A Return to Past Adventures

So I will be moving back to kindergarten this year.  First Grade really felt like it fit but I loved Kinders once upon a time.  I think I will again too.  There is just something about the looks they give you with those huge smiles and big hugs.  I can't help it.  They are just to sweet to not love.

So to get ready for my new adventure into the past I am creating a theme for my room this year.  We will be "Wild About Kindergarten" and jungle pictures and decorations will adorn the walls and tables.  I have never done the whole theme thing so I have had fun trying to coordinate everything.  Thank heavens for a friend from last year who handed down all her jungle decor or I would have gone overboard in the spending department.

I am even going as far to make those adorable milk-crate seats from Pinterest that I have been eyeing up all summer. The directions can be found here! I found zebra print in black and purple!  I am a little excited about that.  I will take pictures this weekend and share.  I really hope they turn out the way I want them too.

So now that I have all the fun stuff taken care of I can begin all the paperwork for the beginning of the year... there always seems to be more.  Enjoy your last few weeks of summer!  I know I will.

A Words Their Way Update

I have seriously been lacking in my blogging skills this year. I think I took on to much for awhile there and needed to better organize my life. Way back I had posted about our journey into the Words their Way Program (WTW). Here is the update on my thoughts of the program.. Goal 1: Spelling/Phonics program. WTW fits into this category. Every week we work on the students list of words and how those words are put together. The timing works well with Daily 5 and allows time to work with each small group on their individualized lists. I spend a few minutes each day working with smaller groups and then release them into their specified activities. Goal 2: Students will incorporate their spelling into their reading and writing. Although it doesn't look like a traditional phonics program the students learn what they need to become better readers and incorporate those skills into their writing. It is a little tougher to see the progress in some as they still struggle with the weekly lists. Most students are beginning to see the correlation and it is February. I am hoping next year it doesn't take as long as it won't be their first year of the program. It builds each year and last year's kindergarten didn't have WTW. I have decided that I will absolutely try this program for at least one more year. Hopefully next years students will have more to build from as the kindergarten curriculum has been rebuilt some and the students will be better prepared for 1st grade on a variety of levels. I would love to hear some more on what some of you like/dislike about WTW. We are still in the evaluation process and feel it will take at least 2 years to make a fully informed decision.