Using March Madness to Cultivate a Love of Literature

I cannot take credit for this idea.  I first saw it on Facebook, linked by a teacher-friend.  The article had a simple picture that caught my attention.  To be honest, I didn't even read the article.  I just saw the picture and my mind started going crazy on how to make this work for 1st graders.

I took a large piece of butcher paper and drew a very large bracket with a big Sharpie.  I hung it in the hallway across from our door so that the kids could see it, as well as the rest of the school.  I can't tell you how many other students, teachers, and parents stopped to look.  I even overheard a few older students talking about which books they thought would win.  It made my heart smile.  :)

One of the main questions I've had is whether or not I let the students choose the first 32 books.  I did not, mainly because it was such a last minute project and I needed to get it going.  I picked 8 books from 4 different genres.  I created categories for Classics, Humor, Mixed-Up Fairy Tales, and General Fiction.  I wanted to expose the students to a variety of genres and open their eyes to some literature that they may not have explored before.  I tried to throw in some books I knew they liked, too.  I Googled images of each book I chose and just copied and pasted the images into a PowerPoint, printed, and laminated!  I put a little masking tape on the back of each image and put them on the bracket.  The pictures of the books made it a little more exciting and colorful.

I had to get this done before Spring Break (which is this week, PTL!), so I read a set of books from each category every. single. day.  

I started off each read aloud by saying that we were going to have another tournament.  Within the Classics category, I gave a little bit of background for each book.  They loved learning how old some of them were!  ;)

After I read the two books, I passed out little paper ballots to each student.  I reminded them each time that they had to vote for they one THEY liked best.  The paper ballots were a good way to do it because they really did want to keep their vote a secret.  If we simply raised our hands, well...you know how that goes, especially with little ones.  ;)  I have a feeling the race wouldn't be as close!

After all the votes were tallied each time, I would announce the winner and CHEERS would ERUPT.  They were so excited every single time!  There were some definite shockers, like The Giving Tree.  I totally didn't expect that one to make it past the first round.  

Another question I've had is if I read the books after reading them once.  YES!  I read them every. single. round.  It got a little annoying by time the finals came around, but I felt it was important for them to hear them each time in order to compare them to the book it was up against.  Surprisingly, they loved it each time and I really think it made a different.  They had such a fresh perspective when it was up against a different text the next time.

After the tournament was over, we went around to a couple of classrooms that took a big interest in our competition and announced the winner.  They ended up reading the book to them as a class because they practically had it memorized.  ;)

So who is the 2015 book winner of Mrs. Kirby's 1st grade class?  I'm so glad you asked.  :)  It was the ONLY unanimous vote during the whole tournament (which provided a great opportunity for a quick vocabulary lesson!).

THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG by Mo Willems!!!!!

I definitely recommend this activity for next year in your classroom!  It was a DEFINITE hit with my students and I don't think they'll ever forget it!

Quick Organization Tip!

Today I'm linking up with my gals from Primary Powers to bring you a little organization for the new year!  There are so many little tidbits and goodies that we're sharing and you don't want to miss any of them!

If you didn't see my last blog post from a couple days ago, see the post below this one!  I talked about how I organize my teaching data.  :)  I go into a lot of detail in the post, so if you want to see the specifics, just scroll down.

I made a quick little freebie for you to help you organize your own data binder!  It's an editable file that allows you to type your name to personalize it AND you can type your own content areas if needed!  I did the cover page in color and the rest are in black and white to save on that colored ink.  ;)  I hope you enjoy!

CLICK HERE or click on the picture!

Hop on over to My Second Sense to see what's next!  :)

Data Collection: The Teacher Side of It

No school today, which means I have a chance to catch my breath and catch up on my blog!

Data collection.  I think it's one of those things that you either love or hate.  I, myself, probably get entirely too giddy about it.  I love seeing those graphs go up and seeing how much my students have grown.  I also love the information it tells me.  If you really use it as it should be used, it will honestly help you drive your instruction to best plan for your students.  It's an insanely helpful tool that we really have a lot to learn from!

I always get a lot of interest and questions about the types of data I collect, what I do with it, and how I keep it organized.  This blog post will hopefully answer those questions for you.  If you think of other questions or want more clarification, leave a comment below and I will answer them the best I can.  :)

What types of data do you collect?

Great question!  There are so many things that you can collect.  Some of it is useful, some of it is not.  My rule of thumb is to keep it as simple as possible and to collect data on things that assess the general knowledge/abilities of your students.  You can always break it down further, but that's more of what your RTI process is for.  In talking about the general classroom, I collect the big things: fluency, math facts, sight words, reading levels, and scores from a 1st grade math test.  I'm never big on tracking a "test", but the one we give is a test with all of the 1st grade standards that they should learn by the end of the year.  We give it the first week of school, in the winter (we will be giving it the first week of February), and at the very end of the year.  It shows me their mastery of 1st grade math skills.  Short and simple!

That seems like a lot of paperwork.  How do you keep it all organized?

Binders are my best friend!  :)  I keep all the info in one binder so that I have allll the data I need right at my finger tips.  I put tabs in it to separate all the different categories so that it makes it easy to find what I need.  I also keep my AIMSWeb reports in here.

How often do you collect data from the students?

It truly depends.  I collect it often enough to see growth and be able to accurately plan for my students, but I don't do it so much that they don't have time to grow between checks.  :)

For math facts, I check them weekly.  We use Gumball Math from Made for 1st Grade.  I have a math fact program in my shop called Camera Club Math Fact Mastery.  Here's the 2nd grade version.  They are more aligned with Common Core.  :)  Use whatever program you're used to using or that which works best for your needs.  I keep little checksheets in my binder in sheet protectors so that I can quickly write down the date they pass each level.

As I mentioned above, we also give a general math test that checks all the standards for 1st grade.  We use My Math, so we just use the end-of-year test.  We give it at the beginning of the year, in the winter, and at the end of the year.

I also keep my AIMSWeb data in my binder as well.  We do beginning of the year, mid-year, and end-of-year checks with those.  I have a student who gets progress monitored weekly, so I will keep his information in here as well (he just started Tier 3, so I don't have his info printed yet.)

For sight words, I use Rainbow Words from Jen Jones.  My students LOVE this program!  :)  I assess their sight words every other week.  Again, I put a checklist in a sheet protector and then write the dates of when they pass each level.

I assess fluency each week as well.  We use Reading Street, so they have fluency passages included for each week.  That's what I use for these and then I use the unit fluency checks at the end of each unit.  I typed up checklists for each unit and placed them in sheet protectors.  

For reading levels, we use Fountas & Pinnell.  This year I bought a subscription to Raz-Kids, so I'm better able to monitor when they pass each level.  We used to check their reading levels at the beginning of the year, mid-year, and end-of-year (and we still do), but now that I have Raz-Kids I check them more frequently.  THEN when it comes time for those big checks 3x a year, it doesn't take as long because I don't have to have the read for a lot of levels!  It really cuts down on the time I spend assessing those weeks.  I just glance at Raz-Kids and when I see a child has passed a level on there, I check them using the books.  This will be different for each student.  For some I might assess them every couple of weeks, for some it will only be 3x a year if they aren't progressing through Raz-Kids.  I keep a big list of the 3x a year and what level they are on, but I also keep a checklist in which I write down the date they pass each level if I assess them more often.

Do the different colors of ink you use mean anything?

Actually, they do!  I'm one of those who loves colored pens.  Hello Flair Pens and Ink Joy!  A teacher's best friend.  :)  I color code EVERYTHING I do.  So in my checklists, I use a specific color for each month so that I can easily glance and see trends or big leaps in a short amount of time.  I love seasons and holidays, so of course my colors coordinate with each month.  ;)

August = orange, September = red, October = orange, November = brown, December = green, January = light blue, February = pink, March = green, April = purple, May = pink

How do you store and organize all of your assessment materials?

Binders, boxes, and folders!

For Gumball Math, I found this cute flip-top box a couple years ago at Target.  I put hanging folders in it and labeled them for each level.  I grab my binder so I know what level they are on and pull the sheets from the box when it's time to pass them out.  I call up all the kids (by name, not level) who are on the same level so that it goes a little quicker.

For Fountas & Pinnell, I have the kit that neatly stores everything.  I also have purple tub where I store a binder with all the master sheets and all of the books.  I just grab the tub and my binder and I have everything I need!

For Rainbow Words, I keep everything in a binder.  I clip the assessment sheets to the front cover so that they are ready and I don't have to spend a ton of time looking at which level they are on, finding the corresponding sheet, writing their name, and filing them.  Once they pass a level I put the sheet in their individual files.  Then I just grab the next one right then and there so that it's ready for next time.  I also keep a plastic pocket in the binder with the certificates to fill out and send home when they pass a level.

I keep my binder front and center!  It's kept near my computer so that I can grab it at any moment, especially if an administrator or parent walks in and wants any info.

Do you display any data for your students?  How do you do it?

Absolutely!  I have a "data dashboard" in my room where I track class averages for the kids to see!  They get so excited and amazed whenever they move up!  These pictures are from a couple weeks ago.  I just updated it last week with all the mid-year data and they were so excited about their gains!

For Gumball Math I also have an individual board.  The kids LOVE it and then they get to take their sheet home with them at the end of the year.

I've had some people ask me, "Well what if a kid doesn't have any stickers on their gumball machine?  Isn't that mean or discouraging for them?  Don't other kids make fun of them?"  In a short answer, it's fine.  :)  There are many ways to address this.  You could lower their goal to ensure success for them so that they can still pass levels.  Nobody else has to know if their goal is different.  I've never had a child make fun of another child, but that's because we really emphasize equal vs. fair.  We build up the community so much in our class that they are such big cheerleaders for each other.  Those who have a limited amount are bummed if they don't pass a level, but boy you should see their faces when they finally do pass!  AND you should hear the cheers from their peers when they pass!  It makes me cry every time, haha.  Like I said, there are many ways you can address this problem.  Every classroom is different and is made up of different students.  You know what works best for you and your students!  And don't be afraid to try something new.  You might be surprised.  :)

I will actually be back on Wednesday with a little freebie to help you keep organized!  ;)  Next weekend I will be blogging about student data binders, so stay tuned!!!  Have a great week! 

Cyber Monday Blog Hop Stop #16

Primary Powers and GoNoodle have created the dynamic duo!  We are sharing all of our best ideas on using GoNoodle.  You have landed at hop stop #16.  You can also start from the beginning!  :)

We have used GoNoodle in so many ways in our classroom, but an idea I had this year was to use it after fire drills/tornado drills/lockdown drills.  Some of my first graders have a hard time readjusting after such an intense interruption.  Others have just gotten off task and have a difficult time settling down again.  Those situations can either be scary or exciting for students.  Therefore I turned on GoNoodle after these drills to give them a couple minutes to bring them back and help settle their hearts and minds.

Imagine going from this...curtains drawn, doors locked, students huddled in a corner...

...to turning on this!  Did you know GoNoodle offers calming and relaxing videos and exercises?  There are several options so that you can find something to best suit the needs of your students.

I watched this video again to get some screenshots and I wanted to fall asleep.  ;)  

These GoNoodle videos have done wonders for helping my students cope with the stress of different drills that go on during the school year.  Give them a try!  There are so many options with GoNoodle that help my students in SO many aspects.

Now that you have yet another idea on how to use GoNoodle in the classroom, let's move on to the swag!  Want a chance to win this FUN GoNoodle tumbler???  I drink out of these all the time at school. ;)  Enter through the Rafflecopter below!

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So what are you waiting for?  Keep hopping!  More great tips, free swag giveaways on each site, and a great last stop!  Your next stop is Ashley's blog at Flying High in First!

BOB BOOKS Giveaway!

Have you heard of BOB Books?  I first stumbled across them in a Scholastic book order.  Now I keep seeing the everywhere!  BOB Books offered to send me a set of books to try with my students.  I ordered Set 3, Word Families because I have some students who really struggle with vowel sounds.  I thought they might be good to use with those kiddos and may give them some additional support.

In this sweet little box is a set of 10 books.  8 books focus on different word families.

I started out with this book.  I love how they fit so perfectly in their hands.  They are so simple and I LOVE simple!  The font is just the right size and the simple pictures really helped him focus on the text while still having that picture support.

I noticed my student was having troubles every time he came across the word was, so I used some of my highlighting tape and placed some over the word each time in the book.  It really helped!

Each book has a list of words used on the last page.  It was helpful when I was trying to figure out which book to use with him.  He needs a lot of practice with short vowels, so this quick glance was perfect in helping me make my decision.  It also gives a list of sight words in the book, which I love as well.  You could also easily perform a running record with one of these books!  It even has the total number of words listed.  :)

The last 2 books are small activity books.  If you purchase these for your own child, they can write directly into the book.  I prefer to make copies so that I can use them year after year.  ;)

I was so in love with this set that I purchased the sight word set!  Each book has a few sight words that it focuses on, with the words listed at the front of the book.

Instead of activity books, the sight word set comes with a set of flash cards.  The words are printed on one side and are used in a sentence on the other side.  I'm a huge advocate of practicing sight words in context, so I was totally surprised and in love with this feature!  They are perforated so that you can easily tear them apart.

I honestly can't wait to get my hands on more BOB Books!  They are so perfect for RTI and my students love them!

How would you like to win a set???  BOB Books and I are teaming up to offer one lucky winner a set of books of their choice!  Enter through the Rafflecopter below!  In the meantime, check out the BOB Books website so that you can decide which set you want!  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 26th.  Good luck!!!!

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SUPER Thankful!

It's the time of year when I tend to get very stressed out.  With parent-teacher conferences, report cards, holidays, field trips, cold weather setting in, the year being in full-swing...it's just all very stressful for me.  I have to be very intentional about being positive and thankful for what's right in front of me.

I'm linking up with my gals over at Primary Powers for a Thankful Linky.

A lot of these are very cliche and very standard answers, but they are honestly what I'm truly thankful for.

• My family:  I'm sitting here staring at my husband lounging in bed watching "The Goldbergs".  Sawyer, my one-year-old, is playing with the remote control.  Rowan, my three-year-old, is watching "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" on the iPad.  Kids and their technology.  My heart is so full with these 3 guys.  My life just wouldn't be the same without them.  

• My home: We have another polar vortex, or so they call it, coming through Ohio right now.  Thank goodness it's November, otherwise we'd be looking at temperatures below zero right now.  Instead it's just 30 degrees.  Tell me again why I didn't stay down south?  An inch or two of snow is expected on Saturday night.  I HATE winter.  It makes me SO thankful for my home.  Full of warmth, comfort, and love.  When I'm protected from the elements, I'm even more thankful for it.

• My faith: Without God in my life, I don't know how I'd even be here today.  Having a future to look forward to is the only thing that keeps me going some days.  This earth is not all there is (thank goodness!).  I'm so far from perfect and mess up in so many ways each and every day, but yet Christ forgives me without question.  He gave His Son (and when you become a parent, that becomes even more remarkable) so that I can be forgiven and be given a one-millionth chance.

• My coworkers: Let's face it.  Our coworkers are like our second family.  Next to our immediate family, we are with them more than anyone else.  I'm so grateful to share life with them.  I love getting to know them, sharing ideas with them, and being there for each other when the tough gets going.  From losing loved ones to losing pets to having bad hair days to struggling with health problems, it's so nice to have a support group and friends that stand by your side and are willing to help you at the drop of a hat.

• My friends: High school friends, college friends, blogging friends, church friends...we need friends.  We need encouragement.  I'm so glad to have some gals (and guys) in my life that stay in touch, plan playdates for our kids, send a text message to show they care, get excited for each other, and just encourage each other in life.  Life is so tough sometimes.  Reach out to those around you and be a blessing.  We need each other.

• My students and their families: I was watching my students run around on the playground today with pure joy all over their sweet faces.  Innocent, cheerful children.  I'm so grateful to have the honor of having a moment of their life to help mold them and shape them for their future.  We had conferences last Thursday and last night and I just love meeting with parents and hearing the encouragement seeing their faces light up when I praise their kids.  Even if their child is struggling and I have to relay that information, I think it's so powerful to sit and plan together as to how best help their child.  The parents I've had are so wonderful and I'm so blessed to have such wonderful students and parents.

In the midst of the craziness that is starting to unfold during this time of year, I hope you're able to take a moment to breathe and think about all the ways you are blessed.  :)

Don't forget to check out the other Thankful threads from Primary Powers!