Five for Friday with GarageBand, Phonics, Writing and more!

Happy Friday!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs for another edition of Five for Friday.  Thanks for hosting, Kacey!

GarageBand is a great program to use when trying to motivate students to read fluently.  After practicing the different components of fluency, I have the students record themselves reading a portion of their text and then listen to their recordings.  Students are asked to self-reflect on what went well and what could be improved.  I love how honest my students are with themselves.  They really want to become better and more fluent readers.  Promoting self-reflection is key for students to make progress.   

The posters I use to review the components of fluency are from Deb Hanson over at Crafting Connections.  I love how they are both adorable and useful! 

We practiced the three sounds of -ed this week.  After reviewing these charming posters from Teaching with Love and Laughter, the students read words with -ed and then placed them into the correct columns based on the sound they heard at the end of the each word. 

They really got the hang of it and were able to transfer their learning when writing in their notebooks! :)  

Earlier this year, I picked up a few rolls of writing paper at Target in the One Spot area.  The students absolutely loved responding to their writing on a roll of paper.  We also participated in some Interactive Writing, otherwise known as Sharing the Pen.  This is another fun activity for my kiddos because they love coming up to the board to *show what they know*.  I love how the little things motivate them so much!    

 I created a Winter Books themed bulletin board in the hallway for all students in the school to view.  I got the idea from Pinterest, one of my favorite go-to places for ideas.  I've been catching students hanging out near the board discussing the book covers.  Yay!  Anything to get students motivated to read or talk about books is a great thing. 

Are you on Instagram?  I just LOVE IG!  It's splendid for connecting with fabulous teachers from around the globe, as well as getting ideas and support for your classroom.   Anyway, I've been participating in an Instagram 6-Day Photo Challenge for teachers this past week.  Lots of fun!  I enjoy seeing what other teachers are up to and get to learn a bit more about them.  If you're on IG, the challenge is hosted by @highschoolteacher.  Here are some of my photos from the first 5 days of the challenge. 

Well, there's a peek into my week.  Don't forget to link up with Doodle Bugs for your Five for Friday!