As the year winds down

Wow!  I just realized today that the year is actually coming to a very quick end!  I filled in my lesson plans for the rest of the year and realized how little I will be spending with my actual students once I start testing.  I am really going to miss them all, but I know that I have made a difference.

I think if I had to go back to the classroom, I would go back to first grade.  I thought my heart was with the older kids, but I realize how much I LOVE first grade!  It is so fun to watch them grow as readers.  My lowest group is extra close to my heart.  I have seen them grow leaps and bounds!

 We have been using a lot of the sight word readers from Hubbard's Cupboard.  They are great because they come with the picture cards to go with the books.  Throughout the week, we read the book and do many different activities with the sight words.  At the beginning of the year, these kids could NOT even track print.  Now, they have mastered my favorite activity:  Match the sentences to the pictures.  Here is a picture of what we do.
After reading the book several times over several days, we do this activity.  I have written the sentences from the book on sentence strips and mixed them up.  I have also mixed up the cards.  The students look in the book and read the pages.  They then find the picture and the sentence.  Some of them were quite challenging, until they started looking past the first letters.  Now they do this with ease!

As I look back on this year, I know that I will take this one step further and fill in the blanks.  But this job is new to me, and I am still learning a lot!

I ordered my new camera yesterday from Staples, where I was able to use my gift cards.  I went for the red one this time!  Now I need to get a case to protect the booger!  Here is a picture of my new camera that I am patiently waiting for!
COOLPIX S8200COOLPIX-S8200 
I love this camera because it takes really fast pictures and gets really close!  Does anyone have any suggestions for a good case that will be easy to carry?  I had considered a really big titanium suitcase, but I think that is impractical!  Any suggestions would be great!
Until next time!

2 comments

  1. I love Hubbard's Cupboard, too! There are so many great resources:)

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  2. Hubbard's Cupboard is awesome!

    I would love for you to come visit me....I have TONS of word study *freebies*.

    If you use Stretchy Snake and Lips the Fish, I have activities with those too. My Firsties are very low when they come to me so I have lots and lots of intervention strategies and activities.

    I would love for you to consider following me back! =)


    Heather
    Heather's Heart

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