Five for Friday: November 21st

Happy Friday y'all!  I tell ya....whew....so happy to see Friday!  It's been a busy week both at home and at school, and it's going to be a busy weekend!  This girl is going to need her coffee!!!  Here are some things that have kept me busy!

We got into our Thanksgiving theme this week.  We read this sweet story before making an anchor chart of things we are thankful for.  

Seriously, my kids are the sweetest.  I love them.  

We used this anchor chart to write and illustrate some things we are thankful for.  We used this graphic organizer to help organize our thoughts!

If you'd like to grab a copy of this to help your students, just click the picture below!  It's a FREEBIE!

This week we started REALLY working on CVC words.  The ability to phonetically stretch out a word, and blends sounds together into a word is CRUCIAL for reading success.  One of the ways we practiced is with my Mixin' It Up! CVC Style! puzzles!  Students cut apart a mixed up CVC puzzle, rearrange it at their table and glue the pieces in the correct place on their recording sheet.  They then read the word and write a sentence using the word.  I challenged my kiddos to use two sentences this time and they rocked it!  Check out their awesome work!

This week in math, we continued working on addition.  We use the math series Go Math.  There is a big emphasis on a deeper understanding of numbers and number relationships.  So we have delved into specific numbers and the multiple ways you can build them.  One of the things I knew I wanted to work on with my kids is the 'backwards' addition sentence introduced in our curriculum.  I just anticipated it being difficult, and I was right.  My kids were totally confused at first!  We worked this week on understanding the 'backwards number problem' - and we used number bonds to do so!

Since Wednesday was Mickey Mouse's birthday (he's 86 in case you were wondering - we just had to look it up!), we used Mickey in math!  We started with the total amount of stars (7) in the large circle.  We then moved some of the some to the left 'Mickey ear' and the rest of the stars to his 'right ear'.  The visual of having a total number and breaking it down (decomposing it!) into two groups was awesome!  My kids loved it!

Later in the week, we used the magic number 10 and decomposed it using chart paper.  It was so exciting watching my kids learn.  The started noticing pairs such 4+6 and 6+4 and how both equaled ten.  My kids told me "This is the best math ever!" #handsonisthebest

Since it was a long week, I definitely earned a break!  Wednesday I celebrated a girls' night with two of my favorites.  The best conversations happen with good friends and good wine right?!

Finally, this weekend we are jam packed.  Trivia night for our district's CTA Friday and a benefit for a friend's mother who is battling cancer on Saturday night.  Plus, I will be spending some quality time with this girl Saturday during the day.

My little sister is getting married y'all!  We are going wedding dress shopping and I am freaking out!  How is this possible?  She's not this old is she?  I'm going to try my best not to cry.  But I know I'm going to.  Whatever.  A little extra prayers are appreciated Saturday.  I'm going to need them!

Happy Friday!

XOXO,

Racheal