Reader's Toolbox

At the beginning of the year, I teach the reading strategies by referring to them as tools. After I introduce each tool or strategy, the students have to use it as they read during independent reading time. I make sure that I have plenty of sticky notes available for them to mark where they used the strategy in their books. Then we gather together and the students share their discoveries.  I love this part! I can easily access who is actually reading and learning how to apply what they've learned, and who isn't.  I teach and review these strategies intensively at first, and then refer to them often throughout the year. 


Recently, I recreated my tool bookmarks and thought I would share them with you. Young readers might not be able to comprehend or even read all of the words on each bookmark, but eventually they will see the picture of the tool and knows what it means and how to use it. In my experience, these tools are great mnemonic devices that really help my students remember and apply the reading strategies when reading! You can download a copy of my Reader's Toolbox for only $1 at my TPT store here. So, how do you help your students remember the reading strategies?

Rocky Rewards

Currently there is a health movement sweeping across our country encouraging educators to avoid rewarding students with sugar. But let’s face it, candy is cheap, teachers are poor and we know that it motivates kids! But the fact is, healthy alternatives make sense. So what are some healthy or inexpensive ways to reward our students?  Here is one way, but I would love to hear your suggestions. In second grade, we learn about rocks and their properties. My husband told me that his fourth grade teacher gave her class rocks as a reward. I think this is a great idea! I have always loved the glossy finished surface of polished rocks but they can be pricy. Although polished rocks are pricy, ordinary rocks are free and thanks to the Earth’s crust, we have an over abundance of them. You’d be surprised what cool rocks you can find! And if you have a rock tumbler you can make your own polished rocks. So, this year I am going to have a jar or better yet, metallic bucket with the label ‘You Rock!’ on it. Whenever a student earns a reward, he/she will pick from the rock jar and add it to his/her collection.  Now since I have never tried this before it might fall flat on its face. And if it does, there is always the unhealthy but sweet alternative. Candy pebble rocks! You can find these at most bulk food stores for around $4 a pound.  Either way, this idea rocks! In case you are interested, here is a free download of vocabulary words to go with your rock unit.  

Also, Christie from First Grade Fever shared some fantastic rewards that don't involve sugar. You can find the free downloads here.  Thanks for sharing Christie! :)  I also created some Sweet Treats labels that you can download for free at my TPT store here. I know, I know what you're thinking. This may defeat the purpose of my post, but an occasional sweet treat won't hurt, right?

Place Value Rocks!

I think it is important to teach children what the base-ten number system is and why we use it. Having this knowledge helps children understand where numbers come from and why it makes sense to use place values.  So, do you know where the base-10 number system originated? The Egyptians first came up with a base-10 number system around 3100 BC.  However it is believed that the Incas also used it. Then around 300 – 200 B.C. the Hindus began attaching a symbol to each number.  They also created a name for each power of 10. Today we use ones, tens, hundreds and so on. The Hindu-Arabic numeral system originally had 9 digits but around 600 AD, the Hindus invented a symbol to represent nothing. We call it zero. In 700 AD, the Arabs discovered the Hindus’ numeral system and in 800 AD, a mathematician from Persia wrote a book about it.  It was translated into Latin about 300 years later. Eventually the Hindu-Arabic numeral system was introduced to Europe and the rest my friends is history! I like to introduce place value by telling a little pretend story about a caveman who likes to collect rocks. This is how it goes:

There once was a caveman who liked to collect rocks. His pile of rocks kept getting bigger and bigger until there was no more room in his cave. One day the caveman's friend came over. He said, "Ohh-gah! Ohh-gah! (the students love this part) How many rocks do you have?" The caveman had no idea. So, he decided to put a tally mark on his cave wall to represent each rock in his collection. Soon his cave wall was filled with tally marks. The caveman's friend came over again. "Ohh-gah! Ohh-gah! How many rocks do you have?" The caveman looked at the cave wall and scratched his head.   He decided to put the rocks into groups of 10. He represented each group of 10 with a stick.  Soon he collected so many sticks that he decided to put the sticks in groups of 10 as well. So, for every 10 groups of 10 sticks, he exchanged it with a flat stone (which represents 100). The next time his friend came over he said, "Ohh-gah! Ohh-gah! How many rocks do you have?" The caveman replied, "I have 5 stones (flats), 8 sticks (rods) and 7 rocks (units)." 

Hopefully you get the idea. My students love this story and it helps them understand why we need place value! Since place value is part of the common core, I created four place value games. You can purchase them at my TPT store here if interested. 

When You Can't Sleep, Count Sheep!

Have you ever had one of those nights where you can't get to sleep? Or, maybe you've woken up and can't get back to sleep. Either way it's really annoying. Apparently insomnia has been around for a long time. According to a New York Times article, counting sheep was supposedly a "tallying system devised by shepherds in ancient Britain".  One can only imagine how boring it must have been for those poor sheepherders to count sheep all day. So boring in fact, I'm sure it must of quietly lulled them to sleep on several occasions. So much so, that the connection between counting sheep and sleeping began. On occasion you can still hear the phrase 'counting sheep' in comics and TV commercials, but I chose to use it in a fun math center/activity that I created. You can check it out at my TPT store here. So remember when you can't sleep, count sheep! :) 

Change for the Better

I have had a lot of problems with allergies, asthma and fatigue for quite a while now. So, my wonderful mom gave me this book called Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

So far, it has been an interesting read and I am finding myself relating to the people in the case studies from the book (that have by the way, lost incredible amounts of weight).  I am sick of being sick, and according to this book a lot of my problems are caused by poor eating habits. Imagine that. The book outlines a six week diet to retrain your body. However, it eliminates all the "good foods" I'm used to eating. For instance, chocolate.  I'm sure over the next six weeks that I will be hungry for all of my favorite sweet delights but I will try my best and hopefully, create better eating habits and a healthier (meaning skinnier) lifestyle.  So inspired by the thought of being hungry all of the time, I created a math game called Hungry Alligator.  You can purchase it at my TPT store here if you are interested.

Read and Respond

During independent reading time last year, I noticed that several of my students weren’t really reading. They were what I affectionately refer to as “pretenders” or students who only pretend to be reading. In order to make my students more accountable as readers, I decided to have them write about their reading.

First, we had to build our reading stamina. Students had to remain in their seats and remain quiet the entire time. I used a timer to keep track of the minutes.  At first, my students could only read for 5 minutes without talking or getting up out of their seats. But by the end of the year, my second graders could read for 30 minutes!  During reading time, I would consult with students or ask them to do the “Five Finger Rule” to make sure they were reading ‘just right’ books.

After reading, I would pick student sticks and ask several students to share their writing. I put their sticks back into the container because I didn’t want them to think that once they shared, they didn’t need to participate anymore. The problem is that other students weren’t getting their chance to share. In order to ensure everyone has a turn this year, I will put their sticks upside down in the container once they have shared.  Hopefully those smart little second graders won’t notice and I will still be able to hold their ‘feet to the fire’ so to speak.  Another way to keep them accountable is to let them share their writing with a friend instead.

I love the writing aspect of this activity! At the end of the year, my students could successfully summarize their reading using linking words (first, then, next, etc.)!  It also allowed you to see who was struggling and/or who was pretending.

Since doing this activity, I have had the chance to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. If you want try this in your class, make sure you give your students the opportunity to go the bathroom and get a drink before beginning.  This is a no brainer, but it takes time to do these things. So I suggest doing this activity first thing in the morning or right after recess when these things should already have been taken care of. 

Another problem I discovered was students continually getting out of their seats to find another book. I found that most of these students were just bored (because they were pretenders) and just wanted get out of their seats. This year if I can find the room, I am going to have book boxes. I did this when I only had 19 students, but now that I have 26 students it’s a little more difficult to find the room. On the teacherwife.blogspot, she doubled students to one box.  She and I have used the cardboard magazine holders from IKEA to make the book boxes. They are only $1.99 for a set of five! Hopefully you can find a store near you.

Magazine holders from IKEA

On Monday, students will chose three books from our classroom library (plus two library books) to read throughout the week and keep them in their book boxes.  Since I have my students read first thing in the morning, they will need to grab their book boxes and then find their seats before beginning. Hopefully this will eliminate this problem for good.

If you would like to try this in your class, I have included a free copy of the Read and Respond journal at my TPT store. You can pick up a free copy here. If you have find something else that works for you please share!

Inspired Creations

Adorable and Cheap!

I love shopping at dollar stores! Not only can I find great items for only a dollar but I also get inspired to create new things for my classroom. It's a fun way for me to express my creativity. So when I came across these adorable pink ceramic piggy banks in the Dollar Section at Target the other day, I was inspired to create a money game. So the next time you go to a dollar store near you, let those inspired creations begin! You can purchase a copy of this game at my TPT store here.

Chocolate Anyone?

Oh, the wonders of chocolate!

Chocolate. Need I say more? Along with Dory's helpful attitude, there is always chocolate. It is a teacher's best friend, right? Bad teacher conference? Chocolate. Students driving you CRAZY? Chocolate. We're changing our curriculum? Chocolate. The down side is that all that chocolate (along with all of the stress) is causing me some serious weight gain! 

Did you know that Central America used chocolate for thousands of years before anyone else knew it existed? They even gave it the name 'Cacoa' which means 'god food' in Mayan. Personally, I think this is the most appropriate name one could give to a food as divine as chocolate. Then in the 16th century the Europeans decided to combine it with milk and sugar and 'Voila!' Now we know who to blame or not.  Can you imagine life without chocolate? 

Science has confirmed why we crave chocolate. Apparently when chocolate is consumed, it increases serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain which is similar to what a mild anti-depressant does. And because it contains a small amount of caffeine, it also acts as a mild amphetamine. No wonder Napoleon carried it around with him everywhere he went. So good or bad, chocolate is the bomb. 

A New Beginning

Just Keep Swimming!

This is my first post. Ever. So first I would like to explain why I titled my blog, Swimming in Second. Dory (from Finding Nemo) and I, are very much alike.  She has issues with memory, as do I.  She is someone who will always stick by your side, as am I.  And like Dory, I have had to learn how to keep swimming.  Although it can be fun and worthwhile, teaching is hard. Just when I think I have things figured out, a wave of doubt sets in or a current of change causes a temporary blur in my vision.  But then the waves settle down, my vision returns and the purpose of why I teach is clear. A smile on a child's face. A welcoming hug. A colorful picture with the words, "I love school." All of these things make these temporary interferences worthwhile. So as I prepare to enter this next school year, my goal will be to embrace Dory's delightful optimistic attitude, and when teaching gets hard (as I know it will), I'm going to think or maybe even sing, 'Just keep swimming.'