Leprechaun Traps

On the last day of February, I read a St. Patty's day book to my students about how tricky leprechauns are. Then I give them an assignment to create a leprechaun trap at home with parents. Students then bring them the Monday before St. Patty's day. I bring the little first graders and Kindergarten classes down to check them out. My students in turn show and tell those little students how they work. Then I have them take them home the night before so they can set them at home along with a note to parents on what to expect if "a leprechaun" gets away or visits the trap.

When students come in the next day, I have a scavenger hunt planned. A "leprechaun" knocks on my door and slides a note under the door. The note takes us to the office, then to the library, and then to the lunch room. While this is happening, a "leprechaun" is dumping all the desks that are soooo messy and stealing my gold from my trap. When we get back to the room, the students freak out about the leprechaun. They believe it because I was with him. I mean who else would do it right? And I get the messy ones to clean up their messes.

*Note last year when I did this. I had kids looking in the cupboards for the little man and some even saw a hump in the snow at recess and thought it was the leprechaun. What a hoot it was!

(sorry no pictures)

Multicultural Grant

My coteacher and I got approved for a $2000.00 multicultural grant and everything that we wanted is getting ordered.Yay! We have big plans for our school next year.

How to find the just right book

My first grader came home today with his first chapter book. As a teacher, I knew he was not ready. I know that he reads at a first grade level and does not have the confidence yet for a longer book.The book that he checked out was almost at a third grade level. I don't think the teacher realized that students need to know how to find a book just right for them. I discussed with my son about how books might be too difficult. We talked about the five finger test and I showed him the poster that I use in my class.

In my own class, we discuss how to find the "JUST RIGHT" book.  I am not saying that the Accelerated Reading (A.R) program is the best thing EVER. but it serves as a good tool and starting point to help students pick out books to read.  Students do read a different levels and have been exposed to different experiences and vocabulary. Even though students may know their reading specific level. They also need to have the tools to help pick out books for them.  I have found that students pick out books that are similar to the ones that other friends pick out. However, they end up being too hard and it is discouraging. So this is why we practice and work on finding "just right" books.

The black boxes cover my picture of some of my students. For an object lesson on teaching students how to find a book that is just right.

1. I bring in two shirts: my husband's football jersey and my son's baby clothes. I purposely choose a smaller child for the jersey so it looks like they are totally swimming in it.

2. I take a picture of him in it and we talk about how a book might be "too" big or difficult. 

3. Then I take a picture of a student holding the baby clothes. We discuss how books are too easy.

4. The last picture is of a student in his or her normal clothes. We talk about how you know when a book is just right.