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Thursday, December 1, 2016

12 Days of Christmas -- Day 1



It is the season of giving. In that spirit, I am pleased to launch 12 days of giving to my fellow teachers.




How Many Ways? is an interactive math bulletin board. It is a fun, open ended, computation challenge that works well as an anchor activity, a math center, a sponge activity, or for fast finishers.   It may be easily adapted to any elementary grade level and provides differentiation within a single grade. 

Use the ornament icons to create an array on the bulletin board. Add the operation(s) you want your students to use and post the question along with a target number.


Now invite your students to determine how many ways they can reach the target number.  Students may use each ornament only once, however, they need not use every ornament.  Add an extra challenge by requiring that the numbers used touch each other. 

To determine how many ways a student is able to achieve the target number, I give each one a strip of adding machine paper. Something about that long, thin ribbon of paper is enticing to children.  But, a piece of notebook paper or a recycled sheet will work just fine.

To get double the learning from this activity, require the participants to have a friend check their equations for accuracy. (Calculators preclude lots of disagreements.) Then allow them to hang their strips in order from the largest number of equations to the smallest. (That's triple the learning!)

Change the target number daily and you have an interactive bulletin board that is good for the entire month. Or, change the operation signs to expand the challenge. Or do both!

If you teach young children, a set of ornaments with counting dots is included. If you teach in the upper grades, post all 4 operations and turn your students loose on multi-step equations. 

It pains me to give a gift with strings attached, but this product will only be FREE for 48 hours.  


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Saturday, November 26, 2016

Christmas Emergent Reader & Teaching Techniques



That means it's time for another holiday, emergent reader.  And here it is...


Green Tree, Green Tree, What Do You See? is perfect for the holiday season. The pictures not only support the text, but are inviting to color. Ask your students to color the pictures, noting the color words in bold print on each page. This will provide additional support for the emerging reader. 


When working with beginning readers, it is advisable to choose 1 strategy and focus on it until your students show mastery. While I will be covering several topics, you should choose the one that best fits the needs of your students at the time. One of the most valuable lessons I learned in Reading Recovery™ was to avoid the shotgun approach. 

High Frequency Word Practice
This Christmas reader emphasizes color words and 14 high frequency words. Some of the HFW may be unknown or partially known. Select 1 word to accentuate as you conduct the book walk. Ask your student to point to that word on each page as you explain the story to him. In this example, the chosen HFW is what.



If the word is troublesome on the first read, provide the initial sound whenever the word is encountered. Resist the temptation to teach ALL or several HFW at the same time.  

Picture Cues
Words such as reindeer and stocking are not HFW, nor should you expect your young learners to know such words in print. The illustrations provide support for these unfamiliar nouns. If a student balks when he comes to these words, remind him to check the picture for a clue. 


Or, upon turning to a page with a problematic noun, simply point to the picture cue. 

The last sentence on each page presents a noun that does not have picture support.  Either supply the initial sound or simply tell your student what the word is if he stumbles or hesitates.

1 – 1  Correspondence / Self-Checking
The print is large enough to allow easy pointing to the words as the children read aloud.  If your students no longer need to point, require them to point on a few chosen pages.  This practice leads the children to self-checking.  After reading a selected page, whether correctly or incorrectly, ask the child to read it again while pointing to each word as she reads.  Upon finishing that reading, ask her if she had enough words, i.e. was there 1 word for every time she pointed?  If the pointing did not match, help her reread with correct pointing.  It is important to ask her to check her 1 – 1 correspondence when she is correct at least as often as when her pointing did not match.  Otherwise, YOU are the one who has learned to self-check.

While the text is highly predictable, there are enough exceptions to require your students to truly attend to it.   It is not unusual, however, for polysyllabic words to be problematic.  For example, snowman or reindeer may entice your student to double point or get lost in the pointing if she moved on to the next word, but realizes it does not match what she is saying.  This is the perfect opportunity to explain that some words have 2 or more beats but still get just one finger point.  Again, ask your child to check the accuracy of her pointing both when she is correct and incorrect.

Inflections
Several of the HFW have inflections in this text. If your student is ready for this skill, draw his attention to the word by repeating what the student said. You may wish to leave your finger on the inflected word as you ask him if what he read sound right.





You are leading the child to reflect upon whether his reading sounds like standard English. If the inflection was incorrectly read or skipped, use finger masking to help him focus on and recognize it. It is important to ask the child to assess the accuracy of his reading both when he is correct and incorrect.


Punctuation and Fluency
The lilt of the story encourages fluent reading.  However, this book provides ample opportunities for learning to “read the punctuation.”  The frequency of commas, question marks, and periods make them obvious choices for “reading the punctuation.”  Resist the temptation to “read” all of the punctuation.  Choose 1 type to focus on with this book.  Introduce the other punctuation with subsequent texts.  If, for instance, you decide to work on question marks, model reading the sentence and punctuation correctly.  Emphasize the change in pitch that the question mark requires.  Then call for the student to use the same pitch whenever she encounters a question mark.  


If she reads past the punctuation, point to the question mark, leaving your finger there until she rereads and “reads” the punctuation. Learning to “read the punctuation” is crucial to comprehension and fluency.

Since this book is intended for the children to keep, be sure to send it home prior to the winter break. Encourage them to read it to everyone at their home.


[This is a revised version of this reader. If you have purchased it in the past, you can download the new file for FREE!]





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Monday, November 14, 2016

Thanksgiving Emergent Reader




That means it's time for another holiday, emergent reader.  And here it is...




[This is a revised version of this reader. If you have purchased it in the past, you can download the new file for FREE!]

As the literacy coach for my building, I found that the 1st grade teachers were not only willing, but anxious, to meet weekly for a mini-lesson on reading instruction strategies. Their responses have been so favorable that I thought I would share some of the strategies with you.

When working with emerging readers, it is advisable to choose 1 strategy and focus on it until your students show mastery. While I will be covering several topics, you should choose the one that best fits the needs of your students at the time. One of the most valuable lessons I learned in Reading Recovery™ was to avoid the shotgun approach.

High Frequency Word Practice
The text provides practice with the following high frequency words: theis, on, in, & of. Additional HFW may appear only once, such as inside or between. Some of these HFW may be unknown or partially known. Support your student's efforts by finger masking the new or partially known words.  In this example, where inside is unknown, mask the word so that the reader can recognize the known chunk in. 


Draw your child’s attention to the picture for a clue as to what the word that starts with in- could be. This practice builds the dual skills of chunking and using picture cues. Should the word inside continue to be problematic, draw your finger back slowly while providing the /s/ sound. If the student still cannot provide the word, simply tell him.  

Picture Cues
The last word on each page is a noun that may be unfamiliar to the reader. The illustrations provide support for these unfamiliar nouns. If a student balks when he comes to one of these words, remind him to check the picture for a clue.  

Or, upon turning to a page with a problematic noun, simply remind him briefly about the word on the page by saying, “There’s the [barn].” Then again, you might point to the picture and finger mask the word so that only the first letter shows. Ask him to say that sound. If that still does not elicit the word, tell the child what it is.


1-1 Correspondence/Self-checking
Because the number of words on each page varies, this text provides the opportunity to assess your students’ ability with one-to-one correspondence. To check this skill, ask the student if he had enough words on a given page. Then have him check by pointing to each word as he says them. Ask again, after he points and reads, if he had enough words. On another page, ask if he had too many words. After he points and reads, repeat the question. It is important to make these queries when the student reads correctly, as well as when he omits or adds words. By drawing his attention to this skill, you are giving him the ability to self-check.

It is common for polysyllabic words to be problematic to 1-1 correspondence. Words such as between and pumpkin may entice your student to double point. Or he may get lost in the pointing if he moved on to the next word, but realizes it does not match what he is saying. This is the perfect opportunity to explain that some words have 2 or more beats but still get just one finger point. Again, ask your pupil to check the accuracy of his pointing both when he is correct and incorrect.

Phrasing and Fluency
While emerging readers should not be expected to read fluently, it is never too early to encourage phrased reading. This text offers easy phrasing for young readers. Model the phrasing you desire. 
           
            The turkey is  /  [prepositional phrase].

Staccato reading is a problem that can be difficult to overcome later. Start early encouraging your kiddos to read in phrases.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!


Never give up.  Great things take time.


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Thursday, October 13, 2016

Election Vocabulary Fun

It's about time, teachers, for some ELECTION VOCABULARY. Mark your ballot for Election Hink Pinks, Hinky Pinkies, Hinkity Pinkities, & Hitinkity Pitinkities.  


Campaign for these riddles with rhyming answers and soon your students will rally behind your efforts.  

If you are unfamiliar with Hink Pinks, et al., you are in for a treat.




Hink Pinks, et al., provide critical thinking exercise and vocabulary development disguised as fun. Students love them and beg for more.



Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.
                                                                        --F.D.R.


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Friday, October 7, 2016

Halloween Phonics Sort Literacy Center



If you are looking for a fun, easy, low prep, literacy center for your class, I've got just what you need.








Get your little ghosts busy, practicing the sounds of O.




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Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Election Day Learning

It's about time, teachers, for Election Day!


Regardless of your political leanings, you will want to share some lessons about this fundamental rite of democracy.

Mock elections are fun, but not always easily understood by children. Most elementary students will find the political platforms of the candidates unfathomable. (Adults, too?!?) In a mock election, then, they will most likely vote for the candidate their parents support. That's fine, just not packed with learning.

There are ways to make it comprehensible, however. Even primary students can grasp the process when you apply the election to a subject they understand. Take ice cream, for example.

(Yes, please!  I'll take chocolate chip mint on a waffle cone.)

Hold an election to determine your children's favorite flavor. Begin by dividing your class into 2 equitable groups. Each group, i.e., caucus, will discuss their favorite flavors of ice cream. Through persuasive discourse, i.e., campaigning, each group will come to consensus about the best flavor, i.e., candidate. If consensus is difficult to achieve, you may even conduct primary elections.

Once the 2 flavors are selected, i.e., nominated, your students can begin trying to persuade their friends, i.e., constituents, to support their flavor, i.e., candidate. Posters, speeches, bumper stickers, etc. are all appropriate.  Rallies might best be saved for recess.


Students will need to register to vote. Election judges will check voters off their lists before giving them a ballot.


Once the polls close, the election judges will tally the votes and declare the winner. A post- election celebration may be in order -- featuring the winning flavor, of course! [If you are able to enlist the help of parents, have them count the ballots and announce the winner by distributing ice cream of the winning flavor.]

Don't you just love all the learning that this experience will bring your students? Maybe the elected flavor is not their very favorite, but they will learn about the art of compromise, majority opinions, and the election process.  

A mock election will have far greater impact when conducted around a subject that has meaning for children. 


Take TIME today to appreciate someone who does something you take for granted.



Sunday, October 2, 2016

Columbus Day Poem



I have a poem to share with you, as well as some possibilities for teaching with it.



This poem and its possibilities are from my Poetry Possibilities - Fall Edition.  There are 25 more poems and custom designed possibilities for each one in the unit.






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