How can it be July?!?!?! My friend and I were discussing how June is like Friday night, July and is Saturday and August is Sunday night. UGH! The to-do list is always so big! I am excited that I am doing a currently! Pretty cool for me! Enjoy!! Well, enjoy everyone!

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Think! Think! Think! Thinking Mats are here and they are ready for the common core! There are 15 mats   in color with manipulatives in color also. It even comes with a resource guide that has center response sheets. All of the common core topics are covered. I do kinda wish they had color coded the topics. That would have made it easier to pull the mat that fits with the topic we are working on. Oh, well! These will be great to use with small groups of students that need to practice this skill. I do think I will laminate the pieces before I use them. They feel pretty sturdy but we all know how kids are on them! The directions are on the front of the mat   - for the most part, I think the students will be able to read them after we get reading! The mats also have a theme – so you can pull them out to review or use during a content theme. They are very open ended so it will not be a once and done activity. Students will be able to work in pairs or individually with these ma...

Everyday Fun and Game Cards are fun! What a great treat for kids! What a fun way to review and learn! This double set of cards is a great addition to the family and to the classroom. The cards are hooked together so you don’t have to worry about them falling all over the place. The cards are divided and color coded (I heart color coding!) by different topics – jokes! (Oh my! Once they learn how to tell a joke- there is no going back!) , math – counting, shapes, sets; fun facts – how great to make connections with on vacation or just around; language arts- beginning sounds, matching letters, finding letters, sequencing; word play – rhymes, opposites, categories;   and puzzles – matching shadows, same pictures, finding hidden objects. These are jam packed!! That was all in one pack people! The other pack has more of the same great stuff! Total of 158 cards! WOW! They are nice and laminated already – you could use a wipe off marker on them if you wanted to do that. The answers ar...

On the road again! It is summer and the living is easy – unless you are traveling with little ones! Lol Now my kids are bigger – doesn’t make it easier sometimes – but I would have loved to have had this Summer Splash Travel Activity Book from Carson Dellosa when they were little! When we would go on long trips, I would always pack little surprises and treats for the kids to open en route. This would have been one of those! There are some great pages in here – some academic minded and some more fun and games. The pages have color and are thick enough to not rip easily. Now – some of the games need another person to play – so you could even take it in to a restaurant to help with the waiting. It does have an answer key also. And if you don’t go on a road trip- just use it to review skills and interact with your child! J     I participate in the Brand Ambassador Program for Carson-- ‐ Dellosa and I received this product for free to try and review.

Right on task! Task Cards from Carson-Dellosa are here! There are 100 task cards in the box – colorfully divided in half by math and language arts. They are common core aligned too! The cards are labeled with the common core on the back so you can relate it to your own activity. The students can also write on them – laminated for easy use. I can see these being used in several different ways. They can be used in small reading groups or with the whole group – a quick review for the common core standard being taught or a review from previous one. I could also see them being used in morning work to review – an activity along with a message. I wanted a checklist to make sure I was covering them all – and then I read the directions included! J We all know teachers have a hard time with directions, right?!?!?! Lol Anyway – the directions tell you to go to activities.carsondellosa.com!    You can sign up for FREE! J Then pick common core activities and you get the checklist, t...

Well, Carson –Dellosa has done it again!   I taught 2 nd grade for years and used a daily review then. When I moved to kindergarten , I couldn’t find one that was worthwhile and then can common core… still couldn’t find one! Now I have! Common Core Language Arts 4 Today – Daily Skill Practice is it! In one simple book I have 40 weeks   of reviews and assessments! The quick and easy to read introduction explains how it is all set up. They even have a quick guide to “Building a Reading Environment” and writing strategies. Good ideas – most we all know, but never hurt to hear them again! Then there is the common core matrix! Oh, yes they did! They crossed-referenced all the standards and the weekly reviews! Ka-ching! One less thing we have to do! There are three questions for each day – four days on one page! On the back is the end of week assessment! This will save paper! Oh wait! Did I mention it is reproducible?? Now I am a little concerned that in the beginning the kid...