Family Reading Night

My student teacher was required to do a family event! So I reached out to the amazing  Eric Litwin and Debbie Clement for some assistance!!! They did not disappoint!!! 

Eric Litwin sent posters and stickers and a book for a door prize!! 

We bought Pete the Cat Books for the children to take home with them and to read to their families! 

They set the room up with books and book marks and activities for the kids to do! 

Debbie sent us an amazing video about the importance to read and she sang her book Tall Giraffe!! 

They listened to the book The Nuts : Bedtime at the Nut House 





Here is our door prize winner!! He was so excited!! 

Eric Litwin

Subtraction with Pete the Cat

Subtraction is always such a difficult concept to teach my firsties. They seem to just be getting addition and then wham we hit them with subtraction. To some, subtraction is mind blowing!!

Kids at this age need multimodality activities and lots of practice to understand many of the concepts we are trying to teach them. I have found that with subtraction just reviewing and having them physically put things on and take things away ingrain into them what subtraction is. 

I am also a firm believer that children's literature is needed to introduce many of the skills we teach throughout the day. 

When I teach subtraction, I always introduce it using the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons! I mean who doesn't love the books written by Eric  Litwin! 

After we listen to the story and we do a number talk, then we dive into subtracting. I made a Pete the Cat for each of them and they get a small container of buttons! This is where the fun begins! They go back to their seats and we just practice doing subtraction problems with our Pete the Cats!

If you notice there are no worksheets present. J do not believe in giving them worksheets when I am just introducing the topic. We are focusing on what is subtraction and how does subtraction look! They are acting it out and we are talking as they add buttons and take them away! They are practicing writing subtraction sentences on their desk next to their Pete the Cat and we are talking about the sentences they are writing as focusing on the difference! And yes, I make them use the vocabulary!

Groovy Joe: A new book by Eric Litwin

I absolutely love all the books written by Eric Litwin! 

For those of you who are not familiar with this amazing author, Eric Litwin is a song singing, guitar strumming, # 1 New York Times Best Selling author who brings early literacy and music together. He is the original author of the Pete the Cat series as well as the author of The Nuts and Groovy Joe. Eric's books have sold over 10 million copies, been translated into 15 languages, and won 19 literacy awards including a Theodor Geisel Seuss Honor Award.

His views on literacy are amazing. He writes books to get children to read! Reading at all ages and reading at all levels!!!

His new book is the second book in the Groovy Joe series!! It is Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown!

It is written in a knock knock joke way which grabs the kids right from the start! This book gets the kids interested and it is interactive!

My kids loved it and they loved yelling who's there whenever Groovy Joe said Knock Knock!!!!

Here is a video about this new amazing book!

Another thing  I love about this book is that you can use it throughout the curriculum! I also love the way it is written! 

During ELA, you can use it for story elements, fluency, and context clues.

For writing, have the kids write invitations to groovy Joe to come visit their classroom or for the principal to come to their room to have a dance party with them and Groovy Joe!

In Math, you can use it for equations, number talks, doubles and word problems.

In Social Studies, you can use this to research Disco Dancing and learn about the world at that time.

You can pre-order your book now by clicking on Groovy Joe Below! It is due out on September 12!!!

You can enter to win a signed copy by clicking Groovy Joe below!