Educator Station

Archive for January, 2015

Each month, I make poetry packets for my students. We have a Word-A-Day, which we read and write in our word journal. By the end of them month, there are more than twenty words in their word journal. 

We also practice reading poems. This is a great way for the students to practice reading for fluency. 

Last year, I posted a poetry folder packet, which contained a Valentine Day theme. You can download all of those materials by clicking HERE

This year, I wanted my poetry folders to have a Groundhog Day theme. I created a new cover, word journal, and included links to word cards and poems. 

POETRY COVER:

WORD CARDS:

You can download this for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers

You can also download these words for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers. This packet contains more Groundhog Day words and President's Day word cards. 

WORD JOURNAL:

POEMS: 

There is a packet of poems you can download for FREE at Aloha Kindergarten.

NOTE:  You may want to edit the "100 Day Song" to say "First Grade."

This poem can be downloaded for FREE at Fun-in-First

To access each month of poems, word cards, and word journals click on the links below:

November

December

January  

February

March

April 

May

June

Honey Bees is such a great story. There is just so much you can do and teach with this story. Here are several free resources for you to use in the classroom. 

FOCUS WALL PACK

This Focus Wall Pack can be downloaded for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers.

I also create a skills sheet for each story. We send them home to our parents at the beginning of each story. 

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

Spelling and High Frequency Words

You can download these word cards from Teachers Pay Teachers for FREE. They are bee themed and just adorable. 

I also created word cards for this story. I photocopy these words onto colored card stock and keep them in a pocket chart in my classroom to review each day with my students. 

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

Spelling Sorting Center:

You can use this sorting resource at your teacher table or as an independant center. I always model centers at my teacher table, then release it to an independant center. The words are on the sheet below:

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

The children sort the cards into the correct category using this sheet:

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

Then, they record their work on this sheet:

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

WORD WORK: VC/CV WORDS

I also used this at my teacher table, then released this sheet into an independant center. 

We practiced finding the VCCV pattern by putting a V or a C under each letter in the word. I had them find the VCCV pattern, put a box around it, then had them draw a line between the two consonants. Once they were "experts" at this activity, I gave it to them to practice independantly. 

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

VC/CV WORD MATCH CENTER:

I made this center for the children to match in an independant center. This center has words to match and it includes a recording sheet for the students to complete as they match their words. 

(You can download this PDF by clicking on the image below)

WRITING:

My students love to write nonficiton sentences. They love learning about any type of animal, in this case a type of insect, and writing about them. 

I found a few free resources that can be used along with this story. 

This is a tree map graphic organizer. They are easy to teach, complete, and bring to a completed writing sample. I use these often and they work every time.

You can download this at A Cupcake for the Teacher for FREE. 

When we write, I love to have the children write on special writing paper. 

You can download this from Teachers Pay Teachers for Free. This is the second page in the packet.

Reading Response:

I also found this as an additional resource. 

You can download this sheet from Teachers Pay Teachers for FREE

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

This year, I used this emergent reader to teach compare and contrast. The reader is easy and the kids couldn't wait to read about the different penguins. I started my showing my students pictures of the Emperor Penguin and the Blue Penguin. This gave them some prior knowledge before they read their booklets. 

This reader includes a Venn Diagram, and another Venn Diagram with the facts on the bottom. The kids cut out the facts and glue them on the Venn Diagram. 

You can download this for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers

Last year, I did a post about Compare and Contrast using the book Stellaluna. 

To see that post and get the free resources click HERE.

We enjoyed reading "Life In the Forest."  Here are several resources you can use in the classroom. 

Focus Pack:

You can download this for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers

SKILLS SHEET

When we begin a new story, we send a skills sheet home. This sheet has all the information the students and parents need for our Reading Street story.

Word Wall Cards:

You can download this for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers

I photocopy these words onto colored cardstock and put them in a pocket chart to read with small groups throughout the week. 

I gave this as a center. I asked the students to write a sentence using the high frequency word. 

SPELLING:

I also photocopy the spelling words onto colored cardstock and place them in a pocket chart for the week.

Here a couple of centers for the students to work on throughout the week:

Singular and Plural Nouns:

You can download this flip book for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers

I also found this matching center:

You can download this for Free at Teachers Pay Teachers

Inflected Ending -ed:

You can download this for Free at Teachers Pay Teachers

I also used this as a teacher table activity:

You can download this for Free at Teachers Pay Teachers

You can download this for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers

 Poetry Folders are a great way to encourage students to read and practice reading with fluency. Fluency is the ability to read text accurately and with expression. Students read fluently when they don't have to focus on decoding and can make meaning and comprehend the text they are reading. 

Each month I choose poems that are at my students' reading level or just above their reading level. For each poem, I model how to read each poem using reading behaviors such as phrasing, rate, intonation, expression, etc.  I begin by reading the poem aloud to the students while they point to the words in the poem. I may do this a few times. Next, we read the poem aloud as a small group.  Again, I may have the students read the same poem several times. You will know they are ready to read independently when the students are asking to read by themselves. I often hear, "I can read it!" or "Can I read all by myself now?" They are excited to read!

My students practice reading their poems several times until fluency has developed and they are reading with expression and confidence. By the end of the month, they can read all the poems in the packet fluently and look forward to taking them home to read with their family and friends. 

PACKET COVER:

Each student received a packet with a cover. I put their name on the cover and give them a few minutes to color and decorate this page. 

This is the cover I created for this month's poetry packet. You can download this page by clicking on the image below. 

WORD CARDS:

This month, I am using word cards from A Pocket Full of Centers. There are 8 pages of words to use from December to early February. There are lots of great words in this packet!

You can download theseword wall cards for FREE at pocketfulofcenters.blogspot.com

WORD JOURNAL: 

After we read the word-of-the-day, we write the word in our word journal. 

We practice reading our words each day. At the end of the month, we have 20+ words we have learned to read together.

You can download this page by clicking on the image below.

POEMS:

I also read poems with my students to build their fluency.  When the students come to my teacher table, they often ask to read their poems before we begin working on our reading skills for the day. It makes me excited to see them so excited about reading! 

There's tons of cute poems on Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers. I found this packet of poems at Aloha Kindergarten! There are 8 pages of poems to choose from! I chose 4 poems from this packet. There is also a poem in this packet about Martin Luther King Jr. that I will be using later in the month.