A Manic Monday with New Things!

Whew, I am glad the school day is done!  The kiddos were crazy today for some reason, but I still had several things go really well and I wanted to share.  I also have a timely Manic Monday freebie to share!

More Wonders....
We use the Wonders reading series.  So far I am liking it and enjoying making it my own.  I have a few things I have made to go along with it (you can get them at my TpT store).  I am currently finishing up the More Wonders set for Unit 4.

I have tried using the presentation they have for you in the series and find it rather time consuming.  I have been using a quick PowerPoint/Keynote as a daily review with the kids.  I start off with our promise.  We review our high frequency words for the week by chanting all of the words.  One day we will also practice using them in sentences.  We cheer our spelling words each day.  I also try to find fun YouTube clips that go with our phonics skills.  I also have a quick slide to review grammar and the Oral Vocabulary.

When I do all of this in PowerPoint or Keynote the file becomes so large it is hard to share.  This week I made it in Prezi and thought I would share it with anyone.  This week I am on Unit 4, Week 1.  Please let me know if you use it or like it and I will continue to share it (FREE of course!)  Click here for the link to it.



Show What You Know with Puppet Pals2...
I think I have blogged earlier about how my class will use Puppet Pals2 on the iPad to make a quick movie to illustrate what they have learned.  Last week we learned all about Martin Luther King Jr..  So today the kids had to use Puppet Pals2 and select the Martin Luther King puppet and tell about him in first person.  They turned out so cute.  I will share a few as soon as I figure out the easiest way to share them.

And a Freebie!
Groundhog's Day is coming up so I thought I would share a Groundhog's Day freebie with you for Manic Monday!  It is a cute class book you can make with your class.  Click here to grab it free!

Don't forget to check out Manic Monday at Classroom Freebies for more great finds!

Reading Focus Wall

School is coming quickly and I am beginning to stress more and more as I try to get a grasp on a new reading and math curriculum for this year.  We are going to McGraw-Hill Wonders for reading and Go Math for Math.

I made major progress with the reading series this week.  I have a focus wall in my room (mainly to keep me on focus...) for reading.  Normally I do this on one section of my board, but it takes up so much room valuable space.  It also takes time (usually Monday morning rushing) to write all of this information each week.  So with my new series (Wonders Grade 1), I decided to make focus wall posters for each week with the focus skills, words of the week and CCSS.  I have finished all of the weeks to accompany Wonders 1st Grade, Unit 1 Focus Wall and have them in my store.  You can click here to preview it with Unit 1 Week 1 Focus Wall freebie. 

So to solve my space problem I thought of this.  

It was so easy to make with 7 page protectors and clear packaging tape.  Just tape the page protectors together and it is ready to hang up.  I used a wooden stick to help support the top and keep it flat.  You can print the pages on any colored paper.  (Colored paper is way cheaper than colored ink!)  This focus wall will not take up nearly as much space as I have used in years pass.  

I also included in a sheet to send home with parents or put in the student binders with all of the words and skills for the entire unit.  This way I am not sending home a sheet a week, once every size weeks is so much easier.  

I am finishing up the remaining units for first grade.  However, I am trying hard to relish my last days of summer.  (Although it is hard with all that is on my mind.)