Last week in pictures

Keeping up with a blog is hard! This is more like the last 3 weeks in pictures. What have we been doing?.... Well, we had a great time with Max and Ruby. My kids always love this story. We talked about the main idea.

Then we reviewed words using something called a toughie chart. Here's a picture of mine.

This is the link that explains what to do. I don't follow it exactly, but it's very helpful for reteaching important skills. http://www.wiki-teacher.com/resourceView.php?id=1015 

 

 

I made this cut and paste activity for the kids to do. (Since we don't have art or music anymore. Waah!) I miss my breaks. If anyone wants this, I'll try to figure out how to scan it. Just leave a comment.

I have been making fry phrase cards for Unit 2. So far I've made them for The Farmer in the Hat, Who Works Here?, The Big Circle and Life in the Forest. These are really good for struggling readers. Here's the link to my TPT page. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Life-in-the-Forest-Fry-Phrases-Reading-Street

 

Last week, I finally did some math stations. Completely off the fly but the kids loved it. Now I have to get organized and plan them the right way. This is a picture of some doubles fact cards the kids matched up. These were free on TPT. There are lots of different kinds: pirates, fish, bears, dinosaurs, dogs etc..  The kids had a blast doing these.

Last but not least, we are having a food drive. To get the kids excited, we are having a contest between the first grade classes. Whoever brings the most food items gets a pizza party. This is a graph I made. Each jar will represent 5 items. My class is ahead with 18 cans. Woo hoo! I thought this would be a good way to motivate them to help their community. Plus we can work on graphing and counting by 5s.

The Big Blue Ox, A Fox and a Kit

Last week we read The Big Blue Ox from our Reading Street series. The kids made these oxen which turned out really cute. The idea came from lifeinfirstgrade.blogspot.com. They had a really good time making these, although some of them took for-e-v-e-r. We also talked more about realism and fantasy.

                                                    Ox picking apples and digging.

   In the story Ox cooks for Mom and Pop. He's wearing an apron.

                              Ox mopping. I love the horns on this one.

Ox helping with the groceries. If you ask me, Ox needs to get paid!


Our story this week was A Fox and a Kit. We did this labeling activity where the kids draw and label a fox. Then they write three facts they learned. We were going to finish it today but ran out of time. We'll finish it up on Monday.

The comprehension skill this week was 'the main idea' which I've always found a little hard to teach. My kids seem to have a hard time grasping this concept. I made this chart for The Big Blue Ox to try to help them find the main idea. They gave me lots of details but it took a while before one of them figured out the main idea. Oh well, I guess it will take a little time. Then we found the main idea for A Fox and a Kit.