Summer Spectacular Giveaway with Crazy for First Grade-CLOSED

Anna Brantley and I have teamed up for a "Spectacular Summer" Giveaway!!

You could win Anna's adorable “Under the Sea” math and literacy center packet plus my "End of the School Year Memory Book"!!! Anna’s product is a 71 page packet that includes 10 printable centers (5 math and 5 literacy) full of adorable fish, dolphins, whales, sharks, sea turtles & more!! 

My packet is a 17 page end of the school year memory book that includes an About this Year page, My Favorite Things, My Favorite School Lunch, My Favorite Recess Activity, Special Letter to My Teacher, What a Friend, Next Year…, an autograph page, and more. I will even create a custom cover to go with your memory book!! 

We are each hosting this contest on our blogs and will be giving away a total of 2 "Spectacular Summer" downloads!!  Please note that if you have already bought my End of the School Year Memory Book or Anna's Under the Sea math and literacy center packet, you can pick something else out of our stores for the same value!! 

To enter, follow these directions and make a comment for each!

1. Follow my blog: First Grade Factory

2. Follow my TpT store

3. Follow Anna Brantley’s blog: Crazy for First Grade

4. Follow Anna Brantley’s TpT store

5. Blog about this awesome contest and post a link about it

Don't forget to go to Anna’s page and enter there, too!! The contest will end on Saturday, April 30th at midnight (CST). 

Good luck to YOU!!!
Clipart by Scrappin Doodles and Lettering Delights.

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Here are some complimentary pages to accompany my End of the School Year Memory Book!

The first page is for students to write kind thoughts about their classmates. This can be done in addition to an autograph page. Provide students with the “One Thing I Like About…” page. Each student will write their own name in the rectangle. Then direct students to rotate around the room with a pencil and visit each of their peer’s desks. At each desk, students will write one nice comment or compliment on one line. Remind students to write neatly, use only one line, leave appropriate comments, and write their name after their comment. Upon completion, every student will have a page of comments and compliments to remember their classmates by.

The second page is for an end-of-the-year election! Read each description to the class. Provide explanations if necessary. Students will think of a classmate that the description describes and write that student’s name on the line. Inform students that they can change their votes as needed. However, they can only write another classmate’s name once. Upon completion, gather the election pages and tabulate for results. Sometimes teacher’s votes must help decide.

 Last, here is a cute little poem that I found on the Internet years ago. I like to give this poem to my students on the last day of school along with a little gift {usually pictures or a slideshow video of class pictures from the school year}. Clipart by Lettering Delights.

End of the School Year Memory Book

As the end of the school year approaches, help students reflect by creating their very own school memory book. This memory book includes an About this Year page, My Favorite Things, My Favorite School Lunch, My Favorite Recess Activity, My Favorite Subject, My Favorite Book, My Favorite Class Activity, My Favorite Field Trip, I’ll Never Forget When…, the Funniest Moment, Special Letter to My Teacher, What a Friend, Next Year…, and an Autograph page. 

There are 17 pages in all. As students (and teacher) anticipate summer break, start wrapping up the year by writing about the journey. Click {here} to purchase! Clipart by Scrappin Doodles and Lettering Delights.

Mother's Day Poem

Cindy from In the Teacher's Lounge is hosting a linky party for sharing project ideas for Mother's Day. Check out my activity here. Then, step on over to the lounge and add your idea to the list! Clipart by Scrappin Doodles.

The Power of Anticipation Guides

I can't say enough about the power of anticipation guides when it comes to teaching! 

They are perfect for promoting the use of pre-reading and during reading strategies. Anticipation guides can be used in many groupings, i.e., independently, small groups, or whole class. Students practice how to make predictions, read for details, and confirm answers. I love to watch my students' eagerness as they excitedly read to see if their predictions were true! I also love the discussion and debates that these guides inspire.

Here is a blank anticipation guide template and how to guide just for you!  Clipart by Lettering Delights.

Personal Spelling Dictionaries

One of the most challenging parts of teaching is when students constantly ask how to spell a word. Not only is this frustrating to me, but students are not learning independence. Plus, I am NOT a spelling robot!! :) 

Since teaching first grade for 6 years, I have combed the web and found some personal spelling dictionaries for students. However, they weren’t that user friendly. They lacked common high frequency words, page numbers, special word lists, or graphics to help students through ABC order.

To solve this little dilemma of mine, I created a spelling dictionary for my students to use in class. I made sure to incorporate high frequency words, page numbers, special word lists, and graphics to help with ABC order. I even added lines for students to add their own words, an over and over word list, and kid-friendly steps on how to find a word.

Last year, I shared these dictionaries with my grade level and we decided to send them to graphics to have them professionally bound. Over the course of the year, my grade level has remarked on the usefulness of these dictionaries. In my own classroom, my students always take out their spelling dictionary (without even being prompted)!! Students show self-reliance, independence, and are applying dictionary skills.

When you meet with parents during conference time, inform them of your strategies for helping students spell. You can even provide a spelling dictionary to be kept at home.  

Take a weight off…head on over to my {TpT} store and get your student-friendly dictionary. There are 25 pages in all. Clipart by Scrappin Doodles  and Lettering Delights.

Five Senses Science Unit

My students and I have been enjoying my latest science unit…Experimenting with the 5 Senses! This is one of my favorite units to teach because it is hands-on and engaging. For this unit, I compiled experiments to go with each sense. This lets students use the scientific process to explore. I have also written and included an “Experimenting with the Senses” page that lists materials, scientific process questions, and procedures for the teacher. This is great because it outlines what the teacher needs to do to introduce the unit, prepare, teach the lessons, and wrap-up the unit. You can even cut and paste the materials & procedures into your lesson plans!! 

For the students, there is a “My 5 Senses Journal” page cover, KWL, “My Scientific Process” page, “Blindfolded Builders” experiment, “Purposeful Pupils” experiment, “Good Vibrations” demonstration, “Telephone Cups” experiment, “What’s That Sound” experiment and recording page, “What’s That Smell” experiment and recording page, “Can You Feel It?” experiment, “Taste Test” experiment, “About our Tongue” information and diagram, “About the Tongue” cloze sentences review or quiz, tree map, brace map, and sensory pictures sort. 

There are 19 pages of engaging, stimulating, and hands-on experiments and materials for you and your class! I don’t know who will enjoy the unit more…you or your students!! {Get this unit today!}!!

Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe

Do you ever get tired of making new spelling activity pages? Do you ever get tired of making endless copies of homework? Solve this problem by using a {Spelling Words Tic-Tac-Toe} activity page. Make a copy of this page for each of your students on Monday. Each day, send home lined paper for students to complete the activity on... (I even use a half sheet sometimes). Students will choose one activity each evening. They will color in the box once they have completed the activity. Students have to get a tic-tac-toe (up & down, left to right, or diagonal). They will turn their Tic-Tac-Toe activity page in to the teacher on Friday.