Teaching with Picture Books

Click on the "Teaching with Picture Books" tab above to see how I will be using the book Fred and Ted Go Camping by Peter Eastman to teach antonyms to my second graders. 

New Blog Design and Button

Thank you to my sister Becky over at Create-Teach-Share I have a new design and button for my blog. I love it! 

If you have my old button on your blog, please switch it to the new one.

I have also decided to change the structure of my blog a bit to make it easier to find what you are looking for. 

You will see two new tabs at the top. Under the tab "File Folder Games" you will find links to all the file folder games I have made and continue to make. Under the tab "Teaching with Picture Books", you will find stories and ideas I am using to teach reading, writing, and math mini lesson to my second graders. 

I hope you find these resources to be helpful during this next school year. 

I can't believe I'm going back to work on Monday...where did my summer go?

First Day of School Activities

I'd love to hear what activities you do with your students on the first day of school. 

Link up below with one of your favorite activities or share your plans for the whole day. 

This year I created a small book for the first day/week of second grade. My students will write about themselves, the school, the classroom, and me (the teacher). I will use it to asses their writing. I also created an end of the year book (So Long Second Grade) with similar ideas. I will use that book at the end of the year to hopefully show them how much their writing has improved.

If you would like to check out the two books click here for the Welcome to Second Grade book and here for the So Long Second Grade book.

Megan

Letter Writing

Letter writing is a big part of second grade. I decided this year I am going to have my students write letters and actually mail them...they get so excited when the get a response in the mail. I typed up a little note to the parents and asked them to share a few names and address of friends and family. I even asked for some donations of stamps, we'll see what I get.  If they don't want to share addresses, I will just send the letters home and the parents can mail them. 

I also keep a map up in my room all year and we mark different places that we read and learn about. I'm hoping we get a few letters from around the country and the world to help us with our geography.

If there are any second grade teachers that would like to do pen-pals with us, please e-mail me or comment below and we can get in touch. 

I'm located in Northern California.

Thanks,

Megan

Let's See your Writing Centers and Ideas

   As I prepare to go back to school here in just 3 weeks...can't believe summer is almost over already...my summer to do list isn't even half way completed yet... I am really looking for some help and ideas for teaching writing.

I teach 2nd grade and when it comes to teaching math and reading I'm pretty good to go, but I have always struggled with how best to teach writing. My district doesn't really have a set writing program...I have an old Step Up To Writing binder that was left behind by the last teacher, and I have just started reading through it today. I also read No More I'm Done by Jennifer Jacobson and really liked a lot that she had to offer. If you haven't read it yet, it's great.  I find myself going through each year teaching random writing lessons and struggling to keep it all together. After reading No More I'm Done, now I struggle with the idea of letting the kids choose their topic or choosing one for them.

   I know you all have so many amazing ideas and I would love to hear them...or if you know of someone else who has a great idea please link it up below or leave a comment.  I'm looking for ideas on how you teach writing as a whole, not just individual writing lessons, and I'd also love to see what some of your writing centers look like. My writing center is a work in progress, this will be my first year having one...I will post pics when I finish it next week.

Thanks,

Megan

Fraction Match Up

Went to Lakeshore Learning today to get some borders for my room.  I saw this great fraction game as I was walking out, but there was no way I was going to pay $24.95 for it. So I created my own version of it! And I am so happy with it...hope my kids enjoy it too.  

Click on the preview of it below to download the game...enjoy!

- Megan

100th Day Activity

TBA is celebrating their 100th day in the blogger world with a linky party full of great 100th day activities! Click here to join!

Here is an activity I did with my class this past year and they loved it! I got the idea from a blog or Proteacher...The idea is not my own, but I did create it in my own way. If this book is your idea please tell me so I can give you credit.  Anyways, Its a little book called "I Wish I Had 100..."  The students write and illustrate about different things they would want to have 100 of, and then on the last page they write about something they would never want 100 of. We started the book in the morning filling in their ideas and then they worked on the illustrations throughout the day as they finished their other work...a few of my students actually drew 100 of the different items in their book...at the end of the day they loved getting to read their books to the class...more ideas to come when we get closer to the 100th day of school...I can't think that far ahead when it's still summer.

Just wondering...do any of you have your class bring in collections of 100 items? I remember doing it when I was younger and I loved it. Gathering the items with my mom and bringing it to school, I just don't remember what we did with them when we got to school....haha...I'd love to do it with my students if I could come up with some meaningful activities...please post a comment and share what you do or any ideas you have.

Ok, click on the large 100 to download the book! 

Thanks,

Megan