Pet Love!

Wow, it has been too long since my last post! Between moving apartments, planning a surprise wedding, setting up my new classroom and trying to squeeze some final moments of summer, I just haven't made the time to blog. Oh...AND we welcomed a new little guy into our home. Meet Purna!

Purna is a bernedoodle which is parts bernese mountain dog and poodle. It has been SO fun taking care of him, learning about him & LOVING him! I shared the news with my first graders about Purna and so many were just as excited to tell me all about their pets at home. Pets are a great way for young children to learn responsibility, care-taking and kindness. For kids who might not have the chance of growing up with an animal in their family, a classroom pet is always an option! Until then...(as I am pondering which class pet we might get) here are some of my favorite pet books!

ABC Books!

So, I am an organizing FREAK! I love organizing anything and everything into bins, jars, cups, baskets, boxes, trays, and on and on. I will label all these containers and with complete satisfaction take in my organizational masterpiece. This is how my brain functions and how I live and work best. It is extremely beneficial in my work with children. Everything has a place and every bin has a purpose. The labels provide an environment that is rich in print and literacy and children begin to have a sense of responsibility as they are expected to put things back where they go. I am like a HAWK. Trust me, as long as you teach how to pick up and put things away properly, they will do it :)

The reason why I am writing about organizing today is because I just spent days getting a bit settled into my new classroom. In addition to going through some of the old teacher's resources and sorting out what I wanted to keep or get rid of, I then had to find a spot for all my belongings. I cannot just throw all my things into a cabinet and figure I'll find things throughout the school year when I need them. I take exact inventory of what I have and place it in a purposeful place to make for easier days ahead. The biggest project was 3 huge bins of books from my teaching days in New Hampshire. When I taught overseas I was limited in what I could bring, so my massive storage of children's books sat for 5 years. It truly felt like Christmas for me, picking each title out of the container and putting it into its proper bin...mystery, fable, realistic fiction, beginning readers, historical, chapter books, science, social studies, math, informational, poetry, etc. Each book had a place, each book had a purpose. One of my favorite bins to fill was my ABC books container. ABC books are perfect for early readers to explore letters and sounds. Here are 5 of my favorites!

Books for Cents!

There is nothing like summertime! There is nothing like being a teacher in the summertime!! Swimming, biking, BBQ's, festivals...it's simply a FUN time of the year. Another thing I find just as exciting...YARD SALES! This bargain girl loves sifting through people's gently used items and finding a deal or a way to repurpose something. It's almost guaranteed that people will have a box of books to sell and for cheap! I bought 12 children's books yesterday at 25 cents a piece. They will make a wonderful addition to my classroom library. What I find even more adventurous than smart shopping is when some of the titles really take me back to my childhood. Here are 5 of my favorite books as I child that I read and reread countless times.

Check out your local yard sales to add to your home library!

What's the Weather!?

I woke up here in Rochester, on my second day of summer vacation, and it's...rainy. To be honest, I don't mind a rainy day here and there. It's the perfect chance to cuddle on the couch with a cup of coffee and a book! Seasons and everyday weather are ideal opportunities to encourage children to get excited about science. Observing the changes, making predictions and recording or graphing patterns is a simple way for kids to learn about the world around them. The best activity is PLAYING in different kinds of weather. What is better than splashing in puddles, catching snowflakes on your tongue or feeling the wind on your skin? Enjoy these books alongside exploring weather with your little one!

Summer Reading

Though summer vacation has just begun for many kids in the local area, providing opportunities for your child to keep reading is so important. They have just ended their school year with a bank of strategies to help them grow as readers, so encourage them to practice these skills over the break! You can read to your child, with your child or have them read alone. Whichever you choose, make sure the reading experiences are in your routine DAILY. Provide books in your home that cater to your child's interests. Let them see YOU reading! Visit your local library weekly to pick out news books together. These literacy experiences can help prevent your child from dropping reading levels this summer.

The following links showcase a few of the Rochester libraries and what they have happening to support reading for kids this summer. Check you local library!
http://www3.libraryweb.org/summerReading.aspx?id=475013
http://www.chililibrary.org/kids-depot.html
http://www.irondequoitlibrary.org/category/kids/

Happy Reading & Happy Summer!

Need a Tutor?

As the school year is winding down and summer is approaching, some of you might be thinking that your little one can benefit from a bit of focused, academic instruction during the school break. Your child doesn't necessarily need to be performing "below level" to reap the benefits of having a tutor. Tutoring offers a unique and individualized learning experience, catered to the exact strengths and needs of your child. All kiddos are stronger in some areas than others, and I believe in the importance of building on those strong abilities while progressing other skills that might be more challenging. For the past 10 years I have been presented with 20+ little faces each fall, all with such a diverse range of academic levels. This range of abilities, within one room, along with the grade level curriculum presented to me by administration, all resulted in a bit of a performing act each and everyday to ensure all students were engaged in experiences that were appropriate yet challenging enough to result in social, emotional and academic growth. The consequence of this is TONS of planning time, creating resources for a variety of grade levels, and constant progress monitoring to see what kids have mastered and what their next steps are. Though many educators agree this can be tough to balance all school year, it is absolutely essential in your child's full potential success!  

This summer, my schedule is flexible and I am excited to offer one-on-one instruction in Reading, Writing and Math for kids ages 4-10. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you feel your little one can benefit from summer tutoring! I can be reached at booksandchalk@gmail.com or at 585-410-1830. 

Friday Favorites

The books I am choosing for this week's Friday favorites all include my favorite animal......BEARS! I adore brown bears, black bears, panda bears, koala bears, and polar bears. I practically melt at the sight of bear cubs. I get just as excited sharing bear literature, both fiction and nonfiction, with the kids I work with. I hope your little ones are eager to dig into these Friday favorites!