If you are looking for a way to increase student engagement while applying phonics skills, be sure to check out our Phonics QR Codes. They are the perfect way to promote application and discussion of the phonics rules the students are learning. Additionally, these QR codes can be used in a multitude of ways, promoting cooperation with partner work, and independence during centers. The recording sheets are also differentiated to meet the needs of your learners, and to provide opportunities for spiral review. To hear how I use them in my first grade classroom, take a look at the video below! (This video was compiled with Instagram stories, which are only 15 seconds long, and may make the video seem a bit choppy.)

"My students love completing these activities...they don't even know they are working.
   -Kelly C.
"So good! My school paid for the rest of my team to have a license! Engaging and meaningful!"
   -Stephanie H.
"This was one of the best purchases I made this year! My kiddos are loving this activity! So easy and fun!"
   -Megan S.
"So much fun and I love the multiple levels of difficulty for the answer sheets. Let's me know exactly the students' skill level."
​   -Jane H.

If you are interested in trying out Phonics QR Codes in your classroom, feel free to give the Short Vowel Review or Long Vowel Review freebies a try! If you have already decided that you'd like to make these QR Codes a regular activity for practicing phonics skills in your classroom, be sure to check out the Phonics QR Code Mega Bundle here. You can also view individual QR code sets here. Don't forget to leave feedback and let me know how you and your students are enjoying these Phonics QR Codes in your classroom!

From Yoga with Maximo, to fun camp songs with our Moosetube friends, and getting nerdy with Blazer Fresh, GoNoodle has become a staple in many of our classrooms. But did you know that GoNoodle also has a whole other version that incorporates your class's content with amazingly fun interactive games?! GoNoodle Plus provides hundreds of ways for teachers to incorporate learning through curricular videos, learning games, and printable activities. The best part is that the students don’t even realize they are learning or practicing their skills because they are so engaged in the games and activities! Additionally, students who played GoNoodle Plus showed 50% better math scores and 23% better reading scores than those who didn’t play.

While my class's GoNoodle favorites change each year, here are some learning games that my students enjoy year after year.

1. Field Trip: My students love running and darting around different obstacles and champs as Hot Dog guides us to our field trip destination.  As they are running, they reach questions to solve and answer if you choose to do so. I love how I can add my own questions so my students are applying their knowledge of what we are learning while moving our bodies! Once students have reached their destination, they get to learn fun facts about it. Who wouldn’t want to learn more about toilets or belly buttons?! (Don’t have time to create your own questions? There are many content question sets already created for you!)
2. Bodyspell: With this activity, students use their bodies to spell out their spelling words. Teachers can upload their own lists, or choose from the hundreds of lists already built into the program. My kids love following along with Blazer Fresh to make and spell their spelling words. I also love how the more they do this activity, the more they remember the motions for the letters. So, you could be standing in line for the bathroom, and have your kiddos quietly move and spell their words while waiting. Any fun and different ways to practice spelling words are always welcome in my book!
3. Mega Math Marathon: Learning math facts can sometimes be a challenging feat for some of my students. With this video, students solve math facts while running. Once they solve a certain amount, they go into turbo mode and run super fast. They then slow down and the process repeats. My students who are more hesitant or uninterested in flash cards or fluency games are always more willing to practice their facts while running. Teachers can even choose how long they want the game to last, as well as which operation they want to focus on for that race - reinforcing the skills. Once the race is over, the distance ran is added to the total distance they have run for that school year. The goal is to run a complete marathon!

If you’d like to learn more about GoNoodle Plus, be sure to check out this video!

If you would like to try out GoNoodle Plus visit app.gonoodle.com/redeem, and use this code to receive an extended 60-day free trial: TryPlus17
I hope you and your students enjoy learning and moving with GoNoodle Plus as much as we do!

Flexible seating is a great way to help students get their wiggles out while staying focused on the task at hand. I have implemented flexible seating for one full school year, and it has now become the norm in my classroom instead of the exception. I wanted to write a blog post about it for a while, but time has always seemed to get in the way. Luckily, as a GoNoodle Ambassador, I was given the opportunity to share my flexible seating experience on GoNoodle's Instagram stories. As I started planning and recording my thoughts, recommendations, and experiences, it evolved into a pretty detailed description of flexible seating. A few followers also asked if these videos could be saved, so I thought I would save all of the stories together, and share them with you all. (Since Instagram stories are only a few seconds at a time, the video may seem a bit choppy for that reason.) If you are interested in flexible seating, be sure to watch this video!