Visual Plans -Reading Block Revised... again! ;)

I am just going to right on ahead and post these visual plans today! Why not do 2 blog posts in one day?! ;)

I've been talking to Meredith from Creativity to the Core non-stop about my reading block and how I am struggling with implementing the reading workshop approach with the station rotations and guided reading meetings that I love. I knew there had to be a way to do it and she helped organize me and guide me into what I should do. Like, she even drew pictures for me! (ah, love her!) 

I like the reading workshop idea, but I feel like there are so many gaps and it can get tedious (just my opinion). So, I am not going to delve deep into it all just yet because I just started but I am letting you peek at my plans and see how I differentiate and get it all in. It worked last week and I bet it will work again!! The kids were SO engaged and busy with meaningful work! The reading block is as follows: 

1.Mini-lesson/active learning

2. Off to stations they go

3. Stations Include: Read to self, respond to reading, skill work, teacher table and word study.

Students only visit four stations a day so each day I switch out station strips. (I will do a blog post later once I've gathered photos)!

Oh, and I am a freebie hound... so, there are a lot of freebie links in there from me and many other amazing TPT-ers!

Just click here or on the image below to see my visual plans up close & to be able to click on the product links!

I hope you can find these useful!

Have a great weekend!!

3

Fact Fluency Practice!

One of the third grade standards is to focus on fact fluency and that is just one that needs to be practiced all year long... we all know that! I've been meaning to share a few of the activities that I use to practice math facts and how we check out progress each week! I'm going to drop in really fast to share! We have cinnamon rolls in the oven this morning!! :)

This is a game called, multiplication dual - you can read more about this here.

We also play multiplication Top-it where you students place cards in a pile. Each student pulls two cards from the pile, multiplies them together &  then the student with the highest product gets to keep everyone's cards. When the pile it gone, the game is over. The student with the highest number of cards wins the game! 

This is another simple, easy prep game that we play. You just need 3 circles on a paper as seen in the picture. Write the desired x? factor in the circle. Then, students roll a dice and place that many manipultives inside each circle. Afterwards, students write down their multiplication problem and solve.

This activity is from a multiplication unit that is still in progress and will be posted as soon as it's finished! But, you could always use envelopes and wrote multiplication facts on note cards. I folded two file folders inward so it opens like a door. Then, glued the back of the file folder together. The pockets keep the multiplication facts. When students finish math work early, they grab this and practice whichever fact they need to master by Friday!

I'm sure you've seen this one floating around on Pinterest and that's exactly where this idea came from. Students grab a cup, solve the multiplication problem, look at the inside of the cup to check and then they can use it to build their tower. It's a popular one!!

Each Friday, students are 'tested' on their ability to master their fact for the week. Students keep track of their progress in their math journals on a simple chart (that I forgot to take a picture of). During the week they know which fact to practice so they can master their 1 minute fact fluency test on Friday.

After we take the test, I have students get with the same people who also took the same test, they check answers - I walk around and check too. If they master that fact they get to write their name in the factor on the wall (see picture below). If they do not master the fact, they know that they need to practice again next week!

To read more multiplication posts by me you can click one of the links below:

Doubles Books

x2 Facts

Multiplication Strategies

Introducing Multiplication

I am going to try to be back tomorrow with my Visual Plans for the week!!!! :) You'll want to come back!

2

Multiplication Duo - A Free Card Game!

Hey everyone! I just posted at Owl-ways Be Inspired! It's all about this fun multiplication card game that is SO MUCH FUN! Hop over to learn more about it and grab a directions printable too!

0

Reading Response Flips - Cut and Glue it!

I love having my students respond to reading response prompts! It really allows them to critically think about what they're reading and respond in a meaningful way! I always struggled with finding the perfect way to place meaningful questions in my students hands and then one day it dawned on me! Just cut, choose a question, glue it down and respond!

I created a product that is so easy to use in the classroom and really encourages students to think critically about their text!

This product has 48 fiction and 48 non-fiction reading response questions/prompts. Each page has four thought provoking questions to allow students to have choice. Each page covers different comprehension concepts. 

Here is how it works!

To get them started students just need to place glue on the spine of the flip-book.

Once they read and have it glued down they can choose a 'just right' question to answer during reading response time! I have a reading response station that students visit each day. Sometimes these take them one day and something it takes them 2-3 days!

When they are ready to answer, they simply cut out he question and glue it on a new page.

What happens when they run out of questions?!!

Give them a new set of questions to answer. They simply glue it over the old spine! No wasted pages in that previous reading response journal!

Then, they follow the same pattern!

After they complete a reading response allow them to look at the rubric to see if they did their best!

There are a ton of these included! 48 fiction and 48 non-fiction! They're a simple way to mix up the types of questions answered during reading response time and they really encourage students to think critically!

If you are interested in these then you can grab them here!

0

Snowing in the Classroom! - Multiplication Game

Today was seriously so much fun! This week we've had two snow/cold days and today we were learning our x1 facts. I looked in my little multiplication book to see the x1 lesson and I just wasn't excited for it... like at all! So, in popped a multiplication game idea. I stopped at wally world, bought 400 cotton balls, 100 bowls and paper plates. Wrote the numbers 1-12 on the bowls and we were ready!

We learned and played two different games today! 

In one game students got to throw snowflakes: The students were zoned in and paying attention as soon as they found out they got to throw something!... and it was safe! :)

 How to play game #1: Grab one paper plate and 12 cotton balls. Have students grab a partner. One partner throws the 12 cotton balls into the air while the student with the paper plate tries to catch as many cotton balls as possible. Then students multiply the number of cotton balls caught by which ever factor you assign. We worked on x1 facts today and used the plate as showing one group. After students threw and caught their snowflakes then they wrote down their multiplication fact and solved it!

Here you see the kids counting the snowflakes on their paper-plate to come up with their multiplication fact.

How to play game #2: You need 12 bowls and simply write numbers 1-12 inside of the bowls. I asked students to take 3 snowballs (cotton balls) with them and take three steps away from the bowls. Toss the snowballs into the bowls and then write down your multiplication problem. Students first worked on their x1 facts. So, as you see below the snowball landed in bowl three. The students problem was 1x3=3. Once students completed their x1 fact boxes they were able to practice their x2, x5 and x10 facts. So, below would be 2x3=6. You can really do this game with any factors!

Here you see students playing the game! Let me tell you... the boys got INTO it!!! Competition at its finest while learning their facts! Score!! 

That's about all! It's so fun and simple! I love this game because I can whip it out at anytime when we need to move a little and have a little fun! Also... all of these materials can be used next year and the year after and the year after that!! :) 

1

Our Classroom Resolutions!

Today was our first day back from winter break. I was dreading it at first, but as soon as they started walking in I got a burst of excitement and energy! Then, I wasn't so mad about winter break being over. I really did miss them!!

I knew the kids were going to want to talk, talk, talk when they got to school! So, this morning when the kids entered they wrote a story for me in their writers notebook from their winter break. Then, we introduced ourselves to a new student that we got today & took time to just talk to our friends. Afterwards, we set our classroom resolutions (rules) for the rest of our year!

When we left for break things were getting pretty, well - out of control... kids were ready for a break and so was I! We were getting our work done but the behavior... ha ha

So, that sparked a thought for this back to school from break activity!

It was perfect and gave students a chance to reflect on our school year thus far.

We began our resolution making by talking about what resolutions are. Many of them had no idea!

Then, I broke my class up into groups of three. In their group they came up with 6 rules they thought we should have in the classroom. Then, I combined 3 groups of 3 to make one big group of 9 and they dwindled the rules down to one lost of 6 rules. So, at the end we had 3 lists with 6 rules on each. 

It was really neat to hear their discussions and see the rules they came up with. The kids really put a lot of thought into it and really thought about the problems we face each day in the classroom! 

After we had our 3 lists of 6 rules we voted! We took 2 rules from each list and wrote them on our Classroom Resolutions poster!

Our rules are hanging up nice & visible for all to see! I love the one that says I can cover my mouth when I sneeze and cough. We had a huge epidemic before winter break where we all got sick! They obviously want to prevent that and so do I! I love the - I can use my own brain and focus! They know focus is my favorite word! ;)

After, we made our rules the students picked one resolution or another goal that they had for themselves to work on in the classroom. They worked on these at the writing station and they're now hanging in the hallway!

They're so cute!!

You can grab this activity packet here. Tomorrow we will be writing about & creating the new best toy for 2015! I'll be back later with that post!! :) I can't wait!!!!

I also have math stations to go with it too! They're super easy prep!

Have a great rest of your week with your kids!

1

This is YOUR year!! Giveaway!!!!

Happy New Year! If you're like me, over winter break you have been brainstorming the great, new stuff you want to do at school or even at home in the new year. Well, that takes money doesn't it? (bummer)!! 

The girls over at Owl-Ways Be Inspired and I are doing a New Years giveaway where you can win $100.00 to Amazon!

Click here to head over to the Owls to enter!

Then, I am giving away 10 books from Scholastic! All you need to do is enter below to win!! I ordered some for myself too! ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

0