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JK - What "unit/theme" do you use the first few weeks of school?
Vic - Hi everyone. I have a question for all of you. Next year, I will be teaching a K-4th gr. special needs class. Anyone have any experience with this?
ark_teacher - I use a Back to School theme and teacher about the school.
ark_teacher - I will start AR next year.
JK - AR is big at our school. The kids have to read a certain number of books and pass the AR tests for a daily grade each six weeks.
ark_teacher - I like to get the kids into the routine of school before I start into a specific subject other than school. I then go into apples usually.
Stephanie G. - My school began using AR this year and it worked well for my better readers. I'm curious about how others may set up incentives, etc...
Stephanie G. - I think I am going to do an "all about me" theme at the beginning of the year as an icebreaker. I also like to use a lot of alphabet books to bridge kindergarten instruction to First grade.
ark_teacher - The basic incentives are done by the administration for now at our school. I am thinking of doing something special in my room.
JK - I have a bulletin board divided into 10s and as the kids read more and more books, they get to visit the AR store, eat with a friend, have a "No-shoes" day, etc. What do you do?
ark_teacher - I love doing "All About Me" things at the beginning of the year. That reminds me that I need to pull out the booklet I did the first week of school and do it again for the comparison.
Stephanie G. - I am thinking of doing something special in my room also [AR]. Actually, this year my kids were just excited at the fact that they could actually read well enough to take a quiz. That seemed motivation enough...and boy did my non-readers want to learn to read!
JK - The AR store is manned by the room moms once per month with yo-yos, bracelets, pencils, books, etc each worth a certain number of points.
kjc25 - Hey all! It has been a long time since I have been in the chatroom! It has been a busy year! I have been reading your posts about AR. My school does it and we have some great incentives...
ark_teacher - I was thinking maybe a graph to watch it go up.
ark_teacher - I was thinking my be awards for most books read in a week or month.
kjc25 - Some of them include an AR board. The students names are placed on the board according to how many points they have earned. We separate by 10pt club, 20 pt, 30 pt, etc.
Stephanie G. - This is changing the subject, but I am really interested in how others handle spelling. My school "uses" Sitton spelling (at least everyone is supposed to) but many teachers following the spelling lists that correspond with the anthologies. I really hate spelling tests as my kids don't seem to retain much. I really want to focus on the high frequency words and am considering Sitton's use of dictation. What do you think?
kjc25 - The kids absolutely love having their name on that board! Teachers also have separate incentives in their rooms. Each student has a goal, the class has a goal, and next year the school will have a goal. It is really great to see all of these kids becoming interested in reading!
ark_teacher - We are ordering a new spelling text next year. It goes with our reading.
JK - We put a sign on our door like--"Our Class has read 103 books!" and update every 2 weeks.
ark_teacher - The book does not have tests. It will be up to the teacher if she wants to do tests but has to do the book.
kjc25 - Stephanie, my school gives a basic lit. test 3 times a year that has a list of 220 words on it. In first grade we got out spelling words from that list. We review the words daily with different activities and then on Fri. we put the words on the word wall before the test. The kids are able to use the word wall whenever they need help spelling a word (even during the test!).
kjc25 - being able to use the word wall gives the children more success, I f they are able to recognize the word, they are getting it into their minds on what it looks like. Does that make sense?
ark_teacher - Yes it does.
ark_teacher - Is anyone doing anything new or different next year???
Stephanie G. - I have a word wall and allowed my students to use it during tests also. My justification was that I was trying to teach my students how to use resources to help them...
Jessica - Any kdgn teachesr out there?
Jessica - Does anyone do literature kits? I'm trying to create them for next year (it's a lot of work.) Just curious if anyone has them and has any pointers for me
kjc25 - I am going to be teaching k-1 next year. I have taught traditional Kinder and traditional 1st. This will definitely be new and different for me!
ark_teacher - This year I started an attendance chart on the door and the kids but their card under tray or from home when they enter room to help me with attendance and lunch count. I am going to make it with clothes pins next year to help with speed.
Stephanie G. - I am going to try doing a postcard project this year and maybe the Flat Stanley project also.
kjc25 - Stephanie, I totally agree! You have to teach and allow your students to use those resources whenever possible! It is also developmentally appropriate!
ark_teacher - I have never tried Flat Stanley. I have thought of having a stuffed animal go home with a different student each week and make a journal with pictures.
ginn/2nd/ar - I have a question for a 3rd grade teacher that uses a word wall. Any takers?
Stephanie G. - KJC25, I am meeting with the other 2 first grade teachers in a couple of weeks to discuss spelling. They did their activities much differently than I did. For those of you who are familiar with 4 Blocks, I like their Phonics Month by Month activities. They are very user-friendly. In this way I can constantly assess spelling, without giving traditional rote tests.
ginn/2nd/ar - I have done the Flat Stanley Project. It is very fun. The only problem is when you have sent your Stanley to someone and they don't return him or let you know what happened.
Stephanie G. - At my daughter's school, the mascot is a bulldog. The librarian has a traveling bulldog that has literally gone to every continent (yes, even the frozen one). It is amazing. There are some very cool pictures pictured in the hall.
kjc25 - Stephanie, I am familiar with 4 blocks. When I did spelling this past year I used the activities from the Working With Words block. I loved it and so did the kids!
ark_teacher - That is why I haven't tried FS. I think I would get the stuffed animal back from the kids. And the journal would be fun for them. I have seen a really fun one done. I would do the week before school starts or take the stuffed animal on vacation for the kids and parents to see what I wanted. I could set the stuffed animal up with a cool aid with sunglasses beside our kiddie pool in the backyard and write about swimming.
Stephanie G. - With Flat Stanley, I was thinking of having everyone make one and have many coming and going at one time. What do you think?
kjc25 - There is a teacher at my school who has a bear that she sends home with a child each day. The child has to write in a journal what he/she did with the bear. The child gets to keep it for the day in the room, as well. I think it was done with 4th grade and they loved it! Some of the girls would bring it back dressed up in all sorts of outfits!
ark_teacher - I guess after everyone had a turn with the stuffed animal, I could try mailing it to friends of mine that live around the US that I KNOW would do the activity and mail him back. Like my sister-in-law in Texas and one is Seattle.
ark_teacher - Dressing the Bear up in neat.
ark_teacher - I think the more creative I make mine as the example the better the kids will be.
kjc25 - I love this idea of a traveling animal! I have never done it, but I might try it next school year.
ark_teacher - I may have to do several weeks during the summer. I was planning on sending a camera with my stuffed animal so that they could take pictures and I would develop the film.
Stephanie G. - I have a friend who works as a translator in Tokyo. I thought it might be fun for Flat Stanley to visit the moat surround the Imperial Palace.
kjc25 - a disposal camera, i hope!
ark_teacher - I am not sure how few a pictures you can get on a disposable camera. !2... hmmm I would not want to get one with the most for fear the child would take the all up on the bus on the way home.
ark_teacher - OOOOHHHH Stephanie that would be sooooooo cool.
ark_teacher - I might look for the disposable polaroids so the kids could put the pictures in right then.
ark_teacher - May have to find someone to help me fund the cameras.
kjc25 - that would be good!
Stephanie G. - My friend is American but her husband is Chinese (and they live in Japan...). Maybe FS could visit her in-laws in Shanghai!
ark_teacher - Boy this has me thinking
kjc25 - well ladies, enjoyed chatting! I always love sharing ideas with other teachers!I am signing off now!
Stephanie G. - My students were pen pals with my friend in Tokyo this year. It was nice for them to learn so much about another culture, especially since the 911 attacks. It helps them see the world as a smaller place.
ark_teacher - Maybe have the kids all bring say $2 at the beginning of the school year to fund the cameras. I will have to see how much they cost to see what it would take. I might have to send a note with a limit of 2 or 3 pictures per visit.
ark_teacher - That must have been really neat for them.
ark_teacher - Well I guess I had better say good bye too. It is getting towards my bedtime and our last day is not until June 7th
ark_teacher - bye stephanie G.
Stephanie G. - Nice chatting with you!
ark_teacher - same here
