Writing centers up the WAZOO (plus a FREEBIE)! and SCARY 6th GRADE!

Good Evening, blogging buddies! Kerri here...

Whoa! I think I may have discovered my kryptonite today. Like, for reals. A while back, I shared with you that I always tell my kids (while I am putting on my lipstick in front on them, which has to happen, or else I CANNOT teach. Call me vain. It's true!) that I am like a super hero and lipstick is my source of power. They totally BELIEVE me. One time, a little cutie found my lipstick bag (yes, it DOES have it's own special bag, along with my gum, which is my other source of power), and as she brought it to me she said (direct quote), "Here is your source of power!" I. DIED. It was the best moment ever!

Back to my kryptonite...6th graders. They are soooo scary to me. Taller than me, raging hormones, bad hygiene, curriculum that is WAY over my head, you get the picture.
One of my teacher friends called me today and asked if I would pretty please watch her 6th grade class because her daughter had an earache, and all I would have to do is teach them a math lesson and take them to P.E. Ummmmm, did I hear her right? TEACH THEM A MATH LESSON??!??? As in, TEACH. 6TH. GRADE. MATH.??? Is she out her flippin' mind?? Does she not realize that 

A) I teach children how to add and subtract, not do direct proportions where n over whatever equals something or other?  

and B) 6th graders scare the CRAP out of me??

Well, I seriously started to have a panic attack. Do I bring over my manipulatives? Teach them a proportion song? Have them sit in a circle on the rug and use their wipey boards? WHAT THE HELL, PEOPLE? I was seriously freaking the freak out. 

To make a long story longer, I put on my big girl panties, said a prayer to the 6th grade math gods, and made my way ALLL the LOOONG WAAYY across campus to the 6th grade wing. When I got there, I think she sensed the UTTER TERROR on my face because she told me I didn't have to teach the lesson (bless her), and the kids were going to work the whole time, which they did, quietly, on task, like little worker bees. I was B.O.R.E.D! When I left, I told them they weren't as scary (or smelly) as I thought they'd be, and one of the girls said, "See? We're not that bad!" True dat! HOWEVER, they still are my Kryptonite!

WOW...that was the longest tangent ever.
 The real reason for my post is to remind you all, or maybe fill you in for the very first time, and let you know that I have over 40 writing centers in my TPT store available for purchase, and they are only $2 each! I have like EVERY SINGLE topic you can imagine. Each pack includes 2 types of paper to use, the themed writing mat, and a cute cover if you want to make a mini-book.

I pulled them all out yesterday, threw them on the floor, and let the kids each pick one to use when writing a story. THEY WERE SOOO STOKED! It was literally like Christmas morning in my room. One of my littles even told me, "I can't believe how much I wrote!" HEE HEE!!  

Here are some pictures of their writing in action...

Space

Wild Wild West

Arctic Life

Once Upon a Time (FREEBIE!)

Pirates

Things That Go!

Super Heroes

Here is a picture of the left over writing centers that didn't get picked this time...

These writing mats can be placed in binders for the kids to use when they are writing in their journals or put in hanging file folders on the wall...like this...

 You can get any and all of my writing centers individually, or you can buy my writing pack bundles at a discounted price. They are bundled by theme. Here's a little sneak peek...

And, finally, your writing center FREEBIE! My Fairy Tale Writing Center! All for you...for FREE!! Click the picture below to access this file via Google Docs!

Have a good one, Peeps! Survivor is on tonight...Happy days for me!
XOXO Kerri B

ABC Packet, and some randomness!!

Happy Sunday night, Peeps! Kerri here...
I channeled my inner Kindergarten teacher this evening and just uploaded a new Amazing Alphabet Packet to TPT that I'm SUPER excited about! This little packet is PERFECT for a review for the end of Kindergarten and PERFECT for the beginning of First Grade as a review after the summer learning slump! (I can't believe I am already thinking about my new crop of firsties next year! I'm NOT ready!!)


Check it out...

Here's what you get...

-Alphabet picture and word or letter match-

laminate and cut out ABC picture cards, word cards and letter cards. Students can match up the ABC picture card to it’s corresponding word or letter, OR match all 3 cards together for a challenge! 

-Alphabet Syllable Sort-

laminate and cut out ABC picture word cards. Students can sort alphabet cards by the number of syllables and complete the corresponding worksheet.

-Alphabet ABC Order-

Use laminated Alphabet picture word cards. Students choose 5 alphabet cards and put in ABC order. They write the words on the worksheet and repeat this process a total of 3 times. 

-Alphabet Mystery Words-

laminate and cut out ABC Mystery word cards. Students spell out different mystery words by using the beginning sound of each picture on each card and complete the corresponding 2-sided worksheet.

-My ABC Book-

laminate and cut out ABC Chart mats. Photocopy the cover and inside page of the ABC book back to back to make a total of 12 pages (enough for the entire alphabet.) Students make their own ABC book using the ABC Chart for reference.

-Alphabet Rebus Sentences-

laminate and cut out sight word cards. Students use the sight words and Alphabet 

picture cards to make rebus sentences, then write those sentences on the 

corresponding worksheet. 

I also have uploaded some new writing packs this weekend, if you are interested. Here they are, are sparkly and new!

also, a WILD WILD WEST writing center but the picture won't upload!! DARNIT!

FINALLY! But soooo tiny! Whatever...

I leave you with a couple of funny pictures from last week...

First up, WORM day!

Need I say more?? HILARIOUS!

This next one speaks for itself...

uuummmmm, I THINK she is wearing a tutu?? I REALLY hope she is wearing a tutu, and this is not something else altogether! YIKES!

Those little lice look like they're having a PARTY and a half!! Love!


Make sure you enter to win the Hear-All Assessment Recorder! The giveaway will end on Wednesday! click below to enter...

I'll be back later this week with some FREEBIES and some more pictures of our Squiggle Stories!! Hope your Monday is wicked AWESOME!

Spring into Spring!! TPT and FREEBIES!

Greetings friends!  Lindsay here . . . Its bread & butter Monday. That's right . . . you get a little of BOTH of us girls tonight!  Hmmm . . . and if you are SICK like me, you can pair your bread and butter with a little chicken noodle soup!  (Seriously though . . . am I the only one out there who caught the plague that is going around?  I'm dyin over here people!!)

I promise to keep my sneezes, snot and sniffles to myself during my part of the blog tonight.  Scouts honor.

Well, in addition to fighting off some sort of mutant mega-virus-cold thingie, I have been hard at work finishing up my spring centers and they are **FINALLY** done!!!  (Drumroll please . . .)  It's my Spring Has Sprung - Math and Literacy Centers pack!!  This unit contains:

-My Oval Is An Easter Egg (a book about shapes)
-Spring Jellybean Graph, Sorting Mat and Data Sheet
-Egg-cellent Addition and Subtraction
-Spring Swip Swap
-Rhyming Rainboots Match-Up
-Scrambled Spring Sentences

Your students will be able to practice number sentences, shapes, addition, tallying, estimating, sight words, rhyming words, CVC words, and phonemic awareness all within this adorable unit!  And in addition to all of the cute, colorful hands-on resources, there is a recording sheet for each activity as well! 

Click the preview image below to head on over to my TPT store.  Your kidlets will love these fun spring centers!

In addition to picking up my Spring Has Sprung pack, you can check out my Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs unit as well!  They will BOTH be 25% off on my TPT store through Saturday only!!

I started my C.W.A.C.O.M. (Cloudy With . . .) Unit today and my kidlets adored it!! 

They thought measuring with meatballs was simply marvelous!!! (Eww . . . notice the dirty tissue!  Gnarly-megavirus DEFINATELY originated at school! )

And graphing our Wacky Weather was wonderful too!

There is still plenty of time to dive into this magically meaty unit!  (That was for you Kerri!)  And while you are at it, check out Kerri's darling C.W.A.C.O.M. Writing Center!!  Its meat-tastic!  (Okay . . . no more meat jokes. Promise.)

Just one more thing!  Don't forget to join in the fun with our Timree giveaway!!  In addition to getting your very own, one-of-a-kind folder, lunch box, and notebook, Kerri and I will each be giving away one TPT item of the winner's choice from each of our stores!  Holy hamburgers!!!  (Okay, THAT was the last meat joke. No really. . . )

My turn!! Hi Friends! Kerri here...
I have been working on a few little goodies that I have posted onto TPT, besides my Rainforest Art and Writing Pack (GINORMOUS thanks to those of you who already bought it! It's on SALE through Saturday!)  Here is what I've been working on...

Spring Words Posted and TOTALLY ADORABLE!!

This clip art KILLS me, it's SOOOO cute!

Companion piece to Lindsay's FANTABULOUS Cloudy Unit!!

Click on each picture above to go to my store!


Here is a little something to make you giggle. One of my cutiest cuties drew this picture when we were studying the -ank word family. I about D.I.E.D from laughter last night whilst grading a mountain of papers from last week!!

What the WHAT?? Is that not the raddest thing you have ever seen?? 

Last, but not least, here are a three FREEBIES for you. Simple little diddies, but I use them in my class every week and they work really well for my kidlets! The first is my "Word Family Machine" paper that we do every week as a warm-up. My kids write 8 words from our chunk of the week and illustrate each word. This really increases their vocabulary AND improves their drawing skills. As you can see from the above photo, they REALLY get into it! Click below to download...

The next FREEBIE is my Number Machine (Why is everything a machine?? I have NO IDEA! I feel like it makes my kids crank out quality work, but it's probably all in my head!!)

For this one, my kids cut and paste their numbers in order, for example 1-10, and then write the number word, draw tallies, write even or odd, and write a number sentence that equals each number. I have included numbers 1-50, but I am CERTAIN I won't be using all of them. Can you imagine our kiddos drawing 50 tallies in a fairly small box?? YEESH! What a mess!

Click on the picture to download...

Last Freebie of the night is some Rainbow (ROYGBIV) writing paper for your kids to write about the colors of the rainbow. After we talked about colors, my kids wrote sentences, such as "Red is for apples and cherries.", etc. You get the idea, right? My kids were NOT all that excited about brainstorming things that were indigo. Indigo?? What's indigo, anywayz?? :)

Click on the rainbow hot air balloon to download...

I have heard that if you are having trouble downloading from Google Docs, just click on file and download that way...Hope it works for everyone! It should!

Have a great week!

Kerri

Just call me Miss Procrastination...

Happy Sunday! Kerri here...

Yes, I know I said I needed to spend the next to weeks focusing on report cards and on organizing all of my assessments...Exhibit A- GAH!!

First pile-assessments to be looked at and filed, Second pile-Stack of work from last week that I graded last night!

Holy Guacamole-don't you just shudder looking at all of that madness?? I have been told that not only am I a procrastinator, but I am also a "piler", you should see my desk in my classroom. My husband calls it the beginning stages of hoarding (thanks alot, HONEY!), but I prefer piler, thank you very much!


Instead, I spent part of yesterday having fun and doing this!

Many of you requested sports, so TADA!!

I had to make this one...I think the girls will especially love it!

Not Cirque Du Soleil (my fave!), but still cutey cuteness!

I told you, I HAVE A PROBLEM and I think my husband would like it just a little bit if someone would please give me an intervention. I just can't help it! When I displayed all of the writing centers for my kidlets last week, they were LITERALLY clapping and cheering. I felt like Selena Gomez, girls!! Seriously, I was a rock star! Hey, as long as they keep cheering, I'm going to keep making these!


You can pick 'em up from my TPT store, if you think your kidlets might just promote you to rock star status too when you show them these!


I have BIG STUFF coming soon (major excitement and cuteness!), and I can't wait to show you all, but first, I must get back to my HUGE piles. BOO!


XOXO Kerri

Happy Sunday!

Hi Peeps! Kerri here...
Happy Sunday! I just have 3 quick things before I have to head off for church!


1. Saw Moneyball last night, and I REALLY liked it! I'm not just saying that because Brad Pitt is in it, although that is always a good thing :) I don't even understand or like baseball, and I was totally fascinated! Didn't even fall asleep on the couch, which is HUGE for me!!


2. I am getting my hubs and my initials on my tattoo today! SOO excited!! Pictures to follow...


3. I just uploaded 5 more writing centers to TPT, and I PROMISE this will be it for the Writing Centers for a while. I am completely OUT of ideas, and I need to focus on my Katie Bug's 9th birthday, which is this week. Soup Plantation with 10 little girls, here we come!


Here are the newbies for you to check out. Maybe something will strike your fancy?? You can click on Jack and the Beanstalk to go to my TPT store...

I ABSOLUTELY love and ADORE Kirsten from KPM Doodles! She has the raddest blog EVER! Check it out and buy some of her clip art. It is so so cute and whimsical!


P.S. I also got rid of that annoying word verification thing on my comment box. Thanks Kristin (Teeny Tiny Teacher) for reminding me to ditch it! I just know now the comments will flow in, like hers do! :)


Hope you have a relaxing and blessed Sunday!!

Lincoln Art, 100 year old writing, and Writing Centers laminated!

Hi Friends! Kerri here...
I SURVIVED!! Our black and white report day was TOTALLY WICKED! I love every minute of it...Here's a little sneak peek! You can pick up your copy of the report and parent letter here...

                       


We also made our Lincoln Art this week, and wrote about old Honest Abe...since I was feeling lazy and didn't feel like cutting all the pieces for him, we direct-drew him, and glued him on red paper-Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy and so darn adorable!!

Um, is this a Jack Skellington Lincoln?? And, he died at the movies? Really?? Too funny! 

He had a long hat-so cute!


We also drew ourselves as 100 years-old and wrote about what our lives would be like. You HAVE GOT to check these out...

Denters (dentures)  HA!

I will read Harry Potter? He's just kissing up to me! :)

I will have pennis. WHAT THE??? It should be "I will have pennies" Dangit! I missed that spell check!

Finally, I laminated and pretty-fied all of my new writing centers! They are all shiny and sparkly!

Zoo Animals, Garden, and Farm Friends

Prehistoric Pals,  Forest Friends,  and Ocean

America, Alice in Wonderland, Cat in the Hat!

Weather,  STAR WARS,  Space!

Winter Games, Arctic Life, and Classroom Critters

Fairy Tales (FREEBIE) and Pirates!!

You can get any of the these writing centers by visiting my TPT store! Click here...


And, don't forget to get your Once Upon a Time Writing Center by clicking on the picture below!

More to come, including Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk. But now, off I go to dinner, my daughter's talent show, and then it's the couch for me!! Toodles, Peeps!