Talking the Talk: Fluency Goodies!

It's a very fortunate thing that today was our last teacher work day, because I am officially out of steam.  Of course, my hubs wants to go to a plant auction at a nursery that's going out of business in about an hour, so I don't think a nap with my beautiful golden pup is going to happen, even though that is EXACTLY what I want to do right now.  Originally, the Mr. and I planned on going to see the new Snow White and the Huntsman movie tonight, but I don't know if I will be up past 8:00.  Isn't it crazy how the end of the year just completely ZAPS your energy?!  It's outrageous!  Now that summer is here, I plan on revamping old TpT files, adding more, working on tweaking my approach to TpT, taking classes, and of course resting a little more than usual.  A little sunshine and R&R is good for the soul!

I managed to finish a few small projects, but I cannot wait to tackle some crafty DIY classroom and home projects this summer.  {Pinterest is such a blessing and a curse all wrapped up into one neat little bundle, isn't it?!}  So far, I have managed to revamp my old, somewhat sad-looking fluency posters.  If you already own a set, make sure that you download a fresh copy in your downloads section!  The updated file can be otherwise found HERE! :)

In addition, I've been playing around with some ideas about how to support my kids with new fluency activities.  When I was looking at the Common Core Standards this week, this second grade standard jumped out at me. The Common Core (RL 2.6) asserts that, beginning in second grade, students should be able to "acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading aloud."  I started playing around with clip art, and I came up with character cards.  It's probably not the most creative idea in the whole wide world, but I am excited about using it with my kiddos next year to give them an opportunity to read with another "voice" and to begin to think about how their voice affects their expression... and ultimately the mood/tone of the text.  It includes two different variations for recording/reflection sheets too. If you are interested in seeing more, you can take a looksie at the file HERE!

I also spent some time putting a resource together for a great research-based strategy called "Vocab in the Move!"  If you haven't heard of it, this is a great research-based vocabulary strategy that is super fun! It's also great for teaching reading across content areas! Here's how it works! Choose words pertaining to a certain unit of study. Place a name tag on each student’s back with one word on it. Do not tell your students the words that they have, and instruct their classmates to keep it hush hush too. Go over the rules of the game using the Vocab on the Move rule sheet. Clarify any questions before beginning. Allow students to walk around the room asking questions for 5-10 minutes. Have students record their clues and their guess on their recording sheet. Share out learnings in a group discussion! Happy Teaching! If you're interested in checking out the activity sheets, they are available HERE!

 I have a whole truck-load of Social Studies resources up my sleeve for the summer, and I can't wait to have time to fancy them up!  In the meantime, have a fabulous weekend, and don't forget about the EasiSpeak giveaway!  It's not too late to play along!