HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you! It’s January of 2020. Most of us have had two weeks off and school starts up again on Monday. 😳
Lots and lots and LOTS of you will be doing New Year Activities like writing down big goals, or coloring some sort of party hat, or even having a Noon Year Party with balloons and horns and streamers . . . (you over-achievers, you!) 😉
BUT.
As you may remember, or maybe you don’t because you’d rather not think about it, I actually get three weeks off during winter break.
I KNOW!! Don’t kill me. I promise to drink hot coffee and go to the bathroom whenever I want on your behalf.
All of that is to say that when we *finally* return, the New Year will sort of be old news.
SO!
I prepped a lot of WINTER stuff before break, and MINI BOOKS are no exception.
My kids are obsessed with MINI BOOKS, and that’s putting it mildly. They are either writing in the pre-made ones I have available, or they’re using our recycled paper to stack up way too many pieces of paper, folding them into a gigantic wad, and asking me to staple something that cannot be stapled because it is way too thick.
Is that just my class?
I always have these in our Writing Center as a choice, but I change the options monthly because a) I like to change things up b) my kids love new books and c) it’s EASY and it makes me look good.
I like to look good. Unless I’m on break and still wearing pajamas, and have way too much dry shampoo in my hair . . . then I just like to look comfortable.
These are EASY because the book is just ONE SHEET of paper. THAT’S IT!
WOOT WOOT!
I usually have my upper grade helpers fold the books for me in the beginning of the year but, now, my first graders can totally handle it. I mean, occasionally I’ll get, “Like this?” and it’s all backwards and upside down and I say, “Yep. Just like that.” 😜
I’m a riot, if you didn’t know.
I created these books so that my KIDS could easily differentiate for THEMSELVES. There are ten different mini books for January, but each one comes in four different versions which means I just copy a few of each type and throw them into a basket at the writing center.
My kids find the one that works best for THEM. My more advanced writers want the blank books because they want to write their own stories:
And my beginning writers tend to choose the fill in the blank option (the title of the book lets them know which word to use):
Or they choose the trace the sight word option:
And still, another version allows them to trace an entire sentence which also works on handwriting/printing skills as well as all that capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, etc good stuff.
You know what I’m talking about. 😊
I switched to this type of Word Wall a few years ago and I’ve never looked back! My kids use the words on this wall ALL DAY LONG. It’s also perfect for when they are writing in the blank versions of the mini books because they can look for all types of words on the wall.
Anyways . . . that’s just one Writing Center and Winter Activity I’ve got prepped and ready to go for when we return from break.
I will be back next week with another idea!
In the meantime, HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope you have an amazing week back to school.
💗