Sight Word and Word Wall Freebies!

Here's something to go with your word walls and word wall folders. This book is called "Wall Words Word Search" by Kathleen Knoblock. It says it's for Grades 1-2, but older children love it too! Click the book for sample pages.

I also loooovveee these sight word books. My students get lots of practice writing and spelling the words and they have fun in the process. I got them at Barnes and Noble, but they are also available online at Amazon too.

More freebies: 

http://www.cherylsigmon.com/pdf/WordShapes.pdf  word shapes for writing word wall words

http://www.cherylsigmon.com/pdf/LightningWordGame.pdf  lightning word wall game

http://www.cherylsigmon.com/pdf/keyboard-4.pdf  laptop sheet for "typing" word wall words

View my profile on

Don't forget to check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for Word Walls and the Dolch Sight Word pack! 

Guided Reading Organization

I've used Reading A to Z, Rigby Readers, and DRA books for guided reading instruction. I have found some simple ways to keep myself and my students organized. I hope you can use these ideas! 

2 benchmark books for each level with running record sheets - 1 on each side of pocket dividers

Master copies of leveled books go between each divider

Levels are separated with color pocket dividers

I use a 2-pocket folder that goes with each group's color for me and for my students (I usually have 5 groups of about 4 or 4 groups of about 5 depending on the year.)

Each student has a gallon-sized Ziploc bag inside their guided reading folder with their books in it. If they have group with me that day, then they have a strategy homework sheet that goes along with their book. It might be a sequencing graphic organizer, phonics, etc.

Edit: I now have the kids put their guided reading bags in these pocket charts from Really Good Stuff. It's magnetic, so I hang it on the back of one of my metal book shelves and the kids grab it whenever they need it instead of interrupting my guided reading group.

I use an accordion briefcase to store extra books and worksheets so that I'm ready to go whenever a group switches books or levels.

I use this sheet to plan and track anecdotal notes. 

Get those binders, folders, and dividers on Staples Teacher Appreciation Day (August 20 in New Jersey) or at Walmart's Back to School Sales!

Touch Math Giveaway

Teaching Happily Ever After has teamed up with Touch Math for a giveaway worth $150. I have found this program to be excellent for my struggling learners. I especially like Touch Money because it uses a multisensory approach to teaching. Children learn to count coins by ones and fives so they don't struggle while switching from counting quarters by 25, dimes by 10, nickels by 5, etc. If you've never used the program, check it out here and download free sample pages. Click the button to take you to her site to enter the TouchMath giveaway!

Technology Tricks - Layering Images and Clipart

Want to learn how to layer images? It's a great trick to have when you want to put text over a picture. It's easier than it looks, and once you get it down you'll be glad you learned!

Here's what you'll need:

• computer
• Microsoft Word
• fonts - check out Kevin and Amanda, Sugar Frog Fonts, or Lettering Delights (my best friend teaches too, and when I showed her the first 2 sites, she said she was going to have her students send in their handwriting samples so that they can use their own "handwriting" when they go to the computer lab.) How cool is that? I think all of the fonts they already have are from adults.
• clipart - you can buy some at Lettering Delights, Digiweb, DJInkers, Scrappin Doodles, ThistleGirl Designs, or you can get some for free at Phillip Martin's site.

*Please keep in mind that you may need to explore a bit and that these directions might be different if you have a different version of Word!*

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Import an Image by clicking "Insert" --> "Photo" --> "Picture from File" (I think you need to click Insert --> Clipart / Picture --> From File in older versions.)

     (I used strip of a paper pack from Lettering Delights for a Thanksgiving theme center I'm making) 

    

     3. Click "Insert"

    4. Select the image. (You should see squares around the perimeter.)

    5. Click "Format" --> "Picture"

     6. Click "Behind text" --> "OK"

    7. Click "Insert"-->; "Text Box"

    8. Choose font and font size. Type into the text box. 

    9. To overlay a picture on top of a picture, repeat steps 1-5. See how the picture looks cut off? Once
        you have imported and sized your picture, click "Format" --> "In Front of Text" -->; "OK"

YOU DID IT!

Download directions here.

**Here's a little secret - this is pretty easy, but it's a lot easier if you have Kidspiration (buy from Amazon for much cheaper) or SmartBoard / Promethean Board software! (can also rotate images much more easily)**

Dolch Sight Words Pack

Here are some previews of my 49-page Dolch Sight Words Pack. The pack includes PreK-3 Dolch sight word lists in "bubble lettering" to be used for a word wall, as rainbow words, for ABC order, or as flashcards. Also included are assessment sheets, suggestions for word ladders, and links to resources for sight words. 

I like the idea of adding 5-6 sight words a week to spelling lists. Older children can be asked to write their own story using all of the words either on a test, at a center, or for homework. Speaking of that...have you checked out Spelling City yet?! It allows students to create flashcards, take a test, and play games with their words! Teachers can load their lists and create a class page for students to visit!

Another game I found is from Starfall. I love this site because it's so kid friendly and it talks to them. Another game you can play outside is Sight Word Island Hopping. It's neat because all it takes is some chalk and pavement to play! You can also create construction paper islands for indoors.