Five For Friday

 Thank you to Doodle Bug for hosting this weekly Linky!  I love sharing thoughts and ideas!


This has been an another awesome Summer Week!    I want to share the Top 5 things that I must have to start my year off in Kindergarten.

    

1.  Mr. Sketch markers -  I absolutely love these markers and use them all the time.   My students love the way they smell as I give them smilies throughout the day.  I love the bright colors as well.   It makes my anchor charts really bright and colorful!  

       

2.   Heidi Songs -  I ABSOLUTELY love these CD's/ DVD's. Click on the Heidi's Song picture above if you would like to check out more about these amazing songs! Heidi's songs have helped my students so much as we immerse ourselves in sight words with songs, movements and then books/ activities to support and reinforce our learning.      My colleague Laura and I have created a Yearly Sight Word Plan and Sight Word books to go with this plan.  We use Heidi songs everyday as we challenge our students to learn 105 sight words!  It's sounds like a lot of words, but my students are so successful and we have seen their reading grow immensely as they gain that automaticity of their sight words!  

   

Click on the picture to take a look at our yearly sight word plan and then click here to read My Sight Word Blog post about our amazing Yearly Sight Word Plan and Sight Word Books, etc.. to support our students learning.   You can also check out our Sight Word Books in my TPT store.

  

 

3.  Silhouette Cameo -  I love to create a very organized, purposeful and yet "pretty" classroom environment.    I am often at school more than I am at home so I want it to be some place i enjoy going as well as my students.       The Cameo has helped me to create labels,  vinyls, and awesome bulletin boards for my classroom.

 

4.  Children's Books!   -  I absolutely am in love with children's books!  My husband thinks that I have a serious problem.    I just ordered 3 more books today from Amazon that were recommended by a good friend.     Here are my top favorite children's books that we read and use in Writers and Readers Workshop repeatedly all year long,  they are a must in my book (pun intended - lol )      

Mo Willems (anything)    

Chalk by Bill Thomson        

   

Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell 

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

When Sophie Gets Angry...,  Really Really Angry...  by Molly Bang

A Ball for Daisy 

How to Heal A Broken Wing 

The Magic Fish 

Big Al 

The Day the Crayons Quit

I would love to hear about some of your must have Children's Books and how you use them in your classroom!  

 

5.   QT  White Peach Tea -  It's incredible.  I have to start every day with an XL cup full!    I can't seem to go a day without.    On the few that I have had to,  I am thinking about it all day until I can find a QT that has it again!    It's amazing!   

I am mentoring this year,  so I will be working in my classroom a lot next week getting ready so that I can be ready to help my new colleague!  I hope to have some great pictures for you then!  Be sure to stop in and check out Doodle Bugs blog to see what everyone else is up to!   

Blessings to you all! 

Angel  

TPT -  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Angel-Garrett

FB -   https://www.facebook.com/mrsgarrettsgroovykindergarten

Book Talk Tuesday

I am linking up with Deanna Jump to share some of my favorite books.   Personally,  I just finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn!   All I can say is "Oh My"!   What an emotional roller coaster.

On to one of my favorite kid books though!  I want to share about THE MAGIC FISH by Freya Littledale.  This has become one of mine and my kindergarten kiddos favorite books.

This is the story of a fisherman who earns the favor of a magic fish through his own good-heartedness. The fisherman tell his wife of his meeting with the Magic Fish and she demands that he go back and ask the fish to give them a better home than their tiny shack which the fish is happy to do,  but his wife is not content with that.  The wife then convinces  the fisherman to go ask the fish for more and more until she is Queen of the land and wants to be Queen of the Sun and the Stars.

Every time the fisherman goes to ask the fish for something else, the sea is stormier and angrier, although the fish says nothing. In the end, the fish decides that the wife has asked for too much, and so he takes away everything. 

One of my Kindergarteners last year after reading this book said,   " She just needs to learn to be happy and kind. "   Absolutely!   

There are so many great ideas and ways to use this book.  First of all,  it a great example of a fairytale/ fable and would be a way to learn about common types of text.   It is a pretty easy read and has a repetitive pattern so by the end of the year a number of my K kids were reading it for enjoyment.  

In Readers Workshop,  it would be a great book to talk about retelling and learning how to retell the beginning,  middle and end.  The illustrations are great and really support the story.   Also great to use for discussions about problem and solution and character analysis.  

In Writers Workshop,  it would be great for an illustration lesson on using background to tell part of the story (as the fisherman asks for more and more, the fish and the sea get angrier and angrier unit they have had enough) , learning to tell a story across the pages,  how to tell a story bit by bit and of course lots of ideas for conventions.   

I hope that you will come to love this story as much as I do!   

I am sure there are so many more ways to use this wonderful book.  I would love to hear from you about some of your favorite books and how you use them to support your students learning!   


Blessings to you all!
Angel

http://mrsgarrettsgroovykindergarten.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/mrsgarrettsgroovykindergarten

It's a Christmas in July Sale (Cool FREEBIES included)!

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I am so excited to share what I have been working on as well as tell you about my Christmas in July sale on my TPT store!

My TPT store will be having a SALE for the next three days.  Everything will be 20% off!  Wowza!
Click on the picture to visit my store!  

CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE!  20% OFF

NEW CLASSROOM DECOR

This is one of my favorite times of year as I begin to think and work on ideas for my classroom.  This year is even more exciting as I am moving into a new classroom!  Please check back for pictures of my classroom as I begin working on it in earnest this coming week.  I am so excited as I have started with a new theme.    FUNKY SUPER STARS!   I have a couple of freebies for you from this classroom set:  HERE ARE TWO FREEBIES FOR YOU!     Here is a set of Cubby Tags and Desk Plates as well as  Classroom Helpers Job Chart Cards.   They are so super cute! (if I do say so myself).  Just click on the cover pics below!

           

 If you love this set as much as I do,   you can click on the link below to go to my TPT store and pick up my Funky Super Stars Classroom Decor set!

 Here's what's all included:   Number Line with ten frames,  2D & 3D Shape posters,  Desk Plates,  Behavior Clip Chart,  Cubby Tags,  Color Posters (large and 1/2 size),  4 different Bulletin Board Pennant Headings,  Alphabet Line,  Table Number Posters,  Word Wall header and Alphabet headers, Daily Schedule,  Class Library labels,  Birthday Wall,  Secret Date Numbers,  Beginning of the Year Bulletin Board (everything you need)!   Everything you need for a Funky Super Star Classroom!

You also can check out my Pete the Cat Classroom Decor (2 different backgrounds) or Monster, Monster Oh So Cute Classroom Decor if you are interested!      Here are FREEBIE classroom jobs for each of those as well! I just want to thank you for following my blog!    I hope you enjoy them!  Click on the picture to get yours!   

                   

I hope that you are getting excited to start thinking about getting your classroom set up too!  It's one of my favorite things!    Keep checking back as I'll be posting pics as I work on my room!   Click on the side button to follow me on Facebook too!   

Blessings to you all!  

Angel 

Book Talk Tuesday (Linky)

Thank you so much Deanna for hosting this weekly linky.   I am loving reading about all the great books that everyone is enjoying!  (And getting some new ideas for sure) .

Oh my goodness,  I could not wait to get home today to share about this awesome book that I finished up last week.    I can not say enough good things about it.  It is such a great read.  I was shocked, I laughed, I cried and really felt the struggles through the characters.    I am talking about the book Wonder by R J Palacio

This book is such a gem.   It was written for middle school ages,  but is an emotional and very special story of acceptance of/ and for all people.    Wonder is a book about August,  a fifth grader who is in his first year of public school after being home schooled for many years.   August's face is severely deformed (from birth) but after much discussion and struggle he and his family agree that it is time to try to go to  school.   The chapters of this book are broken down into the voices of different people in the story.    The amazing thing about this book for me is the growth that we see take place in August and the people (adults and children alike) around him.  August just wants to be "normal" and accepted.   One of my favorite quotes from the book is when August is feeling excited and happy for his sister Via after she played the lead in "Our Town",  he said  "I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life".   I love that!   

 There are so many positive adult role models in this book who are a champion for August.   As a teacher,  it struck me over and over again at the importance of how we treat children with great need.   We must be their champion.    

This book is obviously written for middle school ages (I think it should be a must read for all middle school children in fact. ),  but ALL will enjoy this special story of love and acceptance.     It is just a terrific book about striving to be better to one another and learning from our mistakes.   It is an uplifting read.  

Hurry!  Go get it now!  

Blessings to you, 

Angel  

Let's Talk About Books Linky

I am linking up today with Deanna Jump's Book Talk Tuesday!   

I am so  excited to share about one of my favorite books ever.  I love the book 

The Day the Crayons Quit!  

One of my favorite things every is that my sweet sister sent this to me as a gift for my class last year.  I had not read it before but it has quickly become one of my favorites.    I have the sweetest sis! 

Quick synopsis :  This is the story of Duncan who open up his crayon box and just wants to color.  But when he opens up his box of crayons,  he only finds letters -  all pretty much saying the same thing.  He crayons have had enough.   They all quit.  Red is tired.  Beige is bored.  Pink wants more color time.  Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Orange and Yellow aren't talking because each one believes he is the true color of the sun.   Peach is naked (we had a good laugh at that)!   The result of all this letter writing is that Duncan begins to be sure to use his crayons to create a great masterpiece and shows that they all have a purpose.    I will never look at my crayons the same way again!  

Besides enjoying a great story,  this book has many great purposes for Readers and Writers Workshop.    Readers will enjoy learning the parts of a book,  what authors and illustrators do and being able to tell about the events of the story.   I also use this to compare adventures and experiences with other text,  like My Crayons Talk.     Writers will enjoy using this text to learn about adding wonderful illustrations,  backgrounds,  outlining,  good color choice, etc. as well as all kinds of other text features - spacing,  punctuation,  etc..    This book can also be used to teach story structure, such as major events and problem/ solution.   

Overall,  it is a great book to share with your class from the first week of school to the last!   

I would love to hear about your favorite kids books and how you use them!   Leave a comment below to share your thoughts!  

Blessings to you all,

Angel  

Why I Love Pete the Cat and How You Can too! (freebie included)

 

Click on the pictures to go to Amazon to get each book!  

Pete the Cat!  Oh he's my favorite!    I hope that you have gotten to know or will come to know and love this adorable cool cat as much as I do!   This series of books are so near and dear to me.  It is absolutely one of the first books that I read to my students.    The reason why is there are so many amazing character lessons to help get our classroom off to a great start to the year.     Because no matter what,  it's all good!   You can hear my students repeatedly throughout the year using the phrasing,  Groovy!,  Did Pete Cry,  goodness no...?      ____ may come and ______ may go.. , but we keep on singing (working) all day long.
 
We read Pete the Cat I Love my White Shoes first thing and then we go on a tour of the school to see if we can find him.  He has "left" various colored shoes with information on them for us to follow his trail as we learn about the different parts of the school.    The shoes lead us back to the classroom where Pete has left us a treat (a bag of skittles usually) and a note.  We then read the book Pete the Cat Rockin' in My School Shoes and talk about the different parts of the school that we saw guessing what it was that Pete saw.  Click here to get this really cute set:   Pete the Cat School Tour!

As we begin to create our class rules,  we talk about how Pete handled struggles in his day.  Did Pete cry?...  what could we do if something happens,  etc...  It is amazing to me how they always pick up so quickly on how to make a better choice because of their Pete connections.

I use Pete everywhere throughout my classroom.   I have two different sets of Pete Classroom decor in my TpT store if you are interested.   The newest is with some awesome primary color backgrounds.  So cute..     I have so many Pete themed products that encourage my students to always do their best and to make it a groovy day.      Here are some of my favorites.  Click the pictures to find them in my store.  I hope that you like them too!

That Cute Cat Classroom Decor in Primary Colors :

This is on sale for the next 48 hours in my TpT store!  

My Original Pete the Cat Classroom Bundle ( Be sure to read the details to see all the great items that are in this bundle!  )

                                   

One of my favorite activities at the beginning of the year is learning to know the difference between a letter,  a word and a sentence.  I created this activity to help my students get a much better grasp on it.   I introduce it as a small group activity and then it moves to my pocket chart center and we add a response sheet to help students stay accountable and help me to quickly know if they are understanding the difference between a letter, a word and a sentence.   I have heard such great positive feedback on this activity!    Is It a Letter, Word or Sentence Sort?

                     

                             

I have so many other ways that I use Pete throughout the year!  Be sure follow my blog and FB  page to stay updated on the latest things going on in my groovy room!

I want to thank you for following my blog and keeping up with what's going on  in my world.  Here is a wonderful set of Pete the Cat Thank You cards and a To Do List to help you stay organized.  

              

Enjoy!  

I would love to hear who you use Pete with your kiddos and any questions, suggestions or ideas you have!

Blessings to you all,
Angel