Veteran's Day Freebies!

Do you do anything in your class or school to celebrate Veteran's Day?  As a Veteran myself, I think it is important to make students aware of the meaning of this day. Tomorrow I am planning on using an awesome Veteran's Day Freebie Packet from Lauren Lynes.  I plan on using her cute informational reading sheet and pair it with a 3, 2, 1 reading response sheet I created.  Click on the links below to access the FREE packet and reading response sheet. 

3, 2, 1 Reading Response

Veteran's Day Packet

I would love to hear the different ways you celebrate this special day!

November Facebook Frenzy-Tons of Freebies for you!

If you haven't checked out the November Facebook Frenzy, make sure to go to Creative Classroom Lessons Facebook Page and click on the "FB Frenzy" tab on my my page.  There are tons of free resources for Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and November.  I am in the Kindergarten group and have included a cute pack of Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for you!  I hope you get a chance to check out all the pages and grab some awesome FREE resources available this weekend only!

November Facebook Frenzy!

It's coming soon!  If you haven't checked out a Facebook Frenzy yet, don't miss the upcoming November frenzy, so many awesome freebies!  You will be set for Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and all of November! Make sure to Like my Facebook Page for updates on the frenzy!

TPT Facebook Fan Sale 10% Sitewide, an additonal 20% in my Store!

TPT is offering 10% off sitewide this weekend through Monday 10/14 only for reaching 100,000 Facebook likes.  Use code FB100K.  I will be offering an additional 20% in my store!  Fill up your Wish Lists now! 

Click Here to Check out the Sale!

Finally Updated! Flash Freebie!

Attention, last minute Sunday lesson planners, Flash FREEBIE!  Wow, I finally completed an update on my best seller that was long overdue!  My Solids, Liquids and Gases Unit was my first unit I ever created, and my best seller, I have updated the fonts, printables, and added a new experiment.  This is one of my favorite units to teach, and easily adaptable for many grade levels.  It has many hands-on activities that my kiddos love!  It is free for two hours tonight only!  Enjoy, I hope it saves you some planning!  Make sure to follow me on TPT and Facebook to more Freebies and ideas!

Click here for the Freebie!

Awesome IPad App {Great for small groups and centers}

I love using the iPad with my students, they love the hands-on aspect of the iPad too ! The only problem is, I only have my one personal iPad to use, which makes it difficult to find meaningful learning apps to use in small groups.  I found this Beginning Sounds app last year which has been awesome as a warm-up for small literacy groups.  It would be great as center too, I've had 4k students who can easily navigate this app..  This app is from Lakeshore (my favorite place to order from !) and it's free !  I love trying out new apps, please comment on your favorite learning app !

Lakeshore Learning Beginning Sounds App

Flash Freebie Tonight Only!

Visit my facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/creativeclassroomlessons for a Flash Freebie of one of my best sellers!  Be sure to "Like" my page for more Freebies and Ideas!

New Facebook Page! Watch for Flash Freebie Tonight!

I want to say thank you to all my followers and invite them to my new Facebook page to more easily get updates and Freebies! "Like" my facebook page and watch your feed for a Flash Freebie of one of my most popular products today!  (hint, I'll do it later today, when everyone will hopefully be done with work)  Thanks for looking!

https://www.facebook.com/creativeclassroomlessons

TPT Sale 28% Off, Great Deals for Back to School!

My Store and many others on Teachers Pay Teachers will be 28% off for the back to school sale this Sunday 8/17- Monday 8/18. Use code BTS13 I know I can't wait to get all those items on my wishlist!  Happy Shopping! 

Click here to check out the great deals!  

Does Your School Use CCSS?

First five comments, gets free TPT products!

Just curious, are you required to state the CCSS in your lesson plans?  I have added them to my lessons since my state adopted them, but so far it has not be "required" that I include them.  I personally think they are great and have helped me add more to my lessons.  I work with several different grade levels when working with my ELL students,  and I love being able to find all the standards in one place online.

I started developing these CCSS checklists and student rosters two years ago to help me with my planning. It has helped me pair units I already have to meet the CCSS.  The checklists are a great tool to plan for the year, and  the checklists help you progress monitor if each student has met the standard.  Come report card time, the rosters are so helpful!  Click here to check one out.

What are some great tools or products that you have found helpful in meeting the CCSS?  First five comments will get any of my CCSS products for free from my store

 

Back to School Fun and Freebie!

I can't believe it is back to school time already!  Some states have even been back for weeks!  Luckily due to maternity leavev, I won't have to return until the middle of October, but I still have been creating some new things to get to know my new students once I do return.  Since I work with ELL students, who are often reluctant to speak and share, I love to have ready to go get to know you sharing activities.   Something new this year, it a cute, fun printable All About ______ pages.  It  is great for older and younger students, there are 14 different girl or boy styles to choose from.  It can also be great for an open house activity with younger students and their parents.

I would love to hear what fun get to know you activities you did or plan to do for back to school.  For the first five comments, I will send the commenters one of these products for free!

Click here to get these pages

This book is great for younger students:

Click here to get this book.

Best Summer Yet!

It's been a busy summer, and definitely the best summer yet!  I started my summer a little bit early with the wonderful surprise of my little Maddie!  Madeline Elizabeth was born about 2 1/2 weeks early on May 27th, she was 6 lbs 7 oz and 19 1/4 inches.   So I did not make it to the end of the school year like I planned, but she was ready to meet mom and dad and everything went so well!  Here are the adorable professional pictures of from when she was 10 days old:

 

And here is my attempt at one month pictures at home, this was quite a feat to get a picture of her sitting up, lol! 

 

 

We have been thoroughly enjoying our summer, and don't want it to end!  Luckily I am off until October.  Hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as I am!  



Thank You for the Liebster Blog Nomination!

Thank you to Our K Crew Rocks for the Liebster blog nomination!  It has been a while since I have blogged for one very good little reason (I'll post about that soon!).  Here are the details of the Liebster nominations:

 The rules for receiving the award are as follows:

- Link back to the original nominator's website

- You must post 11 random things about yourself

- Answer the questions the nominator set for you

- Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate

- Nominate 5 - 11 blogs (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post

 

Here are my eleven random thing about myself:

1.  I am currently an ELL teacher at two different schools, I love working with such a variety of students and teachers.

2.  Before I went to school for teaching I was active duty in the Navy for four years.

3.  I served as an Intelligence Specialist in the Navy.

4.  I love traveling- I have been all over the US, Hawaii, the Middle East, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and several places in the Caribbean. 

5.  I just celebrated my one year wedding anniversary, the cake topper was actually still pretty tasty! 

6.  I come from a pretty big family, I have three sisters, all of whom are my best friends! 

7.  One of my favorite outdoor hobbies is biking, I love my Scott hybrid bike!

8.  I love decorating, I spend way too much time at TJ Maxx Homegoods!

9.  If I wasn't a teacher, I would love to be a party planner or wedding planner.

10.  I love baking, but could care less about cooking meals, my husband luckily really likes to cook.

11.  I will have a  surprise blog post coming soon, watch for it! 

 

Here are may answers from the questions from  Our K Crew Rocks: 

1. If you could teach any grade level, which grade level would it be and why? I would love to teach 4K ELL students, I have done this for summer school the last few years, and it has been a blast! 

2. What is your favorite subject to teach and why? I love to teach Science Content, it is so hands-on and great for ELL students

3. Do you have a classroom theme? If so how often do you change themes? Not a theme so much, just lots of bright colors, polka dots, and chevron patterns all over.

4. What is your favorite thing about teaching? Working with a variety of students and families

5. How long have you been blogging? Just a few months, I would like to do a lot more next year

6. What is your favorite school related app or computer program to use? I love the Lakeshore Apps for younger students, and for grade 1 and up, I love this sight word app, it's a simple sight word recognition app, but as a warm up, I put on a timer, and we play "hot potato" with the ipad in small group. The kiddos love it! 

7. What is your favorite non-school related app or computer program to use? Pinterest, for sure! 

8. Do you have iPad's in your classroom? Only my personal one, but with small groups, it works well

9. What technology would you be lost without? My projector hooked up to my computer, ELL students are such visual learners, it's great to be able to bring up images

10. Do you have a Promethean Board or Smart Board in your classroom? Nope, I wish! 

11. What other types of technology do you have in your classroom? Teacher computer, Aver document projector, projector, and personal Ipad.

 

And now the blogs (some blogs may have a few more than 200 but no more than 400 followers) I have chosen to nominate for the Liebster Award are...

1.  The Wild Rumpus Blog

2.  The Applicious Teacher

3. Wild About Words

4.  Little Learners

5.  Teach, Blog, Repeat

 

 

Be sure to check out and follow these great blogs! 

 

Now, here are my 11 questions for the blogs I nominate::

 

1.  Do you have a favorite unit you do each year?

2.  What is your favorite classroom décor item you have bought or made?

3.  How many hours do you spend on TPT per week? LOL

4.  What is your favorite outdoor pastime?

5.  What is your favorite indoor pastime?

6.  Are you a TPT seller?  If so, where do you find inspiration for new products?

7.  How would your students describe you in three words?

8.  How long have you been teaching?

9.  Do you prefer to stay in the same grade level for your career, or switch every few years?

10.  What is your favorite read-aloud?

11.  If you were not a teacher, what would your chosen career be?

 

 

I look forward to seeing everyone's answers! 

 

 

 

Hands On Graphic Organizers for Writing

I love to use Graphic Organizers with all the writing we do!  Recently, I have been trying to incorporate using graphic organizers with even my youngest Kinder ELL students to support their writing.  One great way I found to do this was doing more hands-on organizers with which the students can practice organizing the information on a larger scale together. We recently did a mini-unit on the different animal groups.  We created this graphic organizer after reading our Animal Groups Emergent Reader and watching this excellent BrainPop Jr. video about animal classification.
Last, students wrote their own animal facts about their chosen group using these  awesome writing sheets from www.firstgradewindows.blogspot.com .The students were able to gain a lot of content vocabulary and loved the hands-on approach!   Please add comments on how you use graphic organizers with young students. 



 

BrainPop Video

 

Click here for the Book





 



Sale of theYear!

The Teacher Appreciation Sale is here!  Please join me in May 7th-8th for the HUGE Teacher Appreciation Sale!  Use code TAD13 for 10% off the entire site, my store is an additional 20% off, which makes all purchases from my store 28% off!  Stock up for the rest of this year and next!  Thanks to Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Designs for this awesome graphic! 

"Having A Ball" with Idioms

"You Let the Cat out of the Bag!"   What in the world is this teacher talking about ?!?!? Idioms can be very confusing for ELL students and younger students.  This week we had a blast studying, reading, writing, and illustrating idioms.  Before introducing Idioms, I had students guess the meaning of some different idioms, the guesses they come up with are hilarious!  After completing and sharing our guesses, we write the "real meaning"  in colored pen.  Grab this free worksheet HERE.

 

 

Next, we read a few great texts about idioms, You Let the Cat Out of the Bag, by Cynthia Klingel, Birds of a Feather by Vanita Oelschlager, and There's a Frog in my Throat by Loreen Leedy and Pat Street. 

    

 

Last, after discussing "literal" and "figurative" , the students made these awesome illustrated examples of Idioms.  Grab this free printable HERE. 

 

 

 

Please feel free to add in the comments, other fun ways you study idioms!  Thanks for reading! 



Giveaway from the The Applicious Teacher

Check out this fantastic giveaway from the Applicious Teacher!  You can sign up to win several TPT units from several different sellers, including my new Spring Literacy Pack!  The giveaway runs from now until Sunday! 

Click HERE to enter the giveaway! 

 

 

Easter Sale!

20% Off today and tomorrow!  Sorry this is a little late!  I have been on Spring Break this week, and for those of you who don't know, my hubby and I are expecting a baby in early June, so this week has been full of appointments-meeting with pediatricians and setting up daycare for next fall, and organizing the nursery, so I haven't had a chance to blog much.  But better late than never!  Thanks to  Mel From the Pond for the graphic!  Click the below graphic to visit my store! 

Click here for my store

Spring is Here? and Freebie!

Spring is here! Or so they say, the five inches of snow I had to brush off my car yesterday after work must not have gotten the message! Either way, I am grateful for Spring Break next week! I think both the kids and myself need it! I want to share my Spring centers and Literacy activities to make your planning for before or after Spring break much easier! There are five Literacy centers in this pack, including: Spring Rhyming word cards, Spring CVC word cards, a Spring emergent reader, Spring color by sight word, and several Spring themed writing papers. You can purchase these separately in my TPT store or in the bundle! Be one of the first five people to comment on this post and tell me your plans for Spring break, and I will send you this pack for FREE! Just leave me your email!

Spring Literacy Pack

 

I See Spring

Spring CVC Word Cards

St. Patrick's Day Freebie and Sale!

I can't believe St. Patrick's Day is already here this weekend!  This March has flown by, and I almost forgot to post this cute St. Patrick's Day Color by sight word freebie.  Please enjoy this freebie and check out my other St. Patrick's Day products including a Literacy and Math Activity and Center Pack, St. Pat's Bingo, a Math Roll and Cover Game, and a CVC Shamrock matching game.  All my St. Patrick's Day items will be 20% off until next Friday.  Hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! 

Color by Sight Word Freebie

 

St. Patrick's Day Literacy and Math Activities

 

 

St. Patrick's Day CVC Game/Center

 

 

One Fish, Two Fish and Differentiation

Wow, did we have a lot of fun with Dr. Seuss last week!   This year I have 4K and Kinder ELL students, so I have been changing a lot of my Kinder lessons to meet the needs and the abilities of the 4K students.  All week, we have been working hard  on rhyming words and reading a variety of Dr. Seuss books.  My students' favorite project this week was the One Fish, Two Fish hand project.  This was pretty messy, but super fun!  You can see below the variety of ways to do this project depending on your students' abilities.  For the students who can write, they picked two rhyming pairs and included those on their projects.  For the students who are not at the writing stage yet, we found rhyming pairs from pictures.  Using picture cards or typed word labels instead of asking a student to write about a topic  is a great way to differentiate if you have an ELL student who not quite at the writing stage in English.  Please feel free to comment with some strategies you use for differentiation for ELLs or Special Education students! 

Winners of the Follower Contest!

Congrats to Jessica B, Beverly G, and Karen R!  They have been randomly selected as winner, please see the contest widget below.  Thank you for all that entered, and keep following Creative Classroom Lessons for more giveaways and Freebies!  Winners, please check your email for more instructions.  Thank you! 

Getting Ready for Dr. Seuss Week!

This is one of my favorite times of the year, Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day! Or week if if celebrate it like me! To get ready for the week I have created some new products and updated some old ones. Most are centered around rhyming, for my kinder and 4K ELL students. Check out these resources and please feel free to share some projects or activities you uses for Dr. Seuss Day and Read Across America.

Reading Day Bingo                                                           Rhyming Cut and Paste with the Cat

Rhyme Time with Cats and Hats

 

Rhyming Word Cards or Center

Oobleck! Solid or Liquid?

Follower Giveaway! Target Giftcard and TPT products!

I am having a follower giveaway to thank all  my TPT followers and to promote my new blog.  The prizes are 1st: $20 Target Giftcard, 2nd: Pick any 3 Items from my TPT store, 3rd: Pick any 1 Item from my TPT store.  The contest will run until Sunday February 24th at midnight (central time)  I will announce the winners on Monday.  If you are a winner, I'll have you email me your information to send you your prize.  Enjoy and Thank you!

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