Back to School Products and Flash Freebie!

This weekend flew by so quickly and now I sit staring at a full week of training sessions.  I really don't mind the training at all but it's so hard to come out of  "summer mode" for a week.  We are used to sleeping late, going to the movies, making crafts, playing with our pets and now it's get up early, prepare for the sitter, FIND a sitter (my boys run off so many.....), and sit in class all day.  Besides I was just beginning to fill up my TPT store with new items and I don't want to lose the momentum!  But hopefully I'll come home and have things to share!

Last week I worked on a Back to School clip art set which I put in my TPT store Friday night.  

The kit comes with every graphic you see here in both color and b/w.  For this week only, you can get it here for only $2.  After this week, it will be $2.50 in my store.

After finishing my clip art set, I began working on my Back to School writing center.  This center kit should be in my store sometime this week once I finish packaging it up.  I'll explain my plans for a personal word wall for each student when I share about my writing center.

Just for the next 24 hours, I have a flash freebie in my store.  

This math center game works well with high pre-k, all kinders, and beginning first graders.  It consists of cards labeled with the numbers 1-20 and dots representing the numbers 1-20.  Students will play a game of Memory with the cards.  Even numbers are on green apples and odd numbers are on the red ones for another easy lesson.  

Go quickly and grab my Apple Number Match game in my TPT store for free!  This time tomorrow it will be $1.50.  

Thank you for stopping by!!  Please leave a comment to let me know that you were here!

Centers

Well, summer is here and I am loving it!!  My boys and I are enjoying the summer movie clubhouses at the local theaters.  We are also loving the Passport to Imagination at our local Michael's.  In fact, here is a pic of my youngest painting his Liberty Bell this morning.

During the summer I always try to plan for the next school year.  This year I'm lucky enough to be staying at the same school and in the same grade I was in last year which gives me PLENTY of planning time.  

One of my struggles last year was with centers.  Being the first year in that grade after so long I was more concerned with teaching the common core and focusing on that rather than adding on those fun extras that I love to do.   SO.....my goal this summer is to set up every single center for the entire year and have every one of them ready for the first day of school.  Yes it is a big task but I've spent lots and lots of time on Teachers Pay Teachers this week searching and I've found some great deals!  

Each week I plan to have 10 centers.  Ideally I will only have 2 kids at each center each rotation but I don't have my numbers yet.  Last year I only had 17 kids so I'm hoping that I won't have more than 20 this year.

My 10 centers are:

1.  Reading/Reading Tent

2. Computers

3. Language/Listening Center

4. Seatwork

5.  Spelling

6.  Social Living

7. Math

8.  Writing

9.  Teacher Table

10.  Math 2

What centers do you use in your room?  How do students rotate through them?  How long do you let students stay in each center?

Another goal of mine was to have my students answer a graph a week and then discuss it during the week.  I sat down and began to make a list of every graph that I wanted to use.  While  searching online for graph question ideas, I came across the perfect set!!

I don't know if you are familiar with Sailing through 1st grade but she is amazing!!  I use all of her Imagine It! creations in my room and many of her centers games are on my list for next year!  Take a minute and stop by her shop to see what's new!

Well it's time to get back to work!  I hope you have a great rest of the day!