Squirrel's New Year's Resolution {Book Companion}

This weekend has caused me to feel a bit festive.  We prepared our house for Christmas.  It's a tradition to put up the tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving but for medical reasons, I'm preparing for the madness two weeks earlier.  During my down time, I've been prepping a New Years book companion. 

 

 

Captivate students with winter themed fun while meeting learning standards! This 80 page packet is packed full of excitement.

What's included...

 

 

Start your lessons with props and pictures so that your little learners activate their schema.  Build background knowledge of New Years with a KWL. 

 

 A heavy dose of story vocabulary will assist language learners with words such as resolution, pinned, bank, scamper, spied, edge, stake, and grumpy.

 

Provided are several options for recording vocabulary words. Option one includes a vocabulary book with clipart images. Option two includes blank vocabulary response pages.

 

 Reread the story throughout the week using my prepared interactive skills pages. Included are essential questions, flip flaps for note taking, and a student page for informal assessment. Each of the above options are provided for goals, resolutions, time, months, years, place value.

 

You'll find engaging comprehension response sheets with a story map, compare/contrast, plot, and sequence of events.

 

 Encourage students to write narratives of their New Year's celebration with a word list and differentiated writing paper.

 

 Engage students while reading by interacting with retelling props. Bring the story to life by simply gluing pieces to a tongue depressor. Or, you can simply place the cards in a pocket chart for additional sequencing practice.

 

 Last, you'll find an developing reader to provide students with fluency practice using both sight words and vocabulary! Little Squirrel, Little Squirrel What Do You See? is sure to captivate students!

The Polar Express {A Book Companion}

Does it seem like November blows through in a blink?  With only 10 days of school remaining this month for me, I've begun to prepare for December with a book companion for The Polar Express!

 

Captivate students with winter themed fun while meeting learning standards! This 71 page packet is packed full of excitement. What's included...

 

A heavy dose of story vocabulary will assist language learners with words such as rustle, conductor, peak, plain, barren, North Pole, factory, sleigh, prance, roar.

 

 

Provided are several options for recording vocabulary words. Option one includes a vocabulary book with clipart images. Option two includes blank vocabulary response pages.

 

 

Reread the story throughout the week using my prepared interactive skills pages. Included are essential questions, flip flaps for note taking, and a student page for informal assessment. Each of the above options are provided for metaphors, similes, timelines, and sequencing.

 

 

Build background knowledge of trains with a KWL and Can, Have, and Are Map.

 

 

You'll find engaging comprehension response sheets for compare/contrast, cause/effect, story maps, and plot.

 

 

Use adjectives to describe three main character from The Polar Express  Characters include the boy, conductor, and Santa.

Newly added are writing options for narrative, persuasive, and functional (how-to) writing.  Each option of paper has a picture word list to assist children in their stories.  Also provided are different paper options for developing writers.

 

 

Engage students while reading by interacting with retelling props.  Bring the story to life by simply gluing pieces to a tongue depressor.

Lastly, you'll find an developing reader to provide students with fluency practice using both sight words and vocabulary! Little Boy, Little Boy What Do You See? is sure to captivate students!

If you are interested in this unit, you can access the unit with a link in the first image or the image below.

 

The Ugly Pumpkin {Book Companion}

Happy November!  Today is a crisp, cool morning and gets me in the holiday planning mood!  I've been working on a fantastic book companion for Thanksgiving.

Captivate students with fall themed fun while meeting learning standards! This 60 page packet is packed full of excitement. What's included...

 

 

Build background with themed vocabulary will assist language learners with words such as field pumpkin, sugar pie pumpkin, delicata squash, acorn squash, swan gourd, wing gourd.  I'm following up the reading and provided comprehension questions with the vocabulary to ensure my kid's understanding!

 

Provided are several options for recording vocabulary words. Option one includes a vocabulary book with clipart images. Option two includes blank vocabulary response pages.

 

 

 

Reread the story throughout the week using my prepared interactive skills pages. Included are essential questions, flip flaps for note taking, and a student page for informal assessment. Each of the above options are provided for emotions and adjectives.

 

 

Dive into character analysis with a fun craftivity! Determine how the character changes. Follow up with a response to literature, giving a friend who has been "squashed" some advice!

 

 

You'll find engaging comprehension response sheets for compare/contrast, story mapping, plot, and connections.

Lastly, you'll find an emergent reader to provide students with fluency practice with easy to read sight words! Ugly Pumpkin, Ugly Pumpkin What Do You See?

I'm in love with "Oh My Gourd!" by Etsy Seller, Digi Bon Bons!  After communicating with her, I receive permission to create this thematic unit using her adorable art! To purchase the above unit, please click the first image or the image below!

 

Rate Your Writing {Year-Round Visual Rubric}

I'm writing today about a new product!  Over the past month,  I've had several request for the Rate Your Writing Rubric pictured in my back to school reveal of my classroom. 

 

I cannot express how much the writing has changed in my classroom this year.  My students are actively rating their work and trying to improve as expectations changed over the past three months.  After waiting for new clipart releases, I finally completed the file! 

Click Image Above to Link

 

Encourage young writers to incorporate more in their work with Rate Your Writing, a developing visual rubric. This file encourages young writers to meet changing expectations each month. Although the pocket chart display is pleasing, it's not necessary!  You can simply staple to a bulletin board.  However, if you are interested, you can purchase at Target for $9.99.

 

 

This file was created with monthly themed images. Every other month, additional lines are provided and the illustration space is minimized. To ensure continuity, you'll find reproducible writing paper for students to craft their own stories with the same formatting as the rubric paper. At the top of the reproducible paper are four stars for students to rate their writing.

 

This visual rubric is provided in two formats. One format has primary lines perfect for Kindergarten and 1st Grade classrooms. The second format has regular lined paper with small spacing perfect for 1st and 2nd Grade classrooms. I reduced the price to ensure you are paying for one format!
 

The monthly rubric is NOT editable. This file is intended as an instructional component. Crafting the rubric in a shared writing will maximize the effectiveness of the rubric and ensure students understand your expectations. I did provide an EDITABLE poster to post near the rubric sharing the expectations.
 

 

 You'll find a checklist poster and student reproducible for keeping kids on track with their writing.  To ensure you have all that you need, I also provided the images from the check list in a separate page so that you can glue and create a large classroom chart!

 

 

 

Monthly Themes included
August {Back to School}
September {Apple Orchard}
October {Spooky Pumpkin Patch}
November {Fall Leaves}
December {Christmas}
January {Sledding Snowmen}
February {Recipe with Love}
March {Lucky Leprechaun}
April {Pond Life / Frogs}
May {Lemonade Stand}
June {Luau}
July {Beach}

 

 

Provided in my samples are how to use the images for different genres!  I sure hope you love this file as much as I do!