Phonics, Bossy R, and a giveaway!

"How do you spell ______?" Oh. my. word.  I get this multiple times daily and sometimes it just drives me nuts!  Our district implemented a new phonics program this year and I am really liking it, mainly because it is teaching me a lot of rules I never knew of (guessing I didn't grow up learning a phonics program)!! 

This week we began learning all about 'r controlled' vowels.  We focused on -or and -ar this week.  One activity we did involved sticky notes, and let me tell you...I'm so proud to know that my firsties *love* sticky notes just as much as I do!

They had the opportunity to generate -or and -ar words, write them on a sticky note and then record them on our word charts with markers. {Best Teacher Ever moment} Here are our final products from the past 2 days.

Each day we have a lesson targeting a different skill.  The program we teach with uses markings.  The students have to "prove" the sounds that the words make with these markings.  I dictate a word and they have a whiteboard (lined paper in a sheet protector) to write their answer down.

 So much better than paper and a pencil!!

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Now onto the giveaway!  My friend Lisa Mattes over at Growing Firsties has reached 400 followers and has an AH-ma-zing giveaway going on. She has over 9 great bloggers giving away some magnificent products and may I just mention a $25 Erin Condren giftcard....hello pretty planners!  

Head on over to her blog to congratulate her and enter her giveaway before it's too late.