictures of our writing center in action since then so here we go.
You can find August/September Here.

I totally revamped my writing center before the year started.  It was in need of a major overhaul.  My writing center has always suffered a little because honestly I didn't have what I needed or wanted to keep my students engaged and busy the whole time.  I'm embarrassed to say that they usually ended up just doodling or coloring and not actually practicing writing.  Sad, but true.

I knew some things that I wanted my students to be doing there, but just didn't have to materials to get it going.  So, I created my Write your Heart Out monthly units.  
Here's the jewelry holder writing rings holder that hangs in my writing center.  TJ Maxx Score!
Each  month I switch out the rings to go with each activity.  The only rings that stay are the basics which are alphabets, colors, shapes, etc.  Each ring is organized thematically.

Each week my students have the option of making an alphabet letter book.
I have all kinds of letter stickers that they can choose from to put on the cover.
The kids like it because it's quick and easy and fun!  Then, they can do more!


Sometimes my units have thematic puzzles of some sort and this one is in January.  They loved this one!
 January rings...
And, this is a labeling sheet that is in each month to match each theme.
The kids simply find the ring of words, and label the pictures.

Do you want to build a snowman labeling...Um, this may or may not have prompted a Frozen sing along competition.
 I honestly think this is one of their favorite writing center activities!  
I run out of copies of these flip books every week!
These began in October and they fell in love.  They are super fun to make and write in!

 There is a Make a List option too for each theme.  

 This little craft is in the November pack along with these little I am thankful cards.
The kids enjoyed these because they could pick and choose and make them personal.
And, another craft from October.  This was S is for...and they had to pick and choose "S" words.
 Here's another puzzle activity.  :)  Always need to practice CVC.
 Something else my kids like are these Sound Superhero cards.  They have to use beginning sounds to figure out how to spell each word for the picture.  It's interesting.
If you have my Brown Bear activity you have some color word versions of this same activity...so I though why not bring it back!  Oldies are goodies right?!?!
 Counting and writing!
 Here's another activity.  Notice how pretty much every activity is based around the writing rings.  
So many options!

So, hopefully if you have my writing units this helps a little to see it in action.  If you don't have any of them I would like to give you an opportunity to win one of your choice!!  
Just leave a comment below this post telling me what you'd like to try and don't forget to leave your E-MAIL address.  
I'll choose a winner...or two tomorrow night!  
If you already own one, go ahead a comment too telling me what you like about it and you could win another one!

Monday, January 26, 2015

NEW Wintertastic Fun Centers!

Hey y'all!  I posted on Facebook about my new Wintertastic Centers a week or so ago, but I wanted to show them on the blog.  My kids are having so much fun with these.  If you're like me you have a TON of centers for each season, but I always like to have some new stuff too.  I just pick and choose from year to year depending on my mood AND most importantly what my kiddos are needing at the moment.  Here we go!

You can find all of the centers you see below plus about 10 MORE in this packet!!
It has over 230 pages of winter fun!!
 Practicing vowels with owls...
 still practicing spelling cvc words...on this one they use the letter "marshmallows" to spell the word in the top of the mug
 We are practicing reading phrases...
 This one they had to segment the word for the picture...
 Scrambled up sight words are always tricky...
 Practicing counting on from a given number...
 This is hard for my kids, but we got lots of good practice with these icy number bonds...
You probably know that I like to have something hanging from my ceiling for centers from time to time...this week it was snowflakes.  We've also had leaves falling and kites too!
 On this one they had to "catch" or find a snowflake then color the tens and ones...
 Practicing base ten counting...
 And, man we have been working SO hard on making number pairs to ten so this was some great extra practice!

If you're interested in using these in your classroom click the first image in this post or click HERE.
Happy Monday!



Thursday, January 22, 2015

Getting Ahead in Planning

Wow!  I have not blogged in forever it seems!  I had this post to share way back when and then life happens so...

I'm really trying hard to stay ahead in my planning because that's my weak area.  I'm always waiting until the last minute to do things.  Then, I see something on a blog somewhere or on Pinterest that I want to squeeze in so I'm having to stay late to plan those things and it's just bad.  My goal is to be better at planning and sticking to it!  (yeah, right)  Here's one thing I'm doing to plan ahead.  

WARNING:  It is NOT fancy by any means.  No, neat notebooks, no pretty covers, no typed up notes, nothing of the sort.  Just Ziploc baggies, post it notes, and my awful handwriting.  But, it's what works for me...for now.  

If you read my blog regularly you probably know that I teach through thematic units like most of us do.  Instead of pulling out 1 unit, I'm trying to pull out the themes for each month and go from there.  Here's how I am organizing them.  

I put my centers for each week in a Ziploc bag with the game pieces in front of each game.  Then, I put a sticky note with the week for each month inside the bag on the front paper.  
It looks like this...this was for week 3 of November.  
this was week 2 of November
This is a top view just so you can see that I even stick in my sentence strips for my pocket chart stories...it doesn't bother me that they are folded.  I know for some of you it would... ;)
 Okay so here is what the planning process looks like for me in December...I throw all of my December files into a big basket...then I go through and pull out what I want to do.
I know for some of you this looks like a train wreck...I am NOT "pretty" when it comes to my files.  This is how I learned to do it so it just stuck.  I should probably buy 3 ring binders and sheet protectors and organize, but that won't happen until my kids are grown probably...HA!
Then, once I pull and run copies I sort through the copies by literacy and math games.
 Last, they go into the Ziploc baggie like this until it's their week to come out and go into baskets!
So, now you know how I TRY to plan ahead on centers.  

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

New Year's Sale!!

Hiya!  Happy New Year's Eve!  The ladies of Blog Hoppin' are starting the new year off right with a sale!  You can shop any of our stores today and tomorrow to get what you've been wanting at a great price.  I don't know about you, but I'm always looking to add something new to my classroom!

Click the image below to go to my store.  

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Are you on the NICE or NAUGHTY list?

First, let me say, thank you to everyone who visited my blog and Facebook page for my 12 days of Christmas giveaways!  That was so fun!  Congrats to all the winners!!  You have all been e-mailed.  :)

Second, every year when December hits, it's like the rules go out the window...sound familiar?  So, I came up with this little activity to help my little sweeties remember HOW TO (fill in the blank).

I made the big Santa and had the lists and headers ready to go.  Then, I let my students tell me where each card belongs and I taped them to the correct list.
I found the naughty/nice sign at Target dollar spot.
Here's some good news!  You can get this for FREE if you are a follower of my TPT store.
If you aren't and want this for  FREE...go now and follow...CLICK HERE.
I will be sending out a message soon to my followers with the link to the freebie.  :)
Merry Christmas!








 
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