A Game of Contraction Toss

Who's kids love to get up and moving?

I know mine do and boy do they need it. We require them to sit, listen, be quiet, whisper.

Lord knows sometimes it's okay to make a little noise when learning!

We have been tuned into contractions the past few weeks. 

Here is a fun way to review or even assess your students.

Prep is easy: paper, marker and something to throw (we used a bean bag).

Each student had the chance to toss the bean bag onto the paper. 

They were to read their contraction and tell us the two words that made it.

They then chose a friend.

From this activity, I could pretty much tell who my strugglers were.

My other firsties listened intently and helped their friends when needed. 

This game is SUPER versatile and could be used across any content area:

compound words

categorizing nouns/verbs/adjectives

phonics/word families

rhyming words (read and generate)

fact fluency

This may just become a staple game in our classroom!

Are You Smarter than a Surgeon?

Are you smarter than a surgeon?

Well, a 1st grade surgeon that is.

I knew my firsties were bright enough to perform surgery as soon as I got out the gloves and bandaids!

This past week we have been learning about contractions.

What better way to make learning interactive than surgically removing letters and "stitching" them back up?

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First we prepared by putting on gloves and gathering our supplies.

 Next up, we went to work buy removing the 'O' from our 2 words.

 Then we replaced the letter with an apostrophe (bandaid).

Sometimes things got a tad bit sticky!

But in the end, all was successful, and FUN!

A Pumpkin-y Kind of Week

Sunday's over already?  {Insert long s-i-g-h}  At least the weather here in Texas is looking a little bit more Fall-like!  I'm sure it will be back up to 90 degrees before long (boo). Since this is the last week of October, I thought I would share a few pumpkin activities I plan to do with my firsties this week! 

We've been working really hard on contractions and nouns for the past few weeks and I wanted to incorporate some independent practice into my center rotations.  So I made this here little Pumpkin Literacy Center packet of goodness for my firsties.

 

It includes a cute pumpkin poem, a contraction match up (using not contractions), and a common/proper noun sort.  It even comes with recording sheets! Great for literacy centers.

 

Click on the picture to download!

   

Since Halloween falls on a school day {insert 2nd long s-i-g-h}  I have put together a 'Pumpkin Investigation' for my class to do on Wednesday.  I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that all ...you know what... doesn't break loose!  This fabulous investigation printable is from Julie Lee over at Mrs. Lee's Kindergarten. Click on the picture below to download her amazing freebie!

Here are a few other things I plan to do all inspired by the magnificent Cara over at The First Grade Parade.  Check out her post {here} and {here} all about her Pumpkin Day! 

 

I will be back later this week with all the pumpkin-y fun we had during our Pumpkin Investigation and lots more pumpkin activities!

 



A Little Bit of This (Nouns), A Little Bit of That (Contractions)

There is just something about this week that has got me beat! I'm ready for a few days off (amen?). And how f---a---r  off is Thanksgiving break again??  30 days....ohh Lordy. That week off never sounded so good.  Now that I'm wishing it was November, back to October.  Here's what skills we have been working on the past week.

First up: nouns. Together, we make a big chart that lists types of people, places, and things.  I give each student 3 white squares.  On it they draw a picture and label one person, place, and thing.  Then I glue it on the chart.  Here's what our final product looks like.

Next up: contractions.  I was so anxious to do this cute little activity I found on Pinterest.  But, oh my word...it's SO much work ya'll.  I bet the mommas who I sent all the circles and legs home with to cut out just love me right now!

We've only learned about 'not' contractions so I made a list of words they could choose from to add with 'not' and make their contraction. All that hard work and they look pretty darn cute!

 

And when you add the two together...this is what you get...

 

 

This teacher is off to get some much needed rest...for I think my firsties have drove me batty (which I mean literally in every sense)!

 



Candy Corn Contractions



Can you believe October is already half way over? Oh-my-word....does time fly or what!?!?  Since November will be here by the time we blink a few times (not literally), I thought it was time to bring out the Halloween themed goodies.  I introduced contractions today and decided it would be a good idea to incorporate them into my center rotation next week.  So, like I always do, I went to Pinterest for inspiration and low and behold I found the most perfect and cute idea (which was expected)...Pinterest never lets me down!  So, I sat down at my desk, pulled out my bag of candy corn <...because candy of any sort always stimulates your thinking or at least in my case...> and began to work on....Candy Corn Contractions! 

 

I'm sharing with you my creation.  Click on the picture below to download! 

 

Students will color the candy corn to replicate an actual piece of candy.  The bottom will be yellow, middle orange, and top white.  They will then pick one word from list one and one word from list two.  On the white part of the candy corn they will write the word from list one. On the orange part of the candy corn they will write the word from list two.  Then they will combine the two words to make a contraction and write that on the yellow part of the candy corn.  I'm going to let them outline their words with a sharpie (this alone will help them to finish...like it's magic or something!).  Haven't decided if I want them to add arms, legs, and eyes yet. What do you think??

Here's my inspiration photo:

I may just bribe the kiddos with some actual candy corn...if I don't eat some all of it first!  It always seems you get better results and harder work when they have something to look forward to!

Next week we start our bats unit. I got a little head start the other morning and had them trace their hands to make bats.  Here is a preview of a little 'batty' hall decor.

 

"We're Batty for 1st Grade!"