Top 10 Things to Know About Me Linky Party!

There's a super fun linky party going on at Go 4th! with Mrs. Owens! All you have to do is link up and tell us 10 things we should know about YOU! She also has a really cute freebie for you to download. :) Head on over and link up!

My Top 10 Things:

1. I absolutely love to read. I was totally that kid that tried to get away with reading in my desk while the teacher was teaching (even into high school)!!

2. I love Mexican food!!! Sometimes I wonder if our little monkey is going to come out with salsa and guacamole I eat it so much... haha!!

3. I've been hooked on Blue Bell ice cream since I was 6 months old... My grandfather fed it to me and I pretty much won't eat any other kind of ice cream (except for Marble Slab or Coldstone, but it's still not the same) and I'm pretty sure my son is going to be the same way. Haha!

4. I've always wanted to write a book! I still work on it now and then.

5. I love Harry Potter and Disney World. We've been trying to plan a trip for my big 3-0 (next June!) to go to Disney AND Universal Studios... yes, I want to spend my big 3-0 at Hogwarts and with Cinderella. I totally own my dorkiness!!

6. I really want to start my masters degree in reading... if I were able to take this next year off with our son, I'd totally go back to school and work with small groups of kids in my spare time. :)

7. I absolutely love reality TV... I think I'm getting to where I watch more of that than regular TV! Haha... oops! :)

8. I love history! If I weren't teaching elementary school, I'd totally teach college history. I can sit and watch the history channel and read history books for fun... my husband looks at me like I'm completely crazy!!

9. I have 3 dogs that I absolutely love like they're my children. I have a mini-beagle named Adriane, and two yellow labs named Max and Daisy Duke. It cracks me up how clingy and protective they are with me being pregnant. I can't wait to see how they do with Liam!!

10. I am not a morning person, and neither is my husband. Having an infant here in 5 weeks or less (I'm 35 weeks today!!) will sure be interesting!!!

Grade Level Linky Party!

Head on over to The Teacher's Lane to link up for a grade level linky party! There are some really fantastic linky parties going on right now y'all!!!

Linky Party & Giveaway!

Head on over to Set This Circus Down to link up with the linky party and join in a pretty awesome giveaway! There are multiple chances to win the $25 gift card to Amazon, so click here to find out the deets. :)

I absolutely love her idea for a linky party as well! Find a new blog (100 followers or less preferably) and add it to the linky party. OR, if you have a new blog, you can link yourself as well! The goal is to spread the word about all of these awesome blogs floating around blogland!! There are so many, it's hard to keep up so it's really exciting to find a whole new collection on a new blog I'd never seen before!! Head on over to link up!! :)

What I've Learned Linky Party

Karla over at Life In Special Education is hosting a linky party! The rules are simple: link up and list as many things as you can think of that you've learned this year or over the years teaching. They can be funny, serious, or anything in between! Head on over to link up! :)

Things I've Learned:

* Kids crave consistency and discipline. Even though I was taught this in college, it's hard to believe until you really see it in place and are a witness to how much it affects them!

* You can't please everyone. No matter how hard you work, there is always going to be a teacher, a parent, an administrator... somebody... that is unhappy or expects more from you. You can only do your best and that's it.

* Kids are 150 bajillion% unpredictable. They will never cease to surprise you, amaze you, and take your breath away... While it may not always be a good thing that they surprise you with, it's definitely worth journaling or blogging about so you can look back on it later and laugh. Because you will. :)

* The kids that frustrate you the most, also tend to be the ones that love you the most. It amazes that I can be at complete odds with a student and he can be so angry with me, and then he can turn around and defend me to someone else or rub my back as we walk down the hall asking if the baby is treating me well today. This kind of goes with the above bullet point, but it's a well-learned lesson. Even though this kid frustrates me beyond reason, I know he'll be one I'm worrying about next year when I'm at my new school.

* I will more than likely go without receiving credit or acknowledgment for my hard work, tears, labor, or ridiculous hours. Obviously we don't do what we do for the credit, but it's nice to get when it does finally come around. Just don't expect it.

* Piggybacking off the above "lesson", there will always be a teacher (or teachers) that can't stand that you put in extra hours, create your own units/lessons, go the extra mile and will talk nasty about you. It's hurtful and it causes difficulty when working with those peers, but you have to remember who you are doing all of that for and press on. There will always be someone who is jealous (at least that's what I like to think) of your talents. ;)

* Hugs, kid-drawn pictures, random priceless (meaningless to most people that aren't teachers) gifts, and whispered sweet nothings in your ear are the absolute best thing that can happen to you no matter what kind of day you're having. I can't tell you how many times my day has turned around just by getting a hug in the hallway or classroom, or having a kid shout "I love you!" as they run out the door to catch the bus because I've made that big of an impact on their life. You really can't top it!

* I would much rather read with a group of my kids, have a lively discussion about the differences between a movie and a novel (this was super fun after reading Percy Jackson this year!), or teach/play games than hand out worksheets. Worksheets don't teach you about who your kids really are... conversations, journals, and interactions teach you. Here I am, 4 more days of school left, and I'm still being surprised by the little people in my classroom!

* Lightbulb moments are the absolute most satisfying moments in your teaching career. There is nothing that can even come close to seeing a child finally "get" what you've taught them in a million different ways trying to find that way to make it click for them.

* Sometimes, you have to go against the grain and do what you know is right. I do not care what anyone says: teaching a child how to take the TAKS test is NOT the same thing as teaching a child how to read and truly comprehend and interact with a storyline. I've had to learn to stand my ground (which can be lonely sometimes) and teach my kids using my belief system about reading and creating life-long readers. I don't want my students to leave my room hating books like my husband does! :(

* Kids come from all walks of life with all kinds of experience you can't imagine them having, or missing out on experiences you can't imagine them not having. I have a little boy in my class right now that has incredibly involved parents and a great home life, but is always asking me about zoos and aquariums and I really just want to take him and introduce him to the amazingness that is our zoo!! And the new aquarium that's opening in Grapevine in July!! It's so hard to know things about your students and know that you are limited in what you can do for them.

* I love teaching blogs. It's so nice to know that there are others out there that feel the same that I do about so many things, and that I'm not near as alone as I sometimes feel. Thank you all for your encouragement, generosity, and creativity! Y'all rock!! :)

* No matter how frustrated I get with political crap at school, grumpy parents/teachers, kids and situations I can't change... I can't imagine doing anything else for a living. Because at the end of the day, when I can finally push all that aside and take a deep breath and remember that tomorrow is a new day... I love LOVE love my job!

I could go on for awhile, but I'm going to stop! Go link up and share your lessons!! :)

10 Things I Want to Do This Summer!

I love linky parties. They give me something to write about and I get to meet and learn about new people. Plus they take my mind off of other life happenings, haha! Erica over at Midwesternita is having a link-up to write like a first grade and give your top ten list of 10 things you want to do this summer. I love summer, so this should be easy!! ;)

1. Buy a house. We currently have two prospects: one we love for the backyard, one we love for the house, both somewhat close to where we live now and where I'll be working next year. We've been renting for the past 5 years and the owners are declaring bankruptcy...so we have to be out of our house by June 6. While this has been an emotional roller coaster, my hubby and I can't wait until we have our very own home!!

2. Meet my son. I started my third trimester today!! Only 12 more weeks until we get to meet the little guy... which means that I'm definitely ready for that #1 on my list to happen sooner rather than later so I can start nesting and getting the nursery ready. My first shower is next Wednesday at school so I'm really really excited!!!

3. Take a babymoon. With a baby on the way and purchasing a new home, I seriously doubt I'll be able to scratch this one of my list... but Erica's stipulations were to list dreams and ideas we'd love to do if we could. I would love to do this one if we could. Ordinarily, I'd says that I'd love to travel to a beach, but I'm really leery of bathing suits right now. Everyone keeps telling me I look great, but I feel like I have a huge beach ball shoved under my skin. New Orleans is top on my list, mostly because I absolutely love that city and it's culture and I'm not sure when I'd ever be able to truly enjoy the history of it other than now since I'm preggers and we'd have to visit somewhere other than Bourban Street. Haha!! ;)

4. Go furniture shopping. This may sound a little crazy, but I really want some new furniture to go with our new house. This will literally be our very first house and I want some furniture that screams US when people visit. We have been able to buy couches, 2 new TV's, and a washer and dryer set in the 5 years we've lived here. I think it's time for coffee tables, matching bedroom furniture, and a KING sized bed!!! :)

5. Cherish time with my husband. This will literally be the last summer that it will be "just the two of us"... I want to take as much advantage of this as I can and I really don't care what we do! If we can scrape out the time, I'd love to take a couple weekend trips - Austin, Guene, San Antonio, and Fredericksburg are all within a close driving distance and have lots of fun things to do! I can't imagine my life without my best friend in it. I'm so lucky and I can't wait for our little twosome to become a threesome. :)

6. Celebrate 5 magical years with my best friend. I can't believe it's been 5 years since we got married. Seriously. It's gone so fast! What's even more amazing is that he's been one of my best friends for 11 years now, and my number one best friend for 8. I feel so blessed to be able to say that about my husband. We won't be able to do a lot for our anniversary since it will be the day after the last day of school (and I'll probably be in a pregnancy coma sleeping off the last week of school) and we will also be getting our life out of our house - remember that June 6 deadline to be out of the house? Our anniversary is June 4.

7. Get some sun. I'm so stinkin' pasty white right now!! I won't lie: during the summer, I literally live for time at the beach, being on a boat on some body of water, or floating down the river. This summer is going to be very different for me, but luckily my mother has a pool so I can veg out on a float any time I want once school gets out! YES!

8. Host a family gathering at our new house. This might not be until Liam makes his appearance in late July/early August, but I can't wait to have the family over to our house!! I love hosting things with family and friends, but it adds a whole new element of excitement when I know that this will be our house! Our first house! {Can you tell I'm super crazy excited?!?} Hey, maybe 4th of July since we clearly won't be going to the river for our usual annual excursion?!

9. Catch up on reading and movies. Yeah, this one probably seems pretty boring. But seeing as how it gets to be in the 100's here in Texas in the summer and I'm officially in my 3rd trimester... I need activities that involve air conditioning. Lots of cold, cold air. If you have any books to recommend, send them my way! I have a list going already, but I have at least two months to kill and I read fast. ;) I'm the most excited about Harry Potter, but I'm not going to complain about the new Winnie-the-Pooh, Transformers, Pirates (seeing that one Sunday!), Green Lantern (hellll-o Ryan Reynolds!!!), The Hangover 2, Friends with Benefits, Midnight in Paris, Kung Fu Panda 2, Cars 2, and The Smurfs!!! Yes, I really do want to see all of those movies. I mean, I picked what appears to be an awesome summer to be laid up. ;)

10. Cherish my summer! As a teacher, this is the biggest privelege we get. Yes, I still work some over the summer but this is when I unwind, focus on my personal life which somehow gets pushed aside 9-10 months of the year and enjoy all the things that make me Monique, not Mrs. Brasher. :)

OK, so I just thought of one more, so I have to make this my 11 Things I want to ... list. Oops. :)

11. Write. I have this deep seeded wish and desire to become a best-selling novelist. I've wanted this since I was in like 4th grade, no lie. I have visions of sitting on a porch overlooking some ancient Southern Oaks draped in spanish moss listening to cicadas on a summer evening, sipping sweet tea, and penning my latest work. Or, it could be on porch overlooking glistening water while the sun is setting against the horizon... I'm OK with that too. Either way, I'm pursuing my dreams. I have a book I've been working on literally since I was 18 that I still haven't finished... and I'd really like to delve in and work on it. Maybe even finish it. I've learned a lot since I started that book and I really feel like my experiences would add some amazing dimensions to it... sorry, rambling. Anyways, I'd really love to work on my writing! :)

Now I'm done!! :) Go link up here!!

100 Things Linky Party!

Stumbling on this linky party by Kris over at I {Heart} Teaching could possibly be one of the best things to happen to me right now. With figuring out that I've got to pack up my classroom and my entire house in the same amount of time my attitude has been less than stellar and more stressed out than I could possibly imagine so my focus definitely needs to be refined into something positive right now.

Here goes (in no particular order)...

The 100 Things I Love About Teaching:

1. clip-art
2. fonts
3. hugs at all times of the day
4. teacher stores
5. light-bulb moments
6. bright smiles
7. listening to a child read
8. children's books
9. summer break
10. back to school
11. creating units
12. field trips
13. finding new ideas from other awesome teachers
14. DJ Inkers
15. new crayons - love the smell!!
16. colored pens
17. school supplies
18. clothespins (there are so many things you can do with these!)
19. random notes from my students that say "I love you" or "You're the best!"
20. those days where I'm actually caught up on grading
21. knowing I've really reached my kids by hearing them talk to each other
22. Daily 5 & CAFE
23. professional teaching books
24. Amazon.com
25. Barnes and Noble
26. binders
27. colored file folders
28. pocket organizers
29. "special" days where we watch a movie to finish a unit (like Charlotte's Web or a fairy tale)
30. days where the kids get to wear "normal" shirts
31. field day
32. kid drawn pictures made just for me
33. reading a story by one of my students
34. pulling my ideas together BEFORE I teach the unit, not during or after
35. feeling really organized with plans
36. book orders
37. my planner
38. calendars
39. Dr. Seuss
40. making an impact on kids lives every day
41. not having to work on the weekends (unless I choose to and even then it's at home)
42. clipboards
43. kids learning new vocabulary and using it!
44. finishing a unit and the kids begging to keep going
45. our class blog
46. yummy snacks in the teachers lounge or unexpected goodies at a faculty meeting
47. stellar staff developments (you know, the ones where you actually walk away with new knowledge and you were happy to give up a day or two to be there!)
48. teacher blogs
49. scholastic
50. 3 day weekends!
51. lessons like the life-cycle of the butterfly
52. laminating
53. kid work displays
54. new bulletin boards (either purchased or created)
55. random days to the park (like tomorrow...)
56. the end of the school year
57. setting up my classroom
58. birthdays and cupcakes
59. class celebrations
60. The Reading Teacher magazine
61. post-its
62. glue sticks
63. containers of any kind (I'm a little OCD)
64. the Mailbox
65. teacher newsletters in my e-mail
66. school spirit days - yay for t-shirts and tennis shoes! (I miss jeans though...)
67. computer time
68. lunch
69. Fridays!
70. getting through every single thing I had planned in one day... that never happens...
71. when kids do something and you don't have to ask them to!
72. having a kid recommend a book to me
73. class pictures
74. dollar tree or the $ spot at Target
75. TpT
76. my kidney table
77. reader's notebooks
78. colored copy paper - I LOVE color!
79. library pockets
80. donor's choose
81. days I get home "on time"
82. getting ahead on my plans
83. eating lunch with my kids (every once in awhile!)
84. watching bill nye or magic school bus with my kids
85. read in's!!!
86. rewarding my students for hard work
87. staples (the store)
88. kohl's for kids :)
89. teaching those "special" things that aren't really part of the curriculum but you squeeze in anyway... *cough cough*
90. dry erase markers
91. hugs from my now 4th graders
92. having a parent tell me what a difference I've made - we all love that, right?!
93. seeing success with my kids
94. going to outside stuff for my kids (softball games, etc...)
95. days where my kids are all on green or higher (this is very few and far between but they are GREAT days!!!)
96. white boards
97. stamps and stickers
98. copy machine
99. making up songs to popular music to teach concepts :)
100. fun events like the great poetry race or the superbowl reading challenge


What are YOUR 100 things you love about teaching?! Go link up!!

End of the Year Linky Party!!

This is what happens when you sit down after a long day (and a baby causing kidney and nerve pain in your back) and put up your swollen feet to catch up in blogland. I write 3 posts in one day. :)

What's the Buzz is hosting an End of the Year linky party! What fun things do YOU do for the end of the year??

I've done a number of things the past 4 years... and honestly I don't always feel like I'm doing enough. But don't we *always* feel that way?? ;) My first year teaching, my friend and I got adventurous with our 1st graders and taught them how to play kick ball (our PE teacher refused to teach them for some reason) and we had a class on class kickball game! Funny that that's really all I remember from my very first last day of school... haha!! Our last day of 2nd grade (my next year) consisted of movies, a read in (with sleeping bags and pillows), and a cookout - hot dogs cooked on the back of my husbands pick up and everything! Lol! We also did ice cream sundaes to wrap up our last day! It was very very fun!!

My past two years in 3rd grade have continued to consist of a movie day combined with read in (this really helps me wind down and it's nice to just *breathe* right before that last stretch...) and also of making memory books - I print out pictures from our year and they cut and paste and craft their own memory books which they can turn around and get autographed. They love this and I think it's a great opportunity for the kiddos that can't afford a yearbook. PLUS, it's all about *our* fabulous class and no one else! I've also brought donuts for us to eat together for breakfast! (They really love that one!) I usually do a slideshow on the very last day (which my pregnant self might not be able to handle this year, especially since I'm leaving the school), but I might push that up to awards day... We will see!

School wide we have field day, awards day, then our end of the year parties... Our end of the year parties consist of wet bounce houses! While the kids love them, it's really hard to get them back under control for the rest of the afternoon, haha!! It's a great memory that always lands on our class website, in the slideshow, and in memory books. :)

This year I'd really like to do something a little different and I was already throwing the idea of a luau around... then I stumbled on this post in this linky party and fell in love!! It's like I was destined to find this post and solve my dilemna. See?? This is why I *LOVE* linky parties!!! :)

Prepping for Next School Year Linky Party

Time4Kindergarten is having a linky party about how to prepare for the upcoming school year. I'm really excited to read all the posts in this linky party because this is probably where I struggle the most, but won't really be "allowed" to struggle in this upcoming school year since I'll be missing the beginning of it!! EEK!

I'm so impressed with the people that have mentioned copying so far ahead!! And jealous! I only plan ELAR in my grade level so to do that I'd have to overstep team members and plan 100% on my own. I guess that will all change next year since I will be in one of two grade levels! Baby steps, right?? ;)

So far, to be prepared for next year I have:

1. Begun "the" list. I am literally the world's worst about making lists. I swear I have notebooks of lists. Haha!

2. Organized piles of things I want to laminate but haven't (maybe one of my parent volunteers can help me out with this before the year is over!)

3. Put all my "forms" into one place - I plan on organizing this by subject in a notebook so I know where everything is!

4. Begun to think about what I like about my room this year, and what I'd like to change - bulletin boards, meeting areas, etc...

5. I'm thinking about my reading workshop and how I want to approach it next year since I'll be out at the beginning with maternity leave (*if anyone has any suggestions about this, I would really appreciate it!!*) - and I'm holding off on finding out exactly what I'll be teaching for next year to begin to think about math.

6. I've got a list of professional books I'd like to read and possibly revisit if I have the time.

7. I've got a booklist I'd like to start hunting for to expand my library!

8. I've also got a list of questions ready to help me get ready even more for when I can meet with my new principal and/or team!

9. Trying to start my maternity plans - at least the procedures and everything else "generic" that I need to have ready before I start inserting the actual academic parts!

10. Starting to pack up little sections of my room so I can be super organized for whenever I can get into my new room... whenever that is. I'm a little OCD so the concept of missing out on the beginning of the year in a new school is freaking me out a bit!! Especially since I'm probably not going to be able to have my room exactly like I like it by the time the year starts since I'm due Aug 14.

11. I need to make a list of supplies I might need to purchase to be prepared for the beginning of the year: folders for data folders, replacement binders/folders/pencil pouches, etc... for MOOSE binders, folders/binders (depending on deal) for reading/writing folders.

I sure do have A LOT to do before next year, haha!!

I'm having to do things a little different than most of you since I'm switching schools next year. I've already been moved to a school due to RIFing in our district but I'm unsure of if I'll be in 3rd or 4th... or if I'll be teaching ELAR and social studies or math and science... Hmmmm....

So depending on how things look at the end of next week, I'll also be:

3rd grade:

- making copies of what I've already got for the beginning of the year

- adjusting my plans to meet the expectations of my new school as well as new ideas I'd like to incorporate

- creating units to supplement what I've already got and data folders

4th grade:

- making adjustments to copy/plan with the 4th grade curriculum

- creating entirely new units to go with the new grade level

- creating new games to go with reading/math workshops

- reading new material to prepare for state writing test (we don't focus on writing near as much at my current school in 3rd grade so this is going to take a little bit of extra prep for me!)

- create new wall posters to prepare

I'm sure there's a lot more I have going on, but it's nice to at least have it all in one place on this blog! Sorry if seems like I skipped around a bit, pregnancy has really brought out the ADD in me so it's not always easy to organize my thoughts. :) If any of you have suggestions about how to deal with moving schools and being on maternity leave the first six weeks of school, I am *all* ears!! I'm trying to get myself as organized as possible, but I'm really freaking out!! Thanks all!

Teacher Appreciation Week Linky Party!

Mrs. Parker over at Learning with Mrs. Parker is hosting a Teacher Appreciation Week Linky Party! So here I am, linking up, and sharing several of my absolute favorite teacher appreciation gifts.

I've gotten lots of things in the past five years from my kids, but I have to say that there are very few that truly stand out. Of course I always get the candy, the small stuffed animals, the occasional mug... but my favorites are the random drawings I find on my board, desk, and sticky notes strategically placed where my kids know I'll be sure to find them. It's the hugs I get from my students from last year and the random conversations I have with them that let me know without them ever having to tell actually say the words "I appreciate you". I think that's one of the most heartbreaking things about being moved from my school - I won't get to see my babies from this year, next school year. It makes me so incredibly sad!! :(

Back to teacher appreciation...!!! Here are just a few of the sweet nothings my sweet babies have given me over the past year... :)

OK, I give up on re-uploading this picture. It's right side up until I upload it to Blogger. :(My #1 favorite present from one of my students last year - she MADE this blanket in TCU colors for me!! I take this thing everywhere, including the hospital when I was there overnight!

My kids love TCU, just like me!

Lizard and frog keychains made by a student! :)

Random post it! I *love* these things!!

From one of my kids after announcing Baby Brasher was on the way!

A random pudding cupcake that tasted pretty delicious! ;)

Isn't this precious?!

I love that my kids appreciate me daily rather than just one day or week out of the year!! Be sure to link up and share about your special teacher gifts!!

School Year Successes

I joined the linky party over at Ladybug's Teacher Files! Head on over there to share your own successes!!

I've had a very difficult time trying to come up with what I consider a "success" in my classroom this year. I feel like my kids have had successes all over the place, but I have such a *diverse* class this year, it's hard to pin down one that I really want to brag about more so than any other. Then I considered that maybe it just doesn't have to only be about my kids!

I'm highly critical of myself. I'm also a people pleaser and just want to be patted on the back, accepted, and told I'm doing a good job. Much like the dogs I cherish so much at home! I'm also very passionate. When you mix all of these up together, I'm just one big bundle of sheer complicatedness. Combine these qualities and add some self doubt cast by a previous principal who was about the least supportive administrator I could have ever asked for, and I walked into this 3rd grade position three years ago with my tail between my legs and ready to do what anyone told me to.

This is now my third year in 3rd, and I told myself in August I wasn't going to try so hard to just "go with the flow" and I was going to do what I wanted to in my classroom. Now don't get me wrong, I've always kind of done what I wanted to, but I wasn't consistant with it nor was I ever fully confident in myself that I could truly pull off the visions I wanted to with my class without the support I desperately was seeking from my team and admin. Now, I'm not for one second criticizing my team or admin... they just come from completely different teaching schools/eras than I do. It can make it really difficult to get the approval you think you need when there is huge air of unfamiliarity about what you're trying to do.

In my fifth year of teaching and my third in the same grade level, I walked off the plank with my eyes closed and never looked back. I dove into my vision of what a reading workshop needed to look like - a combo of Daily 5, CAFE, some Debbie Miller, and some Fountas and Pinnel and started swimming furiously. I truly think God blessed me with the class I have this year to enable me to push them which in turned caused me to push myself. I've had my share of behavior challenges (among other things) but I've never been so proud of where my kids are only 5 weeks from the last day of school.

On our last reading benchmark, I had 100% passing and 15 of my 21 were commended kiddos with just a couple more ready to burst through the barrier. I've never had such outstanding scores, but I've also never had the confidence I had this year to really pursue what I felt I needed to be doing in my classroom. So because of my success at pushing myself to be who I wanted to be as a teacher (which is, of course, still evolving!) I enabled my kids to have great success as readers. :)

They took their reading TAKS test on Wednesday, and I watched their little faces as they embarked on their very first standardized test. They were calm, they were focused, they were ready to take on the world. They read the stories, read the questions, flipped back to the story, and answered the questions with an ease that lifted tons of weight off my shoulders. I didn't teach my kids any acronyms to tackle this test: I taught them to become voracious readers that simply flip back and re-read to find what they're looking for. Yes, this was a gamble on my part, but I've never felt so satisfied that my kids can discuss any book, quote straight from their reading, argue opinions, etc... 100% of my babies could pass the reading benchmark in March with no maybe dots, paragraph numbers written next to their answers, without circling captions, pictures, and charts. My babies are true READER'S. And these little reader's are fierce when it comes to standardized tests because I've already pushed them and asked for more than any multiple choice question on that test could. I've never felt so calm watching them take their TAKS tests... I can't wait to see how much they shined!