Spring is in the Air and Zero the Hero

I have been working on some oldies with a techno effect. This means a long time ago I made some games the "old-fashion" way-you know the copy and paste and tape and markers and .....Well, I brought home some of these games and now I am making them using techno and posting them in my store.

Here is my newest series-Say, Stamp...

I have three versions thus far:

Say, Stamp, Write, Draw (Spring Words)

Say, Stamp, Write, Syllables (Earth Day Words)

Say, Stamp, Trace, Write (Dolch Words-Pre-Primer)

Here is a sneak peek at Dolch Words Pre-Primer

I will be working on more too.

I am also creating a Mystery Unit suitable for second and third graders and a Stock Market Unit suitable for fifth graders.

What are you working on?

Here is another tidbit I learned while blogstalking this evening-Go to Love2learn2day and enter the Zero the Hero discover how the book was "born" and join the giveaway.

Vocabulary Freebie

I am working on a reading collection. Here is a freebie that you might use during centers, homework, CAFE, etc. to aide in expanding and using vocabulary. This could be used for a read-aloud, literature circle, or during independent reading.

Click here for the Expanding Vocabulary Freebie

Enjoy!

Word Work Assessment and a Freebie

A formal assessment (test) is not always necessary, but the gradebook does not disappear. Therefore, I have created a test for the Greek and Latin root. I do expect the students to continue looking for the studied root in their reading, in their real-world, and in their conversations and writing. The true assessment is when students apply the knowledge they have learned.

Here is the quiz and answers

• I used Building Vocabulary from Word Roots (for grades 3-11)  as an inspiration. There is also Building Vocabulary :Foundations (for grades 1-2).
• Here is a link to a video clip by Tim Rasinski:

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=164945&title=Building_Vocabulary_Featuring_Tim_Rasinski

Check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Word Work Day 4 with a Freebie

The next day or lesson for my students during this unit this year consisted of Extending Vocabulary using a t-chart that extended beyond the T.



 Click here for the Comparing Words and Extending Vocabulary Lesson

Click for the review lesson here

• Some other ways we review might be I have, Who Has games, internet games,jeopardy, and twister.
• Here are two websites with some internet games:

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/root-words/
http://quizlet.com/140594/vid-vis-view-root-word-flash-cards/

•  Check out my Teachers Pay Teacher Store for more lessons

Word Work Day 3-Freebies

Today is when the learning becomes even more FUN! The students are excited about the new words they are learning and have probably found some in the books they are reading. (BTW-Whenever students find the words in context, I encourage them to write the sentence or sentences from the book, the book title, and page number on a post it note and stick to the Meet the Root poster. They LOVE it!

Click here for the Words in Context Lesson 

Click here for Riddles

Click here for Words in Context Freebie

Click here for the Another awesome resource to use and allow your students to use is an internet, interactive thesaurus. Check it out my clicking here!

Check out my Teachers Pay Teacher Store for more lesson ideas.

Word Work Day 2 and a Freebie

On this particular week, day two focused on Draw the Root. Click here for the link.

Here is a sample of student work (Again, I used my daughter. Yes, I know it is summer, but she should know these words since she is officially now a sixth grader (middle school). Sob! Sob!)

Can you guess the "im" word?

Ok-here is the reveal......

Just in case you can not see the words are: impatient, imbalance and immortal.

I know you are probably wondering where I get my resources for words (Just in case the students do not have any--which will not be the case--but .......)
So for those inquiring minds I actually just google something like "words using the root__" .
However, I know some of you do not feel "safe"with a google search so I have some websites that might be useful. These include, but are not limited too, (and more to come on other posts):

• This one is particularly for words with "im" http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_words_begin_with_the_prefix_im
• Here is a list from wikipedia with Greek and Latin Roots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_and_Latin_roots_in_English

Check out my Teachers Pay Teacher Store for more Word Work fun

Word Work Day 1

It is officially summer. I have a busy schedule, but somewhere in between doctor visits for my kids and self, vacations, swimming, and loads of fun with own kids, I plan to blog. So here is my first post in my series of Word Work. This will be a five day series with a small glimpse into my classroom as we study the "im" root.

Check out the lesson by clicking here

Building Vocabulary

Vocabulary

     Part of the Georgia Third Grade curriculum is building vocabulary through learning Greek and Latin Roots.

Our county is using some of Tim Raskinki's Building Vocabulary books as a part of Word Study. I have been implementing lessons in a bi-weekly manner. One week a Greek or Latin Root ,and one week a spelling pattern. 

    Basically, I have been doing these rotations for for about 7 weeks. My class readily caught on to the  routine/ format and WOW! It is amazing how the transfer has carried over and stuck. Students are even finding words in their chapter books (making connections, expanding vocabulary, seeing transfer). This is exciting. I have only the Building Vocabulary From Word Roots book. Of course, it does not cover all the roots we use. Therefore, I used it as a guide to adapt and create my own lessons.

Here is a short run-down of what I do each week.

Monday-Introduce--Meet the Root OR Determine the spelling pattern usually through a game (sometimes a discovery lesson which is more student-centered, but sometimes teacher-directed with posters and direct instruction)

Tuesday-Review/Add New Words and Draw/Sculpt the Root-Students choose a word/partners guess the word based on the drawing/sculpture (made of playdoh or clay) With spelling patterns-We sort the "list". New words are introduced. This is also an opportunity to discuss defintions (vocabulary) and students make/play concentration.

Wednesday-Review through teacher created riddles (Extend to students creating riddles/guessing.) Introduce new words through context. Students work with a partner to learn the meaning of two or three words used in context based on background knowledge.Other activities might include making words, playing scattegories type game, or playing a charades type game.

Thursday-Bingo or another type game to review

Friday-Assessment

Here is a link to Teacher Created Materials and Tim Rasinki's video clip on Building Vocabulary.

Here is another link to the products:Building Vocabulary

Be on the look-out for lessons,ideas, and assessment in my store at Teachers Pay Teachers soon.