Trade Book Tuesday...x's 2, plus 2 FREEBIES!

So, I originally started this feature because...
(a) I LOVE finding awesome trade books to use in mini-lessons and thought it would be fun to share about on my blog
(b) I thought it would keep me accountable to my bloggy buddies! Well, you can see how long that lasted! haha I haven't had a "Trade Book Tuesday" since August, and in case you've seen a calendar lately, there's been lots of Tuesday's since August. We won't talk about it.

 Moving on to it, sistah (or any brotha out there)!

So if you follow my TpT store, you might have noticed an influx in inference activities. Well, guess what we be doin' in our learnin'?! If you guessed making inferences...*DING! DING! DING!* Of course, making inferences has always been one of my most favorite skills to teach in reading. So, having only 3 weeks to focus on this abstract yet exciting skill before our next district test, I figured we'd jump right into it the first two days back from Christmas break, last Thursday and Friday.

This is what we did:

THURSDAY:

1) I introduced what an inference is by stomping into the room, crossing my arms, pouting, shuffling papers loudly on my desk, and finally plopping down harshly in my chair {You should have seen their faces! haha PRICELESS. Try and you'll see.}
2) I had the students recount what they'd just seen, and of course they described what I had done, and inevitably one little muffin said, "Mrs. Flood! You were MAD!"
3) I asked the students how they knew I was mad, and of course they explained all the actions and then I told them that they just made an INFERENCE.
4) I talked up the skill BIG time...like, if they made an inference, they would probably grow up to be the greatest detective ever to live because they would be using clues. They loved it!
4) We watched "BrainPop, Jr.'s" inference video {except I couldn't get my sound to work so I narrated Moby the robot and Annie the 5 year old child which they thought was hys-TERICAL}
5) Then, I showed the kids my inference poster and talked about the two things they'd need to make an inference:

Background Knowledge {Schema - Their "file folders" of information} + Text Clues {words and pictures in the book} 

= An Inference

{You can snag this poster I used, plus a free graphic organizer, here at my TpT store!}

Then, I created this anchor chart with my kids {I had the face and book drawn before class, but then added the other elements during my mini-lesson...or supposed-to-be-a-mini-lesson-that-was-really-about-35-minutes...ooops....so it would make sense to them as we went}. I have the mini poster, plus this poster, hanging in visible spots for my kiddos to reference!

The definition got cut off in the pic...sowwy. It says, "To figure out what the author is
trying to tell me, but doesn't."

Then, we read this super fun trade book, Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie de Paolo. It's a wordless book, so it's perfect for making inferences. 

The kids did AWESOME while we filled out our anchor chart. I led the first inference, and they listened, except for giving me their background knowledge. The second & third inference, we made together, but I guided the process and prompted their thinking often since this is the first time this year we've talked about making inferences.

 I loved their schema. They were also so cute when they "pulled out" their "file folders" {I told them to "open their brains" and pull out the folder...and by George, they did! CAH-yute!}These are the results of their thinking. I have two classes, and these are both of the charts. I love  how their thinking is so different, but on target both times! 

I add the students' initials after they give their schema. They love seeing their initials! It makes the proud, and want to be more involved in the lesson! 

FRIDAY:

It was a weird day. We had a "Peaceful School Bus" meeting so that ran into our morning session, we only had a 30 minute planning {Yippie!...said no teacher ever...}, then I had a four hour meeting in the afternoon. It is what it is. So, I was only there for my morning ELA rotation and we had a blast-a-roni reading this little muffin of a book!

My kids L-O-V-E Kevin Henkes. I read his books all the time. Chrysanthemum is one of those books that grabs every child's attention, because it's so relate-able {is that a word? I don't know... it has a red squiggle under it...oh well! It is NOW!}.

1) We started by reviewing our posters, and turning and talking and teaching our partners about what we learned on Thursday.

2) Then, I read to them Chrysanthemum {that's just so fun to say} and during a guided mini-lesson, we completed this chart:

We have a super dooper poster maker machine at school that allowed me to blow up this anchor chart so I wouldn't have to write it twice, plus I had a sub, so I wanted to make sure everything was perfect! {Not that I'm a control freak or anything. umm...yeah...}

Normally, we would move into my version of the Daily 5 rotations, but since I wasn't there and the first two days back were nutso-Mc-nutso, we will get back to the regularly scheduled reader's workshop this week. Woohoo!!! 

I'll post more about my inference literacy centers and activities that my muffins will be using during small group rotations soon. 

Have a wonderful week! :)

Until then,

My very FIRST Linky Party...Clipart CRAZIES Linky!

So, I feel so official now. I've created my very first official linky. I must say, I stayed up wwwwwaaaaaayyyy past my bed time on a school night thinking about this. {Don't judge me!} I had fun, so if you'd like to join in, please do!

Yes. You read it right. A therapeutic linky for clipart obsessed teachers. So if you are a self proclaimed clipart/borders/font junky, you have hit the jackpot!

Wasn't that fun!? I KNOW, right?! Now it's your turn! If you want to join in, here's what you do:

1) Right click and save each image below to a file on your computer.

2) Insert these images into a Powerpoint file
3) Save the Powerpoint file as "JPEG" or "PNG" images {*PNG images tend to be clearer}
**PLEASE NOTE: Do not simply add non-compressed images on your website for others to steal! NOT cool! This isn't meant to be a clipart steal/"share" fest. It's meant to showcase our addiction some of the cutest images around! NO ONE will receive royalties or shout out fees from these clipart artists. This is for FUN ONLY!**
4) Add my linked button to your blogspot so people know where to go to join this par-tay!

5) Link back up here so we can all revel in clipart joy!

Have fun!

Until then,

{Best Books for Boys} LiNkY

Hi friends! I love a good linky and this one is so fun! Courtney from Swimming into Second is hosting this par-tay and it's such a great idea!

The majority of my boys love nonfiction books! Bugs, rocks, gross things, cars. If it's a typical boy topic, they are reading about it and letting everyone around them know how boyishly-boy of a topic it is! Of course, with the new CCSS coming down the pike, it's important that their reading is balanced in genre. At 3rd grade, 50% of what they're reading should be fiction and the other 50% should be nonfiction. So, the struggle is getting them hooked on those fiction books! Most of the time, they get bored with the fiction chapter books because there are no pictures and their attention span is cut short {imagine that! haha}. But, thanks to some AWESOME authors, there are some GREAT fiction books and authors that will scoop them up and have them engaged instantly! Below are some of the most PoPuLaR fiction and nonfiction books that my boys are reading from my classroom library and school library.

FICTION

Here are some great, highly engaging fiction books for your little studly muffins in your classroom! {Click on each book so that it links you back to Amazon!}

Chris Van Allsburg is ah-mazing, #1. #2, I read this book to my kids in October during a lesson on asking "Deep Questions" and how the illustrations connect to the details in the story. Since that time, this book has not been in my library at all. It's been circulating between my boys (and girls, but mostly boys). The suspense and element of mystery is so exciting to them! Love it!

Geronimo Stilto is a super popular {short} chapter book series with my boys! It's a series of adventure and mystery written from the point of view of a mouse named Geronimo. He writes for a newspaper, but his true passion is writing adventure stories for all the mouse citizens of Mouse Island! There are cute black and white illustrations scattered throughout the book that keeps them engaged and chuckling the entire time! 

The ever classic Box Car Children gets 'em every time! I usually do the first book as a read-aloud at the beginning of the year, and that gets them hooked. However, this year, my read-alouds have been cut short {sadly...} and I just introduced the series, showing them some of my favorites from the series, and building them up! The favorite now is The Blue Bay Mystery. 

Every little boy I've ever known likes Legos, Star Wars, or both. What a brilliant idea when an author combined the two into this captivating series that flies off our school library shelves!! There are chapter books {which are for more advanced readers} and picture books. Both are precious...errrr manly and adventurous and great reads for boys!

Another highly engaging fiction book I must recommend is yet another Chris Van Allsburg book. My kids love this one! It's a clever spin on Jumanji, but with outerspace characters and elements. It's a funny tale of two brothers who get sucked into outerspace and their adventures in their floating house! It's quite hysterical!

This book is HYSTERICAL! Boys, and girls alike, L-O-V-E this book! It's one of the top 5 in my library FOR sure! If you don't own it, you should! It's so funny, and a great trade book to prompt writing ideas for your kiddos!

                            NONFICTION

Here are some great, highly engaging nonfiction books for your little studly muffins in your classroom! {Click on each book so that it links you back to Amazon!}

There's something about the Titanic that intrigues every boy I've ever had in class! I have abut 4 different books in my classroom library about the Titanic. However, Eyewitness Book's version is the H-O-T-T hottest to read! Literally, the pages are falling out! haha Pretty much any Eyewitness Book is an awesome read!

We have a copy of this book in the library and in my classroom. It's a great read that's been passed around from one little boy to the next...and periodically during silent reading you'll hear truck sounds. Just saying.

Finally, this book is SUPER popular with the boys! Their favorite thing to do is go around the room and ask everyone their birthday so they can tell them their birth stone! They get a huge kick out of it! It's so cute!

Check out one of my most popular products on TpT that uses the books Zathura and Jumanji by Mr. Van Allsburg. It's a CCSS aligned mini unit with everything you need to properly teach your students how to compare and contrast key story elements, and SURE to keep your little boys engaged! :)

Until then, 

Show and Tell Tuesday Linky, Freebie & Last Day of Vacay!

Hi my sweet friends!

As I sit here on my hiney at 10:02 a.m. drinking my second cup of coffee in my pj's, I am soaking in every second of my last day of Christmas break. *SOAK....SOAK....SOAK* Lurve it!

Ok, with that being said, I've decided to join a linky party that my friend Denise from Sunny Days in Second Grade is hosting! Such a cute idea of Show and Tell! I mean, really, the last time I've had an "official" Show-and-Tell was way back in kindergarten when I was a "Red Crayon" which meant I had show and tell on Mondays with Scott Carter. Oh yeah. THOSE were the days! Now...on to the goodies {and in teacher world, that means FREEBIES}! :)

 So the FIRST cute little New Year's goodie to share is a *FREEBIE* from my cute little friend Kate from Second Grade Sparkle! Check this little muffin out! I can't WAIT to do this with my little friends tomorrow! {Oh...tomorrow....that's soon! GOOD THING all my babies are oober precious and I kinda can't WAIT to see their little squishy faces!}

iRing in the New Year! How creative and super fun! I LOVE IT! Thanks, Kate! Make sure to leave her some luhve if you download! Just click on this picture to go back to her site!

The second Show and Tell item I have to share is my New Year's Resolution ELA Mini Unit! I am using elements of this pack tomorrow and Friday to get the kid's moovin' and groovin' after their little brains have been on major sugar rush-shut down learning mode! 

Here is the writing craftivity we are doing tomorrow so we can post our "Hopes and Dreams" for the New Year! The template with two party hat writing prompts is included in my pack!

Click {HERE} to access a freebie worksheet from this file that is fun and interactive for the kiddos! It's a main idea & summary sheet! This is what is looks like...

Well, that was fun! I showed and I told! YIPPEE!! Thanks, Denise! :) 

Stop by again soon! Loves and kisses!

Until then, 

Happy New Year, Currently, & **SALE!!**

HaPpY nEw YeAr!

WHOA BABY! Two days in a row!! 

If you read my post yesterday, you'd know that this is part of my New Year's Bloggy Resolution!

So, without further a due, I am joining Farley's Currently! LURVE!

{Listening}

In Kentucky, we didn't shoot fireworks on New Year's Eve but in Louisiana, the land of party time, they do! HOW FUN! We hosted a New Year's Eve party for the Youth Group at church and between the BOOMS of the fireworks and the shrills and shrieks of the girls and stomping of boys, it's amazing I even have hearing today. haha...LOVE THEM!

{Loving}

SO excited to have today and tomorrow as downtime before the stress and madness of school starts again on Thursday! I busted my hiney to get everything done those last few days before Christmas break (only 5 weeks before a week off for Mardi Gras, but who's counting. I KNOW. Be jealous. What did I tell you?! Land of Party TIME!!!).

{Thinking}

Oh ya know. Just another "diet plan". Well, at least it's a plan. hahaha Too bad I just can't snap my fingers, yo, and all those Christmas calories melt away.

{Wanting}

I mean, even her store logo is precious! Really, you should just go and look for yourself. Click on her logo! 

I just bought her Valentine Penguin set, but now I'm eyeing these little dudes...

I mean, seriously?!?! I want to *squish* them all! Ok. Budget. Budget. Budget.

{Needing}

Every year, we say we will take down our decorations after Christmas. Wait...I mean, I say that. My husband would prefer it stays up all year long. Secretly, he is a 4 year old boy on the inside when it comes to Christmas. It will come down when it comes down. pehhh...

{OLW}

joy.

One of my favorite verses to claim in the New Year...

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

²³ 

They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

I chose joy because His mercies are new each day! He is faithful! When the stresses of my job or life come around, this is what I'll cling to!

Finally, I leave you with my snack-y contribution for last night's celebration...I love baking and want to be Buddy's baking partner on Cake Boss. Just saying. That might be my resolution for next year...hey, a girl can dream, right?!?! 

White cake balls with cream cheese icing dipped in white chocolate | Hot chocolate cake balls with marshmallow icing dipped in milk chocolate | Lime green and orange white chocolate toppers {I bet Buddy is jealous right now....}

As mentioned yesterday, my TpT Store is on Sale 15% off ALL Products until midnight tonight, January 1st, 2013!!

Until then,

See, what had happened was...{Why I have been MIA & GIVE AWAY!}

First things first...
I hope you and your family had a VERY Merry Christmas! I know we did! It was great to be able to fly home to Kentucky for a week to spend some much needed family time with the ones we love the most! Here's a sneak peek of our holiday extravaganza with our 3 nephews who are SO FUN!

Our nephew Carter Eli's 1st Christmas

My sweet little mama, my sister, and I {and Carter Eli is squished in between}

our nephew, Corban

our nephew, Gadden and his "Chok-yet" milk cows {he totally posed that way! SO CUTE!}

It was the YEAR of the X-Box! HAHAHA

Uncle Al and Gadden, the ham!

Secondly, if anyone out there is still following my pathetic little blog, congratulations, you win the prize of my best friend forever! I worked so hard to get this blog started, and then, well, school started. I know tons of teacher that keep their blogs alive during the school year {and they are my SUPER HEROES!}, but between August and now, several things have happened at school and personally that consumed my entire life! WHEWW! Confession. Check!

So, I'm done with my pity party! I am moving on. I am starting a New Year, along with the resolution to be a better blogger!

So, with that being said, what's the BEST way to follow through as a blogger? Join a LINKY PARTY! Jen, from The Teachers' Cauldron is hosting a fun link-up! Here goes...

Personal Goals:

1) Drink more water, and less Diet Coke. {Crap! Did I REALLY just type that?!}

2) Spend more time reading God's Holy Word

Blogging Goals:

...that's pretty dang obvious...

1) BLOG at least 3 times per month! I CAN do this! I WANT to this! I WILL do this! 

And...if you've hung around for the duration of this blog post that's taken 4 months to be posted, please, do the following:

1) Follow my blog {if you have not already}

2) Follow my TpT Store

3) The first 3 people to leave a comment with your e-mail will receive my NEWEST TpT product, hot off the presses LAST NIGHT, "The Wonderful Inference of Oz"!

Also, my TpT Store is on Sale 15% off ALL Products until tomorrow, January 1st, 2013!!