The Prettified Polka Dot File Folder of Power, Fabulicious Fall Trees, Indy Illustrator, and The Girl Who (Almost) Quit Kindergarten

Happy last day of September folks!  Lindsay here . . .

I'm just dropping by to share a few tidbits with you all, and to remind you that today is the last day of our Fall TPT sale!  Hurry up and head on over . . . well, after you read this amazing post, OF COURSE!!

First off, I wanted to share one of my newest classroom assessment tools that I am so excited about . . . Now I now that the word "assessment" doesn't exactly make us all jump for joy, but I think you will love this idea too!  I had seen an idea on Pinterest using a file folder to keep notes about students in using post-its.  The great thing about this idea is that as you fill up notes on a particular student, you transfer the sticky note to their work portfolio, assessment file (or whatever you use) and replace it with a new one.  As I was perusing the isles of Lakeshore last weekend I found these ADORABLE file folders and new they were my inspiration! 

I used regular square post-it notes, cut them in half, numbered them (to keep it more confidential - all of my students are numbered) and ta-daaaa!  My Prettified Polka Dot File Folder of Power!  (Henceforth known as M.P.P.D.F.F.O.P.) 

Anyhow, with November conferences right around the corner I am excited to put this new note-taking system into place in my classoom, and I hope you will find it helpful too!

Next up to share: fall trees.  Yes, I know the first day of fall was LAST weekend, but I wanted to share this easy peasy art project that my kinders did and LOVED! 

I typically do this project with red, orange, and yellow tissue paper squares, and my kidlets create leaves by scrunching the squares and glueing them into the tops of their trees.  However, on the morning of the day of the project, I realized that I had stupidly forgotten to get the tissue paper (mommy brain?) so we tried tearing regular old construction paper instead.

I must say, my kiddos LOVED the ripping of the paper. Well mostly.  I did have one little darlin tell me that she quit. As in kindergarten. Altogether.  After assuring her that she could, in fact, rip paper, my little cutie reconsidered and decided not to quit her educational career over our little fall art after all.  Phew!

Last but not least, I have been working with my kiddos during Writer's Workshop on showing details in their illustrations - with the help of the Wee Ready Writers and Indy Illustrator, of course! (If you wanna check out my Writers Workshop pack in my TPT store, click the image below)

My kiddos have been doing such a great job!  Last week we did a comparison drawing of what my kiddos did when they were little, and then things that they can do now that they are big! 

This kiddo drew himself as a baby with a rattle, and then playing basketball now that he is big.

This cutie drew herself in a stroller as a baby (love, love, LOVE the two curly hairs on her head!) and performing on a stage as a big girl!

Next up: introducing Labelling Lucy to my kidlets and talking about labelling words in illustrations. 

Well, that it all I have to share right now!  Don't forget to take advantage of the fall sale going on in our TPT store - it ends at midnight!

I'm off to grade some papers and watch football!  Happy lazy Sunday afternoon!

Lindsay

P.S. One more thing!  I was honored to be a featured teacher on Teacher's Lounge Radio today!  Head on over and check out the blog at teachersloungeradio.blogspot.com!

Introducing . . . the Wee Ready Writers!

Happy Thursday folks!

Is anyone else out there besides me so sad that July is more than halfway over? This summer is going by WAY. TOO. FAST. As it always does, I suppose.  Here's a glimpse at what we have been up to with the little man the past few weeks . . .

We had a great 4th of July - even Jack was feeling patriotic! :)

Last weekend we were off to Lake Arrowhead with friends.  This trip has become an annual tradition and started when we were all newlyweds who decided to go camping.  Now it involves a two year old and three almost one year olds, as well as truckloads of diapers, bottles, and baby toys . . .and it is still so much fun!

Here is a group shot of all the little guys on the trip.

We also took Jack to the beach a few weeks back.  Needless to say, he was not impressed with the icky sand, nor the cold, salty water.  Blech.

Lots of memories at this beach - it was where we were married three years ago!

And finally, when we are not out and about we have been spending MOST of our time at home playing a new game called Let's-Take-Everything-Out-Of-Every-Drawer-And-Basket-And-Cupboard-And-Put-It-All-Over-The-Floor.  Its very fun . . . at least for one of us, that is.

The thing that I am REALLY excited to share with you folks tonight is my brand spanking new Wee Ready Writers - Writer's Workshop Kit.  Check it out! (Click preview image for larger view.)

This project all started when I saw Mrs. Phippen's "Writer's Eyes" bulletin board on Pinterest and I KNEW I had to use it in my classroom next year.  I have been wanting to beef up my Writer's Workshop and was looking for inspiration.  I loved the idea of encouraging students to use their "Writer's Eyes" not only to look at their own writing, but to analyze writing in the world all around them.  For my kindergarteners, I was hoping to find some sort of visual aides that would assist them in mastering the essential writing elements - but I could not find anything that worked!

Soooo  . . . the Wee Writers were born!  These nine characters not only have "Writer's Eyes", but they each remind students of ONE of the important elements of writing. 

For example: Movin Marvin is the Wee Writer that reminds us that all good writers write from left to right.  Tracy Spacey reminds students that words must stand alone with spaces to seperate them.  In addition to having a poster for each Wee Writer character, each one also has a catchy poem and an example poster of what their writing element looks like for students. 

In my kindergarten Writer's Workshop in the first few weeks of school I will begin with the Wee Writer Indy Illustrator and first teach my students about how to add details in their illustrations, work quietly in their writing journals until "the ding dong dings", and then move on to labeling illustrations, then writing sentences, etc. over the course of the year. These Wee Writer characters help to break down the natural progression of writing that develops in kindergarten and that is so unique to this grade level.

For more advanced writers, in a first grade class, for example, these characters could be reviewed the first few weeks of the school year and then used altogether as students work on proofreading, writing "juicy sentences", and refining their writing with their "Writer's Eyes" using a checklist of these adorable characters! 

I hope you all head over to my TPT store HERE and check out this great kit of resources. What a fun way to get your kiddos excited about writing next year! 

Well, that's it for now!  I am off to bed to dream about all those perfectly constructed sentences my kidlets will be writing next year! :)

Night folks! Signing off for now.

Lindsay