Star Light, Star Bright - I Want to Practice "My Star Words" Tonight!

We have a lot of teachers asking us about our "Star Cards" that we use in our classroom.   This is one of the homework teaching tools that we could NOT live without!  And....now you can have it in your classroom, too!  

As an incentive to learn high frequency words each student is given a "punch star card" to track which star words they have mastered.  The greatest part is that  this homework tool is self-paced!  

Each student will start with “star card” #1.  Also, a set of high frequency word flashcards will be sent home with each student to keep and practice with their parents.  The greatest thing is this homework tool is self-paced! 

Once a student has all of the star words punched on their card, they will receive the next set of flashcards and “punch card”.  It is your choice to give a little treat for mastering each card.  We use a Starburst™ as a reward!

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Click {right here} to go to our Teachers Notebook Shop

We have used these cards in our Kindergarten classrooms for the past two years with fantastic results for mastery of the Pre-primer, Primer, and (even some) First-Grade Sight Words. 
Our children are so excited about the Star Word punch cards that they keep working on them until the last week of school… no kidding! If you're interested in these units, you can find them in our TPT & Teachers Notebook shops!  Just click on the links above!!! 

Thanks bunches for reading!  
Amber & LuAnn

Bear Hugs And Pre-K Teddy Unit!

Pre-K / 4K / Pre-school....Try this Teddy Bear Unit out in your classroom at the beginning of the school year, and I promise your kiddos will love it! 

Here are some snapshots of the Teddy Bear centers in this unit!

Booklet introducing positional words.  Some of the pages are displayed!

And many more activities working with upper-case letters, colors, and writing numbers.  Click (here) to see this unit in TpT and click {right here} to see our unit in Teachers Notebook.  Thanks!   

Begin your unit reading the book...Bear in Underwear. 
 

Your students will be using speech bubbles in their journals for the rest of the year after reading this story!  Click {right here} to check out Chalk Talk's Bear in Underwear post.  Too cute!

What kiddo wouldn't love to stuff and unstuff a teddy bear in the sensory table!?!

I know there are so many FABULOUS units on TpT & Teachers Notebook.  We just want you to know we appreciate YOU SO MUCH and are grateful that you believe in our work. 

Can you believe that it is almost the school year? Geez...This year is flying by way too fast!!

Much Love, 

Amber & LuAnn

Happy Mother's Day

There's this boy who stole my heart...he calls me mom!  Cayden and I spent a wonderful afternoon together riding dirt bikes and planting trees.   

 He is so lucky to have LuAnn in his life, too!  Friends make the world go around!!! 

 Don't ya just love the training wheels!?! 

6-400 is Cayden's favorite number.  So....with the help of a cricket, we made the number 4 into 6-400.  

This was one happy boy!   

Because this day makes me so happy...if you leave a sweet comment by Monday night at 9 pm...I will have Cayden pick a "Special" number...and that person can choose one item from our TPT or Teachers Notebook store for FREE.  

Have a fabulous week!  

Amber 

Thank you so, so, so much!

There is not enough time for us to list all the fantastic ideas we have found from so many amazing bloggers.   Please know that you make a difference in our lives and can enjoy 28 % off our TPT store May 7-8.  Thank you so, so, so much!

We are linking up with Learning With Mrs Leeby.  Check it out by clicking {right here}!  Again….thanks for reminding us why we teach early learners!  

Amber & LuAnn

My Work Rocks Box

Looking for a way to make your kindergartners produce quality work each and every day ~ so it becomes a "habit" for them to be very proud of creating nice and neat work daily!?!  Try...My Work Rocks Box!

All you have to do is create a special pencil box full of new Twistable Crayola Crayons and Colored Pencils, a mechanical pencil, glue stick, eraser, and a pair of scissors.  

How do the kiddos get to USE the special box?  They have to earn it through producing NICE and NEAT work!  The "My Work Rocks!" BOX will be theirs to use for one day, along with a little award to take home and share with their parents.  I am guessing that their friends at the table will be "jealous" enough to try and earn the box for themselves!

Click here to see more ideas for Kindergarten!

LuAnn & Amber 

Friends like you make life "SPARKLE"!

Each year you search for the that one special person to come to your school and inspire the students....I could not have been in a better place at the right time.  I met Debbie Clement (again) at the UW~Stout  35th Early Childhood Conference this past weekend.  With open arms...she came to our school and put on the most amazing  performance.  She kept our students engaged AT ALL TIMES! 

One student...who thinks EVERYTHING is boring and he is not going to learn a thing said on the way out of Debbie's assembly...Mrs. Teacher please tell me she is coming back again!  

Here is the greatest news....she is the opening keynote speaker at the I teach K SDE conference in Vegas.  LuAnn & I were not going to go to the conference until July 2014...but we might have to have a couple bake sales or lemonade stands to fund our trip this year!  You don't want to miss her!  Click {right here}to learn more about it! 

If you would like Debbie Clement to come to your school.  Click {right here} to learn about all her workshops!  "Basically what I am telling you is get Debbie to your school NOW!" Quote by Greg at Kindergarten Smorgasboard.  Greg also blogged about Debbie Clement.  If Greg blogged about her...she is something!!!  Click {here} to check out A Kindergarten Smorgasboard post on a Day of AWESOMENESS!

You can have Debbie in your classroom tomorrow.  Just...click {right here now}to go to her TPT shop.  Debbie's books are AMAZING and the lyrics she has to go along with those songs are BEAUTIFUL!  Your kids will LOVE these songs!  I am going to use the song "Glad I'm At School"  each morning to start out each day on a positive note! 

You have to take the time to check out Debbie's blog.  Click {right here} to go to Rainbows Within Reach!  THANK YOU Debbie for your words, your music, your heart, and your time.  

Thanks for reading, Amber