piglets and kids...

We had a moo-velous time this week studying farm animals. The kids got really into it and that always makes it that much more engaging and fruitful. Here are some pics from our centers and small group time.

Our writing concept this week was making lists, so we carried that into our science studies. Here are two very different examples of our list of farm animals. This is just a glimpse of the range in my class, which I'm sure you all can relate too as well!

 I love this -or and -ar sorting activity from Deanna Jump's Fun on the Farm pack. I paired my high and low kids together and it worked out so well. Everyone definitely benefited from it.

 I also had my students stamping sight words, taken from my farm unit. Click on the pic to go to TpT to see the entire unit.

More sight words and some beginning sounds as well

 

One more Deanna Jump farm center. Roll a farm animal.

 

I found a great, short video online about farm animals. It was very kid friendly and gave a lot of good information. We developed a chart based on what we heard in the video. Click here to see the video!

I can't believe we've just wrapped up November! Loving our cool So Cal weather and definitely looking forward to some holiday fun ahead! In fact, before I left work today, I just HAD to make the fall to winter transition :) What is your favorite Christmas season activity or decoration?

Hope you all have a great, relaxing weekend!
Adrienne

So blessed!

I am so honored to have been nominated by Jessica, at Wild About Firsties, for the Liebster Award.  This award is for new bloggers with less than 200 followers and helps to find other new blogs with less than 200 followers! Thank you, Jessica!

Here are the rules:
1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them in your post.
5. You cannot "tag back" the other blog, but leave a comment on this post with URL of your Liebster post so I can learn more about you and see who you nominate.

Here are 11 random things about me:

1. I love polka dots

2. I love polka dots

3. I love polka dots (seriously, i love them enough to list it three times!)

4. I'm 6 feet tall

5. I'm an auntie of two

6. My next project is to learn how to sew

7. I'm 100% Italian

8. I had the wonderful opportunity to teach in Okinawa, Japan for a year. One word, AMAZING!

9. I teach at the school I attended as a child

10. I watch Gilmore Girls on a regular basis..It's another problem I have, in addition to crafting 

11. If I weren't a teacher, I'd want to be a baker 

Here are the 11 questions from Wild About Firsties:
1. How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching for 8 years. 5 in first grade, 1 in pre-k, and 2 in Kindergarten. Let me tell ya, Kindergarten rocks!!
2. Who is your favorite author?
Mo Willems :) 
3. What is your favorite subject to teach?
I love teaching my kiddos how to read!
4. Do you have a special talent?
Hmm, at the moment I really can't think of anything...5.  What do you do when you are not teaching?
Craft. I definitely have a crafting problem, which is only made worse because of Pinterest.
6. What is your favorite movie?
Hmm so hard to narrow it down. The Italian Job is definitely one of my favorites!
7. How long have you been blogging?
I started blogging in 2008 when I left for a year to teach in Okinawa, Japan...actually it's the same blog I have now, just renamed :) 
8. What are your plans for Christmas this year?
I plan on listening to LOTS of christmas music and going to see LOTS of christmas lights and enjoying LOTS of time with family and friends :)
9. What websites do you visit most often?
PINTEREST! 
10. Do you have children of your own?
Nope, though most days it feels like i have 18 children ;)
11. If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Thailand! I've been dying to visit!

Here are the 11 questions I have for the blogs I've nominated:
1. What state do you teach in?
2. How many years have you been teaching?
3. Which holiday is your favorite? Why?
4. Do you sing with your students? If so, what song is your favorite?
5.  Coffee or tea?
6. Chocolate or vanilla?
7. What is your favorite book to read to your students?
8. Tell me about your favorite vacation.
9. What do you like to do in your free time?
10. What is your favorite Apple product?
11. What is your favorite snack?

Here are the 11 blogs I'm Nominating:
1. Mrs. Fullmer's Kinders
2. Teach *Pray* Love
3. Klassy Kinders
4. 1st Grade Hip Hip Hooray!
5. A Neighborhood Kindergarten
6. Tangled with Teaching
7. Ketchen's Kindergarten
8. Kelly and Kim's Kindergarten Kreations
9. Ms. Shope's Class
10. Mrs. Hill's Heroes
11. First Grade Shenanigans

SALE! SALE! SALE!

Looking for new, fun and exciting, activities for your kiddos? Teachers Pay Teachers is having a Cyber Monday and Tuesday sale, November 26 and 27! All products in my store will be 20% off, and if you enter the TpT promo code you'll save another 10%! You can shop from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas! How can you beat that?!?! Click here to visit my store!

We Give Thanks!

I absolutely love the holidays! It's such a fun time of year and there's so much fun to do with the kiddos! This week, we're continuing our Thanksgiving activties. I've got to get it all in by next Wednesday, since it follows with Parent/teacher conferences then our Thanksgiving break. So much to do, so little time.

Mayflower Numbers- This center focuses on matching a number, math fact, tally, and picture all on a picture of the mayflower. I was so proud of my kiddos and how they figured how much easier it'd be if they sorted each category (see pic below)

Click on the picture to view this product

The next two pictures are activities from my Thanksgiving FREEBIE. We're working on unscrambling sight words and clapping out syllables.

Click on the picture to download FREEBIE

I've had a great time watching the kiddos work together putting together our learning puzzles. This week's focus is on counting. Once they have their puzzles up, they're working on writing their numbers.

Click on the picture to view the product

This student is doing a fabulous job thinking of 4 things she's thankful for then drawing a picture and labeling. The title of the paper reads "It is good to give thanks to the Lord" Click here if you'd like a download.

Gobble Gobble!

I am so excited about this turkey sight word activity! I love it when I am able to find an, already wonderful, activity then think of new ways to add to it or make it work in my room! So, thanks to Donna Glynn and her adorable Turkey Scramble, my kiddos are having a blast making their 'Turkey Words' book.

I put together this title page using the wonderful clip art at mycutegraphics.com.

Click here to download title page.

 Each student's book will be just a little different from the others. First, I divided my class into two groups. Each group will be doing a different word each day (for the next 10 school days), depending on where they are in sight word fluency. Then, I decided to present the students with a challenge. If they choose to take it on, they will add a sentence strip at the bottom of the page using their word in a sentence. The picture above shows a page with just the turkey word. The picture below shows an example of a page with a sentence. All but two took the challenge today, and did a wonderful job!

Can't wait for the finished product!!

Teachers Helping Teachers

Living in Southern California, it's hard to fathom the intensity of loss from a storm. The east coast has suffered so much devastation from Sandy. There is no way to replace all that was lost but we can help, even if just a little. The thought reaches far deeper than we may know. If you're interested in donating materials to the teachers who lost so much, please click this link! Laurah from The ESOL Odyssey has set this all up!

Red cup saves the day!

Am I the only one that gets giddy the day these cups hit Starbucks?!?! The day after Halloween is always a very interesting day with the kids all sugared up, on less sleep, but with this cup, all is well! :)