Classroom DIY: Crate Seats

If you've been anywhere on the internet you know what a crate seat is... an ingenius combination of crate for storage and cushioned top for sitting.  They are a perfectly clever addition to the classroom.

Although I've always admired them, I never really had the need for these stools in my own classroom until recently.  Right before spring break my 4th grade students and I did a one week "trial" of flexible seating.  It was a wonderful way to see if flexible seating was going to be beneficial for my students and do-able for me.  For 5 days, we adjusted our tables so that we had 2 standing tables, 2 floor tables, a stool table, and a regular table and chairs.  Throughout the week, the stool table was by far the most popular!

At the end of the week, students wrote to me and shared their experience.  They also got a chance to privately vote on whether or not they wanted to keep flexible seating for the rest of the year. Overwhelmingly, students voted yes...  thus the need for crate seats!

This week was spring break for my school district, so I had a bit of time to take on a Classroom DIY project.  The Great Crate Seat Construction project was underway!  

I bought my crates from The Container Store.  They were $9.99 each, but are heavy duty.  I purchased a sheet of plywood from Home Depot for $19.  I love that Home Depot will cut the wood for you.  That really sped up this project!  I had the nice man at HD cut 14" x 14" squares for the seats.

 While I was searching for a heavy duty fabric to cover the seat cushions,  I came across this pattern.  It was love at first sight!  The fabric was a little spendy, but all I could think about was how much joy I would get by seeing those colors everyday.

I decided to buy the 2 in. thick cushion.  There were other choices that were much thinner, but I wanted to make sure my kiddos were comfortable sitting on these seats all day. I ended up having to piece together some of the foam because I didn't have enough for 6 complete squares.  I cut the pieces and, using some spray adhesive, attached them to the board.  Once the fabric was on you couldn't tell that it wasn't one complete square. Yay!  

  

 After layering the plywood, cushion, and fabric, I used a staple gun to attach the fabric to the wood.
 

Here is one of the finished cushions.  My technique improved after the first few. 

Once the fabric was attached, the hubby screwed a 12" x 12" square of wood to the back of the cushion.  My milk crates don't have an inner lip for the cushion to sit down in, so the cushions will sit on the outer rim of the crate.  This 12" x 12"  will keep the seat secure on the crate.  

 This pic shows how the seat fits on/in the crate.
 

Voila!  The finished crate seats!  A little pop of spring for my classroom!  They make my heart pitter patter a little bit.  

 

Here they are all stacked up and ready to take to school tomorrow!  Another Classroom DIY project completed!  

I hope you'll stop back by to check out my next blog post!  I'll be sharing my new classroom seating arrangement!  I've been working hard this week to get my classroom ready for our "Foray into Flexible Seating!" and am excited to share the process we went through, seating choices, and lots and lots of photos!  

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Another project I worked on and completed over my spring break is my seventh Word Problem of the Week set.  If you aren't familiar with this resource, it is a set of word problems that supports the teaching, development, and use of the 8 Mathematical Practices while also supporting 4th grade CCSS.

The resource includes a PDF and PowerPoint slideshow of 5 real world word stories/situations that connect to special days or events during the month.  Each story has 3 mathematical problems associated with it (each varying in difficulty and skill),  as well as an opportunity for students to "Critique the Reasoning of Others".  

 There is much more to this resources so, if you are interested, please click on the product cover above to take a look at the  complete product description, thumbnails, and preview!

If you are not yet following me on TpT, you are missing out on an opportunity to get my resources for 50% off!  All new products are 50% off for the first 48 hours!  You could also get access to follower-only-freebies in your TpT inbox when I send out special notes to my followers.  Click HERE to open my TpT store in a new window.  Click on the green *Follow Me tab under my store name, Literacy Loves Company.

Thank you for stopping by!  If you have an idea for another Classroom DIY project, one you've done or one you'd like to see done, please share it in the comment section!  Also, if you have ideas for my readers on how to improve the seat crate construction, please feel free to share that also!  I appreciate your comments and ideas!

Until next time,

3 Winners, 3 Way, 3 Day Giveaway!

Hi Friends!

It took me a year and a half, but I finally did it!  I posted my 100th product to my TeachersPayTeachers store!  That may not seem like such a big feat, but to me it was a milestone I was struggling to reach.

It took me about 2 months to complete this resource and it wasn't until school was out for the summer that I was able to put the time into it I really needed in order to give my buyers everything I think they needed to successfully teach students to compare and contrast folklore.

Okay... enough product pictures!  Let's talk GIVEAWAY!  To celebrate reaching this mini-milestone,  I'm giving away this resource to 3 lucky winners!  Not only will the winners get this unit (a $12 value), but I'm also giving them a resource of their choice from my Teachers Pay Teachers store (up to $5 value)!

Its easy to enter:

1.  July 1st - Comment on this blog post with the name of the product from my Teachers Pay Teachers store that you would like to win along with your e-mail address.   (Click HERE to browse my store.)

2.  July 2nd - Visit my Facebook page.  Like and tag another 4th or 5th grade teacher on the giveaway post for that day.  

3.  July 3rd - Visit me on Instagram (literacylovescompany) and like the giveaway post for July 3rd!  

Each day, entries will be closed at 5:00 PM PST and the winner will be announced by 6:00 PM.   Winners will be announced on that social media platform, so check back to see if you won!  (For blog entries I will also e-mail the winner.)

If you aren't really interested in giveaways, but love to SAVE MONEY you can get the above resource for 50% off until the end of the giveaway (July 3rd at 5:00)!  That is a savings of $6! Click the HERE button above to find the unit.

Thank you in advance for taking part in this giveaway!  Your participation makes these giveaways fun for me and hopefully fun for you.  :)

Don't forget...  come see me on Facebook tomorrow and be thinking of a friend you would like to tag!

Until then,

UPDATE...

Thank you for participating!  The winner of my high tech drawing  (I drew a name out of a paper bag) is.... 

If you would like another chance to win, visit my Giveaway post on Facebook tomorrow (July 2nd)!  Like the post and tag a friend!

Saving Time with Task Cards Linky Party

Hi All!

We just finished semester one progress reports in my district last week.  As I was handing the envelopes to my students I had two thoughts in my head...

In a calm zen tone... "It's only midpoint of the year...  plenty of time to get it all done."

and in the frazzled-teacher-pulling-out her hair-screeching tone...

"WE ONLY HAVE 4 1/2 MONTHS TO GET IT ALL DONE!!!"

If you're a teacher, you've probably felt the same way.


With all of the core standards, assessments, and interruptions I'm having to rethink my teaching.  I love teaching integrated units, diving deep into the topic, spending days making sure we've covered all of the angles.  But there simply isn't time to do that with all of the Common Core standards.  Because of this, I've turned my attention to task cards.

I don't think task cards are appropriate for everything, but for practicing grammar, conventions, math skills, and more...  they are time savers.

What are task cards?
Task cards are sets of cards that focus on one skill, such as progressive verb tense, that students use to review or practice their learning.  On each card, there is a question, or task, for students to complete.  My task card sets often have an option for students to sort or solve.  In sort, students sort their cards based on certain criteria.  Sorting and grouping is an important skill, so this give students another chance to practice.

  

What do you do with task cards?
Task cards are very versatile.  That is one of the reasons I love them.

1.  You can use task cards with one student who needs extra practice.  Students can work independently or with adult help.

2.  Task cards are perfect for stations or centers and small group work.

3.  Task cards can also be used as a whole class game called Scoot.  Scoot is played like musical chairs.  Task cards are placed at student desks and students move from desk to desk performing the task and writing down their answers.  Using task cards this way is totally engaging to students.  It is fast paced and very active.

Some important things to think about when using task cards in your classroom.

1.  Make sure you have pre-taught the skill being practiced on the task cards.  By the time students use the task cards, they should have already been introduced to the topic and be able to work on the tasks independently.

2.  Make sure there are clear directions for the cards.  How will your students be using them?  Will they self-check them or turn their answers in?

3.  How will you assess your students' learning?  You could use the task card answer sheet or you could assess using another form of assessment.

Whether you are new to task cards, a task card addict, or somewhere in between you have to agree, task cards can be the perfect way to support your teaching and your students' learning of many common core standards!

Thanks for visiting!   As a free gift to you, please head to my TpT store and download this task card FREEBIE!

Relative Adverb Task Cards - 4th Grade

Other Literacy Loves Company task card sets:

Do you have a blog post about task cards?   Maybe great ideas on how to organize or store them?  Have you created task cards that help your students master the ELA or math skills?  Link up below and share your ideas!  

An InLinkz Link-up

Engaging Students in Writing with a Sandwich

We've been back to school for about 3 weeks now and it has been very busy!  Today I taught one of my favorite lessons to my new class:  How is a Paragraph Like a Sandwich?   I love this lesson for several reasons:

1.  It totally engages the students!  My students were right with me the entire time.
2.  It is an anchor lesson that I come back to time after time throughout the year.
3.  So many writing skills are introduced in this one lesson.
4.  At the end of it, I get a great sandwich which I eat for lunch!

I started out with a bag full of sandwich ingredients and random items from my pantry.  Well, they might seem random, but I actually picked each item on purpose.

• Choose items you would actually put on a sandwich.  I brought ham, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard.  
• Choose some items you would eat on a sandwich, but are unexpected (with a little "spice"), such as pepperoncini, jalapeños, or spicy mustard.  
• Bring items that you wouldn't eat on a sandwich, but would make a great "paragraph" of a different topic.  I brought pasta, pasta sauce, and parmesan cheese.  
• Bring items that are exciting, that students would love, but have nothing to do with a sandwich.  I brought a kook-aid packet, popcorn, cat foot, and a TWINKIE!
  

I started off by having my ingredients in a mysterious bag on a desk placed right in the middle of the carpet.  Students were intrigued right off the bat because it was unusual to have a desk there and they had no idea what was in the bag.  

I had prepared my anchor chart with the question "How is a paragraph like a sandwich?" and a lightly penciled in drawing of a sandwich which I would draw in at the end of the lesson.  

As I gathered my students to the carpet, I shared with them the topic of the lesson and had them pair-share what they thought a sandwich and a paragraph have in common.  

After letting them share I told them that this morning I went around my kitchen gathering "ideas" for a great sandwich and this is what I came up with...  Then I dramatically pulled my items one by one out of the bag, making a big deal out of all my GREAT IDEAS!  Students think it is hilarious that I have popcorn, cat food, and a Twinkie!  When I got all of my ideas out on the desk I ask students what the first thing I need for a sandwich is.  BREAD of course!  

Starting with the bread, I ask students to share what ideas/ingredients should come next in my sandwich paragraph.  After the basics: bread, mayo, and meat, I put on the top piece of bread and ask students if I have a sandwich.  

Yes, but do I have a GREAT SANDWICH???!   CAN WE MAKE IT EVEN BETTER!!?  CAN WE SPICE IT UP!!!?  YES!!  YES, WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!  

As we add more details to our sandwich paragraph, students often disagree with the order and I adjust or "reorganize" my sandwich as new items are added.  This models for students that details don't always fit where placed and it is okay to move things around.  

Unfailingly, a brave student will suggest the Jello or the Twinkie.  I always say that that is a GREAT idea!!!!...  but does it fit in this paragraph?  When a student suggests the pasta sauce, I let them know that the pasta sauce is a great detail, but wouldn't that idea fit better in a paragraph about spaghetti?  

One of the things I really try to model for students is that they need to make their writing interesting.  They need to SPICE IT UP!!!  We spice up our sandwich with peppers, but how do we spice up our writing?  With surprising facts, interesting word choices, and unusual details that still fit the topic.  

When we have used up all of the ingredients to make our AWESOME sandwich, I always take a huge bit and go on and on about how WONDERFUL and TASTY this paragraph is!!  The kids love it!

When the students have settled down a bit, we take a look at our anchor chart.  I ask students to remind me what was on the sandwich and I draw the ingredients in.  I then label the parts (topic sentence, conclusion sentence, and details) with some help from the class.  I still need to go in and add some of the connections students made to my anchor chart, but this is what it looks like at this point.  

I then randomly choose students to tell me what they learned from the lesson about how a paragraph is like a sandwich.  I got some great answers this year.

"Not all ideas fit in the paragraph.  You can have great ideas, but they don't make sense in the paragraph."

"Sometimes you have to move around ideas to make the paragraph better."

"You want to use interesting ingredients to add spice to your paragraph."

"The topic sentence and the conclusion sentence are similar but a little different."

All in all, I think the students really learned a lot from this lessons and I'll be able to draw on it for months to come.  I've posted the anchor chart on the wall for reference for the students and had a great sandwich for lunch.  I call that a success!  

Do you have a great idea for a fun and engaging writing lesson?  I would love to hear about them.  Share them in the comments section below!  

Thanks for visiting!  

Word Smarts: Individualizing Spelling in the Classroom

Hi Friends,

Let me get to the point...  I hate teaching spelling.  Ok. There, I said it.  My problem with weekly spelling lists is that you hand out 10 or so words on Monday, say, "Go study.", work on the words throughout the week, and then give your students a test on Friday.  Friday comes and you grade  30+ test happily writing 100% in bright purple marker across the top of several pages.  You may even slap on a happy face sticker!

Then...
You grab that pile of writing, get your purple pen ready to make smiley faces, write specific comments and feedback only to notice that those same students who just got 100% on their spelling test have made spelling error after spelling error in their writing.  YIKES!

Some kids are good memorizers.  They can memorize their spelling words for the weekly test, then the test comes and goes and so do the words.

I've really struggled with this.  A couple of years ago it really got to me when I noticed a few of my students who were getting perfect scores on their spelling tests (above grade level spelling by the way) were making spelling error after spelling error on their daily work.  These were my advanced spellers and they were getting below grade level scores on conventions in their writing.

I almost gave up teaching spelling.  What was the point?    But, I took a step back and decided to do a little research.

Through my research and experience with my own students I've come to the conclusion that good spelling habits require many skills including:

*having a spelling consciousness
*having an understanding of the rules and patterns of the English language
*having a desire to spell correctly

I also believed that students should be learning how to spell words that they WANT and NEED to use in their own writing, thus individualizing their spelling lists.  INDIVIDUALIZED SPELLING LISTS!?? I have 34 students.  That means 34 different spelling lists!  34 spelling tests!!  That's CRAZY talk!

Actually, it isn't as daunting as it sounds.  Trust me, you can do it.

First, you have to have a plan for tracking words students need to know how to spell.  In my classroom (4th graders), students keep a "Words-to-Learn" list. There are a few ways that words get added to the list.

1. The first is words that students want to use, but are unsure how to spell.  These are words they circle in their work using their "spelling consciousness" or words they ask others how to spell. 
2. The second way words are added are words that I find misspelled in their daily work.  I either circle the words and write directly on the paper, or I write the words on a sticky note.  The students then know to add these words to their journals.  
3. The third way words get added is from words students misspell on their weekly assessment.  

I created this "Personal Spelling Journal" for my students to keep track of their words to learn:

Personalized Spelling Journal

But you could also have students keep a list in their writing journals or create a journal out of notebook paper.

Because students have different levels of spelling skills, learning to spell words from their writing individualizes and differentiates the lists.  Some students may be spelling below grade level words incorrectly while others are stretching their spelling limits and want to learn above grade level words.  
When the weekly spelling lists are handed out, students choose 5 words from their journal to learn that week.  They add these words to their weekly spelling list.  

This is a diagram of the first list in my "Word Smarts Year-Long Spelling and Vocabulary Bundle".  

So, this is one way that I individualize my students' spelling each week.  I use the my "Word Smarts" product for my year-long spelling curriculum, so another way that I am able to further individualize my students' spelling is assigning either the base list or the challenge list to students.  

The base list consists of grade level words that fit the spelling focus for the week.  The "Challenge" list is above grade level words that also fit the focus.  This way, each week, students are learning about and practicing spelling rules and patterns with words at their level and also studying words that they need to learn from their own writing.  

Yet another way to differentiate spelling is to limit or extent the number of words students spell.  

As you can see, there are a lot of different ways to individualize spelling in your classroom and with a little training of routines with your students you will have your spelling study running like a well oiled machine! 
If you'd like to know more about individualized spelling in your classroom I'll be adding more blog posts on this topic.  

Here are some other posts in this "Word Smarts" Series: 

• Developing Spelling Consciousness

• How to Manage Partner Spelling Tests (with video)

• How do You Get Kids to Care About Spelling?

I've linked the above titles to the posts as they become available.  This one is the first, so if you are interested in the following topics, please follow me on Bloglovin, follow by e-mail, or bookmark my blog.  I will be posting them throughout the rest of July in preparation for Back-to-School!
Thank you so much for stopping by!