My classroom has been very busy! In addition, we’re packing in tons of stuff before we leave for Spring Break. So I thought I’d share a LOT of pictures and other info in this post.  

1. I FINALLY FINISHED my Spring Centers! I’m super excited about this pack. So I love the colors and I feel like I hit a bunch of first grade standards, which its a necessity now that we’re only 30+ schooldays away from summer break.  All of these are based on the common core. Besides, the standards covered are listed with the directions for each center and all of the centers come with an assessment/recording sheet.  In addition, you can check them out by clicking HERE.  


2. I’ve had quite a few emails about how centers work in my room.  I have 6 centers each week. Math, Word Work, Sight Word, Book Center, Poetry Center and Listening Center.  My students get their center checklist on Monday and choose a center. I don’t worry about who goes where, they know that if a center is being used, they need to choose another. I try to make several copies of one center, so there are plenty to go around. This week, students did a long and short vowel sort for Word Work center. I made 3 copies of this center and they can work in partners, so 6 students could be completing this center at once. I also have three Leap Pads, 3 iPods and 1 iPad. If they go and get a listening center recording sheet and all of these listening devices are being used, then they need to choose another center. Students get the recording sheets and centers  located in one of my 6 center bins.  They keep their center recording sheets in a folder in their chair pockets when they complete them. We do centers 4 days, Monday through Thursday and students must get 4-6 centers completed each week.  Students who get 6 centers completed correctly and neatly get a special incentive. I also choose work that is especially well done for our “Beautiful Work” board and those students get to choose a treat on Friday.  I try to make all of my centers hands on and interactive, but also insist a recording sheet is included for accountability and assessment of progress.  On Thursdays my students turn in their center checklist and completed center recording sheets and I paper clip their papers together so I can look over them. On Friday, I hand back their packet, which is a very big deal, as treats for great work are announced.  

                     Completed Work                                 Beautiful Work Board


3. We’ve also been learning all about spring and rabbits. We’ll be doing lots of fun activities from my Rabbit Unit this week. Last week, we read Hopper Hunts for Spring and listened for the verbs in the story.  We made a list of verbs and then used those verbs to do a little dictionary skill activity.  My kiddos had a blast. They were racing to be the first team to find the verb in the dictionary.