Back to School Night


Back to School night is one of those nights that can set the stage for the rest of your school year.  Parents come in with questions, anxiety, and a few may even have less than positive feelings about you.  It may not be anything that you've done as a teacher. 
  • Maybe they had their heart set on their child being in the teacher next door's class because their neighbor's child had such a great year with that teacher.  It's not that their child can't have a good year with you, but you do have to work harder to change their feelings.
  • Maybe you are a new teacher to the school this year and the parents don't know you.  It takes time to establish your reputation and build trust at a new school, even if you are an experienced teacher.
  • If you are a first year teacher and you look young, you have a double whammy.  
My first year I heard comments like "you look more like my child's babysitter than a person old enough to have a college degree".  I began the year behind the eight ball.  Several years down the road, I stumbled across an idea that idea I really wished someone would have told me about earlier.

You've heard the expression "a picture is worth a 1,000 words".  Pictures do amazing things to help you start off your year the right way.  Take pictures, pictures, and more pictures of your students throughout the day so parents can see what a typical day is like in your room.  Arrange the pictures in a slideshow and have that playing when your parents arrive for Back to School night.  It sets the tone for the night.  Many of the concerns and anxieties that parents have will be relieved by seeing the pictures.  













Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.
Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
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Letter Sounds Program - Editable

http://teach123-school.blogspot.com/

Have you had any V-8 moments in your teaching career? I had three big V-8 moments when I taught kindergarten. This Popcorn Sound program, the Bubble Gum Program, and Home Journals made a huge difference in the growth I saw with my students. I only wished someone would have shown me these tips earlier. I later used this Popcorn Sounds program when I moved to 1st grade with my RTI group.

When I taught kindergarten, I made my Popcorn Sounds homework folders before school began so that when I was ready to do my beginning of the year testing, I could use the Popcorn Program score sheet. I marked my students letter sound knowledge which was my placement test. This is a differentiated program. Students work at their own pace. Once they finished with the Popcorn Sounds Program, they moved to the Bubble Words (sight words) Program.

I also organized my Bubble Gum Program materials before school began. If you teach kindergarten, you may not have a student that needs this program the first week of school, but at some point of the school year you might. It is nice if you are ready to go. Plus, if you have a parent that ask you at Back to School night how you are going to challenge their child, you can whip out your handy dandy tub of Bubble Gum materials and show your parents that you are very capable of enriching their child. It gives them peace of mind and you a peaceful year.

I used these programs when I taught at Title I schools and schools that had students who came in well prepared for school. What both sets of parents have in common is they want their child to do well in school. I did find that I ended up (because of parents' questions) using two different approaches when working with parents.

Title I:

While the Title I students may not have had as many educational opportunities before they came to kindergarten, I found the structure of this program gave the parents information and weekly reports that kept them and their children engaged with the program. I spent a large part of my Back to School night giving examples of ways that parents could help their child. The way I couched it was, "even though I'm a teacher, I still ask my daughter's teacher, what approach he/she uses when teaching X, Y, or Z because I don't want to confuse her at home by using a different approach. " So, I told them not to get offended if I send home notes from time to time giving suggestions of ways to help their child. It's not that I don't think they know how to help their child, it's that I want to make sure that we are using the same approach.

Well Prepared:

Parents of the well prepared students are goal oriented. The weekly report showing them their child's score is extremely motivating to most of them. Occasionally, I had one or two parents that got a little too motivated. At the Back to School night, my speech's approach was more Leo the Late Bloomer approach. Yes, I want parents to work with their child, but find the balance so they aren't putting too much pressure on their children. All children will eventually bloom with enough time.

There are 6 different BINGO cards included that you can use with your reading group, use at inside recess, or have a parent volunteer use with one of your groups.

There are 4 different assignments included so you can set up a Popcorn Sounds center.

Sometimes students will forget to bring their folder on test day. I send home the reminder note with those students. I only test on Fridays. If we don't have school on a Friday then we skip that week of testing. There is also other parent communication included. There is a parent letter explaining the program and a parent note asking for supplies. Sometimes your PTA will help you with supplies, too.



It's never too early to begin goal setting lessons. I included a goal setting lesson idea and the printables in the pictures above which you can use to set up a bulletin board.

There is also a happy note that you can send home when your students learn all the sounds. I had a popcorn party when my entire class "graduated" from the Popcorn Sound program.

I am in the process of revising these 3 programs. I just finished revising the Bubble Gum program. If you previously purchased it, you may go to "my purchases" to download the revised version for free.

I also have a Letter identification or letter naming packet with the same format.


Click HERE to read more about it.

I have a bundle available, too.
Click HERE to check out the bundle.






Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.

Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.








































Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.
Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
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Back to School: Get to Know You Activity


I don't know who is more nervous the first day of school, the students, the teachers, or the parents.  I never sleep well the first week of school.  I'm sure the parents and students don't get much sleep either.  One thing that does help relieve some of the anxiety of your students is if they have at least one friend.  They need a friend to sit by at lunch and play with at recess.  

There are a variety of ways that you can help foster friendships.  I like to give students buddies the first week of school.  The buddies sit by each other at lunch, at circle time, play together at recess, and are partner with our class activities.  

One of the Get-to-Know-You activities that I have used when I taught 3rd grade is a Venn diagram.  Buddies work together to see how they are alike and different.  When everyone is finished, partners share their findings with the class.  This is a fun thing to hang up for Back to School Night.

Click HERE to download this freebie.

I have tried different ways to choose buddies.  I have put popsicle sticks with boys' names in one cup and popsicle sticks with girls' names in another cup and drew 2 names out of a cup.  This way it was 2 girls or 2 boys that were partners.  Most of the time this worked alright.  Sometimes I have had classes that have a unique combination of personalities and behaviors.  When I get one of those classes, I arrange the buddies ahead of time and announce the partners in class.  The one thing that I do not do is let the students choose a partner or buddy.  I do not want the last few students to be chosen to feel unliked.  

Fern has a few tips about Get to Know you activities to share with you, too.  Be sure to hop over to her blog!




Fern and I are adding something new this summer.  Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading.  I love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books.  Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for Tuesday Teacher Tips.  We hope you will share your ideas, too.  

Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip.  We will announce the winner in the following Tuesday's post.  The winner for this post will be announced next week.

The winner of last week's post is:

Click HERE to read Courtney's tip which is located in the comment section.

Do you have a Get-to-Know-You tip to share?  Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip.


Looking for more ideas?  Check out these!









Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.
Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
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Editable Sight Word Program


Have you had any V-8 moments in your teaching career? One of my biggies happened when I was teaching kindergarten. I later used this when I moved to 1st grade. At the time, there wasn't much curriculum for kinder kids who needed enrichment. Thanks to quality preschool programs and involved parents, I was fortunate to have quite few strong students. They were able to read some words, but needed to learn sight words to fill in the gaps. Through trial and error, the Bubble Gum program evolved. I thought I'd pass along some of the things I learned along the way.

I organized my materials before school began. If you teach kindergarten, you may not have a student that needs this program the first week of school, but at some point of the school year you might. It is nice when you are ready to go. Plus, if you have a parent that ask you at Back to School night how you are going to challenge their child, you can whip out your handy dandy tub of Bubble Gum materials and show your parents that you are very capable of enriching their child. It gives them peace of mind and you a peaceful year.

In my tub, I keep a class set of each list of words, the BINGO games, my Bubble Gum scented stickers, reminder notes, homework folders (premade and ready to go), and all the other necessary materials.

I copy the lists on colorful papers. It seemed to motivate my students to get a new color when they finished one list and began a new one. It is also easier for the students to find their list at the Bubble Gum word work center when you color code the lists. I copied the list above on cardstock, the same color as the students' word list and put the cardstock list on a ring. Students can flip through the ring of lists until they find their list to complete the assignment.

Each Friday during journal time, I called my students in number order (I assign each student a number based on alphabetical order) to come to my table and get tested over their Bubble Gum list. Students are encouraged to learn at least one row of words (3 words) but they can learn as many as possible. I stop testing when they come to the first missed word. For each row of words that they read correctly, I give them a bubble gum scented sticker in the square at the end of the row. This is a differentiated program.

There are 4 different assignments included. Students work on the following skills: use a BINGO dauber to highlight vowels, use letter stamps to practice spelling words, write real and nonsense words that rhyme with Bubble Gum words, and write words 3 times.

Sometimes students will forget to bring their folder on test day. I send home the reminder note with those students. I only test on Fridays. If we don't have school on a Friday then we skip that week of testing. There is also other parent communication included. There is a parent letter explaining the program and a parent note asking for supplies. Sometimes your PTA will help you with supplies, too.

There were 3 big V-8 moments for me when I taught kindergarten. I saw made a major difference in the growth of my students when I incorporated the Popcorn Sounds, Bubble Gum Sight Words, and Home Journal Writing Homework program. It was amazing to see how my students bloomed when all 3 of those programs were in place. I just wished someone would have told me about it sooner!

The 1st Grade Bubble Gum (Dolch) Sight Words program
1st Grade Bubble Gum (Fry) Sight Words program
2nd Grade Bubble Gum Sight Words program(Dolch)
Popcorn Sounds - read more about it in this post
Home Journals - read more about it in this post

I have recently revised my Bubble Gums the 1st grade Dolch Bubble Gum and Popcorn Sounds program. If you previously purchased them, you may go to "my purchases" to download the revised version for free.

By request, I added the additional page with the Bubble Gum machine. Students can now see their progress on the word page and the bubble gum machine page. Students earn a stamp or sticker on each row of words that they read correctly. When students have read all of the words on the word page, they will fill in that number of bubble gum on the machine page.

Goal setting is a skill that should be taught throughout the year in all grades. One easy way to teach goal setting with primary students is with a "Wall of Fame." You need a fairly large wall or you can also use windows. You will need several different categories or goals that your students will work to achieve during the year. Try to have a mixture of simple, moderately challenging, and challenging goals. Start with a simple goal that students can achieve right away so they will buy into the Wall of Fame. I wrote about this HERE. Sight words are a perfect goal to use with the Wall of Fame. I added the 2 signs and bubble gums (in the picture above) that you may use with it.










































Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.

Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
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Sub Plans Resource Binder


See if this sounds familiar . . . don't do as I do, do as I say. You probably heard your parent say that a time or two when you were growing up. When I worked with student teachers or new teachers, I often told them not to do what I did when I was a new teacher.


There were so many things that I did the hard way the first few years of my career.  I wasn't necessarily doing them wrong, but there are easier, quicker ways of doing things in our profession that seasoned teachers don't always remember to tell the inexperienced ones.

Planning for a sub was one of these "hard way, easy way" lessons that I eventually learned.  But, I really wished someone would have given me directions to the easy way much earlier in my career!

Plan Idea #1: In the beginning, when I needed a sub, I wrote out step by step directions of what the sub needed to do during the day that I was absent.  Yes, this works but it is not an efficient use of my time.  

Plan Idea #2:  I typed up a generic sub plan and then added the assignments.  This worked most of the time.  But, what happens if you or your child gets sick in the middle of the night and you can't come in and write the assignments and prepare the lessons?

Plan Idea #3:  Emergency sub plans - One day of lesson plans that are generic so they can be used at any time of the year.  One of the schools that I worked at, required us to organize these in a folder and give them to the secretary.  This is a smart idea if your secretary has the room to store them.  

Through trial and error, feedback from subs and co-workers I finally found a system that worked for me.



I organize a Sub Resource Binder.  This is the "how to" for the sub.  It explains all of the procedures for how I run my class.  It saves so much time and the subs love it! Have you ever been pulled from class at the last minute for meeting?  Maybe the meeting is only for an hour or so, but when it catches you by surprise, it is hard to think of all the details you need to put in plans for the sub who will be covering your class.  When this happens you pull out your handy dandy sub resource binder and give him/her the materials that are needed to teach the lessons.  Quick, easy and painless for you and easy for the sub! 

I organize my weekly lesson plans in a tub like this:

Click HERE to read more about it.

I have the following folders in the tub:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Centers. I put all of the papers, read aloud books, and other materials that I need for my lessons that I need for the day in the order that I will teach them in folders.  I show the special ed. teachers that I work with and a buddy teacher where I keep my stuff.  If there is ever a time when I am too sick to come in an organize my sub plans, I call one of these teachers who can pull out the day's folder and my Sub Resource Binder.  I know that my sub has all that he or she needs to have a successful day.


I think every teacher needs a set of emergency plans because you never know when something might happen.  My first 18 years of teaching, I made emergency sub plans and didn't need to use them.  It would have been easy to think that this was a waste of time to make them at the beginning of the year when I had so many other things to do.  But, then during my 19th year, my daughter got sick - really sick - in the middle of the night, my husband was out of town, and there wasn't any way that I could leave my daughter to go plan for a sub.  Luckily I had emergency sub plans.  

I think you have to look at emergency sub plans like an insurance policy.  You've bought car insurance for years yet you've hopefully not been in a car accident.  But, if you ever are in a car accident, you will be thankful that you not only have an insurance policy, but that you took the time to shop around to get the best policy possible.  Sub plans work the same way.  Take the time before school begins to make quality emergency sub plans.

The procedure pages come in PDF format and EDITABLE in Powerpoint.
Click HERE to read more about this sub plan binder.

I have more sub plans, too!  Click!










Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.
Click HERE to read my blog's disclosure statement.
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Reading: Home Connection FREEBIE

Are your resources limited at your school? Are you looking for more reading books to use with your small groups? I have taught in schools where the resources were plentiful and other schools where funds were an issue. You can apply for grants, work with your PTA to organize fundraisers, or work with Donor's Choose to get some help to purchase resources. But, what do you do when you need books for your small groups/centers now, not later? My answer was mini books. It does take an investment of time, paper, and the use of a copier. But, the cost is minimal and the effort pays off in a big way!

I use mini books two different ways. Some sets I use year after year. It is really nice when the mini books come in a black and white version and a colorful version. If there isn't a colorful version, I send home sets to parent volunteers to color. Or I find an upper-grade teacher who has students that finish their work early. The students color my mini books when they finish their work. It's a win-win for the students because they like to help, their teacher has students that are engaged in an activity when they finish their work, and I have help.

Some sets of books are for the students to keep. It improves their fluency when they read the same book multiple times. After we finish reading the book at school, I send it home. I want to have a visual reminder for my students to read their books plus keep the books safe. My answer was to make book boxes. I asked parents to send in shoe boxes with a removable lid.

TEACHER TIP #1: It's inevitable that 10% of the class will forget to bring their box on the due date. Start collecting extra boxes from your family, neighbors, and friends this summer.
TEACHER TIP #2: Cover the boxes with white butcher paper. Cover the lid separate from the bottom of the box so it will be removable.
TEACHER TIP #3: Sometimes I send home a roll of white butcher paper with the note below attached to it so parents can put the paper on the box. Other times, I ask a couple of parent volunteers to come in and put the paper on the boxes.

I usually set Tuesday or Wednesday as a due date for the boxes and then ask parent volunteers to come in on Friday to put paper on the boxes (if parents don't do it at home). The following week I set up Book Boxes as one of our centers. Students decorate them in the center. Some students will draw their favorite book characters on it, other decorate it with stickers, or any creative way that they want.

When the boxes are finished, we use them during our D.E.A.R. time. and then send them home at the end of the week. These have been popular with my students and parents. I hope yours like them, too!


Click HERE to download this freebie.

My friend, Fern shared a mini book teacher tip that I thought you'd like. Click HERE to read Fern's post.

Click HERE for a FREE mini book from Fern.



Click HERE to read more about this mini book.

For a short time, this post has a FREE mini book.

Looking for mini books? The mini books below are on reading levels K-5. Click on the links below.

R-Controlled Vowel Bundle #1

Shark & Octopus

The Polar Express

Poor Humpty
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Journal Writing Resource



This week I got an email from Melanie, a fellow TPT seller.  She asked me if I would be willing to look at her new Journal Writing Resource that she recently finished.  

Although I don't know Melanie, personally, as soon as I saw her blog, How many of us who either sell lessons on TPT or buy lessons or both, can relate to finding inspiration in the teacher's lounge?  Isn't her blog adorable?!!!  I felt like I had found a kindred spirit.  After looking at her Journal Writing Resource packet, I knew this would be something my followers would enjoy finding out about.  Plus, Melanie has a FREE sample for you, too.  How great is that?!!!!



This journal resource has 136 pages and is full of writing ideas for elementary teachers.  These activities can be used for your writing plans plus I thought of some bonus uses for the lessons in this resource.


The packet has monthly journal covers and journal prompts.  These would be a great way to show growth throughout the year.  Keep them in your students' portfolios and then bundle them together at end of the year for a special gift.  This would be a very inexpensive gift and one that parents would love for years to come.  



Use these to prepare your students for the quarterly writing prompts.  There are over 100 journal prompts so I'm sure you'll find some that are a good fit for your class.


Have you made your emergency sub plans yet?  Include a few of these with your plans. There are prompts about holidays, seasons, and general topics.




Melanie has a free sample for you to try.  Click HERE for the FREE sample.

Click HERE to purchase the Journal Writing Resource for Educators.

Don't forget to visit Melanie's blog because she is beginning a new line of resources for educators.  The next one is about Classroom Management and will be finished soon.  Click HERE to bookmark the page.

While Melanie compensated me, these opinions and experiences are my own.  

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Class Job Tips and freebie


Have you figured out a good system for choosing class jobs?  It took me several years to figure out a system that worked for me.  The way I originally did it, took up too much class time.  Plus, I would usually get a few notes from parents about their child not getting the job that he/she wanted. After trial and error, I found a system that seemed to solve most of these problems.

 I have also pinned different ways of organizing jobs on my Classroom Management Pinterest board.

In the picture below is an example of how I organize jobs in my classroom.

At the beginning of the year, I number my students alphabetically.  I divide the class into 2 groups and put them on a ring (see at the top of the board in the picture).  For this example I have 24 students.  So, students #1-12 are on ring 1 on the left and students #13 - 24 are on ring 2 on the right.

Students #1-4 and #13 - 16 are put on the chart.  The following week, all the cards are moved across and down one row and #6 and #13 are put on the back of  rings 1 and 2.  The next week #5, #17 are put on the top row.  The following week all of cards are moved across and down one row.  
This pattern continues throughout the year.  You don't have to keep track of which students have done which jobs.  Students don't complain about not doing a preferred job because they know eventually it will be their turn.  If you wanted to add a little seasonal fun to this chart, use seasonal calendar numbers for the students' numbers.


If you use numbers instead of students' names, you will save time when you are setting up your classroom in August.  



I made two versions of this for you.  They are both free.
Click HERE to download the PDF format.
Click HERE to download the EDITABLE version.

I used KG Second Chances Sketch font by Kimberly Geswein.  The font is free for personal use.  If you want the editable version to look like the PDF version shown above, you will need to use this font.

Fern has a few tips about class jobs to share with you, too.  Be sure to hop over to her blog!




Fern and I are adding something new this summer.  Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading.  I love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books.  Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for Tuesday Teacher Tips.  We hope you will share your ideas, too.  

Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip.  We will announce the winner in the following Tuesday's post.  The winner for this post will be announced next week.

The winner of last week's post is:


Click HERE to read Mrs. Wilson's tip which is located in the comment section.

Do you have a class job tip to share?  Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip.


Looking for more ideas?  Check out these!



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Multiple Intelligence Approach: Syllables


You have probably heard your parents or grandparents say that they remember where they were when they heard that President Kennedy was shot.  There are a few of those experiences like Challenger Space Shuttle and President Reagan being shot that I will be able to tell my grandchildren about.

As a teacher, we often have experiences, that aren't necessarily life-altering like the examples above, but these experiences do have an impact on us professionally.  I was just starting out in my teaching career, when I stumbled across an article about Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligence.  Talk about one of those great "Ah Ha!" moments.  At the time, I had only taught for a few years, yet I had noticed that some students responded differently to different types of lessons.

Have you ever had that experience where you feel like something is on the tip of your tongue but you can't think of the exact word that you're looking for?  That's what I felt like when I would reflect over my lessons.  I noticed these differences with students yet I couldn't put a label on it until I read this article.

Click HERE to read a review of this book.

After reading more articles on this topic and learning styles, I decided to overhaul my centers.  Social and science topics were the overall theme of my units.  Each center was named after a person who demonstrated a strength with the various types of intelligence. Here are a couple of examples of a plant unit:

Intrapersonal - Shel Silverstein center:  Students wrote poems about a tree or flower.

Logical - Mathematical - Isaac Newton:  Student completed an area and perimeter assignment that was about a garden.  

I just finished a new Syllable Thumper and ABC order center which is a perfect way to incorporate music with your lessons.

First, begin with a simple song.  I like to begin with something easy that students are a familiar with like Humpty Dumpty.  This video is great because it has the words and the music.  Have your students clap the syllables that they hear.  Afterwards you can make a list of 1 syllable words, 2 syllable words, etc.



Click HERE to watch the Humpty Dumpty video.

Next, tell your students that they are going to make a Syllable Thumper. You will want to send home the note included with the packet ahead of time asking your parents for oatmeal containers or containers of the same size and shape.


Pictures to decorate the Syllable Thumper are included.  There are colorful ones and black and white ones.  The School Time packet that would be a great addition to your Back to School lessons.  It can also be taught at any time of the year.  I also have an All Star Syllable Thumper packet that would be perfect for Presidents' Day, Veterans' Day, and other patriotic holidays.


You can use these sorting cards with your small groups, whole group, or set it up as a center.


This is a fun time to incorporate some simple music instruments into your lessons.  Music teachers are usually happy to loan bells, sticks, and wooden blocks.  I found the bells in the picture at Michael's Craft Store.  


There are two different extension assignments included.  If you'd like to add a little fun, let your students mark the number of syllables with a BINGO dauber.  

Looking for more multiple intelligence ideas?  I have been adding some pins about M.I. to my Good Stuff Pinterest board.

Click HERE  to visit my Pinterest board.


Do you have any multiple intelligence tips to share?












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