Book Bins and Back to School Sale

I have been reading about all of you who are already back in school, and wow I can't believe how time flies! I don't go back until the last week in August and I am going to try to soak every last drop out of summer that I can! 

It's that time again - time for TPT's back to school sale! I love this sale because you can get so many great things 28% off!!! What a deal! I will be joining many other teachers in putting everything in my store on sale - 20% off plus TPT's 10%. Don't forget the promo code: BTS12

Every year I rethink the bins I use for my classroom library. I've tried the Dollar Tree, Target, and Really Good Stuff...I love the Really Good Stuff bins (really any shape, size, or color), but they are so expensive and I can never decide which size to get. The big ones are a little big for me (I feel like books get lost in the shuffle when bins are overcrowded)  and the small ones are a little small. I've been looking for the "just right" bin. Last year, I found it and I got some more for this year. I present to you the perfect bins:

These are from the Container Store - and they sell them in packs of 20. I have my 20 from last year and I just bought another pack of 20. As you can see from the pics below - I use them for housing books as well as for math work stations. I love that they are clear so you can easily see what's inside for work stations. I also love the depth and width for books - they work for larger picture books as well as smaller chapter books. Labels easily stick to the plastic as well! What bins do you all use for your classroom libraries???

Math Work Station Game

Hi Friends! I have been busy making some Boggle letters for my classroom...but as I was doing that, it dawned on me that the same format would be perfect for practicing addition and subtraction facts. So I stopped with the letters (I need to get back to that!) and created this:

The plan is for these game boards to be used as math work stations. The rules are basically the same as Boggle - add or subtract to reach the target number with as many or as few addends and subtrahends as needed. Numbers can be on top of, below, next to, or diagonal from any starting number. As you can see the blue boards are 3x3 and the yellow boards are 4x4. My students work in partnerships and will work on a different board each time they are at that work station. I am going to laminate these for durability - but I think page protectors could work as well. I'm really excited about these - and hope my kids (and all of you) like them as much as I do! You can pick them up here!

Hope you're all having a great day!

Currently

I love reading these every month!!

I love Michael Phelps!!! He is amazing! I'm hoping for a comeback in Rio!

Link up with Farley here

Math Work Stations

Hi Friends! I am writing a quick post to let you know I just finished my first of many (hopefully - we'll see) packs of math work stations - which deals with number sense. I think these stations will be great for 1st or 2nd grade and can be easily differentiated. Here is a little preview...

Click on the picture to check it out! Hope you're all having a great Monday!

CAFE freebie

Hi friends! Just checking in to let you know I've added a few things to my tpt store....

I made these CAFE posters...that are free :)

 

I can't seem to get them all on the same line, but you get the picture!

I've also been working on new alphabet cards and number cards with ten frame dots to go with what I've been learning about number sense this summer.

Those are some examples...I'm really into polka dots right now (clearly) - and I'm going with a purple, blue, and green theme! All can be picked up here!

Hope you're all having a great Tuesday! I feel like it's the most productive I've been all summer...I'm almost finished with a pack of number sense math stations too :)

Apps in the Classroom

Hope at 2nd Grade Shenanigans is having a great linky for sharing favorite apps. She shared what seems like a must-have for keeping track of clssroom library books, called Book Retriever (99 cents). I bought it, but don't have any books here to try it out at the moment. Check out her post on it here!

Unfortunately I don't have ipads or ipods in my classroom, but I do have an iphone and let my students use it if I have to. An app I recently heard about and plan to use this year is called Songify. Basically you just talk into the phone and the app turns your speech into a song. It's pretty cool! I plan to use it for assessment purposes mainly. I'm trying to think more creatively with assessments - and I think this will totally work! I know kids will have fun telling me what they learned about any given topic and then hearing it back into a song. Talk about motivation! I'm sure there's a way to hook my phone up to speakers, or at least a computer for the whole class to hear either a student's song - or groups of students' songs. I feel like it's so quick and easy that there would be countless ways to use it! And...it's free! Can't beat that :)

Has anyone else used this one? I'd love to hear how!!

Timed Tests, Favorite Books, and Strategy Posters

This is going to be a post of randomness, but if you can make it all the way to the end, I would really love your opinion on something I read :)

First, I'll start with my favorite topic - picture books! The Teacher Wife is hosting a linky for must have picture books. It's pretty hard to narrow it down to five - especially when I am not in my classroom - but I will try! Be sure to stop by her party to get some great titles!!

1. I love all books by Chris van Allsburg - I read so many of his books to my kids every year and they are so great for questioning, inferring, and predicting!

2. I also love William Steig. His books are great for vocabulary as well as strategy instruction. 

3. You all know Fancy Nancy. My students and I just love her stories! I use these books to teach vocabulary strategies and have a bulletin board in my classroom for Fancy Words.

4. This is one of my favorite books to pull out during our writing unit on poetry. The CD that comes with it is AWESOME!!! It really helps kids hear the rhythm and music in poetry.

5. Another author I love is Steve Jenkins. His books are informational - and one of my favorite attributes of his books is that he uses comparison to convey information. The pictures are fab as well.

Just writing this makes me excited about books :)

Ok - on to the next topic...strategy posters!

I have finished making 9 addition strategy posters that are on my tpt store. Thanks to Amy for helping me edit them!! I hope they came out ok. Here is a preview:

Last but not least, timed (math) tests. Do you do them??? I do....and I did as a student as well. I am currently reading this book:

and this is what is says, "Teachers who use timed tests believe that the tests help children learn basic facts. This makes no instructional sense. Children who perform well under time pressure display their skills. Children who have difficulty with skills, or who work more slowly, run the risk of reinforcing wrong learning under pressure. In addition, children can become fearful and negative toward their math learning."

It went on to say, "If there is any defensible purpose for a timed test of basic facts it may be for diagnosis -- to determine which combinations are mastered and which remain to be learned. Even for diagnostic purposes there is little reason for a timed test more than every couple months."

I would LOOOOVE to know your thoughts on this! It is making me reconsider doing timed tests once a week (basic addition and subtraction facts - where kids move on to the next one once they pass).