AppleTrees&HoneyBees
Words to Live By
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. -Walt Disney
Photo Session Giveaway
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Back to School
Can you believe it is almost that time again? I can't believe how quickly time is flying by...so much for my awesome tan and organized house I was for sure going to have accomplished this summer!
That first day of school can be filled with mixed emotions. For those that are in their first couple years of teaching, it can be helpful to have a game plan or layout of what your first day should look like. Check out the following link for a great packet that puts everything together for you!
First Day of School
That first day of school can be filled with mixed emotions. For those that are in their first couple years of teaching, it can be helpful to have a game plan or layout of what your first day should look like. Check out the following link for a great packet that puts everything together for you!
First Day of School
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
May Reading Strategy-Visualizing
May Reading Strategy
Visualizing
Students
create mind pictures and visualizations when they read. Good readers will take
those pictures and visualizations and use them to better comprehend text. Albert Einstein once said, “If I can’t
picture it, I can’t understand it.” As the reader creates pictures in their
mind of what they are reading, other senses will become involved. This will
enhance their connections with and comprehension of the text. How to help your child use this strategy:
To help your child visualize while reading, try the following:
·
Share wordless picture books with your child. Have your child
create a story of what is happening.
·
When reading aloud, stop often to describe the picture you have in
your mind.
·
After reading time at home, have your child draw what they see in
their mind.
·
As
they read, have them make a movie in their head. Then transfer the scenes to
paper.
·
Have
them describe their five
senses. After
reading, ask them what
sounds, tastes,
and touch images they felt while
reading the text.
·
Another
way of talking about visualizing is to talk about creating a “mental picture”.
As they read, ask them to talk about what their mental picture looks like.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Reading Strategy: Predicting
Both at school and at home we are focusing on predicting or "guessing what will happen next" in our reading. It is something we probably all do, but just don't know that we are doing it! Make a conscience effort to point out predictions or ways to make them with your child.
I was taken back by some of my daughter's predictions and thoughts. She can always explain why she thinks something will happen and the explanation are truly hilarious. It gives me such insight into the way she thinks.
Predicting
Good
readers use pictures, titles, headings, and text to make predictions before
they begin to read. Predicting involves thinking ahead while reading. Readers
will be able to anticipate information and events in the text. After making
predictions, students can read through the text and refine, revise, and verify
their predictions.Predicting is important because it engages students and connects them to the text by asking them what they think might occur in the story.
What you can do at home:
·
Before
starting to read a book, article, or chapter together, have your child make a
prediction about the content. Ask your child what clues (from the text and/or
pictures) led him/her to the prediction.
·
During reading, check back on their prediction. Do
this several times during the reading process. Ask your child if they want to
keep the original prediction, if they want to revise the prediction, or if they
want to make a new prediction. Continue to ask your child to provide evidence
or support from the book for his/her prediction.
·
Take turns sharing predictions aloud while reading.
Compare predictions and share your thinking as you predict.
To
connect predicting in reading to predictions they will make in other parts of
their lives, have them make other kinds of predictions. For example, if they
are watching a television show or movie, ask them to predict what they think
will happen. It is important that they tell you why they have that
prediction. You could also have them make “guesses” or predictions about what
they think people will say or do. “What do you think Dad’s favorite kind of ice
cream is?” “Why?” Then ask and find out if their prediction was correct or no.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Pinterest Ideas=Success
I am such a Pinterest fan. In my mind, Pinterest is NOT a waste of time if you actually try the ideas out every once in a while. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to try at least 2 new Pinterest ideas each month. I have been surprised how many of them have worked. This post is all about my most recent finds that DO work.
Most Recent Successes:

Pinned from Here, this new hair style trick has saved my mornings. It honestly takes five minutes and really gives that half-curled, half-straight look! Yea for 5 extra minutes sleeping in!

I suffer from major anxiety when it comes to cooking--Pinned from Here, this Cilantro, Lime Crockpot Chicken was delish and SUPER easy...I couldn't even mess it up. My husband is quite the Mexican food expert and he was over the moon about it.

My newest love for holiday decor is printables that I switch in and out of frames. I have found a couple of great ones and I feel like everyone should be able to take part. For the first time ever, I had St. Patrick's Day decor and two days later I suddenly had modern and chic Easter/Spring Decor...check out This.
I have had my fair share of disasters as well...but that's a post for a different day!
Most Recent Successes:

Pinned from Here, this new hair style trick has saved my mornings. It honestly takes five minutes and really gives that half-curled, half-straight look! Yea for 5 extra minutes sleeping in!

I suffer from major anxiety when it comes to cooking--Pinned from Here, this Cilantro, Lime Crockpot Chicken was delish and SUPER easy...I couldn't even mess it up. My husband is quite the Mexican food expert and he was over the moon about it.
My newest love for holiday decor is printables that I switch in and out of frames. I have found a couple of great ones and I feel like everyone should be able to take part. For the first time ever, I had St. Patrick's Day decor and two days later I suddenly had modern and chic Easter/Spring Decor...check out This.
I have had my fair share of disasters as well...but that's a post for a different day!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Pale Pink = New Nude
This morning as I was getting dressed, my lovely daughter pointed out that my shoes "did not match". As I tried to explain to a three year old that pale pink was indeed the new nude and therefore a neutral, she kept insisting that my shirt (which has some pink in it) and my shoes were not the EXACT same color and therefore should NOT be worn together.I have been thinking about this. I used to have the hardest time not matching all my clothes exactly. Many episodes of What Not to Wear have convinced me. The problem is, I am not always sure how to have things "go" but not match. I follow several fashion blogs and after a Vegas shopping trip a few weekends ago, I now feel like I have some great examples to watch. How to convince my three year old the difference between mismatching right and wearing black fuzzy boots with her purple and orange sparkly dress is a different question!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Reading Strategy: Questioning

If you are wondering how to start those conversations and to ask the right questions, see below: Enjoy!
Questioning to
understand and remember: Asking questions about the content of what is read
Becoming an active reader will help your child
comprehend their reading better. Teaching readers to ask
themselves questions as they read will help them concentrate better. Besides
improving their concentration, they will also be able to determine how well
they have understood what they have read, find the areas they don’t understand yet,
connect information to what they already know and improve their memory.
As parents, you can help
your students learn to ask themselves questions by asking them first. It is
important to ask your child several different types of questions to encourage
various levels of understanding.
So what do you ask? Here are some examples:
Who?
Where?
Which one?
What?
How?
Why?
How much?
How many?
When?
What does it mean?
What happened after?
What is the best one?
Can you name all the…?
Who spoke to …?
Which is true or false?
What does this mean?
Which are the facts?
Is this the same as …?
Give an example of…
Select the best definition:
Condense this paragraph.
What would happen if …?
Explain why . . .
What expectations are there?
Read the graph (table) and find…
What are they saying?
This represents . . .
What seems to be …?
Is it valid that …?
What seems likely?
Which statements support …?
What could have happened next?
When you ask the questions is just as
important as what the questions are.
Be sure to ask questions before your
child reads, during the reading and after they are finished. Here
are some sample questions:
Questions to ask before reading:
·
What is the title of the book?
·
What does the cover tell you about
the book?
·
What do you think the book is about?
·
What do you already know about his
book?
·
What do you want to learn?
·
Why are you reading this book?
Questions to ask during reading:
·
What do you think will happen next?
·
What is the problem in the story?
·
Why do you think the character did
that?
·
When reading this part, what were
you picturing in your head?
Questions to ask after reading:
·
Describe the setting of the story.
·
Describe how a character changed
throughout the book.
·
Which of the characters did you like
best? Why?
·
What were some of the problems or
situations the characters encountered?
·
Tell about a part that you liked or
disliked and tell why?
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