Month by Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten |
The Teacher's Guide to the Building Blocks |
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Djinn - Welcome to our First building blocks meeting.
Djinn - Has everyone been doing Building Blocks?
Jules - No, this will be my first year with BB.
Julie - not me Djinn
Rosalind - Like I said earlier I have been doing more 4 blocks than BB.
msrachel - not yet, but i will this year
chatty cathy - I will start doing building blocks in sept,,,can't wait!
Mary K&1 - I've been teaching my way, which turns out to be much like what I read in
Month-by-Month for KindergartenHow to order from APPLES 'N' ACORNS
Doug - I really like the variation on making words where kids wear the letters...very appropriate for Kindergarten :)
Rosalind - I want to do purely Building Blocks this year.
Nancy - I have used some of the 4 blocks methods with my ESOL students and really like Pat Cunningham's books.
Julie - i don't even know what it is, so i'm here to learn
Mary K&1 - Djinn, how many building blocks are there
Djinn - Mary - there are 6 building blocks: 1. Desire To Learn To Read And Write 2. Language Concepts 3. Print Concepts 4. Phonemic Awareness 5. Interesting Words and 6. Letters And Sounds
Djinn - Mary I found that to be true in my classroom. I really like how multi-leveled the lessons are
Addie k/mo - i have done some building blocks activities last year. really liked what we did.
Valerie - Julie, don't feel bad . . .neither do I! I was searching for a good reading program for first graders and came upon the 4 blocks program!
Mya - I'm interested in learning about the building blocks also. Is there a website for this method????
Djinn - http://www.teachers.net/mentors/buildingblocks/
Doug - Djinn- yes. Multileveled is a real plus
Djinn - Is everyone going to start the year with name activities
Addie k/mo - yes, i am planning to use the name activities.
Nancy - Yes, I did this before I knew it was part of the method and now I have even more ideas from the book.
Rosalind - Yes , that is what I start with and it is a fun thing .
Doug - Djinn- yes, names are a very good start
Jules - I am basically going to follow the book until I feel more comfortable with the process.
chatty cathy - I wish there were a whole book that featured a zillion name activities!
Djinn - I have a half day Kinder. so I didn't go through all the activities at once. we did them twice and cut them up the second go round
Sher - I've excited about using building blocks in the fall. It validates what we are already teaching,but gives us a specific framework with expected outcomes
Djinn - Chatty - there are many name activities in the archives . Just click on the left at archive and scroll sown. lesson exchange has a great list too
expecting - hello everyone, I'm not familiar with building blocks, can someone fill me in?
M.E. - Do you do building blocks in addition to a reading program?
Doug - there is also a high degree of similarity between CELL, building Blocks and ELLI
Djinn - Building blocks is a balance systematic, multileveled literacy instruction
Rosalind - building blocks is our reading program in Kinder.
Addie k/mo - ME i think it would be hard to get everything done, building blocks is a complete reading program.
expecting - what state are you in that you use it?
chatty cathy - For those new to building blocks, I think we would all recommend the book Month By Month Reading and Writing For Kindergarten
nita - what types of activities?
Djinn - I think the making charts activities are very powerful - my students loved it when we made them into class books
Mary K&1 - The only thing that I do differently, is writing - I start it on the first day of school - they might just write their names, but -- I model news and other things and have them contribute what they can - but now I'm wondering if I start too soon - how do the rest of you handle writing - when do you start sharing and journals?
moly - this system sounds like a great supplement to a phonics program
Djinn - thanks Chatty - you can get those at Apples and Acorns
Doug - building blocks also excludes interactive writing
Djinn - Mary - I am required to have them writing sooner than she suggests
Jules - One question I have after reading the book, is how much time do you spend on one big book?
Djinn - Jules - it depends on the interest my kids show in the book or what my objective is. Sometimes a week. Sometimes more
chatty cathy - Doug, can you explain interactive writing...I thought doing the charts was interactive writing...help!
Doug - djinn- yes. charts are very powerful. they learned said because by the 20th time they could see it was "said"
Sher - I agree with Doug that building blocks is similar to ELLI, but think that it organizes the strategies in a much easier way.
Addie k/mo - i start mine doing journals from the beginning....scribble writing, random letters, copying enviro. print, whatever!
expecting - Is this program similiar to guided reading program?
chatty cathy - Do ya'll do book themes or science/ss themes?
Djinn - http://www.teachers.net/4blocks/article16.html
moly - Addie, when you start journals, how many pages do you start with in booklets?
M.E. - did any one have a problem selling building blocks program to curriculum directors and administrators? Or did you just do it on your own?
Nancy - Do any of you have ESOL students?
Jules - M.E.- I'm not telling them. Shhh
Djinn - I used the chart making as an interactive writing lesson. At first I did more - by the end they were writing most
Addie k/mo - we stay on a big book for a week and have thematic activities that are cross-curricular....some big books that are less predicatable we use as supplemental reading and read for information or enjoyment, but not necessarily for the literacy building activities.
chatty cathy - Addie-since you do journals earlier in the year, would you say you are doing a modified fomr of building blocks....I am trying to decide how strictly to adhere to what the book suggests.
msrachel - in kindergarten, we are fairly free to choose the curriculum we want...our principal is not very k oriented...as long as they know the stuff for first
Julie - yes Nancy 20% of my class is ESL
Djinn - Chatty - I do journals also - it is required by my district.
moly - Djinn is 'chart making' experiences in book Month by Month?
Addie k/mo - my kids do journaling on reg. notebook paper and we keep the pages in a looseleaf binder. they use the page front and back then they can get a new one
chatty cathy - Does anyone else call their journals "draft books?"
Addie k/mo - actually we call our journals, writing workshop
Doug - chatty- we call the process drite-draw and write
Addie k/mo - msrachel, i can identify with that! chatty, i dont call myself a "building blocks" teacher...i use ideas from the book, but i incorporate my own ideas and scheduling and some activities from other programs
chatty cathy - Doug...what is interactive writing?
moly - using reg. notebook paper with lines seems like a great idea, do they illustrate as well?
Djinn - Moly - yes - Chart making is an activity in the book. She advocates monthly charts
Jules - Cunningham talks about cutting up the sentences for each child, having them paste them on paper, and illustrate. Do you do this, and for how long?
Mary K&1 - We do cut-up sentences - When I first introduce the activity we may do them two or three times a week. After the children have the process down, just once a week. Toward the end of the year we don't do them much at all, the students are spending their time doing more writing for a purpose and journaling.
Addie k/mo - pretty much the kids dont behave as if they notice the lines at first, later some kids start to try to use them...but i dont think it affects their drawing one way or another.
Becky - I usually pick a big book that matches the theme that we are doing.
msrachel - jules - i did the sentence activity with my kids and they loved it... they glued it to paper and drew a pic to go with it
Djinn - Jules - my kids did this! It took forever because they rewrote their own book based on the mitten. Thing is, they loved it and wouldn't let me take any pages out of the sequence. When they took their books home they were so proud.
Doug - a really good description of interactive writing is in http://www.stenhouse.com/0088samp.htm click apprenticeship to Literacy and look at the book extract
Addie k/mo - when we started using the predicatable charts routinely, we did the class books weekly. i cut up the chart paper sentences and we made the books on 12x18 construction paper. they enjoyed it.
maggiebear53 - this is my first experience using building blocks. i am in a new school looping first and kindergarten. this is my kindergarten year after teaching first for 7 years. any help would be appreciated. i have taught 4 blocks in first
Djinn - I cut up the charts and they pasted their sentence to a piece of construction paper and illustrated it for our book
Terri - Jules...I do the cut and paste and illustrate with my kids all year. Later in year they cut apart own sentences and later copy them.
Addie k/mo - next year, i am planning to type out their sentences on the computer and print them out in a large font. i want to use regular size const. paper for the books. less laminating and they will stay together better (we have a book binder) the larger books were too heavy and i was forever rebinding them
Jules - Djinn...That's a great way to recycle those charts!
Doug - djinn- do you use the same sentence or use 20 different sentences for the cut-up?
Addie k/mo - i give each child their own sentence to cut up, illustrate and paste. then put the pages in a class book. the kids really like to read them.
barbara - Are the words of the sentences in order or are they mixed up? Are the words in boxes to make it easier for the children to cut apart?
Terri - I staple my books together with a heavy duty book stapler and laminate only the covers. They hold up very well.
Djinn - Doug- for charts their own sentence then they illustrate own after I print out on computer . so chart is hanging and book is in library. For cutting up sentences the whole class contributes and then we each make the same book
nita - I use charts too to write the news, is this what you are talking about?
ann - I did the chart activity last year but had problems with behavior. Any ideas on getting the kids to sit quietly while I write sentences for half of the class?
Addie k/mo - when i had my kids cut up the sentence, it was in order, then they cut the pieces, mixed them up and put them in order. i never tried the boxes, but when we cut ours it was midway through the year and they understood to cut between the spaces.
Djinn - Nita - the charts are a literature extension or response based on a pattern
Jules - Another chart question. Do ya'll wait until October to start these charts (as in the book) or are you starting earlier?
M.E. - How often do you usually do journal writing?
Doug - djinn-with a waxer, you can have kids match the words to another copy of the poem...good learning center
Addie k/mo - ann, i did too...i think at the first of the year, i am going to do a fourth of the class at a time and keep the same predictable sentence for two weeks...do more word building and circling letters on the charts etc. then type the sentence out on the computer and make a classbook.
Care - My class would ask to journal every day. They loved it
moly - what is a 'waxer'? never heard of term.
Terri - I started earlier last year. I think my first chart was My name is _________.
Doug - moly- a waxer is a waxing machine that works like a laminator but it waxes cardstock on one side
Djinn - For behavior - I used interactive writing for the sentences - had students tell me the letters etc. write on their hand, floor etc. After the first one they wanted to make sure they were included. They have to read their own sentence
Addie k/mo - later, i will go to doing half the class monday, half on tuesday, building sentences (be the word) on wed. and thurs. and class book on fri. when i did half the class i had the predictable part already written out the second day and didnt do all the talking through the writing the second day. that way the lesson went faster.
Jules - How many charts are you doing a month?
Addie k/mo - but, in the beginning, i do want to "talk through all the writing" so i will divide it up more to allow for their limited attn spans at first.
Djinn - Jules - one chart - but there are other extension. Take a sentence and cut it apart and have the children "be the word" mine loved this part
Doug - djinn- yes..be the word is awsome for teaching concepts about print
Jules - oh, i just love the "be the word" activities! I can't wait to do it!
ann - Someone suggested that I call the students up to write their sentence one at a time while the others were busy doing other things. I think that this defeats the purpose. What do you think?
Addie k/mo - i try to ask different questions as the sentences are written. Like the if our sentence was My name is (blank). I might emphasize that M is capital the first time I write it and tell why...the next time talk about the /m/ sound....the next time ask the class what letter goes here....etc.
S.G. - Letting children hold the word to build a sentence is excellent to teach "what a word is". Then you can leave out the last word and read it again, doing this several times till you are at the last word.
chatty cathy - If you are writing the same sentence stem 20 times, do you ever write it ahead of time...I am thankful for________. I am thankful for_____., etc.
Doug - Ann- I want to work at your school if thats how they write at the beginning
Djinn - Ann -I think it is so powerful as a whole group. You can break it up into more than one day if you have to.
Terri - Yikes, I do more than one a month. I do one almost weekly. Especially after the first few months of school.
Addie k/mo - for be the word, i made wearable pouches from tagboard and yarn. i laminated the tagboard and made it into a necklace with the yarn. then i taped on a clear scrap of laminating to make the pocket. i wrote the words on laminated sentence strips, so that they could be reused.
Djinn - Terri -Mine ar usually a part of a them for that month and we use them all month for word work
Addie k/mo - chatty, i do....i think that it can get monotonous for the class if you cant keep the lesson fast paced enough. but we do some more interactively
Djinn - Addie - great idea - I was thinking of making word bibs out of fun foam and velcro
ann - Thanks-I think that it is more powerful as a whole group also. I usually do half on Monday and half on Tuesday. They do get better as the year progresses.
Sher - Addie you are doing such neat things with your class. I'm going to try some of them.
maggiebear53 - could someone explain how building blocks differs from 4 blocks
Addie k/mo - i did predictable charts weekly, but i didnt try them until january..so i am thinking at the beginning of the year to let one chart last two weeks and do more detailed discussion about concepts of print.
Doug - 4 blocks is for grdes 1-3
Mary K&1 - 4 blocks seems to be more structured, I think
Addie k/mo - 4 blocks is more structured....building blocks encourages more play with language and the enjoyment aspect more
Terri - I keep my charts on a stand and we pull them out to reread and circling items as we learn new things.
Djinn - Building blocks consists of 6 blocks. it is specifically for kindergarten and does not contain guided reading etc. but creates the foundation for later
maggiebear53 - i know Doug. i taught first grade last year but have never taught building blocks
Jules - How are ya'll incorporating word walls (or are you?)
Addie k/mo - i am using a word wall, and, yes, i know that it is not recommended in the building blocks book.
deb - I'm going to do my ABC Wall like wagstaff
Doug - Moly...Pat herself will be here at teachers.net in September
Jules - I was suprised when I realized that. I am actually required to have a word wall. How are you doing it Addie?
Mary K&1 - The building blocks seem to be more integrated with each other and not delt with in specific time slots - that's how it seems to me, what do you think?
Djinn - Jules - word walls are in the archives also. I am using their names, environmental print, color words, and some high frequency words we see a lot in our lit. and journaling
moly - I feel word wall is a great aid for writing journals
ann - Is anyone using logos or other environmental print in their class? What are you doing?
Terri - I put up all class names on the word wall and later add color words and then what our first grade refers to as lightning words.
msrachel - i found the my kids loved having a word wall....they could read all of the words...it was exciting
SamIAm - did you all take a workshop on this?
Addie k/mo - we start our word wall with the children's names, as each one is the leader....later we add the sight words that we match from our big books...we play games with our word wall words almost everyday...just quick ones like..."i'm thinking of a word" and each time the clues get more and more specific to the target word till somebody guesses it
Doug - ann- yes I am...environmental print is important
Sher - Used a word wall for the 1st time last year. it isn't recommended until the end of the year if then, but my class last year really learned a lot from it.
Terri - I agree with moly, it is a help for journal writing.
MM - K full day
Addie k/mo - mary, that is right, that is a major difference
Jules - One last word wall question. Do you put up the words randomly, or do you organize them under an ABC train or other ABC method?
msrachel - i put them under ABC headings
Addie k/mo - yes, the word wall helps with journal writing later...the child says, "how do you spell 'the'?" and you can say that word is on the word wall, can you find it...and then if not immediately then give clues that helps the child find the word.
regina/k/ny - Environmental print... I began day 1 with an "I can read" book. We used napkins, etc. from fast food places and learned the chant "Burger King"
Addie k/mo - i have mine up under the letters of the alphabet...mine are alphabet animals that i printed off my printshop program
Terri - ABC order for the word wall and each word under a letter is on a different color paper. If they ask how to spell a word I can tell them it is the green word under a or whatever.
S.G. - Sher the word wall can begin at the beginning of school using the kids names and environmental print.
Melissa - my abc word wall is a catterpillar, each circle is a letter
Addie k/mo - i even hear other kids in the class telling their peers, "that word is on the word wall" and helping them the same way.
Djinn - My wall is divided into squares - letters, a picture and asl sign for each letter
Addie k/mo - i did all my words on the computer. they were all printed on white with the onsets in red text and the rime in black text.
ann - I attended a workshop with Elaine Williams and she said that word walls were not a part of the program. Hmmm
Jules - Are you doing the Morning Message, and when during the year are you starting?
Sher - I use ABC headings as well. Found that at the end of the year my higher level kids were using the word wall for journal writing.
Melissa - I like that Addie, may try this year
Mary K&1 - I would like a WW that we can play with - sort the words according to various traits
Melissa - Mary, Velcro may be a good idea
Terri - The Burger King chant?
Doug - Mary they sell them on felt now so you can do that
maggiebear53 - ann, did you go to Clemmons Elem
Addie k/mo - ann, word walls are not mentioned per se, in the month by month for k book...really they suggest doing a name board, making seasonal picture dictionary charts, and using environmental print
Djinn - Has anyone seen the word wall at Lakeshore? It looks like a pocket chart?
S.G. - Mary, have you ever heard of the game Wall-o. Like bingo.Give the kids a graph and have them randomely copy words from the wall. Then you give them beans or anything to cover up the words as you call them. Its great.
Addie k/mo - i have seen it
Djinn - Yes word wall is not encouraged beyond name - but I had a student reading at rr level 12 and he was ready for other words
Mary K&1 - My problem is where - we don't have any wall space and only a little BB space, but I have to have things in front of it, I'm going to have to invent some kind of protable WW
regina/k/ny - Burger King, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken & Burger King. It continues just naming all fast food places. I learned it in a course and also found it on the net.
Addie k/mo - we played that s.g. i had the kids all get out a certain color of crayon to circle the words and when we had a winner, he/she got to be the caller and then we got out a different color crayon to use.
Jules - I have a wall of windows. I use clothes
Melissa - Mary, you can get those presentation boards that fold up
Jules - ..pins on the blinds to hand my words.
S.G. - I tape mine to the chalkbard using packaging tape
Djinn - MM - we are discussing Building Blocks by P. Cunningham - the book is Month by Month Reading And Writing in Kindergarten
Mary K&1 - SG, I did that when I taught first grade, I don't do it in kindergarten
Addie k/mo - i used my chalkboard for a word wall...last year i covered it with lt. blue bulletin board paper and used tape or glue stick to attach the words.
Jules - Do ya'll do the morning message and if so, when do you start doing it with the kids?
Addie k/mo - this year i am planning to paint my chalkboard lt. blue (do now, ask forgiveness later, LOL) and use sticky tak to put up the words.
Mary K&1 - I need my chalkboard for a chalkboard - both the students and myself use it - I believe the students gain a lot from writing on the ChB
regina/k/ny - Morning Message starts day one.
Terri - I start morning message at the beginning of the year.
S.G. - Kinder can do more than you think. I have received training through the Dallas reading academy and recently attended the Texas Training for kindergarten teachers and you'd be amazed at what we're doing in kindergarten.
msrachel - i do A morning message, but i'm not sure its the way the book says to do it...i start mine on the first day
Mary K&1 - something that the kids can reach is what I need, I want them to handle the words - it I do them
Jules - I thought December (as recommended in book) was too late. I have always done morning messages in the past.
Addie k/mo - how long do you spend on morning message? last year i did a daily news, which was an interactive writing and the kids lost interest in it quickly...that is why i changed to predictable charts which seemed to serve the same purpose.
Djinn - mary - what about pocket charts back to back? or shower curtains cut down to pocket chart size and velcro
Terri - These felt words sound interesting. Where should I look for them.
Sher - Djinn , i had the same situation as you. I had 2 students at rr level 12. They were eager for more of everything I could give them. To me building blocks is the framework, and you tailor it to the needs of the students you have. Every year is different because every child is different.
Djinn - I did morning message every day - our helper bear got to generate sentence. it only took about 10 minutes tops. We did other interactive writing also, but not daily
Melissa - I was wondering is ther an actual building block for Kindergarten book, or are you using just the month by month book
msrachel - addie - i'm going to have to check into the charts (when i get my book)...i found my kids lost interest too....
Addie k/mo - jules, i think the timing depends on the maturity of the kids and what you are expected to accomplish curriculum-wise. that may change when things are introduced.
Djinn - Melissa- there is a Building blocks book in the works. But won't be ready until 2000. Right now month by month is it
S.G. - Addie. If you do an interactive news of the day. You need to write most of it and let the kids interactively write one or two sentences. It shouldn't take too long.
Addie k/mo - my kids paid attention to the predictable charts better than the daily news
regina/k/ny - Djinn, how else did you incorporate interactive writing?
Mary K&1 - Djinn, but where to put them? It has to be a stand alone thing, I might use the backs of those great big class science books or SS books that come as samples and don't get sent back the the COs
Terri - What do you include in daily news?
Djinn - mary - hang from a pocket chart stand- or a cheap laundry stand- hang back to back so you have one on each side
moly - you might consider magnets and stick to your chalkboard
Addie k/mo - mary, could you hang it somewhere, like if you strung a wire across the room or something?
Djinn - Mary - do you have any cupboard doors you could attach them to?
moly - Jules, I agree. Now I KNOW I have to get the book, it sounds very crucial.
Addie k/mo - on daily news we wrote: "Today is (day, date, year). (A predictable sentence about the leader). the sentence changed when we started over with the leaders (about once a month)
Djinn - How about using grommets at the top and hanging from cup hooks
Mary K&1 - I don't like hanging things that the kids are to work with - it moves too much and it's too tempting to try to swing on, I'll work something out
Jules - What Big Book do ya'll start the year with?
Djinn - Mary - some type of file folder book?
Sher - Jules it is great to have building blocks chat and to listen to things that have worked in other classrooms.
Addie k/mo - on the fourblocks chat a while back they talked about making individual word walls from file folders.
Julie - i'm sharing my room with another teacher, i do pm she does am and it really limits my space ;-(
Melissa - Miss. Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten
Mary K&1 - No cupboards
moly - Mary try the magnets, they have helped me a great deal when wall space was precious
Djinn - I'm using Mrs. Bindergarten - The Kissing Hand makes me cry ( not good in front of nervous kids)LOL
Melissa - It was the hit, we read and re0read it several times
Melissa - I had several parents ask me who Miss. Bindergarten was.
Terri - I use Miss Bindergarten, too. Also The Gingerbread Man.
regina/k/ny - I'd like to start this year with "Do You Want to be my friend? Does anyone know where to get it as a Big Book/
Genie/ga - Hi, all...I had choir or I'd have been here sooner
M.E. - Do you have two sets of charts- one for morning and one for afternoon- or are you all day k classes?
Addie k/mo - the meanies (to help us make rules), the monster party ("i can" message), school bus, and down by the bay (goes with our theme)...this year i will somehow incorporate miss bindergarten too, cause it is too cute. i got it late last year and havent ever used it
moly - Melissa, me too. This was one of the class' favorites.
Mary K&1 - The Birthday Cake is a good book to start with, let me think of others - Oh Huggles books are fun too
Jules - I love kissing hand and Miss B...So hard to choose. Scholastic sells lots of BB.
Mary K&1 - I Went Walking
Djinn - Me. I share my room - she does her own thing so I make one chart for my kids.
Melissa - The 100th day one was good took, but we enjoyed the first one better, that was one book they kept reading all year
regina/k/ny - I read miss bindergarten on the last day of school this year. it gave my K's a new perspective on what teachers do over the summer!
Julie - two separate classes, two separate charts
Addie k/mo - i might do something with the kissing hand at our open house night before school starts and pass out heart stickers or something
Terri - I am all day.
Melissa - lol Regina
Mary K&1 - "I Like" books make for good spin-offs for getting to know each other
Genie/ga - Addie, that's what we did last year. I hope we do it again
Addie k/mo - actually, regina, the kids might have more understanding at the end instead of the beginning! they have used all that stuff!
Melissa - That is good idea, I might use it, we also have parent open house the night before
moly - hmmm!! gives me a good idea w/kissing hand for orientation day w/parents
Djinn - Mary - those are all books we use! then we have small books that go into reading baskets.
Genie/ga - Maybe do it both times! A little more perspective for them
maggiebear53 - Djinn, do u share the room with a parttime teacher or what
Addie k/mo - i think i might incorporate miss bindergarten, when we talk about where all the materials come from and how to take care of them (recommended in MTW to prevent loss and destruction of class materials)
M.E. - I love Owen for first day of school- I cut a well worn blanket and give them a square to hold- then they glue it onto a paper bag Owen puppet.
Mary K&1 - We always read a Big Book together each day and then I read a regular size book to the class, there are so many great books now for children
Djinn - Maggie- we each teach 3 1/2 hours - 5 min. overlap . then I teach 2 & 3rd grade reading intervention
Melissa - I know Mary too many to choose from
Mary K&1 - My Kids LOVE the Spot books - I do too
maggiebear53 - i like that idea too Addie
Jules - Oh, I love Kevin Henkes books!
Addie k/mo - there are, mary, and i have such a time when i get to the end of the year and we havent read them all!
Djinn - M>E Owen is one of my favorites too
Mary K&1 - I usually read Spot Goes to School on the first day and the Kissing hand on the second or third day when someone starts to feel sad about being away from Mom
Mary K&1 - I know what you mean, Addie
moly - it seems I may not have as m,any BB as most of yoy. what is average # that you all have?
regina/k/ny - I like saving Kissing Hand for day 2 or 3!
Addie k/mo - i have over 100...not sure exactly how many...they are the result of three grants and personal purchasing and bonus points.
M.E. - I love having the chance to talk to other kindergarten teachers- thank you- I'd like to do it again !
Genie/ga - Moly, our school just purchased $5,000 worth of BB and stuff to go w/ them for our kindergarten...we spent it well!!!
Melissa - Genie, I am jealous
Mary K&1 - We have so many that we have to squeeze them into one of those easels that hold the books in the back - we will have a few new ones this year, but I don't think that we can fit them all in
Addie k/mo - wow, genie, that is great! our school is buying more and more, but we have to share those among the grade level
Genie/ga - I can't wait to use them!!!
Melissa - Do your kids look at the big books on their own, or are they only used for you to read them
lynn - it's been on the mail ring alot...introducing letters. with 4b/bb do you (teachers) feel you adequately cover the letters without doing one per week. it's a hard habit for me to encourage our kinder teachers to let go of. thanks
Genie/ga - We do, too...but that is still a LOT to spread around. We received the money thru a state program called Storybook Corner...great idea
Djinn - Lynn _ I have never done letters of the week. My kids learn them all without it
Mary K&1 - lynn, I think that we cover them very well without a letter a week
Jules - Genie..I'm not familiar with that program. Do you have any information on it...the Storybook...
Martha K - Melissa, the children use the big books every day of the week, we have a set time each morning to review the story then go over their wall stories, where they are able to read what they have written.
Addie k/mo - i dont think think that LOW is necessary. the kids learn their letters by using them over and over
lynn - it's reassuring to hear, but i will be tapping into your experience as i guide our teachers this year.
Melissa - I abandoned the letter a week this year, but was not toatally comfortable. Hopefully this approach will make me feel more at ease.
Martha K - Addie, we also make them into big books after the week is up.
Mary K&1 - One book that I can't live without is Dr. Seuss's ABC Book! it's great for teaching letters and sounds and rhymes!
Addie k/mo - melissa, how do you feel about how the kids did without LOW?
Melissa - I really think they did ok, they were all reading at some level by June. I think it is just hard letting of what I am used to.
Mary K&1 - Well thank you all for the nice chat, see you next time - Good Night
Djinn - Good Night everyone. Keep in touch at teachers.net for the next meeting.
