Alert! Amazing Target Find!

ALERT. I found an amazing little book at the Target Dollar Spot. You may want to grab your keys and read the rest of this post as you walk to your car. Yeah, it's pretty good.

Since I'm posting from my iPhone, all the pics will show up at the end, FYI.

It's called Brilliant Reader: a Book Log for Kids and Parents.

It's a whole book full of book log pages! See below for pics, but I think it would be perfect for Daily 5, allowing the kids to chart each book they read and get a little comprehension practice, not to mention reinforcing their writing skills.

The very last page is just a NOTES page, which I think would be a great place for them to jot down book titles they see a friend reading or that they want to check out from the library next time.

Another possibility is to send this home with them for a Happy Summer, Don't Forget to Read gift. :)

I haven't decided yet, but you can bet your sweet bootay that I bought 22 copies! :)

Run, don't walk, to your nearest Target! :)

Fractured Fairy Tales--LOVE.

OK, guys, this may just be my favorite unit I've ever taught.

We talked about what we were going to do for Open House this year and decided to ixnay the Texas Unit, as it is really not in our TEKS (state standards), and 1st grade already does a lot of the same things for their Texas-themed Open House.  So back to the drawing board it was.

Part of our Texas Unit had included Texas Fairy Tales, so we finally came up with the idea to get going on one of our genre studies that are part of our new TEKS.  Hence, a FUN unit was born!

I plan Language Arts for our team, so I was the lucky winner to put all this together.

We started off by brainstorming what we already know about fairy tales/what things we often read about in the stories, etc. and ended the unit with the students following the writing process to develop their very own FRACTURED fairy tale based on a traditional one.  IT.  WAS.  AWESOME.  At least the kids thought so.  LOL.

Here are some of my favorite fractured fairy tales that we read and discussed the story elements of:

 

Three Cool Kids

by Rebecca Emberley

First, we read a traditional version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff and discussed the story elements, and then, before reading this fractured tale, I asked, "What if we rewrote the story but made the characters different?  What could they be instead of goats?"  We brainstormed, and we decided that our new story would have 3 dogs--a chihuahua, a beagle, and a bulldog.  Too funny!  They were super into rewriting the story (this was all done out loud, not written down).  The next day we read this book, which takes place in the big city, and it is too cute!  I loved that the main characters were still goats, but they were "citified" and each was interested in different things, style-wise, and had different talents.  Super cute story.

Wolf! Wolf!

by John Rocco

This is a fractured version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, which I purposely chose to use for a group lesson because I have some wolf-criers in my class who are just SO SICK at least 3 times a week.  One of whom finally actually DID throw up one day, and of course, no one believed that he was actually sick!  I'm somehow doubtful that the lesson from this story stuck, but you know.  A girl's gotta try.  This was a great book to discuss with the kids, because the author changed the point of view!  The illustrations are beautiful, too.  This may be my favorite "new" book I've read this year.

Kate and the Beanstalk

by Mary Pope Osbourne

Illustrated by Giselle Potter

I'm pretty sure my kids told me that Mary Pope Osbourne writes Magic Tree House.  Is that right?  Her name is definitely familiar.  But anyway, great book!  The kids were ALL about predicting the ending on this one! 

(Not including the credit since the words are so big!)

But dude.  If you haven't read this book, you MUST.  Seriously.  Buy it immediately or check your library.  You won't be sorry.  The kids will LOVE it.  But be forewarned--there will be LOTS of hysterical laughing.  Little hyenas.  You've been warned.  But I absolutely love this book.

 Goldilocks Returns

by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Have you ever read her books?  They're all good.  Just sayin.  But this one is SO CUTE!

Goldilocks comes back to the bears' house many years later!

I could go on and on and list tons more, but I really enjoyed these during our new unit this year and wanted to share!

I don't know that I've ever seen my kiddos so excited about a reading/writing lesson each day!  I wish I had taken pictures of everything and pictures of the kids engaged in their writing!  It was awesome.  But if you ever visited my classroom (this year, not every year), you'd see that there is scarcely time for me to snap photos when I spend most of my "free time" putting out fires and diffusing volatile situations.  Sad to say.  I guess I need to at least snap some of their final stories and artwork hanging in the hallway!

So anyway, since I'd already made most of the handouts for our students, I decided to put it all together with lesson plans, trade book recommendations, and all that jazz and post it on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Click any of the pics to check it out in my TPT store. 

Here it is in all its glory...

 

The unit is actually 30 pages long, so this is just a small sampling of what it includes.

The next 2 pages give more details about the contents.

 

I hope you got some good book recommendations you didn't know about!  What are your favorite fractured fairy tales to read/teach with??  I'd love to hear!

On My Nightstand

I have issues.  With reading, that is.  I love it.  So much that I'm always reading too many things at once.  ESPECIALLY during summer.  Also, I read magazines back to front.  It's an illness.

So here's what's currently on my nightstand (or on the floor next to my nightstand, to be more accurate; my nightstand is covered with various medications and dirty tissues):

The CAFE Book

by The Sisters

(bought for myself on Amazon)

We implemented the Daily 5 for the first time this past year, and I'm looking forward to incorporating it with CAFE.  I went to a workshop the week after school got out, and it seems just as great as D5.  Unfortunately, I've yet to crack this one open.  Mostly because I'm already reading another school book...

Work Hard.  Be Nice.  

by Jay Mathews

(borrowed from school)

Each team is required to read a set of 5 books this summer (as in, each person picks one, not we all read all 5, thank God).  I chose this one because I actually put it on our list of books I'd like to have available to us in our library.  It is very good so far; about 2 college graduates who signed on with Teach for America and how they fell in love with the kids in their inner city schools, and therefore, fell in love with teaching.  They are the guys who started KIPP Academy, if you've heard of it.  I'm about halfway, but it's a quick read, and I recommend it if you're looking for some inspiration.

Positive Discipline the First 3 Years 

by Jane Nelsen Ed.D., Cheryl Erwin, Roslyn Ann Duffy

(found at my brother's house and took it)

I have a 13 month old.  And this is my first time being a parent.  So I know nothing about it.  Need I say more?  I like this book so far.  I'm on like Chapter 9 or something.  It's hard to keep track when you're reading so many freakin' things simultaneously.  LOL.  

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler

by Elizabeth Ward

(someone who thinks I'm an idiot my mom bought for me)

Again.  I have a 13 month old.  And not only do I not know how to discipline him, but I don't know how to get him to eat big people food.  *sigh*  He will basically only eat pureed baby foods, yogurt, cheerios, mum mum crackers and puffs.  With a few exceptions, but it totally depends on the day.  This book isn't really helping me much with my son's picky-eating issues other than to tell me the fancy-pants name for it.  Something or other-phobia.  Thanks for that.  Now tell me how to fix it.  

White Girl Problems

by Babe Walker

Please don't read this book if you are easily offended.  Or if you don't like cursing.  Or the word vagina.  You've been forewarned!  That being said, this book is hilarious.  I'm reading this one on my Kindle.  I hard core love my Kindle, but one can only afford to buy so many books at one time, eh?   

I'm usually reading a fiction book, chick lit, etc., but after finishing The Beach House by Jane Green last week, I decided I'd better read my school books before starting a new "for fun" book.  :)

So what's on your nightstand, peeps?  Anything I should read?  

Currently...Catching Up!

Well, it's official.  I dropped off the face of the bloggy planet.  School is out, summer is about halfway over already (*sob*), and I have mostly recovered/moved on from the horrible end to the year I had.

You know how there are just people who only care about themselves and will do anything to help themselves, regardless of how it may hurt others?  Yeah.  Those people can suck it.  Also?  I THINK I FINALLY (MIGHT) know what grade I'll be teaching next year.  Oh yeah, it's one of THOSE situations.  Alas.  Don't get me started on that one.  But I digress.  I'm working on getting a happy attitude in my heart (and on my face) before we go back in August.

I will say that I have LOVED discovering Pinterest this past year, because it has revived my excitement for the classroom and ways to teach, organize, decorate, etc.  Such a great resource with amazing ideas, many of which I will be tackling before school starts.  Yay.

Well, here's my contribution to Farley's Currently Linky Party for July.  This blog doesn't have much to look at, so if you're interested in what went on in my classroom this past year, you can check out my classroom blog (link on the left sidebar).  :)  Holla.

My little guy turned one in May, and he is at SUCH a fun age!  He finally started walking, and he's talking more after having tubes put in his ears.  He is just learning and doing so much.  He is also much more attached to Mommy than he ever was before.  So August is going to be pretty hard for us both, I think!  Pobrecito.  

The hubcap and I are going to the Destin area here pretty soon, and there is so much crap to get done before then.  Cry me a river, for I'll be leaving the baby for the first time EVER, and for nearly a whole week!  :(  I'm nervous but excited to get away with the hubs.  

BOOKS!  I LOVE to read aloud the Wayside School books by Louis Sachar.  Fabulous writer, hilarious books.  My students never laugh as much as they do listening to these books.  So fun.  Although, for a short read, I also LOVE reading aloud ANY of the Skippyjonjones books.  I get to use my Texican accent, and the kids love it.  

I don't really have an ongoing "go to" professional book, because I pretty much stopped reading those when I graduated, HA!  But this summer, I'm reading the CAFE book so I can (hopefully) implement it correctly this year.  Good times.

OK peeps, if you've made it this far, you get a gold star, or a slap on the back, or something.  THANKS and peace out, happy summering to ya.

-Gayla

Favorite Read Aloud Linky Party and Too BUSY for Words

Oh man, do I love read alouds.  I just LOVE reading to my kiddos!  I love it more when they don't interrupt every page I read with their commentary, but that's a different topic...  :)

Anyway, Swimming into 2nd is having a great linky party for read alouds, so I'm linking up over there!  Please click HERE to check out some great ideas for read alouds to use in your classroom (if you don't already--I mean great minds DO think alike, after all).

Thanks, Swimming into 2nd for hosting!

My very favorite read aloud EVER is Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar.

When I taught 3rd grade, I used to read this book, and then the sequel, Wayside School is Falling Down if I got around to it.

The kids LOVED these books.  I mean LOVED.  The things that happen at Wayside School are SO bizarre and wacky, it's just fantabulous (and no, I don't tend to teach my students words that don't actually exist, but this is MY blog and I can use fake words if I WANT to).  If you haven't read these books, totally give 'em a looksie.

Now that I'm in 2nd grade, my fave books to read aloud are the Skippyjon Jones series by Judy Schachner.  Here is the Skippyjon Jones website for your perusing pleasure.

Seriously.  series.  Seriously.  Why are those words so similar?  Anywho...I'm sorry, where was I?  OK, yeah, Skippyjon Jones.  LOVE HIM.  Cutest idea for a character EVER, and I'm sorry, but I get SUCH a big kick out of reading these books because I get to use my best "Texican" accent, and frankly, I really crack myself up.  In case you were wondering.  I feel that I'm allowed to basically mock the accent since I'm half Mexican myself.  And the kids love it.  And they love learning the Spanish words thrown in here and there.

So there ya have it.  Read alouds that rock.

Moving on.   To the fact that number 1, I just started a sentence with a preposition, and number 2, that being a new mom who works is the hardest freaking thing I have EVER done.  Is it just me?  I do NOT have enough time in my DAY to get done the things I need to get done, much less the things I WANT to get done.  Not cool.  (It's possible I'm a little bitter about the whole thing.)

So anyway, there are so many things I have been wanting to post about on this blog, but my blog posting time (which ends up being late Saturday night, I'm sad to say) has been devoted to my classroom blog, because well, I like keeping the parents in the loop, and the parents like me keeping the parents in the loop.  So there's that.  I really want to TRY to post on here.  Like, ever.  So we'll see...

Thanks for stopping by!