Day 6

Hello Blog friends,

I have been on hiatus due to exhaustion! The first week was so crazy and I worked 10-11 hour days for the whole week! Including today- we went to Walmart after school to buy more supplies. Despite the crazy-long hours it was a very successful first week. I had mentally blocked how hard it is to restart each year… But, MAN! You can really see the improvement each day when it starts out with them knowing nothing about the procedures. I am very proud of my kiddos! 17 so far (liable to change all the time) and they are sweethearts.

So- I had promised a picture of the FACE board I am going to use this year for my reading strategies. And I will make good on that promise! But first- a quick lesson for anyone who has never heard/used CAFÉ (if you are one of these people, please consider reading these books. They are awesome!)

Ok- so basically you use the CAFÉ board (or, as I am doing this year, FACE) to record reading strategies as you teach them and help the students realize they use them! Metacognition!! So when we read a story I may introduce the strategy to Check the Picture to make sure what you have read makes sense. We would model this strategy and then write it and put it on our FACE board. We would put it under the letter C because C=Comprehension! Check the Picture helps kids understand the story, so we put the strategy under C for comprehension. Get it??? So easy and smart.

So then when I read with Nikki (my sister’s name… I’ll use her as the example ) is reading with me and she reads “The cat is in a truck” when the picture obviously shows the cat in a tree, I can ask her to “Check the Picture”… Does this make sense? Then we go back and identify the correct word and *ta-da* some comprehension has taken place! Not only does Nikki understand the story better now, but she also understands that she used that specific strategy! Whoo!

And now that we all understand what a FACE board is…… HERE IT IS!!!

Ahh! So lovely, right? The camera was made by my sweet artist husband AND me. I asked him to make it and he helped me do it instead. Great teamwork! The letters are on plates that I painted with glue and then GLITTERED. I dye-cut the other letters and my sweet assistant put them up for me today! Close up time!

closer

Camera from cardboard, construction paper, butcher paper, peanut can lid, and silver crayon

Glitter letter close up. AND my sweet friend Amanda over at Third Grade Meanderings made these great labels. I printed them 2 per page and they look perfect, if I do say so myself .

This will soon be completed with pictures of each of the kiddos peeking over a book! So stinking cute.

I took some quick shots today after school- post comments if you need more explanation!

Its no door by Abby Faulk (sweet girl who did my door last year) but it will do.

Pinterest idea turned into real life! Loved it!

Post it note word wall!

My class library in the corner, storage behind the purple curtains, low table for small groups/anything else.

Kid’s desks, promethean board, computers, my desk.

3 ways to read a book (ignore my ridiculous cutting)

Read to Self Independence chart

Chrysanthemum heart activity. We all promised not to use hurtful words.

Math About Me project (I got it from some awesome blog, but I don’t remember which). They turned out very cute and hilarious. One child’s favorite number is 1002. LOVE first grade!

Hope you have a happy week!

**edit** Math About Me PDF. Sorry I can't remember where I got it to give credit!