You Oughta Know About Read Across America Week!

It's time for another "You Oughta Know" blog hop with Mrs. McClain!

This month I think you oughta know about 

"Read Across America!"

With all the snow and ice that has fallen over the state of Kentucky it is hard to believe that spring is right around the corner, but March will be here in just a short 8 days!  One of the first signs of spring for me is "Read Across America" week.  

In our school we celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss with a week full of fun activities!  We have guest readers from the community in classrooms every day.  Children are encouraged to dress in fun and silly ways just like the characters in Dr. Seuss's books.  Students compete to read the most minutes at home throughout the week.  

New this year we are having a book swap!  All children are encouraged to bring in a used book to trade with another friend.  I am so excited about this new activity.  It encourages sharing, talking about books, reading, and, best of all, it doesn't cost a dime!  

My kids love all the fun Dr. Seuss activities I've found online.  

You can check out a few here:

Visit PBS Kids!

Visit Random House Kids!

Visit Seussville!

I'm really excited to use my new theme activities for "Read Across America," too!  It's aligned to ELA Common Core for grades K, 1st, & 2nd and includes a story book about fact/opinion, an organizer and publishing template for an opinion piece, and more!

Visit my store!

How does your school celebrate 
"Read Across America?"

An InLinkz Link-up

Mission Complete!

My college education is finally "in the books" - Bachelor's in Elementary Education, Masters in Reading and Writing, Gifted-Talented Endorsement, and Rank I in Library Media... Mission complete!
Last month I began my thirteenth year of teaching and my third year in Kindergarten.  The third year in a position or grade level is really when everything comes together.  My classroom is finally organized, every container has a well-coordinated label, and I am embracing the new school year feeling efficient and effective! 

This summer I worked on my classroom library, studied The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, and helped my team by developing a new Kindergarten writing curriculum based on the concepts in Marcia Freeman's Teaching the Youngest Writers.  For my final graduate course I developed a 21st Century Standards-Based Unit of Study on Consumerism and Economics and researched the need for "play" in Kindergarten.
 My TPT store is growing as I work to add units, activities, assessments, and calendars that are aligned to the Common Core Standards.
All of that work brings me here... to this blog and the culminating moment I get to share my work with more than my awesome team of Kindergarten teachers in Kentucky.  I am eager to network with teachers beyond my small town and share my experiences, ideas, and resources with YOU!