Month by Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten |
The Teacher's Guide to the Building Blocks |
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Cathy - Hi I am trying to use building blocks without training and can use some help
kinderteach - How long has you been using BB
Cathy - This is my first year but my 29th year teaching
kinderteach - well i am pretty new myself at it but i love it so far.
Cathy - I love it too What do you put on the word wall after the students names
kinderteach - my first too and my 28th year teaching
Renee - What have you been doing for writing?
penny - BB is working really well in my room this year.
kinderteach - my kids are doing some journal writing but some of them do not know letters yet
kinderteach - i have been giving them a word a week to take home to make their own word walls
Cathy - Where do you get the words you are using
penny - I've been doing a total class journal. I'm going to start individual journals in Jan.
kinderteach - yes i am using those also
kinderteach - i also use pocket charts for the message of the day
kinderteach - is anyone also doing the letter of the week?
REI - I've been training our Kindergarten teachers in Building Blocks.
kinderteach - i teach in massachusetts
Cathy - REI Do you have information you can send me about the training
Maggie - New Hampshire
Cathy - I'm from WV no training available yet
Cathy - I would like any information to help I have month by month book and teachers guide for k
kinderteach - what is everyone doing after you finish the names?
REI - Cathy...right now I am just training our district. I've trained all of our grades 1-3 teachers in 4 Blocks. That was all last spring for implementation this fall. Now I am working with the Kinder teachers this fall. They are just beginning Building Blocks.
kinderteach - i try to do a couple of interactive charts a week but with two sessions of 2 1/2 hours, it is hard.
Cathy - REI What do you suggest to add to word wall after names
Renee - REI- What do you suggest for writing at this point in the year?
kinderteach - i have been using high frequwncy words like in, said, I
Cathy - I bought the BB plus charts too. I am using the monthly words for writing the room
kinderteach - yes i bought those also
Peachy - I use the BB charts also.
kinderteach - my kids love having a person of the day
REI - Cathy...In Building Blocks doesn't have a "Word Wall" like the older grades. You have a Name Wall and an envir. print wall. Eventually you add Popcorn Words (words you use over and over again in daily writing ie: Morning Message and Daily Journal (end of the day).
kinderteach - oh okay, thanks, Maggie!
Cathy - After 29 years of teaching this is the fastest my students have ever learned letters and sounds
REI - Maggie....I use GTCW. What do you need to know.
Peachy - Same here, Cathy.
aggie/1/ca - Cathy--- I agree! I am re-assessing for our first report cards--- the progress is great.
Maggie - I haven't found an easy wat to do the lesson-chalkboard, whiteboard,etc. What doyou do?
Wren(Kteacher) - Cathy... I agree...we are all the way thru the alphabet.... now targeting "certain" letters that need more work....
aggie/1/ca - I write the sentences on sentence strips, Maggie.
Peachy - Guess the Covered Word is new to me.
REI - Maggie...I use sentence strips in a pocket chart. I laminated them and just left a space for the kids name. Works well. I store them in sent. strip folders in a wall paper container.
kinderteach - yes i do too and then i cut them apart for the children to reassemble
Cathy - I write the sentences on laminated sentence strips so I can erase them and reuse them weekly
Cathy - I copy the sentences for the individual students to cut and reassemble
Cathy - Then I sometimes have them illustrate their sentences
Cathy - I am talking about predictable charts done weekly
aggie/1/ca - Peachy---- A possible sentence might be: I like to eat (cookies). You cover up the last word up to the first vowel. The kids have to guess what the word is.
aggie/1/ca - Ohhhhh--- Now I understand, Cathy! LOL! Thought I was doin' somethin' wrong!
Peachy - Thanks, aggie
Cathy - Are these sentences from the predictable charts
Maggie - My sentences have used some word wall words but are not from any charts.
Maggie - I just make up a sentence using a student's name and some of our WW W. Ex. John likes to play soccer.
Cathy - Can you use sentences from stories that you are reading to the class
Cathy - I just got a Jack Hartman tape Wow it is great Anyone tried one of his tapes
Cathy - Jean Feldman tapes are great too
REI - Our Guess the Covered Word for this week is "The First Thanksgiving". It is in the Month by Month for this month.
Cathy - He intorduces letters and more inportant sounds using music and really cute songs
Peachy - Jean Feldman is so good
REI - Cathy...I use his stuff with my Special Ed kids.
Peachy - Are his tapes in teacher stores, Cathy?
Cathy - I got mine from applesand acorn.com
aggie/1/ca - Tell me about these tapes--- are they songs to teach skills or just for fun?
Cathy - REI What kind of books are you using for guided reading lessons
REI - Aggie...I have Shake Rattle and Read. It is great. I also have his Math All Around.
Cathy - Aggie The tapes really teach skills and the kids don't know it
REI - Here you go, Aggie. http://www.jackhartmann.com/products_cd.html
Cathy - Any body have any suggestions about what is the best reading series to use with bb
aggie/1/ca - chilly--- this isn't a reading series--- it's more a method of delivery for lang. arts instruction.
aggie/1/ca - Cathy--- we are happy w/Scholastic's Literacy Place
kinderteach - our district uses harcourt brace
Maggie - Do you all do full day K programs?
Becky - yes
Cathy - I have a full day k
mh - yes and I am required to do a three hour literacy block
aggie/1/ca - I teach first grade. Our K's are on an early birds/late birds schedule.
wren - Maggie... I have 1/2 day... 2 sessions
kinderteach - i do two half day sessions. it makes it hard to fit everything in.
aggie/1/ca - chilly--- lots of information here at Teachers.net on the 4 blocks chatboard. Do you know where that is?
REI - Aggie...My little one that came to my room knowing NO letters or numbers in October now knows 22 out of 26 letters and can count to almost 40. She has been listening to the Jack Hartman CD's everyday, for about 10-15 minutes a day.
aggie/1/ca - Now that's a good reccommendation, REI! Sounds like something I could use for my tutoring group.
Cathy - I have a student that in September didn't know any letters. She now know all but two and she knows most of the sounds of the letters
mh - does anyone use the teachers guide to building blocks? Is it helpful for using the K Month by month rdg and wrting?
Val - Cathy, your success with that student is great! What exactly do you think helped them so much in such a short time?
Cathy - I think the student of the day and the name word wall activities have been a big factor in learning letters and sounds
Cathy - I played a bingo namo game used the students names instead of letters or numbers. The kids loved it
Becky - My kids love the student of the day activities. We are on our 3rd time through the class. Does anyone have any new ideas on what to do?
Val - I expanded the "student of the day to last a week, so that their turn lasts longer. It seems really successful at this point. We are even exercising to the student's name. Reaching high for tall letters on the waist for mid and to the toes for the letters that hang down below the line. The children seem more aware of letter formation since we started the exercises!
Cathy - Becky What kind of activities are you using second and third times thru
wren - Val, I like that idea...*s*
Becky - I've had them bring something to share from home and the kids do a GTCW with it.
Becky - We're currently playing a name game and the student of the day acts the part of the teacher.
Val - As part of their turn as person of the week, my students take home a bag and return it with a secret inside. They create clues with their family and we read one each day and try to guess what it could be. The kids love to try to guess. I can now extend this with the GTCW now that I know what that is. Thanks.
aggie/1/ca - Sounds like a good idea, Val!
mh - I know a teacher who calls that activity Kindergarten cop
Becky - Yeah, that's pretty much what I do--just haven't expanded it to a week.
Cathy - Val I like that idea too Thanks
Cathy - Does anyone do last names for the word wall
Becky - I haven't--mine still don't have all first names. We've had a lot of "ins" and "outs" this year.
Val - I have not done any word wall activities. Some people say it is inappropriate for K. I'm in the middle. I see uses. Comments?
Cathy - The names on the word wall has been great. They are all familiar with their names
Kathy - would any one would like to give me some advice on Book literature
Becky - I use only names, our required school district 19 sight words, and any others the kids continually request.
REI - Val~the "traditional" word wall isn't done in BB. You have a Name wall and later you can add the "Popcorn Words".
Cathy - REI Have you ever used students last names on word wall
Kathy - Becky have you read the Pig man by Paul Zindel
Becky - No
Val - I have names posted around the room and they each have a "name card " which has both their first and last name on the front and their picture on the back( just incasse someone else needs to find their name). I have seen an increase in the writing, but I want to encourage more.
Val - REI -that helps! Popcorn words is a great term.
Kathy - Has any one read the Pig man
REI - Val...that is because those words keep "Popping" up all the time.
Becky - I have my names also on velcro strips so kids can come and get them if they want to write (copy) someone else's name.
Val - REI my kids will love that. They think I am soooo silly anyway.
Kathy - Becky so what classes do you teach
REI - Cathy...our kinder teachers are using Big Books for their Guided Reading lessons right now.
Becky - just kindergarten this year. I've done a multi-age (5,6,7,8) too.
Val - Tell me about the Pig man.
Cathy - REI Do they ever use small groups with mutilpe copies of books
Kathy - Becky I teach grade eight the kids are so bad
Carol - where do you order big books from--ones that are predictable?
REI - Carol...We just placed an order with Wright Group. Ordered $800.00 worth of Big Books and small books for our kinder teachers.
Becky - My BB are mostly Wright and Rigby ones but there are others, too.
Kathy - Becky are you talking to me or not
Becky - yes--what grade are you?
Kathy - Grade eight
Carol - we have been aligning our curriculum with the standards and need more predictable big books to go with themes
Becky - WHY?? Kindergarten is wonderful. You should try it.
Kathy - so do you enjoy teaching
Becky - love it. Couldn't imagine doing anything else.
Kathy - I do love little children Becky
Addie /MO - i like wright group the best for predictability.....scholastic has good titles, but they are not always predictable
Cathy - REI will you send me your email address so I can ask any questions that might come up
Kathy - so do you like older kids
Addie /MO - i like the song box groups from wright group....good information and a fun musical format
Carol - I noticed that Scholastic seems to be more big books of stories that are in small book form
Kathy - Becky are you there
Becky - I use the Little Red REaders. Does anyone else?
Kathy - I know my sister does
Carol - where do you get Little Red Readers?
Kathy - Carol she ordered them
Addie /MO - yes, carol, that is why it is important to know the stories, because if you are looking for predictability, you will not always find it with scholastic. they do just 'blow up' their books to create big books
Addie /MO - i had a sample one, but never had a set
Cathy - What is the name of the company that you can order Little Red Readers
Becky - OK. I like them for predictability. Not sure where they came from--think it's a series. Came as a special in the mail. Our principal ordered them but not sure from where. They turned out to be terrific.
Becky - I can find out if you want more info.
Cathy - Becky can you post it on the mailring
Addie /MO - L8r!
Cathy - REI When do you suggest k starts with individual journal writing
Hi! - Here is the link for Little Red Readers. They are from Sundance Publishing. http://www.sundancepub.com/productdisplay.asp?ProductLineID=4072
Carol - I start journals in January
Hi! - Cathy...They suggest you start Journal Writing in Jan. UNLESS you use Kid Writing. Then you start at the beginning of school.
Cathy - Hi Thanks for the address
Hi! - Okay..done my good deed for the day. Bye all!
