Go for it! Connect 4!
29 July 2012
Use this game to help students practise reading sight words! The game comes in each of the 11 sight word lists to suit your students needs. Download it here |  |
Students play in pairs and each have a collection of counters. (we have ours separated in little containers ready to go) They take turns rolling the dice. They then look to the column for that number and can choose any word they like to read. If they can read it they put one of their counters on it. If they can't read the word they miss a turn. |  |
They game continues with the students taking turns and trying to get 4 in a row. It was fun to see students quickly realise they need to stop their partner as well as trying to get 4 in a row for themselves! Find this game under reading - sight words- games and activities | |
'Remember keep calm and pretend it's on the lesson plan!'
Top Teacher xx
My Mini Olympians!
28 July 2012
To celebrate the opening ceremony of the Olympics we made our own Olympic torches. We have been following the official olympic torch relay update videos on youtube and were excited to see it be brought into the opening ceremony. To make our torches we rolled an A4 piece of card into a cone shape. We decorated our torches with gold doilies to make it look like the real olympic torch! We stuffed newspaper into the bottom of the torch and then on top used orange, red and yellow tissue paper and cellophane to create the flames. |  |
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Out in the playground we then had our own oylimpic torch relay! 
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Make sure you have also checked out the offical olympic mascot video on youtube. It goes for about 15 minutes and is an excellent cartoon to introduce students to the olympic masots and the sports. 
London 2012 Mascot Video |
'Remember keep calm and pretend its on the lesson plan!'
Top Teacher xx
I always wanted you to go into space, man!
26 July 2012
Cute 'spaceman' pictures that fit onto 2 popsticks taped together for students to use to remember to leave spaces between their words when writing. 
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Download the spaceman template here! Perfectly fit 2 popsticks! Find it under writing - sentence work |
Before starting writing all my kids make sure they have a 'spaceman'. I have found it has really helped my students to use spacing between their words. Students place their spaceman down after they have finished a word and they leave the spaceman in that spot until they have finished their next word. They can then move it to the end of that word and start again. 
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'Remember keep calm and pretend it's on the lesson plan'
Top Teacher xx
Where did the holidays go???
24 July 2012
Today was the first day back at school for me and my Pre's (5 year old). After a break in Bali to escape the cold weather I came back ready for a fun filled semester 2! As soon as we got to school there was lots of holiday chatter and swapping of stories. I was interested to see how much knowledge my students retained over the holidays and using our holiday fun template we attempted a recount. |  |
Together on the mat we remembered 2 things we enjoyed doing the most on our holidays. We turned to our partners (we have assigned spots so students know who to turn to) and shared the 2 things with them. I shared my two things and drew a picture of each in the boxes. Students then went back to their seats and drew their pictures. After drawing the pictures we came back together on the mat. We talked about remembering a capital to start a sentence, space between words, thinking of our sentence and words before writing it down, sounding out words, using sight words and full stops. I modelled my sentence and had students help me sound out words and locate sight words from the word wall to use. I always take my time doing the modelling, making it really explicit and including the students as this is where they learn a lot of their writing skills. They again turned to their partner and told them their sentence. It is so important the students remember their sentence and know what to write before they go back to actually write. |
Making sure they each have a 'spaceman' first (templates for this next blog), a sharp pencil and their alphabet desk strip they begin their writing. Students are able to get up and find sight words off the word wall and take them back to their seat, copy them and then put it straight back if they like. Here are a few of their finished pieces.I students of lots of different abilities, however most at that stage of just attempting to put down as many sounds as they can in a word. |  |
'I went to the movies. I watched Ice Age 4.' 'I went to my cousin's party. I had a cupcake and some chips.' |
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'I went to Red Rooster with my Nanna and then she hopped on a plane'. 'I went to the park and my aunty pushed me on the swings'. |
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'On the weekend I played at the park and I played on the swings with my brother.' 'I went to the shop and I bought lollies.' |
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'I went to the shops and I bought a phone.' 'I went at home and I play with my toys.' |
| They got straight back into writing and many told me they practised on the holidays which I just love! My kids have loved the chance to write everyday and if I need to miss it that day it they are in distress saying ' we havent done our journal writing!!!' It is very cute! |
'Remember keep calm and pretend it's on the lesson plan.'
Top Teacher xx
