Five for Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  I wasn’t able to post my Five for Friday last week and this week was shortened because of NJ teacher’s convention.  So, I thought I’d write a combo-platter of a Five for Friday highlighting some things that have been going on over the past two weeks.  I am FINALLY starting to feel like myself again after getting hit hard with a cold and cough after Halloween week 2015.  It knocked me for a loop that’s for sure!  This weekend I have friends visiting from Boston with their sweet new baby boy and I can’t wait to spend some time relaxing and celebrating friends and new family members!  Here’s a peek at what has been going on in first grade lately.

We’ve been working so hard on retelling in first grade.  It’s such an important skill to practice throughout the year and that’s what we plan on doing.  We introduced what makes a good story retell with the Ist Family and have been digging in for a week and a half now.  With each read aloud or shared reading we talk about what the Gist of the story was, We List the events in order, talk about the Twist or the change before the end, and then share the End.  They’ve been doing a great job with it!

We launched How-To writing this week and this was one of the first pieces of writing a student of mine shared. I always try to reiterate that the kids should write about something they know how to do really well so it’s easy to teach someone else.  This little cutie feels like she is an expert at crossing her eyes.  Who am I to disagree?!  I love first grade writing!

My first graders have really taken to using their Reading Tic-Tac-Toe menus for homework along with their book in a bag that goes home each Monday.  I blogged a little bit more about how I use them in my post on Teacher Deals and Dollar Steals.  Check it out this weekend at a discount in my TpT store!

Since it was a shortened week (we had off Thursday and Friday) I had to have all of my copies and plans organized on Wednesday before I left school.  I love looking at my daily piles and seeing so many wonderful TpT resources that will help my students in the next week!  

I needed a good curl up on the couch with your family kind of night this week.  So, I went home to my parents’ and watched Inside Out with my mom and sister.  If you have never seen the movie, I highly recommend it.  It was adorable and just what I needed to put a smile on my face.  If you have little ones, I can’t imagine them not enjoying this sweet movie!

I’m with you sadness.  A little lie down never hurt anybody!

Well, I’m off to enjoy some quality time with friends and family this weekend!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Thank you for stopping by!