getting centers ready & a new product

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I have not had centers in my classroom, until now.  One day this week we did "mock" centers and tried to get everybody to each center {even for 2-3 minutes}, just to practice rotating quickly and quietly.  Here are a couple of pictures of what we were doing.

listening center

read to self {this little kiddo struggled to read CVC words at the beginning of the year, now she's reading entire stories from the basal on her own!}

art center - making clocks to use in our math lessons next week

iPod center - everyone's favorite!

I also have a computer center and sight word center, but didn't get pictures of those.  I created a 6 day schedule (no guided reading on Mondays and Fridays), which will take us 2 weeks to go through.  I most like the fact that I only will need 1 craft/art project every 2 weeks, which is very manageable between now and the end of the year.  Pinterest, here I come!

In yesterday's post I also shared that I have finished my singular/plural noun packet.  Here are the preview pictures.  It has a spring theme and I'm looking forward to using it once we have our sequencing writing completed.  Click here to see the packet with details.

 

The first three to leave an email address in his/her comment below will receive the packet for free!

Happy weekend!

 

Made it to Friday!

Friday is finally here!

Today I am linking up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for my Five for Friday!

1.  This week we learned about Benjamin Franklin.  We read several different books, read an original book, and worked on a circle map.  Here are some of my favorite books about Franklin to use with primary children.  I found Now and Ben while visiting Philadelphia last summer.  It's a fabulous book!

 my Franklin unit ...

 one of my firsties answering the comprehension questions that accompany the reader

 sorting the words with pictures

 our circle map that we worked on during the week

2. In central Virginia, we can experience all of the seasons in a matter of a few hours and we certainly saw that this week!  On Wednesday we had a snow day!  By 11AM we had approximately 3 inches of snow, which was coming to an end.  The sun came out and melted the snow, bringing the temperature up to about 40*.  Today it was 52* and it is supposed to climb through the weekend!

3. This next week I am starting something I have not done as a first grade teacher ... centers.  It terrifies me!  I had the chance to observe one of our kindergarten teachers last week to especially see her centers at work.  Maggie's been a K teacher for 30 years and I value her ideas and suggestions!   Anywho, this is my craft for the art center for the next 2 weeks.  Click on the picture or here to see the original pin from pinterest.  I picked up bags of cotton balls, as well as coloring books and new crayons from the dollar store tonight on my way home.  Maggie and Denise (our other K teacher) suggested having something extra at that center for early finishers, so new coloring books it is!

4. I have worked this week on a packet of plural/singular nouns.  The standards require our first graders to correctly use plural nouns.  For the most part, my children do well, but some of them struggle with man/men and not mans!  I have not yet finished my preview pictures or posted it in my store, but I will give away 3 of them!  Be one of the first three to comment AND leave an email address to receive a set!

5.  We finished our money unit today.  Do you hear me singing "Hallelujah!"??  Many of my children came to me able to count a collection of mixed coins, but for the few who still struggle to correctly identify the coin and how much it is worth (even after singing the "Elmo Counting Coins" song every single day for the last three weeks!), I am glad it is over!  Time is next for us.  What math unit are you covering?