New Blog Design, The Lovely Blog Award, and a Freebie!

     I'm the girl who likes to be original. When I first started my blog I wasn't sure what type of response I would receive. Well, after some time I'm pretty thrilled to have 50+ followers! (P.S. when I reach 100 followers there will be a sweet giveaway for all of you lovely readers to enter!) I originally used a blog template that anyone else could use and when I would see another blogger with it I would think two things. First, you have great taste ha! Second, if it confuses me to see the image associated with my blog on another blog it probably confuses some readers. This put me on the hunt for custom blog designs. OH MY Alicia from Dream Like Magic is AMAZING. I explained to her exactly what I wanted and she did EXACTLY what I wanted. She did it so well. I'm in love with it! I hope you all enjoy it to.
      Now as for my sporadic posting, I have been sick and the on Spring Break. My goal is to post at least 4 times a week. Lord willing more as I get more experienced at this.
      Pamela from First Class Teacher awarded me The One Lovely Blog Award! That was super duper sweet of her. I was awarded this award awhile back and my response to it is HERE. Please go check out the other teacher blogs I awarded. They have some GREAT stuff. Also be sure to check out Pamela's adorable blog I'm a fan of it and I think you should be to ;-)
      I have also been creating some things. I would love to offer the first three commenters who follow my blog, follow my TPT store, and leave me there email address to get a free copy of the three units I've been working on. The only thing I ask is for some feedback on TPT. I truly want to do the best I can with what I make. Now for those of you who are not the first three (I can relate because I seem to enjoy being fifth or sixth. . . oh well) there is a freebie for you!

Pond Hopping Inflectional Endings -s & -es

Leaping Syllables

Nouns & Adjective: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell

FREEBIE
This freebie is a reading response/writing activity for students to complete after reading There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell!

Have a great Easter Weekend! I'm looking forward to tomorrow as a time to ponder and celebrate the fact that He, Jesus Christ, has RISEN!

One Lovely Blog Award, TPT, Currently

Well earlier this week I was awarded the One Lovely Blog Award (you can read about it HERE). I am awarding the following ladies:

Second Grade Shenanigans This blog is wonderful. She has such great ideas to bring learning to life!

The 3AM Teacher This ladies creativity is astonishing.  I own every packet of clip art she has  put up for sale. I look for it and I love it!

Teaching With Love and Laughter This is a new blog I discovered and can't wait to keep exploring it! She also has a yorkie and I do as well!

Confessions of a Primary Teacher This is another newbie blog that I discovered and am loving it! 

Sailing Through 1st Grade I look up to this woman. Her blog is perfectly amazing. Such great freebies and ideas!

I picked a couple of my old FAVORITES and some new discoveries that have "young" blogs like me (meaning we are new on the blog scene).  Ladies come and get your award! The rules are HERE! 

Here are a couple of my new Word Work stations/centers that are at my TPT store.  Go check them out here and please let me know what you think!

Fill the Right Pot ~ Double Consonants Ending in Y 

What's the Scoop? Drop the Silent e and Add -ing

The last thing up ad entirely late to the game is my currently. . . I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade . . . 

I must say that I am in the living room where my sister is watching the The Bachelor. It's not quite my cup of tea but I was being honest. I just don't think I can stomach all the drama of these women. 

Spelling Speed Words Double Consonants

A couple of weeks ago I created a spelling game for my sweets to use that coincides with our spelling program (Zaner-Bloser Spelling Connections ~ AMAZING). Before I began creating my own stuff I searched all over TPT and TN looking for some materials that go right along with our spelling program and couldn't find anything. I try each week to create a game to help students simply spell the word and a game to help students identify patterns in the words and sort them accordingly. This week we began with an anchor chart with 3 words on. I had the students at the rug and read the words to them. I asked them if they could see any patterns in all three words. . . and they DID! I haven't quite taught a spelling lesson like this before and I am never going back to the old way ~ I loved it and my sweets LOVED it. Every time we identified a pattern we wrote in on the chart. Then to wrap it up I had them turn-and-talk to a partner and try to each come up with a word that fit the pattern. It was so much fun and then they were allowed to write it on a post-it and place it on the anchor chart. Honestly, I was a little disappointed that today in spelling there was no new skill just a simple review which they ROCKED. It's so true if you are excited about what you are teaching your students will be excited.

This took about 25 seconds to make before I began teaching it with the sweets! 

Speed Spelling Double Consonant Words

Just wondering. . .

Does anyone else use Zaner-Bloser Spelling Connections (I use third grade in second grade)? 

How do you teach spelling?