Super Silent E!

Here's a quick post to share a Super Silent E anchor chart! Hope your kids enjoy the rhyme. A huge thanks to Marcelle of Marcelle's KG Zone. She created the character "Super Silent e" AND she is offering him as a freebie in her TPT shop. Head over and make your own resources with "Super Silent e"!! Click here to get her freebie and don't forget some sweet feedback :)

Super Silent e!

He may be silent in each word,

but his power can be heard.

When the word is only "cap",

it's worn atop your head.

Add the Super Silent e

and "cap" is "cape" instead!

-Laura Schachter

You can pick up a FREE copy of this anchor chart in color and black and white here.

DIY Mini Magnetic Stand

I love PVC!

PVC is such a versatile tool for creating teaching supplies. I created a mini-anchor chart stand and love how sturdy and useful it is for holding directions, anchor charts, and whatever I need. See the DIY directions here.

I made a spider web out of a pizza pan from the dollar store this year, but was having a terrible time trying to hold up the web and act out poems at the same time. PVC came to the rescue! I created a smaller version of the Mini Anchor Chart Stand that could easily hold my metal cooking sheets. It turned a cookie sheet into a magnetic center. When you put the cookie sheet on the stand, you create something exciting from something mundane. It also is perfect for kids to interact with material.

 It is also perfect for holding pictures/ manipulatives for your stories, poems, and any instruction. I used it here for a five little spider poem and song. You can get your free copy here.

You will need:

• 50 inches of 1/2 inch PVC Pipe
• Cutting Implement (I use a Ratcheting PVC Cutter. The ratchet makes it very easy to slice through PVC. My tool cuts up to 2 1/2 inch PVC)
• 2 Tee Sockets- Should fit 1/2 inch PVC pipe
• 6- 90 degree Elbow Joints-Should fit 1/2 inch PVC pipe
• Velcro
• Optional: Decorative Duct Tape or Spray Paint

 Here are the dimensions for the completed stand.

 The project is very simple. You cut all your PVC pipe to the correct dimensions. To create the base of the stand, insert the 1 inch pipe into both sides of the Tee Socket. Do this for both sides of the base. Attach a 90 degree elbow joint to each side of the Tee Socket.

 Push the 10 inch PVC pipe into the top of each Tee Socket. Push an 8 inch pipe into each of the Elbow Joints on the Base.

 

The last step is to push Elbow Joints onto the top of the stand and attach the 8 inch section of pipe across the top. You're done with the stand, unless you want to decorate it. I attached decorative duct tape around each of the sections of pipe.

 

To attach the pizza pan or cookie sheet to the stand, add Velcro to the sides and top of the stand. In the picture, I put small sections. However, after using for awhile I attached Velcro the length of each stand. This keeps it from pulling off every time I switch the magnetic surface. I add small sections of Velcro to the back of the cookie sheet, or pizza pan.

 Thanks for stopping by to check out my Mini Magnetic Stand. I love it and hope you will, too!

Get Hands On with Conjunctions!

As a child, grammar baffled me. I could never remember all the rules. I remember tuning out whenever conjunctions, dangling participles, or any other grammar terminology surfaced. This grammar deficiency made it very difficult to teach grammar. I had a grammar phobia... 

It took me awhile to get in my grammar groove. I basically had to rethink and reteach MYSELF all of the grammar rules that I had tuned out as a child. This included conjunctions. A conjunction is a word that is used to connect sentences or clauses within a single sentence, It is the glue that holds the thoughts together.

I wanted to create something visual that would demonstrate how the conjunction holds those thoughts together. Almost immediately, I came up with an index card and clothespins. It is simple to make and use, but a very powerful tool in showing how the conjunction holds the thoughts or sentences together.

Make Your Own Conjunction Connector

You will need:

• Index cards (I would use a different color for each conjunction)
• 2 clothespins for each conjunction
• Tape
• Sentence Strips for the phrases or sentences
• Post-it notes (If you need to change the verb to match the subjects)

It is so simple to create your own conjunction connector! 

Write your conjunction on the front of the index card.

Flip your index card over and tape a clothespin to the left and right. The end that opens should face outwards. That's it! You are ready to combine sentences!!

The following sentences use the conjunction "and", but you can use the same idea for other conjunctions, too! 

Here is a quick idea of how I presented the conjunction "and" when combining two sentences together to create compound subjects or predicates.

1. Start with two sentences and have students look for matching subjects or predicates . 

 2. Use a marker to underline the subject or predicates that are the same. In this case, there is a matching subject "The dog".

3. Cut out one of the matching subjects or predicates. Use tape to affix the matching subjects or predicates together. This is a visual and kinesthetic representation of combining like subjects or predicates. It is a powerful way to show exactly what is happening when you combine like subjects or predicates.

4. Use the "and Conjunction Connector" to combine the sentences. Clip the clothespins to attach the predicates and create a compound predicate. 

"The dog was hungry" + "The dog was thirsty"

Becomes  "The dog was hungry and thirsty."

The same thing can be done to combine two sentences with like predicates. This is where it can sometimes get interesting...

You will start out the same way. Read two sentences, identify the like subject or predicate, and underline the matching subject or predicate.

Cut and tape the matching predicates, and attach the two subject together.  The subject of your sentence may change from singular to plural, when you combine two sentences and create a compound subject. If the subject changes from singular to plural, you will need to change the conjugation of the verb.

 We placed a Post-it note over top of the verb that needed to change. This highlights the need to change the conjugation of the verb in a visual and kinesthetic way.

I hope you found some ideas to use with your own kids! Maybe it will even make learning about conjunctions FUN!

Freaky Friday!!

Something is 'brewing' every Friday in October...

 

If you have followed me for the past year, you might remember that last October I joined a group of sellers to offer $1 Deals each Friday in October!

We have decided to 'get freaky' again this year!

This year there are 5 Fridays in October, so you will be treated to 'spook'-tacular deals for 5 weeks!

The deals begin THIS Friday- October 2nd!

Here is how it works:

Each Friday the participating sellers will select one product from their store to mark down to just $1 for the day!

How will you find these products?

There are 2 ways:

1. Type freakyfriday into the TPT search engine

2. Click the links to the participating stores in the linky at the end of this post and it will take you directly to that store's $1 deal for the day!  

You can also click the first link- it will bring you to all the $1 deals of the day!

So what will you find from me this week?

I've been so excited about the Grab & Go Portable Word Wall Sets, so I wanted to give you all an opportunity to try out the pumpkin set out for $1! 

The "Grab & Go" sets include thematic word and picture cards in two sizes. There are also "Little Books" in two sizes.

These sets are so versatile. You can use them for sorting on a large or tabletop pocket chart.

 I love using them as word rings. This makes them portable, organized and easy to store. I just attach them to the wall with command hooks.

 Put the thematic word sheets directly in a binder. You now have a portable word binder.

 Attach the thematic sheets directly to the wall and you have a quick & easy word wall.

 The Little Books are great to send home with kids.

 Use the Grab & Go cards to explore math concepts.

 Everything in this pack is available in color and black & white. When I use the B/W option, I choose a different color for each thematic set.

Ready To Find All the $1 Deals for Week 1 of Freaky Friday?

An InLinkz Link-up

Be sure to check back next week to find out what Week 2's deal will be!

Have a fabulous weekend!