Game Time with Blends

Word Study is one of my favorite times of the day.  I love listening to my kiddos practicing and learning new words.  It is one of the times throughout the day that I feel like light bulbs are lighting up all over the place.  One of our favorite games during Word Study is Roll Read (Color/Write).   See it in action below...  

My kiddos get so excited when we study new words because they know they will get to play Roll Read.  I have short and long vowels, as well as blends in my TPT store.  You can grab all three in a bundle for a fabulously discounted price.

Building Number Sense with Games: CHOMP

Number sense is critical for each and every child to have.  Many child acquire it at home as they explore and play.  Unfortunately, too many children now lack this vital skill.  As a primary teacher, I work diligently to build number sense with my kiddos.  Over the last decade I have learned that games make the biggest impact on mathematical knowledge.  This is because students are taking mathematical information and being forced to apply it to a real life/useful situation.  They are also building connections to math and the world.  These connections strengthen their brain thus enhancing their mathematical knowledge bank.
One of our favorite games right now is CHOMP.  CHOMP is designed to practice comparing numbers and place value.  The game can be played with either two or four players.  Here two of my kiddos are working together practicing their lanugae skills, while comparing numbers.

By playing games like CHOMP, students are able to apply number knowledge in an interactive means, thus strengthening their mathematical mind. 
You can grab a copy of CHOMP from my TPT store. 

I would love to see it in action with your kiddos.  Snap a picture or video of your kiddos playing and tag me in your pictures!  I love to see learning in action!!

Bust the Burglar

I love it when a random idea turns out to be one of the best things I could do for my students.  I have been trying to figure out an interactive way to engage all of my kiddos and I seem to have finally stumbled upon it...meet my burglars.  To be more precise BUST those BURGLARS!

This new series, Bust the Burglar, allows students to work together to find the 6 burglars hiding out in their learning.

Students must read, solve, and identify while on the hunt for the burglars.
I love the whole group practice, but I really appreciate that this can become a center that everyone wants to play over and over.

The kiddos enjoy using the rekenrek to solve some of their math facts.

What do you think?  What concepts do you want covered in this series?  

Swing on over to my Facebook page for a chance to win this bundle.

What I'm Loving - Games

I love teaching and reviewing through games.  Not only do they reinforce team work, but games allow students to gain confidence and establish strategies.  From day one, games are used in my classroom for whole group, small group, and individual practice.
Check out the games I love:

Extra Point is a great beginning of the year review for students.  It allows students to practice counting on and plus one. 

BUMP is the greatest math game!  It teaches good sportsmanship and math facts.

You can find BUMP and Extra Point in my TPT store.  They are wonderful for the beginning of the year and fall games, even though I play them all year with my kiddos.

So, I love math games, but literacy games are just as important in my classroom.  The greatest game EVER....I Have...Who Has...?  Seriously, it is the most adaptable game.  I use it for sight words, book reviews, and most importantly, learning names.

At the beginning of the year, my students and I practice each other's names through I Have...Who Has...?  Once we have mastered each other we move onto staff members.  Even though I teach first grade, I expect my students to be able to greet staff members throughout the building.  I also use this as a means of safety.  If my students do not recognize a staff member they can always ask me who the person is, allowing me to determine if they are a sub, visitor, or need to report to the office.  

What games do you love using with your students?  Check out the links below for other fabulous ideas!