first trade ✂

I have been on a math kick lately. I think it is because my kids are strugglingggg with basic math concepts lately and it’s killin’ me! We have been learning addition strategies and practicing addition within 20 for two weeks now and my class has just started to pick up their momentum. They are […]

“Sight words are boring!” They certainly can be… but they don’t have to be. When children are learning to read a huge emphasis is placed on the alphabet – working on l…

I combined the sweet frog idea from makinglearningfun to create a container with the Kaboom addidition game from Teacher Tipsters to create my "Don't Get Zapped!" Game... Our local Taget Dollar Spot has plastic jumbo craft sticks 30 for a dollar. (But you could just as easily use the wooden jumbo craft sticks.) I created labels to cut apart and attach to the one end of the craft stick. The kids pull out a stick and either solve the problem to keep it or follow the direction on the…

So, lately my kids have been making some really great observations about numbers. They’ve been noticing patterns in our hundreds chart and they’re pros at skip counting {by 5’s & 10’s, anyway ;)} I really want to start adding the concept of odd & even numbers to our calendar routine, but before I started with …

I recently got a sweet email from the cool people at MPM School Supplies asking if I would like to pick something from their we...

FREE 2015-16 bright, whimsical school year calendar. Print in PDF as is or in PowerPoint to add text! From Light Bulbs and Laughter on TpT.

My class is becoming covered in first grade anchor charts. A couple weeks ago, I shared this picture on my FB page: This is only about 1/4th of the anchor charts in my room. I have used anchor charts in previous years, but only about 1 per subject and I would switch them out each […]

Choose an operation - add or subtract - differentiated worksheets

First Grade Smiles: An elementary teaching blog by Melissa Machan. K-2 teaching ideas, resources, freebies, classroom tips, and more.

I decided to share a little glimpse into how I put together my Parent/Teacher conferences each year! First, I start out by sending home this parent/teacher conference request form. When the parents return this form requesting a parent/teacher conference I schedule their conference and send home an appointment notice letting them know the day and time their conference is set for. I also send home this parent questions and concerns form. This really helps me make sure I am not caught off guard…

So you learned in my first post in this series about Number Talks and how to do them in your classroom. I recommend reading that post here if you haven't already. There is a freebie in it for you! I introduced number talks at my school on last year and they have made a difference in many classrooms. I know they can for you too! I have put together a list of tips that will help you as you continue your number talks journey. In this post, you will learn my top 5 tips for better number…

Hello! I've been slightly awol these days what with, well, you know...summer. Like you, I'm trying to fit in all the summer fun and relaxation that I can. I'm a total stress case during the school year (ask my poor husband) and these sunny summer months do wonders for my mental state! I spent the weekend camping with my husband's family (so fun!) and preparing my house for a family visit this evening. I've also spent a little bit of time pouring over my school's new math text. This is our…

Does that song remind anyone else of BIG?! Because that’s all I think about when I hear it. That dang Tom Hanks and his cute movies!! Speaking of which, who else begged Santa for an oversized keyboard?! HA! Okay, so the end of the year is rapidly approaching. For some of us it’s already happened …

If you’ve been on my Facebook page in the last few days, you probably know that all things kindergarten are being packed away. A sad time for sure, since it will be a few more years before our littlest one is ready to use those materials. But it’s also an exciting time because it means ...