Fun in First

A Teaching Blog by Jodi Southard

Jodi

Virtual Valentine’s Day Party

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Can you believe that it’s almost time for Valentine’s Day?  As of right now, we are in-person and will be able to have our “kind of normal” Valentine’s Day party.  However, I know that many of you are still remote/virtual and you will not be able to have your typical Valentine’s Day party.  We had so much fun with our Virtual Christmas party that I wanted to create one for this special holiday as well.  Even though we will be in-person, I am still planning on using this with my class during our celebration.

Teaching virtually? Use this Virtual Valentine's Day Party to celebrate with your students over Google Meet or Zoom. This also still works well in a whole group during in-person learning.

This Virtual Valentine’s Day Party includes a PowerPoint version as well as a link to use in Google Slides and includes the following activities:

  • Jokes
  • Mystery Picture
  • This or That
  • Unscramble the Word
  • Find It – Scavenger Hunt
  • Brain Break Dance
  • What’s Your Valentine Name?
  • Cupid Says

We will be doing this as a whole group while in the classroom.  I will use my projector to display it to the class.  Then, we will go through each activity together.  If you are using this for virtual learning, you can share your screen during a Google Meet or Zoom.  The students will love it!

Click on the link below to check out this Virtual Party and watch the video preview.

Virtual Valentine’s Day Party

Teaching virtually? Use this Virtual Valentine's Day Party to celebrate with your students over Google Meet or Zoom. This also still works well in a whole group during in-person learning.

Improve Accuracy While Reading

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We all know that reading fluency is an important part of becoming a good reader, but there are many components to fluency.  One of those important pieces of reading fluency is accuracy.  Having good accuracy is the ability to read the text with very few or no mistakes.  Accuracy truly is the most essential skill of reading fluency.  If a child is “reading” a passage quickly, but they are skipping over or changing every other word, they are not getting the full meaning and will not be able to comprehend what they have read, which is the main purpose of reading.

One important piece of reading fluency is accuracy.  Having good accuracy is the ability to read the text with very few or no mistakes.  Accuracy truly is the most essential skill of reading fluency.  If a child is "reading" a passage quickly, but they are skipping over or changing every other word, they are not getting the full meaning and will not be able to comprehend what they have read, which is the main purpose of reading.

This post contains affiliate links.  Items purchased from these links do not cost you any extra money, but they do help to support this blog.

There are many factors that go into improving accuracy. 

First and foremost, students need to be able to decode and read words quickly.  Explicit phonics instruction is so important in improving accuracy when reading.  If students cannot quickly decode words, they will continue to struggle while reading.  Students also need to be able to quickly read undecodable sight words in order to improve their accuracy.

  • Develop letter-sound fluency.  Students must know letter sounds quickly.
  • After students are fluent with letter sounds, they need to know how to blend them together to read decodable words.
  • Students need to be able to quickly recognize and read sight words.

Strategies and Tips for Improving Accuracy 

  • Use letter sound timing sheets and word timing sheets to help students increase their fluency.  Grab these FREE Letter & Word Timing Sheets.
  • Practice sight word fluency.
  • Use fun pointers, finger highlighters, highlighter strips, etc. to help students stay focused on the word they are reading.
  • Encourage students to look for parts they know in a word.
  • Do not let students practice reading words incorrectly.  If you are focusing on accuracy, immediately stop a student when they mispronounce a word.  Say the word correctly.  Then, have the student repeat that word before continuing.
  • Teacher Tap Method – While listening to a student read, tap a pencil or your finger on the table when the student makes a mistake.  When they hear the tap, they will go back and reread to fix their error.  Praise the student for the correction.
  • Students need to listen to themselves read.  If they do not know that they are making mistakes, they will not be able to fix them.  Whisper Phones are great for letting students hear themselves read.  It’s also very helpful to record them reading and have them listen to it.

Here are some materials that I use in my classroom to help students with improving accuracy in their reading.

PHONICS READING MATS

Phonics Reading Mats are a great way to work on phonics and reading fluency. This packet includes 52 reading mats that are perfect for small group reading or a reading fluency folder.

SENTENCE TREES

Sentence Trees are an effective way for students to practice reading fluency. This bundle includes many phonics skills as well as sight word practice. These allow students to build confidence with their reading.

FLUENCY PHRASES

Building reading fluency allows students to make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Students need to be able to read accurately and quickly. These fluency phrases allow students to practice reading short phrases using the 220 Dolch sight words, as well as the Dolch Noun list.

As students become stronger at reading sight words and phonetically spelled words, they will not have to invest all of their thinking into decoding.  They will be able to transition into improving their reading comprehension.

One important piece of reading fluency is accuracy.  Having good accuracy is the ability to read the text with very few or no mistakes.  Accuracy truly is the most essential skill of reading fluency.  If a child is "reading" a passage quickly, but they are skipping over or changing every other word, they are not getting the full meaning and will not be able to comprehend what they have read, which is the main purpose of reading.

Digital Christmas Around the World

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Teaching about other customs and traditions around the world is always fun to do at Christmas time.  My students always enjoy learning how other countries celebrate Christmas and comparing and contrasting their own traditions with others around the world.  Since we are virtual learning through the month of December, I wanted to be able to put our learning into a digital format that we could use during our Google Meet times.
Whether you are in-person or virtual learning right now, your students can still enjoy learning about Christmas Around the World with this digital packet that is perfect for Google Meet or Zoom.

This would also be perfect for in-class learning, and I definitely plan on using it next year when *hopefully* things are back to “normal.”

My students will be introduced to Luca who will take them around the world to 9 different countries as they learn a little bit about the customs and traditions in that country.  They will visit Canada, Mexico, Australia, Germany, United States, Italy, Russia, France, and England.  The entire presentation is saved in PowerPoint, but can easily be imported into Google Slides.

I also included printables where students can record their learning if they are in-person.

Click on the picture below to read more about this Digital Christmas Around the World packet.

Whether you are in-person or virtual, your students can still learn all about Christmas Around the World with this packet that is perfect to use with Zoom or Google Meet.

Making the Connection Between Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

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Teaching beginning readers is such a challenging job, but it is so rewarding to watch things start to click for our little readers.  Our students need to be able to make the connection between phonemic awareness and phonics.  Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in a word, whereas phonics is the relationship between the sounds and letters.  With our young readers, we have to make sure to build a strong foundation with these beginning reading skills.

I wanted to share an easy and engaging activity for you to try with your students to help build that connection between phonemic awareness and phonics.

This post may contain some affiliate links.  Items purchased from these links do not cost you any extra money, but they do help to support this blog.

Help your students make the connection between phonemic awareness and phonics.

You will need:

Phonemic Awareness to Phonics Lesson

Place 4 colored circles on the floor next to each child.  (I used red, orange, yellow, and green.)  Give each child a dry erase board, a marker and eraser, and the 4 colored manipulatives.  (I used red, orange, yellow, and green mini-erasers.)

Project the slide show (free download at the end of this post) and have students stretch through the sound for the picture.  Then, they will stand up and jump onto a circle for each sound.

After they jump the sounds for each word, they will place an eraser, or other manipulative, on their dry erase board.  Then, they will write the corresponding letter for each sound.  It truly is an effective way for your students to make those connections between the sounds they hear and the letters to write.

Help your students make the connection between phonemic awareness and phonics.

If you’d like to download the FREE slideshow with the pictures that I used for the lesson, click on the picture below.  For more phonemic awareness activities, you may want to check out my Phonemic Awareness at your Fingertips packet.

Help your students make connections between phonemic awareness and phonics with this free slideshow.

Could you see this working in your classroom?

Tips for New Teachers

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Being a new teacher is hard.  When, I think back to my first couple years of teaching, I know that it was a huge mix of emotions.  I LOVED being a teacher, but I was also very overwhelmed, and this was WAY BEFORE Pinterest and Instagram.  The pressure of trying to “keep up” and “do everything” is real, even as a veteran teacher.  I asked teachers on my Instagram page to give their best tip for new teachers, and I HAD to share them with you, because they are SO good!

A list of wonderful tips for new teachers.

My tip for new teachers is: You cannot do it all!  You are not going to be Pinterest perfect (because NO ONE is.)  Social media is the highlight reel.  Don’t get overwhelmed with how your classroom looks.  The most important thing is to put your focus on building relationships with your students.

“You won’t be able to do it all, and that’s okay!” -Kelsey

“Be yourself and enjoy your first year of teaching!!!” -Trish

“Classroom management, routines and building relationships with students are very important.  Your plate will always be full so learn to prioritize well.  Make sure to take time for you.  Teacher self-care is important.  You can’t pour from an empty cup.  So make sure that you fill yours up often.” -Cayla

“Don’t check school email after 5:00 pm.” -Laurie

“Classroom management is the top priority in having everything else run smoothly.” -Mrs. Mohan

“Ask for help and guidance if/when needed.  We’ve all been the new teacher and will help!  Do not consume yourself with work!  You need to take time for yourself!  Trust me, you can spend hours upon hours in your classroom and still find things to do.  It will be there tomorrow!!” -Elyse

“Don’t take feedback personally.” -Ashley

“Ask for help, join a tribe that is kind and doesn’t gossip but builds each other up!  Teacher friends are necessary!  Have fun!!” -Robin

“Find a mentor!  Someone to ask all the things!!!  Not someone who will just agree with you, but someone who will help you grow!!” -Sarah

“Parents want to help, so let them!” -Angela

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help!  I meet so many teachers who are scared to ask someone else for help.” -Nikki

“Be real with your students.  I’m a sarcastic and goofy person and I use that when necessary because that’s who I am and my students know that.  Also, don’t feel like you need to take work home with you!  Take a break.  The list will be there tomorrow!” -Heather

“Give yourself grace.  You won’t be perfect and you aren’t expected to be.” -Melody

“POSITIVE classroom management.  Look for students doing what you want first and praise them.  That usually ends the unwanted behavior.” -Sandy

“Classroom management is vital!” -Mel

“Don’t compare yourself/your pace with your colleagues.  You need strong management and solid procedures.  Make sure that is in place and everything else will come.  Never be afraid to ask for help!” -Jen

“Take your time to teach routines and expectations.  This will help during the rest of the year.” -Sophie

“Don’t compare yourself, your room decor, your organization, etc to others, especially veteran teachers.  Focus on 1-2 areas of growth a year.” -Shelley

“Learn constantly.  My first year (and even now), I was always watching other teachers.  How they addressed problems, words they used, body language, what they ignored, what they addressed asap.  Always be learning!” -Nichole

“Trust yourself and know that it is ok to ASK. FOR. HELP. WHEN. YOU. NEED. IT.” -Laura

“Be good to yourself and remember you are new and learning, it’s a process and be a sponge.  Trial and error.  Don’t compare yourself to others and find what you like and don’t like.  You are the only one that knows what will work for you as a teacher.  No one else.” -Ann

“Shadow another teacher!  Above you, below you, same grade.  Ask for coverage and see how they do it!  You don’t have to copy them, but watch.” -Chrissy

“Always put the people first.  Things can wait.” -Izzy

“Find a good friend/mentor and don’t compare.” -Nicole

“Call parents if you are having a problem/issue with their child!  They want to know and help and it’s worse if they’re blindsided with a call from admin or the next year’s teacher!  It’s scary but gets easier!” -Shannon

“Being the last person at school doesn’t make you the best teacher.  Watch and observe other teachers as much as possible.  I learned soooo much doing this when I started.” -Lorena

“Try to remember that the “difficult” student is your opportunity to succeed as a teacher.  Be the difference in a child’s life!” -Samantha

“Develop strong expectations and hold students accountable.” -Lyndsey

“Establish a way to track communication with parents and find a mentor teacher that you connect with…all good things take time.” -Katie

“Focus on one thing and get good at it.  Then add from there.  No one expects anyone to have it all together.” -Vanessa

“Find a good teacher mentor and soak it all in.” -Hilary

“Ask alllll the questions-to other teachers, admin, support staff!  Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful!” -Suzanna

“Relationships first.” -Caity

“They do not give awards for the last person to leave school.  Don’t burn yourself out.  The papers on your desk will still be there in the morning and it’s totally ok!  You can’t fill from an empty cup.  Take care of your mental health.” -Meg

“Do not focus on the content on the internet-focus on the content that your students NEED.” -Jessica

“Take time for yourself.  It is your job, not your life.” -Melissa

“You don’t have to buy all the things right away!  You’ll go broke doing that.” -Ms. Hahn

What would be your tip for a new teacher?

 

 

Back to School Teacher Must-Haves

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This coming school year is full of unknowns right now.  Will we start on time?  Will we have full class sizes?  Will we move to distance learning again?  Will students and teachers have to wear mask? etc.  As of right now, our students have a virtual option, or they will return as normal to the in-school setting.  We know that there will be certain guidelines in place, such as no sharing of supplies and desks 6 feet apart, but we don’t know too many details yet.

I did want to go ahead and put together a list of items that I will be purchasing for this coming school year.  Some of these things are items that I purchase normally, while some of the other items are more specific to this year.

This post contains affiliate links.  I receive a small commission when items are purchased from these links, which helps to support my little area of cyber space and keep the blog up and running.

All of the items are numbered and linked below, or you can click on the picture and use the direct links from the PDF file for easy access.

These Must-Have Back to School items will be helpful as we return to school in the fall.

1.  Wireless Doorbell – I love this wireless doorbell from SadoTech.  I use it as an attention grabber for my students and it works like a charm.  You can change the tune to keep it fresh as well.  All you have to do is plug it into an outlet.  Then, you can carry around the actual doorbell button with you.

2.  UV Light Sanitizer Bag – Genius!  How perfect will this be for the coming school year?  You can use it to sanitize your phone, pencils, markers, math manipulatives, etc.

3. Play-Doh – I use Play-Doh every year, especially at the beginning of the year.  My only change this year will be to label each tub with a child’s name.  They will have to have their own instead of using all of them.

4. Birthday Crowns – This is another item that I purchase every year to have on hand.  Whatever you decide to use for birthday celebrations (pencils, treat bags, crowns, stickers,…), have them ready to go at the beginning of the year.

5. Dry Erase Erasers – I purchase these every couple of years.  They are pretty cheaply made and only last about 2-3 years max.  However, they are fairly inexpensive and I like that they are small.  I have also heard of a lot of people having success using socks or the microfiber makeup remover pads from Dollar Tree.  I usually throw all of my erasers in a tub, however this year, I will have them in individual supply kits for each student.

6. Xacto Pencil Sharpener – I am very particular about my pencil sharpener.  I even have it labeled “Teacher Use Only.”  However, this year, I may have to let go of my control over my sharpener 😉  To keep me from touching everyone’s pencils, which you know have been in mouths, up noses, and even down pants, I may let my students sharpen their own pencils.  This sharpener is hands-down my favorite!  I love that it has a blue light that comes on when the pencil is sharpened, so it really is easy for kids.  We have one at home as well, and my 5 year old sharpens his pencils with no problems at all.

7. Inkjoy Pens – I know that teachers are serious about their pens.  Inkjoy pens are my absolute favorite.  I would pick them over flair pens any day.

8. Carpet Spot Markers – These will be so useful this coming school year in keeping students 6 feet apart.  I plan on putting them on my carpet for when we line up to go in the hall.  I will also use them to mark places for my students to sit.  These will only work if you have carpet.  If you have tile, you may want to check out these EZ Stick Spot Markers.

9. Stackable Supply Boxes – My students will have their own pencil boxes in their desks, but I am purchasing these for other individual materials that my students will need.  (Dice, dry erase markers and erasers, math manipulatives, etc.)  I love that they are stackable, so they will be easy to store.

10.  Clipboards – I frequently use clipboards in my classroom, but I know that they will be used even more next year.  The thought of having 6 year olds in desks ALL DAY LONG, is not okay with me.  Students can use a clipboard to complete their work while sitting 6 feet apart on the floor.  We can also take work outside, weather permitting.  We may have to get creative, but we will definitely not be facing forward in desks all day long.

What are some items that you could see working in your classroom next year? What will you have to adjust and change?

*Feel free to pin the image below to save for later.

These must-have items for teachers are perfect for this coming school year.