Phoneme Segmenting....what a load of @$!#*

OK, so I am "intervening" at small group today. {Makes it sound like they are addicted to something}
"Hi. My name is Sally and I'm a recess-holic.  I haven't used since yesterday"

Anyway- trying to improve those very creative spelling skills, so I busted out the Counting Creatures, set out number cards 2-6 and gave each student 5 or 6 picture cards from my stock FCRR box.

They were going to take turns, place their card under the # of phonemes they hear in the word.
So, "Jack" says, "Miss Squirrels! Miss Squirrels! Miss Squirrels!" {because he always says my name three times} "I'm all done look at my cards!"
I had him tell me what the picture was and then he used the counting creatures to count the sounds.
{We were on our way to extending to writing} but alas, it was not to be....
I picked up a card- to be pictured in a moment- because I was sure it was 6 sounds, but "Jack" had it under 3.

The back of the card had potato written on it- that is not what he saw.
I said, "Well 'Jack', This is a potato.  Watch me count it on the creature. We will place it under the 6 card. Let's count the sounds."
"I did! I did! I did! I did count the sounds and its THREE!"
"Well. Jack, what word do you think this is?"

 "Poop. Watch me count it on creature- p/oo/p. Poop."
 It was at that moment that I knew this lesson had gone to #%@^#!


Heading to my big appointment today! Nervous, excited, scared.....I just can't wait!

And I love the tags- it's the answers to the questions that are the best- teachers are just so darn witty!
If I am not all swollen, I will post a pic-
Have a great Tuesday!

(Tech problem: I downloaded SMiley Monster- but when I try to use it in word or ppt, the dots on the "i" is cut off and the "g" and "y" are cut off- I have changed the size of the font and that didn't work- and I scrapped it and downloaded a new one.....any suggestions??)

Ok, NOW you can have a great Tuesday

{after you solve my problem}.

Just kidding!

Get outta here-

you have work to do.......

go........really:)

Dibel, Dibel, Dumpling....Are you a Dibler?

It's Benchmark time again! With the Veteran's Day holiday and the staff development on Monday we have exactly three days to Benchmark #2 our entire class! ORF comes in this time along with Retell, so it will take a little longer. I have 3 wonderful volunteers who graciously help during BMs and PMs.
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency falls off for us this time. But starts for K...so I am passing down my "Counting Creatures" so that by the time they get to me next year, it will be a breeze!
(Doesn't the poor pinkie monster look sad?)
I made ten of these to use in small group. They slide them on and I show a word card. They say all the sounds they hear while counting those sounds with the "Counting Creatures". And then they hold up how many there were. If the card were a cat, they would hold up the three fingers. (Because even though we taught them word families in K, -at has to be two separate sounds to get credit for them on the test)!
I used them during RTI for two weeks after the BM and also put some in center...and now when they write- they are using the invisible counting creatures to make sure they are writing at least one letter for every sound they hear.
They were super easy to make. The Dollar tree has packs of gloves 2 and 3 pairs...they are the little stretchy ones.
My thinking in the eyeball dept was if some have 2 and some have 3 and some have 1, then if 1 falls off- who can tell!?!?!?! (I know, genius, right?)

This may be the most important part of the post. When hot gluing the pom pom to the glove- insert a pencil inside of the finger do not put your finger in there!

Should go without saying, but I seriously had burn blisters on two fingers ....It is scary that they leave me in charge...
I have one more day to rest, then staff development on Mon (although that does mean lunch with the girls at Chili's)....mmmm....crispers......

Hope you like my Counting Creatures!