Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting

My favorite page!  What do you think they are looking at?

Hurry! Hurry!" shouts a joyful chicken, her wings outstretched.  The news happily spreads across the barnyard.  All the while, the children listen and predict what all the animals could be rushing to see  and where are they going!   A wonderful picture book by a favorite author, Eve Bunting.
Simple words, repeated twice on each page.  A perfect book to do "I have, who has?"  reading-listening activity! It's a wonderful book for Spring! and would be nice to include when studying farm animals.

 "I have, who has?"  and wordshape activity to go with this book

 here at my TPT store.  

Wise Owl Factory

Get these response pages for this book at Wise Owl Factory.

Incredible Ned

Read Incredible Ned and use the book for a springboard on discussion about artists and how they visualize what they want to draw or paing.  Incredible Ned, You could see what he said!

Incredible Ned, You could see what he said

Every "thing" that he spoke appeared over his head,

Or right next to his chair.  Or a few yards away,

And his friends would all shout:

"WE CAN SEE WHAT YOU SAY!"

Ned is an amiable boy with a shock of red hair, a shy smile and a humble demeanor. "When Ned said `giraffe,' you could see a giraffe,/ And its neck was so long it made everyone laugh./ ...No wonder the children didn't get their books read:/ It was so much more fun just to watch what Ned said."
Ned's mother knows her son is incredible when she "sees" his first word. When Ned says gorilla, his friends all jump back. And when he says bananas, it's time for a snack.

Soon Ned's teacher is upset, the nurse is up to her ears in pills, and even the bandleader doesn't know what to do — until a friendly art teacher discovers the cure when she hands Ned a pencil.

Some artwork by the kids:

the hidden alphabet

all you need for this lesson is the book, a pencil and paper

 by Laura Vaccaro Seegar

This is the BEST book ever for Reading Readiness. Even the cover is fun!
so as you can see the book is all black but if you take off the dust cover, you and the children will see letters...random all over the place! Then place the cover back on and you see the Title...
the hidden alphabet
Now that is just the beginning. Each page in this book shows a word first then the letter it begins with, children read the word and then predict what letter they might see. I have the children use whiteboards or pencil and paper.   Read the story giving children time to write each letter as the alphabet unfolds. For example, the book shows a door and you say, "What letter do you think you will see?" Children write the letter D; then you reconfirm their guess when you turn the page...and more fun...the pages turn up!  Go slowly and enjoy each page.   ...you will love this book as much as the children.  Great book to reinforce alphabet, practice handwritiing, making predictions, teaching titles,

 listen, look and do!

here are some example pages:

Read : balloons      Ask:  What letter do you think you will see?


This is the next page the children see. 

Read: mouse
Ask:   What letter do you think you will see?

This is the next page.

And so it goes..... When you finish the book, the children will have written their alphabet.  This is a wonderful book.  It's clever.  It's motivating. It captures the children's attention.

Hello All,


We are working on revising our writing about Birds in first grade.  I am teaching my first graders that writing is a process. We started our writing before vacation.

1.  First, we write down our ideas. 
2.  Then we reread, add details, revise and make corrections. 

It is important to teach each writing element and at the same time show the process of writing.
Today we used our spacemen to check for spacing.  I found these adorable spacemen over at www.lovehugsandladybugs.blogspot.com .  The children loved the 'spacemen' and 'spacewomen' to check for spacing.
This is the practice page we did for correct spacing between words.

I did a quick mini lesson on capitals in titles.  All the important words should be capitalized.  We looked at several titles on real books and the concept was easily learned.  
Next, I handed out a writing checklist.  We read and discussed the checklist.  You may find the checklist HERE. 

        and Writing!

Birds by Kevin Henkes

  Reading 

Birds by Kevin Henkes

 I love this book and the children do also.  After reading this story, we talked about our favorite page.  There were many favorites and we almost mentioned every page in our revisit to the book.  It was fun and we are all welcoming Spring in First Grade.  After reading the book, we wrote about birds.  See below a writing activity to use with this book.   We used our mini offices to practice our quiet writing behaviors.

If birds made marks with their tail feathers when they flew, think what the sky would look like.

Each page you turn is a wonderful surprise!  It is a quick read and a wonderful springboard for writing.

I made a mini book for children to write about birds. It is a short 4-sequence picture book with space below for writing. Encourage the children to do a picture walk and then write to tell the story. The pictures are from scholastic.com teacher resources.   Two pages to copy : one -one-side page and one two-sides page.  Copy and assemble.

You may grab this writing activity HERE.

Word Study

Inside the mini office a bird word bank was posted. (see mini office post in archives)  These words were also displayed on the pocket chart.   We talked about ways to write plurals ...i.e. bird, birds, baby, babies, egg, eggs, branch, branches, fly, flies, and flying, sing, sings, singing.

You can grab the vocabulary words here.

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you have a great school day!

Writing Anchor Chart

A Writing Anchor Chart

This is a writing anchor chart that I use for Grades 1-5. 

I find anchor charts are motivating and very helpful.  Anchor charts can keep you on track when explaining a new skill or strategy. This anchor chart depicts the many traits you expect the children to include in their writing.  When posted somewhere in the room, your students can refer back to it and you as well, when you want to review and reinforce a particular trait of writing.  I made this anchor chart using a model from 6 Traits +1 Writing Program.  I had fun making this anchor chart lively and especially the girl's hair with WILD and MANY ideas to write about.  The kids love the girl and her crazy hair.   I let them know that VOICE is what we love about reading the most.  Can you hear my voice in my anchor chart?

 I studied writing with Dr. Donald Graves at the University of New Hampshire.  He taught the writing process. He believed the process of writing and revision are both VERY important.  When writing, children need to know that all writers revise and rewrite.  The process of rewriting and revising often times makes the best writing. Teach your students to reread, rewrite and add more details.  Rough drafts are essential.  Writing time and writing folders give the children the writing environment that is necessary to produce the best writing. And when you hear, "I'm all done" encourage them to recheck, look back, and make it better. Remind them that writing is not a race, or the first one done, rather it is your personal best.

Model good writing and the many writing styles by reading Children's Literature.  Trust the books to model and teach good writing.  Write with the children and share your writing with them.  Presentation and publishing can be an author's chair, a quick share or a more formal published book.  We all need an audience for our writing.  I find authentic writing experiences are best.

Thanks for visiting.

Chris Q.



Handwriting for First Graders

when reading the book:
Is the blue whale the biggest thing there is?


I decided to add a handwriting practice sheet during our reading-writing time. The children practice writing ...big...bigger ....biggest! And, of course, you might teach comparisons as it would fit in nicely.
This is an easy practice sheet for handwriting...
particularly awareness when writing, good posture and pencil grip.  I use a little saying that helps.

P ut your feet flat on the floor.

A lways sit straight in your chair.

G ently hold your pencil.

E ither slant your paper to the left or the right.

After teaching your students the saying.  You can simply say PAGE when they are writing and it will alert them to good posture when writing.  Teaching handwriting might becoming obsolete as we are all keyboarders now, but children are still writing in school and a little time devoted to writing and presentation is important.  I find some children write too fast and do not close up their letters, haphazardly form their letters, or spacing is in need of improvement.

I also added a text box to this handwriting paper showing the small letters, tall letters and the ones that fall.

You can find this handwriting practice paper HERE.  Happy Teaching!

See below for the initial post about this book.

A Blue Whale is Very Big

I love this book! and I think you will too.  It is wonderful when teaching size and comparing.  So you thought the blue whale was big? wait until you compare him to the colossal size of Mt. Everest! You will be surprised. And there's more.  When you finish reading this book, you might feel very, very small. This book delights children of any age.  You could use this book to teach size, measuring and relativity.  It can be a springboard for making graphs in a fun way.

The pages are bright...primary colors.  It is a great read aloud.  And I love books that present questions right in the beginning.  The title can be your introduction because I know the children will start talking and thinking about what this book might be about. Happy Imagination and Reading!

Click HERE to grab an easy Grade 1 book response for this book.

Mini Offices for Writing

Here is an example mini office you might want to make for your writing time.  I am teaching reading and writing Grades 1-5 and every grade loves them... a bit of time to be quiet, peaceful and a time to gather our writing thoughts.  Depending on the level of writer;  using a binder clip attach  different writing resource pages to the inside. (and of course, they also could be used for Math or any other subject).

I used 12"x12" scrapbooking paper...a perfect size. 

1. Cut cardboard to size. 

2. rubber cement paper to cardboard (or any art glue that glues smoothly)

3.  Use clear mailing tape to attach each side; making trifold. Only edges are   taped.  Open to a trifold; close to one side for easy storing.   You can purchase fun school scrapbooking paper at Michaels or A.C. Moore. 

I used binder clips to attach appropriate mini office printables.  I teach different levels and this allows me to change the printables very easily for the different grade levels.  The one shown was used in the first grade classroom.

 

The middle section reads: I Can Be A Quiet Writer

The left section is a list of writing words (dolch or sight words) listed in ABC order.  The right side has a list of occupations.  We used this particular mini office when we wrote about the book Someday. (see my blog post for this book)  We wrote a see-saw pattern (modeled in the book) Someday I would like to...but today I am....

Each child has a 'mini office' at their desk or table and although I am a big advocate of a community of learners, readers and writers; there are times when we just need a bit of quiet space.

Allow enough time for directions and settling in and try to have your students sustain with times of quiet.  Making smart choices and independent decisions is also encouraged.  After using them a few times, the children get used to answering their own questions, writing independently and being quiet. You will see, they will ask you

"when can we use the mini offices again?"

these mini offices will take some time to make if you are making them for your whole class but I think you and espcially your kids will LOVE them!

We read an Informational Text today in First Grade.  We read Whales by Gail Gibbons.  What a great book...she is the best for informational text for the little ones.  When introducing the book, I asked the children if they knew what a topic was...we talked about different topics and how many, many there are. Then, I asked my students to listen for new facts...new interesting information.  They loved the book.
Check my TPT store for the writing response we did after reading this book.  The writing response includes a space to write the topic, three things that I learned, and a space for an illustration.  The lines on this response encourages excellent handwriting.
I have some more inviting lessons planned for whales so check back
 

Grab this writing response HERE

Frog and Toad

"The Story" from Frog and Toad are Friends is another heart-warming story by Arnold Lobel.  One day Frog is not feeling well and while he is resting he asks Toad to tell him a story.  And this is where the fun begins, Toad, being the good friend that he is, tries very hard to think of a story to tell Frog.  Toad tries and tries.... a good place to teach perseverance. 

Read this book to see delighted and interested children in the simple lessons of friendship and caring.  Check my TPT store to find written book response for The Story and also vocabulary for word study.  The written response for this story teaches the reading comprehension strategy of
beginning-middle-end.  After reading "the story",  ask children to complete the writing response and then ask them to retell their story orally, either in class or at home.  Get children talking about reading and books!

Remember to include word study, writing and independent reading in your reading lessons.  I always find real books very motivating to get the task done.  Happy reading!

Welcome March!  this month comes in like a LION!  and  I am reading In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer, to my first grade students.  I purposely stopped reading after the lion tracks through the boy's cozy home and leaves a trail of snow flurries and muddy footprints.  The boy observes quietly, as will your class, the pouncing, howling and growling lion.  After reading the first part of this book, the children made a lion by following directions in the pocket chart.  We read each direction together and children were told that order is important. There were 6 steps in all.  This lesson is from a great resource from Scholastic.com, entitled Follow the Directions Pocket Chart Activities.  You will need sentence strips and templates for a lions body, head, tail and mane.    Display the following on sentence strips in a pocket chart.

1.  Trace and cut a brown body.

2.  Trace and cut a brown head.

3.  Trace and cut a brown tail.

4.  Trace and cut a yellow mane.

5.  Glue your lion together.

6.  Draw a face.

I displayed each step along side the sentence strip (i.e. a brown body next to #1, brown head next to #2, brown tail next to #3, and so on...).  I didn't draw a face so that my students would create their own and I wasn't disappointed! Their lion faces were fun and fabulous!

After reading directions, encourage the children to quietly 'build' their lion by rereading the steps and checking back to the pocket chart.  Hopefully, you will find a busy room of reading, tracing, cutting, glueing and drawing and finally writing!  Lovely!  I allowed children to walk up to pocket chart to reread...some need a closer look.  I encouraged no talking as they worked more diligently.

After making their lion, pass out paper for writing.  The discussion about March and making the lions are a perfect authentic writing prompt. The children loved reading their writing aloud to the class.  We will finish the story when our weather turns warmer and March goes out like a lamb.  I have many questions and requests about what the lamb is like...children are looking forward to finishing this book with anticipation and curiosity, and, of course, they asked if they can make a lamb.

Enjoy reading with your class!  Mrs. Quimby



themes and concepts for this lesson:

Spring...seasons...lions...lambs...weather...comparing and contrasting

Someday by Eileen Spinelli

Someday  by Eileen Spinelli    

A wonderful book to read aloud.  Best for 1st and 2nd graders.  I read it to my first graders and they loved the story. Before reading the story, I introduced key vocabulary words.  Remember that teaching reading always includes learning new words and children can grasp the big words, too.   Next, I talked about the writer's style ---writing in a see-saw pattern.  The children then had a chance to add to the story pattern...writing what they might do someday and what they are doing right now.  This book opens the door for a discussion about jobs and occupations.  Vocabulary words (flashcards) for $1.00 and a writing response for FREE for this book are at  my TPT store.  They are ready to print and use.  Enjoy!

Bread and Jam for Frances

One of my favorite characters, and there are many, is Frances.  Frances is a delightful badger.  The series by Lillian Hoban make great read alouds for 1st and 2nd grade.  Bread and Jam for Frances is one of the Frances books.  Frances always learns something in the story.  In this story, Frances LOVES bread and jam and she wants to have bread and jam for breakfast, for lunch AND for dinner!  Mom decides to go along with her and starts serving only bread and jam.  After some time passes, Frances grows tired of the same thing for every meal time and finally tries some spaghetti and meatballs. 

This is a read aloud children will listen too.  After reading the story, you might teach the children to retell and summarize the story.  I used the graphic organizer 'someone wanted but so then'.  Using an anchor chart and modeling how you think about the story elements will help your students retell and write a summary.

Check my TPT store for the graphic organizer for this book.

  Follow Me  by Tricia Tusa

 A girl soars into a swirl of colors, pink, blue, purple and gray.  She finds her way out, over, up and down ...and she's calling for a friend to follow.  This book would be a great read aloud for preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade. See below to grab writing activities to teach concepts of over-under, up-down and around... and colors!

Follow Me  - You will be happy that you did!
click on the 'followers' box above

Look for my TPT store .... good finds coming soon.

Thanks for visiting.  Check back for good books and Literature to teach children the love of reading.