Math Monsters

Okay y'all, I'm really struggling with teaching addition this year. We usually don't teach this skill until later on after we've talked about number value and ordering numbers and counting.  I've discovered two main problems that we've encountered this past week

1.  The lessons in our new series are LONG. By the time we get to the end of the lesson, my kids are getting antsy. I plan on revamping these and adding some fun things to get the kids moving. That's the plan anyways :)

2.  My kids are understanding the concept of adding, but we need some drill and practice. I think it's wonderful to know how to draw a picture or use manipulatives to figure out 7+3=10, but sooner or later a child just needs to automatically know this addition fact. So I decided to download some flash cards online (I can't remember where, but a simple google search will give lots of options) and I plan to start keeping these in our daily binders that traveled to and from school each day. To make it a little more exciting and special for my kids, I made each of them a Math Monster out of a manilla folder to help with the adding.

It's super simple to make these!

1. Get a manilla envelope. The small size...I can't remember the exact measurements but it's not the full sheet size. 

2. Make some fun monster pieces.

3. Laminate the envelope 

4. Cut out the slit to hold the flash cards. 

The kids saw them today and loved them! I may do some for our sight words too. 

We've had a busy, but great week! I'll share some more classroom happenings this weekend. We end the ABC Review tomorrow and begin our first reading story next week so I'll share some neat ideas with y'all! :)

My Week in Review

Here are a few happenings from this past week.

We've been learning about sentences this week. I made this anchor chart to help us remember what a sentence is and what it contains.

I found this lovely idea via Pinterest. You can find the original source here.

As part of our ABC Review we are celebrating the letters 'm' and 'd' by having Muffins with Mom and Doughnuts with Dad. I'll show the finished product tomorrow :)

I'm still trying to make sense of Go Math! After taking the teaching guide home with me this weekend, I feel a lot more comfortable with it. I made these for the math board, which I hope will help the kids make sense of what and why we are learning things in such a way. 

This is the way I'm displaying the math vocabulary for the chapter.

I'll display the daily problem here.

I'll be back tomorrow to show y'all our cute Doughnuts and Muffins crafts and writing activities. :) Have a great week, y'all! :) :)

Bear in Underwear and a new pack!

At the start of a new year, I always like to read books that the kids really enjoy and ones they find funny. So Bear in Underwear is a great choice. My kids always LOVE this book and spend most of time laughing while I'm reading it. I decided this year to incorporate our first writing activity with this read aloud and it worked out perfectly. Aren't they just too cute??

 This is the original bear. I'm working on a literary companion for this book that will have the pattern available.  

Check out the book below!

I've also just uploaded my short i literacy activities. Click the pic to get them!

Teacher Week: My Classroom

If I could have another job, it would definitely professional classroom decorator. I *love* decorating a classroom. Here what my classroom looks like this year.

More has been added to this board, but I of course forgot to take a picture of it!

My pretty curtains that my wonderful grandmother made :)

The new coffee area

Class Jobs

Hop over to Blog Hoppin' and link up!!

Teacher Week: Must Have Mondays

After the first day of first grade today, today's must have is a nap, y'all! Goodness gracious is the first day not always busy?? It was a busy day, but it was also such a good day! I have the sweetest group of boys and girls and I cannot wait to share with y'all all the things I have planned! 

As y'all know, Blog Hoppin' is hosting Teacher Week this week and today's topic is must have items. Here are my absolute favorite teacher things:

Mr. Sketch Markers. Simply the best marker ever invented. I could never make a chart without these! The fabulous smells are just an added bonus :)

My SmartBoard. Since I moved classrooms this year, they had to move it and now they have to come back and realign it to the projector so I was without it today and boy could I ever tell the difference! I'm planning to hop up on a chair tomorrow morning and see if I can align it myself! 

Since I was without my Smartboard I was also without my Elmo. It would have been so much easier to do math today with it. If you don't have one of these, go email your school technology person right now! This document camera will make your life a million times easier!!!

My pretty Lilly planner is always with me and helps keep me organized. 

I have an obsession with purchasing clipart and it has motivated me to make tons of center activities to use. How could you not get inspired when looking at all the clipart Scrappin' Doodles, Jessica Weible and KPM Doodles has to offer?!?

Phonics Tales by Scholastic. These are FABULOUS and are sure to be a favorite in your classroom. I have created companion sheets for these wonderful books and can be found in the TpT Store (Free!)

I ordered these two Scholastic resource books by the fabulous Erica Bohrer back in the Spring and I *love* them!!!

Want to share your Must Haves?? Link up with us over at Blog Hoppin'!