Six2Five - Hi everyone! I'm a sixth grade teacher moving to fifth grade looking for help!
Six2Five - We just started looking at four-blocks for our sixth grade classrooms and I'd like to find someone in sixth grade doing four-blocks. Can anyone help?
LK - Sorry--I'm just here to learn
Six2Five - The fifth grade team I am joining has been doing four-blocks for 2 years now. What grade do you teach, LK?
LK - I just finished my student teaching in December
emma - Anyone as tired of school as I am?
Six2Five - LK, how did you learn about 4-blocks?
LK - I've seen it on the board.
curious - Hope I'm in the right place. I want to know more about 4blocks.
emma - Yes curious this is the place to find out.
emma - What do you want to know, curious?
ali_PA - Evening all!
curious - How do I get started? I bought several of the books such as guided reading, the overview book, and the 1st grade phonics. Now what?
emma - Hi ali
ali_PA - I started with the Word Block.. the kids love the activities
emma - Well, start reading those books to get a feel for the framework. My Month by Month phonics was very helpful to me.
curious - Ali, is that for the word wall?
ali_PA - You can choose words they are frequently misspelling for now
ali_PA - Word wall is just one piece
curious - What else?
ali_PA - I like Making Words, Guess the Covered Word too
curious - Emma, what do you like about the month book?
Hoping for K - Please remind me...it's been a LONG time since I've read about 4 Blocks...
Hoping for K - What are the "names" for the 4 Blocks...and
Hoping for K - What are the "names" for the 4 Blocks...and
emma - When I started 4 blocks I also started with the word wall. I dove right in to doing Rounding Up the Rhymes, Guess the Covered Word, Making Words Lessons etc.
ali_PA - 4 Blocks is Pat Cunningham's Literacy Framework
ali_PA - Guided Reading, Self-selected reading, writing, and working with words
Hoping for K - I didn't remember a grade level/age range, but I think now that Building Blocks is for K? Is that right?
curious - Sounds like fun. Will I find these in the books that I listed? I just got them.
emma - It really gives you activities to do each month with the kids that build upon one another and are around themes for the holidays, curious.
ali_PA - yes curios
emma - Yes, curious, it is fun and your day is filled with learning without worksheets!
ali_PA - yes Hoping
curious - Now, how much time do you estimate that you spend on each?
ali_PA - The teachers in my building are hooked on it after 2 years of trying the activities and seeing the differences in their students
emma - All of this was so new to me that I had to practice and rehearse with my own children before I felt comfortable in front of my class, but it is worth it!
ali_PA - about 40 minutes per block
ali_PA - some are 30
Brenda - Does anyone modify for the upper grades??
curious - Most of the morning?
ali_PA - I teach 3rd, so reading and writing are longer
Six2Five - Brenda, what grade do you teach?
emma - curious, in your Month by month book it has a little clock showing the avg. amount of time for each activity.
Brenda - Fifth
ali_PA - I do Working with Words from 9:30-10, guided reading and skills from 10-10:50, writing from 11:40-12:15, and ssr from 1-1:30
emma - My Month by Month Phonics has been like my bible for 4 blocks.
Six2Five - Brenda, does your sixth grade do 4-Blocks?
ali_PA - I have specials and lunch in between
curious - Great! I currently teach at a private school that doesn't do 4blocks, but I have applied to some public systems because of this program.
emma - You really have to plan it around your schedule and all your pull-outs.
Brenda - No. Our school goes up to fifth and the sixth doesn't do it. We are having Cheryl Sigmon come to our school for training so maybe they will get on board.
curious - Then I will start with that book.
ali_PA - that's awesome Brenda!
emma - You will love it, curious, and I almost guarantee you'll never want to go back to ability reading groups, seatwork papers, or centers.
Six2Five - I'm switching to fifth next year and Cheryl is visiting our school next week! We are really looking forward to her visit!
curious - From what I keep reading I know that is true!
Brenda - Yes, I'm very excited!! I've been to her workshop and talked my principal into bringing her here!
emma - I think the M and M is a very good place to start, curious.
Brenda - That's exciting six2five! I can't wait.
curious - I am interested in any seminars hopefully in the Atlanta area.
emma - I have taught for 15 years and feel reborn with 4 blocks.
Brenda - Six, did you do 4-blocks in sixth??
cin - Evening everyone....
Six2Five - Our sixth grade is ready to do 4-blocks and whoever takes my position next year will unfortunately have a lot of catching up to do if s/he doesn't know 4-blocks!
curious - Hi cin
cin - This seems to running a lot smoother than the last dhat they tried to have.
curious - This is my first time to do this.
cin - excuse me....chat.
Six2Five - We have had a study group going for the past 6 months and even our 7th & 8th grade teachers are going to do 4-blocks.
emma - Brenda, you will love Cheryl. She's helped get our 2nd grade and Special Ed. on board 4 blocks.
Brenda - Do you have self-contained sixth and fifth grades, six???
cin - We started a cross grade study group. Really helps.
Six2Five - No, we are departmentalized for science, math and soc. st.
Brenda - I'm hoping she can help me get our sp. ed. on board. I really want to do full-inclusion with 4-blocks.
Six2Five - The departmentalizing has made for some interesting discussion about scheduling!
curious - Stupid question-why does it click so much? other chatrooms?
Brenda - I am currently the only fifth grade class, out of four, to do 4-blocks and to be self-contained.
Six2Five - Our fifth grade does full inclusion with the 4-blocks and the results have been amazing!
Brenda - Do you have the sp. ed. teachers in the classroom?
Six2Five - One of the 3 classrooms has the students identified specifically with lang. and reading deficiencies and the sp.ed. teacher is in that room for 4-blocks.
Brenda - Do you have any information about your 4-block/inclusion. I'm in the process of trying to talk the psychologist and principal into it. I feel it would work well.
Brenda - I hate to see my sp. ed. students leave because I know they could succeed in my classroom with 4 blocks!!
emma - Hi Nancy
Six2Five - I know they would do well! Sorry I have to go! Use the e-mail address I sent you!
Nancy - Hi! I haven't been on a chat before, so I'm not sure what to do. I think I'll just listen in for awhile... Then, it's off to bed. 5 am comes early.
naneb - Brenda, I teach sped and do 4 blocks, get the sped teacher to come in and help out with the sped kids
Brenda - That's my goal, naneb. Just have to get people to listen. I know my administration knows it is a good thing. They are very pro 4-blocks, but don't thing the sp. ed. teachers would make a good team. They haven't implemented 4 blocks. I'm still working on it, though!
naneb - I teach at a middle school and I have seen so much progress with my kids this year, they actually like to read now
Brenda - That's exciting. My kids love to read and write. They actually asked to write reports about the revolutionary war this month. They love having the freedom to research and go through the writing process.
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