faulker099

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a wonder-filled Thanksgiving!  I am so grateful for this time with my family.  We were able to go up to Cleveland to help my oldest son move into his new home.  He has taken a new investigative reporter position at the ABC affiliate there!!  I know all of you in Indiana are going to miss him, but this is an amazing opportunity for him! Yes, he is now further from his TEXAS home, but…whatever it takes, right?!  We did have a little time to visit downtown, and I have to say…It is beautiful!!!  There is so much to do in this vibrant city. I think he is going to love it! Thanks for letting me brag about him a little!  We are very proud of him. But now it’s time to think about school again. These next few weeks are my favorite times of year to teach first graders. The wonder and innocence they bring to the season is such a beautiful reminder of the joy and love that comes with this time of giving.  One of my favorite ...

Dictionary Skills? What? You might think that students working in dictionaries is an obsolete idea.  With the advancement of technology, students can find information, check spelling, grammar, sentence structure, even get help writing complete papers.  But learning how to use a dictionary will help students later on when they are researching or trying to find information.  Once they discover how a dictionary is laid out, they will be able to gather information from other resources. Our youngest students should learn that *words in a dictionary are organized alphabetically. *Each word is called an entry. *You can find correct spelling, pronunciation, the parts of speech, and definition. *Guide words on the top of dictionary pages give clues about what words are included on each page. This ultra mini unit introduces kids to the wonderful word world of dictionaries. Once hooked, kids will love being Dictionary Detectives! So  after organizing our thinking about dictiona...

Hello Everyone! I am a firm believer that when kids can see and touch their learning, whether it be math, reading, spelling, really anything, they will be able to grasp the concepts, take them to heart, and even use the concepts to extend the learning and apply it to other concepts more  quickly and thoroughly.  Introducing new learning through visual and tactile means builds relationships and connections.  I see evidence of this every single day.  This is the main reason I try to create anchor charts, reminder posters, charts, connections, etc , that are stimulating visually. That is also why, after introducing a new concept, kids have access to these visuals, and then set out to create their own through touch.  Many people think that the connection activities I have my students do are nothing but fluff. I can see where that may be how it looks from someone who doesn’t see the whole process.  The observation and stimulation of the thinking process, the rec...