Greetings! If you've been following me for any length of time, you know that I will ALWAYS find TIME to RHYME in my classroom!   I am here today to share the way that I am doing that this winter! USING POETRY WITH PRIMARY GRADE STUDENTS ...

Hello Friends! I always LOVED Show & Tell days when I was a kindergartner--and so did my Chatty Cathy doll-- so I was delighted to receive the invitation from Stephanie over at   Forever in 5th Grade to participate in her new monthly linky party!   I'm here to share four current favorites that will give you a quick peek at what is going on in my life and in my classroom! This old gal is currently contemplating how hard it is to get off the couch in the winter.  Can you relate?  Who wants to walk in 8 degree weather, right? Her name is Rosie, and she has been my canine companion since I rescued her in 2011.  This photo captures her "I am a queen on my throne" attitude perfectly.  She used to share her perch with Brutus, but he passed away after a good, long life in 2014.   Even though her hips are arthritic, her hearing is fading, and cataracts are developing in both eyes, she still has a bit of spunk left--especially...

G'Day Mates! I'm linking up with some of my favorite TpT sellers to bring a SALE to you and our Aussie friends!  They are heading back to school next week, and we hope our discounted resources will make that transition a whole lot easier! I've marked a selection of  my products down 20% from today, January 16th through January 17th, and have featured my favorites below!  I hope you'll browse through and click the green star next to my TpT store logo to follow me and receive notifications of future sales and special events! These two resource packs are just what you need for your weekly Star Student activities or  beginning-of-the-year "ice breakers."  Both are best-sellers! See them {HERE} and {HERE} ! I love to choose a "theme" for my classroom every year, and these "western" and "rock-and-roll" decor products were a hit! LONE STAR SHERIFF...

Welcome! Waddle right into The Primary Pack  rookery this week and enjoy our explosion of penguin products that we hope will make your classroom a more "polar" and pleasant place to be this month!   I am linking up with Jenn from Crayons and Cuties in Kindergarten and Ashley from One Sharp Bunch to offer a fun freebie that I created a LONG time ago, but that still packs a one-two punch when it comes to a rhyming good time!   Your young readers will love the craft stick puppet patterns included in this pack and can use them to act out the poems about each animal.  I make the poems "pocket-size" by printing 2-4 per page, and keep them on a ring at our literacy stations for easy-access. I also print each poem full-size so that each student can highlight the rhyming pairs of words they find, re-read the poem to a partner, and then take it home to read it again to a parent or sibling for fluency practice! ...

Happy New Year from this teacher who has returned from my family's beach holiday rested and more ready for whatever 2016 holds in store! I hope this post finds you feeling more relaxed as well, and looking forward to seeing the smiling faces of your students on Monday morning! It's been almost three weeks since I posted here.  Too long.....I know.  The hectic pace of of the last days of school before holiday break, followed by the siren song of the Bonita Beach sand, sun, and surf diverted my focus.  I am back now though, with a promise be more present and focused in my content here this year. What better way to get this blogging party started than to join Farley's monthly CURRENTLY celebration!  Be sure to check out all of the other thoughtful reflections {HERE} ! I have to admit that holiday re-runs on The Hallmark Channel  are my background entertainment as I blog this morning in anticipation of tonight's new movie premieres!  ...