Thanksgiving break is allllllllmost here. Tomorrow and then 2 days next week before my break starts. Can't tell ya how jealous I am of those of you who have the entire week off!!!! I wish!!!
I am feeling a little better everyday:) Good news:) AND.....I finally got to run again today:) A little over
2 1/2 miles:) AND I didn't cough up my lungs doing it AND I didn't have to stop to breathe! Oh joy:))
I am feeling a little better everyday:) Good news:) AND.....I finally got to run again today:) A little over
2 1/2 miles:) AND I didn't cough up my lungs doing it AND I didn't have to stop to breathe! Oh joy:))
I wanted to blog quickly about my all time FAVE Thanksgiving read aloud.
Turk and Runt ROCK! Love this book! I decided to use this book with one of my favorite strategies to teach/talk about with the kiddos, visualizing. We had a little chat about how, as you are reading, you are visualizing what characters, settings,....look like. (we call it mind movies in my class because I am also encouraging them to write so descriptively that their reader is able to make a mind movie)
Anywho, I had them take plain white paper and fold it hot dog, hamburger, hamburger...that gave us 8 little boxes to draw in. I had the book in a folder so they couldn't see it. I chose (ahead of time) 8 places to stop. I have talked about this before but basically here's how it goes......
I explain they need to really listen, eyes closed, and at different places I will say DRAW. I give them about 2 minutes to draw and then it's heads down again. On and on until the book is done
They loved this and if you are familiar with the book, you will see that some of the pics are really dead on:) Some of them are a hoot AND some of them were a little off
( quickie assessment......hmmmm)
It's a neat peak into their little minds:)
Here are a few of their pics:
These 2 crack me up!!!!
After pics were done, I read the book again on the ELMO so they could see the pics and compare their pics to the book. Super fun:) If you haven't read this book, you MUST!
Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner (MY GIRL IS COMING HOME TUESDAY!!!!!)
I decided to have a quick little giveaway because I am so thankful for my bloggy buds:)
This giveaway is a little Holiday Pack. The winner will get:


and a new little multiplication game I made (cuz ya can't practice those multiplication facts enough!)
I couldn't wait to make something with the absolutely adorable elves from Nikki at Melonheadz!!
I'll announce the winner on Monday:) Have a great weekend all!!
I love to read The Polar Express, then since we often have indoor recesses in December we watch the movie and do compare contrast charts. I also like one by Patricia Palocco Welcome Christmas I think.
ReplyDeleteOn thanksgiving, I love to eat everything! I always bring green bean casserole.
My favorite Christmas read aloud is the classic 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I love everything at Thanksgiving but mashed potatoes are probably my favorite!
ReplyDeleteAimee
aimee@vanmiddlesworth.org
Pencils, Books, and Dirty Looks
Hi Tara ~ Sweet giveaway! I follow your blog and both your TPT and TN stores. My favorite Thanksgiving food is gravy... on pretty much anything! :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas read aloud is The Polar Express. I actually don't read it, I play a recording of my grandma reading it. She gave me the recording and the book when I was younger (my mom's a teacher too - I'm sure it was her idea). For me, it's a great memory of her and I look forward to hearing it every year! My students get really into it too.
Thanks,
Cathy VerSteeg
cathy@missversteeg.com
www.missversteeg.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat'll be Twas the Night before Christmas!
ReplyDeleteFavourite Thanksgiving food would be mashed potatoes with gravy!
ReplyDeleteI am following you on TpT and your blog. :) I am in love with pumpkin pie :)
ReplyDelete~Stephanie
Teaching in Room 6
I'm following your TpT and TN stores. :) My favorite holiday read aloud is My Penguin Osbert. It's an absolutely darling book! Favorite Thanksgiving food: pie!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Katie
I Want to be a Super Teacher
Rolls. Rolls. and MORE ROLLS! Plus dark turkey.... oh yay Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with my kiddos! Such a cute book!
ReplyDeleteI love to eat my mom's layered potato salad. And green bean casserole. And my grandma's magic pie. And pretty much anything else we have on the table!!
ReplyDeleteI always read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. My kids seem to love it as much as I do.
Polar Express!
ReplyDeleteHow Santa Got his Job :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Thanksgiving food is cornbread :) But pathetically that is my favorite food anytime!
ReplyDeleteI love me some mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. Not from a box. :)
ReplyDeleteKathy S.
I follow on TpT and your blog! Love some green bean casserole and pecan pie at Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteYoung Daze in 5th Grade
I follow you on TPT and your blog. I really love the turkey, of course, and the sweet potatoes! YUM! Thanks for your great work! Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteI teach at a very diverse school, so we have a winter read aloud. Tacky the Penguin!
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog, TpT store, and TN shop! My favorite Christmas read aloud is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And I love stuffing!! Oh, and apple pie!!
ReplyDeleteBren P.
The Teacher Diaries
The.Teacher.Diaries.K4@gmail.com
I love, love your blog! I am a librarian at a 4th and 5th grade school in a small town in upper east TN. We have 425 students and I share MANY of your ideas with the teachers.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas book to share is the Best Christmas Pageant! The students love this book. We are planning to decorate trees with ideas from the books and let the classes GUESS which book the trees represent.
Our school also plays host to a K-3 school that was closed because of a sinkhole! So... I share my library with the elem. librarian and K-3 students. We have a VERY unique situation!
Favorite Thanksgiving food....the dressing!
THANKS again, CAthy Pate
I gladly follow your blog and your TPT store! I love the Polar Express! My favorite Thanksgiving food is turkey and mashed potatoes, eaten together.... YuM!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful giveaway by the way!
Brittany
Stickers and Stamps
On Thanksgiving, I love creamy, cheesy potato casserole...I could skip almost everything else and eat only that!
ReplyDeleteA favorite (how could I choose just one?!) Christmas read aloud is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey...such a heartwarming story.
What a wonderful, unexpected giveaway...thank you!
My favorite read aloud is Polar Express, I love the pictures! And I love to broccoli and cheese casserole on thanksgiving, and some pumpkin pie!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving is stuffing and sweet potato casserole. I could probably skip all the rest and just sit down with a big ol' plate of stuffing, smothered in gravy and a side of sweet potato casserole......only a few more days and I'll be doing just that!!
ReplyDeleteLove the giveaway, thanks for hosting!
Lisa
Super Pig and Tyrant King
I haven't been allowed to teach anything holiday related in almost 3 years so I'm having trouble remembering what I used to read. I love Polar Express, Twas The Night Before Christmas. I also love The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements, The Best Christmas Pageant, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLisa
Super Pig and Tyrant King
My favorite Christmas read aloud is "The Grinch". I am using all of the wonderful activities I have found from the blog world this year to do some fun activities with it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving is my mom's cranberries. It's a family tradition to use this crystal bowl that my great grandmother put out every Thanksgiving with cranberries. I love family traditions!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePolar Express! The movie is great but wished they never made it. I hate to hear "I have that Movie" before I read. : ]
ReplyDeletePumpkin pie! I'm counting down the days.
ReplyDeleteMy FAV Christmas read aloud is Auntie Claus...such a great story, lesson, pictures. I do voices for the characters and every year my fourthies turn back into mesmorized littles. I think they miss having a good bedtime story read with funny voices. Of course at my school it is doubtful that they had that as a norm. I love it because there is no movie...just good ol' reading a story they haven't yet seen an interpretation of!
ReplyDeleteLove the giveaway. I think I was supposed to leave an extra comment. You have been very inspiring to me. I have set up a blog, but still am trying to figure out how to make it "purty" as we would say down here in Texas. Looking for a good tutorial. Thanks for all yur inspiration. I want to be you when I grow up!
ReplyDeleteSweet potato & apple casserole with marshmallows on top. Yum - can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteI've never read Turk & Hunt. I'll be looking for it now for sure!!
I love reading "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to my class. So many things try to pull our focus away from what's really important at Christmas. It's good to remind kids that even without all the extra stuff, we should be able to have a Merry Christmas with Christ and family :0)
Pumpkin Roll!! Can't wait until Thanksgiving! I love your book choice!
ReplyDeleteI love Turk and Runt! I just shared a lesson using this book on my blog two days ago.
ReplyDeleteI follow all your stuff!
ReplyDeleteI actually prefer ham on Thanksgiving...that and biscuits!
My favorite Christmas read-aloud is The Gingerbread Pirates. It's too funny, and great for visualizing!
:) Kaitlyn
Smiles and Sunshine
I love reading T'was the Night before Christmas! They ask that I read it over and over. So sweet! BTW you are the one who inspired me to make a Boggle board - my sweeties love it. Thanks for being an inspiration; your "peeps" are lucky to have you as their teacher.
ReplyDeleteI love to read Snowmen at Christmas Time...one of my all time favorites.
ReplyDeleteI also make the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
My favorite Christmas read aloud is 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. An oldie but a goodie! My favorite dish at Thanksgiving has to be pumpkin pie. Yum!! Have a blessed holiday and thanks for sharing your activities with us!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway! Love all the hard work.
ReplyDeleteI love Polar Express. My favorite dish for Thanksgiving is my mother's Cranberry jello recipe.
ReplyDeleteI love reading Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant and December by Eve Bunting.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I could have written this post! I rave about this book every year and it always seems that no one ever knows about it! I actually uploaded an anticipation guide to go with Turk and Runt on my Teachers Pay Teachers store for FREE last week. Paired with your activity about it makes the perfect Thanksgiving lesson! Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDelete<3 Turk and Runt fan club!!
~Dana
Just finished entering your giveaway! My favorite read aloud at Christmas time is Snowmen at Night, The Mitten, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. My favorite food...it is so hard to pick just one, but I guess the one I look forward to the most is the turkey and dressing!
ReplyDelete~Dana
I love the giveaway. All of your products are awesome. My favorite Christmas read aloud is Twas the Night before Christmas. Love a classic.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you are feeling better again Tara! Are you off for the holiday yet?
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the reading lessons you do with your students. You always have such engaging ways of getting them to use those strategies!
Happy-almost-Thanksgiving friend! :)
Doing this visualization activity this week! Thanks...
ReplyDeleteOops! Favorite Christmas read aloud...How Santa got his Job or Snowmen at Night
ReplyDeleteFavorite Christmas read alouds...Holly Claus (start early, long book) and Silver Packages.
ReplyDeleteFavorite Thanksgiving food...Cheesy Pears
Love your products!
ReplyDeleteStuffing is my favorite on Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteJingle Bells, Homework Smells is my favorite holiday read aloud :)
ReplyDeleteFave Thanksgiving food - scalloped potatoes. Can't get enough!
ReplyDeleteJulene
jhoffman143@yahoo.com
Favorite Christmas book?? That is a tough one. Love the classic, Polar Express, have a soft spot for Olive the Other Reindeer. :)
ReplyDeleteJulene
jhoffman143@yahoo.com
Polar Express is my favorite Holiday read-aloud.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite read-aloud is "Santa Makes a Change." It is an O-L-D book that I have had since I was a kid, and I love that it brings back memories for me. I try to share that with my students, that books can hold memories for them too.
ReplyDeleteI really love pecan pie! And sweet potato casserole. And dressing. With gravy. Oh, the whole shebang!! We cook lots, so we are sure to have leftovers!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love your blog! So we can only choose one fave food?? Impossible....love the turkey, the dressing, the sweet potato casserole, EVERYTHING!!
ReplyDeleteRed Ranger Came Calling is a must read at Christmas. Definitely a lot of good language for older students and it deals with believeing in Santa Claus. I love the advice given about whether one really still believes in Santa Claus or not...."mind your own business". Sooo good!
ReplyDeleteI follow everything you have since you are super talented! I also love to eat sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving and I love to read the Polar Express for Christmas. I really love this season!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday read aloud is the Best Christmas Pageant Ever and my favorite dish to eat on Thanksgiving has to be the homemade rolls! Happy Holidays!
ReplyDelete