Quiet Mode!

Hello all,

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you know what's happening here at Little Green HQ.

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At the beginning of the year, I decided that the time had come for me to undertake a Masters course in Teacher Librarianship, something I have been planning to do for a long time. As the first semester continued, I realised that I would not be able to devote much time to the Little Green blog or shop while I study. I made the difficult decision to close down the sale part of the Little Green shop (freebies are still available) and to put on hold all future plans for this blog. As I near the end of my second semester of study, I know I made the right choice.

So, apologies for being so quiet, a state that is likely to continue until the end of 2015, when my course is complete. I plan to pop in from time to time to update you of my progress, so please feel free to stay subscribed, as you will be first to know the future of Little Green as it unfolds!

In the meantime, you can follow my journey through my Masters degree over on my university blog (which I am completing as part of my studies), if you wish. I am learning so much about the value of the school library and what it means to serve the school as a teacher librarian. And all you teachers and principals out there, please value and advocate for your teacher librarians!

Before I shoot off to get back to study and assignment writing, I just wanted to remind you about a freebie in the Little Green store that is just the ticket for your upcoming Halloween celebrations: Little Green's free Spooky Bookmarks.

Get yours here!

Happy Halloween!

Sale Time!

Hi kids, apologies for being so quiet - I am still in study mode until mid-June, so there won't be much happening at Little Green HQ until then... oh, except this little ol' sale I'm having in the Little Green store, that is!

Yep, TpT is having another store-wide sale from May 6-7, with many sellers further discounting their resources. I am discounting everything in my store by 20%, so with the TpT discount, you will get a total of 28% off! All you need to do to add the TpT discount is to use the promo code TPTXO at the checkout. Too easy!

I'm also extending my sale one extra day to May 8th, so you can still get 20% off, even if you accidentally miss the main TpT sale days! 

Pop over to the Little Green store and get your cart ready for the big day! Happy shopping!

Teaching In The 21st Century

Got ten minutes? This video will encourage you to take the steps you need to bring your teaching into the 21st Century! I particularly like what is said about the difference between entertainment and engagement. Thought-provoking stuff!

Making PBL work for you!

Have you heard about Project Based Learning (PBL)? This short video explains what it is, why it works and gives a great example of how it can be used in the classroom. Give it a go!

Googling vs. Librarying!

You may have noticed that recently things have been a little quiet at Little Green HQ. The reason is that I have gone back to university to get my Masters degree in Teacher Librarianship, so all the spare time I used to have to make resources and blog is being taken up with assignments and readings! Yikes!

One of the questions we have been asked to consider in the course is the relevance of the library in a world where googling is a verb. Information  seems to be at our fingertips, so why should we bother with the library? This brilliant little video explains clearly and succinctly the role of the library and librarian in today's world... as well as the role of Google!

eBooks - the next generation!

ebooks - love 'em or hate 'em, they're here to stay. And as they become entrenched in our culture, they move into our schools. If you're familiar with children's ebooks, you'll know that they have a long way to go before we'll be in any way convinced that they're worth the trouble. Chapter books are a breeze, but picture books and graphic-heavy information texts just don't work right in the current ebook format.

Here's one company's solution, and it is brilliant! Enjoy!

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Teachers Pay Teachers Sale - Save up to 28%!!!

Teachers Pay Teachers is celebrating being three million teachers strong by throwing a site-wide sale!  The sale will run from the 27th to the 28th of February (USA time, so be patient if it is already the 27th where you are!) and you can make some huge savings!

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Enter the promo code TPT3 at the checkout to receive a 10% discount on any item from any store. To sweeten the deal, many stores, including the Little Green store, are offering additional discounts. You can get up to 28% off these items by entering the same code at the checkout. Too easy!

I'm off to get my Wish List in order!

Heidi Hayes Jacobs - Future Schools Now!

Looking for some inspiration and practical ideas for bringing your classroom into the 21st Century? Heidi Hayes Jacobs' TED talk is the kick in the pants you need to get a move on!

And the winner is...

Wow! I am so overwhelmed by the response to the Little Green giveaways! Thank you to all those who entered and followed the Little Green store - I'm now up to 124 followers, which is even more reason to celebrate!

So, I know what you are all waiting to hear - was it me? Who won the giveaways?

A big congratulations to Lori Raines, who won the infants giveaway, and Tammy Sapp, who won the primary giveaway! Check your inboxes ladies - you are soon to be inundated with prizey goodness! I'd give you a bunch of flowers to top it off, but as that is a bit impractical, here is a virtual bunch for you:

And for those who didn't win, sorry :( But rest assured: another giveaway is just around the corner, so be sure to watch this space!

Happy Valentines Day for the 14th!

Giveaway! 100 Followers!

It's here! The day has finally arrived for the huge giveaway I have been promising! And the timing could not be more apt. While I am celebrating 100 followers, many of you are gearing up to celebrate 100 days at school - a coincidence, but a very happy one!

To celebrate, I have put together a terrific resource, which is available here.

It contains some terrific resources, games and ideas to make your 100th Day celebration both fun and educational! Be sure to check it out!

Right, now onto the part you're all waiting for: the giveaway!

When I put the word out to some of my fellow TpT store owners that I was coming up to a milestone, I was quite unprepared for the generous donations that followed for this giveaway! The response was so huge, I have split it into two giveaways - one for infants (K-2) and one for primary (3-6). You can enter one or both, and entry is open to anyone with an email address, as the resources are all digital. Here we go!

Infants Giveaway (K-2)

The winner will receive:

Little Green's '100 Fun!' pack ($3.50 value) plus the resource of your choice from the Little Green store.

The resource of your choice from the Green Grubs Garden Club store.

Frog and Toad are Friends: A Reader's Notebook ($3.25 value) from Michael Friermood.

Time Savers for Literacy Centers from Elina.

Synonyms Pack ($4 value) from Teacher Treasure Hunter.

Kindergarten Daily Skills Review Pack ($8 value) from Kimberly.

The Complete Thanksgiving Facts Pack ($5 value) from The Lone Wolfe.

I Spy Numbers ($3.50 value) from Teaching Products.

From Sassy Savvy Simple Teaching, the choice of either the Kindergarten/1st Grade Math Stations Bundle ($11.25 value)...

...Decimal Math Task Cards ($2 value)...

...or Plural Nouns Pizazz Pack ($2.50 value).

Roll, Read, Write - Thanksgiving Grades 1-2 ($3 value) from Kindergarten Kritters.

The resource of your choice from Stephanie McConnell.

Frogs: Literacy, Math and Science ($3 value) from Teach Smart.

The resource of your choice from The Reading Bungalow.

Monsters vs Robots: Maths and Literacy Fun ($10 value) from Big Idea Learning.

Roll, Say, Keep: Alphabet Center, Game and Printables ($3 value) from Differentiation Station Creations.

The resource of your choice from Brittani Black.

Two Digit Addition and Subtraction Without Regrouping Seat Scoot ($4.50 value) from Totally Sweet Math Centers by Tabitha.

The resource of your choice from Dynelle Dunn.

Phew! Didn't I tell you it was huge! And that's only the Infants giveaway! Submit your entry using the Rafflecopter below. Be sure to follow as many of the stores as you can for more entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Primary Giveaway (Years 3-6)

The winner will receive:

Little Green's '100 Fun!' pack ($3.50 value) plus the resource of your choice from the Little Green store.

The resource of your choice (up to $5 value) from Samizdat Math.

The resource of your choice from AliMath.

The Tower of Books Challenge from Michael Friermood.

The resource of your choice (up to $5 value) from Life Over C's.

The resource of your choice from Janet Rainey.

Christmas Holiday & Winter Color by Figurative Language 3-Pack ($2 value) from Julie Faulkner.

The resource of your choice (up to $3 value) from Ms D's Literacy Lab.

Paragraph Writing ($3.50 value) from Rockin Resources.

The resource of your choice from The Star Shop.

Not as ridiculously big as the Infants giveaway, but still HEAPS of value! Submit your entry using the Rafflecopter below. Be sure to follow as many of the stores as you can for more entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Well, I have to say I am exhausted from writing this blog post, but I am extremely grateful to all of the wonderful store owners who have donated their products to these giveaways. Be sure to follow the links and check out their stores, and if you buy any of their products (or download their freebies), be sure to leave them some love via feedback!

You'll also be pleased to know that for the next few weeks, the Little Green store will be on sale. So, even if you don't win the giveaway, you can still pick up a bargain!

Right, I'm off to make myself a cup of tea after all that! Good luck in the draw!

Base Ten Brilliance!

See, I told you Little Green was back in business: a brand new resource has just been added to the Little Green store, and it is awesome (if I do say so myself)!

Base Ten Blocks (also known as MAB) are a fantastic tool for helping students develop and reinforce a sense of ten - a vital skill. This resource is uber-versatile - ideas for use are included, but it really can be used for a huge range of whole-class, small-group and individual activities, only limited by your imagination!

In your download you will receive a set of numeral cards for the numbers 1-100...

...and a matching set of Base Ten cards for the numbers 1-100. 

These cards can be printed onto paper or card stock, then laminated for durability, then away you go!

Here are some ideas for use:

• select matching base ten and numeral cards in the range you wish to focus on and have students play a ‘memory’ style game where they must match a base ten card to a numeral card
• use the base ten cards as flash cards to develop fluency
• using only the numerical cards, have students build the number with physical base ten blocks
• using only the base ten cards, create a ‘scoot’ style game where random cards are numbered and placed on desks or around the room and students must write down the numerical value of the card on an answer sheet

See what I mean - versatile! Get yours here. As an introductory offer, you can save 25% off the full price, but get in quick as it will only be at this price for a strictly limited time!

More great resources coming very soon - watch this space!

I Heart Valentines Day Freebie

Over the Sydney summer, things have been a little quiet at Little Green HQ. Posts have been few and far between, and this poor little blog has been looking a little unloved. To remedy this lack of love and to announce that Little Green is back from summer holidays, I thought I'd start the Aussie school year (school starts back this week) with a little freebie for Valentines Day.

Yep, hot on the heels of my popular Christmas and Halloween bookmark sets is this little love offering that you may wish to use as a reward or gift for your students on February 14th.

It showcases some gorgeous graphics from a whole bunch of my favourite artists, including Mel at Graphics From The Pond, Whimsy Workshop and A Sketchy Guy. A full list of artists is available on the credits page in your download.

Grab your copy here.

In case you missed it, I recently wrote a guest post over at the One, Two Three: Math Time! blog about different ways to use a Hundred Chart. Pop over and have a look here for some fabulous ideas.

And I know I do keep harping on about it, but it really is happening imminently: a massive giveaway is coming SOON! And I mean super soon, so be sure to follow the Little Green blog so you don't miss a thing!

Oh, before I forget, Happy Australia Day to all my fellow Aussies! And enjoy your first week back at school!

Remembering Left and Right

Are your students having trouble remembering their left from their right? A new resource in the Little Green store is sure to help them out with this vital skill.

The pack contains extensive teacher notes to provide background information on this common challenge faced by students...

...and three teaching posters to visually assist recall. One of the posters contains the lyrics to a song you can sing as a group (to a familiar tune) to help young children remember one of the strategies included in the pack.

This resource is sure to help your students remember their left and right, which ultimately will help them succeed at school and in their future career! To sweeten the deal, this resource is being offered for an introductory price that is 25% off the full price, for a limited time only. Get yours here.

Oh, and stay tuned, the huge giveaway I have been promising is coming your way VERY soon!

Summertime in Australia

Hi guys - Happy New Year to you all! You might have noticed that things have been pretty quiet around Little Green HQ. Sorry about that. In my defence, it is summertime here in the southern hemisphere and we are on our summer break for five long weeks! It's quite hot!

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Nevertheless, the plan is not just to laze on the beach for the whole time. There are definitely things in the works for the Little Green blog and store! One exciting thing that will be happening VERY soon is the giveaway that I have been talking about here on the blog. It is going to be absolutely huge, so stay tuned. I'm also working on some new resources for the store, which should be going up in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, pop over to the Little Green store to pick up a bargain on Christmas resources that you can file away for December! They are currently HALF PRICE!

See you soon for more Little Green fun!