Ooh, I think they like me!

After waiting and wishing and checking and looking and wondering….it finally happened! Follower 100 joined in the fun! I’m so excited to have connected with all of you and am looking forward to all the fun there is to come.  Please be sure to stop by her blog and say hello! Let her know, Tanya sent you. Thanks, Angie!

Wow, what a week!!!  Why is it that 4 day weeks seem longer than a regular 5 day week? We had loads of fun reviewing the last six weeks of school and squeezed in LOTS of learning over last 4 days. Being that we were wrapping up the end of a grading period, it was also time for progress monitoring.  I have to say….that though it’s the craziest time of year; its also my favorite!  It’s the best because this is the time when it all “comes together”.  The light bulbs are on and shining brightly!

I try to keep it together, but it’s such a wonderful feeling to see how much firsties grow over the course of one  school year that its hard not to shed a tear or two.   We’ve worked, we’ve cried, we’ve played and tested AND gotten on each other’s nerves some too, lol! The countdown has begun and we have a few short days left together……{tissue, please}!!! They’ve grown from curious little kinders to stars soaring into second. It feels great! This time of year makes me super emotional….

In between assessing all the great growth, we wrapped up fractions, sent our chicks off to their new home, worked with phonics and had some fun with that crazy old lady!  Why is it that this woman never has a normal meal?  Should she be featured on My Strange Addiction?  Have you ever seen that show?  It’s crazy what people will actually eat!

                                              

I really like doodling, so consequently…..we doodle (with a purpose) a LOT! We completed a directed drawing with her big ‘ole mouth wide open ready to eat up yummy diphthongs {I love that word-heheheheheee!} with ou and ow.  The kids thought it was a perfect illustration. As we brainstormed words together, they filled her right on up!  April is also national poetry month, so as an extension to our phonics lesson, each kiddo worked to write rhyming couplets to accompany their drawing~two sentences that end with words that rhyme.  We’ll continue the poetry fun next week.

In my infinite wisdom…of course, I thought we needed an anchor chart to go with this activity! I immediately doodled a pretty boarder and just as I finished writing the heading…….There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Diphthong {{insert giggle here}}, I imagined my principal thinking otherwise, LOL! Needless to say, we will have an anchor chart, but it will NOT involve any wording that includes ‘thong’! Big fun…..:-D

My absolute favorite time of day is work stations (centers).  As we continue on this journey together, I’ll be sharing how we run work stations in our classroom.  I’ve always used puzzles, but have longed for a way to make them a more cognitive activity. Gotta keep those “thinkers” thinking.  Insert literacy skills review…...  After I assemble the puzzle on top of a large poster board, I trace the outline of each piece.  As each piece is returned to its box, I add a word that extends the skill we’re reviewing. In this case, it was synonyms. It takes some time, initially…but after its done and laminated, can be used over and over again.   I’ve also used them to review sums, differences, sight words and different vowel patterns.  You can find puzzles pretty cheap at stores like Ross or TJ Maxx. My kiddos have enjoyed lots of discussions using this means of concept review.

I’ve seen this little booger on lots of blogs and am so happy to share that my blog has been rated a TOP 10 by Jackie @ Second is So Sweet! Bloggers are the best!  Thank you for the constant encouragement!  We spend our days, encouraging others….it’s so funny…we teachers, like stickers and little pretties too!  Thanks again, Jackie!

Check out these great blogs, that you’ll be adding to YOUR list of “must~see” blogging TOP 10 list too!

Dawn @ BloomingKiddos

Chery @ The Easy Peasy Classroom

Oh…and I’ve been tagged again!  …be back soon to play!  Baseball season has begun and we’ve got to get up early to get my little sonshine to the season opening ceremony. Have a great weekend!