Let's Do Some Catching Up!! :)

The last time I had shared, I was in the process of making many changes to my classroom.  I was inspired by many of you to start labeling various classroom items! After a lot of hard work, I feel very organized thanks to those of you who have shared labels, and tips for organization! I have even implemented several of my own ideas! 
     This is my Awesome Adjective Wall! It is made from rubber interlocking play mats! I have used Velcro to attach it to the wall in my classroom! We use push pins to post new words! I have also used a shower organizer to keep my sentence strips, scissors, and push pins nice and tidy! 

                                      
     This next idea came to me because I needed to have dry-erase boards available to me in different areas of my room, however, I have limited space!  I simply attached two 1" x 4's to the sides of a book display shelf! I then attached a 1"x 4' across the top so that I could hang dry-erase boards on either side! Here are pictures of both sides! I then attached a metal drip pan to the bottom and back side of the book display shelf! This makes a great area for a magnetic board! 

Above is a picture of the front of the display book case/dry-erase board!

Below is a picture of the back of the display book case/dry-erase board!

                                        

This is a side view of the display bookshelf/ dry-erase board.  The piece of wood used at the top made a great hanger for another shower organizer! I also used a couple of nails to work as hooks to hang my extra environmental print posters that I do not utilize daily! This way I can take them out, use them when needed and then hang them back up!

     I have also purchased oil drip pans to use as magnetic boards an idea I found on Pinterest! I have lined them up underneath the ledge of my dry-erase board in my room! We use our magnetic boards often throughout the week! These work great for our I.E. (Intensive Exercise) time! We use them for word work!

      Many thanks to the person who posted this idea on Pinterest! 

    
Here are some other things I have been working on labeling and organizing!

   The following are activities I have created and used during our I.E. time! The 5 learning components of I.E. time are phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. 

   Webs Full of Words! 

Students throw rubber bugs, attempting to get them to land on the web shaped paper plates.  Each time a students' bug lands on a plate, the student flips the plate over and reads the sight word printed on the back of the plate. If the student reads the word correctly, he or she then places a marker on the plate and leaves it flipped over and face down! If the student reads the word incorrectly, the plate is returned to its' web face up position! When all of the plates have been flipped over, the student with the highest number of markers on the plates becomes the winner! 

Gumball Phonics!

   In this game students take turns throwing bean bags, attempting to land on the gumballs! When a students' bean bag lands on a gumball he or she moves to the gumball, reads the (blend, digraph or word part) printed on it, and then generates a word that begins or ends with that sound! Each time a student generates a word for the sound given the student receives a craft stick! The game continues until all gumballs have been read! The student with the most craft sticks wins the game!
     My students also enjoy musical gumballs, which is played similar to musical chairs! Each time the music stops, students must find a gumball to stand on! The teacher then asks the student to read the (blend, digraph or word part) and give a word that includes the sound! If the student answers correctly he or she will earn a craft stick! If the student answers incorrectly no craft stick is given! The length of the game is based on the teacher's discretion!
   

Fill the Stockings!

 

   At the beginning of the game students are each given a bag of markers.  Each student should be given a different color. Students take turns tossing their markers onto each stocking! When a students' marker lands on a stocking, he or she reads the word to the teacher.  If the student reads the word correctly he or she leaves one of his or her markers  on the stocking! After each student has attempted to read each stocking the game will come to an end.  The student who has filled the most stockings with his or her markers wins the game!

Here is our most recent bulletin board!

Gingerbread Man Graphing

What part did you eat first? A different way to graph!

I hope you have enjoyed some of the things I have shared! Thanks to each of you for inspiring me daily!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I have enjoyed sharing ideas with each of you! I look forward to more learning and sharing in 2012!