Enough said, right? Get yours here.
Have a great weekend!
Showing posts with label literacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literacy. Show all posts
Friday, 6 December 2013
Freebie Friday: Learn to Spell There, Their and They're with Pirate Monkeys!
Arr! Welcome to another Freebie Friday! Today's freebie is a sweet little poster featuring some adorable pirate monkeys!
Enough said, right? Get yours here.
Have a great weekend!
Enough said, right? Get yours here.
Have a great weekend!
Monday, 28 October 2013
Top 5 Pins of the Week: Onomatopoeia Edition!
The theme of this week's top 5 pins is onomatopoeia. Why? To celebrate the release of the latest resource for grades 1-3 in the Little Green shop: Outrageous Onomatopoeia!
5. What is Onomatopoeia? Terry Green explains!
Have you ever thought about this before? We might say squeak, when talking about the sound a mouse makes, but in other languages, the perception of that sound may be totally different. Don't you just love the little mice in this graphic?
3. A Noisy Alphabet
Onomatopoeia can be any word we use to represent a sound - even made-up words. This fantastic 'noisy alphabet' by graphic artist Tom Gauld gives some great examples of made-up onomatopoeia! Love it!
2. The Onomatopoeia of Storms
5. What is Onomatopoeia? Terry Green explains!
Need I say more? Thanks for the overview Terry!
4. Onomatopoeia in Every Language!
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| Source |
Have you ever thought about this before? We might say squeak, when talking about the sound a mouse makes, but in other languages, the perception of that sound may be totally different. Don't you just love the little mice in this graphic?
3. A Noisy Alphabet
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| Source |
Onomatopoeia can be any word we use to represent a sound - even made-up words. This fantastic 'noisy alphabet' by graphic artist Tom Gauld gives some great examples of made-up onomatopoeia! Love it!
2. The Onomatopoeia of Storms
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| Source |
What better time to introduce onomatopoeia to your class than when you are studying weather? There are so many fabulous weather onomatopoeia words, like drip, zap, crash and boom! Kristina at School Time Snippets has come up with a lovely way to make these words come to life: a storm mobile. This simple craft will have your students up to speed with onomatopoeia in no time! Thanks Kristina!
1. Onomatopoeia Mentor Texts
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| Source |
Marcie Flinchum Atkins, a children's and young adult writer, has compiled a list of terrific texts to act as mentors in the process of teaching students about onomatopoeia. Her website is a treasure trove of ideas and resources, which I plan to explore more ASAP! Accompanying the list of books are some free lesson plans and ideas to help get you started. The Little Green 'Outrageous Onomatopoeia' resource would work very well alongside Marcie's plans, if I do say so myself! Thanks Marcie!
How do you teach onomatopoeia? Check out the Little Green Pinterest boards for more inspiration on teaching onomatopoeia and more!
Monday, 21 October 2013
Top 5 Pins of the Week: thoughtful logs, flashcards, macaroni punctuation, weather task cards & writer's workshop!
It's Monday again, and at Little Green HQ, that means I've spent lots of time on Pinterest in order to find HEAPS of goodies to share with you all. Here's what I've found this week:
5. Thoughtful Log
Leanne over at the Life in 4B blog has written a detailed post about how she uses 'thoughtful logs' with her students. In these structured journals, students write about the texts they read, among other things. Leanne's students clearly are, as a result, great thinkers! One of the fabulous ideas that will be helpful to us all, whether we choose to have our students keep a 'thoughtful log' or not, is photographing anchor charts and having students glue a copy in their notebooks. This is an excellent way for students to access anchor charts beyond the classroom. Thanks Leanne!
4. Storing Personalised Flashcards
This great idea comes from Judy Baxter on Flickr. She has shared a terrific way of storing a student's personalised flash cards in a makeshift folder that divides the known from the unknown. This could, of course, work for whole-class cards as well. Thanks Judy!
3. Macaroni Punctuation
Heather at the HoJo's Teaching Adventures blog has posted photos of a fabulous activity she worked on with her class, also inspired by Pinterest! Using dried macaroni, students were able to add speech marks, commas and apostrophes to a passage written on large sheets of paper. Thanks Heather!
2. Weather Task Cards
Working on weather with your 3rd, 4th or 5th graders? The Science Penguin has you covered! These great FREE task cards will have your students reviewing all the terminology and conventions you have been teaching them about reading and predicting the weather. Thanks Science Penguin!
1. Writer's Workshop
Ever wanted to know how other people structure their writing time in the classroom? Steph over at the Apples of Your Eye blog has given us a sneak peak into her writer's workshop time. She has some great ideas for organising writing time and has included this terrific graphic, created by a lovely person named Donna. Thanks Steph and Donna!
I hope these pins have inspired you! Be sure to check out my Pinterest boards for more inspiration!
5. Thoughtful Log
Leanne over at the Life in 4B blog has written a detailed post about how she uses 'thoughtful logs' with her students. In these structured journals, students write about the texts they read, among other things. Leanne's students clearly are, as a result, great thinkers! One of the fabulous ideas that will be helpful to us all, whether we choose to have our students keep a 'thoughtful log' or not, is photographing anchor charts and having students glue a copy in their notebooks. This is an excellent way for students to access anchor charts beyond the classroom. Thanks Leanne!
4. Storing Personalised Flashcards
This great idea comes from Judy Baxter on Flickr. She has shared a terrific way of storing a student's personalised flash cards in a makeshift folder that divides the known from the unknown. This could, of course, work for whole-class cards as well. Thanks Judy!
3. Macaroni Punctuation
Heather at the HoJo's Teaching Adventures blog has posted photos of a fabulous activity she worked on with her class, also inspired by Pinterest! Using dried macaroni, students were able to add speech marks, commas and apostrophes to a passage written on large sheets of paper. Thanks Heather!
2. Weather Task Cards
Working on weather with your 3rd, 4th or 5th graders? The Science Penguin has you covered! These great FREE task cards will have your students reviewing all the terminology and conventions you have been teaching them about reading and predicting the weather. Thanks Science Penguin!
1. Writer's Workshop
Ever wanted to know how other people structure their writing time in the classroom? Steph over at the Apples of Your Eye blog has given us a sneak peak into her writer's workshop time. She has some great ideas for organising writing time and has included this terrific graphic, created by a lovely person named Donna. Thanks Steph and Donna!
I hope these pins have inspired you! Be sure to check out my Pinterest boards for more inspiration!
Friday, 18 October 2013
Freebie Friday: Flash Freebie!
Hi all, welcome to another Friday! Today's freebie comes in the form of a flash freebie. That's right, this is a limited time freebie that will be available for today only, then will be returning to its usual price. Up for grabs is one of my favourite resources in the Little Green store: Creative Writing Dice.
Yes, I know I've harped on about this resource over the last week or so, but I just love it! Included in your download are three dice templates. One for characters...
...one for settings...
...and one for actions.
Students roll each of the dice to determine the three non-negotiable parts of the story that they will then write. Trust me. It is ace.
So, for ONE DAY ONLY, you will be able to download this resource FOR FREE! I would love if you could rate this resource and provide a short feedback comment while you are there, particularly as this resource is yet to be rated. It only takes a moment, but it really makes my day! Get your freebie here, but be quick!
Enjoy your weekend!
Yes, I know I've harped on about this resource over the last week or so, but I just love it! Included in your download are three dice templates. One for characters...
...one for settings...
...and one for actions.
Students roll each of the dice to determine the three non-negotiable parts of the story that they will then write. Trust me. It is ace.
So, for ONE DAY ONLY, you will be able to download this resource FOR FREE! I would love if you could rate this resource and provide a short feedback comment while you are there, particularly as this resource is yet to be rated. It only takes a moment, but it really makes my day! Get your freebie here, but be quick!
Enjoy your weekend!
Monday, 7 October 2013
Top 5 Pins of the Week: non-fiction notes, place value slider, pyramid dioramas, rekenreks and lapbooks!
Happy Monday! It is back to school for us here in Sydney this week, but we have had an extra day's reprieve with a long weekend public holiday. Time for some inspiration to get us back into the mood for school!
5. Non-Fiction Notes
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| Get it here! |
What better way to start our countdown than with a freebie?! Jessica Heeren has created a fabulously free two-page graphic organiser to help students organise their thoughts while reading non-fiction texts. If you decide to download this fantastic freebie, be sure to leave a rating and a short feedback comment to show Jessica some love! Thanks Jessica!
4. Place Value Slider
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| See it here! |
Suzie over at the 'Suzie's Home Education Ideas' blog has devised a terrific place value manipulative to help students to understand place value. The best part about it is that Suzie has made it available as a free download! Included in the download is everything you see in the picture, as well as a three-digit version. Thanks Suzie!
3. Pyramid Dioramas
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| See it here! |
What is a pyramid diorama? It is an innovative way for students to present information and show their learning. Jimmie Lanley has written all about them here and has included lots of pictures, templates and instructions, as well as a video tutorial to make it super easy for all of us to get in on the action. Thanks Jimmie!
2. DIY Rekenreks
Ever heard of rekenreks? Me neither, until I stumbled across this blog post via Pinterest! Rekenreks are a fantastic tool that can help students to have a greater concept of five and ten. They were originally developed by a Dutch mathematician, and the name loosely translates as 'calculation rack'. Donna Boucher, over at the Math Coach's Corner blog has developed an easy, inexpensive way to make your own rekenrek and has written a step-by-step tutorial on how to make them, using lots of detailed pictures. She has also kindly provided a link to a comprehensive free booklet on using rekenreks in the classroom. I'm super-keen to try rekenreks out in the classroom now and am so pleased to have another tool in the tool kit for Maths. Thanks Donna!
1. How to Make a Lapbook
Maybe you're already familiar with lapbooks, but I'd never even heard of them until a few weeks ago! If, like me, you're a newbie to lapbooks, this great little video will both introduce them and show you how to make them. Lapbooks are a great way to organise information and would be a fantastic study-helper for students. What a terrific idea!
Be sure to check out the Little Green Pinterest page for more inspiring ideas!
For those heading back to school this week after holidays, all the best for the new term! For everyone else, keep on keeping on!
Monday, 30 September 2013
Pins of the Week: Literacy Edition
It is mid-way through the school holidays here in Sydney, and I am feeling energetic! Time for some mid-holiday Pinspiration! This week, a lot of great ideas to support the teaching of literacy skills have been jumping out at me, so I'm dedicating this week's round-up to literacy.
Some of the best ideas are born out of necessity, and I'm not sure that there is a more desperate point of need than trying to entertain a young child! Allison McDonald, over at the No Time for Flash Cards blog came up with a great idea while her daughter was playing with sidewalk chalk outdoors. Simply write letters on the ground and come up with an action that starts with each letter. Children can then complete that action while standing on that letter. Simple. Genius! Thanks Allison!
Images for Inference
One of the important skills of visual literacy is inference. What can we infer from looking at the picture above? Even without a caption, we can infer that the man is not happy with the woman speaking on her phone. We can see she is in a cinema and we might guess that the man is an usher at the cinema, enforcing a well-known rule that you shouldn't be talking on your phone in the cinema! Students need to be given lots of opportunities to flex their inferencing muscles, and that's where Rachel Lynette's Inference Pinterest Board comes in. Here you will find a growing collection of great images you can use to help your students learn to inference. Thanks Rachel!
McLiteracy!
We all know how much kids love McDonalds. Those golden arches are probably one of the first symbols kids learn, as you probably know if you've ever driven past one with a child in your car! I'm definitely not suggesting that you encourage your students to eat junk food, but I can promise you, the second you whip out a couple of McDonalds french fries packets, your kids will be engaged! Miss Speechie at the Speech Time Fun blog uses her french fry packets to teach subjects and predicates. She writes a few of each on yellow paddle pop sticks (also known as pop sticks, popsicle sticks and craft sticks) and has students sort them into their correct containers. This fun activity leads to some great learning about this topic, and the engagement of her students is, no doubt, very high! The concept could be adapted to any literacy topic that requires sorting, or to any other subject matter. I plan to head down to my local Maccas (as we call it here in Australia) and ask the manager if they'd be prepared to donate a few packets to support children's literacy. How can they refuse? Thanks Miss Speechie!
Writing Prompt Heaven!
I'm a sucker for a great writing prompt. Anything that helps us be creative is a good thing, right? Well, I've hit the writing prompt jackpot! I have come across a Pinterest board that focuses on inspiring natural landscapes - I mean super-inspiring! I have started adding some of the awesome images I've found there as writing prompts in my English: Writing Prompts Pinterest board, with questions to help get kids thinking, and there will be more to come! The curator of the landscapes board, Tsahizn Tseh, has lots of other great boards too, so be sure to check them out. Thanks Tsahizn!
Paint Chip Poetry
Sidewalk Action Letters
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| Source |
Some of the best ideas are born out of necessity, and I'm not sure that there is a more desperate point of need than trying to entertain a young child! Allison McDonald, over at the No Time for Flash Cards blog came up with a great idea while her daughter was playing with sidewalk chalk outdoors. Simply write letters on the ground and come up with an action that starts with each letter. Children can then complete that action while standing on that letter. Simple. Genius! Thanks Allison!
Images for Inference
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| Source |
One of the important skills of visual literacy is inference. What can we infer from looking at the picture above? Even without a caption, we can infer that the man is not happy with the woman speaking on her phone. We can see she is in a cinema and we might guess that the man is an usher at the cinema, enforcing a well-known rule that you shouldn't be talking on your phone in the cinema! Students need to be given lots of opportunities to flex their inferencing muscles, and that's where Rachel Lynette's Inference Pinterest Board comes in. Here you will find a growing collection of great images you can use to help your students learn to inference. Thanks Rachel!
McLiteracy!
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| Source |
We all know how much kids love McDonalds. Those golden arches are probably one of the first symbols kids learn, as you probably know if you've ever driven past one with a child in your car! I'm definitely not suggesting that you encourage your students to eat junk food, but I can promise you, the second you whip out a couple of McDonalds french fries packets, your kids will be engaged! Miss Speechie at the Speech Time Fun blog uses her french fry packets to teach subjects and predicates. She writes a few of each on yellow paddle pop sticks (also known as pop sticks, popsicle sticks and craft sticks) and has students sort them into their correct containers. This fun activity leads to some great learning about this topic, and the engagement of her students is, no doubt, very high! The concept could be adapted to any literacy topic that requires sorting, or to any other subject matter. I plan to head down to my local Maccas (as we call it here in Australia) and ask the manager if they'd be prepared to donate a few packets to support children's literacy. How can they refuse? Thanks Miss Speechie!
Writing Prompt Heaven!
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| Source |
I'm a sucker for a great writing prompt. Anything that helps us be creative is a good thing, right? Well, I've hit the writing prompt jackpot! I have come across a Pinterest board that focuses on inspiring natural landscapes - I mean super-inspiring! I have started adding some of the awesome images I've found there as writing prompts in my English: Writing Prompts Pinterest board, with questions to help get kids thinking, and there will be more to come! The curator of the landscapes board, Tsahizn Tseh, has lots of other great boards too, so be sure to check them out. Thanks Tsahizn!
Paint Chip Poetry
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| Source |
Like the McDonalds french fry container I mentioned earlier in the post, paint chips are a free resource that can help inspire and enthuse your students. Paint chips are available for free at most hardware stores, and if you don't feel okay about just taking thirty of them, ask the manager. Most people are pretty happy to help a teacher! As with the french fry containers, paint chips have multiple uses, but the one I've chosen to highlight comes from Kelly Hall at the Fabulous in Fourth blog. She had her students come up with metaphors and similes relating to the colour of their paint chip, then write them on the paint chip in each section to publish. If you'd like to see how Kelly displayed the poems (which is awesome, by the way), click here. Thanks Kelly!
I hope these pins have given you lots of ideas to breathe new life into your literacy program. They have certainly inspired me! You can check out my Pinterest boards here if you'd like more ideas. I post lots of great pins every week, so be sure to follow the boards that will be most helpful to you.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
YouTube Tuesday: Situational Irony: the opposite of what you think
Have you checked out the YouTube Tuesday link-up yet?
There are already some great videos there, and there are sure to be more to come! So, on to my video for the week!
Alanis Morrisette, I'm very sorry to inform you that your definition of the word 'ironic' is all wrong! Boy that song used to irk me, not because of the music, but because nearly everything she mentions is not actually ironic at all! Well, it might be too late for Alanis, but at least our students can discover the true meaning of irony by watching this great little video. Enjoy!
There are already some great videos there, and there are sure to be more to come! So, on to my video for the week!
Alanis Morrisette, I'm very sorry to inform you that your definition of the word 'ironic' is all wrong! Boy that song used to irk me, not because of the music, but because nearly everything she mentions is not actually ironic at all! Well, it might be too late for Alanis, but at least our students can discover the true meaning of irony by watching this great little video. Enjoy!
Monday, 16 September 2013
Pins of the Week: being a great classmate, differentiation, tackling poverty, retelling ribbons, mental maths and a fun freebie!
Welcome to another week! It is our last week of term, here in Sydney, so energy is a little low. Never fear, inspiration is here once again from Pinterest! Here we go!
Great Classmate Anchor Chart
This terrific 'beginning of the year' anchor chart is a great way to get your students thinking about how they can be a better classmate. It would also be a great discussion point mid-way through they year, when they are forgetting some of these basic manners and skills!
Differentiation Poster
This handy little poster, which is free to download, will have you differentiating your lessons like a pro in no time! It is a fantastic reminder of the different strengths our students bring to the classroom, and a great prompt for ways in which to tap into these strengths. In the same blog post, there are some other great differentiation resources and ideas to get you inspired, so be sure to stop by!
How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement
Poverty. It is something we don't like to talk about in relation to our classrooms, but research shows that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds consistently under-perform at school. Is there anything to be done? This excellent article gives some sound and practical advice about how classroom teachers and schools can begin to tackle the issues surrounding students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in our schools. Seriously inspiring!
Retelling Ribbon
Looking for a way to help your students structure their retelling of stories? Look no further! Andrea from 'Pencils, Glue and Tying Shoes' has devised a fabulous system to help her students that is both tactile and visual. Don't let the creepy blurring-out of the student's face in the photo put you off! Check out the post to read all about how Andrea implemented her retelling ribbons.
Mental Maths
I've long been a Mental Maths fan, but if you're not sure about what all the fuss is about, you must read this post on the Teaching In The Early Years blog. When kids have a number of strategies at their disposal, their skills across all strands of Maths skyrocket! Be sure to check out the post for more information.
A Fun Freebie
I'm a big fan of owls, and these cute little owls will appeal to your kids too! One of my favourite TPT sellers, Michael Friermood, has put together four charming little bookmarks and, best of all, they are absolutely free! As Michael says, "Get 'em while they're hoot"!
I hope you are feeling inspired and ready to tackle the rest of your week. Be sure to pop back tomorrow for YouTube Tuesday!
Great Classmate Anchor Chart
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| Source |
This terrific 'beginning of the year' anchor chart is a great way to get your students thinking about how they can be a better classmate. It would also be a great discussion point mid-way through they year, when they are forgetting some of these basic manners and skills!
Differentiation Poster
 |
| Get your free download here! |
This handy little poster, which is free to download, will have you differentiating your lessons like a pro in no time! It is a fantastic reminder of the different strengths our students bring to the classroom, and a great prompt for ways in which to tap into these strengths. In the same blog post, there are some other great differentiation resources and ideas to get you inspired, so be sure to stop by!
How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement
 |
| Read the article here. |
Poverty. It is something we don't like to talk about in relation to our classrooms, but research shows that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds consistently under-perform at school. Is there anything to be done? This excellent article gives some sound and practical advice about how classroom teachers and schools can begin to tackle the issues surrounding students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in our schools. Seriously inspiring!
Retelling Ribbon
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| Read about the retelling ribbon here! |
Looking for a way to help your students structure their retelling of stories? Look no further! Andrea from 'Pencils, Glue and Tying Shoes' has devised a fabulous system to help her students that is both tactile and visual. Don't let the creepy blurring-out of the student's face in the photo put you off! Check out the post to read all about how Andrea implemented her retelling ribbons.
Mental Maths
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| Learn more about the benefits of teaching mental maths here. |
I've long been a Mental Maths fan, but if you're not sure about what all the fuss is about, you must read this post on the Teaching In The Early Years blog. When kids have a number of strategies at their disposal, their skills across all strands of Maths skyrocket! Be sure to check out the post for more information.
A Fun Freebie
 |
| Get your freebie here! |
I'm a big fan of owls, and these cute little owls will appeal to your kids too! One of my favourite TPT sellers, Michael Friermood, has put together four charming little bookmarks and, best of all, they are absolutely free! As Michael says, "Get 'em while they're hoot"!
I hope you are feeling inspired and ready to tackle the rest of your week. Be sure to pop back tomorrow for YouTube Tuesday!
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
YouTube Tuesday: Sons of Poetry
I'm hosting my first linky party all about YouTube videos for the classroom! If you're a blogger and you'd like to join in the fun, click here or on the image below to go to the YouTube Tuesday Linky page. All the instructions are there, as well as the button to download and add to your own YouTube Tuesday blog post.
Thanks to Grepic for the great background and My Cute Graphics for the popcorn-loving movie-goer graphic!
Now, onto the good stuff - the video!
Sesame Street can be a bit hit and miss for me, but gosh they do a good parody! I'm sharing with you a recently-discovered gem - Sons of Poetry. Trust me, you'll love it! Enjoy!
Thanks to Grepic for the great background and My Cute Graphics for the popcorn-loving movie-goer graphic!
Now, onto the good stuff - the video!
Sesame Street can be a bit hit and miss for me, but gosh they do a good parody! I'm sharing with you a recently-discovered gem - Sons of Poetry. Trust me, you'll love it! Enjoy!
Monday, 9 September 2013
Pins of the Week: bath mats, mini clip charts, taking care of books, roots and a subtraction game!
The merry-go-round has turned once more, and here we are at the beginning of another week. In New South Wales, we are two weeks away from the school holiday break, and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to it! So, as we head to the end of another busy school term, we definitely need some inspiration to keep things fresh. Thank goodness for Pinterest!
Circular Bath Mats
Cheap, cheerful, circular bath mats are a great way to keep kids sitting in one spot during group time. Best of all, if they get dirty, they can be thrown in the washing machine, dried on the line and will be ready to report back for duty the next day! Great idea!
Mini Clip Chart
I love the idea of a clip chart, but I don't love the public nature of it. This personal mini clip chart will keep your kids accountable, but in a more private way. Thanks to Sarah at Miss A's Kindergarten for this bright idea.
Looking After Books
Looking for a way to get your little ones to understand how to look after the books in your classroom library? Kathryn at Kindergarten Kindergarten has you covered! She has created a fantastic book that shows all the terrible things that can happen when we don't look after books to remind kids of what not to do! The forest friends are very sad because of the scribbles, crumples, tears and muck, but in the end they are happy because they know that the reader will take good care of the book and all the other books in the library. Adorable graphics and a cute little story - what's not to love?! Oh, and did I mention that it is a free download? Thank you Kathryn!
Greek and Latin Roots
Understanding the Greek and Latin roots of many of the words in the English language can be so helpful when learning to spell. Teacher Galaxy has put together a great little pack that has some great ideas for teaching the different roots. The best part about it, in my humble opinion, is the terrific list of roots, each with examples. And, once again, it is a freebie! If you do download this pack, be sure to say thank you by leaving feedback and a positive rating. Thanks Teacher Galaxy!
Subtraction Game
Games are a fantastic way to get your students into Maths. This simple game from Amy Padgett will have your kids practising their subtraction without even knowing it! Who doesn't love a dice game? Especially a free dice game! So many freebies this week! If you do download Amy's game, be sure to say thank you by leaving feedback and a positive rating. Thank you Amy!
I hope you are feeling as inspired as I am! Have a great week and be sure to leave a comment below if you use any of these ideas in your classroom.
Circular Bath Mats
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| The link for this one was broken, but you get the idea! |
Cheap, cheerful, circular bath mats are a great way to keep kids sitting in one spot during group time. Best of all, if they get dirty, they can be thrown in the washing machine, dried on the line and will be ready to report back for duty the next day! Great idea!
Mini Clip Chart
 |
| See this pin in its natural habitat here. |
I love the idea of a clip chart, but I don't love the public nature of it. This personal mini clip chart will keep your kids accountable, but in a more private way. Thanks to Sarah at Miss A's Kindergarten for this bright idea.
Looking After Books
 |
| Get your copy here. |
Looking for a way to get your little ones to understand how to look after the books in your classroom library? Kathryn at Kindergarten Kindergarten has you covered! She has created a fantastic book that shows all the terrible things that can happen when we don't look after books to remind kids of what not to do! The forest friends are very sad because of the scribbles, crumples, tears and muck, but in the end they are happy because they know that the reader will take good care of the book and all the other books in the library. Adorable graphics and a cute little story - what's not to love?! Oh, and did I mention that it is a free download? Thank you Kathryn!
Greek and Latin Roots
 |
| Click here to go to the download page. |
Understanding the Greek and Latin roots of many of the words in the English language can be so helpful when learning to spell. Teacher Galaxy has put together a great little pack that has some great ideas for teaching the different roots. The best part about it, in my humble opinion, is the terrific list of roots, each with examples. And, once again, it is a freebie! If you do download this pack, be sure to say thank you by leaving feedback and a positive rating. Thanks Teacher Galaxy!
Subtraction Game
 |
| Click here to go to the download page. |
Games are a fantastic way to get your students into Maths. This simple game from Amy Padgett will have your kids practising their subtraction without even knowing it! Who doesn't love a dice game? Especially a free dice game! So many freebies this week! If you do download Amy's game, be sure to say thank you by leaving feedback and a positive rating. Thank you Amy!
I hope you are feeling as inspired as I am! Have a great week and be sure to leave a comment below if you use any of these ideas in your classroom.
Monday, 2 September 2013
Pins of the Week: work on reading, mistakes, reward balls, hungry caterpillars and a treat for Mum!
Another week, another handful of inspired ideas. Here we go!
Work on Reading
Do you have kids constantly at you during reading? Help them reflect on how they can do it on their own with Mrs Clancy's terrific chart! I love the use of post-it notes for the kids to choose their favourite technique!
Hooray for Mistakes!
Yep, you read it right - hooray for mistakes! Our kids need to know that mistakes are the key to learning - a tough idea to sell in our culture of high-stakes testing. This article is seriously excellent!
Reward Balls
Kids love to be rewarded, but it can be expensive and, let's face it, counterproductive to constantly reward them with bought goods. Enter this simple and effective reward system, which started its life as a home job allocation system over at the NieNie Dialogues blog and was somehow transformed by the magic of Pinterest! Write simple rewards on the balls and have your star students choose a ball. Too easy!
Fun with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Who doesn't love The Very Hungry Caterpillar? This great blog entry has some excellent ideas to accompany a unit of work on this excellent book, starting with that terrific salad, of course!
A Treat for Mum
We've just had Father's Day here in Australia, and although I know Mother's Day is some time away, I just had to include this great idea for a gift. Over at the Soaring Through 2nd blog, this great backdrop was used for a beautiful photo to send home as a gift. Students posed in front of the backdrop with a small chalkboard in their hands telling why they love their mums. Melts your heart, doesn't it?!
I hope you've been as inspired by these pins as I was. Have a great week!
Work on Reading
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| Visit Mrs Clancy's blog here. |
Do you have kids constantly at you during reading? Help them reflect on how they can do it on their own with Mrs Clancy's terrific chart! I love the use of post-it notes for the kids to choose their favourite technique!
Hooray for Mistakes!
 |
| Read the article here. |
Yep, you read it right - hooray for mistakes! Our kids need to know that mistakes are the key to learning - a tough idea to sell in our culture of high-stakes testing. This article is seriously excellent!
Reward Balls
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| Visit the original blog post here. |
Kids love to be rewarded, but it can be expensive and, let's face it, counterproductive to constantly reward them with bought goods. Enter this simple and effective reward system, which started its life as a home job allocation system over at the NieNie Dialogues blog and was somehow transformed by the magic of Pinterest! Write simple rewards on the balls and have your star students choose a ball. Too easy!
Fun with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
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| Visit the Nurture Store blog here. |
Who doesn't love The Very Hungry Caterpillar? This great blog entry has some excellent ideas to accompany a unit of work on this excellent book, starting with that terrific salad, of course!
A Treat for Mum
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| See some examples of the photos here. |
We've just had Father's Day here in Australia, and although I know Mother's Day is some time away, I just had to include this great idea for a gift. Over at the Soaring Through 2nd blog, this great backdrop was used for a beautiful photo to send home as a gift. Students posed in front of the backdrop with a small chalkboard in their hands telling why they love their mums. Melts your heart, doesn't it?!
I hope you've been as inspired by these pins as I was. Have a great week!
Monday, 26 August 2013
Pins of the Week: pegs, collapsible playspaces, Mo Willems, book towers and an assessment wheel
Welcome to another week! I must admit I am super tired this week, but not too tired to find you lots of goodies via Pinterest! Get ready to be wowed!
Peg Letters
I recently bought a mega-pack of wooden pegs and have been undecided as to how to use them. Thanks to this pin from the Creating and Teaching blog, I know exactly how I want to use them! You could make up these simple vocabulary cards for anything at all and if you make generic lower-case pegs, you can use them for everything. Now to find some spare time to write letters on a whole bunch of pegs!
DIY Collapsible Play Space
Oh how I want one of these... for me to play in! This great tutorial from She Knows makes it look super easy too. I can just imagine one of these with a pile of pillows in the bottom being a favourite spot in the classroom for so many kids - and then it folds away at the end of the day! I am definitely on the lookout for a big ol' box now!
Mo Willems
I am a huge Mo Willems fan, and this Q and A session with him proves why he is such a genius! I can't even decide which of his crazy responses is my favourite! Love it!
The Tower of Books Challenge
Sick of setting boring 'read 40 books' challenges? Chances are your students are bored too. Enter Michael Friermood and his awesome Tower of Books Challenge! This challenge will have your students reading broadly and deeply and will provide a visual motivation in the form of a physical tower of 3D 'books' for them to create! If you are stuck for space, there is a 2D version too, so don't despair! As cool as the book towers are, the best part about this challenge is the reading lists. There are a number of options available, including an Australian authors list, which I collaborated with Michael to create. Yeah, I know it is a sneaky plug, but I promise I'm not making a red cent - I genuinely love this resource, and for a fiver it can be yours to love too! Be sure to check out Michael's other resources while you are there - he is one of my favourite TPT sellers.
Assessment Wheel
Do you struggle to decide how to assess your students' achievement of outcomes or standards? This handy wheel from the folks at Arizona State University can help you decipher the verbs used in the outcome/standard to determine where it sits on Bloom's Taxonomy. Not only that, it also gives you a bunch of ideas for how to assess at each level. Too easy!
I hope you've been as inspired as I have by this week's pins. Don't forget to visit me on Pinterest for more great ideas!
Peg Letters
 |
| Read all about it here! |
I recently bought a mega-pack of wooden pegs and have been undecided as to how to use them. Thanks to this pin from the Creating and Teaching blog, I know exactly how I want to use them! You could make up these simple vocabulary cards for anything at all and if you make generic lower-case pegs, you can use them for everything. Now to find some spare time to write letters on a whole bunch of pegs!
DIY Collapsible Play Space
 |
| Click here to go to the tutorial, stat! |
Oh how I want one of these... for me to play in! This great tutorial from She Knows makes it look super easy too. I can just imagine one of these with a pile of pillows in the bottom being a favourite spot in the classroom for so many kids - and then it folds away at the end of the day! I am definitely on the lookout for a big ol' box now!
Mo Willems
 |
| Click here to go to the BookPage website. |
I am a huge Mo Willems fan, and this Q and A session with him proves why he is such a genius! I can't even decide which of his crazy responses is my favourite! Love it!
The Tower of Books Challenge
 |
| Visit Michael's store here - tell him Little Green sent you! |
Sick of setting boring 'read 40 books' challenges? Chances are your students are bored too. Enter Michael Friermood and his awesome Tower of Books Challenge! This challenge will have your students reading broadly and deeply and will provide a visual motivation in the form of a physical tower of 3D 'books' for them to create! If you are stuck for space, there is a 2D version too, so don't despair! As cool as the book towers are, the best part about this challenge is the reading lists. There are a number of options available, including an Australian authors list, which I collaborated with Michael to create. Yeah, I know it is a sneaky plug, but I promise I'm not making a red cent - I genuinely love this resource, and for a fiver it can be yours to love too! Be sure to check out Michael's other resources while you are there - he is one of my favourite TPT sellers.
Assessment Wheel
 |
| Click here for a clearer view of the wheel! |
Do you struggle to decide how to assess your students' achievement of outcomes or standards? This handy wheel from the folks at Arizona State University can help you decipher the verbs used in the outcome/standard to determine where it sits on Bloom's Taxonomy. Not only that, it also gives you a bunch of ideas for how to assess at each level. Too easy!
I hope you've been as inspired as I have by this week's pins. Don't forget to visit me on Pinterest for more great ideas!
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
New in the Little Green Store: Creative Writing Dice
I don't usually post on a Wednesday, but I am just too excited about my new resource to keep quiet! I present to you: Creative Writing Dice!
Here's how the 'game' (read this as 'work masquerading as fun'!) works: students roll each of the three dice to reveal a character...
...a setting...
...and an action.
Students then use their character, setting and action as a starting point for a piece of creative writing. I'm hoping these little babies are going to lead to some creative ideas and great writing from the students who use them. I'm so pleased with how the dice turned out and I'm sure kids will love them.
So, how do you get your paws on your very own set of dice? Pop over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking here or on any of the pictures, and for the tiny sum of $4, you will have yourself an inspiring resource (if I do say so myself!) to use with your students tomorrow. Too easy!
Here's how the 'game' (read this as 'work masquerading as fun'!) works: students roll each of the three dice to reveal a character...
...a setting...
...and an action.
Students then use their character, setting and action as a starting point for a piece of creative writing. I'm hoping these little babies are going to lead to some creative ideas and great writing from the students who use them. I'm so pleased with how the dice turned out and I'm sure kids will love them.
So, how do you get your paws on your very own set of dice? Pop over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking here or on any of the pictures, and for the tiny sum of $4, you will have yourself an inspiring resource (if I do say so myself!) to use with your students tomorrow. Too easy!
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