We interrupt your regularly scheduled relaxation, Target Dollar Spot spending, and Pinterest pinning to bring you this important announcement...the Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School sale is HERE! On August 1 and 2, you can get all your favorite back to school products for just a fraction of the cost. Just remember to enter the promo code BTS2017 at check out. Since most TpT sellers will have already marked down their stores, you'll score great resources at 25% off! Don't forget to leave reviews for all of your purchases to earn TpT credits...it's like getting paid to shop.
UPDATE: TpT has extended their sale for a special BTS Bonus Sale for today, August 22 until 11:59 PM. Just use the code BTSBONUS to get up to 25% off!
To celebrate the sale, I've compiled my list of top five TpT resources for a successful year in the primary grades! These products are all tried and true...I've used them all in my very own classroom, and fell in love with each. Make sure they find their way into your cart this week to score them at a discount!
Before we get to my favorites, check out some of these best selling from September to (Mrs.) May products, all 25% off for the Back to School Sale August 1 and 2 AND the BTS Bonus Sale August 22.
My best selling thematic unit is perfect for spring time or harvest time...learn all about agriculture with 100+ pages of no prep printables and the Barnyard Olympics! Check out the freebie first HERE.
Say goodbye to traditional classroom jobs and hello to Classroom Careers! Read all about this new program sure to benefit your kiddos HERE.
Improve your parent-teacher-admin communication and encourage positive behavior in your students by using my comprehensive guide! You can read all about it HERE.
Panicking for your meet the teacher night? Don't sweat it! This simple BTS Scavenger Hunt is the perfect way to introduce your kiddos to their new room. Grab it on sale HERE.
If you use HMH Journeys, this set is for you! Students use choice boards to create a unique product each week. Score the freebie sampler HERE.
And without further ado...here are my top five resources for a successful school year! Even though I use these in first grade, all of these products can be stretch for K-2, or have "sister products" in different grade levels!
This set is pure gold...seriously. These babies have been a staple in my classroom from my very first year, and are the perfect way to teach listening skills. Students are given a plain piece of paper and turn it into a work of art within 10 minutes just by following easy-peasy directions. My kiddos beg for directed draws and cheer when it's finally time to try a new one out. I use these heavily at the beginning of the year to encourage listening skills and attention to detail. I also am sure to do at least once a month for this super cute keepsake (check it out using the link!). If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that I generally let the kiddos use crayon and watercolors for some additional fine motor practice, but these drawings are beautiful even just in pencil! Try out a freebie version HERE.
I just discovered this gem last year, and I wish I had known about it earlier in my career! This fast-paced math game is a complete breath of fresh air. I simply split my class in two and we're off. Students compete against one another, not realizing that they're becoming fluent with their math facts as they play. We play knockout every day at the end of math class. My kiddos even play it on their own during indoor recess! I own the bundle pictured above, but there are many other versions as well. You can try the freebie version HERE!
If you use Journeys, stop everything and buy this set! This supplement for the series is such a time and sanity saver. Time I once wasted writing my phonics, spelling, and and sight words all over my whiteboard is now dedicated to actually practicing those skills. This series has become a fun part of our daily morning meeting and is the perfect way to slide into our ELA block. Each day has a corresponding slide that is projected on the board for students to practice. My kiddos absolutely love leading these lessons and have so much fun with the daily game. Click HERE to watch a great tutorial before buying this amazing product.
Yep, another product from Beyond the Beanstalk! I just started using UnHomework last year and it was a huge hit. For my first few years of teaching, I used traditional weekly homework packets, and they flat out didn't work. The students who needed the extra practice rarely completed their packets; my students who did complete their packets every week would have been succeeding in school even without the homework. I was completely frustrated with this and luckily stumbled upon this fabulous blog post all about UnHomework. Read it, buy it, and you'll revolutionize your classroom! Students, teachers, and parents alike have much to gain from this incredible alternative to traditional homework.
Even though my reading series comes with great books for guided reading, sometimes they're just not enough. This collection of passages was exactly what I was looking for! Each grade level set has 15 informational passages and 15 fiction passages, perfect for 30 weeks of fluency practice! After organizing copies of each passage in an organized binder with page protectors, I now have the perfect resource to supplement my guided reading lessons. The comprehension questions provide a wonderful quick assessment and the progress monitoring graphs are pure genius, especially at conference time. You can try out a sample first HERE.
All of these products are sure to help you for the upcoming school year! What are your other must haves for first grade? Sound off in the comments below. Happy shopping!
