Journeys Morning Work!

On Friday I went to print my typical morning work, to realize I had already used all of January's morning work file. I thought for a second about dipping into the February file... but decided not to. My morning work is typically a math sheet, and I realized that I haven't given them an ELA sheet in a very long time. Everything that I can give them just doesn't seem to fit their skill level. Things are either too hard, or too easy. In our school, kindergarten does not learn the long vowels, digraphs, blends or bossy "e". Most of the ELA morning work I find has those items. I do work with those items with my high flyers, but especially for my lows, we still need basics.

I decided to follow my ELA curriculum and make up a morning work that fits them! The layout is very similar to the morning work they already know and love. I didn't want to change too much on them.

So, the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys for Kindergarten Morning Work was born!!

It is available on TPT!

I do not use the 2014 edition, but I made it for the 2014 edition.

Every week I have a Sight Word Test. Most of my kids have older siblings and they really wanted spelling tests like their older brother or sister. So, I tested a Sight Word Test out for a few weeks, and they're amazing at it!

What I do, is give them 5 words a week to study. Two of them are the sight words we are focusing on that week, and up until now, some were review words or words my curriculum doesn't focus on. On Friday, I have the words listed on the board as well as another wall near their tables. I then tell them to write a word. They then look to where the words are, find it and write it.

For my classroom personally, I'm going to bump their sight words up to 6 words and just use the 2014 Journeys words for our sight word test. So this morning work will really help out with that test!

We're not cupcakes!

There is a two word phrase that I hate! Can you guess what it is? 

"I'm done!" 

So on the 6th day of school I said to them "You're not cupcakes!" And the looks I got were priceless! 

So I explained to them the cupcake story. 

I asked, "When you bake cupcakes, how do you when they're done?"

In which they replied, "The timer dings!" 

So I asked, "Are you guys cupcakes?" 

I got a big "NOOOO!"

Then I was able to explain to them, "if you're not cupcakes, then I don't need to know when you're done, right? When you say 'I'm done!' All I hear is a oven timer dinging. "

For the rest of the day, if anyone said "I'm done!" I looked at them and said "you're not cupcakes, I don't need to know when your done. " 

Today, while in centers. One group finished before we were ready to switch. I overheard them saying "but we're not cupcakes! She doesn't need to know that we are done. Maybe we should do something quiet until we switch." 

Yes!!!!! I'm so proud of these kids so far!! They've done such a wonderful job! 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys - Kindergarten - Lesson 2

I wish I could say I've been working hard on setting up my classroom and such since the last time I posted, or at least busy relaxing. But I've been busy doing other things! Family reunions, watching my nephews, yard work... and 7th year wedding anniversaries! ;) I guess that day was pretty nice and relaxing!

Anywho, I finished Lesson 2's supplemental materials! My stations are ahead of the game luckily! If I finish Lesson 3's, all of Septembers ELA centers will be completed! Well, besides the printing and laminating part of it all.

I added a few more fun items to this packet. I hope you enjoy!

Visit my TPT store to grab these! Or go directly there using this link.

Ice Cream Scoop Sight Word Word Wall

I'm not a huge fan of typical word walls. I don't really know why, I just never was. Even with the word work station, I just don't feel they are useful enough for the students.

So. I came up with my own word wall. They are grouped together, not alphabetically, but by levels. Each student will start with an empty cone at the beginning of the school year. They will work on mastering the sight words under the white "vanilla" level. Once it's mastered, they get to add a scoop of vanilla to their cone and will then work on the pink "strawberry" level.

There are a total of 9 levels, and 108 sight words total. These sight words are considered level A, and good for Pre-K, Kindergarten or First.

I set the first 4 levels up in my room today! I printed the flash cards on colored card stock that matched the level color. I'm going to have to search for some brown card stock!

So all of this can be yours!! Just check out my TPT page!

And as the teachers in my school said, "Just another chevron thing to add to your room!"

Lots of changes!!

I haven't posted or done any work in awhile because I had a feeling things were changing, and boy was I right! 

I am no longer teaching First grade come September, I will be teaching Kindergarten! 

It's a big step for me but I can't wait. I finally was able to get into my room yesterday and start working. But first, we had to paint the walls. I was glad I was able to pick the color, a nice calming blue color. The fabric for my curtains are on the way, and I hope it's a nice color contrast to really make it pop. 

Today I finished up with the paint and started on moving everything around. Sooner or later I will go through everything to see what all I have. 

And so it starts. I can't wait for the point when it finally starts feeling like an actual classroom.