gratelade - is this the meeting about 4blocks implementation
hope - I believe it is gratelade
Tina - gratelade, that's what the topic said.
sak - Many teachers in my district know something about four blocks. Any ideas on how we can support each other
gratelade - I have bought materials to use but have not implemented it yet. I teach 2nd gr
gratelade - I am kind of over whelmed by it all. but want to try
hope - I love 4 blocks.....I learned it from my cooperating teacher and implemented it last year in my fourth grade classroom
Joanne - Can someone explain what 4 blocks is?
gratelade - how much time did it take as part of your day
hope - It is a balance literacy program
hope - I incorporated it throughout the entire day
Joanne - "Balanced" meaning what?
Fir-Grade - <--- Hoping for explanation also
sak - I heard that is you are overhelmed - try to implentment one block at a time
hope - It includes a guided reading/process writing/self-selected reading/ and working with words block.
Fir-Grade - gratelade-what type of materials have you purchased?
gratelade - If you don't know what 4 block is you need to go to www.blocks4reading.com
sak - the four blocks make the balance- writing, independent, making words and guided reading
Rk - Our administration wants us to do centers ....I teach first grade...how do you work centers with 4 blocks
Sheryl - What about split grades?
gratelade - I use Accelerated Reading Program in my class can this be the sustained silent reading part
sugartoy - What type or form of modifications are implemented in a Special Education Resource room for this model?
gratelade - Centers all day long?
Rk - no not all day but during our reading time
sak - i think each block takes about 30 mins
Joanne - Thanks for the explanation (Hope & sak) and the website (gratelade)
Sheryl - How much time do you spend on each block?
gratelade - sak what grade do you teach
sak - It impresses me that is not a program and isn't expensive to implement
sak - I teach first
Rk - what kind of materials do you use...and what about phonics & spelling
gratelade - does anyone at your school use it and teach 2nd
teacher - I taught 3rd last year but did 4blocks on my own
hope - Is there anyone here already using four blocks in their program?\
hope - Teacher....how is the Four Block Model working in your classroom?
teacher - I did 4 blocks last year but had to adapt the guided reading part
sugartoy - Is is appropriate to implement the 4block model into special education reading program?
Rk - I missed the link before...I'm getting familiar with the 4 Blocks model
teacher - I did guided reading for one hour then 30 min of working with words, 30 min of writing and 20 min of ssr
gratelade - I here teach createdmaterials has a teacher guided lessons resource book
sak - i understand that most of the four blocks are done whole group- everyone working in the same block. The value is that while it can be whole group the emphasis is to make it multi- skilled
teacher - sugartoy - my special ed teacher decided to use the phonics portion in her room next year
hope - Oh yes Sugartoy.......The resource teacher plays an important role in giving students "in addition to" rather than "instead of"\
sak - phonics is imbedded in make words, predictible charts and in writing
Joanne - I'm logging off and going to the website to learn more about the 4 blocks program. Goodbye teachers!
Rk - Can I please have the link again
sugartoy - where exactly can i find specific information on handling this program with my students?
hope - Connie prevatte's web page will be full of valuable info
sugartoy - teacher, the only problem i have with phonics is that some of my students do have moderate to severe hearing problems which does eliminate phonics with them
sak - I do use it in my class=however I haven't been trained- just studied it
saj - sak- how long have you been using 4 blocks? How did you find ssr ? Problems??
teacher - Monith by month Phonics is an excellent book
Charter - I bought a lesson plan book today called the four-blocks plan book plus. It has everything in it including a sample lesson plan.
sugartoy - hope, i am not familiar to the web page, what is the web site address?
sak - sorry- having trouble staying connected
hope - I don't know the address but if you do a search on her name you should find it quite easily.
Hockeyrabbit - does anyone here teach Spec Ed.? If you do..do you use 4 Blocks?
sugartoy - thank you hope, i'll try
hope - I'm sorry......www.connieprevatte.com
hope - I found it in a folder for ya
sugartoy - hockey, i teach special ed but i am not familiar with this plan
teacher - who is connie prevatt?
sugartoy - thank you hope very much
Hockeyrabbit - sugar-2nd year teacher, and I have heard goos things about this program but want to know if its worth it
hope - She is one of the educators who developed the program
Nancy4 - Connie is an educator who uses 4 blocks and has her own web page
sugartoy - i know the feeling hockey, hopefully i will be able to get my students involved with it
Nancy4 - It is very helpful
Hockeyrabbit - sugar-what gardes do you teach?
hope - I had the opportunity to attend one of her seminars last summer in SC....very helpful.\
sugartoy - i teach 1st through 4th with students combined in some levels
Nancy4 - So many seminars are in the south. Are there any north...Ohio for example?
Hockeyrabbit - I teach K-3
hope - I'm sure you could find that info on the web pages suggested
sugartoy - are you in a self-contained or resource room?
Hockeyrabbit - has anyone here used this program for many years?
Nancy4 - Dayton has one, but I'm looking for one closer to Cleveland.
Hockeyrabbit - 12-1-1 (self contained)
teacher - not me - just 1 year
Hockeyrabbit - teacher-do you like the results? How long does it take to work out all the quirks?
vic - I teach K-3 spcial needs. I used 4blocks in my self-contained room last year and couldn't believe the results that I saw. In over 20 years of teaching, I have never seen such growth in my students. By the way, they were all MD students last year.
Hockeyrabbit - vic-how hard is this progrm to implement?
sugartoy - vic, is it really that good for our children?
hope - Wow....that is a wonderful success story.
teacher - Yes I liked results - the quirks are still not worked out - I had little support from Reading Specialist
teacher - You wouldn't believe how much more my children enjoyed language arts than previous years
hope - Teacher, what are some of the quirks?
Hockeyrabbit - vic or teacher-did you guys go to a seminar/workshop to learn this program or just read the books?
vic - I can only speak for my students last year, but the growth was TREMENDOUS!!! I had one student come to me reading a and I. He ended up on a level 6. Another one went from a level 6 (DRA level) and ended up fully included in a first grade classroom reading on a level 26!
vic - Hockeyrabbit-We were part of a Reading Excellence Grant and we were given books, I bought everything I could afford, which was a lot and we had many in-service days.
Hockeyrabbit - vic-cool!!! The students I am working with know roughly 10 letters..will this program help them..they know NO sight words
sugartoy - vic, that is WONDERFUL, so you are recommending that we try this program on our children? i am only in a resource room, but some of the students have severe hearing problems that any new program that works for them will be worth it
vic - Hockeyrabbit-I would say definitely. The only reason that the first student could read a and I was because I accepted letter names and counted them. He knew about 13 letters at the beginning of the year. It took until Christmas, but it all came together for him over the break.
teacher - No seminar just read the books
vic - Sugartoy, yes, I highly recommend it. I also use SRA Reading Mastery with my students.
teacher - quirks - I still had to do the basel and test - working that into program was time consuming
Hockeyrabbit - vic-whats the hardest part to teach in this program to our kids?
vic - Sugartoy, I think that you would see even better results in a resource room than I did, but it may be difficult to coordinate with the classroom teacher and you may be doing more inclusion/collaboration in the room.
sugartoy - thanks vic, i am going to visit the connie prevatte web site now. thanks for introducing a program that could be a blessing for my children
Hockeyrabbit - sugar do you have the website address?
cycadmania - Hey all, I am new to 4 blocks. Where does one recommend starting/ 2nd grade ELL
vic - Hockeyrabbit, I think that the hardest part was for me to realize that this wasn't going to work immediately with our kids. My impatience was the hardest. The kids adapted extremely well.
Hockeyrabbit - vic-since this would be my FIRST time implementing this..where should I start?
sugartoy - yes hockey, do you want it?
Bubba~Sue™/NC - Rk.you here?????
Hockeyrabbit - sugar- yes please
Rk - Hi Bubba,I'm here
vic - cycadmania, I would recommend visiting the 4blocks website and joining the mailring immediately. Then read all of Cheryl Sigmonds (sorry if I spelled that wrong) colomns.
sugartoy - www.connieprevatte.com
Rk - I'm taking everything in
cycadmania - thanks, have attended a workshop
vic - Hockeyrabbit-The Teachers Guide to 4blocks and Month by Month Phonics would be an excellent start and resources.
Hockeyrabbit - thanks
Bubba~Sue™/NC - me too RK
vic - I am currently rereading Phonics They Use and it is also another wonderful resource with lots of ideas for implementation.
Hockeyrabbit - vic-should I do this with my incoming K or give them a few months before I start?
hope - Vic? Don't standareized tests have expository text on them? Should students read expository selections during self-selected reading? Can I use expository during my guided reading lesson?
vic - Hockeyrabbit, good question. I have only taught 1-3 prior to this coming year. They have a program called Building Blocks (join that group too) for K's. I still haven't decided how to work both 4blocks and Building Blocks in the same room. Teacher read alouds won't be a problem as long as I remember to include emergent books, but the rest, HELP!!!!!
Hockeyrabbit - haha..ok
snowy - I am sorry to interrupt this topic but if there are any experienced teachers out there who could help me, I would love some advice. I just got my first teaching job and I have to write a letter home to the parents of my new students. I don't even know where to begin? Any ideas about what to include? Again, sorry for the abrupt change opf topic.
Hockeyrabbit - with my kids..maybe with the better readers I could try 4 blocks and the others Building Blocks?
Hockeyrabbit - snowy-I am in the same boat as you..congrats on your job!
snowy - thanks
Hockeyrabbit - Anyway, I would introduce yourself, tell a little about yourself..maybe things kids need for school etc.
Bubba~Sue™/NC - Hiya Snowy....have you tried Chatroom one???? this is a meeting about four blocks literacy......Hey...come on over with me...to room one.....I will chat with you there
vic - hope, I would use them during SSR and possibly guided reading. That is a really good question, and believe me everyone, I really don't know all the answers, I'm learning too. I just read everything I can. There is also a teacher plan book for Building Blocks and 4Blocks. I relied on that for ideas and forms (just what we all need more of).
vic - Hockeyrabbit, that sounds like a plan
garden - snowy, start with a little bit about you, tell about rules, rewards, consequences, tell about important procedures, etc.
cycadmania - Snowy, some ideas how they can help at home...ie read and converse
vic - snowy, encourage your parents to read with their children daily. Include how to get ahold of you and when.
Hockeyrabbit - vic- is it ok if I email you later about some things?
snowy - Thank you
vic - Hockeyrabbit, anytime. That's what this is all about.
garden - I've used the four blocks model with second grade in SC. I live in KY now, they are not used to it here. I'm going to be teaching fourth grade this year. I don't know how to modify it for the older group. Any suggestions?
Hockeyrabbit - THANKS!!!! Good NIght
vic - garden, there is a new book out for the upper grades. I would recommend getting that.
garden - ok, what about the web site, is it helpful? what is the address
vic - go to your search engine and type in 4blocks. You will be amazed at the info. you will find. Also be sure to use the teachers.net mailrings for whatever levels you are interested in. That is where I have gotten so much of my info. There are some very knowledgeable people out there.
vic - So what is everyone reading this summer for 4blocks.
Rk - I'm learning about 4 blocks
vic - What are you using to learn?
Rk - I'm looking at the site & I'm going to read the book
vic - Rk, what book are you going to read? I have found so many really good ones out there.
Rk - the one explaining the model
vic - good night all, it's 9 now and I still have 3000 emails to get through after being on vacation for 9 days.
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