Student Binder Freebies :)

Woah, long time, no blogging! I cannot believe how crazy these past few weeks have been! Thankfully, I had my surprise Observation this week, so now I can at least breathe a bit easier! And, hopefully have some more time for blogging! I keep thinking of all these things I'd love to share, but for some reason, the time just isn't happening! Here are some things for organizing your students during your first few weeks...Hopefully you can use some of them to make life in your own classroom a bit easier!

Here is my writer's notebook cover and the quickwrite prompts I'll be using this year. The first page is the binder cover, and the following pages are quickwrite idea-starters that I print on colored cardstock and put in the back of the binder (behind the students' writing).  We use these at the beginning of the year to spark good writing ideas, and the students love referring back to them all year long!

Next, is my song and poem notebook and complete with "Lucky Listener Log" (thanks to my lovely teaching friend, Diana!). This notebook goes home on Fridays only. After reading the poem in class all week and illustrating it during workstations time, the students will read the poem to one "lucky listener" over the weekend. This "lucky listener" will then fill out the log indicating that they heard the student read the poem.

Lastly, here are my take home binder covers and labels (for Avery 2 inch x 4 inch labels)...I just print the cover on colored cardstock and insert into clear-front binders. If you'd like to download the font for the labels, just do a quick search for CK Handprint :)

 

I hope to be back soon with photos of my classroom--that is, after we finish our SAT10 testing and I can uncover my walls! Right now they are covered in ugly brown paper! Have a great rest of the day!

Writer's Notebooks and Idea Starters (Freebie)

Last year, I used binders for my students' writer's notebooks, and I liked them sooo much better than the composition notebooks and pocket folders I used in years past!  Here are some reasons why...First, binders are easy for the students to personalize since they can easily decorate papers to insert into the front and back covers of their binder. Binders are also great because they keep papers more permanently than folders, so they can show growth over the entire school year.  In addition, they can hold many types of paper including lined and unlined papers for writing in different genres as well as stapled books in the inside pockets. 

One thing I like to do is add some idea starters to my students' writer's notebooks so if my students ever have writer's block, they can easily find a topic to write about.  When I give the students their writer's notebooks at the beginning of the year, they will find some idea starters printed on colored cardstock behind the beginning of the year writing paper.  Over the first few weeks of school, we fill out the idea starters before our independent writing time starts.  These are the idea starters we use:

• Heart Map - Write down (or sketch) all of the people, places and things you love.  Add to this map throughout the year as you might have new ideas later on.
• Hand Map - Write down things that you like to do.
• Foot Map - Write the names of places you have been or where you would like to go.
• Neighborhood Map - Draw your neighborhood map.  Include your house, friend's houses, areas where you play, and places you like to go frequently.  Put stars on places that would be great writing topics.  Later, extend this by drawing a map of the different rooms of your house.
• Family Portrait - Draw and label the members of your family. Write some words describing them or things you like to do with your family.
• All About Me - Answer the questions with words and pictures. 

When your writers get stuck, simply help them refer to their idea starters to choose a topic that is meaningful to them!

If you would like to download my Idea Starters, click HERE. Enjoy!