Today I needed to get a LOT of testing done one on one with my class. Even though I have a red stop sign on the end of a ruler that I flash in front of my students if they attempt to approach me during testing it still never fails that I get interrupted during the sacred reading/testing time. My team leader has a skull and crossbones that she flashes if her students try to approach. L.O.V.E.I.T.
But today was my BEST testing day! The giant red stop sign did not even come out!
Did I throw busy work at them to keep them quiet? NO!
Did I threaten them within an inch of their recess? No!
I forgot to even mention not to disturb me while I was testing.
I was too excited with the brilliant plan!
Here’s what we did!
I bought Swersty’s Puppy Palooza.
Remember this book? I read it to my class at the beginning of the year when we were getting ready to launch the daily five during our ready to read week.
Today I told them we had come full circle and it was their turn to teach a puppy to read now that they have become such amazing readers!
Then I brought in an array of small stuffed dogs.
Each child came up and chose their puppy and then reached in to a container and pulled out a collar with their puppy’s name on it. They decorated their puppy’s collar and placed in around their neck.
Blogger won’t accept that I have rotated and saved these pictures three times. I am sorry for the sideways shots!!! Next, they picked out sight words for their puppy and got busy teaching them 6 words.
Finally it was time to start teaching their puppy to READ!
Check out these amazing students teachers. I was the one that needed to be refocused! I couldn’t stand how cute they were! I just kept watching them!
It was SUCH fun! I sneaked away from testing to get these pictures! I didn’t get a stop sign flashed in my face, but this little pup above did look at me like…seriously? It’s my reading lesson! Don’t interrupt!
When we came together we got in groups and put our puppies in ABC order by their collars. The collars, sight words, and other ideas are all in the unit.
If you want to try out Swersty’s Puppy Palooza click {HERE}
Tomorrow I will be back with Mother’s Day Ideas! Have a great night!
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Love this! One of our countdown activities is to bring a fluffy friend, so this might have to come in play on this day! Thanks for sharing!
Mary Beth
Run Teacher, Run
This may be the cutest idea ever!! My kids would LOVE this! Thanks so much for sharing. I think I may have to work a puppy reading party into our last week of school plans 🙂
<3- Stephanie
FallingIntoFirst
That is too cute! My kids would love to read to puppies. What a great idea!
~Andi
How cute! And your cuties are so..cute! Sorry, I'm lacking for synonyms at this point in the evening!
I love how they were so patient with their pups…I feel a whole classroom community lesson coming on!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Halle
Across the Hall in 2nd
How much fun is that!!!
Jodi
fun-in-first.blogspot.com
This is so adorable! I love it!
Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B
This may be the cutest lesson I have seen in quite some time! What fun for your kiddos and the puppies of course!
Ashley
Live2Learn
What a terrific, outstanding, superb lesson. Can you tell what we are working on…lol This is truly an outstanding and unique lesson. I am borrowing this for sure!!! THANKS for sarahing your creativity!!!!
I love these activities! Where did you get all the puppies from? I am planning a puppy themed birthday party for my son this weekend where kids will "adopt" a puppy.
thrift shops are the easiest and cheapest way to build a litter! 🙂
Aww read to puppyyyyy!!!!
You AmAzE me . . . and now I have a new title for our Rocket Reader Celebration!!! YAY!!! And congrats on that little nomination . . . fascinating!
Barbara
Brilliant! My kids would LOVE this! I like how built in to your lesson the kids get to be the teacher to their cute little puppy friends. Students are able to explore teaching using their own vocabulary and imagination AND scaffolding is built right in. This time of year my students tune me out. Hello!?!?! I don't blame them I have been talking the entire year long. This lets them take the lead and have a chance to shine. What a great end of the year activity. Precious every picture.
Sheila
P.S. None of the pictures I saw were sideways they looked great!
Sprinkle Teaching Magic
Oh,Reagan! I love it! I am going to ask for stuffed donations next year and we are gonna teach some puppies to read!
Congratulations on your nomination:)
How'd ya like that email from Jen 56 times? Makes my 5am text not look so bad:)
Staci
Going Nutty!
misssquirrels@yahoo.com
Reagan…I totally LOVE you! So cute! My 2 year old "reads" to our dog…I just love it:)
Oh my word – that is so freaking cute! Don't you just love days like that?
That is way too cute! I know my kiddos love reading with stuffed animals… they would just eat this up!
Amanda
First Grade Garden
That is the cutest thing ever. EVER. I'm dying over here.
Will your kids get to keep their pups???
A Teeny Tiny Teacher
THIS is adorable.
❤Traci❤
Dragonflies in First
HOW STINKIN' CUTE!!!
Hey – did you see my apology to you in my post last night? hehe
I love this idea!!!
Barbara
Grade ONEderful
Ruby Slippers
This is so cute! We read this book at the beginning of the year and going back to see how far we came would be great. Also, DIBELS (a reading test I despise) is coming at the end of the month….I am thinking we could bring a puppy and teach it to be fluent. How fun!
Congrats on the nomination to a well deserving blog!
Laurie
Chickadee Jubilee
Such a stinkin' cute idea!!! I love that they were teaching the pups to read! so adorable.
-STaci
Let's Teach Something
What a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Delighted in Second
That is just a great idea for this time of year! Thanks for sharing and posting pictures too!
OMG. I may need to move to first grade so I can do this activity! So stinkinnnnng cute!
Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher
As long as you don't mind, I'm totally stealing this to use for next year. Reading with a stuffed animal will create a lot less arguing and shouting, "It's my turn!" as well as, "It's the word _________!" Thanks for another great idea!!!
-Jessica
http://wonderfulwatermelon.blogspot.com/
This is such a wonderfully cute idea!! Always find something great on this blog!