Word Sort Cards for Units 1 -6 for Treasures Reading Program First Grade

Wow! I finally finished the Words Sort cards for Macmillian/McGraw-Hill Treasures Reading program First Grade. They are at my TPT Store (Teacher Pay Teacher), just type in the search my name Cindy Tirado and my store will come up. Last year when we had to implement this reading program I found there were a lot of materials, but they had no cards to use for the sorting lesson during the Phonics/Spelling portion of the Weeks lesson. All last year each week I quickly wrote the words on 3 x 5 index cards, what a pain! Now they are are ready just download, print, laminate, and cut. By the way if you don't use Treasures reading program they are terrific words sorts to add to any Reading lesson and or center. Thanks for reading and here's to saving time!

     Since I'm new to blogging I don't know all the gadgets and things to put on my blog page, so I'm trying to teach myself and see what the pros out there have on their pages, so bear with me.

      It's so interesting to read what everyone is teaching and how they think of such terrific ideas and ways for their students to learn.  I have a renewed sense of hope that perhaps many of you are not getting bogged down by all the testing most of us are required to do now days.  As I start my new year in a couple of weeks I know that I will have to start our district testing (CELDT and Dibels) which I dread because of the amount of time it takes away from my students, but I will keep in mind the information I gain from these test as well as all of the wonderful primary teachers out there who push through the testing sessions and just have fun teaching.

     I just visited a site by  Ms. A at www.oceansoffirstgradefun.blogspot.com She had a couple of terrific freebies on working with the short vowels and a number/color/counting activity.  I have added them to a binder I have set up for small group activities/Workshop/Work Station time.  The binder came from another teacher I found while blogging, her blog site, is called www.funinfirstgrade.blogspot.com  She has pages set up with various phonemic awareness and phonics titles.  Once you find some activity relating to that topic you just add your idea behind that title.  As she suggested I have put all my titles in sheet protectors and any ideas behind the title.

        I though I might share an  organization tool. I use.  All through my years of teaching it's been easier for me to remember my students first names. Now, if I have 2-3 students with the same first name (which has happened) I fore sure learn those students last name. Believe you me I do learn every ones last name eventually, but I don't find it to be that critical particularly in the beginning of the year.   Everything I do from my cubbies/mailboxes, to my grade book, homework folders, to classwork is put in alphabet order by first name.  No biggy if someone leaves.  I just add them to the bottom of my grade book sheet and on my cubbies.  I might shift every one's cubby/mailbox up or over one (HINT: their fist names are velcroed onto the cubbies/mailboxes, so it's easy to move).
     HINT:  Here's my fast way to get students names in alphabetical order by first names.  At the beginning of the year I put everybodies name on an excel spreed sheet then I click the button to sort and "walah" everybody is in order by first name.  I make a second spreed sheet with last names first and I click the sort button and "walah" I have my second sheet in order by last names.  I keep these sheets particularly the first name order and make copies to be used a check list for  various things I need through the year.  Having students in order by first name is also easier for my aide or parent helpers (if I was ever so lucky to have one) to use when calling students, checking in homework etc.   Now I do have to get my students in alphabetical order by last name for our lunch line, cums, and emergency cards, so that's why I make the second sheet sorted by last names.
    Many a time I don't have help, so by having everything by first name I find it to be much faster for me to sort and stay organized.  I know many out there do the number system, but I find first name order works for me.  An added bonus is that I have found my students catching on to the idea of ABC order by using their first names.

Well here's to Saving Time and thanks for reading.

Well woke up with a terrible stiff neck today.  I can't figure out why.  I'm not working and I'm still on summer break!  Anyhow I'm icing it and taking Mortin.

Today I upload my first download for Teacher Pay Teacher.  It's called Number Tickets 1 to 30.  Please check it out, it's free!  I started using them last year in my classroom when I needed to check student's work.  I laminated and cut these numbers apart.  Then I put them in a cup near our calendar board.  When the kiddos finished their "must do" work they would take a ticket, keep the ticket at their seat, and listen for their number to be called.  Then I would check their work.  This stopped me from having long lines of kiddos waiting to get work checked.  I also found these tickets had many more uses.  You could use them for  Math skills such as sequencing numbers or a math center (run two sets and make a memory game).  Again,  check it out on Teacher Pay Teacher. 

Thanks for reading and here's to Saving Time in First Grade!
Cindy

Less than a month left before I'm back to a new class of little guys and gals.  Decided it was a good time to give another tip.  For each student I give them a plastic sheet protector with a colored piece of construction paper inside.  I cut the construction paper a little smaller so it goes inside easier.  That way there is a front and back to their sleeve.  I call the sheet protector their "plastic sleeve".  Now this  idea came from my own children's first grade teacher ten years ago .  At that time I swas bumped out of Kindergarten and switched to first grade and I've used it ever since. 

Inside that plastic sleeve I put a name card (that I have laminated and written their first and last name on with permanent marker.  HINT:  if the student leaves you can erase the marker with a Kleenex and high powered alcohol and reuse).  They also have to put their weekly behavior chart under their name card. I would also give them a small hundreds chart but this year instead I will give them a 8 1/2 by 11 card that will go in the back of their plastic sleeve. It has the alphabet with pictures, color words, coins (picture, name, and amount), number words, a hundreds chart, and charts with counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's (it was created by www.firstgradefanatics.blogspot.com).  This one sheet will be a super reference for my students.  This plastic sleeve also will hold the raffles ticket they earn.

How do I use the plastic sleeve or sheet protector?  Basically it stays on top of their desk, but if I need the desk cleared it can go right inside the desk or in those seat pockets that fit on the back of students chairs.  I have table desk where two students sit next to each other and we have a space underneath that holds their books and crayon baskets. I like the plastic sleeve or sheet protector  left on top of their desk because:
1.  it denotes their space.
2.  it  helps substitutes see a student's name and where they sit
3.  if a student has not finished their work they are to leave it under their plastic sleeve.  This way I avoid papers being crammed into their desk never to be seen again and I can see who needs to finish their work.
3.  and finally to be honest in the beginning of the year I need it for my own remembering of my students names and seats.

You may ask does it fall off the desk?  Yep, but what doesn't in first grade.

Have a terrific day and lets save ourselves some time,
Cindy

      Well I haven't written anything in a while because I'm not sure any ones reading, but that's O.K.
I decided to write another easy simple tip I use for my students to use the restroom.  My school highly recommends 2 students go to the restroom at a time (2 boys, 2 girls).  This is basically for safety reasons.  I as many don't have an inside restroom, so my students must leave the room.  Anyhow, they take a necklace that hangs either on the doorknob, my chart rack, or a nail put somewhere near the door they use.  You decide where it works best.  When they need the restroom (in my classroom they must ask permission) each student going must take a necklace and wear it to the restroom.  That way I know I only have 2 students out at a time.  They also don't have to deal with where do I put the pass when I'm using the bathroom, washing my hands, and it usually doesn't get lost (never say never).  My students quickly learn when the necklaces aren't there then they can't use the bathroom and have to wait until their classmates return. 

      All I use are the colorful beaded Mardi gras necklaces that you can find a Party Supply Stores such as Party City (www.partycity.com) or Oriental Trading Company (www.orientaltradingcompany.com.). You can get a lot of necklaces for cheep, so if one breaks (and they do), that sad face that has to tell you the necklace broke turns into a smile when you say, "it's O.K. sometimes it happens" and then you pull out another.  Now, if the necklace breaks because it wasn't being used properly well you know that's a whole other issue and you'll deal with that as we all do.

Have a terrific day and thanks for reading,
Cindy

Dear Fellow Teachers,

I am all about saving time, so if I have something that works why re-invent it .  I’m all about time management.  I’ve been teaching for 34 years and have been through many cycles in teaching. I have been open to learning new things and love reading about the new and exciting things everyone is doing.  I feel I have many things I have developed and can share.  It is such a compliment when someone uses what I’ve created.  So here I go, I hope you enjoy having one thing less to do.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do Daily packets for my first graders and it is a Must Do for Monday -Thursday.  (On Fridays they have an Assessment Packet, that is made up of skills learned during the week, a Spelling test, and one of the Daily Oral Language and Math worksheet we did during the week.) 
Each Daily packet contains:

1.  A spelling worksheet:  my students start their day by coping their ten spelling words and two sentences from the white board  (I teach in a low socioeconomic area with a 95% second language learner population, majority of my students don't practice their spelling at home, so this is how I have had to compensate).

2. A Daily Oral Language /Daily Oral Math sheet:   I have cut these in 1/2 and put a language and math sheet on one page . (Hint:  In the beginning of first grade I really have to go over these sheets in my morning review of what their doing that day in their packet.  I may do exact examples on my white board so when they go back to their seats they have to remember what to do.  It does take a bit of time, but after a while they'll be working on their own.  The Key is patience.  Also later in my day I check this page whole class.

3.  I add a phonics page or two (usually what we're covering that week).

4.  A math page (usually what we're covering that week).

Really you can add anything your covering to this Daily packet. 

Important:  I do check this daily packet each day with each of my 24 -27 students.  Call me crazy! but they do get immediate feedback.  Plus the packets go home so parents can see exactly how their children are doing and perhaps where they need to practice. You may be wondering can't a parent volunteer or aide help.   I rarely if ever have parent volunteers.  (Most of my parents work, have little children, and/or don't speak English).  Yes, once in a while I can use my aide, but most of the time I need to use her during my Universal Access Time for small group instruction.  Unfortunately we don't always get aides at the right time either.  I may have my aide for 30 mins. but 10-15 of those mins. my students are at recess.  So it's up to me most of the time.  Now also if my students don't finish this packet (and they have plenty of time throughout their work day),  they may take it  home to finish and then can return it completed for a raffle ticket.  (Do I always get their work back?  Of course not.)

Time Saving Tip:

I always keep one copy of the Daily packet  and Friday Assessment for myself and I put it in a folder Labeled :  Week 1, 2, 3 etc.   I keep it from year to year.  How it works is simply locate my File Folder for the Week of school we are on and just pull that week out and look at last years work.  Now as you go through the years you change text books and grades, so things have to be tweaked of course, but over all I've used it in every grade I've taught and it works perfect.  Bottom line it saves me time.  I also do a weekly homework packet. I send a homework packet on Friday and it needs to be returned on the following Friday. That too goes in that weeks folder for reference for the next year.

Here's to Saving time,
  Cindy