Happy Thursday, y’all! It feels so good to be back! Thank you for all of your kind words on yesterday’s post. I’m slowly but surely working my way through them and responding to each comment. I just adore y’all!
Today I wanted to talk about something special I’m doing for Cate and Lucy as we start this crazy homeschooling adventure.
My number one goal (the only goal, truly) is to make them love, love, love, LOVE reading. I am doing this in a variety of ways. Book baskets, creative activities, exciting read-alouds, I could go on and on. But one way to make them excited is to make learning FUN. For whatever reason, they have lost their love of learning IN SECOND GRADE. That horrifies this teacher’s heart.
But not to worry…I have a plan. It might be a work in progress, but it’s a plan.
One way I’m making learning fun is by giving them individualized and special tools for learning. And I’m starting with their reading journals.
Have you guys seen happy NOTES™️? They are adorable notebooks by The Happy Planner®️. Same discs, same dividers, same concept. But the pages are notebook paper/grid paper vs planner pages. Recently Joann had a big fat 70% off sale and I snagged a couple of the BIG happy NOTES. I got the Be Kind BIG notebook and the Geo BIG notebook.
Note: ALL products below are from The Happy Planner®️. They are starting to trickle into Joann and Hobby Lobby and will be available on The Happy Planner®️ shop TOMORROW.
Then I got to work customizing each notebook. I added some pen holders (these are from the Miss Maker collection. HERE is something similar that’s currently available.
Next I designed the title pages using the free Hello Literacy fonts from Teachers Pay Teachers. HOW CUTE? I’m going to let each girl color the little girl to look like them.
Next I printed a list of second grade sight words and added them to the notebooks using my Happy Planner®️ punch. Y’all- this punch is my FAVORITE. I use it to add ephemera, photos, lists, you name it- to my planners. It’s the best.
I also added Healthy Hero inspiration cards as well. I’m all about cheering my girls on during this journey.
The final touch was these super cute Miss Maker ribbon clips and these Healthy Hero bookmarks. Progress not perfection. Can I get an amen?
Okay, that’s it for today! I hope you all have a beautiful and blessed day. Love to you all!
xoxo
Stephanie
I will repeat second grade for you!!! What a great job!! I can’t imagine how much this will inspire them.
Come on over! I’ll add another desk to the classroom!
You did a great job on these! I know that 2nd grad Me would have loved to have one of these to track my reading! (Actually, sometime during late elementary school, I got my hands on one of the free little notebooks that they would give you with a Hallmark purchase, and used that as a book journal! It was definitely not as pretty as these!) The girls are so lucky to have you as their teacher!
You are ALWAYS such a wonderful and encouraging friend. Grateful for you!
I’m so grateful that you are sharing your journey with Cate and Lucy. I also have a struggling reader in 2nd grade. I’m happy with her teachers (past and present) and the work they do in class. I’m trying not to worry about this too much. Alyssa is my 3rd child (so I know every child learns in their own time) and her older sister wasn’t a fluent, excited reader until the end of 2nd grade. But I want to do everything I can to encourage and support my girl. I’ll take any advice you can give!
I have to share this story with you. Alyssa’s nightly 20 minutes of reading is always a struggle. The other night we were at the dojo waiting while my other daughter took a karate class (Alyssa had just finished her own karate class.) I suggested that Alyssa get a few minutes of reading done and she immediately began to fight me. She stopped mid-sentence, looked over at the new fish tank and asked, “Can I read to the fish?” Heck yes! I moved a chair over so she could have a good view of the fish and she happily ready for 10 minutes. I was so happy I almost cried.
Love the journals!
I use Story baskets in my classroom. They work well with simple storybooks. In the baskets, I provide the book, key character toys/animals/dolls and accessories etc…that the children can then in turn use the items to re-tell the story back to you, almost like doing a little play. It is a good way to see if they understood the story, helps with roleplay , sequencing and memory. Have fun:)
Omg adorable! I wish I was in your class!!!