The End is Near...Resources for Continued Learning

Hello darlings!  I don't know about you, but I am always concerned with the learning loss that occurs between grade levels every summer.  Year after year, our new kiddos come to us reading at least one level lower than the previous year, and somehow that is normal and acceptable.  We work too hard with our kiddos for them to regress and not retain their learning!

Last year I decided to do something about it.  On the last day of school, my kiddos make themselves a Summer Camp Kit.  This kit includes multiplication games, a Reading Response Journal, and Writing Prompts with a Writing Journal.

Because my students are the ones making it, they take ownership and they don't just toss it as soon as they leave for summer!  I tell kiddos that if they bring it back completed the next year, they will earn a special treat from me.  While I would like to report that all of my kiddos brought it back last year, I was please that I did get 12 students who completed it.  I am going for a larger number this year.

I will also be starting a Summer Camp Success Wall in my room to hang up pics of the kiddos who completed it and allow them to sign the wall.  Hopefully this will be another motivator as well.

 Check it out here.

Included:
Detailed directions with pictures
Reading Journal with suggested activities and sentence starters
Writing Journal with optional prompts
Camp Workout Game: incorporation multiplication and physical activity
Hike the Hills Game: multiplication strategy game "spotting animals"
Spinner Game: includes 3 different multiplication/division game options

I did this on the last day of school with my kiddos.  The key to these activities is that students take ownership in creating the journals and games themselves.  Students simply color each page, cut out, and staple the journals together.  They also put together the spinner and the other games.  Once completed, they put each game or journal in its own sandwich bag and then place everything inside the suitcase.  We play the games in partners and start off one of the journal entries for reading and writing.   

I hope you check this out and find it useful.  I would love to give two lucky winners this resource for free.  Just tell me your favorite vacation spot and leave your email.  You may find this in your in box tomorrow!

Keep Your Students Learning this Summer

Hello darlings!  I apologize to all my wonderful followers for being missing for a while.  I had quite a challenging class this year and I needed a little break. =)  Boy did I get it!  I just came back from a two week tour of Europe!  I can't even describe to you how amazing it was!  I really want to go back!  I went with a tour group for 18-35 year olds called Contiki.  We were in a new country basically everyday!  We started in London then went to Amsterdam, St. Goar (Germany), Munich,  Austria, Venice, Rome, Florence, Switzerland, and then Paris.  I got to take a bike ride through Munich, go white water rafting in Austria, climb a Mountain in Switzerland, ride a gondola in Venice, sight-see off the top of the Eiffel Tower and so much more.  I met AMAZING people on my trip whom I know will be life long friends.  I will most definitely be doing another tour next summer!

So... what can I share with you for your classroom?  Well, it is a little late for this year, but maybe you can use it for your kiddos next year.  I am always so worried about my kiddos losing their learning over the summer.  Research shows that students can regress as much as two reading levels if they do not read over the summer.  Yikes!   I am sure that like me, you bust your bottom to get those reading levels up during the year.  I decided to make a fun activity suitcase that my kiddos can take with them where ever they go this summer.    Check it out here.

Included:
Detailed directions with pictures
Reading Journal with suggested activities and sentence starters
Writing Journal with optional prompts
Camp Workout Game: incorporation multiplication and physical activity
Hike the Hills Game: multiplication strategy game "spotting animals"
Spinner Game: includes 3 different multiplication/division game options

I did this on the last day of school with my kiddos.  The key to these activities is that students take ownership in creating the journals and games themselves.  Students simply color each page, cut out, and staple the journals together.  They also put together the spinner and the other games.  Once completed, they put each game or journal in its own sandwich bag and then place everything inside the suitcase.  We play the games in partners and start off one of the journal entries for reading and writing.   I offer a prize or treat to the students who bring back their suitcase the next year with completed journals.  They also get to sign my stellar student wall.

I hope you check this out and find it useful.  I would love to give two lucky winners this resource for free.  Just tell me your favorite vacation spot and leave your email.  You may find this in your in box tomorrow!

Blessings!