Guided Reading Book Study: Chapters 12 & 13

WOW!  These chapters were loaded with information. I don't know about you but my brain is on overload!!

Chapter 12 - Teaching for Strategies
Loved this chapter!!! I made so many connections and had so many "a-ha" moments. Where do I begin??

First, what is reading? If we charted this, what kinds of responses do you think we would get? Probably something like, a process or transaction; meaning making; using a balance of cue systems; making meaning of the world around us. All of the responses would be correct. Simply put, reading is the construction of meaning. Our job is to intentionally and systematically teach strategies within the context of whole and meaningful texts. According to the authors, "All learners have in-the-head processes they use to integrate new information with what they already know." As teachers we cannot observe these in-the-head strategies. However, we can observe behavior and guess what processes are are being used.

Just as strategies cannot be directly observed neither can they be directly taught. You teach for strategies!! I love the analogy of teaching strategies to teaching swimming. You explain the process and model but you must get in the water to be a swimmer. Same for reading. We explain and model strategies but the student must get into the books to become readers. We teach for transfer. We teach how to use strategies so the students will be able to transfer them when reading independently.

Marie Clay groups strategies in 3 broad categories: strategies for maintaining fluency; strategies for detecting and correcting errors; and strategies for problem solving new words. On page 150 the authors state that oral language is critical when anticipating the text and checking the reading to see if it makes sense. This resonated with me as I think of our population and their lack of the English language. This is why it is so important for us to build their language and prior knowledge.

The last section of this chapter talked about comprehension. According to Fountas & Pinnell, "Comprehending is not a product of reading; it is a process." I immediately thought of the 3 cueing systems - semantic, syntactic, and graphophonemic. Let me quickly review. Semantic cues are about meaning. This cueing system comes from past experiences (schema), story knowledge, illustrations, etc. Questions to ask for semantics. Does it make sense? What would make sense? Syntactic involves the grammatical structure of language. Does it sound right (grammatically)? And finally, graphophonemic looks at the relationship between letters and sounds. Does it look right? Good readers will use the 3 cueing systems when they come to a word they do not know. They will ask themselves, what would make sense? Then they confirm their prediction by asking does it sound right grammatically? And finally they further confirm by checking the beginning letter or letter cluster, then the ending letter or letter cluster, and/or looking for familiar chunks.

Guided reading groups should be strategic learning sessions. You cannot have guided reading groups unless you find out what readers are doing. Hence your running records!

Figure 12-10 on page 161 provides a list of prompts or questions for facilitating reading strategies. The goal is for students to eventually get where they use these prompts or question as they read independently.

Chapter 13 - Learning about Letters and Words
I cheered as I read this chapter. My soap box is teaching letters and sounds within context not in isolation. I will try not to go on and on! On page 163, the authors state, "Letters and words within continuous text offer different kinds of informational support than they do when isolated. The syntactic patterns of language narrow the possibilities and make it easier for children to select and use the graphic symbols." According to language theorist Roger Brown, "form follows function". We use literature for real purposes. Within the context of these experiences we help students understand form. We talk function first, then we learn form. This is why we don't do letter of the week. In many classrooms, we start with the individual letter (form) and then put it in a book, word, or name (function). When we should read the book or show the word many times (function) then talk about the individual letters (form). Michael Halliday also talks about the importance of function, "Halliday's Function". According to Halliday, children learn language in order to function in their world. We have to set up reasons for students to want to be literate. Students should have reasons for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Okay. I'll get off my soapbox now!

There were SO many good ideas in this chapter. Here are some pages you should go back and reread.
Pages 166 - 169: Strategies for teaching letters and words in a guided reading lesson (introduction, during reading & after the reading)
Pages 169 & 170: Ways to incorporate letter and word study in a balanced literacy program (shared reading, interactive writing & writing workshop)
Pages 171 - 176: Letter and word activities (This is a great section for ideas!!)

The BIG idea I gained from this chapter is the goal for teaching letters and sounds is so students will use this knowledge as they read and write. And the best way to teach letters and sounds is within the context of meaning, purposeful reading and writing activities. FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

Reflection Questions:
1. What are some ways you teach letters and words? Are you teaching them within context of purposeful reading and writing?

2. How might you incorporate some of the Letter and Word study ideas in your classroom?

Story Retelling Braclet

Here is a simple and fun way to reinforce comprehension - a story retelling bracelet. The child slides one bead over at a time beginning with red to help retell the story he/she just listened to or read on her own.

Story Retelling Bracelet

Taken from Growing Book by Book

Materials for 1 bracelet: 

string or plastic lacing and 6 stringing beads (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

Directions:

1.  Measure a piece of string for the correct size to fit on the child’s wrist.

2.  String the beads  by placing the colors in this order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

3.  Tie the string ends together with a knot.

The retelling bracelet is ready to wear and use.

Rainbow Retelling Stem Prompts:

Red- Ready to hear a retelling of the story? The characters in the story are…

Orange- On to where this story took place…

Yellow- You have to hear the problem in the story…

Green- Get ready for a few more details…

Blue- Better start bringing it to a close and telling you how the problem was solved…

Purple- Picking my favorite party is easy, it was when…

All About Me Books

Today's' feature is coming from one of our own - Natalie Melton. As I walked down the hall this morning, Natalie was sharing her "All About Me" book with a few staff members.

She wrote the book about herself and placed it in the reading center. The students literally fight over who is going to read it first. It' simple to make and a great way for the students to get to know you better.

Here's what's inside:

1. Cover introducing self

2. Birthday

3. Picture of self in school

4. Pictures of family (pets included)

5.Fun facts about self (We all now Ms. Melton LOVES polka dots!)

6. Favorite books

Pretty much you can add anything about your self you would like!

Thanks for sharing Natalie Melton!

Guided Math

Taken from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

If you are thinking about jumping into guided math this is a great place to start. The teacher explains the components of guided math, group rotations, materials, and reflection strategies. ENJOY!

Guided Math

St. Patrick's Day Activities

Want some FREE activities for next week. Check these out from The Printable Princess.

St. Patrick's Day Freebies

Vowel Game & Assessment

Taken from Printable Princess

Here's a quick and easy vowel game. Give each student a laminated strip of vowels and a clothespin. Say a CVC word like "cat". Invite the students to put their clothespin on the vowel they hear in the CVC word. Have the students hold up their strips for a quick assessment! Not only will you reinforce and assess vowel sounds but also motor skills!!

Silly McGilly

Meet Silly McGilly, the newest way to bring fun, excitement and learning to your classroom during the month of March!  Silly McGilly is a friendly leprechaun who loves visiting classrooms to play fun little tricks on children throughout the St. Patrick's Day season.  

Here’s how Silly McGilly’s magic works:  read his story, then place his doll in the window on the night your classroom is ready for a trick to be played. This is the invitation for the “real” Silly McGilly to come and visit you.  The next morning, your students will delight in seeing what shenanigans Silly McGilly has been up to while they were home! The magic of Silly McGilly is as limitless as your imagination!! 

You can purchase your own copy of Silly McGilly HERE..

QR Code Sight Word Activity

I LOVE my iPad. One thing I really think is cool is the ability to scan a funny little black and white box and get information!! Yes, a Quick Response code, better known as QR code. A QR Code is a square grid of smaller black and white squares containing encoded data that is designed to be optically scanned, as to provide information about a product or service. Qrafter (Crafter) is a two-dimensional barcode scanner for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Its main purpose is to scan and parse the contents of QR Codes.

(Don't you love it when I talk technical! LOL)

Taken from Kindergarten: Holding Hands and Sticking Together

I came across this sight word activity using QR Codes. They are so easy. The kids love them. And they are a great technology teaching tool to use in your classroom, or even to send home for students to use at home.

Below is the link to a QR Code Sight Word Video Read the Room Packet. It's free and a fun way to review those sight words.

The packet contains:

• 36 sight word cards, each with a QR code that links to a video to go with that word. Each of the YouTube videos is on ViewPure, so that there are no ads, comments, or distractions.
• 12 cards with QR codes that link to sight word songs which have lots of sight words. 
• A recording sheet to use if you want, that you can print front/back to make it easier to manage for the children.
• Directions for using the sight words.

QR Codes Freebie

Green & Gold Shimmery Playdough

Recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
3 small packages of Kool Aid drink mix (Lemon-lime)
3 TBSP oil
2 cups boiling water

Lots of gold glitter

Mix together flour, salt, Kool Aid, glitter, and oil.

Add boiling water and mix until the dough is cool enough to touch. (I cooked on low heat until I got the right consistency.)

Knead until smooth.

Store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge!

Sight Word Wordle

Have you ever heard of "Wordle"? A Wordle is used to generate “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.

This is a great center game to reinforce sight words relevant to your class. 

Taken from The First Grade Parade

The objective of this activity is to have your kids search for sight words.  I keep my Sight Wordles in a plastic sheet protector and have the kids use their Expo markers to highlight the words they find.

You can do this lots of different ways...

* have the kids search for words they KNOW {this would be great for a quick assessment!}

* have the kids search for SPECIFIC words {great for a review!!!}

*have the kids search for words with 2 letters, 3 letters, etc.

* have the kids search for words that rhyme with __________.

The list goes on.... You can print off several at a time for more variety.  You can differentiate by lists.  The possibilities are endless!!!

Go to the link below for complete directions. This link also provides some other sight word center activities. Do you have a sight word center? If not you may want to try these ideas.

Sight Word Wordle

Meaningful Differences: The 30 million word gap

During our PD session yesterday, Kate and Jamie talked about the importance of oral language for reading success. It made me think of a very interesting research study that was conducted by Todd Risley and Betty Hart called Meaningful Differences (1995).

Betty Hart and Todd Risley studied the usage of language and words in American homes. Their findings establish the absolute importance of children’s early experiences with language. By 48 months children in professional homes have heard on average 45 million words.  In the same period of time, children in welfare homes have heard on average 13 million words. This language and vocabulary disparity has been referred to as “the 32 million word catastrophe.”

They found that the sheer number of words heard varied greatly along socio-economic lines. On average, children from families on welfare were provided half as much experience as children from working class families, and less than a third of the experience given to children from high-income families. In other words, children from families on welfare heard about 616 words per hour, while those from working class families heard around 1,251 words per hour, and those from professional families heard roughly 2,153 words per hour. Thus, children from better financial circumstances had far more language exposure to draw from.  

In addition to looking at the number of words exchanged, the researchers also looked at what was being said within these conversations. What they found was that higher-income families provided their children with far more words of praise compared to children from low-income families. Conversely,

children from low-income families were found to endure far more instances of negative reinforcement compared to their peers from higher-income families.  Children from families with professional backgrounds experienced a ratio of six encouragements for every discouragement. For children from working-class families this ratio was two encouragements to one discouragement. Finally, children from families on welfare received on average two discouragements for every encouragement. 

In simple terms, kids start kindergarten at vastly different language levels, thus impacting their reading success. So the question becomes ... What can we do to bridge the vocabulary gap of our students? 

With something to think about this is Mrs. Morris reminding you to be ...

To read more about Hart & Risley's study go to the links below.

http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/eea/6research_summaries/05_MeaningfulDifferences.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2733543/

http://www.aft.org//sites/default/files/periodicals/TheEarlyCatastrophe.pdf

St. Patrick's Day Bingo

I love Bingo games!! They reinforce so many skills - visual discrimination, listening skills, counting, vocabulary, and playing games with rules.

Below is a link to a free printable for a St. Patrick's Day Bingo game. You could play it during small group to build vocabulary. Or you could place in a center for partners to play (social skills - games with rules).

St. Patrick's Day Bingo

Kinetic Sight Word Activity… With a Beach Ball

Fun Sight Word Activity

This will be one of your students' favorite games.  It is a simple game with lots of learning potential.

Materials:

Taken from Kids Activities Blog

A Beach Ball

A Permanent Marker

Room to gently toss a ball to each other.

Ideas on learning with a sight words ball:

• If your students are already reading, have them read the words on the color they catch.
• If your students are not yet reading, have them point to a word and you tell them what it is before they toss the ball.
• If your students know all the words, have them create a sentence with as many words as they can from the color they picked.

You can also use with letters - identify letter, letter sound, etc.

Thanks Jen Hollon for sharing!

More Pie

I don't know about you but some days I feel like there is just NOT enough of me to go around. Wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, colleague, leader, supervisor, teacher, etc. The list goes on and on. I was reading this blog and came across this article and it really spoke to me. It reminds me of what my grandmother use to tell me. She would say, "Honey as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know you did the best you could that's all you can do." I never really thought about my time as a pie. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

More Pie

Recently, I was reading a post about what a teacher wished she had more of (I can’t find the post or else I’d link to it) – things like more time, more resources, more to help with student achievement.

 As I was reading, of course, I was nodding my head in agreement, but I also kept thinking, what I really wish I had more of, was simply, me.

I am very lucky.  I have an amazing student teacher this year, a loving foster grandmother, and a paraprofessional who works in my room for many hours each day, but even with all those adults, and I’ve worked with no other adults in the room, so I know how what it’s like to be all alone, I still sometimes wish there was more me to go around.

The analogy I use is a pie – simply because pies are always used as analogies and I love pie.  Apple pie, cherry pie, most any pie will do, but I digress.  I’m the pie and however many students I have is the number of slices. Of course, some kids get bigger slices than others, but everyone gets a piece. 

Some days there may be one or two that get almost half my pie and the others share the rest… as my sprouts have heard over and over, ‘fair isn’t equal’ – especially when dealing with pie. No matter how I slice and dice it, I always wish the pie was bigger. Sure more books, iPads, and math manipulatives would be great, but more of me is what they really want.

As much as I’ve thought about it, I’ve yet to discover a way to clone myself. Perhaps someday, there will be ten of me in my classroom, two or three Mr. Halperns sitting at each table smiling, laughing, tying shoes, zipping coats, applying bandaids, reading one on one, and just being me.  It might seem a little creepy, but I think my students would love it.

Of course, this isn’t going to happen anytime soon.  So I try my best to make sure each child gets a little of my attention each day.  Have I had a conversation with everyone?  Did they get a hug or pat on the back from me yet today?  There are five kids who need shoes tied, one with a bloody finger, another vomiting on the floor, and two boys wrestling on the floor – I need to handle all these situations with clarity, ease, and love in the next two minutes before the principal arrives for my observation… and somehow I do.

They say wizards and magic aren’t real, but anyone who works with small children knows:

We are the music makers,

And we are the dreamers of dreams,

Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

And sitting by desolate streams;—

World-losers and world-forsakers,

On whom the pale moon gleams:

Yet we are the movers and shakers

Of the world for ever, it seems.

As much as I’d love to give a little more of me, I have to remind myself, and I do so daily, I’m already giving all of me and that’s all anybody can strive to do.

Taken from Look at My Happy Rainbow

Story Starter Sticks

I came across this idea on one of my favorite blogs and LOVE this idea. If your kids need some motivation to write, try these story starter sticks. Simply include a picture as the motivator and a story opener on the back. Hot glue to a craft stick and place in a decorative container. For example, you could have a picture of a leprechaun on the front and on the back write "One day I found a leprechaun." The students would write the sentence as the opening and include 2-3 detail sentences and an ending. Or you could ask the students to write 3 words to describe the leprechaun. You could tailor the writing activity to meet your students' needs. Place a variety of sticks so students have options on what to write.

Taken from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites Book Study (Optional)

Get ready to do some on-line professional learning with some of my favorite bloggers! If you have never read this book, you MUST! You do not have to have the book to participate in the book study. This is NOT required. Just an option to grow professionally. (We may have some extra books in the library with the teacher resources.) You can join in for whatever part you like! If you are not a blogger, that is OK! Join in on the fun. This is a positive collaboration between teachers! The whole point is to encourage each other with inspiring ideas while still using research based best practice.

Linky parties will take place on these different blogs each time. Here is the order so you can plan accordingly :) Enjoy!

Kickin it in Kindergarten- Chapters 1 &2 (February 28th)

Mrs. Wills Kindergarten- Chapter 3 (March 7th)

Queen of the First Grade Jungle Chapter 4 (March 10th)

Fabulous in First Chapter 5 (March 14th)

One Extra Degree Chapter 6 (March 17th)

Mrs. Jump’s Class Chapter 7 (March 28th)

The First Grade Parade Chapter 8 (March 31st)

Mrs. Ehle’s Kindergarten Chapter 9 &10 (April 4th)

What The Teacher Wants Chapter 11 (April 7th)

First Grader At Last Chapter 12 (April 11th)

Erica’s Ed Ventures  Chapter 13 (April 14th)

KinderGals Chapter 14 &15 (April 18th)

A Rocky Top Teacher Chapter 16 (April 21st)

Mrs. Wills Kindergarten Chapter 17 (April 25th)

Little Warriors Chapter 18 (April 28th)

Falling Into First Chapter 19 (May 2nd)

Kickin’ it in Kindergarten Chapter 20 (May 5th)

Building Bridges Through Words

"Words, language, communication, and expression all create an intricate web: at the center, on the fringe, and woven into the web is the relationship," observes Laura Mickley in her Exchange article, "Building Bridges through Words," She continues...

"The words you choose and how you use them either facilitates positive, effective relationships with children and families or impedes those relationships. As early care and education professionals, it is our responsibility to express an interest in families and ­children. We need to acknowledge children and families’ strengths and the ways in which they are effective. When working with ­children, we need to accept the presumptions that all people are basically good, and families want what is best for their children. Upon those presumptions we can build a relationship, the very foundation of which is communication. New children and families will look to you to set the tone. Effective, positive communication will help to build that base. Positive and affirming words will make you approachable. 

"Building these relationships with ­children and families starts at registration and continues with each interaction. We need to express an interest in the whole family, point out their strengths at opportune moments while using communication to establish that foundation."

Are you building any bridges with your words?

With something to think about, this is Mrs. Morris reminding you ...

Teaching Time Freebies

This is a great freebie for teaching time. It combines collaborative and independent learning activities.

Telling Time Freebies

1. Representing Clocks in Small Groups

2. Center Game/Independent Work

3. Writing about Time in Math Journals

4. Making a Model with Partners

Mastery Connect

I am very excited about Mastery Connect! I see it as a useful source for us to share and receive great teaching ideas. Make sure to login and browse the Resource Pins. Create your own boards and share with your colleagues. We have SO much expertise in the building. Let's start sharing and following each other so our students will benefit from our knowledge.

Happy Pinning!!

Guided Reading Blog Party

Guided Reading Blog Party: Chapters 9 - 11

Okay, I'll admit Chapters 9 & 10 were not my favorite. Now, I am not saying I did not learn anything. I did!

According to the authors, matching books to individual students is a critical component of guided reading. On page 107, the authors compare selecting books to acquiring a valuable collection. Do any of you collect jewelry, art, pottery, quilts, etc?  If so, you probably choose each piece very carefully. When you add a new piece you reexamine what you have to make sure the addition will fit the collection. So it is with selecting books for our classrooms. We must be thoughtful and careful with our selection. On pages 107 and 108, the authors provide some characteristics to consider in creating a solid selection of books. One important characteristic is depth. You must have enough books in each level in your collection so you have the flexibility to select books that suit the individuals in your groups. Another important characteristic is content. Make sure your collection of books cover a wide range of topics that appeal to students' life experiences and interests.

The second part of Chapter 9 explored text gradients. First, let's make sure we are all on the same page in terms of a text gradient. What exactly is a text gradient?  A gradient of text is an ordering of books according to a specific set of characteristics. Gradient means ascending or descending in a uniform or consistent way, so the levels of a gradient are defined in relation to each other. As you go up the gradient of text, the texts get harder; conversely, as you go down, they get easier. At each level of the gradient, there is a cluster of characteristics that helps you think about the texts at that level and how they support and challenge readers. Appendix M,page 287 - 389, is a great resource for text levels. Books are listed alphabetical by title and then by level. If you are not sure of a book's level, check out Appendix M.

Chapter 10 provides a general description of characteristics for each level. The authors also provide important behaviors to notice and support as students read at each level. This can assist with your instructional planning.

In my opinion, Chapter 11 (Introduction of books) was most helpful. According to Don Holdaway, "A book introduction is a brief and lively discussion in which the teacher interests the students in the story and produces an appropriate set for reading it." Marie Clay states that a book introduction is like a conversation. In order for the listener to understand, the speaker must key into the listener's prior knowledge or provide some kind of introduction. On page 137, Figure 11-1 illustrates Clay's discussion of teacher involvement in book introductions. Based on the students' needs and characteristics of the text, teachers shift up or down this gradient.  At the bottom of page 137, there is a list of strategies you might use when introducing stories to children. For example, explain important ideas and concepts to students prior to reading. The rest of the chapter provides great examples of book introductions for kindergarten and  first grade (I Can - Kdg; The Hungry Kitten and Billy Goats Gruff - 1st grade).

So, how do you know if your book introductions are effective? Ask yourself, "How did my students read the text? Did they understand the text? Did the reading of text allow for them to use effective reading strategies?"

Reflection:
1. Reflect on your organization of book levels. Are your texts leveled? Do you have a system in place? Are your texts part of a text gradient? Review your levels, are there any changes you would make based on working with the texts for a couple of years and your students' needs?
2. Based on your through assessment of your leveled books, are there levels which need more titles? Did you consider the characteristics on pages 107 & 108 in establishing a good, solid collection of texts.
3. Videotape or record a book introduction. To what extent did the students understand the story? Were their substitutions meaningful? Did they read with fluency and accuracy? Did the introduction help them when encountering points of difficulty? Did students use strategies or processes modeled in the introduction?

Reading at 5: Why?

WOW! A powerful article on play in early childhood!!

http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2013/reading-at-five-why#.VNA62JAgbys.facebook

Valentines Play Dough Mats

Now that you have made your chocolate play dough you can use it with these play dough mats.

These are counting mats (1-10), but you can use the idea to fit your class and your student's needs.
These are a great addition to your math centers.


Valentines Playdough Mats

3 Apps to Try

The Subitize Tree:

This game is AWESOME!  It gives your students practice at subitizing different objects and rewards them for knowing the numbers at a glance by setting little animals free! In my opinion it is definitely worth 99 cents! 

Go to this link to preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZvITXVqwts

Teacher Tipster (The Subitize Tree App)

Sight Word Ninja:

Slice your way through all sights words from preschool to grade 3.  You decide what to focus on - turn individual categories ON or OFF from the settings page. Supports 3 difficulty settings: EASY, MEDIUM, or HARD. EASY MODE:- Max 1 sight word- Sight words move very slowly- Great for introducing sight words one at a time.MEDIUM MODE:- Starts with 1 sight word- Max of 3 sight words on screen- Sight words move 30% faster.HARD MODE:- Starts with 2 sight words- Max of 5 sight words on screen- Sight words move even faster- Sight words rotate faster too.

ABC Ninja:

ABC Ninja is an exciting educational game that helps kids rapidly learn their letters by sight, sound, and touch. Slice your way through all upper and lower case letters by name or phonics sound. Supports 3 difficulty settings - Easy, Medium, or Hard.

Chocolate Playdough

Want a fun Valentines treat for your students. Make chocolate playdough and use it in your centers. They will LOVE you for it! And it smells DIVINE!!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

½ cup dark cocoa powder

½ cup salt

1 Tbsp cream of tartar

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients, except cream of tartar. Mix well

2. Add water, cooking oil and cream of tartar.

3. Stir over medium-low heat. Continue stirring until mixture takes the consistency of dough.

4. Remove and place on dry surface.

5. Knead well until dough is smooth and consistent.

YUMMY!

Dollar Tree Finds: Part 1

Dollar Tree - heaven for teachers! I don't know about you but I could spend a fortune in the Dollar Tree! Every time I go I find materials that can be used for the classroom. I just LOVE it!!!

Here are some materials that can be used in your ELA centers/small groups.

1. Bingo Markers: Students can use them to trace/write letters and words, highlight letters, sounds, and sight words, etc.

2.  Flashcards: Students can use with a partner to practice sight words, letter recognition, and letter sounds.








3. Metal Cookie Sheets and Magnetic Letters: Students can make words, write spelling words, or play letter sound games.

4. Vinyl Placements: Not only do they let students know where to sit for guided reading or other small group activities, but turn them over and students can write on the back. Use as a way to respond or for word work activities.

Reading To Children

"Study Finds Reading to Children of All Ages Grooms Them to Read More on Their Own," was the headline of a New York Times article reporting the results of an annual "Kids and Family Reading Report" commissioned by Scholastic. The 2014 Scholastic survey of just over 1,000 children ages 6 - 17 found that only 31 percent said they read a book for fun almost daily, down from 37 percent four years ago. Other findings:

"For younger children — ages 6 to 11 — being read aloud to regularly and having restricted online time were correlated with frequent reading.... Reading aloud through elementary school seemed to be connected to a love of reading generally.... Children in the survey frequently cited reading aloud as a special bonding time with their parents...

"Some literacy experts said that when parents or teachers read aloud to children even after they can read themselves, the children can hear more complex words or stories than they might tackle themselves.... Other literary experts say the real value of reading to children is helping to develop background knowledge in all kinds of topics as well as exposure to sophisticated language."

How often do you read to your students???

3 Math Center Games

Colored craft sticks are labeled with the number of sides of each shape i.e.: 3 purple sticks - triangle.  The children will choose a color and build the matching colored shape from the sticks.

Children will place the correct number of  foam french fries in each fry carton.  Can be done by numbers or number words.  Can also use for addition or subtraction.

Children draw 2 cards from the basket, build a lego tower representing the numbers, and then place the sign (<, >, =) to make the correct number sentence.

3 Math Apps

Math Bumpies ($.99)
One of the more adventurous apps for iPhone, Math Bumpies feels more like a game than a learning tool, but that doesn't mean your child isn't learning! On the contrary, kids will have to think fast for this one. Move the screen to roll, bump and bounce along. Catch the right answers to addition and subtraction problems while dodging sharks and hot lava and such. Kids won't get tired of this game for a good long time, but if your child is still counting on fingers for every math problem, wait a little while.

Splash Math - Kindergarten and 1st Grade (FREE)

Splash Math Kindergarten app invites your kids to the fun world of animals. Loaded with HD graphics and entertaining sounds, kids learn math concepts in a jungle full of things to count. This app encourages young minds to think and create basic math learning

While kids dive into developing deeper math skills in this grade, Splash Math - Grade 1 app helps them gain a mastery over 15 key math skills. Kids answer set of problems organized around simply fascinating underwater theme

Park MathPark Math - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose ($1.99)

Best for ages: 2 to 6

This multiple award-winning app has 7 different games that involve counting, addition, subtraction, quantities, sorting, and patterns. There are also two difficulty levels, which makes it easy enough for the very youngest preschoolers, and challenging enough for the older ones. 

Beginning Sounds Valentines Activity

Need a Valentines Activity for your centers. Try this beginning sounds valentines game. The kids will love it!

http://www.pre-kpages.com/printable-valentine-beginning-sounds-game/

100th Day

Can you believe we have been in school for almost 100 days! Our 100th day will be Monday, February 2. Below are links to sites with 100th day activities. Enjoy!

100th Day Fun

100 Day Worksheets, Coloring Sheets, Etc.

TPT 100 Day Activities

100th Day Activities

100th Day

100 Days

100th Day Math

Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this week, here are some quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. on leadership:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”

“Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake.  Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

Making Words Center

At the Making Words center, students

Taken from Hubbards Cupboard

• manipulate letters to form 3-4 letter words to match pictures (with or without dotted letters underneath)
• match small objects to word cards
• match word and picture cards

You could extend this activity by having students make sentences.

Website with Valentines Activities

Less than a month we will be celebrating Valentines Day. Whew! Time is flying. I came across this website with some wonderful Montessori inspired Valentines activities that can be adapted to all grade levels.

By posting this now, you will have some time to scour the craft stores to find the materials  needed for the activities.

Montessori Valentines Activities

Fifty Nifty Centers

I LOVE Dr. Jean! Her ideas are so practical. I ran across these center ideas from 2011. They are easy to make and fun for the kids. The activities address the following content areas - reading, math, science, and small motor.

Fifty Nifty Centers

Taken from Dr. Jean

Taken from Dr. Jean

Thoughtful Thursday

HAPPY THURSDAY!!

Guided Reading Blog Party Chapters 6 - 8

Guided Reading: Chapters 6 - 8

How well do you know your students? Silly question, huh? Well, maybe, maybe not. Yes, you know your students' names, families, addresses, phone numbers, friends, etc. But do you know their strengths, challenges, interests, etc? Do you deeply understand their needs in order to support their development. Chapter 6 outlines what a teacher needs to know about students in order to support their development of strategies, specifically reading strategies. On page 73, the authors state, "The primary purpose of assessment is to gather data to inform teaching. If assessment does not result in improved teaching, then its value in school diminishes greatly." What does that statement mean to you? For me, it means assessment is twofold - to inform me of students' understanding/knowledge and to inform me of my teaching. You know how much I love theory! We MUST know why we do what we do. Theory is the base for our decisions in the classroom. Assessment helps us to continually test and retest theory so we can make the best instructional decisions for our students.

Assessment and Evaluation are sometimes used interchangeable. However, they mean two different things. Assessment is the ongoing process of collecting data. Evaluation is summarizing the data, making decisions, and reporting the findings. There are many ways we can collect data. Chapters 6 & 7 discuss Marie Clay's Observation Survey.  If you are not familiar with the Observation Survey, carefully re-read  pages 76 - 78. The Observation Survey provides a systematic way of capturing early reading and writing behaviors and is the primary assessment tool used in Reading Recovery. Observation checklists, anecdotal notes, word tests, and running records are other assessment tools to gather information about students' reading behaviors and skills. Whatever you use, you must have a systematic way to collect information that will help you identify students' strengths and weaknesses and guide your instruction.

Chapter 7 provides an overview of Running Records. You should feel pretty comfortable administering Running Records (or Reading Records as they are sometimes called.) The PGA teachers will be glad to assist you if you have questions about running records.  A running record is so much more than a tool to determine a student's reading level. I believe the key to running records is analysis of student reading behaviors. We will continue to practice analysis of behaviors during TCT.

Out of these 3 chapters, this is probably the most helpful. Most teachers have questions about grouping students. How do I group my students? What if I have too many levels and groups? How do I accommodate my high achievers, low achievers, etc? To this day, I remember the names of my reading groups - Pac Man, Smurfs, Donkey Kong (can you tell what decade I taught). All based on student abilities (at least I did not have eagles, blue birds, and buzzards). I would definitely say I had traditional reading groups. Not only was my classroom divided into ability groups, the first grade classes were divided by abilities. We had a section of high ability classes, average, below average classes, and a pre-first class (students who did not have the basic readiness skills). I am not saying this was good or bad. Just telling you how things worked back in the 80's. The grouping debate (heterogeneous vs. homogeneous) was and continues to be a hot topic. Regardless of which side you support, guided reading groups should be dynamic. Dynamic grouping refers to the continuous changing of groups to meet the needs of each individual reader. By creating groups based on specific learning needs, (i.e. application of a specific strategy, work with a particular set of word or text attributes, practice with fluency), students are afforded opportunities to work with a variety of readers, and get concentrated practice on a particular skill or strategy. For the teacher, dynamic grouping means making the most use of precious literacy time. By placing students with like needs together, more intense teaching can be done to bring about more success and confidence in their reading. Dynamic groupings are best made through specific observation and assessment with running records to determine strengths and weaknesses. Once leveled (by Running Record, AIMS Web, MAP, etc.) students can be grouped, and ongoing observation will provide important feedback as to how they are progressing as self-monitoring readers.

One key point in the chapter was that you do not have to meet with every group everyday. Whew! Right now, you should feel a huge sigh of relief! The authors state on page 102, "It is better to have high-quality teaching than brief, rushed periods that accomplish little."  Whether you are working with a small group or students are working independently in literacy centers, focused reading and writing must be emphasized. The goal is for students to have focused, productive reading & writing experiences for 90 minutes a day and guided reading 3 or 4 days a week. 

Reflection:
1. What types of data do you collect? How does the data provide you with insight on student development? 
2. Review a student running record. What kind of information does the students seem to be using at the point of errors? Is the student actively using strategies and cues? Based on the information what is your next step with the student? How accurate is the reading? Is the test too easy? hard? just right?
3. Reflect on your grouping process. How are your students grouped? What information do you use to group students? Are your groups dynamic? What challenges do you face with grouping? What solutions have your tried?
4. What are your thoughts about meeting with groups 3 -4 times a week? Do you agree with the authors that high-quality teaching is more effective than rushed periods of instruction? Reflect on your schedule are you providing focused, productive opportunities for reading and writing?