NonFiction Fun & High/Low

Happy Saturday!

I wanted to share my 'Fun Friday' lesson (the kids all cheered when I told them no, they didn't need their reading books because it was Fun Friday! :)

This week we focused on NonFiction Text Features...of which they have been woefully ignorant of. (until yesterday!)

We first started off by making and anchor chart (of course!). I took our Social Studies book, and some other non-fiction books, and show them each of the features as I talked about it.

This is actually a remake of the chart that I made last year:

Source: Uploaded by user via Kaitlyn on Pinterest

I like the one I made this year better, I think it is a little cleaner and easier for the kids to read.

After we went over what the features were, I spread out the picture books and sent them on their way.

First, I had them doing a Scavenger Hunt that I got from Buzzing with Ms. B (to see if they could recognize the different features), and then I had them do a Using Text Features that I got from Ginger Snaps (to see if they understand why they were included).

I'm going to have them finish up with focusing on one book, using the NonFiction Response Sheet that I got from Create Teach Share.

The books I used:

I put out a variety of reading levels and topics, so everyone found something that they wanted to read about!

I'm also linking up with Teacher to the Core High/Low linky for March.

~ Getting 2 Snow Days AND a Delay
~Being 90-95% sure that for the first time EVER, I will be offered a returning contract...meaning I'll be in the SAME place and the SAME grade!! : D
~Finding out that my school bestie may be joining us in 4th Grade!
~Going to see Zombie Prom with the same bestie (her daughter was in it, and they did a wonderful job!)

~Getting a look at my electricity bill! (somehow, I (or someone linked in to my line) is using up triple the amount of electricity...and it all comes out of my pocket)
~ Having to buy two new tires for my car
~Getting 2 Snow Days AND a Delay (This makes 7...so we're going a week later than first scheduled)

March turned out to be a pretty decent month! I hope April is the same!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

January Highs & Lows

I found a cute new linky from


that asks for the highs & lows of the month.



A great way to reflect back on everything that's happened and take the good along with the bad.

I feel like January was a low month in general...I only blogged 15 times as opposed to my usual 20-25. I didn't have a lot to say this month.



~ Had a fight with a snowbank. Snowbank was feisty. Car lost. Now at car dr. to get fixed.
~ Now driving a too big for me SUV (which will hopefully be switched out by the weekend)-and since I'm short, I can't reach the pedals properly (I'm sitting super close to the steering wheel), and have to lift my foot off  the gas to brake.
~Sinus infection-still tired and sniffly
~Hot Water pipe froze-no hot water...fixed with electric heaters and landlord help (who told me to deduct the extra electricity costs from my rent)
~1/2 my kids went down in their MAP scores


Now for the good parts of January!



~1/2 my kids went up in their MAP scores (and my two LD friends went up a lot!)
~ I've made some new friends...and got a lot of support from my accident (3 people offered to take me wherever I needed to go within 15 minutes of my getting to school.)
~ I went out to dinner with my awesome co-worker (she is now considered a friend! (she was one of the 3 that offered to take me places-and the one that drove me to the rental car place) and we just spent an hour and a half talking after school...I asked her opinion on a new desk arrangement and it led to other things :)
~ Report Card Committee is going very well (in my opinion), and am loving the draft that we came up with!

That was fun! Hopefully next month there will be more highs than lows (although that's when I get to pay all the bills from the snowbank fight...so maybe not :( ) Go check this one out!

Today's Outfit

Shirt: JCPenny
Tank: Target
Pants: Kohls
Shoes: Target

It was super warm here this morning- 52! However, it dropped serverly during the day...when I got out of work it was 28. :( I had a sweater ready to put on, but it didn't go on until I was getting ready to leave work. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Happy almost TGIF!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn