Are you looking for a new app for your I-Pads?

Do you have I-pads in your classroom? I'm so lucky to have two in my classroom. I have found an awesome app for your I-pads. It's called FarFaria. It has over 750 children's stories and five new ones are added each week. This app is created for the younger grades. I have two kids of my own and I have introduced them to this app and now I can't get my I-Pad back. It has so many unique stories and my kids can't get enough of it. What I love about it is that it reads the story to the kids and highlights the words as it's reading the story to them. It also uses a wide variety of voices as it is reading the story, it keeps my children entertained.

It also has a reading level badge on every story cover. So you know that the story is appropriate for the child's age. I have a few students in my classroom that really struggle. I'm going to pull them during some of our whole group instruction and have them listen to these stories online to help with their reading skills.

 Here are a few of the cute stories they have on their app.

You can download Farfaria for free and read one story each day. Or you can have unlimited access to all the stories on the site for just $4.99. This app will reach all of the levels of learning in your classroom. 

Here is the link if you're interested in downloading the app for free: Http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free-childrens-books-farfaria/id491771721?mt=8

Free Manipulatives

I'm a cleaning freak and I'm trying to clean out my basement while I still have time off. I have tons of manipulatives and I don't need them anymore. I hate to donate them to Deseret Industries because I don't know if a teacher would check there. I would love to give them all away to a good home. I know there are teachers that are just starting out and don't have a lot. If you would like any of these manipulatives let me know. You would have to pay shipping and handling but that is all. Or if you live in Utah you could pick them up from me. Let me know if you're interested.                                    

 big pocket chart

 These are laminated and ready to use.

 silent phones

 I have two containers of place value blocks.

 Geo boards

Christmas Countdown Activity

It's December first woo hoo! Now it's time to countdown to our break. If you're looking for a educational Christmas countdown, last year I made these. One is First grade sight word count down. They take a chain off each day and read that sight word. This year I decided I'm going to make them tell someone a sentence using that sight word. I told them they have to try at least three times during the day to use that sight word.  I plan on using it with my students tomorrow. The other is math facts. They have to solve each math fact each day. I've made this one a little harder for upper grade students. So there are times tables as well if you want to add those in.  They also come in black and white if you don't want to use colored ink. Which I know kills me to use. Tomorrow is Cyber Monday so you can get a deal on these. I know my cart is already full for tomorrow. Happy Shopping!

Pumpkin Pie Oh My!!!! Classrroom Management Freebie

How is classroom management going in your classroom? I decided to change things up for the month of November. My class is working really hard to earn a pumpkin pie party.  They have to earn 8 pumpkin pie slices by the end of the month to get their pumpkin pie.  Every year, I make little pumpkin pies with the students. Not really pumpkin pies but ones the students can easily make on their own that look similar to pumpkin pies.  So I thought this year why not have them earn it. Don't tell them they will for sure get to do it. But it's fun for them to think they have to work to get it.  I do take the slices off if they're being noisy or not following directions. You could easily put them on a pizza pie pan and make it look like the real thing. I was going to do that but ran out of time. I also wanted to add the magnets to the back of the slices but my life is too busy so you get the ugly rendition. 

If you would like your own copy of the slices and the recipe click on the image below. If you do download it, please leave me a comment.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lFDDuDhw1kUVoydXF3dTR4QTA/edit?usp=sharing

Spiders and Witches oh My!

I'm not so sure that anyone checks this anymore. I have been so absent. I found out that I'm pregnant and that has pretty much consummed my life lately. I'm finally in my second trimester and starting to feel a little better so I thought I would blog tonight. I hope you haven't given up on me. :) We've been studying spiders like crazy. My students are so into non-fiction it blows me away. Especially the facts they come up with after studying non-fiction. Today they were telling me all about the body parts of a spider. I was amazed at the names they could remember, like abdomen, and spinnerets. These first graders blow me away. Today as a wrap up to our study we made spider hats. They turned out so cute and several of them wanted their spider hat to have 6-8 eyes. They were so proud of their hats that they wanted to wear them all day even in the hallway where others could see. They were too cute. 

 I told them they had to cut 8 lines because spiders have 8 legs. I found a great idea of using an elastic to attach them together. You staple the elastic to both sides. Then it gives them plenty of room to fit their head in between. Then you're not measuring all their heads perfectly.

 We've also made our hallway witches and they turned out so cute. I love seeing all the different ways they come up with to decorate theirs. 

 One boy in my class was adamant that he wasn't going to make a witch, his was going to be a wizard. 

 We had to add warts to our witches too. Chick peas worked out perfectly.

 I love the different hair ideas they come up with.

I'm loving this holiday. It always feels like there isn't enough time to fit every fun thing I want to do in.

Back to School WOWZA!! (freebie)

I don't know about you but I have been spending the last two weeks in the classroom everyday. It didn't help that I had to move classrooms plus change districts this summer. I'm now closer to home and I feel like that is where I'm supposed to be. But I really feel like a brand new teacher. I can't believe all the new things I have to learn. Lunch count, school wide behavior program, grade book, new teacher series, the list goes on and on and on. I'm starting to stress because Monday is back to school night and Tuesday is our first day. So basically I'm scrambling to get everything together before I go back to school. Here is a back to school questionnaire that you can give to parents. I hope you can find it useful. Good luck on your back to school/first days!

Meet Me Teacher Week 2013

Meet Me......

My family is the most important thing. I love my children so much and I'm so thankful God sent me two of the best kids. I'm seriously the luckiest to get to spend everyday with these people. They make my heart happy. 

My two favorite people. ........My daughter K and my son N.

N will be going to Kindergarten this fall and it really makes my heart happy and sad. As a teacher many of you know that we have to spend our back to school night and SEP's with our own students. I will miss all those special nights with this little guy. It makes me very sad. I won't even get to take him to school on the first day because I'll have to work. :(

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE to shop for little girl clothes.... One of my new favorites is Appearel Tree. You can find them on Facebook. They have seriously the cutest stuff. My daughter has this exact outfit and it looks so cute on her. I also plan on having her wear it to the first day of Preschool.

I love headbands too. The bigger the better in my eyes. I love the over the top frilly kind. My husband always says it looks like her whole head is covered but I just find them to be so stinkin' cute. My favorite are Cozette Couture also on facebook. Here's one of my favorites.

Have you seen yonique products. They sell this amazing mascara that makes your lashes look like fake lashes. If you know me. I seriously have no lashes with out mascara. My lashes are white until I put on mascara. This mascara is fabulous. If you're a mascara snob like me check it out.

 https://www.youniqueproducts.com/products/view/US-1017-00#.UgkHGpKTjLk

I love girly things, my last favorite thing is Jamberry nails. If you haven't tried these you should. Can I just say how amazing they are. I have the chevron print ones on right now and they have been on my fingers for three weeks now. No chips, nothing. They look awesome. I'm scared to death of germs. I know great that I chose the teaching profession.  I wash my hands constantly so for them to stay on my fingers this long. I'm amazed. If you're looking for a consultant I can hook you up with the gal I bought mine from. They have so many fun prints and even some back to school ones. 

 Last but not least I'm addicted to candy crush. Don't play it because you will be too.

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