Monday, December 29, 2014

Down on the Farm!

Brrrr!  The wind chill today in Colorado Springs was a balmy -13 degrees!  As a girl born and raised in Arkansas, I had absolutely no intention of going outdoors.  It was the perfect day to stay inside and create a new packet for my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Since it is Monday, I couldn't stop without adding this week's freebie to the blog.  I made the cutest puzzles and am making them free for you to download.  One set is in color and the second is in black and white.  They are 3, 5, and 10 piece puzzles.  I would suggest printing them on cardstock and laminating them before cutting them out.  Then just pop them into an envelope or recloseable bag and your students can enjoy them again and again.  Just click on the picture below!

http://freepdfhosting.com/7f29cc4c5b.pdf
 
 
This packet includes:
 
13 cutting and tracing sheets, various levels of difficulty (black and white only)
 
A four page mini book (the same text in black and white as well as color)
 
A six page mini book (the same text in black and white as well as color)
 
2 visual discrimination worksheets (black and white only)
 
A visual discrimination and memory activity (black and white as well as color)
 
A play doh mat and animal cut-outs for imaginative play (color only)
 
A "Clip it" counting activity 0 - 10 (black and white as well as color)
 
3 puzzles with number order, 3 pieces, 5 pieces, and 10 pieces (black and white as well as color)
 
And more!
 
Please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store to see this product as well as my other creations!

 

 


Monday, December 22, 2014

Thinking About the New Year

I'm sure many teachers are taking advantage of this Christmas season, relaxing, baking, visiting friends and family.  It may seem weird, but I'm already thinking of the new year.  Not January 1st, but the new school year.  Why?  This has been a strange time in my life.  I have been recovering from thyroid cancer, followed by uterine cancer.  I was working full time in a classroom two years ago but had to give it up because of my health.  I am now working as an outreach teacher in several school districts across the state, but I dream of coming back to a classroom I can call my own.

We are a military family and will be moving this summer -- I'm not sure where yet.  So I can't really set my mind on what class I might be able to teach.  As a result, I'm planning some generic things that will work in any classroom.  The result is this Monday's Freebie!  I have some long term curriculum planning pages.  They are simple, but I gave you lots of variety to choose from.  I hope you enjoy them.  Click on the picture below to get your free template!


http://freepdfhosting.com/27bce8609e.pdf
 
 
I realize very few people are looking at this site.  If you are reading this, it is your lucky day!  Please leave a comment suggesting new things you might like for your classroom.  I focus on early childhood through grade two, so keep that in mind.  If you are looking for something, I might make it for the next Freebie Monday!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Body Parts

I have been giving a lot math freebies, but this time I'm going to change things up a bit.  I am currently working with kids from age 3 to 17, so this is really broadening my horizons.  Today I want to share something for the younger students.  This is a freebie that I have at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  It has two precious worksheets, one boy, one girl, that have common body parts labeled.  Each poster has a companion worksheet that shows the same people, and the students can cut and paste the parts of the body.

Enjoy!
http://freepdfhosting.com/98f4fef998.pdf

http://freepdfhosting.com/98f4fef998.pdf


Monday, December 8, 2014

I Have, Who Has to 120

I gave some Number Sense ideas last week along with a worksheet freebie.  This week I have a cute "I Have, Who Has" freebie to help your students with some more practice.

http://freepdfhosting.com/9f54dcc663.pdf



Monday, December 1, 2014

For Your Viewing Pleasure...Missing Number Worksheets!

So I have finished the Math Journals and I began thinking of what to do with those anchor charts.  I have a fantastic Missing Numbers packet in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, so I thought I would add some coordinating worksheets to go with them.  They also work well as stand alone products. 

I made missing numbers from 0 - 120 in sections.  0 - 20 has a butterfly theme, 21 - 40 has a bird, and so on.  My purpose was so they could easily be divided into whatever section of numbers needs more instruction.  This also helps individualize different skills the students may be working on. 

Click on the picture below to download the worksheets.  If you want the Missing Numbers packet, click on the link below to visit my store.  Enjoy!

http://freepdfhosting.com/d90beb96b3.pdf


Need some activities to practice number sense?  Here are a couple of ideas...

  • Hand each student a flashcard number and scramble to put them in the right order. 
  • Mystery Bags:  Have bags with popsicle sticks or other manipulatives anywhere from 0 to 120.  Have students partner up and take a bag, grouping the sticks by tens.  Once one student counts the number, have the partner recount to see if they are correct.  Then check the bottom of the bag where you have put the correct answer!  Once they are finished, switch bags with another team.
  • Estimate:  Every day have a jar with fun items in it anywhere from 0 - 120 (mini marshmallows, large paperclips, erasers, etc.).  Have students estimate how many items are in the jar and put their guess on a post-it note with their name.  At lunch, give students a hint (the answer is greater than 40, the answer is less than 93).  At the end of the day, count as a class by tens and see who has the closest guess!
And click here to check out this Missing Numbers packet from my store.


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Missing-Numbers-to-120-1577631




Monday, November 24, 2014

Math Journals - What Now?

Freebie Monday! Here are the final anchor charts I have made to complete your Math Journals!  Click on the pictures for a free download!

 
http://freepdfhosting.com/baf5577830.pdf
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/fd67294207.pdf
 



I have shown you at least 20 anchor charts for your students to put together into their own Math Journal.  Now I want to help you put them together and will begin to add activities to go with them.  If you think there is an anchor chart I need to add, just let me know in the comments below!

 
Here are the completed Math Journals!
 
 
Notice they are in protected sleeves.

 
The students can go through and find information on their own, building confidence and independence!

 
Can you think of other anchor charts I should add?
 
Click on the top to pictures to download the final freebies!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Why Reinvent the Wheel?

Hello all!  I made it through surgery and am recovering on the other side.  Thank God for pain pills!  I also found out that I am cancer free! 

For this week's Monday Freebies I'm cheating a little bit.  I have not been 100% so I did not create a lot of new anchor charts.  Instead, I am sending you to another website that has some fantastic ones already created that I have used in my classroom.  Click on the pictures below to go link to "Step Into 2nd Grade with Mrs. Lemons."

http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-heard-your-cries.html
 
http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-heard-your-cries.html
 
http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-heard-your-cries.html
 
http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/subtraction-strategies.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Doubles, Number Forms and More

Brrrr...November has arrived and there is a definite chill in the air.  We live just below Pike's Peak, and the wind that comes off the mountains can be fierce!  The snow on the mountain is absolutely beautiful, though.

Monday is here and with it comes another set of freebies!  This week is a big one because I am scheduled to have surgery this Thursday and I am afraid I might still be drooling on pain medications for next week.

If you go back to my blog post on October 13, 2014, you will see that I have started Math Journals, a resource for students to help them use references and gain independence.  By the end of this series you will have twenty or more forms to use in your classroom.  At some point my goal is to give you creative teaching activities to go with these skills, but for now I am hoping this will be a good start.  Click on each picture for free downloads!

 
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/95776a98f0.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/5a550df426.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/2b0c31accc.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/0765d2afff.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/bba9e79fbd.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/5e207b23b1.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/368b4662b5.pdf
 
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/342f38c49c.pdf
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, October 27, 2014

Ordinals, Number Words, Even and Odd

Helloooooo Monday, the perfect time for a little pick me up, if I do say so myself.  I have a few freebies for you to go into your Math Journals.  This is week three if you are just joining us, so be sure to look at the previous Mondays to get the full set.

Today I am sharing Number Words, Even and Odd, and Ordinals.  I have to admit the ordinal anchor chart was by far the most fun to make.  Click on the pictures below for free downloads!
http://freepdfhosting.com/21a75555fb.pdf
 
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/330287405e.pdf
 
http://freepdfhosting.com/c795f9ab3e.pdf
 

 
 
Be sure to stop by next Monday for more goodies to add to your Math Journals!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Number Warm Ups!

Welcome to another Monday Freebie!  I think this helps make the week a little brighter, don't you?  If you remember from last week, I am working on a series to help you make a fantastic Math Journal that will help your kiddos get a quick grasp of number sense by having their own resource to refer to throughout the year.  The first quick freebie is obvious...Gotta have a number chart.  Nothing fancy.  I do suggest you put this in a sheet protector sleeve for a couple of reasons.  It will last much longer, but more importantly your students can mark on it with dry erase markers and use it over and over, saving time and paper.  Click on the picture below to get your free chart.

http://freepdfhosting.com/0593d73369.pdf
 
 
 
Now for the fun part.  Every day I have a number of the day.  The students take that number and do a variety of skills with it.  They keep a copy of the instructions in a sheet protector inside their Math Journal.  I give them copies of the answer sheets so they can turn it in as an assignment. Here is a sample.

 
Aaaaand, here is how the students would fill it out.
 

 
 
 
In the beginning I have the students mark that number on the 120 counting chart by circling it with a dry erase marker.  Then we go through each step together as a class.  By the end of the first week, many of the students are doing this on their own.  By using the counting chart the students are able to see a pattern with the numbers.  The repetition also helps them understand the numbers quickly.  Be on the lookout for next week.  I will be adding a reference for number words as well as even and odd!
 
 
Click on the picture below for a free number warm up template, and happy Monday!
http://freepdfhosting.com/59705a02b1.pdf



Monday, October 13, 2014

Math Journals

http://freepdfhosting.com/e95674ee70.pdf

It's Monday Freebie Day!  My students used their journals every day and I was amazed at how much it improved their understanding of numbers. They quickly became more independent and would use their journals before coming to me.  Win, win!

So, what goes inside these journals, you might be asking.  In coming weeks you will see number charts, number words, math strategies, visual references, and more.  Today I am sharing the covers for you to download.  There are ones suited for girls, boys, or generic.  My students had three ring binders and we slipped these on the front.  In the coming weeks, I will include what we put inside the journals, and include freebies.  Follow along and in a few weeks you will have a fantastic resource for your math class.  Just click on the picture above to download the pdf of covers.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Quick Match


A quick and inexpensive matching center is so simple to make; you can have a variety of activities in no time.  Simply buy two identical teaching posters and cut the objects out of one.  Show the students how to match the cut-out object with the one on the poster.

For variety, you can cut out objects from both posters and turn them face down, showing your children how to play Memory by matching the same objects. 

I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  I will be working on that in the future.  Also, I noticed that my last post is not letting anyone download the "To Do" and "Menu" lists.  If anyone knows how I can add a link that will take you to the many wonderful pdfs I want to share, please let me know.  In the meantime, I am adding the lists again below.  If you would like them for free, please leave your email in the messages and I would love to send them to you!  And I have more great things to share!
To Do List, Grocery/Menu List

 

Monday, September 1, 2014

I'm Baaack!


After an extremely long hiatus, I have decided to start blogging again.  I picked today because it’s my birthday and I wanted to something for ME.  I have a passion helping young children learn, but don’t have a full time classroom.  I’ve got to find some way to share my ideas and hopefully it will be a blessing to teachers and moms.

Why “My Broken Bootstraps?”  I am a very strong person and have always pulled myself up by my bootstraps when the going gets tough.  During the past few years when life dealt me some blows, I would grit my teeth and pull myself up by my bootstraps.  One day my bootstraps broke.  I didn’t have anything left to give.  That’s when I truly began to understand that in my weakness He is strong.  I have found that it is much easier to rest in God.  Life circumstances have not gotten any easier, but I now have the Peace that passes all understanding. 


My plan is to give freebies on Mondays.  I know in the blogging world Fridays are the go to days for freebies, but I think that most people could use a pick me up on Mondays, so that’s my plan. 

Because it’s my birthday, I want to share a gift with you.  I plan to have a lot of teaching and home organization tips that will be fun and useful.  Today I am giving a calendar, to do list, and grocery list set.  More often than not I will have educational ideas and downloads, but I thought this would be useful for everyone.  Enjoy!





To Do List, Grocery/Menu List

 
To Do and Grocery List