Apple Tree Learning

FREE Clip Art - Summer Fun in the Sun FREE :)

2014-05-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

Are you as ready for summer as I am? I can hardly contain my JOY!

When I think about summer, my mind immediately goes to a beautiful beach, the smell of coconut suntan lotion and the feel of the warm sun on my face.

Summer Fun Clip Art - Apple Tree Learning

I am definitely NOT an expert at clip art, but I love to dabble... It is so much fun and I am learning so much about creating my own artwork.

I would love to share a clip art FREEBIE with you ~

Summer Fun in the Sun Clip Art!

Summer Clip Art - www.appletreelearning.blogspot.com

Some ideas for using the summer clip art:

Use for end of school year awards
Add to literacy and math stations
Use to dress up summer packets to keep your students practicing this summer
Make cute bookmarks to keep excited about reading
Create a summer reading list for families

I would LOVE to hear your ideas for using Summer Fun in the Sun clip art?

If you use my clip art on something that you do for your students, or on a product you sell on Teachers Pay Teachers, I would love to share it for you on my blog!

~Jen

Encouraging a LOVE of learning and thinking.

Vocabulary Tutorial #2: Brain Buddies & Partner Talk FREEBIE!

2014-05-01T20:20:00.001-05:00

Vocabulary Strategies - Apple Tree Learning

Educators have known for years that deep vocabulary knowledge must come from much more interaction than just looking up words in the dictionary. Ahhh... memories of 1982. :)

In fact, research has proven that classrooms and students should create their own definitions to truly learn in-depth meanings.

AcademicVocabulary - create definitions

One of the best strategies for students to gain academic vocabulary knowledge is to SIMPLY TALK!

I like to incorporate this strategy with BRAIN BUDDIES. This strategy can be used with just about any subject area, topic or student expectation.

Brain Buddies with academic vocabulary words works like this:

Buddy up students (I like for students to keep the same buddy for about 2 weeks ~ just enough time for them to really feel comfortable, but not too comfortable)
Students should be sitting beside each other (I prefer to have them sit on the carpet)
Share the academic vocabulary word on a large card that you will keep on display throughout

Vocabulary Instruction

the following weeks
Ask students to think about what they know about the meaning of the word
After having some think time, tell students to whisper to their partner what they believe the word means
Take suggestions aloud from the Brain Buddies and discuss
Next, draw an illustration of the word
Have students explain to their partner how the illustration represents or connects to the academic vocabulary word
You will want to give your students numerous opportunities to share and practice the words with their partners.... draw pictures, act them out, use them in sentences, etc.

Brain Buddies is one of my most used strategies. You can use Brain Buddies for just about anything.

My teacher friend, Mrs. Lott, is an amazing Kinder - 5th grade Title 1 Reading teacher on my elementary campus. She shared a handout with me, "Ways We Can Partner Talk" that she found on Pinterest. Trying to give credit where credit is due, I tried to locate the original author of Partner Talk.

I found the same thing on Pinterest in about 20 different ways...from about 20 different people. I did retype the sheet because it was a little fuzzy, had a typo, and I wanted to change it up just a tad.

Improve vocabulary instruction

Here is a FREE link to the document: Ways We Can Partner Talk FREEBIE.

Ways We Can Partner Talk

How do you encourage students to practice and discuss new academic vocabulary words? I would LOVE to hear from you.

~jen
Encouraging a LOVE of learning and thinking.

Academic Vocabulary Mini Tutorial #1

2014-04-28T19:53:00.003-05:00

Academic Vocabulary

My definition of academic vocabulary is as follows, the words that students MUST KNOW BY HEART to be able to understand what is being taught to them. Academic vocabulary words can be used across the content areas.

Academic vocabulary definition

A few good examples of academic vocabulary words:

infer
determine
summarize
compare
main idea
contrast
parallel
represent

Students use the academic vocabulary word compare in the areas of reading, math, science, social studies, language arts and writing. Students need to have a good understanding of the word compare to be able to comprehend what is being taught in each of these subject areas.

When teaching academic vocabulary words, consider the following:

Don't teach too many words at one time. 3 to 5 words per week is usually appropriate.
Provide your students with direct instruction over the academic vocabulary terms.
Teach the word multiple times in multiple ways. Reviewing the word on one occasion will not be enough!

What academic vocabulary strategies or activities do you use with your students?

~jen

Encouraging students to love learning and thinking!

One Size Does NOT Fit ALL ~ in Guided Reading! FREEBIE Forms!

2014-04-10T17:06:00.001-05:00

How to Determine the Level of Text Used for Guided Reading

Guided Reading Text Level

10 characteristics you can use to find the level of a text

~ any text

What exactly is a guided reading level?

Contrary to popular belief, a guided reading level is NOT a score or a number. The level actually represents a set of student behaviors that are observable to the teacher. This is so important!

Each reading level has it's very own set of understandings and behaviors. Teachers must differentiate their instruction and the texts they use with their students. Please keep reading for the freebie! :)

Students need to read every day

How often should my students read independently?

This is my very favorite question for teachers to ask! EVERY DAY, BABY! Your students need to be reading every single day, without a doubt! To become real readers, students have to read texts on their independent level on a daily basis.

Why should students read books on their independent reading level?

Think Goldilocks! ~

Students read books on their independent level

For students to be able to successfully process the text they are reading, it must be on their independent level. Hot porridge! ~ If the text is too difficult, then the student will not be able to process it correctly. Many students will just give up if the text is too hard.

Cold porridge! ~ If the text is too easy, they will not be able to grow as a reader. When students practice reading on their independent level, they are able to build up their reading skills such as: fluency, stamina, vocabulary, comprehension, and build interest in topics.

Reading harder guided reading texts

Should I EVER give my students a book above their reading level?

Yes! This is my second favorite question! In order to become better readers, students need to read books slightly above their level; known as the instructional level.

Through a guided reading lesson, you will work with students on a more challenging level of text. You will be right there with your students, guiding them and helping them to process the text.

Work with your students at the guided reading table

How can I tell if a book is on the correct guided reading level?

Everything I have learned about guided reading has been from two of my favorite teacher authors: Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. They are amazing! Since authoring their first book, I have tried to read everything I can get my hands on about guided reading.

In their The Reading Teacher article, Guided Reading: The Romance and the Reality, they discuss 10 characteristics that they use to determine the level of a piece of text.

Ten Characteristics Used to Determine Text Level:

Genres / forms

Text structure

Content

Themes and ideas

Language and literary features

Sentence complexity

Vocabulary

Words

Illustrations

Book and print features

Text level is more than just words

So, finding text level involves more than just the words?

Determining the appropriate level of a piece of text is so much more than just the word count and difficulty. We have to move beyond "just the words" and consider what reading behaviors and understandings the text is requiring of the reader.

When planning a guided reading lesson or determining the text level, ask yourself: What does the reader have to be able to do to comprehend the text?

Comprehension is truly what reading is all about!

For more information, please check out my
FREE printable charts and resources for GUIDED READING text:

10 Characteristics Used to Determine Text Level

Checklist: Determine Text Level

Guided Reading Correlation Chart (correlate to other forms of tools and assessments)

What are your biggest questions about guided reading or finding the appropriate text level?
I would LOVE to hear from you.

~jen
Encouraging a LOVE of learning and thinking.

6 Common Symptoms of Dysgraphia

2014-04-07T20:35:00.000-05:00

How do I know if My Child or Student Has Dysgraphia?

The National Center for Learning Disabilities defines dysgraphia as follows:

Dysgraphia definition

"Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills."

What exactly is dysgraphia?

Essentially, dysgraphia makes even the most basic form of writing difficult. Many students struggle with spelling, getting their thoughts down on paper and basic writing skills.

Writing skills are a struggle for students with dysgraphia

People with dysgraphia have difficulties with processing what their eyes are actually seeing. This is known as visual-spacial difficulty.

Visual-spacial concerns with dysgraphia

Language processing is another area of concern. Dysgraphia sufferers have trouble making sense of what their own ears are actually hearing.

These issues affect organization, organizing words on a line or page, letters, and even numbers.

Dysgraphic students struggle with writing on lines

What are the symptoms and signs of dysgraphia?

Tiring quickly while writing

Poor handwriting, sometimes with a mix of print and cursive

Trouble thinking of words to write

Omitting or not completing words within a sentence

Trouble organizing thoughts on paper

Large gap between oral spoken language and written expression

Additional signs and symptoms of dysgraphia can be found on the related paperwork, link here.*

Interventions and strategies to address dysgraphia

What interventions and strategies can I do for my child with dysgraphia?

Use a pen or pencil that is comfortable for the student; you may need to try several before finding the one that works best

Use lined paper when possible

Model and practice proper pencil grip; be careful because habits form quickly and early

When learning letters, numbers or shapes, use oral sequences to help them memorize the exact formation; for example: letter c: start below the top, go up and touch the top, go around and back up

Model proper pencil grip

Do not give up on practicing handwriting, but try using a computer keyboard or ipad to type

Provide students with a checklist of expectations (spelling, neatness, grammar, progression of ideas, etc.)

Reduce the amount of copying, especially from the board

Break assignments down into smaller steps and tasks

When appropriate, give alternate assignments that have a more hands-on approach

For writing assignments, allow students to begin by telling a partner what they will write about or drawing a picture before writing

Additional interventions and strategies can be found on the related paperwork, link here.*

If you have a student or child that is suffering from symptoms of dysgraphia, you may benefit from the Dysgraphia Intervention Kit.

Dysgraphia Intervention Kit

Dysgraphia Intervention Kit contents:

Dysgraphia information sheet
Dysgraphia Intervention and Strategy suggestions, complete list
Dysgraphia Intervention Checklist (editable and printable) to use with individual children, complete list
Dysgraphia Checklist: Ages 12 to Adult (editable and printable)
Dysgraphia Checklist: Ages 5 to 12 (editable and printable)
Dysgraphia Checklist: Ages Up to 5 (editable and printable)
Dysgraphia Student Intervention Log used for documentation and progress monitoring (editable and printable)

Dysgraphia Information

Do you have a child or student that suffers from symptoms of dysgraphia? What interventions do you use to help them? I would LOVE to hear from you!

~jen :)

Tutorial: How to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

2014-04-06T17:09:00.001-05:00

QR Codes in the Classroom?

QR codes in the classroom

Using QR Codes in the classroom is beneficial to you and your students.

Learn how to generate your own QR codes to use with your students.

What is a QR code?

QR stands for Quick Response. These codes are very similar to a typical barcode. You can scan a QR code by using an app with your smartphone, ipad, or your computer.

QR code for Apple Tree Learning

The information is linked from the code back to you. The information can be in the form of a text, website, video, etc. QR codes have a very large storage capacity and are very quick.

QR codes to use with students

How can I get started with QR codes in my classroom?

To get started, you will need to download a QR code reader app to your smartphone, ipad, or computer. Each of these items must have a camera for the reader to work correctly.

For example, if you have an iphone, start by visiting the Apple Store and download a free QR code reader. I prefer using the i-nigma or the scan app.

FREE APP - i-nigma

APP - Scan

What are some ways that I can use QR codes in the classroom?

Link to YouTube video clips

Link to a ShowMe video

Link to a read aloud

Link to a book review

Link to a website

Link to a spelling list

Link to a webquest

QR code generator

How can I make my very own QR code?

There are several free online generators where you can create your own QR codes. One of the most simple sites to use is http://www.qrstuff.com.

1. Go to http://www.qrstuff.com

2. Select your data type:

Website

YouTube video

iTunes link

Plain text

Email address

Email message

SMS message (text message)

etc.

3. Type in the correct content. For example: website URL (http://www.....)

4. Select foreground color. Most people select black, but this website allows you to choose any color. FUN! Look for the QR code to my blog: Apple Tree Learning. I am really into teal these days, so I made mine teal. :O)

5. Press enter.

6. Download the QR code.

7. Save the QR code to your desktop.

8. Have fun! :)

Apple Tree Learning QR Code

This is a QR code to my TPT Store: Apple Tree Learning.

Here is a FREE QR CODE handout that you can use to refer back to when using QR codes and for generating your very own QR codes. It is a link to my Teachers Pay Teachers store -

Apple Tree Learning.

If you do NOT have a Teachers Pay Teachers account and you would like to, please click here to

sign up for FREE.

Or, if you will leave me a message, I will email you a copy.

How do you use QR codes in your classroom? I can't wait to hear from you!

jen :)

Why Practicing Syllables Actually Helps Your Students Read and Spell Better!

2014-04-05T17:44:00.002-05:00

Who would have known? Teaching syllables actually improves reading and spelling!

Syllable study improves phonics

Syllable Study Helps Reading & Spelling

Syllable practice improves overall reading skills

Studying syllables helps students to be better spellers

Teaching students how to recognize syllables in words will greatly benefit your students and their progress in reading!

When children are able to correctly recognize syllables in words, reading and spelling make much more since to them!

Syllable and word study is a MUST for struggling students / RTI and is also useful as a guided reading warmup.

You will want to begin by modeling this skill for your students. Begin by showing them how to say one syllable at a time. Model, model, model. Modeling is the key!

My favorite way to model for students how to recognize syllables is by clapping each time I hear a syllable while saying the word aloud.

Sometimes for younger students or struggling students, you can also teach them how to break words apart into syllables by putting your hand under your chin. Say the word aloud and count each time you feel your jaw drop drop.

Play games with your students! Students always learn better when they are having fun! I do too, actually!

One of my favorite syllable games is: SYLLABLE SORTER! Here is how you play:

Syllable Cards

Syllable Cards

Syllable Sorting Game

Create a large stack of words with varying numbers of syllables

Mix the stack of word cards with the words facing down or place them in a paper bag

Draw one word and read it aloud

Say the word again, clapping your hands each time you hear a syllable

How many syllables does your word have?

Place your word in either the 1, 2, or 3 syllable box (to sort the words into syllables)

Phonics Fun game

I have a PHONICS FUN! Word Sort Kit on my Teachers Pay Teachers store,

Apple Tree Learning.
As I always tell teachers, you do NOT have to buy mine.

Syllable Sorter

You can easily make this on your own. But, if you are like most of my teacher friends, you probably don't have time. In that case, check out my kit:

PHONICS FUN: SYLLABLE SORT KIT!

If you do purchase my kit, it comes with two center games / activities, 136 syllable word cards, student handouts, a syllable challenge, and a FREE planner - Something to SMILE about... and more!

What fun phonics and syllable games do you use with your students?

I would love to hear from you!

jen :)

5 Ways to Encourage Reluctant Writers

2014-04-01T23:31:00.004-05:00

Dealing with Reluctant Writers Can Be a Daunting Task!

Becoming a Writer

There are just as many excuses as to why students don't want to write as there are topics to write about.

While many of these reasons are only excuses, there is also a long list of real reasons that may be keeping your students from getting down to the business of becoming REAL WRITERS.

poor knowledge
dyslexia
dysgraphia
lack of interest
lack of practice
boredom

If we want our students to embrace the process of writing, we MUST inspire them to want to write!

5 Ways to Encourage Reluctant Writers:

Make writing fun!
Help students find their creative side.
Teach students how to visualize and / or draw a picture before they begin writing.
Allow students to orally tell another student what they are going to write about before they ever pick up a pencil.
Use real photographs to help inspire students to write.

Writing Strategies

One of the most simple strategies that you can do with your students is to make it fun! Use games, activities, puzzles, drawing, posters, etc. to help your students have fun with writing.

Visualization isn't just for reading! We all know and LOVE Tanny McGregor for teaching us how to teach our students to use visualization to help them understand what they are reading.

Using Visualization to Write

We should be instructing our students to also use the visualization strategy to assist them in thinking of what they want to write. Visualization is great for adding details to writing!

If students are struggling with the process of visualization, we can make it even more simple for them. Encourage your students to draw a picture first!

Writing - Use Drawing as a Strategy

Many teachers tell their students that they must write their paper first, then, if there is time...they can draw a picture. Encourage your students to draw a detailed illustration first, then write a story about the picture they drew.

Let students draw before writing a story

Another writing strategy that is good for all students, but especially good for your ESL students is to have them tell a friend what they are going to write about. If they can orally tell what they want to say first, it will really help your students get going!

I saved my favorite writing activity for last! I have had the pleasure of teaching 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade over the last 17 years.

I have had the greatest success with using photographs with my students. Let me say that again. Using photographs will inspire your students to write!

I usually begin by doing this in a whole group setting and then I will transition my students to doing this in a small group, with a partner, or write independently.

Here is an example of the type of photograph that I use with my students:

Use photos to inspire writing

I begin by asking my students the following questions:

Where does this photo take place?
Who would you imagine this picture is about?
What do you notice about the picture?
What does the photo make you think about ~ what connections can you make?
How does the picture make you feel?
What would you do if you were part of this photo?
What kind of story can you make out of this photograph?

I have numerous activities that I have students do with the different photographs.

Inspire Writing with Pictures

I do have a PICTURE WRITING Kit in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store -

Apple Tree Learning.

The kit includes 7 writing activities, a writing checklist, and 54 colorful, interesting photograph cards.

You don't have to buy my kit to do this activity in your own classroom!

You can easily make one yourself.

What do you do to inspire and encourage reluctant writers in your classroom?

I would love to hear from you!

jen :)

Teachers: Have You Entered? Only 23 Hours Left to Win FREE Products!

2014-03-20T00:40:00.001-05:00

You have 23 hours left to win FREE educational products from my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Apple Tree Learning.

Have you entered? It is sooooo easy! All you have to do is click on the banner above or click right here. You will be asked a few short and sweet answers and then you will be all entered to WIN!

You will have your pick of ANY of my TPT items totaling $10. I have been known to add in a few more freebies if you find something you just can't live without.

Thank you and good luck!

jen :)

Getting Ready for Guided Reading - Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Make Your Life Easier!

2014-03-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

Are you just starting out or need to revamp your GUIDED READING?

Here is a valuable list of blog posts that will assist you in planning, strategizing, organizing, or implementing guided reading in your classroom.

Below you will find great pictures, articles, and suggestions for making your teaching life easier!

Ideas for Guided Reading

Guided Reading made easy -
A Day in First Grade by Kristen

The Next Step in Guided Reading, book study -
Fun in First by Jodi

Tips from my teacher days: getting started with reading -
Lemon Lime Adventures by Dayna

Guided Reading mini-lessons -
What the Teacher Wants by Natalie

Guided Reading Toolbox Linky -
Teacher by the Beach

Bright ideas - Guided Reading tips -
All Students Can Shine

Throwback Thursday - Guided Reading -
The Bubbly Blonde by Alisha

Getting started: the first 20 days of independent reading -
Balanced Literacy (printable pdf)

Get more out of Guided Reading -
Apple Tree Learning by Jen

Guided Reading Tips

What questions, comments or advice do you have about GUIDED READING? I would love to hear from you!

jen

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Teach with a Mini-Lesson & FREEBIE!

2014-03-16T19:35:00.000-05:00

Mini-Lessons REALLY Work!

Mini-Lesson FREEBIE

Mini-Lessons Should Be:

Short

Sweet

Super Successful

Mini-Lesson ~ Short

Short:

Exactly how long should I plan for my mini-lesson? A good rule of thumb for planning for the time I should spend on a mini-lesson is 1 minute for each year of the child.

Keep your lessons to the point ~ cut out all the nonessential fluffy stuff! Believe me, I know how difficult this is for us teachers.

For example, if your students are 6 years old, then spend 6 minutes on the mini-lesson. This time will be very short, so make sure that you are extremely well planned!

Mini-Lesson ~ Sweet

Sweet:

What do I mean by sweet? By sweet, I mean to make your mini-lesson memorable, interesting, and exciting. Wow!, this will take good planning.

Do something that will hold your student's attention. Examples: pull words out of a bag, sing a quick song, use lots of visuals and graphics, act it out, make a game out of everything, etc.

Mini-Lesson Successful

Super Successful:

You will find that spending less time on a much more focused lesson will result in greater learning! It seems crazy, but you will actually be "direct teaching" your whole group for less time and they will learn more. This is so exciting!

Mini + Lesson = AWESOME Learning

Using mini-lessons to teach will give you more time to spend with your students in small groups or guided reading groups. Yes! :)

Questions About Mini-Lessons

Questions I had when I started teaching with mini-lessons, as opposed to "maxi-lessons."

What about read alouds? How will I be able to read an entire book in that short amount of time? .....simple..... Read part of the book. It isn't absolutely necessary to read the entire book or text in one sitting. You can even read the book over a period of a week or read only a portion of the book and move on...

How will I have enough time to teach everything in such a short amount of time? .....simple..... You MUST be well planned and prepared. Without a focused lesson, you really won't have a lesson*.

TIP: Post your focus on the board so that you will be able to stick with it!

I need more! What is another idea for being able to teach everything in a shorter amount of time? .....simple..... Plan to break a larger lesson down into 3 or 4 mini-lessons. You will be spending less time on direct teaching and I promise you, your kids will learn MORE.

Seems like a miracle. A wonderful, wonderful miracle! :)

Mini-Lesson FREEBIE!

Click on the Mini-Lesson FREEBIE! clip art above to get your FREE Mini-Lesson Check List Planner.

What questions or concerns do you have about mini-lessons?

jen :)

Shoot the Bird and Get More Out of Guided Reading

2014-03-07T17:43:00.000-06:00

Shoot the Bird!

Guided Reading Information

I'm not talking about using the third digit on your right hand.

I'm talking about not relying on ROUND ROBIN READING as THE small group reading instruction and really planning for your student's guided reading.

The term "round robin" originated in France in the 17th century. Basically, people would write a letter to complain about something and then pass it around like a modern day petition letter.

If they were in agreement with the letter, the people would sign their names in a circle around the paper. They did this so that no one would know who first signed or created the document.

While this type of documentation allowed for total anonymity and worked in the 17th century, this doesn't really work for guided reading ~today~. We don't want our student's level of understanding to be anonymous to us.

As teachers, we MUST know the depth of where our students are in their reading progress and understanding. There are some very specific things that we can do to improve our instruction through planning more purposely.

Reading for Meaning

Important Foundation for Planning Guided Reading

Begin by assessing your student's reading progress so that you can determine their instructional reading level. You will see big reading gains when working with your students on their instructional level as opposed to their independent level. You will be right there guiding them along the way....hence...guided reading.

When students are practicing their reading independently, this is the time that you want to make sure that the text they are reading is on their independent reading level. We don't want them to struggle with reading on their own. We do want them to feel successful and gain confidence.

What if I don't have a formal reading assessment? You can use a running record that will give you valid reading information on your student. You will also need to ask comprehension questions along with focusing on the fluency and accuracy.

Just because a student can word call on a certain level, does not mean that they are REALLY reading on that level. They must have the comprehension component as well.

Analyze the results of the reading assessment to determine their strengths and weaknesses. What can your student already do well? What does your student still need to practice?

Reading progress

Look for strategies that need to be taught.

Are they lacking or missing word attack skills?
What about phonemic awareness?
Decoding skills?
Accuracy?
Fluency?
Comprehension?

Dig in deep and really think about what holes need to be filled.

Group your students! Either use their guided reading level or group your students by a needed teaching focus. If you group your students by their guided reading levels, make sure that you are working with them on their instructional level. This level will be slightly above their independent level, but you will be right there guiding them through the process.

Select a text that is on their instructional reading level. Yes, I am saying it again because this is a very important step to prepare them to move forward and be able to read on a higher level.

Reading resources

The text that you use to work with your students doesn't always have to be with a traditional guided reading book.

Some ideas for other texts: poetry, picture books, newspaper articles, etc. I have definitely learned this one the hard way, always read the text before handing it over to your students.

What does your student really need to learn to make a measurable amount of progress in reading?

I have three different Guided Reading Planners that I consistently use to help guide and plan my instruction with my intervention groups. The planners are for: 3 student groups, 4 student groups, and 5 student groups. I have used this same planner with Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.

Fountas & Pinnell, the Guided Reading gurus, have done research that proves if you want to make the most amount of progress with guiding reading, you really want to keep the groups as close to 3 students as possible.

Making progress with Guided Reading

Yes, I know. We don't live in fairy teaching land anymore. But, Fountas & Pinnell do say that if we keep the groups to 5 students and under that we will still make a good impact on improving reading.

Here are my Guided Reading Planners that have worked for me:

Guided Reading Planner for 5 students

Guided Reading Planner for 4 students

Guided Reading Planner for 3 students

Guided Reading Planning Kit

While these are the Guided Reading Planning forms that I use and I do sell them in a mini-kit on my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Apple Tree Learning, you don't have to buy mine.

You can easily make these forms for yourself. I created my guided reading planning documents in Word.

What do you use to help plan your guided reading groups?

jen :)

Springy Link-Up! Spring-time Learning Fun Link-Up

2014-03-02T15:12:00.002-06:00

Spring Link-Up FUN!

Spring Learning Resources

Perfect Spring-time products and FREEBIES for teachers!

Spring is just around the corner! If you are visiting my Apple Tree Learning Blog to get some really FABULOUS Spring teaching materials, you are in the right place.

....Keep reading, please! There are some amazing teacher created products below. You will pretty much be able to locate everything you need for Spring learning and FUN!

Learning Resources for Spring

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Dr. Seuss was Good at Being Bad! ~Teachers ONLY~

2014-02-28T20:07:00.002-06:00

Did you know that Dr. Seuss was a little bit of a bad boy?

Dr. Seuss.....

Invented the word NERD

Came up with the name Dr. Seuss while drinking gin

Was fired as editor of Dartmouth's College's humor magazine, The Jack-o-Lantern

You know, I've always kind of imagined that Dr. Seuss was more like Mr. Rogers than a bad boy! I think Dr. Seuss and I would have been friends in college!

I will share my new Dr. Seuss FREEBIE before sharing any more Seuss bad boy info with you.

Reader's Theater - Green Eggs and Ham Inspired by: Dr. Suess

I would love to share my FREE Green Eggs and Ham Reader's Theater Book. The Reader's Theater, Green Eggs and Ham, is a mini-book.

There is just something about a little book that kids LOVE!

Please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store: Apple Tree Learning to get your FREE copy. Here are a few of the pages that you will find inside the Reader's Theater booklet.

Green Eggs and Ham Reader's Theater

Green Eggs and Ham is a great book for working on rhyming, phonemic awareness, fluency, accuracy and comprehension.

Here are the links for you to read more funny bad boy facts about Dr. Seuss:

http://www.babble.com/baby/happy-birthday-dr-seuss-7-fascinating-facts-about-the-beloved-childrens-author/

http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/special_feature_150/180_special_feature.html

I'm looking for more fun facts about Dr. Seuss. LOL!

Any more bad boy info on Dr. Seuss?

jen

Education Discussion Forums and Chat Groups for Teachers

2014-02-27T21:10:00.004-06:00

List and Links to Educational Discussion Forums and Chat Groups for Teachers:

Discussion Forums for Teachers

I just hate it when I am desperately looking for an answer to an educational question and I come up empty handed.

Sometimes we forget that teachers are amazing sources of information. Reaching out to our fellow teachers for guidance and then helping other teachers in return is good karma for all of us!

Below are a few of my favorite teacher discussion boards and chat groups that I go to for advice when I am stumped! ...especially when I am looking for feedback and help with organizing.

The Teacher's Corner

ProTeacher

ESL Cafe

Texas Teachers Net

Ed Week

Collaborate iLearn

Heinemann Topics Forum

Primary Resource Center

World Forum Foundation

A to Z Teacher Stuff

Do you have a particular educational message board that is helpful to you? I would love to add to our list.

Jen :)

FREE Book Frenzy is Born - Fairy Tale Ebooks

2014-02-23T15:15:00.003-06:00

I think teachers are the only people in the whole world that actually steal office supplies, furniture, and their own children's belongings and bring them to the office!

Teachers LOVE free books

Kids need to read more books

I am always looking for free books for my students to read. I have found that kids really respond to digital books...sometimes even better than a "book in your hand" book.

I personally believe that nothing takes the place of the way a real book feels or smells .... but, that's just me. However, ebooks are easier for us to get our hands on and easier to store.

I am going to be finding FREE books to use in the classroom and I will be organizing them by genre. FREE BOOK FRENZY is born.

FREE Fairy Tale Ebooks
#Ebooks
#Kindle
#ipad

FREE copy of Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood, Newfangled Fairy Tales by Timothy Tocher

FREE Copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm

FREE copy of Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H.C. Hans Christian Andersen

FREE copy of The Girl Who Wanted to be a Princess, Newfangled Fairy Tales by Bruce Lansky

FREE Copy of Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki

FREE copy of Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie

These ebooks are Kindle ebooks, but you can use a Kindle app on ipad or iphone and still enjoy the books with your kiddos!

Do you have any good websites or resources that FREE books for students?

jen

#education

Why Teaching Your Students CAUSE & EFFECT is Important!

2014-02-18T21:53:00.000-06:00

Cause and Effect is an Important Skill to Use with Every Academic Discipline

TPT Cause & Effect

CAUSE & EFFECT:

encourages critical reading

inspires writing with indepth plots and characters that come alive

helps to make sense of regrouping

shows a relationship between historical events in reaction to one another

understanding the scientific method

Although we use cause & effect with every academic discipline area, teaching cause & effect can be daunting.

One of the most simple ways to introduce or review cause & effect is to use the following T-Chart:

You can begin by having students read sentences and inserting the words "because" and "so" into the sentences.

Here is a simple example:

CAUSE: I watched a scary movie.

EFFECT: I couldn't sleep last night.

Add the sentences to the chart.

You would read it aloud:

I watched a scary movie, so I couldn't sleep last night.

Because I watched a scary movie, I couldn't sleep last night.

The reason for an action.

We all know that kids thrive on learning through and playing with technology!

I LOVE THIS ACTIVITY! It is a fun-loving parody of Twitter... TWEETER.

The students use realistic looking TWEETS and have to match the CAUSE TWEETS to the EFFECT TWEETS.

Here are a few cause & effect posters that you may want to display in your classrooms. You could even make your own anchor chart and have students share their own examples of cause & effect words.

Check out the question stems below. You will want to display these in your classroom or keep the question stems handy so that you are staying true to precise cause & effect questioning.... without reinventing the wheel.

Using graphic organizers will really help your students with being able to organize their thinking while they are reading and writing. You will see better results if you model how to use the GO! (graphic organizers) Charts for your students. I like to use a variety of charts with students.

If you need resources for Cause & Effect, please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

Do you have an inspiring strategy that you use to encourage cause & effect with your students?

jen :)

#education

#comprehension

#causeandeffect

dcacaafc31d07b06ae8c2ac48c464253323995411556776a40

Classroom Organization Tool - FREE

2014-02-13T01:21:00.000-06:00

Do You Ever Feel Like There Aren't Enough Hours In The Day to Accomplish Everything You Need To Do?

Organization Tools for Teachers

Decide what's holding you back

Start with what's bugging you the most

Select a few powerful tools and GO FOR IT!

Although I don't have a full time classroom of my own every day, I do still work with students, teachers, and administrators every day.

You know, you would think that since I don't have a class full of kiddos, that I my office would be spotless...or "neat-ish".

Unfortunately, this week, "neat-ish" is even a stretch. As I was looking around trying to decide where to start, I came to the conclusion that it is time to get serious about organization. I really mean it this time.

In fact, I went home and put a few organizational documents together that I feel will be beneficial in helping me to get organized. The documents I created are ones that I can easily share with the teachers at my campus to help them and their students as well.

Organization tools for the classroom.

Since we all have different needs in our classrooms, the documents I created have different columns so that they would work for everyone.

Keep reading, I have included a link to a FREE Weekday Planner - Monday thru Friday Organizer.

*5 Column To Do Teacher Checklist

Teacher Checklist that can be broken down into 5 days, 5 students, 5 days of guided reading, 5 days of homework, etc.

*4 Column To Do Teacher Checklist

The 4 Column Checklist would be great for organizing supplies, field trips, or even projects.

*3 Column To Do Teacher Checklist

Great Checklist for planning and documenting intervention instruction.

*2 Column To Do Teacher Checklist

Checklist for those little daily to-do's.

*1 Column To Do Teacher Checklist

This Checklist only has one column so that you can really hone in and plan.

FREE!

*5 Day Planner - Monday thru Friday Organizer

FREE!

This organizer is great for quickly getting your thoughts down for planning for a 5 day time period.

What tools work for you in your classroom?

I love to see some pictures or hear what what is making a difference for you?

jen

#organize
#education

How to Post a Link in a Blogger Comment Box - Apple Tree Tech Tip

2014-02-09T14:54:00.003-06:00

Looking for a way to post a LINK to your blog or other site when using a comment box?

POST A LINK TO A COMMENT BOX

Link to your personal blog

Link to website

Link to document or photograph

While being on this fabulous Blogging journey, I have learned so much about technology. Sometimes it has been very simple to figure things out on my own and other times it has been a bit of a struggle to find the resources that I need.

Whenever I comment on another author's blog, I like to include a link back to my blog, especially if the subject matter is related to one of my posts.

I think it took me about 2 weeks to realize that when I thought I was leaving a link to my Apple Tree Learning blog, I was really just typing the address...with no link...

I put this simple, little graphic together for you so that you can save it to your computer and use it as a reference when you need it.

As the graphic above shows, it is a very simple process to post a link in a Blogger comment box.

Code: <a href="URL">TITLE</a>

Replace the URL with the URL of the site or document that you are linking

Replace the TITLE with the title of the site or document

You are more than welcome to use it as an informational piece on your blog as well. If you do include it on your blog, please link the graphic back to my blog.

If this helps you out or you have any more questions, please let me know.

jen

Reading FREEBIE! Phonemic Awareness Fun!!

2014-02-07T01:04:00.005-06:00

How to make sure your students are set up for reading success!

Nursery rhymes

Pictures or visuals

Riddles

Oral language play

Rhyming songs

Poetry

Most teachers understand that students need to have phonological awareness to become good readers...... they just don't know why.

Why?

The development of phonological awareness is important for overall reading progress.

Without phonemic awareness students may struggle with reading, even in upper elementary, high school or even in life.

Phonemic awareness helps students to understand and internalize the alphabetic principle. Having a good understanding of the alphabetic principle is absolutely imperative for students to be able to read words that are unknown to them.

For students that are lacking in phonemic awareness, letters and words can sometimes just look like garbled symbols or even unclear pictures. Phonemic awareness must be explicitly taught to pre-school, kinder, and 1st grade students.

While some children seem to "just pick up" on rhyming and blending sounds, most students need very explicit training and practice in this area. Even older students that don't have these skills should have these gaps filled to prevent difficulty with literacy later.

Rhyming, blending word parts orally, blending phonemes, segmenting sounds, deleting initial sounds, and deleting final sounds must all be mastered for a student to be fully developed in the reading area of phonemic awareness.

When you are working with students on these skills, you will want to begin instruction with oral language and the use of pictures.

As your students gain a greater understanding, you can transition your students and incorporate printed letters and words. Letter to sound linking is another important skill that you will need to explicitly work on with your students.

Here in the great state of Texas, we use the TPRI (Texas Primary Reading Inventory) as one of the tools to assess our student's reading progress. The TPRI also gives us useful data on their Phonemic Awareness level of understanding and a student's individual progress in reading in general.

There are numerous resources that can be used to find out where your students are with their level of understanding with Phonemic Awareness.

The most important thing is that you assess your students and find out where they are so that you can meet their needs accordingly. You can even easily create your own simple assessment. You will be able to do a pretty thorough assessment with only using spoken words and possibly some pictures.

It will benefit you and your students if you are able to find out which phonemic awareness skills they have mastered and which ones they are still lacking. I plan to share some assessments with you in the very near future and I will link them to this page for you.

I have a FREE Phonemic Awareness activity kit that is designed to aid your students in the development of this learning area. Besides the activities in my kit, the best thing you can do is to keep your students engaged! Your students should be actively engaged in activities such as:

Nursery rhymes

Pictures or visuals

Riddles

Oral language play

Rhyming songs

Poetry

Nursery rhymes, telling riddles, and even reading aloud to your students will aid them along their way in gaining the alphabetic principle and ultimately reading unknown words fluently.

Drop That Sound is a phonemic awareness mini-kit freebie for you to use with your kiddos! The Phonemic Awareness mini-kit focuses on the following:

Dropping the initial sound in a word spoken orally

Dropping the final sound in a word spoken orally

Included are picture cards with colorful clip art that I created for you to use with your students. Because you can not be with your students 24/7, the visuals in the kit will be a huge benefit to you. With using the picture cards, students will be able to practice independently, with a partner, or in a small group.

Your students will be more successful with these activities if you model for them or do the activities with your students several times before you turn them loose to work without you.

If you think that this Phonemic Awareness Kit - Drop That Sound would be beneficial for your students, please click to get a FREE copy to use with your kiddos.

Also, on my Teachers Pay Teachers Store- Apple Tree Learning, I have another Phonemic Awareness Kit that you might want to check out. It is a larger kit with more hands-on activities and lessons.

This kit - The First Sound!, focuses on isolating the initial sounds in oral language and spoken words. As with the other kit, I created the colorful clip art for the picture cards.

The First Sound also includes letter cards that you can use with your students once you see they are able to give you the beginning sound of a word that you are practicing with orally.

Little by little, you will transition your students to link the sounds to the letters.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog and I hope the freebie is useful for you and your students.

What are some oral language activities you do with your student to increase phonemic awareness knowledge?

SWEET LINKY! Happy Valentine's Day Friends!

2014-02-03T17:10:00.001-06:00

Dear Teacher Friends,

Happy ALMOST Valentine's Day! If you are visiting my Apple Tree Learning Blog to get really AWESOME Valentine's Day teaching materials, you are in the right place ....Keep reading, please! There are some amazing teacher created products below. You will pretty much be able to locate everything you need for literacy and math on that special day!

If you are a Teachers Pay Teachers seller, I am so excited for you to enter the link for your sweet Valentine's Day product! The educational materials / entries are for Valentine's Day Literacy and Math lessons, activities, centers, and good ole' learning FUN! You are welcome to link up either FREE or paid materials. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit Apple Tree Learning. Please read the post below for additional information and to contribute your link.

Thank you!

SWEET LINKY! Happy Valentine's Day Friends!

2014-01-30T17:08:00.001-06:00

How SWEET! Thank you for visiting my .... newly decorated ... Apple Tree Learning blog.

I am so excited for you to enter the link for your sweet product! Entries are for Valentine's Day Literacy and Math lessons, activities, centers, and good ole' learning FUN! Your link entries may be free or paid products.

Thank you and Happy Valentine's Day!

Keep following below to find the

Sweet LINKY LINK. :)

Just to share with you, here is one of my favorite SWEET Valentine's Day activities from my Happy Valentine's Day Kit for Reading, Writing & Math.

Included in the kit is an adorable Conversation Heart sorter for students to sort the different color candy hearts and count how many of each color. After the conversation hearts are sorted and counted, the data is added to the above Conversation Heart Graph.

Do You Have a Rhyme?

If your students need additional practice with phonemic awareness, especially rhyming, the above activity might just be perfect for you and your students! Students match sweet little heart shaped flowers to the appropriate rhyming flower. I also included a blank sheet if you would like to create your own rhyming flower cards.

Your students will love the

My Valentine's Day Book

that they can personalize...it's all about them, what they LOVE, and getting some additional writing practice! Parents will also be thrilled with this little book and enjoy keeping it as a keep sake for many years to come.

The Word & Sentence Order Activity

is a great practice for students to focus on sentence order, word order, and when to correctly use capitalization and punctuation correctly, etc. This strategy is one that Reading Recovery uses and I have had great results with using this strategy with my students over the years.

There are 171 pages of FUN in this Happy Valentine's Day Kit! Most of the activities are included in color and in black and white for your printing convenience. Thank you for taking a moment to look at my favorite Valentine's Day products.

Now, I would LOVE to see your favorite Valentine's Day Literacy & Math activities, centers, lessons, and FUN!

FREE VALENTINE'S DAY CLIP ART! I have just started creating clip art and I wold LOVE to treat you to some clip art for participating in my SWEET LINKY and for joining my email list. If you are interested in receiving a monthly newsletter, please send me your name, grade level, and email address. You will need to put the words: FREE CLIPART in the subject line, please. I will send you the FREE VALENTINE'S DAY CLIPART after receiving your email.

Email me :)

Linky below.

100th Day of School FUN!

2014-01-19T18:53:00.004-06:00

Guess what is coming up
just around the corner?

You guessed it! The ......

100th DAY OF SCHOOL! YEA!
*Keep reading below to get the
FREE
100th Day of School
Clip Art!*

Actually, I am having a really hard time believing that we have been in school for almost 100 days. Amazing! While we are all preparing for the BIG and fabulous day, I have some ideas and resources that might make your teaching life just a little bit easier....and more fun too.

One of my favorite strategies to use on the 100th day of school (or even the whole week) is the ever-famous

100's Chart.

There are so many ways we can utilize the hundred's chart to practice those foundational math concepts.

Filling in the missing number
Counting on
Counting back
Counting by 1's
Counting by 2's
Counting by 5's
Counting by 10's

Another useful and rather YUMMY strategy that you can use is the

CEREAL SORT AND GRAPH activity.

You will need to use your cereal of choice. I find it easiest to use

Fruit Loops

because there are six different flavors / colors in the cereal box and it is perfect for sorting and graphing. Target and Walmart also have their own generic colorful cereal versions and those work well too.

I first have students sort out the cereal by color
Count each color and write the number to the side
Time to move on to the graph....

CEREAL GRAPH

Next, have students apply the number of each color Fruit Loops to the graph
They will color in by 5's...so you might want to also discuss rounding numbers

QUESTIONS TO ASK

YOUR STUDENTS:

......Now it's time to compare!
What color cereal had the most?
What color cereal had the least amount?
Were any cereal colors equal?
Did you have any colors that you had zero pieces of cereal?
Put your numbers in order from the least amount to the greatest amount.
Put your numbers in order from the greatest amount to the least amount.

Now, the 100th Day of School doesn't have to be all about Math. We don't want to forget about Reading and Writing on this important day.

Kids LOVE to create their own books.... especially when the book is about themselves.

Kids can write about 100 topics:

100 things they love
100 places they would like to go to
100 things they like to eat
100 things they can draw
100 things they can do
100.......

Don't forget about just "good ol'" reading sight words. Encourage your kids to read 100 (OR MORE) sight words. Students can even time themselves, plan a goal, and challenge themselves to
BEAT THEIR OWN GOAL!

I would LOVE to share some FREE 100th Day of School CLIP ART with you. If you will just click on the pic / link below it will take you to my Teachers Pay Teachers account and you can download my FREE clip art.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR STUDENTS ON THE 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL?

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Your TESTING Fortune!

2014-01-09T19:44:00.001-06:00

Hello friends! Well, I would definitely rather be eating a steaming bowl of mooshoo pork and sipping on a little hot and sour soup.... rather than stressing out about upcoming assessments, but....teachers....that is our life. That is our life.

Along with our testing is ....you know it....

YOU KNOW HOW BADLY WE TEACHERS ARE STRESSED OUT! So, you can just imagine how badly our kiddos feel.

We need to remind our students that we just need to take a step back, expel the breath we're refusing to let go of, and focus on doing our VERY BEST!

Here are a few of my favorite STRESS BUSTERS.

Don't be a night owl. Go to bed early the night before the big test, or at least on time.

Feed your noodle. The morning of the test, eat a healthy breakfast.....FRUIT IS BRAIN FOOD! EAT SOME!

Arrive on time! Rushing around in the morning makes teachers and students very crazy....

Stay focused, but remain relaxed. I KNOW. I KNOW. It sounds impossible, but you can do it. Keep your brain on the test, but don't clench up.

Take a BRAIN BREAK when you need it. This goes right along with staying relaxed and not clenching your muscles (...even that brain muscle).... Take a deep breath and give those poor little noggins a rest.

Stay comfy! Remind your kids to bring a sweater, sweatshirt, or hoodie with them on the big day. Dress in layers. Some people get hot when they are anxious or worry, other people get cold and even shiver when they are stressed.

Stay loose! Be mindful of the way you are sitting in the chairs or at the desks. If you are slouching or hunched over the desk, you might begin to feel sore.

Let it go! EVERYONE IS GOING TO FEEL SOME STRESS WHEN TAKING A TEST! Just know it's going to happen. This is hard for kids....sometimes even harder on teachers. Why are we so hard on ourselves anyway?

Pace yourself ~ but, DON'T RUSH. Your students will feel more confident with this if you model it for them and show them how it's done. :)

Don't let the toe tapping bring you down. You know what this means guys. Don't get sucked in and get distracted by any of the pencil tappers or booger eaters. Really.

If you don't use it ~ you'll lose it. Use ALL of your time. Take your time .... look over your answers .... use the strategies that help you the most ....

Don't get stumped. Your kiddos are going to come across questions that they don't know. If you absolutely still don't know the answer after you have exhausted EVERY STRATEGY KNOWN TO MAN, let it go. Choose the answer that you believe makes the most sense and move on. Don't get stuck on a question that you WILL NEVER KNOW THE ANSWER TO.....

Last and most important, go have an adult beverage. Your job here is done. For today. {Oh, and yea, adults only on those special beverages....no kiddos.}

What stress busting strategies work best for you and the students in your class? I would love to hear from you.

Jen

Apple Tree Learning

FREE Clip Art - Summer Fun in the Sun FREE :)

Vocabulary Tutorial #2: Brain Buddies & Partner Talk FREEBIE!

Academic Vocabulary Mini Tutorial #1

One Size Does NOT Fit ALL ~ in Guided Reading! FREEBIE Forms!

How to Determine the Level of Text Used for Guided Reading

6 Common Symptoms of Dysgraphia

How do I know if My Child or Student Has Dysgraphia?

The National Center for Learning Disabilities defines dysgraphia as follows:

*Additional interventions and strategies can be found on the related paperwork, link here.

Tutorial: How to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

QR Codes in the Classroom?

Using QR Codes in the classroom is beneficial to you and your students. Learn how to generate your own QR codes to use with your students.

1. Go to http://www.qrstuff.com

2. Select your data type:

Website YouTube video iTunes link Plain text Email address Email message SMS message (text message) etc. 3. Type in the correct content. For example: website URL (http://www.....)

4. Select foreground color. Most people select black, but this website allows you to choose any color. FUN! Look for the QR code to my blog: Apple Tree Learning. I am really into teal these days, so I made mine teal. :O)

5. Press enter.

6. Download the QR code.

7. Save the QR code to your desktop.

8. Have fun! :)

Why Practicing Syllables Actually Helps Your Students Read and Spell Better!

Who would have known? Teaching syllables actually improves reading and spelling!

5 Ways to Encourage Reluctant Writers

Dealing with Reluctant Writers Can Be a Daunting Task!

Teachers: Have You Entered? Only 23 Hours Left to Win FREE Products!

Getting Ready for Guided Reading - Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Make Your Life Easier!

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Teach with a Mini-Lesson & FREEBIE!

Mini-Lessons REALLY Work!

Mini-Lessons Should Be:

How will I have enough time to teach everything in such a short amount of time? .....simple..... You MUST be well planned and prepared. Without a focused lesson, you really won't have a lesson.

TIP: Post your focus on the board so that you will be able to stick with it!

I need more! What is another idea for being able to teach everything in a shorter amount of time? .....simple..... Plan to break a larger lesson down into 3 or 4 mini-lessons. You will be spending less time on direct teaching and I promise you, your kids will learn MORE.

Seems like a miracle. A wonderful, wonderful miracle! :)

Shoot the Bird and Get More Out of Guided Reading

Shoot the Bird!

Important Foundation for Planning Guided Reading

Springy Link-Up! Spring-time Learning Fun Link-Up

Perfect Spring-time products and FREEBIES for teachers!

Dr. Seuss was Good at Being Bad! ~Teachers ONLY~

Invented the word NERD Came up with the name Dr. Seuss while drinking gin Was fired as editor of Dartmouth's College's humor magazine, The Jack-o-Lantern

Education Discussion Forums and Chat Groups for Teachers

The Teacher's Corner ProTeacher ESL Cafe Texas Teachers Net Ed Week Collaborate iLearn Heinemann Topics Forum Primary Resource Center World Forum Foundation A to Z Teacher Stuff

Do you have a particular educational message board that is helpful to you? I would love to add to our list. Jen :)

Top 9 Reasons that GUIDED READING Really Works

Are your students making progress in READING as fast as you would like them to be making?

Research shows that Guided Reading makes a difference on the quantity and the quality of your student's growth in literacy.

Here are the top 9 reasons that GUIDED READING really works!

students that are struggling students that are on level students that are above level, to push them even higher DIFFERENTIATING AND GIVING YOUR STUDENTS WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED!

FREE Book Frenzy is Born - Fairy Tale Ebooks

Teachers LOVE free books Kids need to read more books

Why Teaching Your Students CAUSE & EFFECT is Important!

Cause and Effect is an Important Skill to Use with Every Academic Discipline

encourages critical reading inspires writing with indepth plots and characters that come alive helps to make sense of regrouping shows a relationship between historical events in reaction to one another understanding the scientific method

CAUSE: I watched a scary movie. EFFECT: I couldn't sleep last night. Add the sentences to the chart. You would read it aloud:

I watched a scary movie, so I couldn't sleep last night. Because I watched a scary movie, I couldn't sleep last night. The reason for an action. We all know that kids thrive on learning through and playing with technology!

I LOVE THIS ACTIVITY! It is a fun-loving parody of Twitter... TWEETER.

The students use realistic looking TWEETS and have to match the CAUSE TWEETS to the EFFECT TWEETS.

Classroom Organization Tool - FREE

Decide what's holding you back Start with what's bugging you the most Select a few powerful tools and GO FOR IT!

How to Post a Link in a Blogger Comment Box - Apple Tree Tech Tip

POST A LINK TO A COMMENT BOX Link to your personal blog Link to website Link to document or photograph

Code: <a href="URL">TITLE</a> Replace the URL with the URL of the site or document that you are linking Replace the TITLE with the title of the site or document

Reading FREEBIE! Phonemic Awareness Fun!!

Nursery rhymes Pictures or visuals Riddles Oral language play Rhyming songs Poetry

Nursery rhymes Pictures or visuals Riddles Oral language play Rhyming songs Poetry

Dropping the initial sound in a word spoken orally Dropping the final sound in a word spoken orally

SWEET LINKY! Happy Valentine's Day Friends!

SWEET LINKY! Happy Valentine's Day Friends!

100th Day of School FUN!

Your TESTING Fortune!

Additional interventions and strategies can be found on the related paperwork, link here.*

Using QR Codes in the classroom is beneficial to you and your students.

Learn how to generate your own QR codes to use with your students.

Website

YouTube video

iTunes link

Plain text

Email address

Email message

SMS message (text message)

etc.

3. Type in the correct content. For example: website URL (http://www.....)

Invented the word NERD

Came up with the name Dr. Seuss while drinking gin

Was fired as editor of Dartmouth's College's humor magazine, The Jack-o-Lantern

The Teacher's Corner

ProTeacher

ESL Cafe

Texas Teachers Net

Ed Week

Collaborate iLearn

Heinemann Topics Forum

Primary Resource Center

World Forum Foundation

A to Z Teacher Stuff

Do you have a particular educational message board that is helpful to you? I would love to add to our list.

Jen :)

students that are struggling

students that are on level

students that are above level, to push them even higher

DIFFERENTIATING AND GIVING YOUR STUDENTS WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED!

Teachers LOVE free books

Kids need to read more books

encourages critical reading

inspires writing with indepth plots and characters that come alive

helps to make sense of regrouping

shows a relationship between historical events in reaction to one another

understanding the scientific method

CAUSE: I watched a scary movie.

EFFECT: I couldn't sleep last night.

Add the sentences to the chart.

You would read it aloud:

I watched a scary movie, so I couldn't sleep last night.

Because I watched a scary movie, I couldn't sleep last night.

The reason for an action.

We all know that kids thrive on learning through and playing with technology!

Decide what's holding you back

Start with what's bugging you the most

Select a few powerful tools and GO FOR IT!

POST A LINK TO A COMMENT BOX

Link to your personal blog

Link to website

Link to document or photograph

Code: <a href="URL">TITLE</a>

Replace the URL with the URL of the site or document that you are linking

Replace the TITLE with the title of the site or document

Nursery rhymes

Pictures or visuals

Riddles

Oral language play

Rhyming songs

Poetry

Nursery rhymes

Pictures or visuals

Riddles

Oral language play

Rhyming songs

Poetry

Dropping the initial sound in a word spoken orally

Dropping the final sound in a word spoken orally