Magic Snowball Fun with Tens and Ones

Hello again Sweet Peeps. I am working really hard to blog more consistently this new year. I really do love it and have missed it. This is a fun little activity we did a couple of years ago but I never blogged about it.

Several years ago we started following the Envisions textbook scope and sequence pretty consistently. This meant not really digging deep into place value until much later in the year than I like. For some of my struggling sweet and lows, this makes understanding place value and tens and ones more difficult.

I am sure you have had a student or two who will count a stack of Unifix cubes even though you've told them there will ALWAYS be 10 in the stack. These are the same students that often count to be sure there are still 5 fingers on each hand. Because of this, I knew I wanted to create a hands-on way for them to understand to value of a ten rod....so, we needed to use some Magic Snowballs to help us. :)

The first step is to make the Magic Snowballs using small white pom pom balls, spray glue, and white glitter. All you need to do is spray the pom pom balls with the glue and sprinkle them with the white glitter.

After that, we receive a package from a friendly snowman containing the Magic Snowballs, craft sticks, number cards, and a poem. We also received a cute snowman bag to hold everything in.

Here is a closer look at the poem.

Students then help make the 10 rods we will be using to build numbers. Students glued 10 Magic Snowballs onto each craft stick.

I had my struggling students help create and build several 10 rods so we could talk about how many they had as they were building them. This really helped them to be able to know and understand that 3 rods=30 Magic Snowballs.

Here is a peek at the cards. I included all of the teen numbers because those are often tricky for some of my kiddos.

After making a huge set of 10 rods, students were able to start building numbers.

Since we made a lot, I sent home some snowball tens and ones so my struggling students could practice at home.

You can grab the cards and poem by clicking on the picture below. :)

I hope your kiddos enjoy this activity as much as my kiddos do. :)

From My Heart to Yours,

Where are the Snowflakes? A Little Preposition Fun

Hi Sweet Peeps. I wanted to share a quick and easy activity we did to work on prepositions. I know for my ELL kiddos this can be very tricky. Since we do not get snow in East Texas often, I have to bring in the snow in fun ways...not as fun as real snow though. :)

We started with a fun little poem I wrote that was full of prepositions. After listening to the poem, we acted it out because movement and gestures help our brains learn better.

We then read the poem together again as we colored the prepositions.

Students were then given their own snowflake to decorate. We used some of these directions to discuss where we put our snowflakes.

The kiddos LOVED this and it really showed me who might still be struggling with prepositions. Here are a few pictures.

Here is a little assessment you can use as well. :)

Click here to grab this *freebie*.

I hope to be back sooner than the last time to share some more ideas from my head and my heart.

From My Heart to Yours,

Snow Much Fun

Lots of my Texas friends have seen a white Christmas this year. I love snow but I am more of a beach kind of gal. Cold weather makes me want to hibernate inside with my mug of spiced tea, a book, and my boys...the furry ones. =)

My mom and I went to see Les Miserables this afternoon. The theater was **FREEZING***!!!! Even though I was turning into a human popsicle, I LOVED the movie.

Awesome movie...bring the Kleenex.

To help you welcome winter, here are some *freebies* to warm you up. =)

Click on the picture above to grab the snowy contractions *freebie*.

Click here to grab all of these activities and more!

Here are some of the skills included in this *freebie*:

short vowels

blends

adding and subtracting

tally marks

problem solving

I hope you and your kiddos enjoy these activities. If you grab these *freebies*, please leave me a heart note (comment).

I am working on some Conscious Discipline posts. Let me know what questions you might have so I can try and answer them the CD way. What classroom management areas/concerns do you have?

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. I'll be back before the New Year...now saying that is cray cray!!! Where did the year of  2012 go??!!???

From My Heart to Yours,

Penguin on a Shelf...A South Pole visitor =)

On Monday, we are receiving a "chilly" letter from the South Pole. This letter is from Santa's brother, Jack Frost. Jack knows we are learning about penguins and wants to send a "helper" who will report back to Jack and his uncle, Santa, how each kiddo is doing. Our penguin friend also knows the elves and has talked to different elves about the visits to the classrooms they made before Christmas. Much like an Elf on the Shelf, Mr. Penguin (name not yet determined) will move around, cause mischief, and sometimes leave if he gets scared by what he sees and hears! =)

Here is Mr. Penguin.

Here is a copy of the note we will receive (It will be placed in the freezer before arrival for a chilly effect).

graphics by DJ Inkers

On to some *freebies*!

Some of my kiddos are still needing help with digraphs, especially my ESL kiddos. Here is a penguin digraph sort. I *love* the penguin font! =)

graphics by DJ Inkers

The next *freebie* is Chilly Cover-Up. This is a digraph game where children spin and cover one of the snowflakes with a picture having that digraph. He or she must say the name of the picture and the sound that digraph makes. The first player to cover all of his or her snowflakes win

 

graphics by DJ Inkers

I hope you enjoy all of the *freebies*!

I want to give everyone who left me a heart note after my last post a HUGE heart hug. The person making the hurtful comment did not leave it on my blog...infer what you may....and infer again about why I asked the question about the bucket dipper. I try and not take things to heart but I am a worrier. I have faith that God brought each of you to my blog for a reason and for that I am forever blessed.  Each of you make my heart smile daily and your sweet heart notes encourage me and inspire me to be a better teacher. Thank you!



The Potty Police

When I started teaching 12 years ago, I should have known I was in trouble the first time I heard these words: "I gotsta use it!". As soon as I heard those words, like nails on a chalkboard, I plummeted into the world of The Potty Police. I must have missed the class in college that teaches you how to take 17+ 1st graders to the bathroom in less than 15 minutes. (We can now achieve this milestone in about 4 minutes!)

"I gotsta use it teacher!" is still the cry I often still hear the first week of school and I reply sarcastically in my sweetest teacher voice "What do you need to use? A pencil? A crayon?" By the end of the 1st week if someone says that I ignore them and walk away. Some helpful little friend will always remind them that the proper way to ask is "May I please go to the bathroom?".

Yes, we have no bathroom in our classroom because my room is the size of a shoebox and I might be tempted to use it for storage instead.

The first day of school we head down to the bathroom. We learn the 1-2-3:
1 teeny, tiny squirt of soap
2 you only need to tap on the faucet 2 times
3 you only need 3 rolls of the paper towels

....and you only wash your hands...not your face, your hair or your shoes...and you are not a doctor so you do not need to wash all the way up to your elbows.

Then, we talk about the tee-tee on the floor and how gross it would be to put ANY part of our body on the floor and how SUPER DUPER gross it would be to crawl on the floor. Later we use the glitter bug lotion and the black light to see ALL of the GERMS ALL OVER OUR bodies and they hear the tee-tee lecture again.

I take the girls in and we learn how to flush the potty.

I take the boys in and we learn how to flush the urinal and the potty.

I learned my 1st year of teaching you CANNOT assume a child knows how and WILL flush the potty. Yeppers, one little friend told me, "My mommy does it for me." Ummm, not happening with this maestra!

Life would be wonderful and easy if these steps solved everything And yes, I am a bit of a control freak but after popping my head around the corner I have learned that the bathroom to some little ones means F-R-E-E-D-O-M!

Here are some incidents the Potty Police can now report to you:

*1- A little one who has to take off EVERY single stitch of his clothing...yes, socks and shoes too...we he goes to the bathroom. I invision him in Middle School now doing this and thinking how bad it will be when someone steals his clothes off the bathroom floor!

*2- Boys making a touchdown: back to the urinal, bending over and making a shot between their legs...that is as far as I go in explaining the details but I am sure you can visualize.

*3-standing on the toilet to tee-tee because someone at home does this too...and yeppers, a phone call confirmed this.

*4-a child reported eating something brown off the floor...I took everything in my power to not throw up or wash that child's mouth out with soap.

I have lost count of all the pants I have buttoned and unbuttoned. When questioned who buttons your pants at home, they always say their momma. When I tell them their momma needs to teach them how you need to ask your momma to teach you, they reply "She said you would teach me". Hmmm, I don't think I can put that on my lesson plans.

The best is the little ones who have their pants held together by a safety pin. Yes, I understand buttons pop off but REALLY....a 1st grader and safety pins are not a good combo.

Here is my ultimate Potty Police Report:

While having an observation, one of my special sweet little kiddos asked, "May I please go to the bathroom?" and I replied, "Yes." and before I could get "Take a buddy with you" out of my mouth, she stood up in her chair and went.

So, my question of the day for you is:
Do you have a potty story?

On to the *freebie*....here is a blend sort I hope you can use with your kiddos. =)

graphics by DJ Inkers

Please leave me the gift of a heart note if you grab this *freebie*! I am so blessed by each one you leave and I get so obsessive excited about checking my email to see them!

Save the Snowman!

I am thinking it would be VERY, VERY, VERY nice if Santa and his elves brought me cardstock and ink for Christmas. I wonder how much I spend on those 2 things every year...or maybe I need to stay in denial about that. Before I share my *freebies* I would like to know:

1. Does your school/principal ever buy ink for the teachers?
2. Do you have a color printer at school you are able to use?
3. Do you go through ink and cardstock like a 1st grader goes through a box of Kleenex?
4. Do you have access to a laminator (Tara, I added this after seeing your heart note!)

Here is my first *freebie*. It is called Save the Snowman. Each kiddo has their own game board and 12 cubes or counters. Players take turns rolling the dice and either adding OR subtracting the numbers. The first player to cover all of their snowflakes saves their snowman from melting....yep, a mini science lesson too! Why does the snowman need the snowflakes? Hahahahaha....it always helps to pound it into their sweet little brains as much as possible because who knows if they are actually listening when they are supposed to. =)

graphics by DJ Inkers

The next *freebie* is just some tally mark practice for some little ones who need it pounded into their heads again! Bless my heart their hearts!

graphics by DJ Inkers

I hope all my sweet followers are enjoying their Christmas Break so far. If you are still going, BLESS YOU and I will pray for your sanity and for Santa to bring you either sweets or a large beverage! =)

Look for more about SAVE THE SNOWMAN...lots of ideas and goodies coming your way! This is what I call a brain pop! Usually they happen the night before but this one came early....can you believe it Carla??!!!???

Please leave me a heart note if you grab these *freebies*! Each one really touches my heart and encourages to create more and to continue to share!

I am also curious to find out about ink and printing at your school.....

A Christmas for Me...and a math *freebie*

I *LOVE* Christmas vacation. I love relaxing, cooking, eating, reading, eating, spending time with family, eating, relaxing, cuddling with my fur babies, and celebrating the birth of my Savior which made the cross and my salvation possible. But it is also a time that my heart is filled with worries for my kiddos.

I teach children of poverty. Until I started teaching 12 years ago I never knew there were homeless people where I lived (I knew in a big city-YES but in my little community-NO!). Most of my kiddos come from single parent families and many from abusive homes. Many, many, many of our kiddos get the only meals they eat at school and some go home to houses with no electricity and running water...and even in my part of Texas, it gets very cold at night.

We try and help families that we know about but there are always some you just don't know the whole situation or the family is too proud to accept any help. So, as I enjoy my holiday, I count my blessings and lift up the little hearts in my room and all the other kiddos out there. I pray God watches over ALL of them a little bit closer. Please read this poem and remember all kiddos may not be richly blessed this Christmas BUT they have received a great gift: the gift of your love.

Here is a little *freebie*. If you have been by my blog before, you may have grabbed this game before. You can play this game by rolling the dice, adding the 2 numbers, and covering the pictures with the sum. We are going to play by subtracting when my kiddos come back in January. They will cover all 50 pictures first. They will roll the 2 dice and subtract. They will remove the difference. The first player to either add and cover all or subtract and remove all is the winner.

As always, please leave me a heart note if you grab this *freebie* or the poem touches your heart.