Mother's Day Classroom Craft Idea

    I found these at Joanne's Fabric store for only $1.00 a piece. I used a coupon and ended up getting 15 for $12.83.I'm going to let the kiddos paint them for their mothers. It's a super cute idea and doesn't really cost much more then buying card stock and paints for other crafts not nearly as cool :) I already have a ton of paint in my classroom at school that I have collected over the last year or so on random little projects! Joanne's Fabric also accepts A.C. Moore coupons and offers a 15% teachers discount as well. I find my coupons online ( you can google them or get them off of all the coupon apps available for your phone)

 Coming Soon! Pictures of our creations :)

We Love Donors Choose

       Most of you already know about Donorschoose.org but for those who don't, I am about to tell you all about it and how you should take the time to sign up your classroom :) Donors Choose is a website that I discovered while searching the internet for free resources for my classroom. With teaching budgets being non-existent, it is very important to take advantage of any and all resources that we  teachers can get our hands on. The website is super simple to sign up for. In the past 6th months I have had 3 projects funded . This site allows you to pick whatever supplies you want , that's right, ANYTHING! I have received supplies for my classroom (0 cost to me) totaling over $1300.00 Cha-Ching! These supplies include math literature books, 3rd grade subject/grade level reading book bundles, and 80  subscriptions to Scholastic Reader. Yes, you read that correctly, 80 subscriptions. I was able to get one for every student in the 3rd grade at my school.

     Several of the teachers at my school have had projects funded for their classroom as well.
Once you visit the site it will take you through all of the steps to sign up and create a project. You will have to write a little bit of information about your students and how the supplies/materials you are requesting will benefit your classroom. Once your finished the project is posted on the http://www.donorschoose.org/teachers website. Donors from all over the world can donate to your project. Once your project has been fully funded the website orders the materials for you and ships them right to your classroom. How awesome is that right? Once you receive your materials have your students write thank you notes for the supplies. Print out your prepaid mailing label and Wa-lah! you are done and it didn't cost you a penny :)

Library Labels

Here are some new labels you can find in my TPT store! Great for organization!

Find those labels here :)

You Blow Me Away Valentine FREEBIE

Okay, so I know it is a little late but you can always use it for next year. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail right?! :) For Valentines Day I used this great printable found here, and some miniature bubble packs I found at Target in the dollar section. The kids loved them!

Literacy Centers indeed...

 Keeping up with literacy centers (the changing and organizing) can be time consuming. I have put together a kit that has 4 different centers in it.

• Listening- cumulative sheet that covers main idea and author's purpose for students to complete after each weekly story.
• Vocabulary- activity sheet for students to complete for weekly vocabulary word.
• Fluency - fluency strips
• Writing- writing prompt print-outs
• Center signs for all 4

This packet has 65 pages it in. It contains some great fluency strips for the 3rd grade level (high frequency words) as well as 30 pages worth of vocabulary words built from an analysis of difficult words that appear in basal readers and other books commonly taught in the 3rd grade. Those words were then analyzed to see how often they appeared on English Language Arts state tests given in the third, fourth and fifth grades. ( Great idea to add to fluency center as well!


  Stop by my store to get this kit for only $5.00

Literacy Centers Packet $5.00 Click here

P.I.E anyone?

Visit my store to purchase these cute new author's purpose charts

Click here to purchase for $3.00

AR Organization FREEBIE

Accelerated reader is a great way for students to gain fluency, practice reading, and take quizzes on what they have read.  But how do we hold our students responsible for their reading and quiz taking?Going into AR everyday to look up and find their scores is a little time consuming. Each teacher has their own method.  What I found works best in my classroom is an AR Quiz Tracker Notebook.

I took a 1 inch binder like this and added a trendy little cover (see attached to print cover). I printed it out on bright colored paper , inserted it in the cover slip, and set it next to my computer center.

Inside the folder is a page where I have labeled each weeks story. The tracker sheet has a place for you to write the weekly stories ahead of time. It provides an area for each student's name and an individual box for their grade. It is super easy for the kids to fill out and it helps me to see how they are doing. Occasionally I go into AR just to check out the sneaky ones ; )

Download AR Folder Kit here for Free :)

A "sweet" approach to a sour skill...

     One thing I have learned in the last year or so is that teaching multiplication facts to 3rd grade students is not much fun. Seeing as how it is boring to me, it is likely just as boring to the kids. For some reason they absolutely love hate learning that small huge list of facts right? Well I was inspired by a FABULOUS teacher I work with to incorporate learning the multiplication facts into a "Sundae" theme...I added some tweaks to the idea making it to where it is used as a whole group incentive. The students have a new set of facts to earn each week. When the class has memorized that set of facts they ear a "scoop" towards a sundae. After the class has learned all of their facts the ice cream sundae will be displayed completely. It will also help to tell them once they complete it they will get to have a LEGIT ice cream sundae party (insert screaming children here). I have added this unit to my TPT store for only $5.00   
click here to buy it ! Hurry!