Flashlight Math!

Have you seen those cool flashlight or I spy games on Boom Learning but wish they targeted academic skills your students need to practice? I was determined to figure out and I am feeling pretty proud of myself that I did! {Insert back pat here.}

So far, I made two math decks with a St. Patrick's Day theme.

Both start with a story about the leprechauns messing up our math activity and stealing the lightbulbs.

You can try these HERE for yourself. 

I plan to make more of these in different themes and addressing different skills. Leave me a comment if there is a particular theme or skill you'd like to see.

If you aren't on the Boom card bandwagon yet, I often make a similar version in Google Slides but I don't think one will work.  Check out my TpT store or Boom store to see some of the many digital products I offer.

Do You Search By Standard or Theme?

 I saw someone post the other day that they never look for resources by theme, only by the standard. I am wondering if they are an upper grade teacher because primary folks seem to love themes, am I right?

Of course the standard is important, but it can be both functional and cute! Plus students need to hit the same skill many times to master it so changing the theme can make practicing the same standard feel new and engaging.

Here is my newest set of Ending Punctuation Boom cards with a St. Patrick's Day theme. It addresses:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.B Use end punctuation for sentences. 

Or maybe

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2.B Recognize and name end punctuation. Since I have the audio to read the sentences for them. I did not make these auto play so that the students could attempt to read them first on their own, if you wish.

These are 25% off for the first 24 hours! You may want to follow me on Instagram or Facebook if you don't get to reading blogs in time to see this sale price. Those links are in my sidebar.

Are you snowed in? I am feeling so badly for everyone in Texas! I live in California and we had the whole week off. Last year, I was on a school trip to Tanzania and it feels like soooo long ago! No exciting trips for me this year but my county did just announce they are going to start opening up appointments for teachers to get vaccinated at the end of the month! How is your state doing on vaccinating teachers? 

St.Patty's Bump and a Giveaway!

I got some really sweet feedback from teachers appreciative of products that work for both virtual and in-person learning. It makes me really happy that I can create things that make things easier for my fellow teachers. I have never been prouder of our profession and how, as usual, we have risen to the challenge thrown at us. We got this!

Since you all seemed to like my Valentine's Bump games, I made a set for St. Patty's Day! These have both a Google Slides digital version as well as a print version. The addition and subtraction set includes 7 games.

I also made a multiplication version for the facts 1-12. Please let your upper grade teacher friends know.

These are 25% off for 24 hours and I'd love to give a copy away to a loyal follower! Just leave me a comment saying if you'd like Addition & Subtraction or Multiplication and your email. If there is something you'd like to see me make or a skill addressed, just let me know.

Google Slides version added to my Pot O' Gold Game

 I updated my Pot O' Gold: Addition Strategies Game to add a Google Slides version!

This is the short video but I added one to my store with an audio explanation. 

If you already own this game just go to your purchases page to download the updated version for free! If you don't own it yet, today is the last day of the TpT sale so you might want to head over there. 

Do you have any of my best sellers on your wishlist? 

I have over 180 products so you might want to visit my store today!

FREEBIES for March 2nd!

Seuss week is so much fun. One day to celebrate Dr. Seuss is just not enough! I have posted many activities through the years that you can visit by clicking on Seuss in my topics sidebar.  I noticed some of my older download links no longer swork so here they are in Google Drive. It is interesting to see my progression as I got more advanced with my computer skills.

You can download the Oh, the Places I'll Go! freebie HERE.

You might want to go back and read the blog post about my different prompt ideas HERE.

Download the Horton Hatches An Egg writing paper HERE.

Download the Horton pieces HERE

Download the Seuss Syllable Sort HERE.

Let me know if you need any other links to ideas I have posted.

Fluffy FREEBIE

My students listened to the ebook Fluffy's Lucky Day during their center time this week.

You can download the ebook HERE if you use the Scholastic Storia app.

I made a response sheet that I've uploaded for FREE. Just click on the picture.  I hope you can use it!

Luck Needed and a FREEBIE!

Have you grabbed My Lucky ABC Order FREEBIE?  Click on the picture to download it.

This Friday, my son's 6th grade class sponsored a waffle breakfast to raise funds for their graduation trip to Disneyland.

It was so cute! Their advisor held a Waffle-making 101 class the day before. There was a waffle maker in each classroom and groups of 4 would take turns cooking all by themselves and sending a runner (literally LOL) to bring the finished product to the kitchen warmer.

This is my son getting ready to serve.

Look at all the topping options!

I thought it was great that all the kids pitched in to help and learned the value of working to earn their trip!

I was asked by the Technology Committee to present at our staff meeting tomorrow.  This is my first time getting up in front of my new staff so wish me luck!

St. Patrick's Potato Craftivity

I'm home today with a sick kiddo. Nothing brings out the mommy in me like high fevers and vomiting. I've been flying solo since my hubbie has been out of town but thankfully he gets home in 4 hours {not that I'm counting or anything.}  :-)

Anywoo, I finally had time to get this St. Patrick's craftivity done!

My teammate Toni shared this craft with me a few years ago. I told her last year she really needed to put her cute stuff up on TpT but she is not all that comfortable with the computer. So this year we decided to work together.

 The kids get so excited by the shamrock sticker nose and orange freckles! It cracks me up when 30 potatoes start dancing around when they are done. :-)

As we transition to the Common Core we are making sure everything we do is aligned.
So, I created a few different reading response sheets to use after reading Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie DePaola.

This packet includes:

*St. Patrick's Potato craft templates & directions

*Sequencing cut and glue RL1.7

*Story Structure RL1.3

*Describe the character Jamie O'Rourke RL1.7

*Beginning, Middle, End RL1.2

*All answer keys

As usual, I will give a FREE packet to a lucky loyal follower.  Enter below and I will pick a winner Friday.  Click {HERE} to go check it out in my store. Any blog comments saying how cute it is I will be sure to share with Toni!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leprechaun Lunacy

Next week my students will make leprechaun traps. To get them in the mood we made our own leprechauns. I have posted before how I use a lot of TLC art projects. I think it is really good practice to listen to and follow directions and they internalize positional vocabulary. When I say vertical or horizontal most of my class turns the paper correctly. I know plenty of older kids who can't do that!

We read That's What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting. I love her books because they are always good for new vocabulary words. The kids listened and picked out mischief and slicker to add to our Expanding Vocabulary section of our CAFE board.

 We also wrote about what we would do if we caught a leprechaun. This cute paper was shared by the wonderful Michelle over at Fabulous in First. Love her!

Love that he thinks the leprechaun would be friends with his dog and fish!

Many of the kids commented during the story that they didn't think the leprechauns should be playing so many tricks.

This sweetie did not think it was right to take the leprechauns gold. Like how she gave herself an honorary title?

Report cards went out today and now I am off for a girls weekend!! WOoHOo!!
I'll try to catch up with you all Sunday night so don't blog too much without me!

St. Patrick's Day FREEBIE and math gold!

I was lucky to have a week off this week when I know many of you didn't.  To share my good luck I made you a Lucky ABC order center.

You can download it for FREE by clicking on the picture below.

I have been getting so many positive comments about my math games, I was inspired to make another one with my time off this week.  Pot O' Gold focuses on students verbalizing the strategies they use to solve addition problems. I focused on the strategies of doubles, near doubles, and making ten.
{Topic 16.1 Envision users!} I will use "gold" as the cover up pieces but you could use counters.

 
Partner 1 picks a card and tells his partner not only the answer but what strategy he used to solve the addition problem. The included math talk cards provide sentence frames to aid your students in practicing this skill.

 I also included a double ten-frame so students who need the extra scaffolding can use counters to help them make ten.

Only $2 in my TpT store right now. Click on the preview below to go check it out.

St. Patty's Day!

Did the leprechauns visit your room? We had some wee visitors who left quite a mess!

 

They got into our games and word work activities!

The students were a little disappointed they didn't catch a leprechaun (one girl even brought a clear container to keep her leprechaun in) but a treat and a note left by Lucky O'Brien seemed to help.
I had this saved in my files. Wish I knew who to give credit to.
Leprechaun Letter

 It just wouldn't be a holiday in my room without a hat, so thanks  Miss Mernagh.

We used these cute game boards from Michelle to practice our sight words.

Shamrock Toss was a great math game, thanks Anna!

I didn't get a picture but the kids loved the Pot of Gold game I shared the other day.

We graphed Lucky Charms.

 

Our leprechauns and writing are up.

 

How thoughtful to only steal half of the leprechaun's gold! :-)

Less humane but I did laugh at the bite the brother part.

 How sweet!

For PE we had a Shamrock Race. 3 students stood back-to-back and linked arms. The winners were the first team over the finish line. My teammate Elissa shared that idea with me.

 

I hope you had an equally enjoyable day.