Feature Friday

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

A Piece of Crystal

I love the book The DreamKeepers by Gloria Ladson-Billings. It is a powerful read on improving the academics of African American students. The book discusses the notion of culturally relevant teaching and its inherent conceptions of the teacher and others.

One of the most powerful quotes in the book(and there are many!)comes from Ann Lewis, an Italian American woman in her mid-forties, who was in her 7th year teaching fifth and sixth graders. One of Ann's star students was a boy named Larry. Larry had had a troubling history. He was the oldest student in the class. He had been retained several times and was 13 years old in a class of 11 year olds. He had been traumatized by a drive-by shooting of a favorite aunt. Other teachers referred to him as "an accident waiting to happen." No one wanted him in their classroom.

Ann referred to Larry as a "piece of crystal".

"He's strong and beautiful but fragile. I have to build a safe and secure place for him and let him know that we - the class and I - will be here for him. The school has been placing him in the kitchen junk drawer. I want him to be up there in the china cabinet where everyone can see him."

By the end of the year, Larry had been elected class president, was involved in peer-conflict mediation, and was making A's and B's.

Do you have students in the junk drawer or in the china cabinet for everyone to see? With something to think about, this is Mrs. Morris reminding you ....

Math Workshop Activity: Candy Corn Math

Candy Corn Math

Counting is fun, counting candy is even more fun!  This is a great thanksgiving themed math activity that promotes  "Checking your work” something that not only encourages kids to slow down but it also builds independence and confidence. 

1. Gather your materials: a cheap cookie sheet with raised edges to keep the candy corn contained, some brown and green construction paper, scissors, tape and a marker. Oh and of course some candy corn. If you are not a fan of using candy for activities you can easily substitute pom poms.
2.  Start by cutting out the green husks. Then cut out the ear of corn from brown construction paper.

3.  Place on cookie sheet. (You can tape to the cookie sheet if you do not want it to move.)
4.  Add numbers to the husks. Try to add some easy and some more challenging. 

5.  Add the corn!

This activity can be extended for addition and subtraction, greater than/less than, place value, etc. 

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2011/11/candy-corn-counting.html

Guided Reading Book Study

Guided Reading - On-Line Book Study

Chapters 1 - 3

The first three chapters provide an overview of  literacy learning. Guided Reading is one component of a Balanced Literacy Model - it is NOT an isolated process. All components must work together.   The first chapter provides a quick overview of guided reading purposes and procedures. On page 2, the authors define guided reading: "Guided reading is a context in which a teacher supports each reader's development of effective strategies for processing novel texts at increasingly challenging levels of difficulty." Further along on this page they state, "The ultimate goal in guided reading is to help children learn how to use independent reading strategies successfully." What words or phrases jump out as you read those statements. I noticed "teachers support", "effective strategies" and "increasingly challenging levels".

One strong connection for me occurred on page 4 - "Teachers have found that the most effective ways to approach letter learning is to begin with children's own names ..."  This reminded me of an activity I did once with a group of teachers. I asked the teachers to write the first names of their students. Then I had them go through and see how many of the 26 letters could be taught by only teaching letters through the students'first names. It was AMAZING!! Try it! See if you could teach all 26 letters simply by using the children's first names. Names are important to children, so they will be eager to learn the letters and sounds. Much more so than isolating a letter a week.(plus it will take less time). Another aha moment happened in that same paragraph. There is no need to delay reading of texts because children do not know letters. They will learn more about letters as they encounter them in real texts. Okay, you know I have to slip in some theory. This connects with Roger Brown's theory of "form follows function." According to Roger Brown, we use literature for real purposes and within the context of those experiences we help children understand form. We talk "function" first, then we learn "form". This is why we don't teach letter of the week. We want to put letters in a meaningful context first such as words in a text or their names. This is function, then we talk about individual letters and sounds (form). I LOVE theory. We must be able to articulate why we do what we do. Okay off my soapbox.

Pages 22 - 24 (Figure 3-1) provides a detailed framework for balanced literacy. The organization chart defines the elements of balanced literacy, the value of each element, and the research that supports the element. The elements are not fixed and separate, however, they do require a different level of support. Figure 3-3 (Page 27) is a great visual that explains the components of reading and the level of teacher support. I LOVE how it shows scaffolding in action. During read aloud the teacher is in full control of the reading. With shared reading, the student shares the control (hence the title shared reading). During guided reading the child is mostly in control as they read the text. However, the teacher is right there to provide needed support. And finally, the student is in full control for independent reading,  The same applies to writing instruction.

The balanced literacy framework is a conceptual tool for planning and organizing instruction. Just as our students are at different levels of learning so are we. Each one of you must find your own entry to the framework. Some of you may have all element of the framework in your schedule. Others may have 3 of the 4 reading elements. And then some of you may be starting at the beginning. Regardless of where you are in your journey, each element is worth studying, trying out with students, and reflecting on the results. As the authors stated, "It is not the elements themselves but the teaching decisions within them that lead to new learning."

For reflection:

1. In your reflection journal, analyze your schedule to determine how much time you allow each day for reading instruction. Which reading elements are your students participating?  Are they doing enough reading? Do you have uninterrupted time for guided reading?

2. Reflect on your own personal learning journey. Where are you in implementing the balanced literacy framework.

Onset and Rime Activities

Similar to teaching beginning readers about rhyme, teaching children about onset and rime helps them recognize common chunks within words. This can help students decode new words when reading and spell words when writing.

The "onset" is the initial phonological unit of any word (e.g. c in cat) and the term "rime" refers to the string of letters that follow, usually a vowel and final consonants (e.g. at in cat). Not all words have onsets.

Why teach about onset and rimes?

• They help children learn about word families, which can lay the foundation for future spelling strategies
• Teaching children to attend to onset and rime will have a positive effect on their literacy skills
• Learning these components of phonological awareness is strongly predictive of reading and spelling acquisition

Examples

From the Florida Center for Reading Research, download and print these activities:

• Onset and Rime Slide
• Rime House
• Rime Closed Sort
• Speedy Rime Words

These articles offer suggestions for how to use simple onset and rime activities to help students develop phonological awareness.

• Tuning In to the Sounds of Words
• How Now Brown Cow: Phoneme Awareness Activities

Construct-a-word: "ig" in Pig. The link below outlines a strategy that can be adapted to teach different onset and rime word patterns. This activity helps teachers isolate and teach the rime "ig" using the book If you Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff. There is an instructional plan that accompanies the activity and extension ideas included to advance the learning process.
See example >

Download blank templates

There are several downloadable pages on the links below for building word families using onset and rimes.

• Word family builders
• Onset and rime tiles

Differentiated instruction for second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and for younger learners

• Have students create and write word sorts of the target word pattern
• Use pictures instead of words in activities for younger and lower level readers

Taken from Reading Rockets

Teaching Stones

Stones are a great concrete manipulative that are a must for some learners and a nice novelty for others. They are a great sensory material, as they are smooth to the touch. Stones can be purchased at the dollar store or craft store.

You can create many learning activities using stones. You can match upper and lower case letters, count, make words, etc. Today I am going to share a Spelling Activity.

Materials
stones ( dollar store or craft store)
multi-surface paint
a fine paint brush
clear sealer (optional)
basket or container for holding stones
clipboard, paper, and pencil (if recording)


Directions for Making Teaching Stones
1. Paint your stones if you wish. Let dry for at least an hour.
2. Then paint your letters, numbers, etc. on each stone. Let dry another 45 minutes - 1 hour.
3. Spray or paint with clear sealer if desired.
4. Place stones in basket.

Taken from No Time for Flashcards

Thanksgiving Spelling Stones

Lay out the stones to spell the word Thanksgiving. Explain the challenge. How many words can be made with the letters in this word. Take the stones and make a word. After making a word with the stones, write the word on the recording sheet. Put those stones back and make another word using the stones. Continue until all words have been exhausted.

Feature Friday: Word Family Activities

This week I want to feature a website with some fabulous ideas - The Differentiated Kindergarten.

I found this website as I was searching for word family activities. The author explains how she introduces word families to how students independently practice word families. Great resource so check it out.

Thoughtful Thursday

People who have accomplished great things in this world often cite someone early in their lives who had a major influence on what they became (a message which should be heartening to all early childhood teachers and providers).  One example is the story of Thomas Edison as related in Mental Floss (September 2010)."In 1862, at the age of 15, Edison got his first job as a newspaper boy at a train station in Mount Clemens, Michigan.  One day, while hawking newspapers, Edison noticed a 3-year-old boy playing on the tracks, right in the path of a runaway freight train....  The quick-thinking Edison jumped on the track, swooped up the boy in the nick of time, and then dove away from the speeding train.

"The action not only saved the boy's life, but it changed Edison's as well.  The boy's father happened to be the station's telegraph operator.  He was so grateful to Edison that he took him under his wing and trained him in telegraphy, sparking the inventor's lifelong love affair with all things electric."

Who inspired you to become who you are today?

Dollar Tree Orange Loofah Activities

Ideas taken from kathygriffinteach@blogspot.com

Orange Loofahs make perfect learning activities for students.  Keep several different colors on hand to teach letters, sounds, phonics, and math skills. You can cover the orange loop at the top with green masking tape to make it look like the stem on a pumpkin. Or you can color regular masking tape green with a marker.

PASS THE PUMPKIN - LEARNING GAMES

These games can be played whole group, small group, or individually.  If playing individually, the child can toss, catch, and say instead of passing around the circle.  If playing with your partner, the child can pass it back and forth between you.

For whole group and small group, begin with passing the pumpkin.  When they have learned this procedure, you can teach the children how to gently toss the pumpkin to the next person to help work on gross motor skills while playing the games too.  The bath loofah is easy to catch because the children can grip it more easily.

1.  Pass the Pumpkin Letter Sounds - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that begins with the letter p.

2.  Pass the Pumpkin Rhyming - Pass around during circle time.  Say a word.  First child says a word that rhymes with it and then passes the pumpkin to the next child.  Game continues until you run out of rhymes or you can choose a new word and keep going.  Words given can be nonsense or pretend words too as long as they rhyme.

3.  Pass the Pumpkin Phonemic Awareness Segmenting - Pass around during circle time.  Say a word.  Children segment the word that was said.  For example, the teacher or adult says cat.  The child would toss and catch the sounds "c" "a" "t".

4.  Pass the Pumpkin Phonemic Awareness Segmenting - Pass around during circle time.  Say a word.  Children will segment the word using the pumpkin as a prop.  Pumpkin on head for first sound, pumpkin on shoulder for middle sound, pumpkin on knee for last sound.  For example, the teacher or adult says cat:  Child puts pumpkin on head and makes the sound of "c." Child puts pumpkin on shoulder and says "a." Child puts pumpkin on knee and says "t."  Child puts the pumpkin in both hands and says the word - cat,  then passes the pumpkin to the next child. Each child can segment the same word all around the circle (practice, practice, repeat) or you can give each child a different word.  I usually give the same word as we are learning to segment.  This helps reinforce the skill.  Children can retain the word in their head if they see the picture of the word.  Use CVC words with picture clues to help children that are struggling with this activity.  CVC words are consonant-vowel-consonant words such as hat, cat, bat, pig, dog, top, mop, etc.

First This: CVC words - cat, bat, sat, hop, top, mop, pig, wig, dig, lip, dip, bug, rug, sun

Then This:  CCVC words (working on letter blends) - stop, clap, frog, flag, crab

And Then This:  CVCC words (HARDER to hear the CVCC) - bump, jump, tent, band, hand, camp, lamp

5.  Pass the Pumpkin Vocabulary - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that is associated with fall.

6.  Pass the Pumpkin Nonfiction Learning - Children name a fact or something they've learned about pumpkins.

7.  Toss the Pumpkin Counting - Have one pumpkin for every two players.  Have the children toss the pumpkin back and forth and count how many times they can keep it going (toss and catch).  You can set a predetermined amount of times they can start over again, give them a sand timer, or play music.

8.  Toss the Pumpkin Counting On - Students toss back and forth counting as above.  When they drop the pumpkin, they start off where they left off (counting on).  For example, they toss and catch to 9.  The next time they start with 10 and count up.

9. Toss the Pumpkin Skip Counting - Students toss back and forth counting as above except they count by 5's, 10's, or 2's.

10.  Toss the Pumpkin Greater Than, Less Than, Equal  - Students toss back and forth counting as above. Children can record each count on a piece of paper.  When the game is over, have them circle the largest number and underline the smallest number. If they write the numbers in a horizontal line, they can go back and put greater than, less than, and equal signs between the numbers.

Listening For Syllables

A syllable is defined as an uninterrupted segment of speech. All syllables have one common element, a vowel. A syllable could be one letter, such as "E" in E-li" or several letters, such as "Gra" in "Gra-cie."
Help children hear the parts of words by using familiar words like their names. Be sure to speak clearly and at a slower than normal pace, but be careful not to make each syllable sound like a separate word. It is easy for children to confuse these two topics. Before starting an activity, take time to model the process and share several samples.

Identifying syllables is a step towards hearing even smaller parts of words called phonemes.
Children need to be able to feel the parts of words as they say them. Coordinate a physical movement with each syllable in a word. Students love to clap, tap, stomp, nod and snap syllables in words. The movement helps make the connection for many learners.  Help children understand that the word "car-pet" gets two claps, one for each syllable. It is more important for children to hear each syllable than it is for them to identify the actual number of syllables in a word. Hearing syllables is a tool that will help children unlock print.

Check out these syllable activities.
Syllable Activities

DIY Halloween Math Manipulatives

Spray paint lima beans and draw on faces to make ghosts, jack-o-lanterns or goblins to use for patterning, counting or adding/subtracting. What a festive way to reinforce math concepts.

Save the Sensory Tables!!

Halloween Sensory Fun

Please do not neglect your sensory tables. This is a serious plea.  Hear me out, before you abandon those lovely tables full of gloriously colorful, squishy, scratchy, soft, hard, pointy, smooth, bumpy and smelly materials.  

Sensory tables allow you to differentiate for your class. Sensory work is not only academic, but it also addresses a student's learning modalities  and their interests!
( . . . and when you're really good . . . you can meet their level of readiness too.) Kinesthetic learners need the movement and feel of the sensory table. Linguistic learners enjoy the dialogue associated with working with other students at the sensory table.  The interpersonal learner loves working with other students.  The spatial learner develops stories and scenarios for play based on the contents of the table. The logical/mathematical learner loves the sorting and classifying of materials. Depending on the materials, the naturalist can even be engaged by a shell collection or different types of rocks added to a sensory table. I think there has been this misguided notion that sensory work is 'fluff.' Sensory table work is not only academic, but it can be aligned to Common Core Standards, address learning modalities, interests and readiness levels of students.  

Now that I have you convinced, check this out!

Materials: 
Colored Pasta
Clothespins
Spider Rings or some other Halloween object
Skills Cards (beginning sounds, upper/lower case letters, word families, etc.)

Directions:
1. Color pasta by placing the noodles in a ziploc baggie with a 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol.  Add a good portion of dye (neon dyes give a bright color) and mix it up.  Let the dye sit in the bag with the noodles for a good 30 minutes to hour.  Dump the pasta on aluminum foil to dry.

2. Hot glue spider rings to clothespins. You can use orange/black pom poms or any Halloween fun object.

3. Gather or make skills cards. This is a matching game so it can be matching upper case letter to lower case letter, beginning sounds, or rhyming pictures. For a more challenging game, make words using word families, e.g. a single letter or blend on one card and the word family on the other card. They clip the two cards together to make a word and then record their word on a paper.

4. Students simply search the tub for two cards.  When they find a pair that matches,  pin them together with the festive little clothes pin (Fine motor practice)and clip it to the side of my tub.  

You could even use this activity with math. Number recognition, counting, 10's and 1's, addition facts, etc. 

Intellectual Emergencies

In her book, Intellectual Emergencies, Lilian Katz includes a list of (continually growing) points to keep in mind in working with young children. Here are just a few of her points.

#1.  Remember that adults know more about almost everything than a small child does -- except what it feels like to be that child, and how the world makes sense to him or her.  Those things are the child's expertise which a teacher must learn in order to be able to reach and teach the child.

#2.  Take care not to confuse what is exciting, amusing and fun with what is educative.  Excitement is appropriate for entertainment and special occasions; it is short-lived pleasure -- easy come, easy go.  But what is educative requires sustained effort and involvement, often includes many routine elements, and offers long term deep satisfaction rather than momentary fun and excitement.

#3.  I believe we cannot have optimal environments for children in preschools, child care centers, and schools unless the environments are optimal for the adults who work in them.  Certainly on some days what is optimal for the children will be obtained at the expense of adults (like Halloween parties), and on other days visa versa.  But on the average, on a day-to-day basis, both the children and the adults must find their lives together satisfying, interesting, and worth living.

Anchor Charts

What are Anchor Charts?

Simply put, an anchor chart is a tool used largely to support instruction and to move the student towards achieving success with lessons taught in class. They are also used as a classroom management tool for students to self-monitor their behavior by gently reminding them of expectations and routines.

Anchor charts are created during the instruction of the lesson. As the teacher models the lesson or strategy, the lesson reinforcement or strategy tool is written on chart paper. Once the lesson is complete, the chart is placed in a convenient student-friendly location that the students can access it independently. This is another vehicle for academic support, especially for the visual learner. The beauty of an anchor chart is that it can be displayed as needed or determined by the student work. Some anchor charts live all year long in the classroom, while others are only displayed during the current unit of study.

Check out these examples.

What kind of anchor charts do you have to support teaching and learning?

The Listening Center: Sentences

The Listening Center: Sentence Activities

We need to help them hear the individual words in a sentence.  Words that relate to people, things or actions are easy because they are concrete. Because articles (and, the) don't describe people, things or actions, they are difficult to "hear" in a sentence.

Hearing the pauses in spoken language is a step towards becoming a reader. Start with simple sentences children know well. Use images or items to provide a visual for the sentence. This links words with print.

As sentences become more complex it is common for children to overlap the counting of syllables and words. In simple sentences created with one syllable words there is little chance for confusion. If you are clapping, each word gets one clap. Confusion sets in with words that have more than one syllable. Look at the sentence, "The dog is sleeping on the bed." Children will want to clap sleeping as two words instead of one. The pauses help identify the number of words in a sentence. Speak clearly with an exaggerated pause between each word.

1. Tap a Sentence: Students tap out the number of words in a sentence. Students listen to the sentence being read and then tap it out. They can record the number of words in each sentence.
2. Build a Sentence: Students listen to a sentence being read. As each word is said in the sentence the student builds a tower using snap blocks.
3. Word for Word:  Provide students with a copy of the sentences being read. As each sentence is read, students place a marker on each word in the sentence.
4. Stretch It: In this activity students listen to a sentence read and stretched the elastic after each word. See the video clip for explanation. Stretch It Video

Halloween Playdough

Halloween Play Dough
Make 2 types of play dough for Halloween: black with lots of purple glitter and orange.  Use the basic play dough recipe from the September 15th post - excluding the spices). For brighter colors, add Wilton gels, instead of food coloring. (Be careful when making the black. Your hands will be stained a purplish/reddish color). Add  purple glitter to the black play dough and then add some pipe cleaners and wiggly eyes for spiders. Put out some Halloween cookie cutters with black beans for Jack O' Lanterns. Students can write a sentence or story about their Halloween creations. 

This make & take activity is sure to be a treat not a trick!

Feature Friday: Mailbox Magazine

When I was in the classroom, I absolutely LOVED Mailbox Magazine. It was full of teaching resources. Today's feature is a website from Mailbox Magazine. If you know and love the magazine you will definitely enjoy the website. The website is http://www.themailbox.com/. Membership is FREE and you will have access to many  grade level specific resources such as learning center activities, forms, bulletin board ideas, etc. Also as a member you can sign up for different newsletters that will be emailed directly to you, .i.e.Little Learners Daily, Literature Links, Simple Centers and Games, and so on.Each day you will receive an idea to use in your classroom. You can unsubscribe to the daily email at any time. I think you will be pleased at the variety of ideas you will find.  So visit TheMailbox.com today. 

Executive Functions

Want to Give Your Kids an Advantage? Build Executive Functions

Every parent wants their kids to have the best shot at succeeding at whatever their chosen path may be.  So we try to give them all of the right opportunities.  Some go to tutors, buy complicated programs, or drill through flashcards, but one of the best predictors of success is one that can be regularly built through play.

Study after study has displayed the influential role of executive functions in success over the long run.  Perhaps the most well-known is what is commonly referred to as the Marshmallow Test.  Back in the 60s,  Stanford researchers essentially gave preschoolers the choice of having one marshmallow now or two marshmallows later.  (And did I mention these little ones were left alone with the marshmallows until “later” arrived?)

Researchers followed their subjects for decades and found that those preschoolers who could wait longer, did better academically, reported less drug-use, and found greater life satisfaction into adulthood.
It makes sense that efficient executive functions would be a strong predictor of other successes.  Executive functions, those functions of the prefrontal cortex, include impulse-control, judgement, focus, and flexible thinking. Children with these strengths will listen in class when there are distractions, will take the time to look for right answers beyond first-glance answers, and will get their school work done when they’d rather be playing video games.  They’re better able to take their other talents and strengths, build on them, apply them intentionally, and use them in working toward their goals.

The good news is that many researchers believe that these self-regulation skills can be increased through practice and experience.  Perhaps the better news is that this often takes the shape of play!  Here are some ideas for fun ways to build executive functions:

Play Dance and Freeze.  You know the drill.  The music plays and everyone dances.  The music stops and everyone freezes.  Children have to resist the impulse to keep moving and stay frozen instead.  The same idea can be used for other stop and go games like Red Light, Green Light and Snowmen at Night or for using stop and go signs while singing.

Simon Says.  It seems easy enough.  Do what you’re told, right?  Except that you have to focus and pay attention to detail.  Instead of being distracted by the directions alone, children have to listen for that key phrase, “Simon Says”…

Opposite Games.  I love playing these with young children.  Often, I’ll say,“Listen to my directions and do what I say, but don’t let me trick you with what I do.”  So I’ll say, “Touch your nose,”while I touch my ears.  Can they fight the urge and focus only on my words?  It’s tough for those little ones, but they get better with practice!  Similar games have been played where children say the opposite of what they see on picture cards (night for day, day for night) or do opposite actions (x whenever the adult does y and y whenever the adult does x). These games require kids to focus on what’s important and resist what is likely their first impulse.

Pretend Play .  Dramatic play is full of benefits for young children, not least of which is the flexibility of thinking and self-control required for a child to take on another character and play out the role.  Even better, as young children build their play scripts with other children, they begin to negotiate and share ideas and build a plan for play — the next avenue in building executive functions.

Are you providing opportunities for your children to build their executive functions??

Shared Reading:

In early childhood classrooms, shared reading is the anchor of a balanced literacy program. So what does it look like. Here is a great illustration.

In Ms. Avery’s classroom, kindergarten students are sitting on a colorful rug waiting for the “show” to begin.  It’s shared reading time, one of their favorite times of the day.  Ms. Avery is sitting in a rocking chair with a giant easel to her right.  Perched on the easel is a Big Book.  It’s a brand new big book, one Ms. Avery has picked specifically for shared reading.

But before she begins, Ms. Avery warms–up by rereading a big book the students are already familiar with.  She reinforces some concepts of printed words or models a new reading strategy.  Now the students are prepared for the new book.

Ms. Avery takes the book from the easel, shows the children the cover, reads the title and author.  She returns the book to the easel.  Now she’s ready to open the book, turn the pages and most importantly, open wide the doors to new adventures through reading.

First, the students excitedly predict what the book is about.  There’s a lot of sharing going on as they talk about their background knowledge and similar experiences related to the book.  Ms. Avery prompts the sharing by asking guiding questions, such as:

• “What do you think our new book is about?”
• “Who has been to the circus?”
• “Have you ever had trouble getting out of bed in the morning?”

Then finally, it’s time for the story.

Ms. Avery reads the tale with enthusiasm and fluent expression.  No stopping the first time through.  The first reading is to let the students simply enjoy the story and note the rhythmic pattern of the words.  During the second reading, Ms. Avery will point to the words as she reads them again.  The students know they’re invited to read along if they want.

The following day, Ms. Avery reads the book for the third time.  Now she implements other shared reading strategies into the lesson. Most students will be eager to read along by this time.

Ms. Avery has covered several words with index cards or post-it notes and asks the students to think of words that would make sense.   They can use predicting skills to help them identify the word, such as looking at the first and last letter of the word.  When the shared reading lesson is over, she puts the new big book in the class library so students can revisit it during independent reading.

The Listening Center: Alliteration Activities

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial sounds in two or more words. Phonological awareness deals with the sounds of language, so it is the initial sound of the words and not the first letter that is important. For example, "city" and "car" begin with the same letter but don't start with the same sound. They are not examples of alliteration.

Focus on the beginning sound and think about the words "cat" and "kite". Even though they begin with different letters, the initial sound of each word is the same. Create classroom collections of items that start with the same sounds to give children lots of practice.

You can easily incorporate alliteration into classroom vocabulary. A stuffed animal quickly becomes a cute kitten. Your reading partner is your book buddy. And don't forget line leader and morning message.

Activities:
1. Taking a Trip: Tell the student you are taking a trip to a farm, doctors, picnic, etc. Say 2 words and have the student identify the word that starts with the same sound as the place you are visiting. For example, "We are going to take a trip to the farm. We can only take things that begin with the same sound as f-f-farm. Circle the word/picture of the object that can go with us on our trip." Say, "Fish, man. Which one can go with us to the f-f-farm?" Have students say the word, circle the word/picture on a sheet, or place a marker on the correct word/picture.

2. Mystery Game: Give student clues for a person, place, or thing by using 3 words that start with the same sound. For example, big, bossy boy (have words/pictures of mother, sister, brother). Another example, green grass growing (parking lot, sky, park).

3. Doesn't Belong: Say 3 words, 2 of which begin with the same sound. Invite the student to identify the one word that does not begin with the same sound as the other 2 words. Record responses.

4. Dr. Seuss Books: Invite students to listen to Dr. Seuss books. (Lots of alliteration in his books.)

Bag of Bones

Cheetos has a new snack out for Halloween - Bag of Bones!

Click on this link for some fun activities using the bones. They go perfect with the book, Dem Bones. 

http://freebie-licious.blogspot.com/2014/10/no-bones-about-it.html

Pumpkin Pointers

Want to make some fun pumpkin pointers. Follow these simple directions. 

Materials:

• Hot glue gun
• Dowel rods (3/8 x 12) or craft sticks (for smaller pointers)
• Cute toppers (wood pieces from local craft store, erasers, pencil toppers, foam pieces, etc.)

Directions: (These are very complicated!)

• Hot glue the topper to the dowel rod or craft stick and voila'! Pumpkin Pointers

You can create a multitude of seasonal pointers. Just add spiders, skeletons, bats, ghosts, etc. to your dowel rods or craft sticks. Students will love "reading the room" using these pointers. 

Thoughtful Thursday

Since October is National Bullying Prevention Month, I wanted to share some interesting facts about bullying.

Bully Psychology Today ("Bully Pulpit," May/June 2014) offers these observations about bullying:

• Bullying is not garden-variety aggression. It is a deliberate and repeated attempt to cause harm to others of lesser power.
  
• At age 8, children start to understand who has power and status and where they stand in the social network - and start experimenting with power.
  
• Bullies engage in a "shopping process" to seek out children who are younger, smaller or weaker.  Children who become victims are often submissive even before they are picked on.
  
• Studies show that harshly punitive home environments can breed children who are at risk of becoming aggressive, emotionally dysregulated victims.

"Books are Treasures" Mini Lesson

Lesson: Books are Treasures
Prior to the lesson, send a letter to parents asking their child to bring one of their favorite books to school. Have books available at school for children to choose a favorite if one is not brought from home.


Have children sit in a circle around the perimeter of the group area.

Have your favorite book in a pretty box or package. Have the kids guess what treasure they think might be in the box.

Open the box and share your favorite book with the children.

Share your special memories about the book.

Have children get their favorite books they brought from home and set them in front of them.

Have the children use their eyes to look around.

Ask the children what they notice about all the books sitting around the circle. Discuss reading identities.

Have several children share their selections and explain why the book is special.

End with a discussion about books being one of the greatest treasures a person can ever own.

Send children to their tables to read and share their books with their friends.                                        

The Listening Center: Rhyming Activities

Words rhyme when they have the same ending sound segment. Initially, children may think that everything ending with /t/ rhymes and need help learning to focus on the final sound segment in words.  

Rhyming skills unfold in stages. First, children listen to a pair of words and then decide if they rhyme. Next, they can listen to three words and identify the word that doesn't belong.  Context clues become valuable when completing open ended rhymes like this: I see a bunny whose ears just flop. He eats carrots and loves to _____. Children  complete the sentence without even realizing they have created a rhyme. The most difficult skill requires that children generate rhyming words. This comes with practice and many experiences with nursery rhymes, books and songs.

Young children are drawn to stories and songs with rhyming words. The ability to focus on similarities and differences of sounds is a skill woven into all stages of phonological awareness. Rhyming requires children to listen to a specific part of a word, identify the sound and then determine if other words have the identical sound in the same location. 

Playing with sounds in a series can help set the stage for rhyming activities. Listen to a series of three sounds such as a horn, a rattle and a sneeze. Identify the final sound. This activity focuses attention on the last sound heard, a skill important in the development of rhyme. When talking about sounds in a series, use words like beginning, middle and end to describe the location of sounds.

Listening Center Activities:
1. Nursery Rhymes - simply have students listen to nursery rhymes and songs at the listening center

2. Rhyming Pairs - invite students to listen to the word and find the picture/word that rhymes (can play like BINGO)

3. Which One Does Not Belong - have students listen to 3 words (you can say them only or have a sheet with pictures/words on it). Ask the student to identify the 1 word that does not rhyme with the other two. They can circle or draw a line through the picture/word that does not rhyme. Use a wipeoff sheet so it can be used over and over.

4. Finish the Sentence - Say a two sentence rhyme leaving the last word blank. (I see a bunny whose ears just flop. He eats carrots and loves to ____.) Invite the students to fill in the blank with a rhyming word using the clues in the sentences. Again, you could use a sheet to go along with the listening activity.