astute hoot

Teacher Appreciation Deals 2015

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015By astutehoot

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! To honor all of our fellow educators, we are having a 25% off sale off all of our digital downloads with coupon code 123teach. Get $10 off of a $50 purchase at Really Good Stuff, plus a summer coupon for back-to-school shopping with coupon code RW15T.

Check out these other fantastic deals to add a little sparkle to your week:

Clothes: 30% off at New York & Company for all teachers and nurses! Show any school I.D or pay stub and you can receive 30% off in stores through Wednesday, May 7. Redeem online with promo code 9818.
Coffee: From 5 a.m.-8 p.m. on May 5, teachers can stop in at McDonald’s and show their school ID and buy a McCafe Beverage – in return, they will score a free small McCafe beverage keytag, valid for a free small McCafe Beverage daily through 12/31 – while supplies last. McCafe beverages include Iced or Hot Coffees, Premium Hot Chocolate, Iced Mocha drinks, Frappes, Latte’s, McCafe Shakes, and real Fruit Smoothies.
Chick-fil-A: During the week of May 4-8, select Chick-fil-A stores are offering a free chicken sandwich with a valid school ID.
Check out this complete list of 2015 freebies and deals from Capitally Frugal.

Thanks for OWL of your hard work and dedication! I hope you have a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week!

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Mastering Multisyllabic Words

April 12, 2015By astutehoot

“I’m Charlie the Chunking Chipmunk. What’s new?
I break words into small chunks and you can, too.
Look for little words or sounds that you already know,
Join these sounds together to be the star of the show!”

Chunking Chipmunk_with text Charlie the Chunking Chipmunk is one our decoding strategy animals in Hazel’s Reading Roost. Charlie motivates students to use strategies to decode multisyllabic words. Read more about Charlie’s strategy below…

Mastering Multisyllabic Words

WHAT is chunking? Chunking means breaking multisyllabic words into small units such as onsets and rimes, phonograms or letter combinations, syllables or morphemes.

WHY is chunking important? As students begin reading multisyllabic words, it is important for them to know how to break words into units larger than individual sounds. Identifying individual syllables is important because it helps students determine the correct vowel sound. By following syllabication rules, students can learn how to properly divide or chunk a word into syllables, which improves decoding and spelling.

HOW do I teach chunking? Explain that Charlie helps readers decode larger, unknown words by breaking the word into smaller chunks. Teach specific syllable types to show students how to chunk words. Decide which syllable types to teach based on your students’ instructional levels.

Closed syllable: A syllable with one short vowel ending in one or more consonants (e.g., sunset, dishpan, lunchbox)
Open syllable: A syllable that ends with a long vowel sound, spelled with a single vowel letter (e.g., open, myself, redo)
Vowel consonant –e: A syllable with a long vowel, spelled with one vowel and one consonant and a silent e (e.g., shipmate, athlete)
Consonant –le: An unaccented final syllable that contains a consonant before /l/, followed by a silent e (e.g., apple, little)
Vowel team: A syllable with long or short vowel spellings that use two to four letters to spell the vowel (e.g., toaster, season)
Vowel –r: A syllable with er, ir, or, ar, or ur in which vowel pronunciation often changes before /r/ (e.g., return, perfect)

Rather than teaching syllabication rules and types in isolation, integrate direct instruction with time for application of the skill in authentic literature. Practice many examples of each syllable rule and type to achieve mastery of that pattern before moving on to the next. In addition to using strategies such as dictation, marking words and flashcards, push students to find words with targeted syllable types in literature and use those words in their writing.

We recommend using our Charlie Chunking Chipmunk resources as a supplement to a research-based, multi-sensory phonic program that includes structured, explicit, systematic, cumulative instruction. Although we do not endorse a specific program, our students have demonstrated great success using the Wilson Language System and the Spalding Method. Read reviews of specific literary programs at What Works Clearinghouse.

WHEN should I use chunking?
Explicit reading strategy instruction should be included in a balanced literacy program. Charlie Chunking Chipmunk can be incorporated into various components of literacy lessons. Here are some specific examples of when to use Charlie:

Phonics Fun: Choose several two- or three-syllable words from a weekly spelling list or phonics word study list. Choose a multi-sensory strategy (see below) to count syllables. Guide students through syllabication of each word on laminated Charlie’s Syllable Slates (see below). First students write each syllable in one of Charlie’s acorns and then write the whole word on the line below. Discuss syllable types and rules as applicable.

Syllable Slate

Guided Reading: Introduce or review the chunking strategy by reading the Charlie Chunking Chipmunk Poem. Read aloud your selected guided reading text and model using Charlie’s Syllable Slate to read multisyllabic words in context. Call on individual students to practice using Charlie’s Slate with additional words. Encourage students to use Charlie Chunking Chipmunk’s strategy when they are reading independently as well.

Chunking Chipmunk Reading Center: Create a portable reading center. Place Charlie’s Syllable Slate or a laminated copy of the Two-Syllable Chunking Chipmunk Reproducible and/or Three-Syllable Chunking Chipmunk Reproducible, dry erase marker, eraser, and 10 to 20 targeted multisyllabic words written on index cards or preprinted on flashcards in a large manila envelope with a copy of the Charlie Chunking Chipmunk Poem glued onto the front. Instruct students that during center time they are to take an envelope to their desks and apply Charlie’s strategy to practice reading the words and then practice spelling by using the dry erase marker to write the words on the laminated reproducible or slate.

Vowel Consonant e Syllable Unit

Helpful hints:

Create a class set of Charlie Chunking Chipmunk Syllable Slates. Print slates onto cardstock using color printer and laminate. Distribute to class and explain specific procedures for using the slate (e.g., write one syllable in each acorn; no doodling, etc.). Use the slates to provide opportunities for strategy practice and application. They are perfect for spelling words, targeted phonics patterns or syllabication practice in a whole group, small group or one-on-one setting. These slates keep students actively engaged and serve as an informal assessment.

Syllable Slates

Incorporate multi-sensory components. Introduce a variety of ways to determine the number of syllables in words.
- Visual: Using Charlie’s Syllable Slate, have students draw a scoop under each acorn, reading the syllable aloud as they draw.
- Auditory: Prompt students to clap each part of the word to determine the number of syllables as they say the word aloud.
- Tactile: Instruct students to put their hands under their chins and say the word. Tell them the number of times your hands move down is the number of syllables in the word.
- Kinesthetic: Break apart the word and jump each part. Demonstrate how the number of jumps is equal to the number of syllables. Practice different syllable types using the Charlie Chunking Chipmunk game board.

Charlie Chunking Chipmunk Syllable Gameboard

Use Chunking Chipmunk Slide and Learns. With these fun hands-on slider tools, Charlie the Chunking Chipmunk makes breaking words into chunks easy. Just slide the acorn along the window to reveal one syllable at a time. Available for purchase at Really Good Stuff.

Display Syllable Word Wall. Print out Charlie’s Nutty About Syllables Word Wall and display in a prominent location near the guided reading table. Post each syllable type as it is introduced to students; use color-coded acorns to add examples of words used in instruction. Model referencing the Word Wall during reading and writing lessons.

Nutty for Syllables Word Wall

Nutty for Syllables Example

Charlie’s unit is perfect for general education, special education, RTI and reading intervention. Download the complete unit here. Check out our complete line of supplemental hands-on resources at Really Good Stuff.

Charlie Sylla_Divide twins

Charlie Chunking Chipmunk PREVIeW

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Literature Studies Made Easy

April 8, 2015By astutehoot

Wondering how to integrate multiple strategies within context of authentic literature? Are you overwhelmed at thought of planning a comprehensive literature study? At last, the secret to successful literature studies is revealed in 5 simple steps. Sound too good to be true? It’s not!

Read our guest blog at Really Good Stuff to learn how to expertly plan and implement effective, engaging literature studies.

The Life-Changing Moment of My Teaching Career

April 5, 2015By astutehoot

Before Spring Break, I announced to the class that there would be a big surprise when they returned. Some guessed it would be different seats, others said new name tags, but I had a much grander revelation in store. After a year of collaboration and production, all of our Really Good Stuff tools and products finally arrived and I couldn’t wait to share them with the class. Our reading and math strategy animals are an integral part of my classroom as they support and enhance the district prescribed curriculum. Students have such a connection with the animals; some even believe the animals are real so I knew they would be delighted to see the accompanying hands-on tools. I decided to host a Premiere Party to share the exciting news.

First, I added the new decoding and comprehension banners to the Reading Roost (my guided reading area) along with the problem-solving strategy banners at Problem-Solving Pond.

Reading Roost center

To enhance the surprise, I added these special reveal curtains using plastic tablecloths and a winking Hazel as a special clue.

Reveal curtains

Next, I planned special centers in which students would be able to explore all of the new hands-on products and tools.

$Math Tools$ Finally, I made these adorable owl cupcakes and wrote a special note on the door as a hint to the big surprise.

Owl cupcake

Reveal sign

When the class walked in, they were silent, staring at awe at the new room arrangement, balloons and cupcakes. I announced that we were having a Premiere Party to reveal a huge surprise. I explained that Really Good Stuff, a company that produces and sells teaching products, found our strategy animals online and loved them so much, they turned them into hands-on tools. I showed them the Really Good Stuff website with all of our products and they oohed and aahed. As I scrolled through the products, I explained that they would get to explore each one in special Astute Hoot centers and they squealed in delight.

Reveal

Briana watching video

As students rotated through each Astute Hoot center, I was so moved by their excitement and enthusiasm. They were truly captivated by these new tools and demanded to know when we were going to use them “for real”. Their comments were so touching. “I’m so proud of you, Mrs. Murphy! You are amazing!” and “Mrs. Murphy, I am so lucky that you are my teacher.” My favorite was, “I know you are going to be famous so I better get your autograph.”

Rereading racoon

Reading Hazel books

Hazel Books

Modeling Mouse Counters $Math mats$

Problem-Solving Poster

Problem-Solving Journals

A few students even asked to write reviews and testimonials of the products. They are truly our biggest fans!

Erika Testimonial

Connor Testimonial Brody Testimonial

Briana Testimonial

Josh Testimonial

These pictures don’t fully convey the true joy of learning I saw as students explored all of the new materials. This was definitely the most monumental moment in my teaching career and one that will stay with me forever. Not only are my students getting to use these new, innovative tools to help them learn, but they witnessed that with drive, determination, and dedication, dreams do come true.

Check back each week to see these exclusive Really Good Stuff hands-on in action. Download See What The Hoot’s About, a comprehensive sample file that contains a glimpse into the magical world of Astute Hoot, guaranteed to spark enthusiasm in your classroom.

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How to Use Elkonin Boxes and Sounding-Out Slates

March 30, 2015By astutehoot

“I’m Sally the Sounding-Out Snake.
S-s-say, have you heard?
Stretch out all the sounds that you see in a word.
Blend sounds together, it’s really quite nice.
S-s-smooth out the words. That’s my advice.”

Sounding Out Snake.blog

Sally the Sounding-Out Snake is one our decoding strategy animals in Hazel’s Reading Roost. Sally motivates students to practice critical early decoding skills. Read more about Sally’s strategy below…

WHAT is sounding-out? Sounding-out, or decoding, is the process of translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or combination of letters (graphemes) to their sounds (phonemes).

WHY is sounding-out important? Sounding-out, or decoding, is important because it is the foundation on which all other reading instruction builds. Proficient readers need to be able to segment words and hear individual phonemes in words. If students cannot decode words their reading will lack fluency, their vocabulary will be limited and they will struggle with reading comprehension.

HOW do I teach sounding-out? Explain that Sally helps readers decode unknown words by stretching the words out by sound and putting the sounds together to make a new word. Teach specific patterns to help students decode efficiently.

CVC: Words with the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern (e.g., run, sad, beg, fit)
Double consonants: Words with the double consonants f, l, s, or z pattern (e.g., puff, bell, kiss, fuzz)
Vowel consonant –e: Words with a long vowel sound, spelled with one vowel and one consonant and a final silent e (e.g., date, bike, cone, rule)
Blends: Words with a group of consonants whose sounds blend together (e.g., slim, flag, grip, crib)
Digraphs: Words with a pair of letters representing a single speech sound such as sh, ch, th, wh (e.g., shed, chin, math, whip)
Vowel –r: Words with the er, ir, or, ar, or ur pattern in which vowel pronunciation changes before /r/ (e.g., park, term, dirt, hurt)

Rather than teaching phonics patterns solely in isolation, integrate direct instruction with time for application of the skill in authentic literature. Practice many examples of each pattern to achieve mastery of that pattern before moving on to the next. In addition to using strategies such as dictation, marking words and flashcards, push students to find words with targeted patterns in literature and use those words in their writing.

We recommend using our Sally Sounding-Out Snake resources as a supplement to a research-based, multisensory phonic program that includes structured, explicit, systematic, cumulative instruction. Although we do not endorse a specific program, our students have demonstrated great success using the Wilson Language System and the Spalding Method. Read reviews of specific literary programs at What Works Clearinghouse.

WHEN should I use sounding out?
Explicit reading strategy instruction should be included in a balanced literacy program. Sally Sounding-Out Snake can be incorporated into various components of literacy lessons. Here are some specific examples of when to use Sally:

Guided Reading: Introduce or review the sounding-out strategy by reading the Sally Sounding-Out Poem. Read aloud your selected guided reading text and model using a Sally Sounding-Out Slates to decode unknown words in context. Call on individual students to practice using Sally’s Slate with additional words. Encourage students to use Sally Sounding-Out Snake’s strategy when they are reading independently as well.

Phonics Fun: Choose several one-syllable words from a weekly spelling list or phonics word study list. Guide students through verbally segmenting, or stretching out, the sounds of the word. Then have students write each individual sound (phoneme), in one of Sally’s scales on laminated Sally Sounding-Out Slates (see below). Last, students write the entire word on the line and blend the sounds together to read the entire word.

Guided Reading.blog

Independent Practice: This unit contains a set of reproducibles for each phonics patterns, including sounding-out worksheets, flashcards and sentence writing practice. Copy and distribute appropriate materials for independent practice or homework activities. As an extension activity, direct students to find words with a specific pattern in authentic literature or leveled texts and record them on the Sounding-Out Snake reproducibles.

Helpful hints:

Create a class set of Sally Sounding-Out Slates. Print slates onto cardstock using color printer and laminate. Distribute to class and explain specific procedures for using the slate (e.g., write one sound in each scale; no doodling, etc.). Use the slates to provide opportunities for strategy practice and application. They are perfect for spelling words, targeted phonics patterns or syllabication practice in a whole group, small group or one-on-one setting. These slates keep students actively engaged and serve as an informal assessment.

Use the Sally Sounding-Out Slates as Elkonin Boxes. Elkonin boxes are an instructional method used in the early elementary grades to build phonological awareness by segmenting words into individual sounds. Each box represents one sound or phoneme of a word. On the Sally Sounding-Out Slate, each scale is a box. To use Elkonin boxes, a student listens to a word and moves a token into a box for each sound or phoneme. In some cases different colored tokens may be used for consonants and vowels or just for each phoneme in the word.

Incorporate multisensory components. Introduce a variety of ways to segment or sound-out words.
- Visual: Using the Sally Sounding-Out Slate, have students draw a scoop under each scale, reading the sound (phoneme) aloud as they draw.
- Auditory: Prompt students to clap each part of the word to segment the phonemes as they say the word aloud.
- Tactile: Refer to the Elkonin box strategy listed above.
- Kinesthetic: Break apart the word and jump each sound or phoneme. Demonstrate how the number of jumps is equal to the number of sounds.

Sally’s unit is perfect for general education, special education, RTI and reading intervention. Download the complete unit here.

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Create Your Own Magical Guided Reading Strategies Roost

March 17, 2015March 17, 2015By astutehoot

Do you love our reading strategies animals but aren’t sure how to incorporate into your classroom theme? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! You don’t need to have an owl or woodland theme at all. Create your own personalized Guided Reading Roost in 3 easy steps:

Hazel's Reading Roost collage 2

1. Determine Reading Roost location: Display reading strategy animals in a prominent location near the guided reading table, carpet area, or on a large, central bulletin board.

Determine location

2. Create the magical tree: There are many ways to create the magical tree in the reading roost. Purchase a silk tree from local craft store or garage sale to use as the focus of the Reading Roost.

Create a magical tree

Lightly dust with gold glitter spray paint and cut out glitter foam leaves for a magical look.

Hazel's Reading Roost 2

Use a pre-made tree like this one from Really Good Stuff. Simply purchase and assembly; add extra leaves as desired.

Pre-made tree before

Premade tree after

Make your own tree by crinkling brown butcher block paper to make a large, textured trunk and branches. Add green butcher block paper leaves or purchase fabric leaves from local craft store to complete the look.

Homemade tree BEFORE Home-made tree AFTER

3. Print strategy animals: Use a color printer to print reading strategy animals on thick, durable cardstock and laminate for durability.

Print strategy animals

Place self-adhesive Velcro to the back of each animal and accompanying place where each animal lives (i.e., leaf or branch of Reading Roost tree). This allows you to pull appropriate strategy animal(s) to greet the students and teach the lesson.

Here are a few helpful tips to make our reading strategy animals fit into any “habitat” or classroom theme:

1. Pick a tree that works with your classroom: My classroom has a woodland theme, so the silk tree with the large, green leaves works perfectly. However, if you have a jungle, pirate, nautical, or tropical theme, a palm tree would be best for your roost. Trees are an integral part of most habitats and locations so it is natural to see one in any type of setting.

2. Add your own touch: Add minimal, themed items to enhance your tree. For this pirate themed, classroom, I found a variety of fun decorations at Hobby Lobby and added them to give it a personal touch.

Pirate accents

Hazel’s eye patch is my favorite feature! This pirate-themed Reading Roost is just one of the many possibilities.

Pirate Hazel

Other suggestions to incorporate into popular classroom themes include:
Ocean – Make a tropical palm tree and add shells and beach decor around base of tree with the saying, “A Sea of Strategies”
Bees – Add a bee hive to tree and hang a few buzzing bees around the tree with the saying, “We Are Buzzing With New Strategies!”
Sports -Add a few balls or sports-themed items around the tree with the saying, “Strategies Are A Ball!”

Get creative and think outside the box! Download our Guided Reading Strategies Bulletin Board Set to get started. Need suggestions or ideas to get started? Email me at jessica@astutehoot.com — I would love to help you bring the magical world of Astute Hoot to your students too!

Check out our complete reading strategy units here along with our hands-on resources and posters available from Really Good Stuff.

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Guided Reading Strategies That Actually Work

February 12, 2015By astutehoot

Guiding reading can be daunting, especially with the new instructional shifts and standards. Teachers are asking themselves such questions as: “What text do I use?” “What strategies do I teach?” “How do I keep all students engaged?” “How do I foster rich literary discussions?”

Check out our guest blog at Really Good Stuff’s Teachers’ Lounge Blog to read about four essential instructional practices to maximize guided reading time.

4 Dirty Little Homework Confessions

November 2, 2014By astutehoot

As a former special education teacher, I always thought that homework time would be a breeze when my boys Alec and Jake got to school. I knew all of the most effective strategies and consulted many parents during conferences and IEP meetings about homework tips. I even helped create this Free Homework Reward Chart. Some days really do go very smoothly. I have a delicious, healthy snack waiting for them when they get home; they are focused, independent, and complete all of their work quickly; they look forward to reading their book and read for more than the required daily minutes!

Sometimes, however, things do not go as smoothly and we really struggle to get through homework. On these days, all of my best strategies back fire and I have to admit that homework time stinks! Here are my homework confessions on these not so ideal days…

1) I don’t always make my boys read the full 30 minutes listed on their reading logs, but I still sign off on them. One day I was volunteering at school and another mom and I started talking about homework. We shared that sometimes we let out kids just read for 15 or 20 minutes. We both felt so naughty for admitting to it, but also relieved that we weren’t the only slacker mom! When I think about the overarching purpose of daily reading time, I am confident in saying that my boys get daily reading practice and that they truly enjoy reading. I do not want to get in a power struggle about reading exactly 30 minutes or more. Reading should not be an unwelcome chore. It is a part of our daily routine, but we are flexible about the exact minutes because my boys read for enjoyment on the weekends as well.

2) Sometimes we do not have a quiet, distraction free, organized space for homework. I know that children work best under these peaceful, scholarly environments, but when the reality of our busy schedule sets in, we need to adjust at times. My boys have completed their homework in the car, on the soccer fields, and in the doctor’s office before. We’ve also gone on whole family searches for necessary homework supplies such as a ruler, sharpener, or glue stick that is not dried out. These experiences have taught us to go with flow and adapt to get things done. That’s an important life skill!

3) On occasion, I have served up an unhealthy snack after-school. I work from home now so I am so fortunate to be able to greet my boys when they walk home from school and have a healthy snack ready for them on most days. Like these yummy apple crescent roll-ups I found on Pinterest…

images

There have been days, however, when my work day has run longer or I have been on a call and the boys have had to fend for themselves to get snacks. Those snacks will usually consist of Cheetos, fruit punch or candy. Eeek! Definitely not brain food, but it kept them quiet while I wrapped up work.

images-1

4) We’ve experienced our share of full on homework meltdowns. If you’ve never experienced this, consider yourself lucky. For the rest of us, I’m sure you know what this consists of: tears, crumpled up papers, broken pencils, slammed doors, yelling, refusal to work, etc. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my cool a few times in these situations. I had difficulty understanding why the boys were not accepting my help, were shutting down when I knew they were fully capable, were struggling to stay in their seat and focus, or why an assignment that usually takes 5 minutes is now taking 30 minutes to complete. Well, guess what? We all have bad days and get stressed out, even kids. Through the years, I’ve learned that it is much more effective to take that movement break, provide them with some extra help even though I know they can do it, break assignments into smaller parts, give them some extra TLC and empathize with them because homework can be overwhelming.

Overall, I’m so proud of how far my boys have come along with homework and school in general. They are now in 4th and 2nd grades (Alec got on Honor Roll this past quarter and Jake got straight As) and the for the majority of the time homework time is a success.

homework-first-aid-1

Some days, however, I know it is going to be a rough day from the moment they walk in the door. Now, I do some deep breathing and put on some relaxation music in the background in preparation for what lies ahead! I’d love to hear what your challenges and successes are as well! Please leave your comments and homework tips below.

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2014 Halloween Bash Blog Hop

October 10, 2014October 14, 2014By astutehoot

Welcome to our 2014 Halloween Bash Blog Hop, hosted by Teaching 2 Ste p! To celebrate our first Blog Hop, we are having a HUGE 50% off sale on our products this week only until October 18 here!

Halloween in in the air and students become consumed with costumes and candy. Keep them engaged in learning with our Black Lagoon Halloween CCSS Unit, our 2014 Halloween Bash Blog Hop featured product!

hazel and the black lagoon_cover_NEW

In this 103 page unit, students learn critical comprehension strategies such as summarizing, determining cause and effect, comparing and contrasting characters and text and analyzing character traits. Students also create a new Black Lagoon character and make their own Black Lagoon story. Here are some of my favorite highlights:

Retell Bus:
Students love reading the Black Lagoon books so they are perfect for teaching key comprehension skills such as summarizing and retelling. Make a Black Lagoon Retell Bus and chart story elements after each read-aloud. I made this large retell bus using butcher block paper and enlarged Black Lagoon characters. I added some green tulle, dragon tails and other swamp plants to give it a lagoon effect.
Black Lagoon retell bus-- Halloween Blog Hop Black Lagoon Pocket Books:
Make these easy Black Lagoon pocket books to store and organize student work. I used 2 large pieces of black construction paper for each book and made a 5′ pocket on each piece by folding and stapling paper. I added these adorable covers and labels on each.
black lagoon books Halloween Blog Hop black lagoon books 2 Black Lagoon Books:
In this unit, students brainstorm new Black Lagoon characters, select a new character, and write a narrative based on typical Black Lagoon story structure. Students then make a crayon resist cover as a finishing touch. Students draw a detailed picture of their monstrous character in the center of the cover and then paint character with black watercolor. The crayon will resist the watercolor, giving it a textured effect. Once dry, students can outline character in thin black Sharpie.

Black Lagoon covers Halloween Blog Hop

Laminate covers and bind to create published books. Place published books in a Book Browse center so students can read each others’ books. To increase accountability, include a graphic organizer for students to complete.

black lagoon published book Halloween Blog Hop

black lagoon book browse

Grammar from the Black Lagoon:
Print grammar monsters (included in unit) on color printer. Cut out and laminate. Glue small magnet strips on the back of each one. I put the grammar monsters in a small black cauldron (found at Target dollar section). Print out Black Lagoon grammar posters on color printer and laminate. Place near game for student reference. Purchase (or make) a fishing rod. I found my fishing rod at Walmart in the toys section, but it can be easily made. Set up a lagoon. I covered my horseshoe table with black paper and glued Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives labels on swamp-like ferns.

grammar fishing

Students take turns fishing from the black lagoon (cauldron). They read the grammar monster(s) and determine if they are nouns, verbs or adjectives. Require students to justify response.

grammar fishing 2

Black Lagoon Cups:
As a culmination to the unit, students will read and follow a recipe to make Black Lagoon cups. This functional text activity requires 3 ingredients (pudding cups, crushed Oreos and gummy candy) and minimal preparation, but one that students will remember.

Looking for more Halloween ideas? Download our FREE Going Batty unit here!

Thank you for joining the Teaching 2 Step Halloween Hop. We hope you enjoyed our post. Be sure to follow like us on Facebook and Pinterest. Hop through more Bash Bloggers below.

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Walk the Line: 5 Tips to Teach Lining Up Procedures

September 26, 2014By astutehoot

Do you have difficulty getting your class to line up quickly and quietly? Does your line seem to go on forever? Like most teachers, I have experienced the frustrations of lining up and walking in line. Follow these five easy steps to put an end to the talkers, the stragglers and the wanders once and for all.

1. Establish line procedures: Explain and model expectations. Students will face forward with arms at side and closed, quiet mouths. As students walk in line, they stay close to person in front of them and use gentle, walking feet.

Establish line procedures_web

Scaffold the steps by using these sentences:
“When I say one, please stand up and push in your chairs.”
“When I say two, please turn and face the door.”
“When I say three, please follow your line leader to the place to lineup.”
When students are very familiar with these steps, simply call the number or use a nonverbal cue by holding your fingers. You should expect this process to take two-three weeks and constant reinforcement.

2. Use tape to model line formation: To design effective transitions in your classroom, start by mapping the route. There is one right way to line up, one path each student follows on the way to the reading area, door and other areas. Teach students to follow the same path every time. First model this path and then students practice it under your watchful eye, several times per day. You can even tape each path using a different color of masking tape so students know the exact route to get to designated area. Once students have mastered these routes, remove masking tape so it doesn’t leave a permanent mark on the carpet.

use tape to model line _web

3. Label stopping points: Map the route to important places around the campus. Take the same routes to specials, cafeteria, playground and bathrooms, labeling stopping points along the way. Stopping points allow the students in back to keep up with the line (no more stragglers) and help wanders remember the designated routes to specific destinations. I tape small owl decals to the sidewalk at class stopping points; these serve as a good visual cue to remember these important points. Remove decals after stopping becomes automatic.

Label stopping points_web

4. Provide visual cues: Create a visual cue to remind students to stay (or get) quiet in line. We are Weinberg Wranglers at my school and students all use a ‘Wrangler W’ to signal quiet time. Visual cues don’t add any additional noise and give students feedback.

provide visual cues_web

5. Reward and reinforce: Add some fun to the line by setting a daily goal. For example, set a stopwatch and time students as they line up in ABC order. Encourage students to beat the previous time. Be sure to provide modeling, praise and constructive feedback as needed.

I also use the Mystery Walker poem and select one Mystery Walker for each line. This student gets a ticket to Treasure Box drawing at the end of the week. You can also give students Mystery Walker paper bracelets or a hat as a reward. If all students are doing a great job, give them a Quiet Line Loop. Attach loops together to make a class chain. Determine how long the chain needs to before the class earns a reward. If the class earns a compliment in line, add an additional loop to the chain.

Download our Back to School Toolbox: Routines, Procedures & Transitions unit for additional tips and activities for teaching effective transitions and routines.

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Students love Letterman, our Friendly Letter Superhero.

Friendly Letters: Superhero Style

September 12, 2014September 14, 2014By astutehoot

Children love superheroes so what better way to engage them in writing than with Letterman?

During my second-grade friendly letter study, Letterman, our Friendly Letter Superhero, visits the classroom each day to teach a specific friendly letter skill. He leaves colorful L’s on the classroom door to signal his visits. My students are true believers! They are so excited to see L’s on the door in the morning; they race over to the Learning Nest to read his latest letter.

Letterman first introduces himself and asks students to write a letter to him, a perfect pre-assessment. The next day, he teaches the parts of a friendly letter with a color-coded letter and special chant. During subsequent lessons, he teaches students how to plan, draft, edit, revise and publish letters. Students pull name sticks to determine which classmate they will write to. Using Letterman’s superhero skills, students complete the writing process and mail the letters after publishing.

Letterman bulletin board

I pick a mail carrier to deliver the mail using authentic United States Postal Service materials. Students love wearing the mail carrier shirt, hat and mailbag as they walk around to classmates’ desks, delivering the much-anticipated letters. Students read and share their letters with each other.

Mail carrier

Delivering mail

As a post-assessment, students write a friendly letter to me to demonstrate their new friendly letter superhero skills. I copy all of the letters, including the pre- and-post-assessments and make a Line of Letters for all students. I fold 12×18′ construction paper in half like a book. On the back, I staple the pre- and post-assessments next to each other and glue the accompanying rubric underneath the letters. On the inside of the construction paper, I staple the student’s letter to classmate with classmate’s response and rubric underneath. These are perfect to share at parent-teacher conferences or to send home with report cards.

Sharing Letters 2

Letterman comes to visit the class throughout the year to keep students’ friendly letter superhero skills sharp.

Click here to bring Letterman to life in your classroom, too!

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Giving Back is a Hoot: Berlin’s Story

September 7, 2014September 7, 2014By astutehoot

Giving back is so important to us and one of the main reasons we started Astute Hoot. Part of our mission is to help all children learn. We love hearing stories about children overcoming the odds. Meet Berlin, a little girl who is near and dear to us, who was diagnosed with Autism. Please consider giving back and making a donation for this wonderful cause. Click here to make a donation.

Berlin’s Story:

At the age of two when most parents enjoy watching their child reach milestones like talking and interacting with other toddlers, Berlin’s parents were relentlessly trying to find out why their child would not speak, make eye contact and why the poor little girl would scream in agony from triggers like noise or crowded areas. Then the answer came in a diagnosis of autism. Berlin is now six years old and since that day of diagnosis her parents have spent numerous hours and dollars trying every intervention possible to help their little girl have a normal life. And while Berlin has showed some progress, she has also regressed but there is hope! As Berlin’s mother spends most her nights tirelessly searching the internet for any new breakthroughs in autism she was blessed to come across a new therapy called MRT.

MRT stands for Magnetic Resonance Therapy. A recent breakthrough in autism, this treatment can actually reprogram the brainwaves in as little as four weeks. What researchers have found is that autistic children have minimal alpha wave activity in their frontal lobe. The back of the brain takes information in, but the front of the brain controls cognitive function and allows one to respond to others and function like a “normal” person. The autistic child can hear, see and take in all the information available from their surroundings, yet the malfunctioning of their frontal lobe locks them in a prison where they cannot respond to others or express themselves. MRT technology sends a magnetic current to the frontal lobe, inducing an EEG response, in other words producing alpha waves where there was once little or none. The induced waves create a pathway that once opened will stay open allowing the frontal lobe to function properly. The result is a child with a proper functioning frontal lobe and therefore a reduction in autism symptoms.

Not all children respond to MRT, but those that do have had lasting results so far. Recently Berlin received a trial treatment of MRT at the Brain Treatment Center in Newport and showed a positive response. The week trial that Berlin received alone cost more than $1000, in addition to travel expenses from Arizona to California for the week. The purpose of the week trial was to determine if Berlin was a good candidate for therapy. The good news is her before and after EEG results showed a positive response to treatment and therefore doctors recommended a four week treatment, the bad news is the four week treatment is over $12,500! Berlin’s parents have already exhausted all their funds doing their best to help their child. That is why I hope that just a little from a lot can raise enough funds to give Berlin a chance at a normal happy childhood. Any amount no matter how little is greatly appreciated. We are trying to raise $15,000 total, the treatment is over $12,500 and the remainder will be used for board and travel expenses. With your help we hope Berlin will be starting her treatments in January 2015.

Click here to make a donation.

Thank you for your support! Here is a freebie as a thank you. Hootin’ for a Great Day Behavior Chart. Microsoft Word - Hootin for a great day.doc

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Does Anyone Hear Me? The Art of Active Listening

August 16, 2014By astutehoot

Does anyone hear me? Am I speaking English? Why aren’t my students listening to me?

Do these questions run through your mind frequently? I found I was repeating myself over and over like a broken record and ready to bang my head against the wall. I finally realized that I was making a costly oversight that was hindering academic achievement and testing my sanity.

Listening is such a critical skill, yet I never took the time to truly teach it. I expected that my students would walk into my classroom with the understanding and ability required for active listening. When they didn’t listen, I would punish them for something that hasn’t been taught.

Listening, like any other concept or skill, must be explained, modeled, practiced and reinforced, especially the first few weeks of school. Students must know what listening looks like, sounds like and feels like.

ALP example

Now I introduce active listening on the first day of school in 3 easy steps:

1. Create a common definition: I give each student 3 colored Post-Its. On the first Post-It, I ask them to write down what active listening looks like. I call students up to the board and each student shares while I sort and label students’ responses. After all have shared, we come up with a consensus and repeat the process for the sounds like and feels like indicators. I record these on my Good Listening Poster.

ALP looks like

active listening behaviors collage

2. Practice active listening indicators: Next I share my Alert Listening Position (ALP) poem that teaches specific active listening behaviors and we practice these behaviors several times. Students are actively engaged in learning as they chant the second line of each stanza and model the listening behaviors with their bodies. We also practice non-ALP behaviors such as slumping in seat, head on desk, no eye contact so students can understand non-examples. While we are practicing, I rove the room and take pictures of excellent ALP examples and post to my ALP poem to use as visual reminders of expected behaviors. Students also get a copy of the ALP poem and add visual cues to help them remember active listening expectations.

ALP

ALP poem student example

ALP class page

3. Reinforce and provide regular feedback: During the first few weeks of school, we say the poem together before each lesson to ensure that all students are active listeners. As students become proficient, we recite poem in the morning only and I will give active listening reminders before each lesson by saying, “Let’s do an ALP check,” and provide feedback as necessary. I also share this with specials’ teachers as well as cafeteria aides so that students understand that I expect active listening throughout campus, not just in my classroom.

ALP poem class

Need suggestions for teaching other routines, procedures and transitions? Download our Back to School Teacher Toolbox: Routines, Procedures and Transitions that has engaging activities and lessons to teach 10 critical classroom routines.

PREVIEW Routines and Procdures_Page_1

Happy New Year!

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Blast Off Back to School Sale!

August 3, 2014By astutehoot

As veteran teachers, we know that the beginning of year often means countless meetings, endless hours of preparation and a great deal of stress. Let us alleviate some of your stress with our tried and true back to school resources guaranteed to help you work smarter, not harder. Plus, everything’s ON SALE!!!!

Best of Back to School Lesson Plans & Activities: This unit focuses on establishing procedures, explaining expectations and building classroom community while creating an organized, efficient schedule with minimal preparation. Our comprehensive first week lesson plans include 50+ interactive, engaging activities with objectives & detailed instructions, homework ideas,daily math lessons and art projects.

Best of Back To School Preview

Golden Keys to Success Classroom Management Plan: Golden Keys to Success is an efficient behavior management program that builds character, promotes self-monitoring and ensures high behavioral expectations. This program has made a huge difference in my students’ behavior because it teaches them to be responsible for daily choices. Golden Keys to Success focuses on 5 important life skills and qualities that students need to become successful citizens. This 90 page unit includes 21 detailed lessons with essential questions and quality literature, 34 engaging activities and projects, a Weekly Responsibility Chart (for students) and a parent brochure with overview of program, consequences and helpful parent tips.

Preview Keys to Success_Page_1

Common Core Math Problem-Solving Essentials Bundle: This ultimate bundle provides an entire year’s worth of differentiated Common Core problem-solving activities to give students the strategies they need to solve word problems. Perfect for general education, special education, RTI and math intervention! This 636 page file has all of the lessons, activities, worksheets and printables you need for comprehensive problem-solving instruction. It is the perfect supplement to any existing curriculum or can be used as a stand alone resource.

Problem solving bundle preview

We hope that these products reduce that dreaded back to school stress and make your life easier.

Happy New Year!

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Owl Themed Classrooms are a Hoot!

July 29, 2014July 29, 2014By astutehoot

Clearly I love owls and my students do too! Here is a peek into my second grade classroom, my home away from home. Each year, I refine my classroom with special finds from Target and Hobby Lobby (my favorite!) to make it comfortable and inviting. My goal is to make the room a safe, creative space that promotes engagement and exploration.

HAZEL HOOT’S READING ROOST:
This area is my students’ favorite place. Each day students attend Hazel’s Reading Roost (my guided reading group) as one of their four reading rotations. During this time, we use a woodland strategy animal as we learn and practice specific reading concepts through the context of authentic literature. Students read text at their instructional level using our Hoo Can Read? Reading Fluency and Comprehension flashcards and complete graphic organizers that accompany the strategy animals.

Hazel’s Reading Roost revolves around Hazel Hoot, a struggling reader, who comes across a magical tree one day on the way home from school. She meets 10 strategy animals who help her learn the necessary skills and strategies needed to become a successful reader. To replicate the magical tree, I purchased an inexpensive faux tree from Goodwill and gave it a dusting of gold glitter spray paint. I glued glitter foam leaves to give it an enchanted gleam and used Velcro to attach the animals. This allows for easy removal during reading group time.

Hazel's Reading Roost: Guided Reading Center — Hazel’s Reading Roost: Guided Reading Center

HAZEL HOOT’S PROBLEM-SOLVING POND:
Our Problem-Solving Pond features 10 strategy animals that help students solve story problems. In the pond story, Hazel Hoot swoops down to eat a fish and he begs her to let him go as he is Upton Understanding Fish, the ruler of Problem-Solving Pond. Hazel lets him go and Upton introduces her to the strategy animals, teaching her critical problem-solving skills in the process. Each week students learn and practice new strategies as they complete a differentiated template in their problem-solving journal.

In order to recreate the Problem-Solving Pond, I covered a bulletin board with fadeless blue water paper and added green tulle and pond stems to border the pond. I found this stuffed animal on Ebay that looks just like Upton Understanding Fish at the top along with his problem-solving steps. As I introduce each strategy animal, I put it in the pond for students to reference.

Hazel's Problem Solving Pond: Math Bulletin Board — Hazel’s Problem Solving Pond: Math Bulletin Board

O.W.L. BULLETIN BOARD:
Observe, Wonder, Learn are the key themes in my room and this bulletin board is the first thing you see when you walk into the room. I made the paper using turquoise water color paint, water and white butcher block paper. I love the watercolor effect. I purchased the owl rug from Target (in the bath section) and painted thin wooden letters purchased from Hobby Lobby. I added laminated orange cardstock squares as a backdrop for student work. I change this board frequently to display our learning.

THE LEARNING NEST:
This area serves as our whole-group space for activities such as morning read-alouds, writing lessons and center activities. In the beginning of the year, I create a carpet seating chart. The owl rugs are the start of each row; I put horizontal lines of masking tape on the carpet and write each student’s name in his/her spot. After students are trained, I remove the tape (I’ve learned that custodians hate masking tape). I place thematic, leveled books in the bookcase and hang student work from the owl clips made from clothespins and our owl templates.

STORAGE BINS:
I used owl-shaped labels to organize and clearly mark the contents of supply baskets, book bins, and other storage containers throughout my classroom. It not only pulls the classroom theme together, but also creates a literacy rich environment.

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS:
Sometimes it’s the small things that matter most. I regularly add new owl accents, picture frames, rugs, and other items to the classroom (I might have a problem….). Ebay and Target have a wide variety of owl accents and I love the fuchsia, turquoise and apple green frames and accents found at Hobby Lobby. Here is an example of how I used masking tape and an owl rug to teach students the correct pathway to pick up their mail from their cubbies for their dismissal routine.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR:
Even my newsletters, parent communication forms and behavior charts coordinate with my owl themed classroom! Here are two FREEBIE behavior chart files for you!

Hootin’ for a Great Day:

Look “Hoo’s” Behaving:

INSPIRATION:
It is fun to collaborate and share ideas with fellow owl lovers! I’ve started an Owl Themed collaborative Pinterest board to collect inspiration for my classroom and share ideas. If you’d like to be added to the board, please follow the board and comment with your Pinterest information below and I will add you.

Owl Themed Classroom Collaborative Board

Thanks for stopping by!

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Lights, Camera, Action!!!

July 27, 2014By astutehoot

We just finished filming our newest video that shares the story of how Astute Hoot came to be! Our goal was for our mission statement, “Creating innovative learning tools to awaken the joy of learning and spark enthusiasm in all students” to come to life in this video. Even though the finished product is only 2 minutes long, it took hours upon hours to prepare, shoot the video, and make revisions until it was just right. It sure was a learning experience for us, but we are so excited to share our final video with you!

My favorite parts of the video are the children! My sons, Alec and Jake and my adorable niece Miranda were the stars! They were genuinely excited about interacting with our reading and math strategy characters so no acting was necessary. Their pure enjoyment and curiosity about learning was able to shine through in a wonderful way. They had so much fun! Alec even said “I hope every classroom in the world could have the Astute Hoot animals! Then kids would love to come to school and they wouldn’t be bored anymore!”

Jessica, Tina, and I on the other hand, had more outtakes and redos until we got it just right. There were plenty of giggles, jumbled words, and even some strange animal sounds. All in all, we had a blast with whole process, but are very glad it is done!

We would truly love to hear your feedback and comments! Did our mission come to life? Is this an effective way to tell our story? What are your favorite parts of the video?

Thanks for watching! We’d appreciate it if you could share the video to help spread the word about Astute Hoot!

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Master Meet the Teacher & Conquer Curriculum Night

July 22, 2014July 23, 2014By astutehoot

Just the mention of Meet the Teacher or Curriculum Night makes most teachers break out into a cold sweat. Why is this? We speak in front of people all day, every day, but the difference is their age. Children will still love us if we make a mistake, get nervous or act silly (they especially love when this happens). Adults by nature are more judgmental and harder to win over. Stop the dread and take back control with these easy tips:

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare: Plan your handouts and student activities at least 2 days before the big event. Don’t wait until last minute–that’s when the copier breaks or the computer runs out of ink. Not sure what to say at Meet the Teacher and Curriculum Night? Download our Welcome Back to School Parent Packet for several important customizable letters and forms.

2. Post directions & agenda for the night: Write specific directions for parents to read as they come into the classroom. Make sure they know they must fill out transportation form, room parent slip and student information card. Plus it gives them something to do (other than staring at you) while waiting for the presentation to start. Many parents must attend more than one Meet the Teacher on the same night. Help these parents by posting an agenda (with times) for the night so they can determine the best time to quietly exit and go to next session.

3. Serve refreshments: It is polite to serve refreshments for guests in your home and the same etiquette applies in the classroom. I purchase inexpensive cookies (from Target or Walmart) and place on serving trays. Add decorative napkins and flowers as a finishing touch.

4. Provide engaging activities for students: At the beginning of the night, I need to address just the parents and don’t want students talking or running around the room. While parents are completing necessary paperwork, I gather students (and their siblings) and bring them to the carpet area where I give them a word search, pencil and white board. I explain directions and set expectations for their behavior. I also pass out lollipops to eat–this keeps their mouths busy while I am addressing parents. Be sure to put a garbage can there as well or you will have wrappers and sticks all over the room.

After I speak to parents, I give the kids a scavenger hunt with 9 boxes of items to find in class. I glue small, round stickers to each scavenger sheet; students place a sticker on the box after the item is found. When students are finished, they get to help themselves to refreshments (I set a limit on number of cookies or you will have a couple that will try to take the whole tray–trust me, I’ve learned from experience)

5. Create suggested supplies visual: Each year students come in with random bags of supplies and rarely want to share them with the rest of the classroom. To alleviate this problem this year, I listed specific supplies I wanted to students to bring and then created a visual of what the supplies should look like. I simply purchased a medium-sized pencil case and glued the requested supplies inside and showed it during the presentation, reminding parents to unwrap items and place inside case as shown. This year all the students brought their prepared pencil cases just as I had shown and it was a HUGE time-saver! They simply put inside their desks and we were able to move on to other procedures.

6. Make a Giving Tree: Parents love to donate supplies at the beginning of the year, so write down each item on an apple and post on a Giving Tree. Remind parents to pick an apple or two before they leave for the night. They return the apple with donations during the first week of school.

Most importantly, remember to smile, breathe and believe in yourself! You’ve got this!

Back to School Organization 101

July 20, 2014By astutehoot

Does the sight of this classroom make you shudder? Unfortunately for many teachers, this is reality during back to school season. As soon as we sign our contract, we become immediate hoarders, stock piling supplies purchased during those great back to school sales. But once we get in the classroom, we realize there’s simply not enough space for 100 boxes of crayons. What is one to do? Here are 4 easy storage solutions to get your year off on the right foot:

1. Book Boxes: These colorful cardboard book boxes are perfect for any type of paperwork. I purchased several to hold daily work as well as quarterly copies of behavior charts, writing paper and reflection forms. I also use them to store my centers; each box holds a specific concept (i.e. ABC order, antonyms). They can also be used as writing portfolios to organize students’ writing pieces.

2. Plastic Bowls: I purchased 4 bowls from Target clearance section to hold small items that I need throughout the day. These bowls are perfect for staples, rubber bands, paper clips and push pins. Simply label and place on desk.

3. Silverware Caddy: A silverware caddy is the ideal desk storage solution because it has multiple spaces to hold a variety of items. I use the first 3 sections to store scissors, pens and . The back section is much larger, perfect for stickers and notepads. I label each section to help ensure continued organization (especially if students use).

4. Tupperware Storage: Inexpensive tupperware is a great solution for small items such as googly eyes, jewels, beads, cotton balls and clothespins. Plus they stack easily, making organization a snap. Add labels to find items easily.

Have an innovative organization or storage solution? I’d love to hear from you!

Vegas Baby!

July 13, 2014July 20, 2014By astutehoot

We just wrapped up our first TeachersPayTeachers conference in Vegas and we had a blast! We learned so much, especially about Pinterest, data and marketing and we are so excited to apply it as soon as we get back. All of the presenters were so inspiring and informative. The best part was meeting other teachers who share our passion and creativity. We look forward to collaborating with them in the near future! Some other fabulous TPT sellers we met were:

S.T.E.M.agination Station
Diapers, Dollars, and Diplomas
Surfing to Success
Second Grade Sugar and Spice
Journey of a Substitute Teacher

There were a lot of fun scavenger hunts going around; we loved the idea and created our own. We had the BEST people watching spot at Cabo Wabo at Planet Hollywood. Here are a few photos we took from our scavenger hunt:

A "celebrity" siting — **A “celebrity” sighting**

(And a few other unpostable items….)

After the conference ended, we were ready to dance and ended up The Bank at Bellagio. It was the perfect ending to an amazing weekend!

Check out our upcoming Back to School Bootcamp blog series that will cover such topics as Organization 101, Mastering Meet the Teacher & Curriculum Night, Dress for Success, Keep Calm and Teach On and many more!

Jennifer’s Summer Story

July 9, 2014July 10, 2014By astutehoot

Wow! This summer is flying by so fast. My boys attend a school with a modified year-round school schedule so that means that their first day of school is right around the corner on July 21st! Although I worked managing Teacher Development Coaches at a summer Pre-Service Training for new teachers throughout the entire month on of June, I still had a chance to squeeze in some summer fun with my family.

We had an incredible time visiting the Grand Canyon for the very first time. The boys were amazed at its grandeur…and I was freaked out each time they got close to the edge! We went on an exciting jeep tour and learned a lot about the history of the Grand Canyon.

Before we left, the boys picked out some cool souvenirs; a bow and arrow for Jake and a dream catcher and pocket knife for Alec. We also bought an awesome book called Whose Tail on the Trail at the Grand Canyon? . The author, Midji Stephenson, signed a copy for us too! We had so much fun reading the book when we got home as we had to guess which tail was on the trail as we turned each page. The book has beautiful illustrations and fun rhymes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has visited the Grand Canyon.

Whose Tail on the Trail at Grand Canyon?

Now that we are back from vacation and gearing up for school, I realized that I needed to start getting the boys back on a routine and provide some structure into their days because they have been acting like wild animals Alec and Jake helped me put together the following visual schedule for our remaining two weeks of summer break. We have it posted on the fridge and I see them referring to it throughout the day. I wish I put this in place earlier in the summer! Children crave structure and routines. Using a visual schedule and daily routines are great ways to support this for all children.

A great resource for putting strong routines, procedures, and transitions in place for the beginning of the school year can be found here.

Back to School Teacher Toolbox: Routines, Procedures and Transitions

Tina’s Summer Story

July 7, 2014By astutehoot

The Astute Hoot gals are always on the move in one way or another and this summer has been no different. I was lucky enough to take a trip of a lifetime with my husband Nick and dog Luna in a 24ft RV (named Loretta) for the last 2 months. We left on May 3rd and returned home on July 4th. We traveled around the perimeter of the USA looking for a new place to eventually live and to kick off our creative business together. All-in-all we visited 25 states and drove over 11,700 miles! We took about 10,000 vacation photos during the 2 months and have only scratched the surface of editing. One of my favorite things to take pictures of is critters. We kept a list of all the wild animals we saw and some of them stayed still enough for a photo op. Here’s a couple of my favorite pics from the first few places we visited. To see more of the pics and highlights you can visit the TNTbomb.com travel blog.

Our site-seeing began in South Dakota at Bear Country USA, then on to the Badlands, Mt Rushmore and many other Great Plains roadside attractions.

Next we spent some time in the AMAZING Yellowstone National Park. I was in love with all the critters everywhere, including buffalo that walk right past your car.

Once we passed the plains we enjoyed the beauty of the coast and spent some time with friends in Seattle.

We also enjoyed more city time in Portland and went to the market for some food, crafts and people watching.

It took us a long time to travel down the Oregon and California coast because every mile was as beautiful as the one before. The ocean was always calling us to dip our toes in and let Luna take a swim.

Beating the Summer Boredom Blues

June 24, 2014June 26, 2014By astutehoot

It is hard to believe that my boys are already halfway through their summer vacation here in Arizona. We’ve had lots of fun so far, but I’m afraid to say that I’m already running out of steam! It has been HOT here (105+ degrees) and the boys are getting antsy being stuck indoors. There’s only so many cartoons to watch and video games to play. So, the teacher in me decided to make a choice for my boys with a menu of fun things to do

Using this choice board has really helped the boys be more independent in finding fun things do. I’ve haven’t heard “I’m boooorrrreed!” within the last few days! Yay! Here are some of the things we have been up to:

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find some fresh ideas I’d like to try:

At times, my boys’ constant high energy level, chatter, running, jumping, and bickering, has left me wanting to escape to beach…far away…ALONE.

At the beach...ALONE — At the beach…ALONE

But then at the end of night when Jake says “Mommy, can you cuddle with me on the couch?”, I know that there is nowhere else I’d rather be. So for now, the dishes will remain in the sink, the laundry will have to wait, and maybe I’ll have more energy to get to it tomorrow.

Hopefully I’ll survive the rest of the summer trying to keep up with them. Either way, I know that we have made some great memories together! We’d love to hear your ideas for beating the summer boredom blues too! Please comment below.

TPT Teacher Appreciation Sale!

May 5, 2014May 6, 2014By astutehoot

Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store here for 28% off of ALL our products from May 6-7. We have several new Common Core Math Strategy Units and many FREEBIES too! Stock up for the upcoming school year during this HUGE sale.

Giving Back is a Hoot!

April 23, 2014April 24, 2014By astutehoot

Making learning fun brings me great joy. Some of my best teaching memories are when I saw things finally “click” for struggling students. Knowing how hard they work to sometimes make even the simplest connections makes these little successes even better!

Working with students with special needs has been such a rewarding vocation and I am so lucky to have helped so many wonderful students. I also have a special place in my heart for children who are sick or injured and need to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time.

When my oldest son Alec was in kindergarten, he had a complication during his recovery from a tonsillectomy. He was rushed to the hospital in ambulance and spent two days in the hospital recovering because he had lost so much blood. It was a very scary time for us but we were very fortunate that he fully recovered so quickly. Other children, however, need to spend weeks, even months in the hospital. As a mother, my heart broke for those children and families. Our brief stint in the hospital was difficult, but I couldn’t even imagine the challenges and heartache others went through. I knew I wanted to help, but at the time I wasn’t quite sure how.

Recently it dawned on me that I could help make learning fun for the children who attend the hospital school by donating several sets of our Hoo is Ready for School? flash cards. Early learning is critical to future academic success and I knew that our flash cards could help young students learn the alphabet and important phonemic awareness skills even while in the hospital. Parents and teachers could use our materials to provide essential practice in an engaging game-like format.

It was our sincere pleasure to donate several sets of flash cards to two local hospitals; Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Cardon Children’s Medical Center. Thank you to Christine Birnbaum (pictured with us above), Child Life Specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, for taking time out of her busy day to tell us about the wonderful programs and services available to children there. We are thrilled that we are able to give back to our community and spark the joy of learning in children who especially need a little happiness and fun in their lives.

Liebster Award for Blogging

April 16, 2014April 23, 2014By astutehoot

We’d love to thank Alicia over at The Elementary Professor for giving us a Liebster Award!

The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers and you can find out more about it here.

To start with, Alicia has a few questions for me to answer.

1- What is your favorite subject to teach and why?

Reading is my favorite subject to teach because I love to see the excitement and joy of beginning readers as they learn to read. I love when they learn new facts and engage with characters in a favorite series.

2- When you were a kid, did you already know you were going to be a teacher?

I come from a long line of educators and I always knew that I would be a teacher. I often played school with my younger brother and made him be the obedient student. I would also line up my dolls and stuffed animals and make them be additional students.

3- If you could have a shopping spree at any one store, what would it be?

For my classroom, I would love a shopping spree at Really Good Stuff and Lakeshore because I love all of their learning products and games. Personally, I would love a Nordstrom shopping spree for clothes and shoes!

4- What do you do to make yourself relax on weekends and breaks?

Relaxation is very important; I enjoy working out and spending time with family and friends.

5- If you have a family and teach full time, I’d love a tip about how to balance it all.

A home/work balance is critical but can be very challenging to attain. I get up early each morning before my family wakes up to exercise and finish work. This early morning quiet time is so productive!

6- What is your favorite thing to do at home?

My favorite thing to do at home is to entertain; I enjoy having family and friends over for barbeques, pool parties and game nights.

7- What is your must have food or drink when you’re in for a long session of planning/grading, etc….

Starbucks’ iced coffee gets me through any strenuous planning or grading session.

8- In your classroom, music or silence?

There’s a time for both music and silence in the classroom. Each day, students unpack and pack-up to “Beautiful Day” by U2; they have to be completely ready by the time the song is over. I also play music during writing time, but the rest of the day is usually music-free. My classroom is rarely silent as we do a great deal of group-work and cooperative learning projects.

9-What’s one of the scariest things you’ve ever done?

I’m incredibly afraid of heights and hate the sensation of falling. So, going on the Tower of Terror in Disneyland’s California Adventure was something very scary for me!

10- What is one of those teaching moments that you still laugh about and will forever retell?

It was really funny when Jennifer came to my classroom dressed up as Hazel the Owl to read the students. Many of the students thought she really was Hazel and were asking her cute questions like, “Where is roost?”, “How long did it take you to fly here.”

11- If you could meet 1 character from any children’s book in real life, who would it be and why? What would you with them?

It would be great to meet Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus series because I love how she integrates science throughout her curriculum and engages all learners. You can tell she is an enthusiastic teacher as her clothing all goes with her units of study. I would definitely go on a science adventure with her!

That was a little about me (Jessica) and as requested here are 11 random facts (about Astute Hoot):

1 – Jennifer and I were thrown together in a co-teaching situation without even knowing each other in 2009. We instantly hit it off and became great friends and business partners!

2 – Jennifer and Tina (sisters and business partners) have wanted to start a company creating educational toys and games since they were very young.

3 -Jennifer, Tina, and I have owl sightings ALL the time!

4 – Tina lives in Madison, WI so much of our collaborative work is completed virtually.

5 – Jennifer’s sons Alec and Jake are not only main product testers (in addition to our students), but also our adorable models for many of our blog photos.

6 – We are excited to be attending the TPT conference in Las Vegas in July 2014!

7 – An Astute Hoot retreat in a tropical location is on our bucket list.

8 – We once pulled an all-nighter revamping our TPT store, products, and website.

9 – Some of our math and reading characters have been inspired by and named after people we know.

10 – We are all animal lovers.

11 – We strongly believe that everything in the universe happens for a reason and that nothing is a mere coincidence.

And now I am nominating a few more great blogs for this same award!

1. Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy

2. Teaching Doodles

3. Extra Special Teaching

4. The Teacher’s Post

5. Walking in High Cotton

Alright! For those I nominated, here are the official rules of the Liebster Award, should you choose to accept it. 😉

Here are my questions for you!

1- What is your favorite subject to teach and why?
2- When you were a kid, did you already know you were going to be a teacher?
3- If you could have a shopping spree at any one store, what would it be?
4- What is your dream vacation?
5- If you have a family and teach full time, I’d love a tip about how to balance it all.
6- What is your favorite thing to do at home?
7- What is your must have food or drink when you’re in for a long session of planning/grading, etc….
8- What is your favorite holiday tradition?
9- How do you differentiate for a variety of student needs?
10- What is one of those teaching moments that you still laugh about and will forever retell?
11- If you could meet 1 character from any children’s book in real life, who would it be and why?

Does anyone hear me? Am I speaking English? Why aren’t my students listening to me?

We’d love to thank Alicia over at The Elementary Professor for giving us a Liebster Award!

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