Fabulous Back To School Sale

Can you believe so many kids are headed back to school already?  If you are lucky like me, you might have another month until you head back to school.  Either way, there’s no reason not to enjoy some Back To School savings and start getting ready for the new year!!

Teaches pay Teachers is having a fantastic site-wide back to school sale Aug 1-6. Use promo code B1T1S at checkout to receive 10% off! Also, tons of great sellers (including Raki’s Rad Resources) are offering additional sales off, check out this link to browse all the sellers with additional sales TpT Back to School Sales! You don't want to miss out on this, so start making your wish list today!

Also, check out the super Back to School Party at:  http://effectiveteachingarticles.blogspot.com/
In addition to participating in the big Back to School off, Lisa is also having
giveaways and contests all week!!!

 

Cultural Differences Influence Background Knowledge

How much do you take into consideration how a child’s culture can influence their background knowledge?  I always thought I tried to be aware, but since arriving in Morocco, I find myself more and more acutely aware of how life experience can change the way we look at the world, and thereby affect how we learn.  I am sure as I move through the year I will find more examples of this and will post again about it.  However, right now it is as simple as looking through clipart pictures and deciding which ones would be recognizable to students in Morocco vs. which ones would be recognizable to the students I taught in Georgia.  For example, when looking for a picture of the word meat for a student in GA, I always tried to find a steak or a hamburger already cooked.  I would never show a picture of raw meat or a butcher, because so few students have background knowledge to connect that to the meat they eat.  However, I am realizing students in Morocco almost always see meat as a part of a meal, like a tagine, or cous cous.  Students in Morocco WOULD recognize raw meat, at least as seen in (or outside) a butcher, as you regularly see butchers here and often there is half a cow hanging outside. 

The country you live in is not the only thing that affects your background knowledge, social status, family income, travel, and media influence (t.v., music, video games) can all have impacts too.  What examples do you have of where background knowledge has been different or unique for a student due to their cultural difference?  How much should we be taking this into consideration on a day to day basis with our students?  Food for thought – but I’d love to hear what you think.

FREE Word Family File Folder Game

Apparently having so much time to brainstorm without designing was a good thing!  I have so many ideas that I will have TONS of Word Family products coming to you.  I am starting with file folder games, but there are student books, power point presentations, posters, student books, and centers coming, all centering around word families. (I sure hope everyone else is teaching word families too!) 


When all of the file folder games are complete, you will be able to find a packet at my TPT store:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Heidi-Raki/Products.  Until then, look for the individual games, and know there is MUCH, MUCH more to come, and here is a FREEBIE!  The ACK Family File Folder Game is FREE!!

Back at Designing!!

For those of you who don’t already know, I am just recovering from an oversees move ( from GA to Casablanca, Morocco).  There have been many discomforts along the way, but the worst has been EXTREMELY spotty internet access.  Lack of internet access also means lack of clipart, so very little designing has been happening around here, even though I need all new stuff for this year – since I am going to be teaching 1st grade for the first time, and I have an almost 100% ESL population to cater to.  Yikes!  At least school starts in September here, and not August, so I have a little time to catch up now that the internet is stable again.

Now that I have the internet back, I kicked it into gear and completed and posted my Basic Phonics Kit (the pieces and the whole kit), which includes the Alphabet posters, Word Wall labels, Sight Word Cards and an Alphabet Student book that I will be using in the beginning of this school year.  You can find the link to the full kit by clicking on the picture to the left.

Now it’s time to work on those Word Family packets!!!

Christmas in July Sale!!!

Can you hear it? There is a faint, "Ho, ho, ho..." off in the distance. That's because Christmas is coming! Christmas in July! Have I got a sale going on for you in my TPT store...

I am offering 20% off of my ENTIRE store!

And its not just me! Check out my sale first, and then check out the other over 30 sales happening on one day only -July 18th - you're sure to find something you'll love. Click any button below to visit a participating sale!

I told you it was going to be big and worthy of the title, "Christmas In July!" Happy shopping and Merry Christmas (in July)!