New Products

Hi, friends!  It's been awhile since I have blogged.  I have been busy after traveling to Minnesota to see my mother in law's new cabin.  I have also been getting ready for our garage sale.  In between those things, however, I've found time to create some new products!  Today I am sharing them with you!  You can click the cover of each product to view the description and price on TpT.

1.  I HAVE, WHO HAS GAME BUNDLE--I love I Have, Who Has games!  They are fast paced and great for vocabulary development in our kindergarten and first grade students.  I have the games available for individual purchase but you can also grab the bundle to save $$ and receive all future games for free.

2.  PARTS OF SPEECH BUNDLE--These activities are AWESOME for literacy centers!  There is not a lot of prep and they make a great spiral review of nouns, verbs, and adjectives.  Each pack has three sets of cards, (nouns, verbs, adjectives) and you can choose which you want your kids to work on that day/week as a center activity.  The thematic graphics/vocabulary are also great for building word knowledge.  Again, these are available individually but save $$ with the bundle and get all future packs for free.

3.  CVC CUT/GLUE/WRITE--These printables are great for extra practice with cvc words.  Just select the pages you want to use (separated by vowel) and go!  Kids select a few pictures/words, cut them out, glue them, and write sentences with them.  A sentence rubric is included.  Great supplement for any Phonics program!  **All of my Cut/Glue/Write packs are bundled to save extra $$**  I am including the bundle below, as well.

4.  PASSWORD OF THE DAY BOARD--I am so excited about using this in my class this year!  This is a set of the Fry's First 100 sight word cards and letter cards.  This is going to be an excellent review of sight words for my kids each day as they enter the room.  Requiring them to point to each letter and say it is also wonderful practice.  To read about how to put this board together (great summer project!!), click the cover and check out the description on TpT.

5.  EMOJI PARTNER MATCHING CARDS--No more fighting over who your partner is!  Find the match to your emoji and get started on the activity/game!  I'm really looking forward to using these this year!

6.  MONTHLY BINDER COVERS--Who doesn't love crisp binder covers and spines?!  This set of 12 color and b/w binder covers will help you organize your monthly files.  Several spine options included in both color and b/w as well.

7.  COLOR WORD POSTERS--I am super excited to use these in my room this year!  A fresh set of color word posters are going to look great hanging on my cabinet.  I printed 4 to a page so that I have "mini" posters.

8.  CVC STAMPING BOOKS--These make a FUN and simple center!  These are my go-to for literacy centers!  Two versions of the pages included for differentiation.  You choose the vowel(s) you want to include in the book...work on one in isolation or add a few for a spiral review.  I'm also including a link for my favorite letter stamps and ink pads below!  *affiliate*

  

So as you can see, I've been busy creating this summer!  Hope you found some useful new products for your classroom!  Be sure you're following me on Instagram!  I post products half off for the first 10 people!  I'm @mrswheeler 44

xo
Megan

Pass the Plate

I love finding new sight word games for my kids!  Earlier in the year, I saw Lori's post about a fun game called "Pass the Plate."  I added making this game to my summer to-do list and I just made it a few days ago.  To make, you need paper plates and Avery sticker labels.  You could get away without using labels if you prefer to write the words.  We learn 100 sight words in first grade, so I wasn't going to write them all out on plates!  *I purchased the small paper plates that are colored because they are a little more sturdy than the little ones at the grocery stores.

Begin by typing out your sight words onto labels and printing them.  For our sight words, we have lists 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, so I also printed a set of those labels.  Place one label on each plate.  I added a corresponding "1a, 1b, 1c, 1d" on the back so I could quickly differentiate what list we are playing with.  I stored each list of plates in a separate gallon Ziploc bag.  

To play, have kids sit in a circle on the floor and give each one a plate.  Play some music.  When the music stops, have the kids read their word aloud.  Repeat.  Such a simple and fun game!

Click the picture below to see more sight word games! 

To purchase all of my sight word games in a big, money-saving bundle, click the cover below!

xo

Megan 

NEW Sight Word Activity!

It's May and we have 7 days of school left.  I try to keep the same daily routine as long as humanly possible because let's face it, the minute the routine disappears, the crazier the kids get!  Included in my daily routine this time of year is literacy centers!  We do them up until the very last day of school.

For said literacy centers, I added a Roll and Trace game as something new.  This game has been a HIT!  The kids are obsessed with rolling the cube and also with using markers during centers.  I'm loving it because it's such minimal prep.  To get this center ready, select the six sight words you want your kids to focus on.  Print those word cards and place them into the padded cubes shown below {They are called "Differentiated Instruction Cubes}.  Print a coordinating recording sheet.  *There are two recording sheet options! One is to trace the sight words and the other is to write them!  This is a great way to differentiate! Add crayons or markers and you have an instant center!  This pack includes Fry's First 100 Sight Words, which are the same words included in all of my other sight word products.  To check this pack out and add some spice to your literacy centers, click the cover below!

xo
Megan

Fishing for Sight Words

High interest and spiral review are two things I keep in mind when finding or creating literacy center materials for my first graders.  Each week, I have 5 centers:  sight word center, listening center, computer center, and two word work centers.  I try to theme out the centers with the holidays/special days as much as possible.  Last week, I introduced a fun new sight word center:  fishing for sight words.  To make a fishing center you will need the following:  blue fabric, fish cut-outs, paper clips, and fishing poles.  I had been using old fishing poles that I made many moons ago with dowel rods and magnets but this year I decided to up my game and buy some actual fishing poles from Lakeshore Learning!  They are super cute!  To prep the game, just get some fish cut-outs and write the words of your choice on them.  Laminate and cut.  Add a paperclip.  Sprinkle on the blue fabric {pond} for added fun!  Kids take turns "fishing" for words and reading the words aloud in sentences. Easy center!  Not feeling like prepping your own fish?  I created a pre-made set for you with the Fry's First 100 sight words!  Fish cards are coded by lists 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d.  Just print, laminate, and cut. The pack also includes recording sheets.  Click the cover below to check it out!

To see more fun sight word activities, click the photo below!

xo
Megan

New Sight Word Games

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I love a good sight word activity/game!  In first grade, I expect my students to learn the first 100 Fry words.  I begin the year with all 100 on my word wall to start exposing them to the words from the start.

We practice the words during Morning Message, Literacy Centers, and Guided Reading.  We also use our word wall during Writing Workshop.  That being said, I need a lot of activities to keep kids engaged.  One game that we love to play is "SORRY."  To play, just print sight words on large craft sticks.  Buy some cheap plastic cups and write "SORRY" on the front of them with a permanent marker.  On a few sticks, write the word "SORRY."  To play, partner kids up.  They take turns drawing a stick and reading the word.  I like to have them use the word in a sentence.  If they pull a "SORRY" stick, all of their sticks go to their partner or back in the cup; you choose {but leave the "SORRY" stick out}.  The winner has the most sticks at the end of the game!  The beauty of this game is that you can customize it using any word lists.  It can also be done with word family or word chunk words.

I recently created a new product, "Just My Type."  To play/complete the activity, students take a pile of sight words {words are labeled by list so you can easily differentiate} and a keyboard mat. They flip a card over and practice typing it.  Finally, they can complete the included recording sheet. This is a fun, yet simple way for kids to practice their words!  This set includes the Fry's First 100 words as well as number words one-twenty and color words.  To take a peek, click the cover below!

"Bottled Up" is a fun activity that your students can do to practice sight words.  To make your sight word bottles, purchase small bottles or test tubes.  Add some glitter and letter beads to spell out sight words {one word per bottle}.  Add some water to the bottle and seal.  Place bottles in a center with the coordination sight word mats.  Don't want to make the mats?  Have students use dry erase slates to write the words they unscramble.  Grab the mats for free below!  These mats are for the Fry's First 100 sight words.

I hope you like these sight word activities!  Enjoy your day.

xo
Megan 

Fry's First 100 Read, Write, Build

I have 5 new literacy centers each week.  One of those 5 is always a sight word center.  I'm always looking for fun new center ideas for sight words.  I have a ton of those little yellow abc tiles, and my kids always enjoy using them so I decided to create this Read, Write, Build pack to go with the tiles. *If you don't have tiles, bottle caps with stickers or even cut out letter cards will do the trick!  I love this center idea b/c it's SUPER EASY!  Just print the mats and cards, add the tiles and you're good to go!  This set includes the Fry's First 100 sight word cards.  They are labeled by 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d for you to either differentiate among students or simply differentiate based on where you are at with the lists in class.  To check it out, click the cover below!   

  

xo
Megan 

Heidi Songs

I love using teaching sight words!  There are so many fun games and activities to do to help students master their words.  I love making activities to share with you as well!  Sight word fluency is SO important for success in reading!  Over the years, I've seen Heidi Songs on the internet.  I've always wanted to try them because I knew that kids would reallly remember how to spell their sight words if they had songs and movement to coincide!  Recently, I had the opportunity try out some of Heidi's DVDs!

I've been previewing the videos and let me tell you-I have had SO much fun jamming to them at home!  Hahaha!  I LOVE the fact that I can select which word songs I want to play.  This allows me to focus on specific words as we learn them throughout the year.  The DVD's are very child-appropriate, with the sight word spelled and traced at the top and the "song" that goes with it printed at the bottom of the screen.  The songs are very simple and catchy...perfect for little ones!  I also love the movement piece that comes with each song!  It's so important to reach all types of learners.  Heidi does an outstanding job with this!

As I was perusing the Heidi Songs website, I came across lots of freebies that you can snag by clicking HERE.  I was excited to find the lyrics/movements for each of the sight word DVDs.  These will be great to have on hand!

In addition to the sight word DVDs, I got these great "Hidden Sight Word" coloring sheets.  These are going to be perfect for literacy centers, homework, or early finishers!

I hope you'll take some time to check out Heidi's awesome website and products!!!!!!!!

xo
Megan

Sight Words-A Constant

Sight word mastery is so important for kinder-1st grades.  Having a solid sight word foundation prepares students for reading.  Without it, kids really struggle to read beginning books.  I spend a lot of time incorporating sight words into my days at school.  This is a constant for me throughout the year.  I expect my students to be able to quickly read and spell all 100 of the Fry's First 100 Sight Words.  We do many things in class to secure this:

1.  I start the year with ALL 100 sight words on my word wall.  This is up for debate.  Some like to introduce the words slowly, but I prefer to have them all up, all year to give my kids constant exposure to them from day 1.  It's definitely what each individual feels most comfortable with.

2.  I have an interactive, magnetic word wall where students are encouraged to come up and get the word they need for use in Writing Workshop or any other type of writing we may be doing in class.

2.  We start learning and practicing our words very early in the year.  I do morning message with my class 1st quarter.  I incorporate those 1st 25 words into my messages every day.

3.  We play review games at least once a week.  Some of our favorites are Sight Word BINGO, Musical Sight Words, and Board Races.

4.  I incorporate sight words into my guided reading instruction.  We do Sight Word Flashcards or Sight Word Fluency Strips daily.

5.  I test students quarterly to see how they are doing with the reading and spelling of the words.  I send home the tests and letters with parents to let them know what words their children still need to master.

6.  Every week for centers, there is a sight word center.  Some favorites are Dot-a-Word, Play-Doh Words, Magnetic Words, and Sight Word Stamping.

And finally, I constantly stress the importance of sight words with my students.  I also constantly stress that sight words are NOT intended to be sounded out.  They are to be memorized.  

All of the items shown above can be found in my Teachers pay Teachers store if you'd like to take a look.  Just click the picture/banner below to check them out.

What are your favorite ways to practice sight words??  I love finding new ideas!

xo
Megan