Book Talk Tuesday

Tuesday means that I am linking up with Deanna Jump from Mrs. Jump's Class for her Book Talk Tuesday linky.  This is my most favorite linky party, because it centers around one of my biggest obsessions - books!!  Every Tuesday, bloggers from near and far link up to share glimpses and synopsis of their favorite books.  These books are usually picture books/children's literature (SCORE!!!), but there are plenty of professional development and mysteries and dramas....all kinds of books!!  Something else I love about this linky is that so many of the bloggers link up with a picture of the cover of the book they're going to be sharing.  Scrolling through and looking at the book covers always either sparks a memory (Hey, I have that book!!) or a wish (Oohh, that is a book I NEED to own!!).  I have even found myself going back to prior Tuesdays this summer and checking out all the books that are being discussed.  Truly, this is a great resource to have available!!!  Tons of book reviews written by actual TEACHERS who have actually used the books in their classrooms.  They share the books, how they use them in the classroom, and many times even provide a freebie to go with it!!  If you haven't checked out this linky yet, you really need to!!  You can click on the Book Talk Tuesday at the bottom of this post to hop on over to Mrs. Jump's Class and read about how she uses Clark the Shark in her classroom!

This week I'm going to share with you a book I like to read during the first few days of school. 

This book is called You Get What You Get, written by Julie Gassman and illustrated by Sarah Horne.  I got my copy through Scholastic, but you can find this book HERE on Amazon.com if you're interested!!

Many of my kinders have already heard the phrase 'You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" at least once before they get to my classroom, so many of them are excited about this book because they can relate to that rule.

The story starts out by introducing us to Melvin, and we learn that he is not a fan of disappointment.  Who is, right?  <we take some time here to examine the illustration and talk about what we notice or what we wonder>

Here we learn that Melvin doesn't handle disappointment well at all.  It seems he has a complete meltdown whenever he doesn't get his way, even when it is as something as insignificant as not getting as many chocolate chips in your cookie as your sister did.

He even throws fits when his mom is around.  He wasn't thrilled when his mom bought him the 'wrong' backpack, and he showed his disappointment by screaming and jumping up and down on the offensive backpack.  We also stop here and discuss the illustrations.  I always ask them how their grown-ups would react if they did what Melvin did.  One of my more observant kinders notice Momma Squirrel has her fist clenched.  This little dragon told me that means 'She is ANG-GRY!!'

We soon learn how much he HATES his teacher's favorite rule: You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!

HOWEVER, because of this rule, he is allowed to throw a fit, no matter what happens, whether it be having to be the last in line or

getting stuck with a pink napkin at lunch.  While Melvin doesn't not throw fits at school because of this rule, we learn how very glad he is that his family doesn't know about this terrible rule!!

Fast forward to that night at home where there is a discussion about which movie to watch.  It is Melvin's turn to choose, however his sister REALLY wants to watch her pony movie.

In perfect little-kid style, Melvin pulls his trump card and tells his sister that you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.  He was so excited to throw that in her face that he didn't stop to think about what he was saying, in front of his entire family.

Making sure they understand this rule, his family poses several situations to Melvin and asks if they are times when he should throw a fit.  Like when he doesn't get enough chocolate chips or

when he doesn't get the backpack he wanted.  Melvin is aghast to realize his family now knows about the TERRIBLE RULE.

Trying desperately to back peddle, he informs them that it doesn't really matter since that is a school rule and most definitely NOT a home rule.

Much to his surprise (and disappointment) his family decided to adopt this wonderful rule.  Melvin very, very much wanted to throw a fit, but he didn't.

After all, rules are rules!!

I like this book because it helps my littles understand that it is not okay to throw a fit when you don't get your way.  We use this book as a way to brainstorm better solutions to a problem.  I also draw their attention to the last illustration, where the entire family is sitting down to enjoy a movie together.  I ask them how they think Melvin feels, and if they think he would have been enjoying his evening if he had thrown a fit for not getting to watch the movie he wanted to.  I also make sure to point out that they are indeed watching the movie his sister wanted to watch, and I ask them if they think that is fair.  It is interesting to hear their view points and opinions on this, since some of them are the youngest, the oldest, or the only.  I like reading this book during the beginning of the year and I hope that you will too!!

Don't forget to jump over to Mrs. Jump's Class where she shares about the book Clark the Shark, ties it into Discovery Channel's Shark Week this week (AWESOME!!), compares it to a non-fiction book about shark, AND offers up lesson ideas with a FREEBIE to go with it!!!  :-)  p.s. - I LOVE Book Talk Tuesday!!

Book Talk Tuesday with a Challenge!!

Hey there, so very sorry I'm so late tonight!!  I had some training on the new-to-me Kindergarten Readiness Assessment that we're giving to our kiddos this year, then time just seemed to slip right away from me!!  I've gotta start getting back into 'school mode'...week after next and I'm back to work!!  

Tonight I'd like to link up with Deanna from Mrs. Jump's Class for her Book Talk Tuesday linky party.  If you haven't heard of this AWESOME linky, it is a chance for teachers to get together once a week and share a favorite book.  The book can be of any genre or topic, and freebies are sometimes but not always offered.  However, there are always some GREAT ideas of how to use the book in the classroom, so you should really check out who else linked up!!

I'm going to share two books tonight, and here's my reasons why.  The books came together as a pack, since they fit very well together.  Also, each book is relatively short.  However, don't let the length of these little gems fool you!!  There are TONS of places to stop and have discussions, and these books are very easy to build lessons around.  

These two books came together as a pack from Scholastic and they are from National Geographic Little Kids: Look and Learn.  I LOVE when Nat Geo does kids books, because they always use the brightest, most vibrant photographs.  Not only does each snapshot provide amazing discussion opportunities, but many of them show creatures or places that may be totally unfamiliar to your littles.  My amazing principal makes sure that each kindergarten classroom receives a classroom edition to the National Geographic Young Explorer.  That means every month each student in my room gets an edition of the amazing magazine that we use to follow along as the website READS THE TEXT TO US!!  But that's a post for another day!!

These books are great to use during a math whole group lesson -OR- to have available for students to Read About Math during Guided Math rotations.  The first book we'll look at is 'Shapes!' I could only find them on Amazon as a board book...and a bit pricey one, too.  Over $6.  I also found the board books at Wal-Mart.com for a bit over $4.

Take a look at the cover.  Before you even open the book, there is a great photograph for discussion.  OOHH, before I forget, there are quite a few photographs here that would be GREAT as a writing prompt/topic choice for Work on Writing.  Ask students what they see on the cover, and what they think that shape creation is.  Most of my kinders think it is a playground.  Imagine their surprise when I tell them it's actually building blocks!!  We often have to pause here so I can address the many 'Nuh-uh'-sounds coming from my kinders.  You could challenge students to illustrate a picture like this cover, or share this with your school's Art teacher and see if she could work a lesson like this into her time spent with your kiddos.  

The pages of the book give various photographs of different real-world objects that match the common 2D shapes.  I make sure to point out to my kinders the text features on this page: bold print, all caps, and labels.  Oh, and is it bad that the part of my brain that is still in fourth grade saw that waffle and immediately began thinking of how to use that to teach area?  :)

After each shape page, there is a spread that features a photograph that contains the focus shape.  These pages that appear after the Squares has readers searching the huts for any squares.  This is a great counting opportunity where you can model one-to-one correspondence, or have a student come up and model it for you.  I LOVE that these pages have a little trivia fact.  Am I the only one who finds myself throwing out random bits of trivia during the day?  Whenever we're discussing a topic, I usually hear myself saying "And did you know..."  My kinders are always properly impressed that I know so many things!!  ;-)

While this isn't a shape that we need to assess, there is nothing wrong with teaching them what it is.  Most of them will already know this shape, thanks to Dora (and others).  I like this page because it shows how very different the star shape can be, and I also like this page because it has a picture of star fruit.  Another great discussion opportunity.  

The pages that follow the Stars page show starfish, and I always bring up our field trip to the aquarium when we get to this page.  I also ask them if they have any math observations or questions about this page.  I encourage them to state their observations: there are two blue shells and one orange shell and that's three shells!  

I always stop on this page and say I just LOVE rectangles.  I ask them if they can figure out why..spoiler alert, it's 'cause of the chocolate bar!!

These are the last photograph pages in the book.  There is a list of shapes as well as a plate full of shape cookies.  Not all of the shapes listed on the left page are in this book, however.  This book focuses on the shapes of square, circle, star, triangle, and rectangle.  Also, every district has different requirements of which shapes are taught.  For instance, we don't teach them 'diamond' in our district.  Instead, we teach them 'rhombus'.  Side note, on the cookie plate page, that yellow cookie next to the pink heart looks like more of a kite to me, yes?

You know what they shout out as soon as they see the cover of this book, right??  Still, it's a great time to talk about patterns!!

This book shows different real-world photographs that contain patterns, as well as pages to extend a given pattern.  I like this page because I ask them how they think polka dots are different than spots.

Here I let them come up to the book and point out the different patterns that they find.

I ask them what other animals they can think of that have stripes as patterns, or if they can think of anything else that might have a striped pattern.

Isn't this a gem of a photograph to have a great discussion with your littles??

This is a great page to talk about the different types of patterns as well as the ways we label patterns.  In my class we talk about 'letter names', 'color names', 'number names', or 'word names'.  Side note, I tell my littles that there is a mistake on these pages and if they can find it they get a special treat!!  Can you find the mistake??  First person to comment with the correct answer can choose any $5 or less product from my store!!  :-)

The last few pages of the book have different patterns that the students can practice extending.  They are labeled from Easy to Hardest.

Aren't these little gems great discussion pieces??  Plus there are plenty of cross-curricular lessons and activities that could be planned around these books!!

Don't forget to go back to the linky party and read all about the other books!!

Book Talk Tuesday

Today I'm linking up with Deanna Jump's Two for Tuesday linky party.  If you've never heard of this linky, it is AMAZING!!  A bunch of teachers and teacher bloggers are sharing their favorite books, and I ALWAYS find two or three books I've never heard of that I absolutely must have.  If you're anything like me and obsessed with books, than this is the linky for you!!

Today I am sharing another one of my beginning of the year books that focuses on the alphabet.  This is an awesome book to have in your classroom library!!

This adorable frolic through the alphabet is a creation of Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.  This is a great book to read with littles because it has bright and colorful illustrations, as well as lots of pictures to find on each page.

Each letter is given a cute little rhyme, and the illustrations blend into each other.  I encourage my littles to look for all of the pictures that start with the given letter.  This is also a great opportunity for vocabulary since many of these pictures and words are ones that littles may not have had any exposure with.

I also use this book to focus on beginning sounds.  After reading each letter, we make that letter's sound.  This is a good place to stop and talk because there is a 'c' word on this page that makes the same sound as 'k'.  I take time to point out that sometimes letters and their sounds can be tricky!!

At the very end of the book if a checklist that tells you (and sometimes shows you) the different picture words that appear on each letter's page.  It's fun for them to go back and find the ones they missed, and it also teaches them to go back into the text to find the answer.  Score!!

By the end of this week, I will have an activity for this book (or two) added to My Favorite Alphabet Book bundle, so make sure you buy a copy while it's at its lowest price!!  Oh, and today is the LAST DAY to enter my giveaway for a chance to win this bundle!!

Two for Tuesday

I'm late linking up tonight, but I wanted to participate with The Teaching Tribune's Two for Tuesday linky party.  This is where two of our products are listed for 50% off.

If you've been reading my posts, you know I have a lot to celebrate lately.  So instead of two items, I'm putting 3 of my best-selling TPT products on sale for 50% off until Wednesday night.  Oh, but that's not all!!!  There is currently a Birthday Celebration Sale going on in my store, so from now until tomorrow night you can snag these products at 70% OFF!!!

Until Wednesday, this awesome Write the Room activity that focuses on teen numbers, is only $1.00!!!!!

I use this activity when we're learning about story elements.  Littles choose a character/setting and have to draw the matching setting/character.  Character and setting cards, along with the writing prompt, are included.  Until Wednesday, this best-selling activity is only $1.20!!!  Psssttt - I'll tell you a secret.  This activity is at the top of my list for Product Makeovers, and very soon I will be updating it!!  Make sure to grab yours before I add to it and the price goes up!!!

Finally, this activity is one I will be using for the first time this year.  I am going to use this packet as morning work/homework for our alphabet practice.  So far, each letter of the alphabet contains three different pages of activities.  I will be soon be adding even more to this packet, so make sure you grab yours at the super-low sale price of $1.40!!!  

I hope you are able to grab some great resources today from the linky party!!  Make sure to go back to the top of this post and click on their button to go back and find even more resources!!

For those of you who didn't know, I'm having my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!!!  You have the chance to earn my newest activity bundle!!  Click on the picture below to go to my post to read all about it, and make sure you enter the giveaway!!!!

Book Talk Tuesday, a Freebie, AND a Giveaway

Hey everyone!!  I'm here today to link up with Deanna Jump's Book Talk Tuesday linky party.  I've had so much fun with this linky, getting to share my favorite books and learning about the favorite books of other teachers.  Make sure that you check it out for yourself!!

Today I am going to share TWO books, since they go so very well together.  They are both creations of the author/illustrator Dave Horowitz and are GREAT to use for the beginning of the year.

A favorite choice of kindergarten boys....

and a favorite choice of kindergarten girls!

I just LOVE these books!!  Each letter of the alphabet is given a page in the story, combined with a pirate/princess whose name starts with that letter.  Also, each sentence ends in a word that rhymes with the name of the pirate/princess.  So many phonics lessons!!

Let's take a look at Twenty-six Pirates:

Check out the illustrations!!  Look at the details in the faces of the characters and the faces of the frogs.  Can't you just imagine the discussions you can have?  For instance, why does Doug need a hug?  How can you tell he is sad?  Do you think Earl is scared to be up in the crow's nest {vocabulary opportunity}?  Also, the letter being focused on is hidden in the page somewhere.  Sometimes it's easy to find, sometimes not.  I just love how the illustrations can help teach littles to look at the pictures to help them understand the story.

Before you even read the words on this page, ask them what they think Lee's problem is.  I bet they can tell you, 'cause they have felt that way before too!!  Ask them how the frogs feel about seeing Mark the shark, and ask if they think the frogs know it's not a real shark.

There are perfect opportunities for them to express their opinions, as well.  Do you think Roy is a dangerous {vocabulary opportunity} boy?  Do you think Samson is really all that handsome?  {vocabulary opportunity}

The end of the story shows all of the pirates on board the Sea Princess, and this provides a great opportunity to see if students remember the events in the story.  Point to a random pirate and ask if anyone remembers his name or what he was doing in the story.  You can count up the pirate with the littles, and ask them why there are 26 and not 27.

Next up is Twenty-six Princesses:

This book is set up exactly like the pirates version.  Each letter of the alphabet is given a page, and each sentence ends in a word that rhymes with the name of the princess.  Just like in the pirates version, the illustrations lead to many great discussions.  There is also lots of vocabulary in the story to talk about with your kinders.  Take these two pages.  You can have a great discussion about why they think Dot is not considered a lady and if she seems to care, and how they frog feels about Elle's yells.

This is a great chance to compare characters in similar situations.  Both of these princesses are out in the rain, but they both feel very differently about it.  Have the littles study the faces of each princess and ask why they think Heather is happy in the rain and Isabella is not.  You can even ask them this before you read the words on the pages.

At the end of the story, all the princesses are gathered together in the ball room.  You can help kinders retell the story by asking them to identify the princesses by name and/or what they were doing in the story.

Aren't these books AWESOME!!  If you want a copy for yourself (of course mine came from Scholastic) you can head over to Amazon by clicking the pictures of the covers of the book at the top of this post.

I enjoy these books so much that I had to create an activity to go with it.  I had an idea in mind but I was having a hard time brining it to life.  Then one day I was unpacking groceries and was about to put away my variety pack of mini-cereal boxes when it hit me.  I can use these boxes to create an activity that my kinders can work on during Word Work time of the Daily 5.  Here's what I did.

First, I gathered the materials I would need.

If you've been with me for a while, you know how much I LOVE the different patterns of Duck Tape out there.  I gathered some of my favorites for this little DIY. 

Next, I cut off the tops of all the mini-cereal boxes.

After removing the tabs, I began to cover each box with Duck Tape.  I used the same style of Duck tape for every two boxes, so there would be a matching pair when I finished.  That's important, you need a matching pair!!  It helps the littles follow directions when they can grab the two boxes that are the same.

It took three layers of tape before I felt the boxes were sturdy enough to stand up to little hands, as well as completely covering up the graphics on the boxes.  Here's the finished product.

Remember, you need two styles of each!!  After the taping is finished, attach a small piece of Velcro to the front of each box.  This will allow you to easily swap out the letter tags as you learn about different letters.

For one of the activities I made, attache a pirate or princess uppercase and matching lowercase letter to the two matching boxes.  The uppercase B would go on the other tie-dye covered box.  Students can put the letters on themselves.  I have a plan to keep the letter boxes and envelopes/baggies of the letter of the week we're working on in a large basket.  Students can get two boxes and grab an envelope.  The pirate/princess tags go on the boxes, and the smaller letter cards are what they will use to sort.  Print out the letter cards on different colors of construction paper and then laminate.

These cards don't need Velcro on them, only the pirate/princess ABC cards to use as labels.  I haven't decided if I'm going to glue these to milk bottle lids before the kinders use them, just to give them extra durability, or if I'm just going to leave them as cards.  Guess it'll depend on how much time I have at the beginning of the year!!

Each letter comes with self-check keys, so that the kinders can check their sorting.  I'm going to keep these in a location I can watch, so that I can tell if kinders are running right over to get the answer keys before they even start the activity!  You could laminate them and have the littles color in a check mark as they check their answers, or you could print them on paper and create a small book that littles could keep as a reference.

I tried to use as many fonts as I could, and that each letter buddy was in a matching font.  When littles are done sorting and checking, I've included an assessment they can complete and that will let you know how well they understand the uppercase and lowercase letters.

This awesome little sorting activity is only ONE of the many activities I have included in this 171 page activity, and I've only included two of my favorite ABC books.  Here are a few of the other standards I've covered in this packet:

I included a few of the words from each book on color and B&W vocabulary cards.

This standard comes complete with teacher and student labels and cards to sort the tools of an author and those of an illustrator.

There are discussion pages I've included, as well as a student response sheets.

This standard comes with a class book you can make with your littles that is modeled after the pirate/princess books.

Have I gotten you interested yet??  I worked hard on this pack, and I plan on adding more of my favorite ABC books and activities to go with them.  Make sure you grab a copy while the price is at it's lowest!!  Click on the picture below to go to my TPT store, and if you download the Preview you get a freebie of the letter A princess sorting activity.

Finally, I'm having my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!  Just enter using the Rafflecopter below, and I will choose two random winners next Tuesday.  You will win a copy of the packet, as well as any and all future updates I make to this packet.  Plus, if you're interested, I will even throw in six of the mini-cereal boxes that you can use with this packet.  You can pick the styles from what I've already made!!  Good luck, and I hope you're as excited about my first giveaway as I am!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway