Teach children strategies for adding and subtracting, build math fact fluency, solve word problems, and play math activities and games. A FREE addition equation sort is included!
Hello Everyone! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there...and to all the dads, grandparents, friends, and others who also fulfill the ...
Are you searching for an illustrative math blog to inspire you? Tunstall's Teaching’s blog tidbits are inspiring for teaching math & young learners! Learn more!
Hi friends! Happy Friday! I am thrilled to have a few days off to relax and spend time with my hubby! I swear sometimes it feels like I don’t see […]
Hello Everyone! We began our "How To" writing unit today. What better way to start than with a sweet treat? Oreos fit the bill. Everyone eats an Oreo cookie a little differently. After giving my kids a chance to show how they eat an Oreo, we talked about how we can teach someone else how to eat one. Why not write about it? I introduced "How To" writing and went over some of the important transition words which make reading and understanding easier. We will continue tomorrow with our planning and organizing sheet and then try to make a book. Can't wait! Crunch it! Lick it! Just take a bite! Or scrape it! Quick anchor with transition words 14 pages of planning pages and mini book pages. If you want a quick copy of this yummy writing activity click here! For my other "How To" writing unit, click here! :) Can't wait for the rest of the week!! Hope you're having a great week! Joyfully! Nancy
Welcome! Over the past week we've been studying goods & services, and producers & consumers. To culminate our Community Jobs unit, the s...
This moon craft is great for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or older kids. It's a great art extension during a space theme in the classroom.
Here are some fun and easy ways to help students master the NGSS First Grade Life Science studies plants and animals in three different capacities.
Whether you're teaching in a classroom or working with the kids at home, these printable worksheets are a great resource for your 1st grader.
Every year we have a Veteran's Day assembly at our school. Our hallway is visible to our visitors so I always like to offer a hall displa...
Hello Everyone! This week we will begin our study of nouns and verbs. I wanted to do a quick share of something my cuties will be working on. I love the story "The little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything." by Linda Williams. I plan on using this book to study several different things. First off? Nouns! I wrote a little noun song and plan to use it to find all the nouns in the story. I created a quick little cut and glue sorting activity with pics from the story and then a recording page for the kids to write the nouns. Here are a few sample pics of the unit. For your 9 page printable, click here! Unless you're afraid!! :) Keep an eye out for the Verb Unit that will go along with this story as well! Joyfully! Nancy
Looking for a way to keep kids from sliding on their education this summer? You will love these First Grade Summer Worksheets. These fun activities cover and review many of the topics the children learned in their class this year. They are fun, engaging, and perfect for keeping kids on track before they head to […]
This post contains affiliate links of products I recommend. Read my full disclosure statement. I recently finished up my newest unit: an apple unit for kindergarten and first grade! I'm really excited about this unit and wanted to give you a sneak peek at what's inside! This week long unit includes detailed daily lessons plans
Finally, My classroom Design Pictures are ready to share! Link up your designs HERE Classroom-design-and-bulletin-board Linky Party My ...
Explore and learn more about Space with this 40 page Space workbook for kids ages 5 – 8. In this book they will learn about space objects, planets, stars, galaxies, and more! Inside you will …
PRIMARY SCIENCE UNIT 1 - THE HUMAN BODY We are so excited to dig into Unit 1 in our science sequence! We kick off science this year with My Body and My Five Senses . It is the perfect place to start science with our primary kiddos. This year we are going to explore and learn about the
The Tahoe Teacher
Make math fun this fall with Candy Corn math! These super cute and free printable addition and subtraction puzzles help 1st & 2nd grade review math facts.
The frugal girls are busy setting up Brittany's Smart board so we only have time for a quick freebie tonight. Hope everyone has an easier time with missing addends. That is one hard concept for little ones to understand. Missing Addend Freebie
Visualize this! It’s a Thursday afternoon. There is a buzz around school that there is a possibility of a “Cold Day” tomorrow! Below zero temps were blowing our way… Not a Snow Day… but a “Brrrrr, it’s a bitter Cold Day”! Teachers and students alike are […]
I am so THRILLED to finally be able to launch the brand new First Grade Math Made Fun Curriculum! This curriculum is designed to make math FUN, hands-on,
Grab your free Fall Place Value Match Game. This makes the perfect math activity for first, second or third grade.
Election Day Writing Craft Activities that are NO PREP to make learning about election day fun. Kids just write, color, cut, and glue for an instant craft that makes a beautiful patriotic bulletin board These Election Day writing no prep crafts are super cute and easy. There are FOUR different kinds of crafts included, each coming in 3 writing levels: - Girl voting with a ballot - Boy voting with a ballot - Election Day (ballot box) - My Vote with a blank ballot with 2 choices students can fill in to do your own class vote (my favorite part!) They're so easy to make - all you do is print and all students do is write, color, cut, and glue for an instant bulletin board or fun thing to take home to show their family. SAVE A TON by buying these in the: NO PREP Writing Crafts BUNDLE which is a GREAT deal and definitely worth checking out if you like these and want them for the entire year for a bunch of different genres and topics! :) Check out my blog post about them here! Your students will love these! The fun prompts are engaging and interesting and will make for some great creative writing pieces even from your most reluctant of writers! For more writing craft packs: Veterans Day Writing Crafts Halloween Writing Crafts Bundle Thanksgiving Writing Crafts Bundle Fire Safety Writing Crafts NO PREP Opinion Writing NO PREP Writing Crafts Creative Writing NO PREP Writing Crafts Bundle How to NO PREP Writing Crafts Bundle Back to School NO PREP Writing Crafts Summer NO PREP Writing Crafts Bundle End of the Year NO PREP Writing Crafts (which are all also in the big bundle mentioned above) Note - The clip art by Whimsy Clips in this product is used in accordance with a special licensing agreement. I've gained special permission to use the clip art in this way.
BOOM! Sink the ships in this free printable, Hundreds Chart Battleship math game to help kindergarteners counting with 100s chart.
Learn to teach addition and subtraction word problems by problem type. Pay attention to the relationship of the numbers in the problem, not keywords.
Kids will explore the phases of the moon using playdough, Oreo cookies, books, moon viewers and more fun & easy hands-on science activities!
Would you like another tool to add to your toolbox for teaching place value? While crafting a new place value resource, I had an aha moment. The result was a built-in learning support designed to
Hello Everyone! I love helping first graders express themselves through writing. For me, the first semester of first grade is all about creating a safe environment for them to feel comfortable putting their thoughts down on paper. We work on all the different ways to incorporate written expression into our day. I just love when one of my little would rather write than do anything else! Well we are now all about making our great writing even better...That means editing. I don't know about you, but it has been my experience that kids do not like going back to fix anything in their writing! Does anyone truly love editing? Hence the challenge, making editing engaging. After researching and trying different things and I think I finally came up with something that the kids can understand, use, and grow. We compared different pieces and rated them. We will use them as rubrics to compare our own writing. We learned about a few first grade friendly editing marks. We modeled editing on an old piece. Then we received out "Editing Super Visors," and special editing pens. I love to have my kids peer edit, so we got with our writing partners right away and picked a piece on which to work our editing magic. TaDah!! Engagement! Our Editing Super Visors I did put all these ideas into a micro unit about editing and rubrics. A quick set of printable rubrics with rating numbers for your own quick print and go micro unit, CLICK HERE!! Or CLICK HERE for a new and improved version of the unit!! I hope you can use some of this!! As always, if you see any typos or anything that should be fixed (or edited!! Ha Ha!) please don't hesitate to holler at me!! Thanks for stopping by for a peek! Stay tuned for more first grade fun!! Joyfully! Nancy
Kid will have fun learning about famous Americans with these Who Was Books Printable Worksheets, Coloring Sheets, and mini books.
Learn about characters and events while reading Broccoli Rob and the Garden Singers by John S. Armstrong. Make hand puppets and choral read the story.
If you're anything like me, you are always looking for more ideas and resources to add to your ever growing collection. I do this for EVER...
Free Sight Word Printables and Worksheets! These Dolch 220 Activity Pages are perfect for Kindergarten or First Grade Students.
Learn creative and hands-on ways to use Stellaluna activities will keep kids engaged and turn your readers into comprehenders.
So by now, I am sure you've heard about flexible, or alternative, seating in the classroom. Am I right? Basically it means providing a lot of different seating options for students to use throughout the day rather than only traditional desks and chairs. If you're wondering what the fuss is all about, or are curious but don't know where to begin- you are in the right place! I've used a variety of seating options in my first grade room for the last 7 years and I can't wait to share some ideas with you. Before you go thinking you need to get rid of every desk and table in your classroom, I am here to share ways you can "take baby steps" towards a classroom transformation without breaking the bank. ** I have included a few links in this post to my favorite seating options and classroom must haves. These are affiliate links which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you, if you decide to shop :) What's wrong with traditional seating? First of all....nothing! Students have learned fine in desks and chairs for years. No one is saying you need to auction off your organs to be able to pay for couches and dining room tables and who knows what else for your classroom. (Not that they wouldn't look awesome if you had the space!) Flexible, or alternative seating is a choice, and one that I happen to believe strongly in after years of testing it out. If you're anything like me you may realize you even work better in your favorite recliner or spread out in bed than stuck in a hard chair! After refining my teaching style, I realized my kids don't really sit at their desks very often anyways. So, I slowly started making a change and have added a few new pieces each year. The purpose is to help our kids who may be a little wigglier than others, or who may learn best in a position other than sitting at a desk, find a comfortable way to learn. The goal is to create a classroom where each students' needs are met academically, behaviorally, emotionally, etc. Routines At my school, I don't have the option of removing desks so I have had to get creative with how I can change up seating. At the beginning of the year everyone starts out in a regular desk chair. There's enough energy and chaos with a bunch of barely out of Kindergarten kids for me to throw a whole bunch of bouncy seats into the mix. #truestory As we slowly learn station routines and I allow kids to chose a space to work around the room, I am also very intentional in having them try different seating options. After a few rounds we always come back as a group and discuss what went well with a seating option and what didn't. The goal is to help them find a seat that they feel is comfortable, and that helps them focus. I am honest with them- if it makes them want to play....that is not the seat for them (at least not at this time). The discussions and reflections are key! Oh, I also give them the run down of the rules and best practices with a certain seating option before they try it. For example...the yoga balls are to be used as chairs. I should not see them kicking them. Or throwing them. Or pretending they are Godzilla and destroying someone's work by rolling over it. You get the idea. And yes, every time we introduce a new seating option, or a new student arrives, we go through the expectations. Days Don't Always Look the Same At some points in the day we gather on the carpet as a whole group, usually without special seats except for maybe a few kids with wiggle cushions as needed. Remember, it's not about everyone getting a seat all the time. The goal really is to help them focus. Everyone DOESN'T need a special seat all day long. Other times kids sit at desks or at tables and can choose a cushion for their chair, yoga ball, etc. to use. Most choose a regular chair and that's fine with me too. They at least have the option. And finally during station time (I use the Daily 5 framework) they can spread out wherever they want for independent practice. This is when the scoop rockers, rugs, tray tables, and other seating options really come in to play. Stations are done...those big seats get stacked back up until the next time they move around the room (usually during math stations). Remember, flexible seating doesn't have to look the same for every child. And your room definitely doesn't have to look like someone else's. Also, I'll the honest. The OCD/ADD in me goes a little nutty with the movement, nonmatching seats at desks, wiggling around etc. but I have to get over it. It's not about me. It's ALL for them. Storage Like I said, I have to keep my desks and chairs. I keep the majority of my seating options in one area of my room. I stack my scoop rockers on top of low book shelves, along with a wiggle stool and yoga balls. I store rolled rugs and bathmats here too. The blue wiggle seats are usually always out on someone's chair but start here at the beginning of the year. I also use a laundry basket to store some pillows and a giant bean bag chair (shown above). Some options like the stools and crate seats are always at a table as their home base but kids do move them around the room as needed. To make the bench in the library I zip-tied 3 sturdy milk crates together and then screwed on a plywood/foam/vinyl top. Seating Options Now the good stuff!! Here are some honest reviews of what's worked and what hasn't in my first grade classroom. Remember, every group of kids is different so what works for me (or doesn't) might have the opposite result for you- it's worth a try! Wiggle Cushions The first seat I started using years ago were these wiggle cushions. You just inflate them with a little pump as full as you'd like. They have a pokey side and a smoother side. I leave it up to my kids to decide which side feels best for them. I started with 2 and now have 8. These stay out on chairs all day to be used at desks. Sometimes kids will take them to the carpet to sit on during whole group. I try to make sure the kids I KNOW need one (sensory concerns or diagnosed ADHD) have first choice if they want to use one, if not the rest are up for grabs. Yoga Balls A few years ago I was part of a pilot program that provided one yoga ball and holder to every child in my room. I was thrilled! It was the flexible seating I had always dreamed of. Then reality hit. Kids were constantly chasing balls around the room. Some saw them as toys to be bounced, kicked, or rolled even after MULTIPLE reminders. And the donut shaped ring was just one more thing to deal with. Don't get me wrong, some kids did amazingly well with them. BUT, the experience reminded me that a one size fits all approach wasn't what I had ever been about, and wasn't going to work for my kids. I gave most of the yoga balls to a different class and only kept a few as an option. I also bought some with the udder shaped legs. These I highly recommend. I have the yellow and orange. The little legs on there helped stop them from rolling away and they were viewed more as chairs than toys. They also have a donut shaped version that I am ordering to try this year, I'll let you know how it goes! Of course regular yoga balls can work great for some. I suggest trying. But remember it's okay to baby step in and try one or two before going all in full force. Stools I LOVE all of the Hokki Stools and Wobble Chairs that I have seen online. These are next on my list of wish list items. For now, I have one that I bought on Scholastic with bonus points. Did you know they had seating options?? So fun! My kids like being able to spin a bit while also rocking. It does seem to scratch up our floor a bit so I have them put a mat under it just in case. I also found 4 wooden stools at a yard sale that I spray painted to match my classroom. My kids like putting these at counters or taller tables to work a bit higher up. Scoop Rockers You can find these at Big Lots, Walmart, or even online at Wayfair and Amazon for about $6-7 each. They recommend a 50 pound weight limit but my first graders have never had a problem, even at the end of the year. Basically my kids love sitting on the carpet with these because they get to rock or lean back a bit. I do have to occasionally remind them not to tip over but they usually do well with them They are a class favorite for sure!! Rugs/Mats I work at a Montessori school so I inherited a lot of woven rugs when I began working there. My kids grab a rug to place on the floor and just roll it up when they are finished. I love them because it gets them to spread out around the room in a way that's a little more comfortable than a cold tile floor. Plus, they don't have to argue over space on the carpet. I also picked up a few fuzzy bath mats in the Back to School section of Walmart last year that are a little more cushy and foam based. Any memory foam bath mats or fuzzy mats would work well! And of course my ocean obsession wouldn't be complete without a Dory bath mat :) Tray Tables Now these aren't necessarily seating options, but they do make working from the floor (rug, scoop rocker, etc.) a lot easier!! I was a craft store creeper last year and went back every day for a week so I could use a 50% off coupon each time haha. #teacherbudget You can find them online but honestly they aren't worth the $20, I was happy with my $3 deals :) My kids LOVE them and I plan to add more to my room next year. I keep them stored along with my other seating options when they aren't in use. Well, I hope you've been able to find some new ways to add flexible seating to your classroom- whether that means baby stepping in and trying something new, or expanding on an already impressive collection- I wish you luck! Have a favorite I need to try? Let me know in the comments! Want to save this post for later? Pin here:
