Updates All Around

Thanks to the wonderful ladies who set up the TPT Sellers Challenge earlier this month, I have been super busy revamping and refreshing many of my old products.  They gave me the motivation I needed to just get it done already!! 
I've also been busy trying to get into some sort of 'routine' with this whole health venture. Stay tuned.

The first product I updated was My ABC Book - Foldable Emergent Readers.

These are great for reinforcing letters and letter sounds while building self-confidence amongst your youngest readers. The text is repetitive, there are pictures to match each vocabulary word, and traceable text on every page.

I introduce each book as we work on each specific letter. We spend time participating in echo and shared reading.  The kiddos then head to their table groups to read, trace, and color their books.  As they finish, they pair up and buddy read or spend time at read-to-self. 

 The books remain in the students 'book luggage' for the next week until it is sent home to be read with family. 
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I also updated a sound-spelling product that I have renamed Building Words!

This little guy went from 32 to 80 pages!! I completely made over every single page of this product and provided three versions of each letter page for easy differentiating.  I provided a FREE sample in the 'Preview' section in my TPT store! Just click {{HERE}} to check it out!
 This packet was created when I was teaching first grade for the first time. I had several students who needed practice with sound-spelling and I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to be successful.  Even though there are harder words, the success comes when they sound them out phonetically! 

My students always ask me to help them spell out harder words and my response is always the same "sound out and write what you hear." How else are they suppose to learn? Trying is half the battle. 

When making over this product, I took into consideration several key factors that it was lacking. Differentiation, extension, and an alphabet line to provide for letter/letter sound support.  Through the years, my students have come into my classroom more prepared for multi-level style centers/worksheets and I wanted to provide them with just that. 

**Suggestions for use:  -staple or bind into a book for each student to use and work on independently {book cover provided below}
-print on cardstock (for durability), laminate each page, and bind together. students use expo markers to complete pages
-use pages in small group 
-used in a center rotation

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Now for #teacherskeepinitreal

Here it goes....the truth. Ugh! I have not started this health journey off well.  It's not that I'm not trying either. Don't get me wrong. It's just life. It's so busy and ever changing that getting into the routine of things is a little more challenging than expected. 
Let's see. I made my declaration of change SIX days ago and out of those six days I have only worked out twice. BUT here's where my mindset is changing. I'm proud of those 2 times. They were hard workouts and I pushed myself.
I will continue to increase how many workouts I do, as I can.

Eating is going better. 
Listen...if I could live off of chocolate chip cookies alone, I would. I seriously bake and eat dozens of cookies in a setting.  It's gross and it's a problem.
I'm happy to report that in the last 6 days, I have only consumed two cookies.
I can't even believe that! THAT is an accomplishment!! 

 I've been eating a lot of fruits/veggies and drinking a lot of infused water.  I like to drink a detox water. It's lemon, cucumber, and mint. Chop 'em up, let them sit in water overnight and enjoy! SO good! Warning: you pee a lot!!

A few recipes I've tried {click image for recipe}:

                                 

I'd love to try some more delicious recipes! If you've got a really good one, send it my way! :)

 

I Made It!

Today I'm linking up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It.

Yes, I realize it is now mid-way through Tuesday but we'll just pretend. 

This summer has been quite different from any other summers and that's because I have some BIG NEWS…but I can't share that big news just yet. You'll have to come back next week for that reveal. :)

I have been busy though.  Here's what I've been making:

I finally got around to updating my Long-Term Sub Binder and I made some new covers that I am in love with! Excited to head to Staples to get these bad boys printed out and into a binder!

I also added 18 more pages for even more (slightly OCD) organizing!! 

whoop whoop!

 

You can take a peek at what's included in THIS post.

Or you can check it out HERE.

Then, I made another Parent-Teacher Communication Binder for a friend.

I kinda think it's adorable and it was created to match Melanie from Schoolgirl Style's Owl-themed classroom the best I could! :)

Every cover in this book has 4 options {color and b&w}

I also have 2 purchase options:

an OWL Book Binder as is

OR

an EDITABLE OWL Book Binder (this allows you to type in what you want to say on each cover, as well as in the letter to parents)

I started using daily communication binders with my parents 6 years ago and I will never do anything different.  It is the best way to keep your parents in the loop of what is going on in your classroom and how their student is behaving and progressing daily. I receive the most praise (in terms of communication) about these binders!  You can read more about these binders and see other binder-themed options HERE.

And finally…

I worked really hard on this last product.  Why? Because it's a product/tool that I will be using all year long.  Last year I had two students who struggled all year on learning and mastering the letters of the alphabet, consistently and fluently.  Mid-year I purchased a book titled Interventions That Work and it changed my life.  Everything that is outlined in this book were things that I already knew (or at least heard before) but wasn't registering as an effective way to get my students mastering this foundational skill. 

After reading the book, I began to put all of that knowledge to use and began creating the following packet.  I used many of the games featured in this packet in the final months of the school year and was able to see improvements from both students.

I spent some time this summer researching a little more on orthographic systems and created this packet.  It will serve a supplement to many other great tools that I will use throughout the year.

Click images to take a little peek.

After looking at so many other wonderful things that all of you have been making, my 'to-do' list has grown even more!

Excited to get started on some DIY projects around the house too. 

Don't forget to stop by Tara's blog to check out some other great projects!

I can't believe it!

I can't believe the time has come to go back to work. Where did the time go?!

Summer NEVER went by this fast as a child, especially in high school.  I would get so bored ALL THE TIME! Now, there's not enough time in a day to get all the things I need to get done, done.  

It's funny how differently things are when you become an adult. :)

As you all already know {because I've complained several times} I can't get into my classroom yet, so I've been working on curriculum and classroom management items at home.

 The other day I posted about a wonderful sound/spelling packet {click picture above to snag your copy} that I use in my classroom.  After looking at it, I realized you needed options.  I have now updated it so that there is a colored version and a black line version! Woohoo!

 {example of black line pages}

I just posted this little packet last night:

My mother, thankfully, saved a lot of my stuff from when I was in elementary school.  One of the things that I found in my pile of goods was an alphabet book that I had created in my first grade class.  That got me thinking....what better way to get my kiddos engaged in reading while reviewing letter sounds and letter recognition, then to create alphabet books!!  So I came up with this:

These books are foldable and can be colored by your cuties!

I think I'm going to introduce these whole group, like I do with my decodable books, and then use them in my small groups as well. 

I'm also planning on having them generate more items that they can think of that begin {or end...for letter "x"} with the same sound.  Just as a whole group review type of mini-lesson! :)

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Aside from fun computer stuff, I have been tackling my Pinterest inspired and other projects!  Still putting some finishing touches to them but am excited to participate in my first "Made it Monday" post!  Stay Tuned!

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We still need 16 states to complete our Postcard Exchange!

Click HERE to become part of an awesome project! :)