The Best Retelling of "The Mitten" Ever!

Some of "The Mitten" characters.  

We listen to the story, "The Mitten"
by Jan Brett on YouTube.  

Kim Adsit shared that it was
good to retell a story
looking at the pages through a book.
The students do not need to retell by heart!

We sang, "The Mitten" Song, by Can Teach
as we retold the story and acted it out. 

The students loved acting (hopping, trots, climbs, etc)
into the mitten.
The animals make some pretty strange noises too.  HA!

They just LOOOOVED when the bear sneezed
and they all came out! 

Here is a video of us in action! 

While I was in college I made this activity for one of my classes.  Can you believe 8 college students fit in the mitten!?!  It is still one of my favorite lessons to do with my kiddos!  I made the mitten by cutting two sheets into a mitten shape and sewed them together.  Most of the character pieces are headbands and felt pieces to resemble the animals. 
  We hope you enjoyed this post! 

RtI Resource...in LOVE!

Ya know when something works great in your classroom...you want to SHARE with every other teacher you know!   Today...that happened!
During my RtI group, I used the  "All-In-One Intervention Resource"  by Abby Mullins "The Inspired Apple".

This week we are working on the "short a" vowel sound.
I have to say....the 30 minutes went so quick and all my students were engaged...THE WHOLE TIME!
Here are some pictures of our routine....for the next 5 weeks!

First....I introduced "short a" words that will be in our emergent reader.
The students sounded out the word as a class and then I flipped over the card to show the picture to see if they are right. 

 

Next, we read the story "Cat and Rat" together.
I read a page while the students followed along pointing to the words.
Then the students echo read the page until the book is finished. 

The students paired up to read the story again around the classroom. 

Finally, the students worked in small groups completing the "Spin & Write" Worksheet. 

You can find all these activities AND MORE in her
TpT Shop! 

Birthday Day of FUN!

As a class the students took turns pulling an item out of the birthday bag.
They would say the name of the item and then name the vowel sound heard.
Then we would write the word on the correct line. 

I would blow a birthday blower.  The students would shout the number.  Then they would write that number and the next three numbers on the recording sheet. 

First, I read "For My Birthday" to the class.  The book gives examples of items that I would like for my birthday and an item that I would not like for my birthday.
I would like a vacation.
I would like an iPad.
I would like a book.
But I would not like a dragon!
The last page says...Don't forget to eat cake!

As a class, we brainstormed more ideas of "what we would like" and "what we would not like" for our birthday.  

The students each got a birthday hat with a rhyming word on it.  Then they had to walk around the room to find their rhyming partner.   

When they found their partner, they locked arms.
As a class we reviewed all the rhyming words. 

The students found a place in the classroom and tried to write 8 more words that rhymed.    

We discussed if the word was a "real" or "silly" word. 

The students had a POPPIN' good time making words.
First, they had to pop the balloon by sitting on it.
Then the students built a word with the letter tiles inside. 

We shared our words with the class and recorded them on the worksheet. 

You will find all these activities in our 

"Happy Birthday To Me" unit. 
Click RIGHT HERE to check out this unit in our TpT shop.  
You and your students will have a BLAST learning together! 

GIVEAWAY TIME!
Would like to win all these items pictured above with our "Happy Birthday To Me" Unit!?!

All you have to do is leave a comment below (with e-mail address) and we will choose a winner Saturday night (1/23)!

Melt-An-Ice Cube Game

I have been playing this game in my classroom since I was a "student teacher"!
I have re-made the sheet for the students to follow because my original was copied MANY times!
I also have changed the wording from "10 Seconds" to "10 Counts" for my kiddos.  

If the students roll a 1...they will hold it for 10 counts. 

If the students roll a 2...they will drop it down their shirt.
Yes...they can't wait to roll a 2!

If they roll a 3...they blow on it for 10 counts. 

If they roll a 4...they drop it. 

If they roll a 5...they put it in salt for 10 counts. 

If they roll a 6...they float it in water for 10 counts.
See the boy in the background more interested in this center than the one he was working on!?!
I don't blame him...it is so much fun!

CLICK RIGHT HERE   if you would like this FREEBIE for your classroom!