100th Day in 2nd Grade

Hey guys!  It's Angie from Lucky Little Learners and I am coming off of an exhausting, yet super fun, day of school!  Today was our 100th Day of School and I have to admit that there were so many moments throughout the day today that got me excited about the thought of blogging because I kept thinking, "Gosh, they are going to love this!"  Going into today,  I knew that I wanted to write a blog post because the 100th Day of School has always been a favorite of mine and I want to share with you a couple of the successful activities that we do. 

 When my students come into the classroom, our routine is always the same.  They come in, lay out their BEE binder, read the morning message, sharpen their pencils, and begin their morning work.  They knew that today was going to be special when a plastic baggie was on their desk and they were told that their morning work consisted of counting out 100 Legos.  Let the crazy fun begin...yes, right away at 8:10!

 Time out from the Legos...as my students started filling their plastic baggies, several of my students were intrigued by the 100 Adjectives display.  They wanted to know what was going to be happening on this board so after we got settled in, I explained to my students that one of the many challenges that I had for them today was to come up with 100 Adjectives.  When one of my students replied, "When can we start?" I knew we were in for a fun and busy day!

 As you can see they jumped to this challenge.  It was so fun to sit back and watch these guys work together.  Communication was key as they helped each other spell words, check for words that may have been doubled up, and triple check to make sure that the words that were listed were adjectives and not nouns or verbs.

 They conquered the task!  Everything may not be "dictionary spelled" but that was not the focus of this activity.  I think it looks great!

 Now, back to the Legos...once each student had their bag of 100 Legos, I instructed them to create something with their Legos.  I didn't care what it was but I did tell them that they had to use all 100 Legos and they could not trade any of their pieces for different sizes.  As you can see above, I may have some Type A kiddos with the all red and all yellow Legos.  Ha!  Ha!

 This task ended up taking them a lot longer than I had anticipated.  Their creativity kicked into high gear as they found this task to be a little more challenging than anticipated at the beginning.  There was some frustration with creations tipping over so they worked together to come up with the solution that the base had to be bigger and that the creations couldn't be too tall.  I loved watching their minds at work with this!

 Once each student finished their Lego creation, they had to come to me to create a label.  We displayed their creations around the classroom.  One of my students said, "Mrs. Olson, it looks like a Lego museum in here!"  Yes, I will definitely let these take over my classroom for the next week!  Another student suggested that our principal and other classes come and take a tour...I just may have to arrange this to happen.  I love when they are proud of themselves!

 Once their creation and label were on display, I gave them a writing template and asked them to use adjectives to write "beefy sentences" that would describe what they made.  You can get a copy of this Lego writing template HERE.  They modeled their "2nd grade best handwriting" with hopes that Mr. Nagel would come in and read their sentences!

 I have included a few of their writing samples and Lego creations.  They may not be perfect but I feel that it was an effective activity!

Another favorite from today were these photos.  We used the Aging Booth app to create these photos of ourselves as if we were 100 years old.  I have never heard my kids laugh so hard when we went through everybody's picture on the document camera.  (DISCLAIMER:  I got permission to use these photos from each child's family.)

 I definitely think that mine is the SCARIEST LOOKING!  YIKES!

I would like to end this post with our 100 Reasons Why We Love Our School bulletin board display.  We made this last week for our Parent Teacher Conferences but it ties in so nicely for the 100th Day of School.  I hope that you found a couple of ideas that you could use for your 100th Day of School or that you could pin to your 100th Day Pinterest board!

Motivate your students to WRITE!

Every so often, we just need a little fun, don't we? Here's a little writing activity I like to do with my kiddos. They get to create a superhero scene & the write about it! They LOVE it!

I glue two sets of googly eyes on each page of paper. Part of the fun & challenge is creating the scene around those googly eyes-- wherever they are on the paper! I tell my kiddos that they can create any scene & add their own characters....the only rule is one has to be a superhero. I was inspired by this picture I came across on Pinterest from House of Baby Piranha.

My sweeties LOVE drawing their characters! The beauty of this project is, as they're drawing the picture with the googly eyes, they're really planning their writing!  Characters.....setting....even the details of the story begins to develop as they complete the drawing!

After they've drawn their pictures, they use the planner to get their ideas down in writing. I also give them a word bank to help with some of those words they might want to use: super, villain, thought, secret, victory..... lots of words that'll help get those creative little minds whirling! 

I've bundled it all into a little mini pack for you....Just click the pic below to grab a copy! 

Mobile Writing Conferences!!!

Hi there!! How's the week going?? It's Nicole, from All Things Apple, and I've been on fall break for almost 2 weeks now so I'm getting ready to head back on Monday. :( hah I'm excited to start some new procedures and activities though!! So I wanted to share something I've been doing with my writer's workshop!! I love teaching writing, but I have to say, I don't like grading it! hah Nonetheless, I feel like my kids are truly enjoying writing this year. Now, at times, I sit and reflect and honestly have no idea what I've done differently to get ALL the kids loving writing especially since this is my 2nd year with these kids since I looped to 3rd with them! However, then I realize, I enjoy it more this year. I've found that it is one of my favorite times of the day! One reason for this is my MOBILE writing conferences!! That's right...MOBILE!!! Everything else is mobile these days, why not make conferencing mobile as well! :)

Instead of having my students come to me during conferences, I go to them!! I join THEM in THEIR writing spaces! No interruptions, no loss of instructional time, limited to no behavior problems, and I show them that I respect their writing time and space for that matter. I carry around this toolkit you see in the above photo! This way I have EVERYTHING I need to do a quick mini-lesson, write down notes, practice a skill, etc. with my students.

To read a more in depth description of how this looks in my room, click HERE to hop on over to my blog!!! I'm going to leave you with a quote from one of my most reluctant writers last year!! This is from just a few weeks ago.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!! 

Nicole :)

Conquering the Test.. One Day at a Time!

Ok, I know that we're all not wanting to think those dreaded three words "Back to School", let alone start thinking about the even more dreaded standardized tests that will occur in the Spring.  I unfortunately had that philosophy too a few years ago - but then it hit me.  Why do we, or I, feel like once January hits that it's time to 'prepare' the students for these tests - why don't we start doing that on day one?  I mean, yes, I know everything I'm doing/teaching is going to help them.  But I wanted to do something to really prepare them on a deeper level. 

So that got me thinking...

When it comes to 'the test' - what do my students struggle with the most?  After talking it through with a few colleagues I finally figured it out!!  Picture this..  Walking around looking at the test for the first time as the kids are taking it.  You're reading the questions and thinking to yourself - Yes!!! They KNOW this!!  But then you read their answers as you're walking and you can't believe what you're reading - what's going on!?  I KNOW I taught this over and over again - why aren't they getting it!?  Then you reread the question...  and BAM!  There is it - its not what the question was asking - its HOW they worded the question.  They used some large verb and wording that the kids aren't used to seeing or reading.  Could they answer it with the knowledge you've given them?  Absolutely!!  Are they just confused because of how they asked it?  Absolutely!!  

So - here's what I thought.  All of those big words and verbs and wordage that we see on these tests that CONFUSE our kids.. let's teach it to them.  I know - you're probably thinking DUH!?  But - when it comes to trying to prepare them for the test with everything else we have/need to teach them AND then throw this on top, it gets overwhelming!  I needed something that will help my kids conquer these words slowly but surely. 

So I came up with a program called Vocabulary Voyage.  Let's just say - I LOVE IT!!  What it does, is basically teach the students these important and strong words that are commonly used when testing.  It teaches them, not just what the words mean, but also what a question that has that word in it, means!  What is that question asking!?  I used it all last year and it.  was..  amazing!  My kids ROCKED the tests at the end of the year.  I had 100% pass our state standardized test.  No joke!  

So here's the break down in photos:

I have over 90 words in the program and we learn 1 word a day.  BUT we repeat those words the next week too.  So in 2 weeks we've learned 5 words.  Slow and steady wins the race!  All of the words are on cards like so...

And then put on rings... like so...

Then outside my door I have a poster put up and two hooks so the words can hang outside my door.  Each day, the 'word of the day' is shown.  Every time the kids enter the room they have to touch and say the word.  This gets them familiar with seeing and reading the words.  

It ends up looking like this...

So that's part of it - we read and say the words.  Easy peasy!  Here's what's next.

Like I said - we learn 1 word a day but we repeat those words the next week.  So Monday - Friday week 1 we're learning the word, how to read it, identify it, and define it.  All of the kids get this paper and each day we write the word and its definition.  It literally takes 5 minutes.  That's it - just 5 minutes each day.  This helps to build that word foundation which is what they're essentially missing when it comes to not knowing how to answer those questions on the test.  

But there's more...  On week 2 - we repeat the 5 words we learned last week.  On the back of the above paper, would be copied this paper.  So now that we've learned the definitions - we essentially need to practice being able to see that word in a question and answer it.  So here's what they do - Just like last week, we find 5 minutes in our day and get out the Vocab Voyage paper. On it is a question for each of the words we learned last week.  These questions can be answered with any book and I let the kids answer it using any book they want - whether it be their independent reading book or the book we're reading together.  So again, we take 5 minutes - they write out their answer to the question (in their writing journal) and we discuss.  What's great about these discussions is that our answers sound 'different' because they're using different books to answer them - however - we are able to find the pieces of the answers that are similar.  And why are they similar?  Because those are the components that the answer must have in order for it to be 'right' - that's what the question is asking for!!!  

So - I know this post is getting long, and I promise I'll try to wrap it up soon - but can you tell I'm totally in LOVE with this program.  

So the program has over 90 words, which if started at the beginning of the school year, will last you the entire year!  So by the time testing comes around - your kids will have been exposed to and have practiced answering these questions and KNOWING what the question is asking!!  The program has questions ready to go for each of the words as well.  These words include a variety of reading and math terms, Blooms Verbs, etc.  A great mixture for any testing grade!    I wish I had picture of the kids using this or even better, a video of their discussions of what the question is asking and how to answer it - we even grade each other's answers verbally if we have time.  It only takes me about 5-10 minutes a day so I don't even have to try to squeeze it in.  

I'd love for you to check it out.  Click on the photo below to take you to it.  It has some great feedback on it so make sure to read it too - I'm not the only one who is in love with it :)  

Click HERE to download the first week for free!  And make sure to let me know what you think!  The 5th person to leave a comment letting me know what they think will get the entire program for free! And thanks for reading through until the end.  I promise I'm done talking now!  

Have a great week!!  

  

The Writing Thief

What have you been reading this summer?

Well, I've been reading The Writing Thief by Ruth Culham.

I definitely could have used this book last year when I was writing the 5th grade writing plan.

Our school was looking to improve our scores on the 5th Grade Georgia Writing Test, so as literacy coach, I wrote the plan. It included daily journal writing, weekly mentor sentences, power writing, paragraph building, practice writing tests, and writing lessons based on the scored domains using mentor texts.

Ruth asks for and embraces change in what we are doing in the classroom to promote writing. We have clear definite scope and sequences for reading, math, science, and social studies but seem to be lacking the same clarity in teaching writing. I find this to be true where I am. A simple thing to note is that when I am in a first grade class, I am teaching capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, and I am doing the same thing in 5th grade classes also.  I am only doing it in 5th because my observations of student writing indicate that they need it. Where is the breakdown? Are we expecting the same mastery of skills in student writing as in reading and math? Something to ponder.

Ruth goes on to discuss some of the dumb things we are doing and how we can turn them around, the relationship of reading and writing, and the importance of excellent teachers teaching the 4Ws of writing.

And that's just the first chapter! Stop by ...

on Monday for more on the 4Ws and using mentor texts to teach writing! 

An interview with Lisa Donohue...Plus, Time to Start the Book Study!

The book study starts tomorrow!!

I can't believe it's here already and I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts.

If you are excited as I am (and I hope you are) then please head on over to Thinking of Teaching and check out my interview with Lisa Donohue, the author of 100 Minutes. 

Using Rubrics in the Primary Classroom

Assessment is such a big part of our teaching lives. I used to dread grading student writing, because I felt so lost. Then a teacher friend introduced me to the world of rubrics. She helped me to create my first rubric and I fell. in. love. I've been hooked ever since. So basically I'm here to show you all how wonderful rubrics can be.  :)

 I like to use writing rubrics because they help me to be consistent when grading student writing. Rubrics also set up my expectations. My students, their parents and I can clearly see what I am looking for. Making/using rubrics helps me to really think about what I expect from my students as writers. Through the years, I've experienced so many different levels of writing and writing styles. I realized early on that there isn't just "good writing' and "not so good writing". Some kids are excellent with their conventions/neatness which sometimes led me to give them a better grade even if the actual writing wasn't that spectacular. On the flip side, you may have a student with “developing” handwriting and complete lack of conventions (including most words spelled incorrectly), but they have amazing voice or interesting ideas. They are often overlooked as "bad writers" just because their writing looks so bad. Using rubrics not only assisted me in communicating these strengths and areas of improvement, but it also allowed me to celebrate a student's gifts as a writer. When I started using rubrics I found that my grading was more fair and consistent. I also found that I was able to set goals more easily for my students because it was easier to see where they didn't quite meet my expectations. Parents are also able to easily see (and hopefully understand more completely) where their child is at as a writer and what they can work on. And let's not forget the time I saved with using rubrics! I don't feel the need to write as much on each paper because the rubric explains a lot of it. If you teach writing, think about what you look for in your writers. Have you set those expectations for your students and for yourself? Do you look for the same thing in every writing piece or do you have a special focus for certain writing pieces? Do you communicate these expectations and goals to your students?

I made this little presentation for my team last year because we were all interested in diving into rubrics more. It's basically the Cliffsnotes version of what I wrote above. :)

Here are examples of rubrics I've made:

Here I have 4 levels of performance. I've also used three (developing, meets standard, and exceeds standard). If you look closely, you can see that I used different descriptions for the levels of performance. You can create your own language based on what works with your school or classroom.

The criteria is constantly evolving as the school year progresses.

If you don't want to make your own rubrics, you might like some of the rubric packs I've made. A while back I made a pack of writing rubrics for the primary grades. There are several rubrics that get progressively harder. It is perfect for 1st and 2nd, but I've been told that many rubrics in this pack also work for 3rd-4th.

You can get this pack here.

I also made rubrics for reading responses...

and for kindergarten writing...

and 1st grade math rubrics:

Here is a guided reading rubric that I send home to parents:

You can download this freebie here.

Now for some NEW freebies:

This year, I've been sending home "reading reports" for my reading groups. 

Here is one that I made for kindergarten:

I write in specifics if needed. For example, in the "Identifying sounds" box, I might write the specific vowel we are working on. For the sight word section, I might add in the sight words we've been focusing on.  

I use this for first grade:

This one is filled in with skills that I was focusing on for that 2/3 week period. 

You can download both of these freebies here.

Would you like to win a copy of ALL FOUR packs? Leave me a comment below about rubrics. It can be anything! (Some ideas: Do you already use rubrics? If so, what subjects? Do you want to start using rubrics? Which subject would you most likely use rubrics for? ) Don't forget to leave me your email address too. :) I will choose a winner tonight!