Reading with Meaning

The blog has been very quiet...but I have been here! I am working night and day having changed our classroom into a more conducive environment for reading and comprehension.
The children have begun to take Accelerated Reader comprehension tests and some very good readers were scoring some low scores. I had to re look at how reading was being taught in my class. I didn't want them to just learn to read, I wanted them to comprehend what they were reading!
With this being said, I have brought all of my books off of the shelves and put them out for the children to read!
The following is a basic schedule of how the morning goes in the classroom.
8:40-9:00 Music, Read Alouds, Mini Lesson (focusing on schema, visualizing, inference, questions, determining importance, and synthesizing)
9:00-9:45 Independent Reading {all reading...all the time! :o)} and Teacher conferencing with students
9:45-10:00 Sharing
10:00-10:45 Small Groups
Teacher: Guided Reading Only
Seat work: Phonics Focus
Center: Independent Reading/AR testing/Parent listens to student read for fluency

Here are a few photos of the children actively reading:

After reading Debbie Miller's book, "Reading with Meaning", I feel I have found a technique that speaks to me as a teacher and a learner.

I googled Reader's Workshop and found this young lady making this technique work in her class. Head over to her website and click on some of the videos she has created. This is what a typical morning sounds like in my class! I highly recommend visiting the sight here and seeing what she has to say about this in her classroom. You will get a great idea of why I am doing the same in my class. Having not had the opportunity to start first thing in the year has not been a hinderance, the children have adapted to my routine with ease by this time of the year. They are enjoying the opportunity to read more and become better readers!

With this new setup, I have some odd requests:
I appreciate all of the parents who send in donations to the classroom! I am looking for your help before I go out and spend my money on these things. Perhaps you have some of the items available that are cluttering up your home.
***By all means, I am not asking you to go out and purchase any of the following!!!
*clipboards
*post it notes
*small lamps you do not use any longer...not looking for style, just lighting! :o)
*A tall floor lamp... ditto! :o)
*plywood to make shelves
*cushy pillows to sit and read on...again style is not an issue
*any books your children have grown weary of and may have outgrown
*Do you see the tubs in the background of this photo of Melissa? I sure could use some if you have any lying around not being used. The soaking tubs are the perfect size, but any will be greatly appreciated! I have many more books I would like to still get out and into the hands of the children.

Connect your right and left brain!

Crossing the Midline
by Dr. Jean (Educator Extraordinaire if you ask me!)
Click on the name of the article to be taken to her website!

"Draw a line vertically down the middle of your body. That’s called the midline. Every time you cross over that line, you are helping connect the hemispheres in your brain.

Put on some music and have children follow along as you do some of these exercises where you cross over the midline:

Simple Tap - Touch right hand to left knee and left hand to right knee.
Bend and Stretch - Lift left knee and touch with right elbow. Lift right knee and touch with left elbow.
Backwards Touch - Lift left foot behind you and stretch back with right hand and touch. Reverse for the right foot and left hand.
Catch a star –Reach with right hand up in the air to your left and pretend to catch a star. Then reach with your left hand up in the air to your right and catch a star. (You can also pick apples, oranges, or any other fruit you like to eat.)
Windmills – Stretch out feet. Touch right hand to left foot. Stand. Touch left hand to right foot.
Pat on the Back – Alternate patting the back of your left shoulder with your right hand and your right shoulder with your left hand.
Picking Peppers – Stand with feet stretched. Bend to the left and pretend to pull something beyond your left foot with your right hand. Stand. Bend to the right and pretend to pull something with your left hand.
Push and Pull – Stand with hands on hips. Twist left and push with palms up and then pretend to pull something towards you. Twist and push and pull to the right.
Piddle Paddle – Put fists on top of each other as if holding an oar. Pretend to paddle on the right side of the body and then sweep hands and pretend to paddle on the left.
Shopping – Pretend to steer a grocery cart and then reach to the left with your right hand and take something off the shelf and put it in your cart. Reach with the left hand to the right and put something in the cart.
Climbing – Act like you are climbing a ladder as you reach up with your right hand and lift your left knee. Reach with your left hand and lift your right knee.
Nose and Ears – Touch right ear with left hand and place right hand on your nose. Touch left ear with right hand and place left hand on your nose.
Disco Dance – Put right index finger in the air and point to the left. Bring right index finger down by your side. Place left index finger in the air and point to the right. Then bring down by your side.
Put the Fire Out – Pretend to get a pail and scoop up water on the floor by your right foot. Throw that pail of water over your left shoulder. After ten times in this direction scoop water from the left and throw it over your right shoulder.
Crazy Eights – Make the figure eight in front of you with your right hand and then your left hand. Make “lazy” eights by making eight laying down with your right hand. Make lazy eights with your left hand. Clasp your right and left hand and make large lazy eights. Lean over and pretend to draw an imaginary “lazy” eight on the floor with your right hand and then your left hand. "

These ideas are all from Dr. Jean at www.drjean.org . I take no credit whatsoever!

"Writing in First Grade"

http://www.education.com/
Writing in First Grade: It Takes Practice
by Hank Schlinger, Ph.D.
This link will take you directly to this article.

"For many children, first grade is the time when they begin to learn academic skills such as reading and writing. It’s also the time when differences between their own work and that of their peers start to become apparent. Some children learn certain skills faster and some seem to learn them better. These aren’t differences in inborn ability; they arise mostly from differences in direct experience. Poor performance in a particular area is not necessarily a life sentence. But it can feel that way to a first grader.

Take writing.
In first grade, children pick up the pencil in earnest. They learn to print uppercase and lowercase letters. Parents expect teachers to teach this skill, but unfortunately it does not always happen. Thus parents must step in and help.

The old adage “practice makes perfect” is true. Consequently, parents must arrange opportunities for their children to practice the correct behaviors. Here are some tips for helping your child:
Get specific.
Find out from your child’s teacher how your child is doing with each skill. Be sure to get the teacher to tell you in terms of specific actions, (“She needs to learn to make her capital Ws larger than her lowercase ws”) instead of vague descriptions, such as “Your child needs more work on understanding the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters.”
Stock up.
Ask the teacher to provide materials that you can use at home or to advise you about where to buy them. This ensures that you and the teacher are working on the same skills.
Focus.
Set aside a specific time with your child when there are no interruptions. Turn off the telephones and televisions and arrange, if possible, for other siblings to be occupied.
Set the stage.
Sit by your child and ask her to write a couple of letters you know she can do well and immediately tell her how good she did by specifying exactly what she did that was right, for example, “I like how tall these letters are” or “This line is nice and straight”. Giving a child a few concrete examples of what’s working, is better than heaping on general non-specific praise. Approach the problem.
Move to letters she is having difficulty with. Start with what she can do and then instruct her how she can make it slightly better, for example, “Try making this letter a little taller”. When she follows your instructions and completes the task effectively, praise that behavior. If she’s not quite able to do it yet, model the behavior for her and then ask her to tell you the difference between yours and hers. You can also physically prompt her by guiding her hand with yours to make the correct letter.
Leverage success.
Once your child can write the correct letter and can tell you what makes it correct, then move on to the next letter. But always include previous letters when learning and practicing new ones. Also, once she has learned to write a letter, you needn’t praise her skill as much or immediately.The best piece of advice? Keep it short. It’s hard work and you shouldn’t expect sessions to last more than 10 minutes at a time. So get that pencil dancing.
And remember, make it fun!"
(Hank Schlinger, Ph.D., BCBA, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, directs the Masters Program in Applied Behavior Analysis in the Psychology Department at California State University, Los Angeles. He is the author of the book, "A Behavior-Analytic View of Child Development", as well as numerous scientific articles and popular columns.)

1st Grade Writing: What Happens
by Amy James
Follow this link to the direct article!

"It's easy to think, “Okay, I taught/helped teach my child to read, whew – I'm glad that is over.” But writing might be the hardest thing your child does all day. By combining reading skills with small motor skills and adding in spelling, your child is just learning to communicate via the written word – a skill that will be used and refined for the rest of your child's life. When a first grader writes, he or she must simultaneously recall ideas, vocabulary, and rules of spelling, punctuation, and grammar while putting thoughts on paper.
Curriculum varies from state to state, of course, but children working at the standard level at the beginning of first grade:
*Name and label objects
*Gather, collect, and share information
*Stay on topic (maintain focus)
*Can write in chronological order
*Incorporate storybook language (for example, “They lived happily ever after”) into their writing
*Think in a more extended fashion than they can write, so some thoughts must be extended orally
By the end of first grade, students working at the standard level:
*Communicate in writing
*Reread their writing to monitor meaning
*Begin to use feedback to change their writing either by adding more text or by making minor revisions
*Revise their writing by inserting text in the middle rather than just at the end
*Make deliberate choices about the language they use
*Use punctuation and capitalization more often than not

(Amy James is a former teacher and a national expert on school curriculum and testing. Her company, Six Things, Inc., provides consulting services for publishers and school districts on compliance with state and national education standards, as well as professional development for K-12 teachers. Reprinted with permission from "First Grade Success: Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Child Learn" by Amy James (Jossey-Bass 2005) )

Groundhog Day

The groundhog did not have a shadow here in Florida...does that mean Spring is just around the corner? I hope so! Up north, he did see his shadow in Punxsy...so they have 6 more weeks of winter.

Gobbler's Knob is very much alive and well. We visited in August of 2007 when I was pregnant with Jay visiting with my folks in Reynoldsville, PA.
Here is where they pull him out of a makeshift burrow. There was still hay in it when we opened the little doors and peered in!

This was taken right out in front of the library. These groundhogs are painted like the Ocala horses and are placed all around the town of Punxsatawney.

Here is where the Groundhogs live year round. There is one up on its hind legs trying to get the attention of a child in the library. Two more are laying in the little burrows. I believe there were like 5 or 6 all total in there. This photo was taken through a window outside of the library.

We had a very busy and exciting morning. Super Science, three parent helpers and some good old fashioned learning fun!
How cute is that hat exclaiming, "6 more weeks of winter!".
The children LOVE www.starfall.com!

Cloudy with a Chance

Dear Mrs. Carter’s Students,

Thursday, January 21, 2010 your presence is requested at School(Mrs. Carter’s classroom to be exact). You are to come dressed in your finest pajamas. Please remember our school dress code when putting together your favorite pajama outfit! Slippers are also a good idea. I wouldn’t want you tripping on any falling spaghetti and meatballs without them! Just throw them in your backpack and change from your sneakers to slippers once you arrive! We will be dining on such fine food as pancakes and eggs compliments of Chef Cartier` (That’s fancy talk for: Mrs. Carter will be making pancakes with syrup and eggs with ketchup if you so choose!) If you prefer to have a bag lunch, please pack your own (the cafeteria will also be serving bag lunches). We will be watching the movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs after lunch is cleaned up! Thank you for your attention and I look forward to Thursday!

Your Teacher,
Mrs. Carter

If you would like to donate any of the following, please call me or email me:
*paper plates
*napkins
*plastic forks and knives
*juice boxes
I will be purchasing everything else.

***Slippers and Pajamas are optional! If your child has someplace to be after school, send in a change of clothes.

Happy New Year!

I know, I know...it's late. But, better late than never right?
I hope this post finds you well and looking forward to a positive year.

This past week has flown by in a flurry. There has been a blizzard of things to do and get caught up on from our recent winter vacation. Did you notice my reference to snowy weather? Well, let me assure you...it is ALLLLLL the children have been focused on all week. The prospect of snow was their main focus and goal this week and it started early Tuesday morning.

If you can not beat them, join them. This coming week we are learning about weather. We will cover temperature and how to measure it, clouds and what type of weather they bring, and the water cycle. Among many other things! We will be reading the book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and adding our own twist to the story!

Our reading story next week is called "Friends Forever". As you read the story with your child, PLEASE remember to go over the "Words to Remember" at the beginning of the story. These are sight words and they are getting more difficult. When we get to the test, they can not read these words(Obviously as sight words, they can not be sounded out.). I am trying to transition the children to begin reading the tests on their own. In second grade, the teachers do not read the tests to them. I work on independent reading and comprehension each day in small groups. You can help at home by read, read, reading with your child! :o)

This past week we had a wonderful lesson on Monet in ARTSEE. The children painted such beautiful renditions in the style of Monet. They were left drying on the back table in the classroom and the children will bring them home Monday.

This past week, you also received MANY tests. These were all from prior to the winter break while I was out having surgery. The substitutes graded the tests. This is why you may have noticed that some things I usually mark wrong were let go by the wayside. It would not have made a major difference on their grade so I did not change it. Otherwise, I can not tell you how wonderful a job the subs truly did.

Right down to the last day before break when she turned on beautiful classic music, moved the tables out and created a circle, handed each child two paper plates, and had them ice skate! Then, to put the icing on the cake she had hot cocoa for each child after they skated! This was of course after all the academics were done. You see, 6 and 7 year old children need to have fun! After all, isn't that what makes life enjoyable?

As the new year begins in the classroom, the expectations of your child are increasing. I am demanding neat hand writing or they try again, names must be on papers or they lose a point on their grade, neatness counts for a grade as well. Phonics skills are being repeated over and over, fluency is being practiced each day, and comprehension is a big focus now as we work towards the end of the year. Math concepts are being repeated in order that each child masters these skills in order to build on math knowledge. It is my goal to have them well prepared for the 2nd grade.

Hello all! Coming to you live from my living room couch, just wanted to let you all know I am coming along well. I will be back Friday afternoon. I will be taking the second half of the day shift.
Mrs. Parson has to be out the second half of the day on Friday and this would be the perfect time for me to return.
The surgery has taken its toll on me for sure. I am looking forward to getting back to normal!

Sitting around has given me lots of time to think about things. In particular, all the things I am not getting done for the holidays. Then, it occurred to me that this is a great time to reevaluate what the holidays actually mean to my family and most importantly to me.

I obviously can not get out to the stores to shop, shop, shop. I have come to realize that so often our children associate the holidays with gifts. As a parent myself, I want them to experience the joy. But even more, I want more for them than to just see the holidays as a chance to get presents.

Can you remember what you got your child last year for the holidays, be it Hanukkah or Christmas? I am embarrassed to say I do not. To be honest, the only gift I remember giving my children was the year my children were in 2nd and 4th grade and my husband and I purchased year Disney passes for them. I suppose I remember it because I can not tell you how many times we went to the park that year. We would leave from school and go to the parks for several hours before closing. We had so much fun together that year. The toys and such, I never remember.

During the holidays, we also do the usual bake, decorate, and spend time together. I want to do something more this year...and maybe you do to.

This holiday season, I want to focus on more traditions:
* We are going to draw names secretly of an immediate family member. During the upcoming holiday season, we are going to help one another without being asked.(Chores or with something unexpected) I want them to "give back" starting with the family. I think I am going to write my name 4 times and they all chose me. hahahaha Just kidding
* One evening we are having dinner as a picnic on the living room floor.
* Christmas movie night.
* We will share the Christmas story followed by hot cocoa. (My kids love hot cocoa!)
* One evening we will head out to view all of the lights followed by hot cocoa! :o)
* I will continue my love of holiday music from Thanksgiving through the new year!
* Baking and eating cookies. Mmmmm...
* Write new years resolutions together.
* The usual meals and Christmas tradition.

Be it Hanukkah or Christmas, make the holidays memorable for your family.
Tell me your holiday traditions. I would love to try something new! Email me!

Update

Good Monday morning.
It is with great pain (literally) that I sit here at my computer and type you a brief note! This week will be full of excitement and wonder for our classroom. So many fun filled activities and bits of joy as the holidays are upon us! Unfortunately, due to an emergency hernia surgery on Friday morning, I will not be back to the classroom until Thursday at the earliest.
The substitute is top notch and life will go on as usual in the classroom…minus me.
I will keep you posted.
Sincerely,

Native American Presentation!

We had an awesome time the last three weeks working on our Native American Unit! It was a wonderful experience for the students and for me! I learned so much myself as I dove into the history of our great country.



Before we get started, I must let you know that Hunter's dad came in earlier this week and presented some incredible information on Native Americans to the students. We learned how they tan hides. He told us that animals are just smart enough to tan their own hides. The reason being, they used their brains to tan their hides. The children oohed and aahed over that description. They were fascinated with the animal hides, leather bags, turtle bag, medicine bag, peace pipes, deer skulls, antlers, and many other things. He presented the children with a deer antler button and an antler gun powder measure necklace. Very cool presentation by Hunter's dad.

We learned about the Northwest, Southwest, Plains, Southeast, and the Northeast Native Americans. We completed many projects that brought the past to life for the students.



















Afterward, the children showed off their work to their parents. We then went on to have lunch together. It was just so nice to bring families together with our school family! Thank you for making this day so special, Parents! You made your child's day! However, rest assured if you were unable to attend due to work or travel...your child understands! I had a conversation with them... if my daughter was having the same thing at her school I wouldn't be able to be there because ...and they always finish my sentence. "Because you are here with us!"
Here are some shots from lunch:

Week in Review!

There were four birthdays in our class this month! (Vic, Jack, Dylan, and me!)
I celebrated my birthday on Monday and received the nicest gift from the class! A "Star Teacher" book! I also received many nice cards and gifts. Ignore the candle...it is supposed to say 28...really!


Mr. Carter made me an ice cream cake! Look how delicious!!! After a week of celebrating, I am looking forward to dieting and beginning a running regimen!

We decorated our door for American Education Week! Our door was focused on Teamwork! This is our team photo...only I am not in it because I took this photo! Mrs. Shaw took the picture of the class and me. It is hanging on our door and I forgot to take a picture of the door...which won honorable mention, I might add! Your child may be missing...but it is because we had several children out for the holidays.


As part of American Education Week, Vic's Dad came in and talked about his job at the Travel magazine. It was so interesting to learn about how Vic's family was able to go to Jamaica and live in an amazingly fabulous tree house for a week for work. Work??? That seems like more fun than work! :o) Vic is even in a photo shoot from the article that Vic's dad wrote!


The past two weeks have been a flurry of learning and native American studies! I can not show you all the pictures I have been taking of the projects as I want you to be surprised when you arrive for our Native American presentaion on December 4th. Have you marked it off on your calendar yet? Dec. 10, at 10:00 am - 11:30 am. We may be having some very special guests there as well! (My parents.)

On Friday, we had a Thanksgiving Fun Day. We did three rotations.

#1


#2 Pinecone Turkey (If you could have seen me stopping my car in a persons driveway and asking them if I could have pine cones for my first grade class project.......) hahaha


#3 Oreo Cookie Turkey

The children have been SOOO concerned about what was going to happen to Froggy over the Thanksgiving break. I told them he would go home with someone from the class for the week. They thought it was so unfair! They only get him for a weekend. I had pushed Froggy until later in the afternoon...and forgot to pull a name. So, I did the only kind thing I could for Froggy. I brought him home with me! He immediately went for a bath...in the washer and dryer! :o)
Then Jay caught a glimpse of him and it has been love at first sight!

The first thing Jay thought he needed to do was go and use the potty! Do you think Jay will get the idea and use the potty himself??? That is my job this week...potty training!

First thing this morning, Jay was out of bed with Froggy and getting him into his high chair for breakfast!

The two of them played together all morning while I went out and got a Caramel Macchiato at Starbuck's and then headed out to the Art Festival in DeLand, shopping for some new shirts, and lunch with my mother!

Later that afternoon, we were off to the park to play...only when he realized he forgot Froggy...Jay was totally bummed out!

Froggy has been having a ball here at our house and wonders why I hadn't brought him over sooner! Oh well, he is so spoiled from having such great weekends with his classmates that he expects it here! Tomorrow we have some fun things planned so stay tuned and check back soon!