Word Family Neighborhood

Here's a quick easy way to do the Word families all year long.  Each week I cover one word family.  I usually use the word family that is on the Daily Oral Language worksheet that week but, you can go in any order you choose.

All I do is make a house and at the top of the house I write the word family that we are covering.  Then I ask my students to come up with words in that family and I write them inside the house.  If I am in a drawing mood I try my best to put a picture by the word.  Sometimes the words may not have a picture I can draw, so I don't and sometimes I just write the word with no picture because I feel they can read without the scaffold.  It's all up to you.  We go over these words throughout the year whenever we have a minute or two. 

I line the neighborhood up on the wall.  The students see our neighborhood grow.  During Open House my students must read one house of words to their parents.  At the end of the year I take them down (the houses or apartments) and let each child take one home.  They love it.

Here is a  close up of one but I can't figure out how to rotate my picture, sorry about that. I hope you don't mind turning your head.

Have a terrific tomorrow!

31 High Frequency Words Cards added to my TPT store!

Well I finally had some time in between cooking up some carrot cake cupcakes for our Family Reunion tomorrow to up load the High Frequency words cards I use for the Treasures Start Smart Lessons.  They can be found in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Just click on the TPT button and type in my name (Cindy Tirado) to check them out.

I have been trying to make the pieces I have found to be missing in the Treasures Reading Program our district chose to adopt last year.  I quickly wrote up cards on the white blank word cards last year and have now choosen to make them a little nicer or prettier.  I thought well if I can use them perhaps there are others out there that would like them too. 

I am still eventually going to try and teach myself how to put an item I've made on my blog, but just haven't had the time to research since school started. 

Most of my first grade team has been busy Dibels testing our first graders.  How do you keep 5-6 years olds busy and not needy for you while you test?  It seems to be every first grade teachers issue particularly at the beginning of the year.  I have started this year with an easy once a day center rotation.  This idea comes from one of my fellow first grade teachers and she has used this rotation in other grades too.  Basically our rotation starts once the aide arrives.  I stop what ever I am doing and go into our Easy Rotation for Language Centers.  For each group at this point in the year I have a leader (that is one of my better students).  They help run the activity, pass out materials, etc.

Language Centers
1.  Aide:  works with a group on Phonemic awarness or phonics skill activities or games
2.  Students work at tables practicing their spelling words.  They can copy their words three times each on white boards, a student can dictate the spelling words (almost like giving their group a spelling test) and the others write down the word.  There are so many activities that can be done here.  Make words using magnetic letters, stamping ink letters, using letter tiles etc.
3.  Students play the a game where they must say the High Frequency word that is flashed to them by the leader.  If the say it correctly they get to keep it, if not it goes to the bottom of pile.  Once the pile is gone whom ever has the most cards wins.  They also play the game that puts all the cards in a pile.  Leader start first and picks a card if he/she can say he /she keeps it, if not it goes to the bottom of the pile.  It continues until there are not cards left.  Whom ever has the most wins.  (In both games the leaders can usually help the group with the words that is missed, so hopefully by the next time they see it someone will remember it).
4.  Another group is playing an Alphabet game.
5.  The last group is doing a daily packet with a variety of worksheets.  Pages could be:  writing their first and last name, copying their spelling words, Daily oral language, Daily oral math, perhaps a phonics page, and a math page (if they complete their packet they may read a book).!

Doing it this way I am free to Assess my students for a least 30 minutes. 

Something else I do and I found it while reading blogs this summer is turn on a little camping lantern (I wish I could give the person who came up with this idea some credit, but I don't know who it was), if the lantern is on it means "do not bother me" because I  am working with someone.  It works very well. 

Well, Happy Labor Day everyone and perhaps you'll be able to sleep in a little.  I know I will.

Thanks for reading!

Update on my (see red) Name tags that last!!!

Last year we were ask to have our first graders line up in alphabetical order for lunch and make sure they had name tags.  So I decided to do something different and it lasted because I am using them again this year.  I do recommend you reinforce the opening on the plastic ID badge for the lanyard with clear packing tape or the fancy duck tape and then re cut or whole punch the hole for the lanyard (You can hole punch through packing tape but duck tape you may need to slice an opening).  For me spending a bit of money first off has saved me time and NO more word cards on roving/yarn!!!!  So it's time to share. 

Now you will have to spend a little money, but if you don't have to keep doing roving/yarn necklaces attached to word cards maybe you'll want to try this. 

I purchased from Staples but you can get at any office supply:  2 packages of the blue lanyards (12 for about $9.50) and 1 package of ID badge holders that attach to the lanyards (50 for about $20).  Then I got some Shipping Labels from Avery (8163).

I set up in Microsoft Word (labels) and printed my labels with my students first and last name, my name and room number, (that's what our cafeteria wanted) but you can put what ever you need or want on your name cards.  I cut a 3 x 5 card in half and put the label on it.  Then, I slipped the card into the name badge and walah!  A lasting name badge. 

How do I use them in my class:  I put my badges on my kidney table in the morning.  My students know that if they need to buy a lunch they need to get their necklace and put it on their desk.  When we go to lunch they put it on.  Once they get their lunch and are seated I come and collect their necklaces.  I do not want them to take them out to play.  That's it!

Have a terrific week and here's to saving time!

TeachersPayTeachers SALE for 2 days (Aug. 12,13) plus my store has a 20% off sale too, Use PROMO code BTS12

Hello I have learned that Teachers Pay Teachers only has a few sales a year and today Aug. 12 and tomorrow Aug. 13 are one of those sales.  As my title today says not only do they have a discount on items but so do I in my store.  Everything in my store is 20% off.  Hit the Teachers Pay Teachers button on my blog and it will take you to my store.  It's a small store but you get a lot of bang for your buck.  Why not get a few new things at a discount to start off your year or add to it if you've already started with some terrific items from me and others.  I know for I'll be shopping as soon as I'm done here. 

I've been teaching a long time and get bored with some of my things and I like to jazz up my mood when teaching with new stuff for cheap and pay a teacher instead of a publishing company (for double/triple the price).  All of us are teaching pretty much the same things so it's nice to utilize someone elses brain and as my Blog title says, "Save Time in First Grade", or any grade really!

Enjoy shopping and thanks for reading.  Have a terrific day and SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME.

Well slowly but surely I am learning how to set up my blog.  I wonder is there a blogging for Dummies out there?

Today I finished another Treasures Reading Program packet.  It is a First grade Sight Word packet for Units 1-6.  It has all the words for each of the 5 weeks covered in these units.  I have combined weeks due to some weeks not having very many words.  This packet is useful for any reading program too.  Read the sheet in class or send it home.  Each sheet has groups of Sight words your child should read quickly.  Then you can keep score for 5 days and see how they improve.  When used in class, I say to my students, "read as fast as a jet".  They love it!

I have uploaded them in a PDF version or Microsoft publisher version.  They are available on TPT or http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

I have also added a PDF version of my Treasures Sight Words for Start Smart weeks 1 - 3.  It too is on my Store at TPT or http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

To access my store once your on their website:  please just type in my name on the search button:  Cindy Tirado  It should take you to my store. 

I am new to blogging so I don't know yet how to embed all the buttons and things to get you right to my store, sorry about that.  Perhaps I will figure it out one of these days.

Thanks for reading and here's to Saving Time!

A Few Tips to a Great New Year

My goal this week was to get into my classroom for only a couple of days and do a much set up as I could.  I entered my classroom and tried to remember where I shoved everything 6 weeks ago.  Let me tell you the older you get and the longer you teach the harder it is to remember where you shoved things for the summer break.  Every closet is a surprise, Ha Ha.  Then I see all of things I need to unload and put back in their places.  Sooooo Fun!  Not!!

My goal when I write here is to share experiences but also I like to share a tip or two that may save you time.

This year I was lucky no one used my room as in the past, so here's a great tip if you can do it:  set up your room with your beginning of the year bulletin boards and charts/posters prior to leaving. 

I have never been one to have every inch of my room decorated.  Tip:  it's O.K. to keep your room simple.  Why? because, I have found it hard for the students to focus and settle down when a room is too busy with stuff everywhere. Kids only notice things for a while and then it gets ignored.  So for my boys and girls basic charts/posters are up:  numbers with number words, colors with color words, my poem of the week, homework chart, and behavior chart.  These charts I've made and are scaffolds.  I scale them to just words later in the year.  Don't get me wrong as the year progresses I add things to our room environment we have created as a class, or relates to our theme.  These seem to be more meaningful to all.  Finally, my last tip don't be afraid to get rid of (put away) things your class won't be using anymore.  It's O.K.

Well best of luck to those who are starting next week and if not continue to enjoy your summer break. 

Thanks for reading and here's to saving time.

Only try a couple of new things at a time when starting a new year.

I have seen so many fun ideas and activities that I would love to do with my new first graders this coming year, but I have also learned through my many years of teaching that you should only try a few new things at a time. If you change too much it can become overwhelming and at least for me my room won't run as smoothy and flow as I like it. Like last year my district introduced us to the Treasures Reading Program and the Dibles Assessments. I really did not do much new in my classroom except to learn the ins and outs of both Treasures and Dibles. Now this up comming year with those two programs sort of under my belt, I can now tweek Treasures to meet my students needs adding activities/centers, and lessons. After using Dibles I now know I need to have things to keep my students occupied for a certain amount of time so I can do the one on one testing. So I'm thinking this year I'll try and add more focussed literacy and math centers as well as trying out some whole brain teaching techniques (www.wholebrainteaching.com). Why do I mention this? Well many teachers I know want to try so many things they see others doing that seem to be working (including me). So I always suggest (and have to remind myself) run your class the way you are comfortable then if you see something new you like go ahead and add it. If it works perfect, use it, but if it doesn't or your not comfortable with it dump it and go back to your old stuff. You will feel better and be less stressed. Lord knows we are stressed enough with all our current challenges in teaching now days. So as the statement say, "Keep it simple". Do what works for you and gets your students learning. Here's to saving time. Thanks for reading