6 Traits of Writing Bulletin Board

Just a quick post today to let you know that I've just updated my 6 Traits of Writing Bulletin Board pack. I've given it a fresh new look with new images and fonts. 

It comes in two versions - chalkboard and polka dot - and includes 89 skill cards ready to go. I've also included an editable version of the skill card so you can add your own if needed. 

I've also included two different types of headings. The page size version shown here:

 and the large circular letters with a smaller description card shown here:

This is the bright polka dot version: 

  

If you are one of the 1,222 people who has this pack wishlisted, you can pick it up for the next couple of days 20% off!

Procedural Text Freebie

Just a quick post to to share with you a couple of things I made up today for our work on procedural texts beginning next week (because of our NAPLAN testing last week, I haven't started yet). It has some posters, labels, jumbled vocabulary matching activity and some mind maps. You can download it from Google Docs by clicking on the picture.

Also, I've reposted my Read to Someone pack (which is one of my best sellers) back on TpT. Because of copyright issues, I've changed the name of the file to Buddy Reading. I don't *think* the term 'Read to Someone' is copyrightable by The Sisters as part of their Daily 5 program, but I changed it just to be safe. The contents are not specific to The Daily 5.

Also, I'm really sorry if I haven't responded to your emails lately. I've had so many coming in it is getting very hard to keep up and they just get lost in my inbox. If you have sent me an email and I haven't responded, please email me again so it is brought to the top of my inbox!

Buggy About Reading and Writing

Ooohh, I wish I was studying insects this term! For the past 2 years we have, but with the national curriculum we aren't learning about these fascinating creatures until (maybe) Term 3 (at least I'll be ahead for then....)

In the past, we have focused on insects in Term 2 because we read the text Ants for the Year 2 Net reading and writing validation tasks. So, I've been slowly slogging away at this pack during Term 1 only to find that we aren't doing it now :( Needless to say, I haven't been that motivated to finish it, but it's finally done and I can't even list it on TpT because they're having technical problems! HA! Always the way.

So what' a girl to do? How about you just leave a comment saying that you follow my blog and I'll give away a copy to a random follower tomorrow? Here's what you could get:

EDIT: It's now listed on TpT and Teachers Notebook. Click on the pictures to check out the 24 Reading and Writing Tasks that are included! It's 20% off at the moment.

 

 

This pack is filled with about 80 pages of before, during and after reading activities, writing scaffolds and graphic organisers/organizers. Just leave a comment and when I get home from seeing The Hunger Games tomorrow morning I'll draw a winner. Time for bed I think, it's almost midnight here...

Writing chart and activity

For the last few weeks, my kiddos have been working hard to produce long, juicy sentences with lots of details and adjectives. This is a chart that we made to summarise some of what we have been doing. 

My kids really enjoyed how I modelled how to write those two sentences and were eager to get in and try it for themselves. They sure are a sucker for colour ink and laminate because when I brought out these babies

they were literally bouncing up and down, ready to get started! All I did was print out some clip art images and laminate them. It's the simple things, right!!??

We talked about focusing on a moment and adding details instead of writing 'dawn to dusk' stories that were, in my students' voices  "BORING!!" (with thumbs down and a sad face!). We orally told some stories too, before I sent them back to give it a go. WOW, most turned out really good! I wish I took some photos!

They pictures were such a hit, that I think I'll leave them out for students to use as a visual writing prompt. I'll keep adding to them as the year goes on too. If you want to images, you can grab them in google docs here or by clicking the picture above.

4 days to go! Oh and by the way, 3 MONTHS OFF FOR SUMMER! I could hardly believe it when I read a comment (thanks Jennifer!) in regards to my 'curious' question in yesterday's post! Our 6 weeks (including teacher days), seems dismal in comparison!!

**Just a reminder, I am having a sale in my TpT store - get 20% off for the next few days!**

VOICES - 6 Traits Writing Bulletin Board

Well, I've been mulling over my classroom design - in particular, what permanent bulletin boards I will have and where they'll go. I saw this pin on Pinterest ages ago, and well, it stuck in my head because it was something that I really wanted to do.

  Credit: Teaching My Friends

It is much like the CAFE board and I absolutely could not live without my CAFE board. Last year, it became such a big part of our classroom and we referred to it everyday. It made the vocabulary 'stick' and was a central point for what we had learned. I thought a VOICES board would complement it.

So, over the holidays I've been working on cards to make it up. What I loved about the CAFE board is that I already knew the strateiges that I could teach under each component because they were provided with the book. I didn't for VOICES. So I've read a couple of books and came up with some cards and done up a pack for TpT and Teachers Notebook. 

It comes with over 90 cards that you can add to your VOICES board!

      

    

    

Just like with CAFE, I'm thinking that I'd still have separate charts that go along with a lot of the strategies. For example, I have a card that says 'Hook the reader with a bold beginning'. I'd have a separate chart that would go over the different ways that authors create bold beginnings  or leads (e.g. begin with a question, begin with dialogue, create a ticking clock etc).  But I hope that, like our CAFE board, it will become a central hub for our writing strategies. 

You can check it out at TpT and Teachers Notebook. It's 20% off at TpT for a limited time - I couldn't find the sale thingy on Teachers Notebook - I'm tired, ok!!

I can't wait until I put it up! Some motivation is seeping in - might have to head to school this week and start setting up!

EDIT: I've also uploaded a Penguin/Polar Bear skip counting pack. It covers skip counting in 2's, 3's, 5's, 10's and 10's from single digit numbers (1-9). You can grab it on TpT and Teachers Notebook.

 ~Kylie