Back to School TPT Sale

Just in time for Back to School!

Every item in my TPT store will be on sale Sunday, August 18 and Monday, August 19!  It'll all be 20% off, plus you get an extra 10% off with the promo code BTS13 {that'll be 28% off}.

Happy Shopping!

Monday Made It

My first Monday Made It of the Summer!

For several years, I have been giving students a "First Grade Survival Kit" at

Meet the Teacher Night.  It contained several items like a bouncy ball, eraser, stickers, a penny, etc.

It was time to change things up a bit and pull out my scrapbooking supplies!

These cute little owls were created using the Owl Builder Punch.

The cute little hearts are the perfect touch.

The owls were put onto the paper cut with my Big Shotz and the Top Note Die.

I made a template so I could get the saying in just the right spot.

Here are my finished toppers!

Add the topper to the top of a clear bag filled with candy and it is complete!

Time Out is Over and Currently

Hi everyone!

I've missed the blogging world for a few weeks.

One of my goals this summer was to learn to relax and not spend so much time on school related activities.  I began the summer with 3 book studies and was trying to blog about 2 of them every few days.  By the time July came around I was still blogging about 2 of those, working on my Teacher of the Year Portfolio, and tutoring 2 days a week.  I just keep thinking to myself.... "I'll work on that relaxing goal later!"  A week before vacation, I finished my portfolio and decided it was time!

I took time off and by the time I went to the beach I had it down pat!

 My beach buddies were surprised I worked on nothing school related the entire trip!  No lie!

It made the time at the beach go by much slower.

Lisa - teacher, Beverly - works at Middle School, Anita - bff and assistant in first,

Sherri - friend, Me! 

My family at our favorite beach restaurant - Burro Locco

A week home from the beach and I am still on beach time.  I just can't seem to shake it.

So, today I am diving back in again.  I am beginning my Meet the Teacher Gift for my kiddos!

Hopefully, I will have them made for Made It Monday.

Currently, I am joining Farley's monthly link up.

Listening:  My ipod has quite the variety.  I love country music, but also like rap, pop, and jazz.  

Loving:  With 3 kids, it is sometimes hard to find time alone with each other.  We try.  Yesterday, we rode the motorcycle to the mountains to visit friends.  We rode around on the mountain trails in their ATV, ate avocado salad and had some homemade ice cream.  Then, on the way home, we stopped to have a very late snack! 

Thinking:  Time goes by so fast.  Summer is almost gone.  My middle child is now a senior and my oldest just seems to come visit now.  Wish I could zap them back in time!

Wanting:  Usually by this time of the year we know our class list and most know their assistants.  

Needing:  The piles of laundry never end!  

Back to School Must Haves:  

1)  I've had my chair pockets for several years and I am gradually buying new ones to replace.  They are from Aussie Pouch.  Click the picture to go there.

2)  I've said it before, but I must say it again.  I cannot start the school year without my Mr .Sketch Markers!

3)  I always give my students something on Meet the Teacher Night as a welcome present.  For the past few years it has been a survival kit.  It is time for something new.  I bought some craft items from Stampin UP and plan to make something owl themed.  

If you haven't already become a follower of my other blog, stop by and follow.

New Vocabulary & Big News, Finally

I have created two new vocabulary activity packs for my classroom and TPT.

If you haven't seen them before, check them out.

Here is what a few of my customers have said about previous vocabulary activities:

Now for the exciting news!  I have been waiting for almost 4 months to become an Independent Designer for Origami Owl.  And last night was the night!  I am so excited to start on this new journey with a company that is growing with leaps and bounds.  They are amazing.

Today in the mail, I received a gift just for being on the wait list for so long.

What other company would do that?

If you haven't heard about Origami Owl, just look at the photos below.  They are beautiful and uniquely you!

If you would like to place an order or hold your own Jewelry Bar, let me know.  I would love to help you design your own necklace or earn one for free.

tamerawilson1@yahoo.com

Ten Pin Linky - Reading Resources

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

I am joining Ashley's Ten Pin Linky for Reading Resources.

  If you would like to join, click here to go to her blog.

I love the idea of a Readbox Display to get students excited about reading!

I sometimes do this same type of thing when teaching main idea, but with book titles.

Cover the title of a book.  

Take a picture walk.  

Think about what the pictures were mostly about & 

come up with a name for the book.

What a great way to highlight the differences/similarities of fiction and non-fiction.

When studying Author's Purpose this year, I used this anchor chart!

So wish I could decorate the doors to my room.

At my school, it is not allowed via the fire marshall!

   

When I used an example of this anchor chart to introduce Cause and Effect, 

my students loved it!  Then, we read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!

Who doesn't love cupcakes?

How cute!

Excellent link to activities for RTI!

Perfect for sharing with parents at the beginning of the year!

OMG!  What a fantastic reading center!

My firsties love David.

This would be a great bulletin board.

Think that was 11!  Who's counting?

Go join the linky.

Building Mathematical Comprehension - Visualizing

            

I am excited to be one of the hosts for Chapter 5 in Building Mathematical Thinking.  Thanks to   Brenda of Primary Inspired and Beth of Thinking of Teaching for getting this book study together.

Students must be able to visualize what is happening in order to comprehend what they are reading.  Therefore, we must teach students how to visualize.  It does not always come naturally to children. 

The NCTM Standards include representation as one of the Process Standards!  We must teach students to create & use representations.  Laney includes J.K. Wilhelm's seven-step sequence of activities to help students build mental images gradually.

• Create mental images of observed concrete objects.

               Show students an object. They close their eyes and try to visualize it.
               Then open their eyes and try to describe it.

• Create elaborate mental images of imagined concrete objects.

               Students recall and describe images they have previously seen.

• Envision familiar objects and settings from their own experience.

• Add familiar actions and events, then relationships and settings.

              Can begin to have students envision a math problem.

• Picture characters, settings, details, and events while listening to a story read or told about.

              I call this "Sketch to Stretch."  
              As I read aloud parts of a story, students draw what they see in their minds.

• Study text illustrations and use them to create internal images.

               As a whole group or small group activity.  

• Create mental pictures independently.

Once students are able to create and represent mental images, they are ready to see how it can help them understand math better.

Modeling & Think Alouds
To show students how to use visualization in math, teacher should model and use think alouds.
There are several different options:

• Teacher does all the modeling and thinking while students listen
• Teacher does most of the modeling with some students engagement.
• Large groups, but teacher is monitoring.
• Small groups, teacher monitors.
• Students do the modeling orally and/or in writing.  Then, compare with others.
• Students do modeling independently in a teacher conference.

"Picture Walks" to Build Capacity to Visualize

Take picture walks through math text books, math resources, or math related books to help students see multiple representations of math images.

Visualize, Draw, Share

Students listen to someone describe a mathematical idea (two plus 4, area of a square, etc) and draw a mental image of it.  Then, students share with others and compare images.  Follow up with discussion.

Multiple Representations Graphic Organizers

Practice using symbols, diagrams, models, examples, and words to express a mathematical idea.

Example:  Frayer Model - especially useful for math vocabulary

The Frayer Model:  http://scimathmn.org/stemtc/frameworks/231-shapes

(Adapted from Thompson, et al. 2008)

Math Stretches to Encourage Visualization

2 types & very brief

What do you visualize when you think about addition?

• Students use sticky notes and illustrate what they visualize.  Add it to chart.  Discuss.

What does this representation mean to you?  Sketch it.

• Students see a visual representation.  They use sticky notes to describe the math concept.  Add it to the chart.  Discuss

Use Children's Literature & Poetry that relate to math.

I absolutely love The Math Start Books, by Stuart J. Murphy.   Visit his site @ http://www.mathstart.net.

Check out this from his website.  He lists books by the NCTM Standards.  Here are his books that fall under Representation.

http://www.mathstart.net/for_teachers/nctm_standards.php

For other lists of children's book that would be great for Math, just click on the pictures below.  

And here are just a few of my other finds, I thought would go along with this chapter.

Thinking stems:

Words to use during math talk, math huddle.  

Thanks for stopping by & I hope this has been helpful!

Thompson, D. R., G. Kersaint, J. C. Richards, P. D. Hunsader, and R. N. Rubenstein.  2008.  Mathematical literacy: 
     Helping students make meaning in the middle grades. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Wilhelm, J.K.  2004.  Reading is seeing: Learning to visualize scenes, characters, ideas, and text worlds to improve   
    comprehension and reflective reading.  New York, NY: Scholastic.

Representation

Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable
all students to—

• Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas
• Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems

• Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena  

- See more at: http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=322#sthash.UciPKHrR.dpu

Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable
all students to—

• Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas
• Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems

• Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena 

- See more at: http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=322#sthash.UciPKHrR.dpuf

Representation

Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable
all students to—

• Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas
• Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems

• Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena  

- See more at: http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=322#sthash.UciPKHrR.dpuf