Sunday, October 30, 2011

Math Websites for Kids

ReadingResource.net has gone mathematical! Will there ever be a MathResource.net???? We'll just have to wait and see! But for now, we've got some new math sites to share with you that align with the Common Core Standards.


Math Websites for Kids
After five weeks of promising my kids that I'd create a Math Websites for Kids it's finally here! Although it's under construction, I think it's good enough for my little mathematicians to use! 


If you have any links that you think should be added, please send them our way. 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

A Week in Pics!

It's been a busy (crazy) week to say the least! Room 161 completed their Power Point for Mrs. Martindale and will be presenting to her next week...Freddie kept us busy with his Star Scientist goodies, we had STEM Night on Tuesday, and we had our Fall Foliage Festival.  Here are some pics of our week!



















...Oh, and I just realized I forgot to post our weekly Team Schappelkins Video Newsletter...Here you go!



Saturday, October 22, 2011

Speech Room News

One of our (very creative)friends, Jenna Rayburn has just created a new blog! She's created games that we have posted on ReadingResource.net...She's always got the greatest ideas. You should probably check out her blog, Speech Room News! I will be adding a similar activity for my Daily Five "Word Work" station!




As well as this too...




She's pretty fabulous.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Spider Math

This has always been a favorite of my first graders. I just remade the graphics and spruced it up a little. 


Simply print 5 or so copies of page 2, place the title page on top, and place two staples on the left side of the page.  Cut the booklet in half and you have 2 Spider Math Books!



Spider Math FREEBI Download
Have the kids draw spiders on each web and then write numbers sentences that correspond with their illustrations.  

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Volume 1.5

This might be the best yet! Check out Volume 1.5...


Live from Summit STEM Pumpkin Patch!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Rhyme Time Bingo

Looking for a way to help your students with rhyming? Well, we've just updated ReadingResource.net with a small group phonemic awareness bingo game! Be sure to click your way over! (You'll find the pdf close to the bottom of the page!)
To Download, Go to ReadingResource.net

Thursday, October 13, 2011

So Long Books on Tape, Hello MP3s


Check out the line graph below. This graph illustrates a problem that no one is talking about in education.


Have you ever wonder what makes a "tough to teach student" tough to teach?  Ever wondered what the root cause of many vocabulary, listening, and expressive language problems is? It's called WORD POVERTY and it impacts educators every day in the form of students who struggle with reading, struggle with writing, struggle with listening skills and oral expression. 

Yes, indeed the adverse educational effect of word poverty are profound.    

As an SLP and Literacy Coach I have struggled with finding effective ways to overcome this 30 million word gap for years.  But I now have an idea I just have to share: RECORDED READINGS. 

But not the recoded readings you're thinking about (see below). 


In our current economic climate less and less of these exist in our classrooms. They are breaking down and not being replaced. Books on tape and CD are expensive, not to mention technologically outdated. CDs are today's version of 8-tracks! Oh, and in the age of acheivement testing, uninterrputed time for reading and read alouds is slowly being replaced with the development of test-takers.

Yes, indeed at a time when our kids need read to more, they are actually being read to less. If we want to overcome WORD POVERTY and even the playing field for kids who come from under-priveledged language environments I think this new spin on recorded readings is the answer!

So Long Books on Tape, Hello MP3s!

For the cost of one $300 listening center, you can purchase as many as 10 MP3 players. Most of our kids have them anyway so let's stop making them check them at the door of the school.

Either way, we need to find a way to get MP3 players in your classrooms. 

Download a FREE program called Audacity to your desktop.(Mac users can use GarageBand). Click Here To Download Audacity.

Audacity is a free easy to use audio recorder. Simply read any book you desire into the program and you can export (save) in MP3 format anywhere on your computer. Download your newly recorded book onto your MP3 player and VOILA!...You now have a high interest book in MP3 format that your students can listen to.  

10 REASONS WHY I LOVE THIS IDEA:

10. It's cost effective.
9.  Kids love listening to recorded readings read by people they know, their teachers!
8. Students now have access to high interest reading material on recording.
7. Students are independent! No more wating for 5 of their peers to get to the listening center.
6. Students are mobile.
5. You can download books for students to listen to at home.
4. Kid who listen to recorded readings while following along in the text make up to 3X the gains in reading fluency as those who don't.
3. Reading & Listening to reading is the #1 way to build vocabulary.
2. Students can be read to EVERY day.
1. No more rewinding tapes!

Teachers in my district have really embraced this idea and are sharing book lists and recordings.  In just an hour 5 of my colleagues recorded 30 of their favorite books!

Take a listen to one of them! 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

"Short e" Spider Web

Help children learn to recognize the different vowel combinations (e, ea, & ai) that can represent the "short e" sound with this 2 player game! A fun activity kids can use during literacy centers!


Download It Here!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Team Schappelkins' Video Volume 1.4

Happy Monday, families and bloggers. Team Schappelkins' Video Newsletter Volume 1.4 is ready for your viewing pleasure!


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Sock Monkey Concentration

Just getting ready to teach the "short o" sound in the next couple weeks...Thought I'd get a jump start on creating some new games! I will be adding this game to my Daily Five "Word Work" Station! Enjoy, friends.
Sock Monkey "Short o" Download...Click Here!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Volume 1.3

Here's the link to our 3rd video newsletter, live from Summit STEM Elementary!

Monday, October 3, 2011

CVC/Non-Sense Word Game

Download our new FREE game for helping make CVC and non-sense words fun with this "Spooky Pumpkins" Game! If you download it, please leave us some love! Happy Monday bloggers and families!
Spooky Pumpkins FREE Download

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Class Syllable Tally

Don't you hate it when you know you have something you want to use and you just can't find it???? That seems to be how my Sunday has played out!  I searched high and low for this document (well, I actually looked on my computer for about five minutes) and decided it would just be easier to recreate it. 


This is the perfect phonemic awareness activity for the beginning of the year...while we are also learning how to make tally marks. Just write the names of your students under "classmates" and copy for each kid. They read the names and color in a face for each syllable in that classmates' name. Then they make a tally to represent the syllables. (Sometimes I like to mix it up and use last names!)
Download for FREE!
Now that I think about it, I have the original version of this on my website! If you'd like the old school version click here! Enjoy.