Oh my...It's NOT Monday...

Do you have summer brain?  Did you ever forget what day it was because you didn't do "Calendar Time"?  Well friends...I must confess, this happened to me and alas, it is Tuesday, which means no Mystery Monday.  BUT...that doesn't mean I forgot the reading response pack so here is...The Bald Bandit by Ron Roy.  {If you have no idea what I am talking about, please check out my post on Mystery Monday here.}

Get your journal unit for The Bald Bandit Reading Response Journal Kit here.

Stop by next Monday {hopefully, just kidding} for your your next chapter journal reading response kit for

The Canary Caper!

Happy Reading,

Coconut Cuties

It's Monday...

If you are like me, you love to read, especially to your students. 

I like to read to them all the time, even during their snack time.  I thought it would be fun for the kids and myself to read a new chapter a week. 

A fun reading series to read to students is the A-Z Mysteries Series by Ron Roy.  They are fun books for elementary students because they each have a different letter in the title like The Absent Author and The Bald Bandit to name a few.  They have fairly simple text and plots so they are a fun group of chapter books.  Most are a reading level of 2.5 or 3.0 

{Please preview/read these books prior to using in your classroom}

  

These books can be found at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Half Price Bookstore, etc.

I also like to have them respond to literature as much as possible so...I created this...

  An A-Z Mysteries reading response journal!  
This journal is going to be a quick one question reading response everyday after reading a chapter or two.    Get your labels for your students reading response journal here-A-Z Mysteries Reading Response Journal Labels .  These labels need to be printed on Avery Labels #5163.

I thought I would start a new thing on Mondays call Mystery Monday and its just for YOU!  Every Monday I will be uploading a new A-Z Mystery Chapter book reading response journal unit.  So, start making your binders to collect it all in.  Here is what mine looks like:

 

Gather some page protectors to keep the entire chapter's pages in. 

Each journal unit will include:

~Word Search

~Book review and Response Page

~Questions for 2 weeks (a question for each chapter)

~Questions for 1 week (a question for every 2 chapter)

So for the students, just give them a 70 or 80 count spiral notebook labeled with the A-Z Mystery label.  Each day, after you (or they) read, they will get a strip of paper with the question of the day on it.  They will glue it into their spiral and answer the reading response question.  Two responses can fit onto each page.  Be sure to leave enough room for a good response.  Depending on your grade level, you will expect more or less of a response. 

So, I know you are thinking...

THIS SOUNDS SO GREAT...

How much is it going to cost me???

You are in luck!  It is FREE, FREE, FREE!!! 

{Sorry, the book is not included}

Get your first chapter journal unit for

The Absent Author Reading Response Journal Kit

Check back soon for more fun ideas and especially next week for your next chapter book journal reading response kit for

The Bald Bandit.

Happy Reading,

Coconut Cutie

Fabulous Fun and Fantastic Finds at Frog Street

Well, I'm back from my fabulous Frog Street SPLASH Conference and I have gotta tell ya...I am EXHAUSTED!!!  Lots of great presenters were there with wonderful ideas.  It was a blast! 

I also had the opportunity to do a bit of shopping and here are the things I got:

First up are two A.DOR.ABLE puppets from Frog Street Press lovingly know as Fanny and Fernando.  I am soooo excited to use these new teaching tools in my classroom this year.  I intend on letting the students use them while reading independently at the reading center.  Either the kids can read to the puppets or they can read {as the puppet} to themselves.  I can't wait.

Click here to get your own!

Secondly, I bought this Stephen Fite CD.  I think after buying this CD, I now own all of them.  If you have not heard of Stephen Fite or heard any of his songs, I highly recommend you do so.  He has a number of fun, educational songs that will get your kids moving and learning as they sing.   Check out his stuff here!


Lastly, I got these super cute t-shirts and dress from the Pink Armadillo ladies.  Can't wait to wear these items.  Cute, huh?!

I even got an opportunity to meet Crystal from Kreative in Kinder!

 

Check her blog out here-Kreative in Kinder

I can't wait for what is in store for the Frog Street SPLASH in San Antonio at the beginning of August.  If you are scheduled to be there, let me know.

Happy summer y'all,
Coconut Cutie

A Sale!

In honor of my Guided Reading presentaion at Frog Street this week, I decided I would have a Teachers Pay Teachers Sale.  Everything at my little store on TPT will be 10% until Saturday.  YIPPEE!!!  Click HERE to get your goodies. 

Hey All, It Has Been Awhile

Well, I know its been awhile since I last posted anything.  So...let's play catch up!

• It is Summer
• It is Summer
• It is Summer
• WHOOO HOO

This summer has already been jam packed with such fun.  I have already been on two great vacations, been to the beach, the pool, and have read many summertime books.

I have also been very busy working on many Teachers Pay Teachers products.  Here is what I have in the works:

• Guided Reading Galore
• More Cut-It Up Sentences (Simple Sentences)
• Phonics Fun Spiral-Vowel Pairs #2
• Phonics Fun Spiral-Bossy R
• Phonics Fun Spiral-Compound Words and Contractions
• Writing Center-Part 2
• AND MANY MORE!!!

This week I have been putting the last minute touches on my Frog Street Splash presentation.   As you may remember, my presentation is all about Guided Reading and I am so excited (and a tad bit nervous) to share all of my fun, fresh ideas to my colleagues.  I sure hope that I get to meet some fellow bloggers at this conference. If you are going, please, come find me. I would love to meet you! It's gonna be a BLAST!

And now...for a freebie.  In honor of my guided reading presentation, I thought I would share with you one of my cute reading retelling/comprehension activities and a recording sheet that goes with it.  

 Get your recording sheet here-Bloomin' Questions Recording Sheet

First, gather the materials need to make the project.  I found my items at the Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby.  You will need jumbo craft sticks, some flowers, buttons, a hot glue gun, a sharpie, and little container to keep it all in.

Attach the flowers and buttons to a craft stick using the hot glue.  Write a number on each button and write a comprehension question on the stick.

Here is what I used:

1. Who are the characters?

2. What is the setting?

3. What happened in the beginning?

4. What happened in the middle?

5. What happened in the end?

6.What was the problem?

7.What was the solution?

8.What was your favorite part?  Why?

9. If you could change anything about the story, what would you change?  Why?

After students have read a book, they read the bloomin' questions and answer them on the recording sheet.

Enjoy!  I'm off to work on more stuff!

Happy Summer,

Coconut Cutie