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Friday, July 29, 2016

Back to School Giveaway!

Hello friends and welcome back to my blog! Today I have exciting news to share...I am officially 39 weeks pregnant and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our precious baby girl!!! Lately, I've been blogging a lot and posting new units before baby girl's debut! I am a first time mom so I am excited about this new journey and the surprises in store for me. Any and all advice welcome :)

Here are a few new blog posts to recap my summer, in case you've missed them. All to help you in the new school year. Click on any of the blog posts below to read great ideas and tips (lots of freebies in there, as well!) 



Woooo I've been busy! But not too busy to forget about you! I am having a quick GIVEAWAY for a $10 TpT giftcard that will surely help you SAVE money on a TpT SALE 
coming .... 

(very soon)......

(very, very soon)......

Enter in the rafflecopter below and good luck! Enjoy the rest of summer :) 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Comprehension Flipbooks in SPANISH

New resource alert! Comprehension Flipbooks in SPANISH! I am so excited to have completed this project just in time for back to school! I've been creating these flipbooks with my students since my first year teaching! We'd use different colored paper and have all our skills in a handy flipbook they could refer to during independent reading. We'd just write out everything and draw the graphic organizers, stem questions, etc. Let me tell you, it would take TIME oh precious TIME!!! I finally decided I needed an electronic version to make my life easier. 

Keep reading, for an explanation of these gems and a FREE sample just for my blog readers! 


These comprehension flipbooks have four parts:
1. Skill name
2. Skill definition/example
3. Stem questions
4. Graphic organizer

1. Skill cover page
I like to use these to introduce a lesson. We go over the name of the skill, any background knowledge they have about it, have they heard this before, when, what do they think this means? My students LOVE technology, so when I introduce the skill, I'll usually look for a Brain Pop video that explains a bit about it or a YouTube song that will be catchy to help remember the skill we are covering.

2. Guided definition
On this page, I provide the definition and an example or exercise for the students to read and/or take notes. This definition anchors the lesson and can be referred to throughout the week we practice that skill. 


3. Question Stems
During small groups, we use the stem questions during the reading to practice ways the skill can be assessed. Students can also use these in a center to ask each other questions pertaining to the skill being covered. This is a great way to build and practice academic language since students need the repetition and exposure to the questions. 

4. Graphic Organizer
The graphic organizer can be done with a read-aloud you’ve already covered and can be filled out together so that students have an accurate example in their flipbook of how to fill out graphic organizers with this skill.


I have two sets posted in my store: 

From SET 1
Cause/Effect - Causa y Efecto
Main Idea - Idea Principal
Making Inferences - Hacer Inferencias
Character/Setting/Plot - Personaje, Ambiente y Argumento
Summary - Resumen
Context Clues - Claves de Contexto

From SET 2
Compare/Contrast - Comparar y Contrastar
Sequence of Events - Orden de Sucesos
Drawing Conclusions - Sacar Conclusiones
Theme - Tema
Author's Purpose - Propósito del autor
Problem/Solution - Problema y Solución

I also have the BUNDLE posted which will save you 20% 


Hope you've made it this far, because you are in for a treat! Click on THIS LINK to download a FREE SAMPLE of my flipbooks. Try it out today with your students and come back to let me know what you think! This is an EXCLUSIVE SAMPLE just for my blog readers, enjoy!

Until next time friends, XOXO

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Game Boards in SPANISH

Welcome back to my blog friends! Today I am writing all about using game boards in the bilingual classroom. Teachers are creative and inventive when it comes to engaging students in the lessons. Since we are always creating these fun new ways to engage students with content, today I am here to share my top three reasons for using game boards. I will also be sharing FREE game boards in SPANISH to use as you head back to school.

Keep reading for ideas and a FREEBIE!


Top three reasons to use game boards in the classroom:

1) Learn skills
Through games, students are learning much more than just content. They are applying critical thinking skills, team work, good sportsmanship, and creativity. Games allow students to learn and practice rules. They also learn from experience to think ahead and plan their "winning strategy."

2) Engagement
Using game boards ensures the students are participating. Students take turns and hold each other accountable to answer the questions. Since there is an element of competition, they are energized and motivated to pay attention to what is going on in the game. 

3) Retention of material
Students will recall much more information when they are actively participating in their learning. So what's better than practice book pages, worksheets, and writing definitions? A game that will provide the repetition they need to retain the material. However, be certain to make this connection noticeable for students. They need to be able to apply what they learned at the game during their academic tasks.

I have created this FREEBIE just for you to use when playing games in the classroom. Simply print out the pages and laminate for durability. Just add dice, game pieces, and you're set! This is a must have when getting centers or stations prepared :) Enjoy! Click on the picture for your free download!


So how will you use games this coming school year? What kind of games do your students play? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. 

Until next time friends, XOXO

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Classroom Posters in Spanish

Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be sharing some free SPANISH posters with you and ideas on how to print and use them in your classroom. Make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE SPANISH prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

Have you seen the “When you enter this room you are….” posters? These posters are super cute but I always find them in English. This morning I decided to create a few similar ones but in Spanish to decorate our bilingual classrooms. These are super cute to introduce and display on meet the teacher nights, back to school, and year round reminders of how important our students are to us.

Click the pictures to get your FREE download.

Spanish inspirational phrases for the bilingual classroom



Here are some tips on printing these out.

5X7 Frame
These black frames are from Dollar Tree. I like to place these next to my computer centers or on my library shelf. Simply print the 5X7 option in the download, cut, and you’re set to display these.

Spanish motivational phrases

8X11
This is your regular size paper. Print these out and laminate to display around the room.

Poster Size
Want to print these posters bigger to display on a bulletin board or hallway? Follow the steps in the screenshot to print poster size. You can always print even bigger just play with the tile scale percentage on step 3. After you print these out, cut and assemble your poster with a glue stick or double sided tape. Then laminate for durability!!



Enjoy your cute posters!!! Until next time friends! XOXO

Looking for Motivational Posters in Spanish to decorate for BTS? Check these out!

Spanish Motivational Posters 

Spanish Growth mindset posters


Also, see MPM School Supplies for more posters and even Spanish posters! They have such cute posters at great prices. Don't forget: Subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE SPANISH prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!


Monday, July 18, 2016

Guide Words in the Bilingual Classroom

Welcome back to my blog friends! Today I am here to share all about guide words and ideas on how to teach this skill in the classroom. I find that my students have such a hard time using a dictionary since it requires previous background of alphabetizing a set of words. If students can successfully alphabetize words, then using guide words and the dictionary will be a breeze.


However, if that’s not the case, here are some ideas and resources I have found effective with my kiddos. Keep reading there will be lots of FREEBIES, ideas, and a quick giveaway just for you!

**Alphabetizing Mat FREEBIE**
To start off, we practice alphabetizing words in small groups. At my teacher table, I provide the guide words on this laminated mat and they have to find a word in the dictionary that goes between those guide words then write the words in alphabetical order. As students master that, I am able to switch up the activity (with the same mat) where they have to find three words that go with those guide words. Then eventually I give them three words, and they have to find the guide words. Flexibility, repetition, and practice all in one practical mat!
I provide the alphabet at the top as a reminder and review very much needed for this skill. Click the picture to download this FREEBIE.

**Mini Anchor Chart**
Students keep these in their interactive journals and refer to the anchor chart as needed. These are a great visual reminder of where guide words are located.

**Guide Words Spanish Unit with Task Cards**
After we practice alphabetizing in small groups and have done our anchor charts, students can practice with these amazing task cards! I added the multiple choice option to practice for state assessments. The difficulty level in alphabetizing the words varies, some to the first letter others up to the second or third! Great for differentiation and challenges! This unit also includes a recording sheet and an answer key for students to check their own work OR to make it easier for you or a sub! There is also practice cut/paste pages for extension activities. My kiddos love to use these and it keeps them engaged. (Note: some students may need the alphabetizing mat to complete this activity, which is a great scaffold and tool.) 


**Guide Words Center Activities**
To assess and make certain students understand the concept, I bring a few students to my teacher table and have them complete a guide word sort from this CENTER. Again, difficulty ranges from alphabetizing to the first letter and alphabetizing to the second letter (two sets provided). Students complete this with my supervision, record their answers, and check with the handy answer key provided. Then they complete a practice page from the extension activities. 

Looking for more guide word practice in Spanish? You can send home your spelling list, a dictionary, and this worksheet for them to practice even more. 

How do you incorporate guide words and this challenging task in your classroom? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions below. Make sure to grab the FREEBIES above and rate them on TpT!

Check out my complete Guide Word BUNDLE HERE!!

Until next time friends XOXO!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Reading Strategies Book Study: Goal 3 Reflection

Welcome back to The Reading Strategies Book Study hosted by the wonderful Kelly at An Apple for the Teacher. Join us each Thursday as we reflect on our takeaways of this text and share strategies that will help you out in your reading block. If you missed my previous posts you can find them here: Goal 1 ~~ Goal 2 ~~

Let's get started with Goal 3: Supporting Print Work

Here's a peek at the strategies, levels, genres, and skills covered in this section. It was very difficult to choose just three strategies to write about knowing my kiddos all come at different levels and I need to definitely remember all of these!!!

This goal is vital to reading success because students have to be able to read correctly to accurately understand the meaning of a text. According to Serravallo, reading "takes coordination, mental effort, and strategic action. That said, children can be taught to be more aware and to use strategies to help them figure out the print as they read." Keeping this goal in mind, I have chosen to focus on three strategies which include:

  • Be a Coach to Your Partner
  • Think (While You Read the Words)
  • Juggle All Three Balls

3.5 Be a Coach to Your Partner

I am loving this strategy because students will be able to support each other in their reading achievement. This strategy teaches students to NOT just tell their partner the word their stuck on or the answer. This strategy teaches the student to be a COACH and suggest tips to their partner so they can be successful. How many times has it happened in your small group: a student gets stuck on a word, another student tells them the word and we move on? I've been guilty of this in some occasions and need to be more purposeful about partners COACHING each other vs. telling the answer. 

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:
  • Don't give your partner the word, tell them a tip.
  • Looks like your partner is stuck, try to help.
  • That was a helpful tip!
 Anchor Chart taken from 3.5 Be a Coach To Your Partner, page 84

3.8 Think (While You Read the Words)

Do your students focus more on reading the word accurately than on the meaning of what they are reading? In student's attempts to master fluency, sometimes kiddos just want to read correctly BUT do not comprehend what they are reading. This strategy is great because the teacher models stopping and monitoring comprehension. Students assume a "reading pose" and a "thinking pose." I think this is a great visual way to make sure students are stopping to monitor their reading. In the thinking pose, students put the book down, look up, and point to their forehead. What a great reminder to stop and think while reading.

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:
  • Check yourself - Did you understand what you just read?
  • You're reading the words . . . check that you're understanding, too.
  • Read the words, then tell me what you're thinking.
Anchor Chart taken from 3.8 Think (While You Read the Words), page 87

3.10 Juggle All Three Balls

This strategy is definitely ongoing! It is one of my favorite strategies because it teaches students to multi-task and "juggle" their thinking as they read and get "stuck" on a tricky word:
  1. think about what makes sense
  2. think about how a book sounds
  3. think about what looks right

Prompts to ask when teaching this skill would be:
  • Think about what's happening.
  • Look at the letters. What could it be?
  • Yes, that made sense, looked right, and sounded right.
Plus, isn't this anchor chart just the cutest reminder! Students can keep these in a journal or center to remind them of juggling all three balls.

Anchor Chart taken from 3.10 Juggling All Three Balls, page 89

That's it for today friends! If you are reading along with us ... I'd love to know which Goal 3 strategy are you looking forward to using with your readers this year? Make sure to come back next week as we discuss Goal 4: Teaching Fluency!

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Christmas in July - Back to School Freebie

Hello friends! Welcome back to our monthly I Teach K-2 Linky! Today I am joining my wonderful blogger friends to talk about back to school organization and some resources that will definitely SAVE you some time and money!! Remember my store is 20% OFF July 6-9 to celebrate Christmas in July with you! Make sure to read all the way to the END for an amazing giveaway!!! Over $300 worth of prizes just for you!


Teacher Binders
First off, I wanted to let you know ALL my Teacher Binders have been updated with the 2016-2017 calendar dates. These are perfect to keep track of all the data we are accountable for. There are 45 covers and spines already typed out and ready for you to print and use. However, there is also an EDITABLE version for you to type out any other needed cover!

Editable Newsletters
This BUNDLE has been a lifesaver for me. I have these editable newsletters ready for you to type out your information and keep parents up to date on classroom news and important dates! Available in English and Spanish and on SALE!!

FREE Blank Calendars
In the spirit of Christmas, here is a FREEBIE you can use year-round. Click the picture to download these blank calendar pages available in English and Spanish. The possibilities on how to use these are endless.

A few ideas on how to use these:
  • Calendar center
  • Behavior Chart
  • Reading Minute Logs
  • Homework Binders
  • Small group Planning
  • Exit Ticket (students could write one thing they learned each day)

I hope you are still reading because now it's time for you to enter our GIVEAWAY!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Grammar Resources for the Bilingual Classroom

Hello friends! I am back today with great ideas and resources to help implement successful and engaging grammar lessons in your bilingual classroom. Make sure to read all the way to the end for a FREEBIE!

**Grammar Videos**
I usually try to introduce grammar lessons with videos to hook the students and engage them in the lesson. I'll replay the videos throughout the week to reinforce what they are learning and each day the concept becomes a little more familiar. Here are some great websites to look into when introducing grammar lessons:
**Interactive Notebook**
After the introductory lesson/video, I bring out interactive notebook pages to conceptualize and anchor the lessons.

Download a FREE SAMPLE of my interactive journal to try out with your students today!!!

**Grammar Centers**
Breaking up into grammar centers is one of my students favorite activities. I provide task cards, recording sheets, cut/paste activities and sorts to differentiate their learning and further evaluate how much practice they need with a lesson.
These centers are available in my store. Click here to see the BUNDLE. These are the skills covered:

ALL IN SPANISH!!! 

**Grammar FREEBIE**
As a quick pre-assessment or after a lesson use this FREEBIE as an evaluation. Students will cut and sort out nouns, verbs, and adjectives and glue where appropriate.

**Grammar GIVEAWAY**
As a thank you for being a loyal follower, I will be giving the FIRST THREE people who comment on this blog post a FREE Grammar Center of their choice. Just leave me a comment below with your email and the name of the center you'd like to receive. (*Update: first three people that commented have been emailed their center!) 
I hope this post has been helpful and provided you with many ideas to teach grammar in your classroom. What has worked for you? Feel free to leave me a comment below. Until next time friends!

Friday, July 1, 2016

Cuando era pequeña - Bilingual Album

Today I am excited to bring you a review for a fantastic artist, Nathalia. She just released her third bilingual album and I am thrilled to tell you all about CUANDO ERA PEQUEÑA (WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE). 
Nathalia was born and raised in Colombia. She moved to the United States to attend the Berklee College of Music and has a Clinical Psychology Masters from Antioch University. She began her career as a music therapist and elementary music teacher in Los Angeles. These experiences all helped her to develop her music as a tool to teach her children about Spanish and their Colombian heritage.
Nathalia's lyrics are full of relatable scenarios and captivating experiences. Listening to her music brought me back to my childhood as a 4 year old when I used to sit with my "abuelita" to drink coffee. You see, if I drank coffee I would also get cookies. Double win! Children can easily relate to It's My Birthday and Pesadillas because they are all experiences they have gone through. Personally, I've been replaying Señor Opuesto over and over and thinking of ideas on how to incorporate this in an antonym lesson with my kiddos!!!

Her newest bilingual album features rock tunes and even cumbia music. The upbeat songs written bilingually talk about everything from dinosaurs to hopes and dreams of what kids want to be when they grow up. There are a total of 10 tracks on her CD that will have you dancing and humming all day long.

1 Dinosaur Dance
2 Señor Opuesto
3 It's My Birthday
4 Pesadillas
5 Qué llueva
6 When I Grow Up
7 La Iguana Pepa
8 Oh Math
9 ¿Qué me dices tu?
10 Otra vez

All of the tracks are amazing just listen to her samples HERE and you'll be hooked on the style and beat!

Nathalia has kindly offered a FREE album to one lucky M&M Bilingual reader. Enter on the rafflecopter below for a chance to win this amazing album. It would be perfect for summer time with the kiddos or even back to school season. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway