Who doesn't love games?? (Or free stuff?!)

Today, while tutoring, I got to test out one of the new resources I've made for next year. It was a HUGE success, and I just had to share the source!

There is a fantastic website called Boggles World that has F-R-E-E printable flashcards that are great for practicing reading and vocabulary building... and of course, I used them to play some games with my students.

But seriously, check out these designs! There are dozens of sets, all on different themes. Here's an example of a cute Halloween set:

And, they have cards in French as well... Yarrrr! :)

I printed out a bunch of these sets, printing two copies of each page. I then glued them onto construction paper (bristol board would work great, too), cut them apart into cards, and laminated them. Voila! Instant entertainment.

My students and I used the cards to play Go Fish, and then we shuffled the deck and laid them all face-down on the table for a rousing game of Concentration (Memory). Of course, you could always use them as traditional flash cards, but where's the fun in that? ;) My students could hardly believe they were practicing reading skills as we played.

Happy Playing! 

~B

Calendar Math

Hi y'all! For a long time I've searched for a cumulative calendar center that incorporates math into our daily calendar time. Finally, I came across this pin on pinterest. Inspiration hit... And, I created a French version for my grade 2's in the fall! 

I love that this center incorporates days of the week, greater than/less than, odd/even, telling time, patterning, place value, AND money. Holy cow! 

I think this will give us enough variety to keep calendar time enjoyable well into the year!

~B

Welcome!

Here comes the obligatory introductory post... Hi, my name is Bena. Welcome to my teaching blog!

I'm currently a kindergarten teacher in Ottawa, Ontario, and in September I'll be making the switch to grade 2. I am SO excited!!! I love working with kinders (they are HILARIOUS) but think that I'll fall equally in love with grade 2.

I've been blog-stalking for years now, but have decided to finally take the plunge and start sharing some of the ideas I'm using in my classroom. Before long, you'll realize a few things about me:

1) I'm a bit of a workaholic (I currently work 4 jobs).
2) I'm a perfectionist (I try to do my absolute best at these jobs).
3) I'm an animal lover (we have frogs AND an ant farm as our class pets, and in September we will be raising Monarch butterflies.)

I hope you enjoy reading my ideas, and that you find something you can put to use in your classroom!

~B