Elf-tacular Giveaway

Hello friends and welcome back to my blog! Can you believe December is here?? This is my favorite time of the year! Today I have a few ideas to share with you and an Elf-tacular Giveaway you won't want to miss!

Recipe
A nice cool front just came in here in South Texas so it's time for hot chocolate and these delicious hot cocoa cookies I came across on Pinterest! Check them out, they are easy to make and look so tasty.

Craft
This time of the year is so busy that I want to share a quick craft I will be trying with my kids this year. Nothing too fancy or difficult, you just need popsicle sticks, paint, sequins, glue, scissors and twine.

Freebie
In the spirit of Christmas....here is a fun SPANISH FREEBIE for you - Christmas tree organizers. They can be used with any story and cover story elements, main idea, and vocabulary. Share the link with any bilingual teachers you know :)

Here is my Elf-tacular letter!!!

Now keep on blog hopping over to The Science School Yard to grab your elf letter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

An InLinkz Link-up

December Pinterest Pick 3

Welcome to December's edition of Pinterest Pick 3 Linky hosted by Pawsitively Teaching and Inspired Owl's Corner! This month's Pick 3... is all about December classroom ideas!! Enjoy!

I am loving the festive look these lights create. I can already imagine our hallway decorated with these cute lightbulbs and students' name.

Click here to see original pin!

This is such a cute bulletin display! I love the bright colors used and hope my bulletin comes out this cute.  

Click here to see original pin!

I totally LOVE chocolate covered marshmallows! These can also serve as a great treat for holiday parties.

Click here to see original pin!

An InLinkz Link-up

Teaching Inferences in the Bilingual Classroom

Hello friends! I am happy to link up today with some of my favorite Bilingual Bloggers from I Teach Bilinguals to bring you a new blog post! Today will be all about inferences. We all know how difficult this skill can be, however, with a few tips, your students will be experts at making inferences! Stay tuned there's a FREEBIE just for you!

When students hear "We will be making inferences," they do not automatically know how to respond to this. However, it is important to explain that they already make inferences on a daily basis. One student came up to me and told me, "Teacher, I think it might rain today." This was a great teaching moment. I asked him, "What clues tell you it's going to rain?" To which he responded that he had looked out the window, the sky was dark, it was windy, etc. That was a perfect inference! These moments can help students believe in their background knowledge and create inferences more easily. 

It is vital for students to be exposed to the academic vocabulary involved when making inferences. The following is a short list of words and inference stems I have posted in my classroom: 

~Mi inferencia es...
~Yo infiero que...
~Podría ser que...
~Puede ser...
~Quizás...
~Esto podría significar...
~Las pistas señalan que...
~Esquema...
~Creo... porque...

I enjoy using a photo of the day for students to build up on background knowledge and practice making inferences. They study the photograph, there's question prompts for those that need it, then students talk about what they inferred that is happening in the photo or what they infer will happen next. Students love the photographs and scenarios presented, and they keep a journal of these to refer to in the future.  

After these three tips, students feel more confident when making inferences on passages and readings. Hope these are helpful as we continue to raise rigor for our bilingual learners.

Enjoy these FREE festive inference organizers. I like to jazz them up with some glitter and decorate a bulletin board! How do you tackle the task of teaching inferences to your students? I'd love to hear from you in the comments :)

Until next time!

An InLinkz Link-up