What's in the Bag?

 Any guesses what all I've brought home today?

I hate bringing work home, but this is the first Saturday that I *won't* be working since school started. I'll be coaching at our first volleyball tournament. So excited!

My homework this weekend...

Book order

Grading handwriting 

Grading placement assessments

New science curriculum

(need to plan for next week)

After last week when I had so many pictures, I couldn't share them all...this is the ONLY picture. :(

Short weeks always seem so much harder to me! 

Here's a quick rundown of our week (without pictures):

We practiced Daily 5 rounds--ready to rock and roll on Monday (I hope)!

We continued our Addition Strategies unit and started on Subtraction Strategies as well.

Speaking of that...kids love the simplest games. Give them two dice (one with larger numbers) and let them roll. They write a subtraction number sentence and solve. Happiness all around. :-)

We learned the "rule of 5" for illustrating. Not sure where I got this, but the kiddos have to make sure their illustrations have 5 details and 5 colors.

We studied The Pledge of Allegiance in K-2 social studies and made these books from Sliding into Second. 

And finally, I was adventurous this year and ordered some stability balls for my class. I only got 5 for now--wanted to try them out. I'm drawing names for now and making observations as to how it helps--or distracts--my kiddos. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of them! I promise I will soon.

Have a great weekend!

Individual Math Review Games

I have started to have 2 rotations during my math time so that I am able to give more individual help to the kiddos.  I teach a whole group lesson and then dismiss.  Nine of the students begin with the book page while the other 9 work on a fact practice page and then we switch.  On Tuesday and Thursdays, instead of fact practice, the kids will work on writing numbers (we are working on writing our numbers to 1,000).  I am lucky to work in a school where I get an aid to help out during the math time, so while I'm helping the kids with the book, my aid is helping with the fact practice and the writing numbers.

 

Some of the kids finish the fact practice early and I am trying to find some game type ideas of things they can do quietly by themselves at his/her seat.  I found this cool idea that they have loved to do this week at Math Coach's Corner:

 

 

 

I would like to find ideas for counting money, telling time, addition, subtraction, and/or odd and even numbers.  These are a few skills that we have been learning about so far and I would like to find something to reinforce those skills.  Something like a game that they can work on quietly and by themselves if they finish early.  Any ideas?

 

Hope you have a great weekend!