Place Value and Stations {Five for Friday}

I'm ready to jump right in to this three day weekend. Who's with me? I stayed late at school today get everything finished so I have nothing but relaxing and fun ahead of me! 

Here are some things we've been up to this week. We just finished off day 22 of this school year and that is unbelievable! Time is flying by! 

We've been hard at work this week introducing place value. My favorite lesson from the week was an impromptu circle session where we practiced counting out groups of ten bears and recording the results. 

We are slowly but surely getting settled in to reading stations. So far I have introduced writing, word work, and computer. I love first grade writing and this little cutie loves brain breaks! 

This year I'm following the steps outlined in Jan Richardson's The Next Step in Guided Reading to get my stations started. I'm loving all the time I get to spend with each group modeling and teaching them how to use the materials at each station. While I've been introducing stations the other groups have been working puzzles, coloring, play with play dough, legos, and tangrams. 

I made these Place Value Scoot cards as a fun way to practice our learning this week. This was our first try with scoot this year and it was a success! I heard a lot of, "Oh I get this now!" while we were playing, so that always makes this teacher happy!

Click here or on the picture above to check it out in my store. 

Today marked week two of Fun Friday and it was another big hit! The idea came from Angela Powell and you can read more about it here. I thought the beads and pipe cleaners would be nothing but a distraction to my firsties, but they have proven me wrong and been so responsible with them! 

Reading Stations, Task Cards, Dioramas and a Freebie {Five for Friday}

Its time for Five for Friday at Doodle Bugs Teaching.

1. I am thankful to have made it through the first official week of review. I have to confess that I really dislike reviewing for Social Studies. I feel like a broken record and we have 5 weeks of review, so this year I decided to really step it up and create review stations for Social Studies and reading. I've got to admit that I was very nervous on Monday morning, but I'm happy to say that the stations have been a big success. 

2. During reading review stations we used two of the activities from the Spring Language Arts and Math Centers for Big Kids by Collaboration Cuties. They were a big hit with everyone! Don't those little chicks just make you happy?

3. I also used my first ever set of task cards in a station and I've got to say that I'm in love! I was so impressed with how the cards were appropriate for all my learners. Even my fastest workers were busy and engaged! We used Rachel's Context Clues task cards this week. 

4. We have been reviewing our standards on First Americans and I thought it might be fun to make these "dioramas" showing how the First Americans got their food in each of the seasons. You can click here for the freebie if you'd like to try this in your class. My kids were amazed with this activity and I'm pretty sure I gained a few steps on the coolness ladder because I knew how to fold paper like this! Hahaha 

5. Scholastic Teacher Express is having a sale on pocket charts!! The hanging file organizer I love is on sale - I picked up two for $17.24 including shipping! Click here to shop the sale and use code PC50. Sale ends on Saturday 4/20. 

I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable weekend!