2/23/2015: Sam Houston

March is just a week away!  On March 2, 1793  Sam Houston was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  Do your students enjoy reading biographies?  In my first-grade Level G reader Sam Houston: Hero of Texas students will learn about Sam Houston, who was a governor of Tennessee and Texas and who fought for Texas' freedom from Mexico. He is also the namesake of Houston, Texas.  

The book is sold as a single book as well as part of two collections of books -

Level G (Set 1) and Social Studies Topics: First-grade level F/G books which includes:

F: Constitution Day; Facts about the Alamo; Garrett Morgan;

Jobs; Alexander Graham Bell; G: Why Work?; San Jacinto Day;

Statue of Liberty; Sam Houston; and Ben Franklin

2/16/2016: February is a fabulous time to study inventors!

Do your kids enjoy tinkering and expressing their creativity?

February is a particularly great time to bring inventors into your lessons to inspire your students to explore their own innovative ideas for inventions.  It is the birth month of many famous inventors, and famous African-American inventors are also fun to study as part of Black History Month.  For example, my first-grade level F reader Garrett Morgan: Inventor, will describe to your students the important inventions this great African-American inventor made, including the traffic signal light. This is one of the books contained in the collection of leveled readers entitled "Famous African-Americans in U.S. History, Leveled Books for Grades 1 – 3."

February 11th is the birthday of birthday of Thomas Edison.  My first grade level E reader “Thomas Edison: Inventor” will teach your students interesting facts while they will build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension.  Benjamin Franklin recently had a birthday, on January 17th.   In Benjamin Franklin, my first-grade Level G reader, students will learn about this famous American  statesman, writer, printer, scientist, and inventor.

Combining reading and social studies activities, this first-grade Level F reader provides interesting facts about Alexander Graham Bell- Inventor of the Telephone. Your students will build their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension as they read the story, answer questions, and have fun with the criss cross puzzle.  My second grade leveled reader "Robert Fulton - Steamboat Inventor" provides a brief history of Robert Fulton's life and his love for invention. Steamboats, a submarine, and canal systems were some of the projects he worked on during his lifetime. I hope that you enjoy exploring inventions and inspiring creativity in your own classroom.

2/4/2016:Cyrus McCormick - A New Way to Cut Crops

I hope that you have been enjoying February so far with your students!  We started off with Groundhog Day and there is so much amazing Black History to celebrate for all of Black History Month!

It may soon be winter, but soon spring will be springing up and that means plants! Early spring is a great time to discuss plants, gardens, and how we grow our food.  A new addition to my TpT Store is Cyrus McCormick - A New Way to Cut Crops

This is a great book for integrating literacy and social studies. In this third-grade Level O reader, students will learn about Cyrus McCormick and his invention of the mechanical reaper which helped to revolutionize agriculture.

The book is sold as a single book as well as part of my Level O - Set 2 collection of 6 books:

• Bill Martin, Jr. - America’s Favorite Children’s Author;

• Cyrus McCormick – A New Way to Cut Crops;

• Helen Keller: Spelling W-A-T-E-R;

• Mary Kay of Mary Kay Cosmetics;

• Famous Amos Cookies; and

• Bill Gates, Riches beyond Money

1/25/2016: Groundhog's Day is Almost Here!

Groundhog’s Day is almost here! According to popular lore, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd we will be in for six more weeks of winter.  If he does not, we will get an early spring!  Probably the best-known groundhog is Phil in Punxsutawney, PA, "The Home of the Groundhog!" The official Groundhog’s Day site has a lot of great resources for educators.

If you are looking for another fun resource, your students will have fun learning interesting facts about Groundhog's Day and groundhogs when they read this play "Happy Groundhog's Day" and take part in the original card game "I Have, Who Has? – All about Groundhogs", included with the play. This fun, interactive game will have your class ask and answer questions to help reinforce facts and information shared in the play.

Written with 28 parts, the play is set at a school where the students meet the legendary groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, and are excited to learn all about Groundhog’s Day. Information about groundhogs is reviewed with a special game their teacher made for them.  

You can select this great play as your bonus item for the rest of this month! During the month of January, for each one of the new language arts books you purchase (Leaping into Language Arts series for grades 1 – 5), you can select an additional item of your choice FREE from my TpT store

After your purchase of the language arts book is made, send to me your name, email address, the grade level(s) of the language arts book(s) purchased and the TITLE(s) OF THE ITEM YOU WOULD LIKE FREE. 

Send to my personal email at: foxvalleytutor@gmail.com   I will mail out your FREE item(s) ASAP. 

1/20/2016: Start 2016 Inspired- Storewide Sale!

Start 2016 inspired!  Haven Hill Learning is participating in the sitewide TpT sale on Jan 20-21.  For these days only, enjoy 20 % off products in my TpT store and then use code START16 to get additional savings!

1/18/2016: For January, buy a Language Arts book and select an additional item FREE!

I hope that you have been enjoying 2016 so far!  

During the month of January, for each one of the new language arts books you purchase (Leaping into Language Arts series for grades 1 – 5), you can select an additional item of your choice FREE from my TpT store at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sue-Peterson-3911   

After your purchase of the language arts book is made, send to me your name, email address, the grade level(s) of the language arts book(s) purchased and the TITLE(s) OF THE ITEM YOU WOULD LIKE FREE. 

Send to my personal email at: foxvalleytutor@gmail.com   I will mail out your FREE item(s) ASAP. 

Thank you for your purchase(s)!

1/17/2016: It is Almost Martin Luther King Jr Day!

It is almost Martin Luther King Jr Day!

The week Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a wonderful time to teach your students about the life and legacy of the great American Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I have created two original plays about Dr. King, I Have A Dream - The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Dream - A Play about Martin Luther King, Jr.

These plays are complete with a teaching guide that lists questions before and after reading the play, words to preview, and extension activities, your students will have fun, build self-confidence and increase in reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development.

You can read more about Dr. King in my reader Martin Luther King, Jr. - First Grade Level D Reader.  My original series of leveled books is written to incorporate the Fountas and Pinnell leveled vocabulary, Rebecca Sitton spelling words, and common core curriculum standards for grades K-6 in the United States. They are great materials for Black History Month in February as well!