Lots of things in the works... :)

Hi!!

I am dropping in to say hi and hope all is well with everyone out there in blogger world :)

Things have been rather "blah" this week due to the oh so fun STAAR testing (boo)!

With that being said I have lots going on over here at my house!  Baby boy will be making his debut next week-oh.em.gee!!! I am looking forward to meeting him and getting to be his mama :)

Also, I have been collaborating with my sweet fourth grade friend for a new writing unit to help our kiddos get pumped up before taking the standardized test!  The fourth grade team at my campus tried it out last week and it was a huge success!!! I can't wait to finish it all up and share it with you all so... STAY TUNED!!

I have so many other little projects started so I hope to get them finished and uploaded soon, maybe during baby's nap time {insert giggles from non first time mamas here-ha}!  *sigh* LOTS to do, so little time!  I know...preaching to the choir!!

PS-I am loving all the e-mails from you guys with tips and appreciation!  Ya'll sure know how to make a girl feel special! :) 

OK!  Chat soon ya'll!!!!

Reading Restaurant

Hi friends! I hope you all have been well!!

We recently finished up our Reading Restaurant in 1st grade and it was such a SUCCESS!  I am excited to share the fun with all of you!

To begin, each student picks 3 good fit books from your classroom library to use for Reading Restaurant.  I would definitely have the kiddos get your approval prior to putting them in a baggie to practice everyday during independent reading.  You don't want the book to be too challenging or too long.  Each student in my class had a Ziploc baggie for their 3 Reading Restaurant books that lived inside their book bag. 

After securing 3 good fit books for each kiddo the fun begins! In my "Reading Restaurant-Cooking Up Good Books" unit you will find everything you would need to make your Reading Restaurant a total HIT!

This is how it looked in my classroom...

*After picking out their books we made a "menu."  Fold a piece of construction paper in half and use my tracer in the unit to make the menu. Here is a quick picture...*remember don't cut on the crease!*

*In my unit you can use a template for an outside cover for the menu and two options for the insert of the menu.  This year we did our Reading Restaurant during the day so I have provided you with an insert that says "Specials for the Day" where the children write their 3 book titles or if your grade level wants to do it in the evening, after work for parents, there is an insert that says "Specials for the Evening."

*Another activity in the unit is the "book report." Students complete this over their most favorite title out of the 3 books they chose.  These are a cute and fun item to hang on your bulletin board during the Reading Restaurant.  The parents love to read them after they are done listening to their child read their books.

Extra craftivity ideas:
*Flowers--In the unit you will find a page with flower tracers...*disclaimer* you may get a grey hair or two if you choose to make these BUT they are totally worth it! They come out so stinkin' cute and are a great "parting gift" for the parent or special visitor after they are done reading their books at the Reading Restaurant.  You can fold a piece of green construction paper in half (vertically-hotdog style) then students cut strips (starting a the open flap down to the crease).  Be sure to show students NOT to cut all the way to the crease...leave a little bit of space before the crease.  Then, trace small hearts on colored paper, construction paper, or scrapbook paper and glue on the top of the piece of green grass.  Students can roll up their grass and flowers and stick them inside a red cup as a "center piece" on their desk...makes for a very fancy restaurant ;)  Here are some pictures in case you are a visual learner like me ;)...

*Chef Hats--On a sentence strip write "Chef __{insert child's name}__" I always write the word chef and let the child write their name next to it.  Measure their head and staple the sentence strip.  Use tissue paper to make the top of the chef hat.  The fabulous Cara Carroll, over at the First Grade Parade, provides a GREAT how-to when making these... check it out here! We had some FABULOUS mamas that volunteered to make these for us--bless them!!

*Mints--As a great way to say goodbye to our visitors you can purchase some mints, use the thank you sign included in my unit, and set it up by the door on their way out!

I can't say enough good things about this event...it is fun for EVERYONE!!  The parents loved hearing their child read and shine, the students loved "performing" for their parents, and the teachers love watching their kiddos hard work pay off :)  Enjoy the pictures from the event in my classroom and stop by my TPT store to get your copy of this fun bundle!! And, as always, don't hesitate to e-mail me if you have any questions or need something additional for your classroom!!