Shark Week

All teachers know that kids learn more when they’re excited and engaged. Today a team of bloggers have come together to help your students take a BITE out of learning with a theme your students are sure to love!

My freebie is a shark informational writing set.  This is part of my Ocean Animals Research set.  It's also included in my big Animal Research Bundle.   This freebie includes writing graphic organizers and paper templates to help your students research sharks.  Just add books and/or the internet.  This type of research has been a huge hit with my first graders.  This freebie is appropriate for advanced kinders and all first and second graders.

Be sure to go for a swim and visit Jessica's blog next.  Every blog in the Shark Week Blog Hop features a jawesome freebie for you and your students- but hurry!  Shark Week only lasts until Sunday, July 12!

xo
Megan 

School All Summer

The teachers wave a final goodbye.  The busses pull away.  It's officially SUMMER for students and teachers alike.  Both parties are equally excited but this time of year can be a bit scary and even stressful for parents.  Finding exciting and engaging activities for their children all summer long can be overwhelming! Parents hope to shelter their children from the dreaded "Summer Learning Slide."  Today's post highlights a few open-ended ideas for keeping the little ones engaged during the summer months.

1.  Read!  Take advantage of your local public library.  Most offer summer reading programs that include fun incentives for children who complete them.  Some even have story time where the children can go and listen to a story aloud.  If the public library isn't your thing, head to the bookstore.  Many bookstores have fun children's sections with seating to allow you to read books to your child before purchasing.  Goodwill, garage sales, and used bookstores offer a plethora of books for kids at discounted prices.

2.  Write!  Writing can be overwhelming for a lot of kids, but it's directly correlated with success in reading, which is why it's important to encourage writing all summer long.  For summer writing fun, purchase some sidewalk chalk and let your child write outside in chalk.  Another great way to practice is to "water paint." Just grab a paintbrush from your local paint store {or basement!} and a small bucket of water. Children can paint write onto concrete.  This is always fun on a hot day!  The kids love seeing their writing disappear!  I vividly remember "water painting" outside on my driveway as a child!

3.  Word Work!  Help your child retain their sight words during the summer by incorporating fun materials. Practicing the words with play-doh is always a hit!  Making a sight word sensory tray is also a simple and engaging idea.  Just pour some salt, sugar, or sand into a cookie sheet with a lip and let your little ones go to town!  Get an Etch-a-Sketch from your local toy store and have your child practice their words on it!  Write words on sticky notes and place them around your house.  Have your child go on a "word hunt!"  Put old magazines and newspapers to good use by having your child cut out letters to spell words and glue them onto a piece of paper or in a notebook.

Click the picture below to snag some more fun summer activity ideas!

I hope you found some new and exciting ideas for summer learning!  Don't forget to follow me via social media by clicking the buttons below!

xo
Megan

Summer Freebies

To those of you still teaching.......I am sorry!  I've been on summer break for a few weeks now and am loving it!  Your time will come soon!  I wanted to share a few freebies with you that I used the last few weeks/days of school!

First is a "Sunny Days" writing paper template.  You may remember we made these cute suns.  I had the kids write about what they were looking forward to doing this summer.  I didn't get a chance to snap any pictures of their writing!  Dang!  There is also a "Summer" acrostic poetry paper attached.  This goes nice with my Poetry Unit and is also a fun end of the year project!

Next is a free "Memory Book" for the end of the year.  My kids love doing this each year!  It gives them something productive to do while I fly around the room and try to clean/pack.

Enjoy!
xo
Megan 

END of the Year!

TGIF!  How many are you out of school for the year?  Wait-don't answer that.  I will be envious!  I have 7.5 days left.  One day is field day.  And, well, the other days are kinda fluffy days.  We've been counting the days down with my End of the Year Countdown Chain and it's been fun so far!

I've been slowly chipping away at my end of the year 'to do' list and as I cross one thing off, I think of ten more.  WT_?  I've been trying to do one small project after school and one small project at home each night. So far I've completed the following for next year:

• Assembled my kids' Writing Workshop folders
• Copied data binder pages/printed labels {this product has been updated and is editable now!}
• Made new spacer sticks 
• Copied handwriting books
• Cleaned cabinets and desk drawers
• Filed lots of new books in our classroom library {I have a problem with children's books!!}

For this year, I've copied and assembled my kids' "Summer to Second Grade" bags.  I've also been slowly assembling their memory books.  Assessments have begun and they are taking FOREVA...because the kids have made so much GROWTH!!!  Holla!  Whew!  Each day I wake up more exhausted than the previous day.

Today, we'll be making these adorable cars from Jennifer at First Grade Blue Skies!  We'll be "cruising to second grade" very soon!  I can't wait to see the finished products and hang them up.  Yes, I said "hang them up..."  June 3, I am having my annual Poetry Cafe {better late than never!}, so there must be some artwork hanging up!

Would you love to win Jennifer's craft AND my "Summer to Second Grade" pack?  Just enter the Rafflecopter below and be sure to check back Tuesday to see if you are the winner!

PS-If you need something fun that takes some time for your last days of school, be sure to snag my free memory book by clicking below!

xo
Megan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Blog Hop!

Hi!  I'm teaming up with some of my friends over at A Class*y Collaboration to offer you a fun, end of the year freebie!  Be sure to complete the cycle and follow each blog.  Fill out the Rafflecopter at the very bottom of this page!  You could win a $50 Amazon gift card as well as a product of your choice from each blogger involved!  Shout out to Mrs. Leeby for organizing our hop and Bubbly Borders and More for the graphics! Thanks to Sarah over at Sarah's First Grade Snippets for sending you my way!  Welcome to any new followers!

Enjoy!  Hop to your next stop by clicking below!

xo
Megan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer to Second Grade

29 days.  How.is.this.possible?  I don't know, but I'm not complaining!  What a year!  This is my 10th year teaching and I can't believe how fast the years have gone.  It seems that each year goes faster and faster, probably due to the fact that teachers are getting busier and busier {well really people in general are getting busier and busier}.  It's hard to believe that I have a decade of teaching under my belt!  My mom is a retired teacher, and I remember her telling me, "You'll blink and your teaching career will be over."  She was sure right!  Time flies.

Any hoot, I wanted to take a moment to share with you how I'm sending my first graders off for the summer. It's tempting to want to spend a lot of money buying them "summer trinkets," but I really feel there is more value in sending them with some learning tools.  I created my "Summer to Second Grade" skills review pack so that my students would have the opportunity to practice the skills they've learned this year all summer long.  I teach in a low-income school district, and I wanted to make summer practice easy for parents and kids alike.  My pack includes mini-books for Math and Literacy, a Writing journal for summer writing, a Reading log for June-August, generic graphic organizers for any book, and lots more.  It's full of ideas, websites, and book suggestions for parents, as well.  

I'll be preparing these packs for my kids in the upcoming weeks.  I will be putting each student's packs inside of a gallon Ziploc bag, along with new crayons {I hoard them during the back to school sales}, pencils, a pencil sharpener {from Dollar Tree}, erasers, and a book mark.  What little one doesn't want new supplies for summer practice?!

Send your students off with the gift of learning this summer!  

xo

Megan 

Summer & a Freebie!

We've been diving head first into my "Summer Shenanigans" Summer Pack!  Below are some of the fun activities students have been working on.

First up is the "Sporty Sight Words" activity.  This really showed me who still does not know the correct spelling of their sight words...arrgggggg!  Next is "Sight Word Salad" word scramble!  This proved to be a bit challenging for some!

The compound word building was a big hit!  I didn't really explain the recording sheet so I kind of liked how some kids wrote the compound word and some kids drew it!  Either way, it showed me if they understood!

Click here to snag the compound word freebie!  If you'd like to check out all of the centers, click the "Summer Shenanigans" photo below!  This is on sale for you through the weekend! :)

xo
Megan 

Summer Lovin & a Freebie!

I am sooo ready for summer! I, along with all of you I am sure, have worked harder this year than ever. Between having a larger class size and keeping up with blogging and creating, I am wiped OUT!  I wanted to take some time to show you a few items for summer that you may like!

First up: My "Summer Shenanigans" center pack.  It's full of fun, summer-themed, review centers for the end of the year.  My kids especially enjoy playing the Contractions Go Fish game.

Here's a few shots of the centers in action:

Sight words

Contractions Go Fish

Next up is my "Summer to Second Grade" pack.  This is a fantastic resource that will keep your firsties learning all summer!  Preventing the dreaded "summer slide" is a must in my book!  This set includes mini-skill books for Math and Literacy,summer Reading logs, a Writing journal, book and website suggestions, summer fun calendar, tons of generic graphic organizers for any book, and lots more!  Check it out below.

Next up is my "Summer Countdown Chain."  This is fun to do those last few weeks of school.  Just print the rings, link them together, and hang up.  Each day, break a ring and do the activity it says!  The kids love the anticipation of this!

Last is a  "End of the Year Memory Book."  This is very simple, so that students can work independently or with partners, allowing you to do assessments or work in your room!  A fun idea is to make this into a coloring contest...that always keeps kids engaged longer!

xo
Megan