What is your Go-To book?

Stephanie over at Teaching in Room 6 is having a linky party.  What is your Go-To book?  I think that one of best books around about teaching literacy to children with severe disabilities is "Children with Disabilities: Reading and Writing the Four-Blocks Way" by Karen Erickson and David Koenhaver.

I saw Karen Erickson at a conference and she is absolutely amazing.  If you ever get a chance to see her, you should.  This book will give you some excellent literacy ideas for children with mild to  severe disabilities and for children that use augmentative and alternative communication.

The book is written with sample classrooms and children, offering practical real life examples, and sample IEP goals. It is not necessary to have an understanding of the the Four-Blocks framework to use the ideas in this book.  The suggestions can be used in any literacy program.  If you have a special needs child in your class, you need this book.

What is you go-to book?  Head over to Stephanie's blog and link up.

Another Giveaway

Melissa over at




is having a giveaway for her 40th birthday.

It features one of my units so follow me here and click on the picture above to head over there to let her know.

Don't forget to also check out my give away here.

New Snowmen Sight Word Activities

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope it has started off well for everyone.  I have uploaded four new sight word activities to my TpT store. 

Simple and easy sight word matching game for children working on identifying sight words.  Match the sight word hat to the correct Snowman. Each kits contains all the words on each of the Dolch word lists.  The grade one and three kits also contain one blank. Perfect for literacy centers. Print, laminate and cut out.  Click on each picture to go to the file.

Don't forget to enter the give away here

New Year Resolutions

Just like everyone else, I can't believe that today is the last day of 2011.  Where has the time gone?  I'm joining up with A Teacher's Treasure to post my resolutions for 2012.  As I reflect on 2011, it was full of new adventures.  I started a blog.  I started a TPT store.  And just recently started a FB page.  It also contained saddness as I lost a dear friend to a tradegic accident and we lost two former students.

I don't know what 2012 will hold but I'm hoping for wonderful things.  Here are my resolutions.

Professional:

1. I would like to put into practice the math work stations I learned about last year and do some more reading on literacy work stations.  I haven't quite figured out the best way to impliment it because I only have 3 children that are totally independent.

2. I need to be more organized.  My desk is always a mess. 

3. Better impliment the assistive technology in my class.  I have 4 children using switches with their computers.

Personal:

1. Lose the 50 lbs I've been carrying around for the past 5 years. 

2. Continue to blog on a regular basis and I write some articles on switches and assistive technology.

3. Continue to make quality products to add to my store.

4. Spend more time with my husband and kids. 

Here's to a wonderful 2012, filled with love, hope and joy.  Have a safe night everyone.


Don't forget to enter my Giveaway by following my blog and TPT store and leaving a comment here.

11 in 11 linky party

Hadar over at Miss Kindergarten and Kristin over at A Teeny Tiny Teacher are hosting a linky party.



  

I can't believe that 2011 is coming to an end.  Where did the time go?  2011 held some wonderful things.  Will 2012 hold even more.  Here are my answers

11. Favorite movie you watched:

I would have to say "Brides Maids".   I saw it with my girlfriends and it was wonderful.

10. Favorite TV series:

I didn't get a lot of time to watch much tv this year but did try and tune in the X-Factor when I could.

9. Favorite restaurant:

Probably Swiss Chalet.  Love their chicken. 

8. Favorite new thing you tried:

Definitely blogging.   If you had asked me at this time last year if I would be blogging. I would have said you were crazy.

7. Favorite gift you got:

My Nana died just before Christmas last year.  My mum just gave me a beautiful necklace that was hers.  It's a cross.

6. Favorite thing you pinned:

My next favorite thing is pinning. There are sooooo many great ideas there.  We did this on our door this year.

Source: ironcountymcf.com via Mandy on Pinterest

5. Favorite blog post:

My favorite blog post was the one I just did on our Christmas Concert.  The children worked so hard and it really turned out well.

4. Best accomplishment:

Having over 300 followers.  I still can't believe that people actually read what I write and want to keep coming back.

3. Favorite picture:

All of my favorite pictures I can't share because of the kids in it.  Here is one of my boys from the summer when we went tubing with some friends.

2. Favorite memory:

When we told the children we would be taking them to Disney in the summer of 2012.

1. Goal for 2012:

To continue to blog on a regular basis.  To continue to add products to my store. And the usual get fit, eat better goals that never seem to last long.

Christmas Tree Sight Words Matches

I had such a fabulous response to my Christmas Tree Sight Word Match that I made the activity for the other Dolch lists.  The first and third grade lists also contain a blank for you to add your own work.  Click on the pictures to be taken to the activities.

Freebie Friday

Here is a freebie to cheer up your Friday.  

   Head over to TBA for more great freebies.