It's the TES Back to School Sale!

Tes is running a Back-to-school sale from 27-31 August! Resources £5 or above will be discounted with 20% off during the sale.

Free Stuff for Teachers on TPT

What are your thoughts on freebies?

Freebies are great, aren't they? They are a fab way of seeing what a seller has to offer, and giving a taste of your own material for others to see. But there's more to it. . .

There was a really insightful conversation on the TPT sellers' forum recently that I got hooked into. It seems that many people (334 people contributed their views) are concerned that lots of visitors to the site only do so for the freebies. Not only that, but there seem to be more and more large free items on TPT that could (and should) easily be priced at $5 or more. To quote one contributor, "If the teacher can get it for free, why would he/she pay money? I just saw a whole Mitten Unit {53 pages} for free and that same person has a free Christmas Unit {over 50 pages} as well."hy buy milk when you can have the cow?

For some time now I too have been concerned about the length of freebies being offered through TPT. Regular followers of my blog will know that I am a fan of freebies - they are a great way of attracting traffic (new and existing), generating new business and rewarding loyalty. Freebies are short, crisp adverts for the full product - a taster to whet the appetite. But many freebies I have seen are huge (some as large as 40 or 50 pages!) and should really sell with a price tag of at least $5 and upwards.

LBH...

Yes, let's be honest. Wouldn't you think twice about spending money when you could get it for free...?!

In the approach to Christmas and New Year I had so many ideas for units, packets and lesson plans. I had all the graphics lined up at some cost, and I set aside some time. But I thought twice about it, partly because I knew that there were so many free resources floating around out there at that time of year. Yes, I managed to get my Polar Express unit out (because I love Polar Express and because I needed it anyway for my own children), and a few smaller resources, but my grand ideas were shelved.

As a result I have become quite selective about what I produce - units and study guides based on picture books that contain lots of supporting activities and centres, literacy and maths activities that target a specific area, stuff designed for my own kids etc. I loved making my unit based on the book "Jesus' Party" - it took a lot of time and effort (a full script for a Christmas pageant with a difference, plus a full pack of activities to accompany the book) but I was very pleased with the result and I knew that there was nothing similar being offered as a freebie. I am also at this moment mind mapping units on some fantastic picture books and some phonics resources, all of which I know I will be able to use with my own kids.

How Do You Solve a Problem like Freebies?

Reading the posts on the sellers' forum, it's pretty obvious that feeling on this subject runs high. I was so pleased when Paul, TPT founder, joined the conversation in his usual level-headed way. As a result, he issued new guidelines to TPT sellers in his January 2013 update message. It is good news that sellers are being encouraged to keep freebies short and sweet - under 10 pages if you include accreditations, cover sheets etc, with 2-5 for the meat of the resource. As he says, "10's of thousands of short and sweet freebies is really fantastic for our users. We don't need to give away the whole kit and caboodle, and we don't want to begin undercutting each other or starting price wars or anything. TpT is already famous for being good value and we have to remember that we are businesspeople now (who work hard on our stores), and that this new approach to freebies is better suited for long term success for everyone, and that's good for our buyers."

You can read Paul's message here.

My Freebies?

I do have a few freebies on my site but they all tend to be a short taster for the larger units or stand-alone items like reward tags or bookmarks. From now on, all of my freebies will be available either as a short preview attached to the full items, or here on my blog as downloadable Google docs. I have also recently started a new group on my FB page (separate to my SOS-Supply page) where my followers can pick up my freebies, keeping TPT for the bulk of my stuff - the stuff that has a price tag. Click here to join the SOS-Supply Facebook Freebies Group and receive alerts about new freebies.

The Future is Rosy

With the new guidelines and with people being more mindful of how they price their work (I have already noticed a change in the size of freebies), hopefully things will move forward. After all, we're all on TPT to make a little extra through our hard work and imaginations, and not to sell ourselves short!

From This Side of the Pond....

HAPPY LABOUR DAY!

(Yes, I know that's not how it's spelled in the US, but as I'm British....) Wishing all my American friends a wonderful day - you deserve it!

To celebrate, I thought I'd give everyone a chance to stock up on back to school goodies. I have marked everything for sale in my Teachers Notebook shop. If you missed the TN and TPT Back to School Event, this is a great time grab everything you need at a discounted price. For the next 2 days everything is on sale at 40% off! Here are a few Golden Oldies you might like to check out:

A wonderful teacher friend requested a unit suitable for G2-4 to celebrate individual talents and strengths. This is what I came up with - and I absolutely loved creating it! Perfect for circle time or as a stand-alone unit.

Another commission. There was nothing around that quite hit the mark for this particular teacher friend, so I came up with this. Lots of images and great activities to engage learners in what is a very tricky area to grasp.

I am a huge fan of the work of British Author/Illustrator Anthony Browne. So I created this unit to celebrate mums everywhere. It is inspired by Anthony Browne's wonderful book "My Mum" and is perfect as a stand-alone unit or for Mother's Day.

There are lots of other great resources available in my TN shop. Pay me a visit and browse but never feel obliged. And if you have any requests for particular themes or units do let me know - I'm always on the lookout for things that will help you in the classroom.

Expo and Open House

Well, it's finally here. At 12pm CST (that's 6pm GMT) the Expo officially opened, and 848 free tickets will be available for some lucky teachers to claim. I'm a lucky girl - I got my ticket. You'll need to be quick and visit the Teachers Notebook site to stake your lot.

Yesterday I posted about the Expo and how attendees can claim a huge 30% discount on items being sold in the Vendors' Hall - do take a moment to pop along and have a look. And while you're there, remember that when you purchase one of my resources from my vendor booth I will send a free extra surprise as a thank you - an opportunity not to be missed...

Now for something else... A few weeks ago I posted a resource that I thought you'd find useful for Open House - a really useful slideshow with a cute bird theme that you can run on a loop at Open House to give parents all the information they need about your class. Well, I've been busy creating slideshows with lots of different themes. So far, we have a giraffe theme, snake theme, schoolkids theme and a really funky zebra theme. They are all available from my TN and TPT stores at a giveaway price of only $2 (that's about £1.50) and will save you oodles of time when it comes to Open House. To see them in more detail just click on the pictures below. 





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I really hope you like these. I'm hoping to work on more designs this weekend. Let me know if you have any requests. For now, I'm off to the Expo - see you there!

AWOL but now I'm....Back to School Expo

 I thought I'd start with a little randomness. Some of you may have noticed that I've been very quiet for a few days - some would say AWOL. Well, not strictly true. I have been on my holiday. This year? Gran Canaria. A week in the sun (well, more like baking heat) which more than made up for the incessant rain we've had here all summer. We had a fabulous hotel complete with Thalassotherapy spa, the larget and most complete in Europe so we were told, although I didn't indulge myself (kicking myself now though). The view from our balcony was superb and the food a dream (although I had to check myself when my vegetarian sandwich arrived and I found out - before I took a bite I hasten to add - that they'd put tuna in the mayonnaise...yew! ). So before I get down to the serious business, I thought I'd share a few of my holiday snaps with you.



The view from our terrace



Don't ask - I'm not even sure what that is..



Our daytime paradise...



... and nightime oasis. Loved the floating candles!



Just for fun. This little guy lived at the main entrance to the hotel.

So, fresh out of passport control, here I am. And I want to tell you about a very important event that's taking place this week. 

I'm sure you've all heard about the fantastic opportunities for CPD offered by those fabulous people at the Virtual Teaching Expo. Between August 25th and September 1st they are holding a Back to School Event. This is a really great way to get yourself into gear for the new school year. The Expo is all about five seminars that you can join in with at home, coffee (or something a little stronger...) and chocolate to hand. You don't need to dress up - in fact, you don't need to dress at all - PJs and slippers will do just fine. Your company is all that's required.

The Virtual Teaching Expo will feature:

• Reading Success by Annie Moffatt from The Moffatt Girls
• Technology Tools for Teachers by Cara Whitehead from Teaching...My Calling
• Classroom Decorating 101 by Melanie Ralbusky from Schoolgirl Style
• Classroom Environment and Back to School Procedures by Eric and Brian from Wise Guys
• Creating a Fun Math Environment with Math Journals by Yvonne Crawford from MixMinder

To add to the excitement, there's something new in the air. Teachers Notebook is sponsoring a Vendors'  Hall for event attendees, which I am so proud to be a part of... You'll receive 30% off your TN purchases featured in the hall. These items are available at this rate exclusively to attendees from August 25th to September 1st. But wait... there's more. As well as top class seminars, discounts on products and the chance to lend a helping hand to other educators, attendees will receive a goodie bag of freebies! Sounds like a good deal to me... Click on the badge below to find out more!

As an added bonus, I'm rewarding all my wonderful friends who purchase one of my items from the Vendors' Hall with a free surprise bonus item. Do take a minute to stop by, but most of all, enjoy the Expo!

New Kids on the Block - First Day Jitters

There are new kids on the block - or should that be new kids in the class... And all of them are probably having nervous jitters. I last had first day jitters when I started my new job a few weeks ago - we've all been there and all know what it feels like.

Last year I used "First Day Jitters" with my new class, and they loved it! For those who are not familiar with the book, I won't spoil the ending, but suffice to say it's a good one. The children predicted lots of things, but no-one worked out this ending...

This book is a real gem, perfect for those first few days with your new class. It shows kiddos that teachers are human too, and sometimes feel the same way as them. Not only that, but it opens up a whole world of activities. If you haven't already, or fancy a change from "The Kissing Hand" of "Chrysanthemum" (both of which are fantastic books), why not give this a try this year? To help you along, I have pulled together my favourite activities in a bumper pack, containing everything you need to settle your kiddos in and chase away any "first day jitters".

The pack includes pre-reading prediction activity, post-reading discussion activity, visualisation, sequencing, story map, letter to Sarah, My Perfect Day at School writing activity,What's in your lunchbox? My First Day Jitters Two Truths and a Lie, word wall, student v teacher venn diagram, compound words and congratulations certificate.

Clicking the image above will take you to my Teachers Notebook store, or click here for my TPT store. As always, I really appreciate your views, so please leave me a note if you have a spare minute.

Here's wishing you a great start to the new school year!

It's a Back to School Bonanza - Take Advantage of a Huge 40% Discount

Teachers' Notebook's Back To School Bonanza Sweepstakes for a share of $2,500 in gift certificates will kick off tonight at 12:01am CST and will be divided into two individual sweepstakes: one on August 9th and one on August 10th. Members can visit the site and enter to win each day and the winners will receive a $25 gift certificate to Teachers Notebook. Winners will be notified by email and on the site and will be able to redeem their prize just in time for this weekend's big Back To School Sale. Clicking the image below will take you straight there.

To make this a success for everyone I am also running a Back to School Giveaway and a Back to School Sale to coincide with the Bonanza.

Back to School Giveaway

Between Today and tomorrow three lucky winners will have the chance to win a copy of my full First Fractions resource pack.

Back to School Sale

Between August 11th and August 13th I will be running a Back to School Sale in my shop, with everything on sale at a huge discount of 40%. Click below to explore my store.

 

It's a great time to take advantage of huge discounts right across Teachers' Notebook, so make sure you drop by and explore.

Cease and Desist - a Solution?

As I hop between blogs, I see some of the most wonderful, creative resources. I never fail to be amazed at the creativity and skill that you all show. So it was a huge disappointment to hear about the Cease and Desist letter sent to TPT in June instructing them to remove all resources involving Daily 5, CAFE, Angry Birds, Pete the Cat etc.

I can understand how the owners of this material must feel - I'd hate to see my work being paraded and passed off by others as their own. However, in the case of many teaching resources on TPT or TN, whilst they may be wearing the banner of Daily 5 or Pete the Cat or Harry Potter or anything else, the resources themselves are original and are there to support the methodology and appeal to children. OK, it may amount to the same thing, but we all know that we get the best out of children by sparking their interest through the familiar or the fantastic and definitely the popular, and sometimes a jingle, slogan and yes, a cartoon character like Mickey Mouse or, dare I say it, Barney (..!), can do just that more effectively than any text book or lesson plan.

Cease and Desist is a pretty hot potato at the moment. It makes our job much tougher and we all have to be on our toes when it comes to what we can and can't use in our work. I remember reading an email from someone at TPT a few months ago (try as I might, I just can't seem to find the thing...) encouraging us to go out and build up a bank of original images that we could use without fear of receiving a Cease and Desist letter. What a great idea! So here you go - my first offering. I've scoured my photo gallery and put together my first packet of photos - settings and characters. Use them as you wish - writing prompts, story starters or just display them (they would make a great bulletin board display if you are learning about the UK..). Copyright remains with me, but I guarantee you won't be receiving a Cease and Desist...

Click the image for Teachers Notebook or here for TPT.

I have another pack of photos in the pipeline, this time summer flowers. Do get in touch and let me know what you think, and your views on Cease and Desist.

How Do You Teach Phonics?

An Update

Only Tuesday and I'm already flaked out...! If I can just make it to the weekend..... Then it's just Monday and I'm on summer break until September 3rd...  But-it's-sooooooo-hard......

A few days ago I blogged about teaching EAL (ESOL) children to read, write and speak English, and the difficulties involved with using phonics. You can see my post and download a free resource by clicking the image below:

I have received some really kind comments about my Monster Match resources. It's great to have feedback from all you wonderful teachers about how you manage EAL (ESOL) children's learning - hmmmm, I feel a linky party coming on....

Without further ado, here is the second resource in the set - Set 1 sounds for letters I, N, P, G and O. All of the Set 1 sounds resources will be available in my TN and TPT stores (I prefer TN because I don't pay commission there) for the very small sum of just $1. The word family resources (when available) will be a little more, simply because they will be longer. I hope you enjoy, and please remember to leave me feedback - every little helps.

 

  

Have a fab day!

How Do You Teach Phonics?

How do you teach phonics?

I am one of those teachers who has never really had to teach phonics widely in class. That job was mostly done by those wonderful teachers in Key Stage 1 (K-1). As a Key Stage 2 (2-5) teacher, I only had occasion to teach letters and sounds to children who had missed out for some reason, or who had additional needs. As such, I was not well versed in using phonics programmes, although I had been trained in various methods and programmes until it was coming out of my ears...

All that changed dramatically four weeks ago when I started my new job. As I travelled around schools in the area assessing children's English language ability, I quickly discovered that all of them - even those who were fluent English speakers - had gaps in their phonic knowledge which meant that it was going to be difficult for them to decode and spell unfamiliar words. As such, I have spent the last four weeks giving crash courses in basic phonic to around 100 children...

It's been great! I am having a ball! But I'm also a bit frustrated. Read on to find out why.

There are lots of really worthwhile phonics programmes on the market. I don't know what you have in the US, but over here lots of schools use Jolly Phonics or Letters and Sounds. Letterland was a great scheme for introducing the alphabet and basic sounds, but not digraphs or split digraphs. Some schools use POPAT. They are all very similar. Over the last two years or so, I have been using a scheme called "Read, Write, Inc". I must admit I was sceptical at first, but having used it successfully at a number of schools. I am a convert. Don't get me wrong, I am not on commission for promoting it or anything, but I thought you might like to know what goes down well over here.

                  

The scheme is suitable for all children, from beginners to phonics right up to those who are proficient and need practice with reading comprehension and writing. As I prefer the freedom to be creative with reading and writing in the classroom, I tend to just use RWI's phonics elements. The programme begins by introducing the first set of speed sounds - the basic 31 sounds. Interesting and colourful books support learning as the sounds are introduced. Once the children are secure with set 1 sounds, sets 2 and 3 are introduced - digraph blends such as -ay, -ee, er etc. As the children read through the books (which get progressively more difficult as they become more familiar with the groups of sounds), they encounter different ways of making the same sounds (eg -air, are etc). There are also "Green Words" and "Red Words" words which can be sounded and blended conventionally, and words which are irregular and have to be learned. The scheme is great fun and the children absolutely love it. I have seen some resources on Amazon if anyone would like to give it a go.

            

So I decided to give it a try with my EAL children. All of them. Even those who could speak English fluently. I found loads of fantastic resources on TPT and TN for teaching phonics, but they were all tailored to teaching phonics to children who have English as their first language. Children who start school with English as their first language know, for example, what a map is, so when they sound out and blend, they have a picture in their heads that they can associate with that word for ever and a day. Not so with EAL (ESL) children who are new to English. They do not know what the word "map" means or what a mug looks like, so they sound and blend in a totally meaningless vacuum. It falls on me to try to illuminate the poor mites, and as I don't speak Polish or Portuguese or Tagalog, I have to resort to acting. Believe me, my miming skills are second to none....! Hence my reason for being frustrated.

We all know that EAL children need visual prompts. Wouldn't life be so much easier if everything came with a picture cards..? So last night I decided enough was enough!. I sat down and started to design something to complement the RWI programme that would help my EAL children to understand what on earth it was that they were spelling out and blending. I came up with this:

It's called "Monster Match" and is based on the first 5 Set 1 sounds - M A S D and T. Top of my summer bucket list is to produce one of these for each group of Set 1 sounds, a resource for Set 2 and 3 digraphe blends, and sentence strips to reinforce learning. After introducing the sounds, children use the cards to build CVC words. Blend the sounds using the sound buttons (one sound) and dashes (digraphe blend) and say the word. Then - and this is the useful part for my EAL kids - match the word to the picture.


Initial sound sorting cards



 

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Picture cards

                                                                                                     

The first set is free, so pop along to my TN or TPT stores to download your copy now.

Happy Sunday!