Top 3 Wish-listed Items- Linky Party

Here are my top 3 Wish-listed items in my store- on sale for 28% off during TpT's Cyber Sale.

Are you looking for engaging reading passages to use for Close Reading?  I looked far and wide and decided to create these passages to use with my higher level readers.  Kids love animals so I made a list and asked my husband (who is really a big kid at heart) which animals he would like to read about.    I used his top picks and made challenging yet not too difficult reading passages for my kiddos.  I used them in my reading groups before putting them on TpT.  (After all, if I don't think it's a great product- it's not making it in my store!)

Next we have a great report writing resource that combines learning about farm animals with writing about them.  

I made these to use during our Farm Animal Unit.  

As you know, kids come in all sizes, shapes and levels.  I made this differentiated to scaffold the writing for my struggling students and very open ended for my confident writers.  There are directions for directed drawings of the animals, close reading passages to get information, differentiated rough draft and final copy pages, and so much more.  

These are a great introduction to report writing and research.  

And finally, here is my top wish listed science activity.

These activities are hands-on and really make the kids think.  They are given basic information about pushes, pulls and force and then they are challenged to complete different activities.  

These are perfect for cooperative groups!  Kids really need to work together to problem solve and come up with the solutions.

Click here to take a closer look.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at some of my most sought after products.  

Head back to Daisy Designs for more great TpT authors and the fun Linky Party!

Cheryl Irick

Leave a Comment Common Core, Linky Party, Literacy Actvities, Science, Writing

Currently February

Better late than never!

I've been incredibly busy and incredibly exhausted (probably just like you) and this month's Currently by Farley has snuck up on me.  But I figure, better late than never, so here goes...

Listening

I love the quiet of my house in the early morning hours.  It's not like I have a busy, crazy, hectic house on a normal day, but there is something refreshing about the absolute stillness and quiet of the early morning.  Maybe it's the promise of a new day.  Maybe it's just the fact that the neighborhood hasn't woken up yet.  Maybe it's the warm cup of coffee next to me and the dog in my lap that makes the morning so special. 

Loving

I live in sunny So. Cal. so this El Nino winter has been a welcome change from the usual dry mild winter.  I've been lucky that the flooding hasn't affected me.  California needs this rain to get us out of our drought.

Thinking

Blog design is a lot like fashion.  I watch and watch and then just when I'm ready to jump in and try those skinny jean, then flare jeans start making a comeback.  I've only had my new blog for a couple of years and already I'm wanting to go in a new direction.  I'm thinking...is it really necessary? Is anything wrong with my old design? Do I have the money for this?  So here's what's going to happen... just like fashion, I will sit on the fence for a long time and swoon over all the cute new simple designs and then finally make the decision to take the plunge.  It won't be long after I get my new design that everyone else will start redoing their blogs in a completely different design format.   Hmmm... what to do?  Suggestions?

Wanting

My trip to London and Paris this year was absolutely AMAZING!  My sister and I had so much fun traveling together.  My goal is to get back to Europe with my husband (who lived in Italy for 5 years) and to travel with him.  Everything in Europe is so old compared to America and so different.  I guess this brings me to the next topic... winning the lottery.

Needing

Did I say that I needed to win the lottery?  If I want to get travel around the globe then that's the only way my dreams will come true.  Perhaps I need to start buying lottery tickets...

Swooning

Yep, I definitely want a new blog design.  Better buy that lottery ticket.

1 comment About Me, Linky Party

Currently January 2016

Wow, It's a new year!  2015 went by in a blink of an eye.

I'm excited to be linking up with Farley and to catch up with all my blogging buddies to see what everyone is CURRENTLY doing.

My oldest daughter Lauren spent the last 4 months studying abroad in Germany.  She had a fantastic time and got to travel to many different cities on her wish list.  I'm so enjoying hearing about her travels.  She studied at the University in Luneberg but got to visit Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Prague, Salzburg, Amsterdam, Paris and Edinburgh.

She wasn't home for Christmas so I kept the tree up a bit longer than usual so that she could see it.  Now it's time to take all the decorations down and put everything away for next year.  Why do I dread doing this?  Maybe because it signals the end of the holiday and I'm never ready for the holiday to end.  I'm determined that the stuff will be put away TODAY (right after I finish blogging)- LOL.

One thing I definitely need is a Personal Assistant.  Someone who can help me take care of all the little things every day (like grocery shopping, cooking, prepping materials for my classroom, etc,).

I always say that if I won the lottery (you have to play to win so that will never happen) I would hire a Personal Assistant to make life easier.

I'm getting a whole new group of kids in January so I've spent a good portion of my vacation prepping for that.  I've had to change the names on everything in my classroom and get ready for a new group of TKers.  It's exciting to wonder about all the new little kiddos that will be walking through my doorway next Monday.  

My little word for the year is ENJOY.  

Don't take anything for granted.  

Take a moment to reflect each day on something good that has happened.

Enjoy life.

Happy 2016 everyone!

8 comments Linky Party

Currently November

Can you believe that it's November already?

My youngest turns 17 this month.  Wow!

I'm joining Farley for her fun Currently Linky Party.

Here's what's current with me...

I'm listening to my dogs run and play.  They are Pembroke Welsh Corgis and the breed is the smallest  of the herding dogs.  They love to chase each other around the house and yard- but especially the house.

Lucy is the oldest.  She is the boss.

Headed outside.  Don't you love the corgi butts?

 Cooper.  He loves to get dressed up- no really, he does!

I'm loving my class this year.  I have 28 TK kiddos and they are all amazing kids.  Every day they make me laugh in some way.  They are kind, thoughtful, smart, funny, busy, inquisitive, talkative, friendly, and so much more.  

This is always the time of year when I realize that I've bonded with my kids, and they are no longer my students, but my kids.  I'm sad that I have to give them over to a new teacher in January.  They are part of our TK Dual Language Program and alas, I don't speak a second language (but they will soon).

I'm thinking about my upcoming trip to London and Paris over the Thanksgiving Break.  My oldest daughter is doing a semester abroad in Germany and she will meet us in Paris for a bit.  I've never been to Europe so I'm beyond excited.  I wish the trip was for a longer duration, but it is what it is.  I will just have to narrow my sightseeing list to something more manageable. (Can that be done??)

I'm wanting my toe to heal.  I broke my toe last week at school and I've been hobbling/crutching around campus.  It's such a drag.  I'm desperately hoping that it heals by my trip!

I'm needing to work on report cards but I've got to finish assessing first.  In kindergarten, each assessment is individual so they take forever!  I am learning a lot though and can use that to guide my planning.  Next weekend is my daughter's birthday and sadly, that will also be my major report card writing time. (I wish we were given time during the work week to get these done).

Yummy- Pumpkin Bread.  

I have a great recipe for pumpkin bread that I will share with you.  It's moist and oh so delicious.  I'm not a big fan of other pumpkin breads, but this one I can't get enough of.  I hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!  

Click here to go back to the Link Up.

2 comments Linky Party

Currently- October 2015

It's a new month so I'm linking up with Farley from Oh Boy Fourth Grade for her fun Currently Linky Party.

So, here's what's currently happening with me...

Yes, it's October and yes, that usually means cooler weather, but not for San Diego.  We have had very hot weather all September and October is usually hot too.  I'm ready to put my flip flops in the closet and get my boots out of their boxes.  I'm wanting cooler weather and the whole state needs the rain to come. 

I'm busy thinking about London and Paris because my sister and I are going there over Thanksgiving break.  I've never been to Europe before so I'm super excited!  We are going because my oldest daughter is doing a semester abroad in Germany and she will be meeting us in Paris for Thanksgiving.  I'm loving reading her travel blog and can't wait to be an entry in it.

I'm in desperate need of a good haircut and will definitely get one before my trip.

Thanks for stopping by!  Click on the link below to go back to the linky party.

2 comments About Me, Linky Party

Oh Snap! It's Almost October!

I'm linking up with the fantastic bloggers over at Teacher Deals and Dollar $teals for their fun (and helpful) Oh Snap! It's Almost October! linky party.

I know that school just started, but it's already the middle of September and that means that October is right around the corner, (YIKES) so it's time to start prepping and planning for next month. (Some people might find that a chore- but I secretly love it!)

Here is one of my favorite activities for October.

I love having my kids work on Logic Puzzles.  It helps them with critical thinking skills and problem solving.  My kiddos love it because they only have to read simple words and follow the picture clues. The cards are self-checking so when they are done they just need to turn the card over to check to see if they got it right.

I also love this activity for October because the Wild Kids are dressed in costumes (like Halloween) but it's connected to literature so it's not Halloweeny (is that a real word?).  So if you aren't allowed to do Halloween related things, you can still do this!  Win-Win!

Pop on over to my store to grab this for yourself.

Once you use these logic puzzles, you will want them all.  

I keep one of my math center bins filled with logic puzzles.  I change them out to keep it fresh and interesting for the kids, but the beauty of this task is that you only have to explain it once and they can do them all!  Just change the theme of the puzzles and you've got a new center- voila!  Easy peasy!

And the best part is that you can grab these for only $1 for the next two days.
That's the perfect way to try them out to see if you like them.

Thanks for stopping by!
Click here to head back over to the linky party.

Leave a Comment Common Core, Linky Party, Math, Math Centers, Teacher Deals and Dollar Steals

Oh Snap! It's Almost September!

Hi Everyone!

I'm linking up with my fun friends over at Teacher Deals and Dollar $teals for their great product linky party.

It's the middle of August and that means that September and a new school year are right around the corner for me.  I know that many of you have already started back and while you probably envy the teachers still on summer break, I envy you for getting the year off and running.  You've already lived through the first day of school butterflies, the criers (both kids and parents) and the runners (that's when I wish I had a clone), you've assessed your kids and now your year is settling into it's rhythm.  I'm thinking about all the things I need to do to get my room ready for the upcoming year. 

So here are a few of the things that I use to get my classroom ready.  

Here is my CALENDAR COMPANION.  It has lots of things to add value to your calendar wall.  It contains shape flashcards, lunch counts, student counts, tooth charts, number of the day, and worksheets for the kids to use as daily calendar work.  I slide them into page protectors and staple many of the pages right to my calendar bulletin board.  Dry erase markers wipe off easily.



Another thing that I LOVE is my Spaghetti and Meatball Spaces.  This helps new writers with correct spacing.  We talk about how the letters need to be close together in a word, but not touching so they need a small spaghetti space. But the spaces between the words need bigger spaces, like the meatballs in the spaghetti.

I glue a brown pom pom to the end of a craft stick and the kids use those sticks to make the spaces between the words. I keep a small container of meatball spacers on my writing table and kids grab a stick if they need one.




Do your kids use too much glue?  Then this little chant is just what you need.  It is bundled with other helpful songs and chants that will make your day run smoothly.

There are line up chants, neat and tidy poems... it's filled with lots of helpful songs.  I have them stapled to different areas of the room.  I also put them in a Sub Binder so my subs can manage my kids easily without me.  The consistency is great for the kiddos as well.

Well, thanks for stopping by!  Just click on any of the photos to get the products that you are interested in.

Leave a Comment Linky Party, Teacher Deals and Dollar Steals

Currently this August

It's a new month and we know that the fabulous Farley hosts her very fun Currently, so here is what's going on CURRENTLY...

Listening

We just got back from a long road trip and each person in my family made a play list of songs.  Unfortunately, no one liked the songs on the other people's playlists so we abandoned the songs and started listening to podcasts.  Two of our favorites are This American Life, and 99% Invisible.  If you haven't listened to these podcasts, you really ought to give them a try.

Loving

 I'm loving the look on my girls faces after they raced down the rapids on kayaks.  They both love adventure- especially my oldest daughter Lauren.

Lauren

Paige

Me, Mike and Juliet (and our river guide)

Thinking

I'm thinking about our great vacation.  It was a family reunion of sorts.  My father in law celebrated a milestone birthday and we converged on the city of Durango for the weekend.  Family came from Seattle, Dallas, Austin and San Diego.  We had so much fun hanging out together.  One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Silverton and riding the train back to Durango.

Wanting

Now that we've returned from a vacation (we haven't taken a vacation for a few years) my husband and I are longing for more.  We used to have a little travel trailer and even those small get-aways helped to rejuvenate our souls.  Now we are both dreaming of getting another camper... alas, it's only a dream, but it's fun to dream- right?

Our little camper- we miss you Kiwi!

Needing

You've heard this before and it remains true.  I NEED new flooring!

It has moved from the wanting category to the needing category. Sadly, this too must remain in the dreaming category for now.  

Maybe someday... {sigh}

B2S RAK

I love the thought of this!  

I will try to do little things through out the year.  We have a small staff so I can personalize each RAK for each person.  (The ideas are already starting to flow).

Thanks for stopping by!  

Click here to head back to the linky party.

6 comments About Me, Linky Party

Back To School "What's In Your Cart?" Linky Party

It's time for the TpT Back to School Sale!!  I've been adding items to my wishlist all summer long and now is the time to make my final decisions.  Oh, how I love shopping!  I always hope that I will sell as much as I buy to keep the hubby happy.    Is it August 3rd yet??

I'm linking up with SPEECH ROOM NEWS for her "What's in Your Cart?" Linky Party.

So, if you are interested, here are some great products from my store to help you get your year off to a great start.

These Animal Facts Comprehension and Close Read Passages are super engaging for your readers.  Kids love learning about the different animals and the real pictures completely captivate and excite them.  The comprehension pages ask different questions.  I use these over the course of a few days.  First, I read it aloud for information.  We discuss.  Then I give the kids their own copy (I just print in gray scale and it looks fine) and we reread and highlight important facts.  Sometimes the kids do this in small groups, or with me, or independently.  Then we discuss what parts we thought were important.  Finally, I give them the comprehension questions and they use those to go back into the text and find information to answer the questions.

Another item that I think you'll absolutely adore are these games.  

In small groups we love to play "I have ___, who has___?"

These games are great for reading fluency, comprehension, and they cover so many different skills.  I have them for sight words, for CVC words, for word blends, for long vowels, for math concepts... you name it,  I've probably got it.  (If not, message me and I'll make you exactly what you want!)

Our speech teacher uses these games with her small groups as a reward and the kids are practicing speaking while they play- Win-Win!  Such a fun way to get some practice in during a real world speaking experiences.

And here's another great activity that I know you'll love!

Kids practice rhyming by rolling the dice.  They say the pictures out loud and if they rhyme then they cover a star on the board.  I use big dice in my room, but you can use the small dice that are included in the unit.  (I sometimes put those small dice in a center just to change it up).

And here are a couple of things that are in my shopping cart.

I LOVE A Teeny Tiny Teacher's Reader's Theater Partner Plays.  I use them with my reading groups, I use them as a center activity, my kids choose them during free choice time... I just can't get enough of these!  So I'm back to purchasing more.  These are great for working on reading fluency and reading with expression.  The kids love them!

Here is another item that my kids love.  I own this, 

so I need to purchase the CVCe activity.

Well, now I'm off to blog hop around the linky to see what everyone else has in their carts.  I always find such great products by doing this!

Happy shopping everyone!  And thanks for stopping by!

1 comment Back to School, Linky Party

Five for Friday Summertime Fun

I'm linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching again for their fun Five for Friday Linky Party.

I'm wondering what everyone else has been doing with their summer time.

I myself have been INCREDIBLY lazy.  Time to get started on all those projects I was looking forward to tackling during the summer.  Can someone please help get me motivated?

Even though I've been lazy, I've been busy.  Yes, those two can be mutually exclusive.

Since I live just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean, I make sure to get to the beach at least once a week.  Typically Wednesdays are my beach days, but if my friends can't make Wednesday, then any other day will do.  This week Monday worked out just fine.

I also try to do something around my beautiful city.  When you live somewhere you take it for granted, and I have to remember that people actually pay to vacation here, so I try to use my summer time to get out and see San Diego.

On Tuesdays the museums at Balboa Park are free to residents.  OK, that fits into my summertime budget (since not working equals no paycheck).  Well, as wonderful as free admission sounds, it does come with a price- CROWDS.  I'm not just talking moms in strollers and other city residents, I'm talking KIDS.  I think that every summer camp uses the Free Museum Tuesdays- I'm talking EVERY SUMMER CAMP!  So I tend to breeze through the museums quickly because I'm not a big fan of crowds.

Here is a photo of the outside of the museums.  As soon as I snapped it, a million (I might be exaggerating, but I don't think so) school kids came out of the museums to eat their lunches.  So picture it COMPLETELY full of bodies.    I thought, oh great, now the museum will be empty- WRONG.

Fun with friends.

My neighbor teaches art to children and adults and she hosts a weekly painting class.  I've been to quite a few of them and they are always a lot of fun.  Here I am with 3 of my besties and our finished floral paintings.  

What I love about these classes is that each of our paintings come out looking very different.  They truly reflect each of our personalities and styles.  So much fun!

My girls.

My last random thing for the week is how I spent last weekend.  My daughter plays lacrosse and her team competed in SummerStorm in Oceanside.

Here is a sequence of photos showing her scoring a goal.  Go Paige!

Have a great week.

Thanks for stopping by!

1 comment About Me, Linky Party