Word Wall Cards!

We just got back from a week of vacation in Indiana.  While it was nice to rest and relax, it's time to get in the back to school mode!  I go back to work on July 31st, but I'm going to head in next week to start getting my room set up.  I actually sat down today to make a list of everything that needs to get done before school starts (or at least everything I could think of).  It fills up a whole page!  And most of it is printing various posters and charts for the walls.  Guess I better stock up on printer ink.

One of the items I've been wanting to get done is my word wall cards, and I got the first batch finished today!  These are Fry's First 100 words.  While they are geared more toward kindergarteners and early first graders, I will use some of them in my classroom with my ESOL students.  I plan on getting the second and third 100 done before school starts.  Here's a peek:

I know chevron is all the rage right now, so I decided to give them a chevron background.  They are for sale here!  I'm going to work on getting some large header cards done this weekend.  I've also only got one more center to finish for my Back to School Math Centers.  I'm hoping to get those posted this weekend too, so be sure and check back soon!

It's a Big Moment

Last night as I was getting ready to head to bed (far too late), I pulled my phone out of my purse to plug it into the charger and discovered a sweet little notification from TPT.  I had just sold my very first item!!  Thank you to whoever bought it, and if you have friends who want to buy, I'd love for them to purchase too!! (Here's the link to my store.). It's a great feeling to know that someone is willing to use their hard-earned money to buy something I've created!

Now, back to packing.  We leave for vacation tomorrow.  Only 22 days of summer left for me.  :(

Does My Child Have a Speech Problem?

My third son definitely gave us some problems when he was born.  He needed surgery at four months to correct a congenital defect in his skull where the bones had fused early.  Once we got that fixed, we thought we were home free.  Then, he was a late walker (18 months) and a late talker.  When we took him to an ENT, we discovered he had fluid in the ears.  He'd never had an ear infection, so it wasn't anything I had ever thought about until he failed the hearing test at the pediatrician.  He had tubes put in at 21 months and started talking soon after.  Thankfully, we didn't need to get him any special services, but I had the number for our state's Early Intervention program ready to go if he wasn't talking by two.

In my wanderings through Pinterest, I came across this infographic the other day.  I think it is really good for both parents and teachers, so they know what to expect.  And yes, it is OK if you're child is still mispronouncing words in kindergarten.  It may also be a great reference to have at conferences so your parents know what is developmentally appropriate or not.  (I was going to say "normal", but we all know normal is a relative term, right?)

Link courtesy of: http://info.nspt4kids.com/speech-and-language-milestones-infographic-?&t=6630

I can't get the picture to get any bigger, but if you click on it, it'll take you right to the page with a bigger picture.

Getting Ready for Back to School!

I know, it's awful, isn't it?  I go back at the end of this month!  I know some teachers just finished, and I'm already searching for the Back to School sales.  My students (and my own children) will have their first day of school on August 7th.  Hopefully, it won't be 100+ degrees.

With that thought in mind, I've created some Back to School Literacy Centers!  There's six centers, because that's all I plan to use the first month of school.  Once I have the Daily 5 up and rolling completely, I plan on having 10 centers a month, but 6 is perfect for now.  I looked at the end of the year expectations for first grade, so all of these centers review the first grade skills my second graders will need to know when they come to me.

(The clip art is from the incomparable Ashley Hughes.  I love her clip art!  It's so crisp and clean, and it's perfect for kids' printables.)

I really tried to keep the activities simple and straight forward.  I am teaching a class of mainly English Learners this year, so I worked hard to make the activities clear and understandable, even for students who are not native speakers.

Be sure and go to my TPT store to check them out!  They come in full color and in black & white (for people who are more frugal than I am about their ink usage.  :) )

Math Centers will be coming soon!

Happy Independence Day!

We're having a quiet day here today, since it's raining off and on all day.  We did get Baby Girl's crib fixed and rearranged the living room, but now we're just being lazy.  :-)

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!