Cara Carroll

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Celebrating St. Pat’s Day!

The Irish in me is ALL.OVER St. Patty’s Day!!  I LOVE IT!!!  I especially love celebrating it with the kids!  I don’t have many pictures to show you, but with St. Pat’s right around the corner, I just wanted to share a few things I’ve done in the past to make it fun for the kids! Here’s a fun little writing we did today.  This is one of my favorites!! You can download the Loopy Leprechaun craft patterns HERE.   First we read this book…   Then we talked about luck and feeling lucky.  Afterwards, I had the kids write about what makes them feel lucky using the prompt, “I feel lucky when…”.  I got some darling responses!  After they were … [Read more...] about Celebrating St. Pat’s Day!

Positive Reinforcement Freebie

I love positive reinforcement.  Sometimes…okay, maybe a lot of times…there are a few little friends who need a little something more than positive reinforcement.  You know those babies I’m talkin’ about…the ones who just DO NOT…no matter how positive you are…respond to it.  Those are the kids that *might* give me a little bit of heartburn & grey hair ;)  However, I still use positive reinforcement as often as I possibly can!  One of my favorite things to do is give out certificates & awards.  The kids LOVE these!  I’m always so shocked how motivated they are by a piece of paper :)  Not only do … [Read more...] about Positive Reinforcement Freebie

How Many {Antonym} Feet Do We Meet?!

This week we’ve been working on antonyms and the kids are lovin’ it!  We started by reading this book……and then we brainstormed a list of opposites.  Surprisingly, some of my babies were having a hard time with the concept.  So I had to explain to them, “If something is ______ it can’t be _______!!!”  After a few go ‘rounds of that, I sent the kids off to trace their own feet and write a pair antonyms on either one!!I added all the pairs to a big anchor chart…The kids have also been working on their very own little antonym books!  They’ve been keeping these in their book baskets and adding to them every time they have … [Read more...] about How Many {Antonym} Feet Do We Meet?!

Candy Heart Math {& A Making Words Activity}

I know Valentine’s Day is over, but I like to extend my Valentine-ish activities throughout the month.  After all, February is the month of LOVE, right?!  Well, that’s what I’m goin’ with anyway.  Candy hearts are my favorite February math manipulative and here are a couple of little math printables & activities for you!!  The first is a little candy heart graph.  I know there are a GAJILLION of these floating around right now.  I like to graph the number of letters in the conversation.  I pass out a large conversation heart to each kiddo and have them count the number of letters on the heart.  Then we create a big ol’ graph on a giant … [Read more...] about Candy Heart Math {& A Making Words Activity}

Boggle – Making Words

I love Boggle.  One of my most favorite apps. While writing about my love for this game during Writer’s Workshop one day, I realized that my kids sorta love this game, too!  A few of them said that their parents play it on their phones and some of the others talked about playing Boggle Jr. at home with their families.  Love it!  So I combined their love for Boggle with their love for the SMARTBoard and now they ALL have a FAVORITE Work Work activity!!  At least once a week, I have the kids visit the SMARTBoard to play Boggle…and they LOVE it!!  They each take turns connecting words and then recording them on a corresponding sheet.  You can … [Read more...] about Boggle – Making Words

Valentine’s Ideas

Since we’re on DAY 4 of NO SCHOOl, I’ve been surfing around some of my favorite blogs and have found some darling Valentine ideas!  Just wanted to pass along incase you need some Vday inspiration :) The Idea Room has these awesome Valentine Bingo boards you can download off her site for free!!  These would be awesome for a class valentine party OR even just for a fun math activity.  I totally would’ve used these to reinforce number recognition in K, but I think I’ll use these to reinforce addition/subtraction facts (maybe even place value or coins) with my firsties!!!  Can’t wait!!!   Love this fun snack idea … [Read more...] about Valentine’s Ideas

Inventors & Inventions

This past week we started wrapping up our study on Inventors & Inventions in Science/Social Studies.  I guess I underestimated the interest my kids would have in the subject because they were SO into it!!  We started by learning about a few very important inventors…Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and The Wright Brothers.  We made a little anchor chart for the kids to refer to throughout our little unit of study. After we learned about each inventor, I had the kids add to their “Inventors and their Inventions” notebook.  {click the pic to download} I forgot to take pics, but after we studied Alexander Graham Bell, we made tin can … [Read more...] about Inventors & Inventions

Penguin Fun!

Oh how I LOVE learning about penguins!!  They are just the dang cutest things, aren’t they?!  I’ve tried to get my boys into Happy Feet, but they aren’t big fans just yet.  Boo.  Anyway, we had a lot of penguin fun this week and I can’t wait to continue with more in the week to come!  First off, if you haven’t had a chance to purchase Deanna Jump’s Penguin Unit, GO.NOW.  It’s FULL of awesome ideas and activities which is one of the reasons I’ve extended our penguin learning for another week.  AND…you need to check out Babbling Abby’s post about her week of Penguin fun!  She has some DARLING ideas too and a 5-day lesson plan to download.  LOVE … [Read more...] about Penguin Fun!

Place Value, MLK, and Snowmen!

  Here's a fun little place value activity I made for my kids to do in their math tubs last week.  It’s a snowman place value spinner!    Graphics courtesy of Digi Web Studio   Last week we were working on place value with teen numbers, so that’s what this particular activity reinforces.  The kids spin the spinner on the middle portion of the snowman and collect that amount of ones cubes...or whatever kind of counter you want!  Then they spin the spinner on the bottom portion of the snowman and collect the same amount of ones cubes as well.  Then they count their cubes and see if they can make a set of ten.  I always tell them, “If you can … [Read more...] about Place Value, MLK, and Snowmen!

Snow Day Stats

So…which of you has been the lucky recipient of a snow day, or two, this week?!  Don’tcha just love those days?!  I thought we’d for sure have one Monday because the entire city shuts.down. at the sight of flurries.  It snowed cats & dogs & fluffy white rabbits on Sunday.  You KNOW I was up about an hour earlier than normal checking the local news to see if our district was giving us a day to cozy up by the fire.  No such luck, but I did get to sleep in.  We were on a 2 hour delay. I’ll take it!  Since snow is such a novelty in these areas, I knew the kids would have nothing but SNOW on their minds, … [Read more...] about Snow Day Stats

Mitten Loads of Fun!

We hit the ground running the first week back from break and it was so nice to be back in a routine.  We did a lot of mitten themed activities and the kids loved it!   Hope you enjoy them, too!!Of course, we started the week reading The Mitten, by Jan Brett.  There was SO much to do with this book!!  We created a flow chart to sequence the events, used puppets from the Jan Brett website to retell the story, discussed the story elements using a mitten themed story map, and lots more! {I kept forgetting to charge my camera, so I didn’t take many pictures :(}We also read, The Hat by Jan Brett and compared it to The … [Read more...] about Mitten Loads of Fun!

Winter Math Games

Happy first day back after a niiiiiiiiiice long break :)  I know we’re all excited, right?!  Just 10 short weeks ‘til the next vacation, but who’s counting?!  Seriously though…I’m already missing my little boys during the day, but I’m SO happy the whole family is back in a routine!  Since I’m currently raising the two wildest boys under the age of 4, I didn’t have much time to create a whole lot over the break.  I had to spend all my *down time* {yeah right} being a mommy & tending to domestic duties.  Thankfully I had lots of planning time today to try and get caught up!  Here are a few little games I’ll be putting in our math tubs this … [Read more...] about Winter Math Games

Christmas Catch-Up & Happy New Year!

It’s been a BUSY holiday, but I’m back in town and trying to catch up on everything!  I know this post is a bit overdue, but just incase you need some ideas for next year, I thought I’d share a few little things. We read this story.  Then we talked about how grown-ups have to go through an application process to get a job.  Then I had the kids fill out their own applications…to apply to be one of Santa’s elves!  HA!  They were ALL over it!  I told them I was sending their applications straight to the North Pole.  I’ve never seen such GOOD work!! You can download your application HERE.   We also read this story… And then had the kids … [Read more...] about Christmas Catch-Up & Happy New Year!

Happy Grinch Day!

Happy Grinch Day, friends!! Here’s my sweet team all decked out in our Grinch Day duds.  We celebrated “Grinch Day” today and the kids got in on all the fun, too!!  They came dressed in green and some of our little cuties even painted their faces and sported Cindy Lou’s hairstyle.  TOO cute! Of course, we started out the day by reading the book…   Then we brainstormed a list of adjectives to describe the Grinch… {I tried my best to draw him, but not so sure I did him justice.  And please excuse the handwriting!}  Not so sure that “teethy” is a word, but my little sweetie who offered it up was just certain that it is!!!  She INSISTED we … [Read more...] about Happy Grinch Day!

If Take A Mouse To The Movies

One of my favorite holiday books… And there’s SO much you can do with it!  We had a little “If You Take A Mouse To The Movies” day the other day and the kids had so much fun!!  Of course, we started out reading the book.  After reading, we talked about cause & effect and made a diagram to show the chain of reaction. I also assigned each kiddo to a story event and had them illustrate it.  Then we came together as a whole group and I had the kids work together to sequence the events on a giant filmstrip! I really wanted a text to self writing activity, so I gave them the prompt, “If you take me to the movies, I will ask you for some…”.  … [Read more...] about If Take A Mouse To The Movies

Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town

I have a thing for Santas.  I really do.  I have a HUGE collection here at the house and I just can’t get enough of him!  He’s so dang cute!  SO…it would only stand to reason that I’d want to include a few Santa activities in the classroom as well :)  I know that a lot of kids don’t celebrate Christmas, but this year EVERY single one of my kiddos does…so that makes planning a little bit easier for me.  However, this hasn’t always been the case!  I guess you could say I’m taking advantage of it this year :) I read a book about Santa the other day…can’t remember which one…and had the kids make these cute little scrapbook Santas after we read … [Read more...] about Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town

Gingerbread & Christmas Stuff

Okay…still SO behind…but here are just a couple of things we’ve been working on!  We’re still going strong with fact families, so I had my kids make fact family gifts. They rolled dice to get the numbers to add together for the sum.  I also had them roll the dice twice and add those numbers together to practice working with higher numbers.  As you can see, they made their own bows…but real bows would have been a great “addition” too! ;)   Speaking of gifts, this is one of my most FAVORITE writing activities.  I started doing this my third year of teaching and have been doing it ever since!  I think it’s so precious and sweet and really gets … [Read more...] about Gingerbread & Christmas Stuff

Happy Thanksgiving, Y’all!

Celebrating Thanksgiving with my first graders has been, by far, my favorite thing yet!  As a culminating activity to our Thanksgiving unit, we had a giant Thanksgiving feast to celebrate the season.  We made pilgrim hats & bibs to wear for the occasion.    The fun feast was catered by one of my favorites…Dickey’s!!!!…and the kids dined on turkey, ham, mac & cheese, green beans, rolls, and homemade cookies {one of the sweet first grade moms made peanut free chocolate chip cookies for the WHOLE grade level…and they were GOOD!} It was such a fun experience for both the kids and their parents…us too!! Can’t wait to celebrate … [Read more...] about Happy Thanksgiving, Y’all!

If You Sailed On The Mayflower…

Today we celebrated “Mayflower Day”!!  Okay…so I made that up…but I thought that sounded pretty fitting for our day today :)  We started by reading a non-fiction book about the Mayflower.  I can’t remember which one, but I checked it out from our school library and it was really good!!  It was a great book to review Table of Contents also :)  Each “chapter” was only a page or two long.  After each page, we stopped to jot.  During our stop to jot time, the kids gave me a few facts they learned from that chapter. We learned a lot of really cool facts!!  Did you know that the water was so unsafe to drink that everyone on the Mayflower…children … [Read more...] about If You Sailed On The Mayflower…

A Few More Math Ideas Before The Holidays

Here are a couple more ideas for you to *squeeze in* {HA!!!} before Thanksgiving break :)  How funky is your turkey?!  Here’s a little fact family activity your kids will love!  Each kiddo gets a half circle {turkey body} and a triangle {turkey head}.  The kids take two dice and roll.  Let’s say they roll a 4 & 2.  They have to add the numbers together to get the sum {third #}.  They write these numbers in each corner of the turkey head with the sum sitting in the beak.  Then the kiddos take 4 different feathers and write a different number sentence on each to match the fact family in the turkey … [Read more...] about A Few More Math Ideas Before The Holidays

A Time For Turkeys

We have been busy this month!!  We’ve been learning about a little bit of everything from turkeys, to pilgrims, to the Mayflower.  Here are just a couple of little things we’ve been doing with turkeys…with LOTS more to come!!! We were working on “long a” this week and our chunks were –ake, –ate, & –ave.  So I made these fun little word family turkeys and had the kids write words to match each turkey on colorful little feathers!  They LOVED it!! I also included a set of turkeys with nothing typed in the bellies….just incase you’d want to program them yourself :)   We read the book, Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving… …and followed up with … [Read more...] about A Time For Turkeys

The Thankful Tree

I really love the idea of kids reflecting on what they have to be thankful for.  So, we read the book, “The Thanksgiving Bowl” by Virginia Kroll.  The beginning of the book talks about a sweet Grandma who sets aside a Thanksgiving bowl for her family to place strips of paper detailing what they’re thankful for, and then all the little papers are read aloud during Thanksgiving dinner.  Love it!  I thought it was the perfect intro to adding a Thankful Tree to our room :)  I have a stack of die cut leaves that sits in a little pumpkin close to my door.  Every time one of my kiddos has something to be thankful for, they write it on a leaf and … [Read more...] about The Thankful Tree

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