All this time off...

So...today marks day 12 we've been out for snow!  The Tri-Cities has been getting hit hard here lately.  Funny thing is....as a child, (and growing up in JC School System) I can count on ONE hand the number of days we were out for snow from my 1st grade to senior year.  This week alone, JC has been out 3 days! My...times sure have changed or either our winters have!  Anyways.....I've been enjoying my snow days and playing catch up on yearbook and other things.  I am over yearbook again this year and have a 40 page deadline next week - yikes!  So....I am certainly thankful for all my snow days.  Otherwise, I'd be putting in some late nights. 

This whole blogging thing has become an addiction lately...I've been stalking following some great elementary sites and getting some wonderful ideas for my literacy workstations.  With that in mind, here is what I've put together.  This idea was adapted from the Growing Kinders blog.  You can find that link here: http://growingkinders.blogspot.com/2011/01/winter-literacy-centers.html. I just loved the idea of "Roll a Word."  I found the dice at our local teacher store and made a worksheet template in word.  Here is my finished product! :)

The students will roll the dice and record a word on their graph (per say) each time the dice lands on it.  Easy enough...and great high frequency word practice! I also have fallen in love with Mrs. Cooley's 1st grade blog.  She has some wonderful ideas.  I was inspired to create her Letter Shake Up! game and got the idea here: http://firstgraderatlast.blogspot.com/search/label/Halloween  I like how it can be adapted for any holiday workstation however, I wanted to create something more generic that I could use year round.  All you have to do is grab a milk carton, label each egg space with either letters or numbers (depending if you want to use it as a math or literacy workstation activity), and place something small inside for the students to shake.  I chose erasers.  I found these packs in the Dollar Bin at Target and got some for both boys and girls!

So as the students shake the erasers, they will land in an egg space.  They are to record the letters the erasers land on as a means for a letter review.  Here is my finished project!

The instructions for the student are pretty simple...."Today I went to the ABC center and shook an egg carton with letters in it.  I opened it up and said the letter the marker landed on.  These are the letters I practiced!" Well that's enough craftiness/creativity for me today.  Thank you ladies for the ideas...cannot wait to return to school and implement them.  I know my students will be excited!  Happy Snow day.