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books - Beginner, are you a beginning teacher?
BB-Beginner - no just at beginner at using building blocks
books - You mean using building blocks in the classroom?
BB-Beginner - yes
BB-Beginner - what grade do you teach?
books - I taught 3's and 5's with blocks, but am teaching 5th grade this summer. What grade are you working with?
BB-Beginner - Kindergarten
books - BB, in what kind of school setting
BB-Beginner - I teach in a K-5 school, we have half day sessions
Hockeyrabbit - I am going to use buidling blocks for the first time this year
Hockeyrabbit - can anyone give me some tips etc.?
BB-Beginner - Me too hockeyrabbit!
Hockeyrabbit - does anyone do the morning message with their class?
twinmom - I do
books - Blocks are an amazing educational tool
BB-Beginner - I did a form of morning message last year but will be adapting it some this year
Hockeyrabbit - I want to know if in the beginning of the year, do you write out the message WITHOUT the kids (like before the come to school)..and the read it to them in the morning? OR do you write the message WITH the kids from the get go?
BB-Beginner - last year I did it w/out this year I will do it with
Hockeyrabbit - oh and I teach K-2 special needs..higher functioning kids but academically at the K level
Hockeyrabbit - BB- so you are goin to do it WITH them the first day of school?
books - When you write a morning message with the kids, what do you do?
BB-Beginner - no I do not plan to start with it the first day of school
BB-Beginner - probably will not start w/ morning message until sometime in week 2
Hockeyrabbit - books- this is my first time..so I am wondering if I should write it without them in the beg. of the school year and gradually progress to them helping me write it by the end..because most won't know a single letter, or concepts of print
Hockeyrabbit - oh, and thisis a really cool idea..the K-Crew website calls their morn message the "Buzz Book"..and they add other neat things..like a review of the things the kids learned yesterday..maybe a simple Math prob etc.
BB-Beginner - this is new to me too, but I think from what I have read you do one or two sentences with them at the start and build on as the year progresses
Hockeyrabbit - yes thats what I read, but I am still debating because of the academic needs my kids have
BB-Beginner - last year I did a question of the day every day.
Hockeyrabbit - NN- how did they go over?
BB-Beginner - I worked with special needs preschool and also did max/resource !-3 room, but now am K
Hockeyrabbit - BB-did you use building blocks?
BB-Beginner - The kids really enjoyed the question of the day I would let them tell their answer to a partner at the beginning of the year or if we didn't have alot of time
books - Has anyone read Caroline Pratt's book? I forget the title
Hockeyrabbit - neat
Hockeyrabbit - nope
MrsU - Does anyone know the seven ways to start a story?
BB-Beginner - No, unfortunately I have only recently discovered BB and this will be my first attempt at using it
BB-Beginner - sure don't but am curious Mrs. U
Hockeyrabbit - BB- I am also trying it too 1st time cuz alot of ppl reccommend it for Spec Ed kids
books - She is the original creator of unit blocks and founded a cshool based on their use. Excellent, informative book if you can find it
MrsU - It is a list of ways that student could start a story. It was on the ring last year but I lost my list.
Hockeyrabbit - MU..can you give one example
BB-Beginner - I have fully inclusioned K class so I hope it will work out
BB-Beginner - hi meecha...Books I am not aware of her...
MrsU - Start a story with a question. Example: did i ever tell you about the time I went fishing?
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- pretty good ... tired ... 2nd day of school was today!
books - Welcome. Mrs, don't know story starters
Hockeyrabbit - meech-have u used BB for a while?
Hockeyrabbit - WOW..I don't start until the 4th of Sept
meeha/ece/tx - BB-B -- have you checked out the archives here for previous BB meetings?
BB-Beginner - We start on Aug. 28
meeha/ece/tx - I haven't used it really -- am hoping to be able to incorporate it with my p.m. preschool class toward the end of this school year. I work with special needs preschoolers, the p.m. group looks like they may go far this year!
BB-Beginner - No I didn't realize I could I just discovered this site this summer and am very glad I did!
Hockeyrabbit - meech- I am Spec needs too 12-1-1 teacher
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- we're glad you found it, too! The more of us there are who support each other the stronger we become!
BB-Beginner - meech how old are your students?
Hockeyrabbit - meech- do you do circle time with your kids?? or show and tell?
meeha/ece/tx - http://www.teachers.net/archive will take you to a long list of meetings we've had over the past several years
BB-Beginner - thank you meech!do they archive chatboards there as well?
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- yes, I do circle time ... t hat is when most of our "direct instruction" happens ... calendar, schedule, math, reading, etc.
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- I don't think they archive the chatboards, but people are really good about answering questions when you ask
Hockeyrabbit - oh, ok..I am thinking about doing circle time later in the day..but introduce a song, and reveiw some stuff
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- I don't think they archive the chatboards, but people are really good about answering questions when you ask!
Hockeyrabbit - meech- do you do show and tell as well?
books - meeha, how do I do that.(thanks!)
Hockeyrabbit - meech- I do calendar the morn along with LA stuff
meeha/ece/tx - my students are 3, 4, and 5 this year. Most will go to "general ed" Kindergarten when they leave my room.
BB-Beginner - sound like you have known about this jewel of a site for awhile!
Hockeyrabbit - BB- this site is awesome thats for sure!
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- I don't generally do "Show and Tell" (commonly called "Bring and Brag" in this area!), but do occasionally allow a child to bring in something really special.
Hockeyrabbit - so wha you do in your circle time?
BB-Beginner - meech, just curious what part of TX, we were stationed in El Paso for four years
Hockeyrabbit - BB- do you do circle time or show and tell?
books - Good luck all. Enjoy using blocks with your kids.
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- last year my p.m. group started printing the message "Today is ..." in January. By mid-February they knew when to use upper case letters, commas, and periods. By the end of theyear they could tell you WHY to use them! (And one of them had a "DQ" ((pre-verbal IQ)) of 49!_
meeha/ece/tx - 'night, books -- good luck!
BB-Beginner - hockey, I do circle time and that is also the bulk of our direct instruction- we call it class meeting
meeha/ece/tx - Circle time looks like this: Songs: "I Love You", "Hello",
BB-Beginner - bye books! nice chatting w/ you
BB-Beginner - I don't do show and tell
Hockeyrabbit - cool..so meech when did you start with your Morn Message? Sept?
meeha/ece/tx - Sing a 'days of the week' song, 1 child comes up and finds the name of today, another comes up and counts, finds date and numeral card for the day
meeha/ece/tx - We read "Today is ....." then look at the day's schedule (visitors, activities, etc.)
Hockeyrabbit - I plan on doing everything with their name the first week of school..have alot of neat things to do along with the BB stuff..is that what you do meech?
meeha/ece/tx - We sing a song or two if the kids so desire, then read the "theme book" for the week.
meeha/ece/tx - From there we clean hands and go to snack.
Hockeyrabbit - meech-yes, thats what I do with my calendar activity..I use Math Their Way calendar ag with some other twists
meeha/ece/tx - I didn't start a 'morning message' until January -- they just did it from the get-go ... I wrote it in yellow at first and they would print it (one word per child) with a darker marker I kind of modeled "Kid-Writing" style, thinking out loud about what I was doing.
BB-Beginner - what twists hockey?
BB-Beginner - meech- you use kidwriting? I am waiting for my book it is on back order until mid sept.
meeha/ece/tx - My 3-year eval was done on this activity ... I got all points possible, and a note that the observer said she "had to look to see if the kids were breathing, they were so still and attentive! ... and EVERY child got to have a turn!
Hockeyrabbit - oh, well I introduce a letter a week (I know BB say its not necessary but the kids enjoy it)..oh, a weather bear
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- all I know about it is what I've read here ... need to get that one, too. So many books, so little time!
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- there is KidWriting in the archives here, too!
BB-Beginner - boy I think I have some archive reading ahead of me!
Hockeyrabbit - is the Kidwriting book a good thing to have?
Hockeyrabbit - BB- I use the letter people..have you heard of them?
meeha/ece/tx - (as if I don't need to read enough, I'm pursuing my masters' in sped and genuinely can't find the time to read the methods books now.)
BB-Beginner - not sure yet hockey but it sounded like a must have
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- read through the archive notes and you can decide ... I'm not really sure you'll want to mix BB and that ???
meeha/ece/tx - ivy -- we are just chatting!
BB-Beginner - yes I have heard of them- my son who is 9 used them in his K class and they were a hit!
Hockeyrabbit - but we also do stuff like pop a balloon and I hide a message in it..hmm..
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- Our district used to use the letter people ... why do we always drop what works for the kids?
Hockeyrabbit - meech- I only use the Letter ppl to introduce a letter..they are NOT the main LA focus
akaivyleaf - Good, thought I'd missed something really important
BB-Beginner - I can't use them as they don't fit with the TWO reading series I am asked to use inmy 2 1/2 hour sessions
Hockeyrabbit - thats an easy one meech- cuz someone else came up with a different fad and everyone jumps on it
meeha/ece/tx - I've heard teachers who used them years ago talk about graduated kiddos who return to visit and ask about their 'favorite' letter people!
BB-Beginner - LOL
Hockeyrabbit - YES..they LOVE the ppl..and last year kids could not wait to see who would visit next
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- 2 1/2? I thought we were in bad shape with 3 hour sessions!
Hockeyrabbit - oh, so tell me about the shared reading part of BB? Do you guys use ONE BIG BOOK per week? or a few?
BB-Beginner - try 2 1/2 meech- its not fun! very little time for recess
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- I've not done BB yet ... trying it with one group ((in addition to the language adoption for my program)) in the spring. Now just getting them to talk!
meeha/ece/tx - brb ... gotta run fill up my tea
Hockeyrabbit - oh, and this is kinda cool..I went to Walmart or Office Max..one or the other..and they had these contact colored BOOK COVERS..well I bought one cuz it said they wouldn't harm books..so I decided to cut it up, and use it has highlighter tape..so if we are
BB-Beginner - anyone else combining the BB model w/ Open Court or Houghton Mifflin series?
Hockeyrabbit - learning a site word they will put the tape on the word in the book
BB-Beginner - neat idea hockey!
Hockeyrabbit - YES..ME..but I am doing my own curriculum..we use Houghton Miff.
Hockeyrabbit - oh, and the book cover cost about $1..its enough tape to last the year
BB-Beginner - I have to use BOTH series and I think I will only use the literature/ Big Books from H.M.
Hockeyrabbit - what is the series you have?
Hockeyrabbit - we have the BB Freight Train, Rain..what else
BB-Beginner - I found some great pointers at the $ store for reading around the room
Hockeyrabbit - but this year I am soing my own thing..use HM off and on
Hockeyrabbit - cool..tell BB
BB-Beginner - picked up two glitter covered star wands as they had the Halloween stuff out
BB-Beginner - Also two small glitter globe on a wand type flash lights (hard to explain)
Hockeyrabbit - oh, I got some wands from he Dollar store too..by the birthday stuff..star wand
meeha/ece/tx - When we set up the calendar this year we put out the month's name in magnetic letters as well as on the word card ... the kids are already manipulating the letters and spelling AUGUST!
meeha/ece/tx - Hi, Sandi!
BB-Beginner - picked up some fly swatters so I can try the idea I read about on one of the chatboards
Sandi - Is everyone teaching kindergarten?
BB-Beginner - I am
meeha/ece/tx - Sandi -- I work with special needs preschoolers
akaivyleaf - I'm teaching 2nd grade this year
Hockeyrabbit - Spec Ed. K-3
Hockeyrabbit - BB- is that where you cut out the middle of the flyswatter and use as a reading thing?
BB-Beginner - hockey- yes! They had a pack of three multicolored
Hockeyrabbit - I might try that too
marlee - Hi everyone! I can't join you tonight, but I really don't want to miss this. Can anyone tell me if I can see all of your postings at another time?
BB-Beginner - I also picked up those dish scrubbers the ones that look like puffy star sponges on a wand
meeha/ece/tx - I read about one or two teachers who use wooden spoons ... chop sticks ...
meeha/ece/tx - I used to buy dowels and add a "cute" eraser to the end
meeha/ece/tx - ivy -- http://www.teachers.net/archive has archives from many, many meetings -- great resource!
Hockeyrabbit - meech- thats a neat idea
Sandi - they just like the idea of walking around and being able to read. They have been happy with paint brushes! But I also have the cute ones on dowels.
BB-Beginner - I also went to WalMArt and used(I think) Angie's idea of paint stirrers they gave me 30 something of them!
Sandi - are you talking about the alphabet letters glued onto the stirrers?
BB-Beginner - so I put a capitol letter on one side and lower case on the other
meeha/ece/tx - also fun to take the lenses out of kiddy-sunglasses and let them wear the glasses as they "read the room"
Hockeyrabbit - BB- yes I saw that on a website
meeha/ece/tx - do you also let the kids "write the room"?
Hockeyrabbit - Sandi- have you used BB for a long time?
BB-Beginner - yes but I used permanent fabric paint pens to write them on instead
marlee - OK. Have fun. I'll look in a few days. See ya'!
Sandi - I thought that was a great idea. my problem (if i had to limit it to one) is I see all these wonderful ideas and want to do them all. None of htem really take that much time but it all adds up.
BB-Beginner - Sandi, I hear you! Got the paint stirrers for free!
meeha/ece/tx - Sandi -- sometimes they can just become "sponge" activities to fill in the time between activities
Sandi - I've been doing BB for a year. I did some parts of it the year before last but didn't really know what I was doing. So this past school year was my first full year. I love it.
marlee - Before I go, does anyone know where I can buy a little fountain for my room? Thanks
BB-Beginner - please give us pointers- manyof us will be first timers!
Hockeyrabbit - can you give us any tips? this will be my first year doing it
meeha/ece/tx - for creating the materials, a lot of times y ou can get parent volunteers to assemble things like the paint sticks with letters on them
Hockeyrabbit - do you use the MOnth by MOnth book too?
akaivyleaf - IS this a program that will some way help dyslexics?
Lisa - Marlee - probably anywhere like Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc.
meeha/ece/tx - ivy -- the more different ways you can present information to children with learning disabilities (like dyslexia) the better chance they will have to "get" it!
meeha/ece/tx - Are you familiar with a book entitled "READING BY THE COLORS"?
1Grade - i could use some pointers, too
Lisa - Has anyone started school yet or are you still in summer?
Hockeyrabbit - meech- I'm not
BB-Beginner - still summer- 2 more weeks!
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- 2 days down, 175 to go!
1Grade - no school for us, yet
Sandi - Well, first of all building blocks itself is just an approach. The idea that they are immersed in the language and print around them really gives them meaning. They learned their letters/sounds so much faster but knew it had something to do with reading and writing. Before for some it had no meaning.
Lisa - I got some great pointers this summer - the dollar store had a plastic back scratcher shaped like a hand, and a ladybug fly swatter. For little pointers I got lots of pencils with the big erasers, jumbo pencils. I also got sunglasses for them to wear while they read around the room.
Sandi - I start August 23rd
meeha/ece/tx - It give you information on how the colored films can change the visual perception of individuals with dyslexic type learning disabilities ... I've known several people who depend on those films to allow them to read.
Hockeyrabbit - Sandi- how did you do your morning message?
meeha/ece/tx - Sandi -- how print around the room? do you label lockers, desks, walls, doors, etc? poem posters? books? notes?
Lisa - I missed what your purpose was for the paint stirrers with letters but another idea is to put sticker dots with the different letters on popscicle sticks and have them find words that start with the letters in small books.
Sandi - For kids with special needs it is very powerful because they are learning in context. But they still need more structured instruction too. Building Blocks is multi-level. I have "all the books".
BB-Beginner - Sandi- what gave you the most trouble your first year out with BB?
meeha/ece/tx - what is "all the books"?
1Grade - good question BB
Sandi - Predictable charts, word wall, labeling things around the room, interactive charts, all sorts of things.
meeha/ece/tx - do you incorporate other reading/writing strategies with BB?
akaivyleaf - I will have to look into the book. I haven't heard of it.
Sandi - Sorry, The Month to Month Book, The Teacher's Guide to Building Blocks, Building Blocks Plan book. Really there are others-morning message, predictable chart, but I have the other 3. There's other books that have info about building blocks and their components that I have-Interactive Writing, Kid Writing, On Solid Ground
BB-Beginner - haven't heard of On Solid Ground- what is that one about?
meeha/ece/tx - Thanks for the list, Sandi -- I'll get those book titles from the archive in a few days and be sure to find the ones I don't yet have.
Hockeyrabbit - so what kind of centers do you guys use with BB?
Sandi - I'm to the point now that I'm not sure what is Building Blocks and what are "other reading/writing strategies" any more. I have to apologize. I really want to be a part of this. It's my anniversary and my husband let me do this for awhile but my mom just came to surprise us and if she sees me doing this I'll never hear the end of it. I'm sorry, I'll try to get back on.
meeha/ece/tx - YIKES! I think we just "lost our expert"!
BB-Beginner - Well Meech I just used a different word- but yep it looks that way!
BB-Beginner - hi garden girl are you a BB expert?
Lisa - One easy openended center that I have is Word Study. The only rule is you have to make words. There are tons of different materials like magnetic letters, letter tiles, beans with letters on them, magna doodle, chalkboardds, etc. I also include different word lists so they can look at words to help them. They love going there.
meeha/ece/tx - Well, how about if we 'brainstorm' things we can do in our classrooms to begin immersing our kiddos in print and in oral language
gardengirl - Heavens no. Our state has adopted a uniform curriculum and building blocks seems to be the new buzz word.
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- I like the idea of beans with letters on them!
gardengirl - I teach kindergarten and do not want to give up my "own" thing which has been successful for many years.
Lisa - I am planning on doing a predictable chart on the first day titled Over the Summer and start each setence with I went.. Then on the second day I will have them rearrange the cut-up sentence and illustrate to make a book.
BB-Beginner - Did YOU put the letter on the beans ?
Hockeyrabbit - meech-I am going to write letters polished rocks
akaivyleaf - What has your own thing been?
meeha/ece/tx - gg -- now we just need to get them to STAY PUT and let us prove that something works! Seems like every time something comes along that works they throw it out with the next curriculum adoption!
Hockeyrabbit - Lisa- is there any good predictable chart books you know of?
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- sounds like fun!
Lisa - I used a thin permanent marker and wrote the capital on one side and the lower case on the other side. I made about 5 sets of the alphabet while watching TV one night.
gardengirl - Mainly letter of the week.
meeha/ece/tx - That will be enticing for your primary grade kiddos, Hockey!
gardengirl - I incorporate science, math, social studies, etc. each week.
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- did you spray paint them first? or use giant limas?
Lisa - Do you mean a teacher resource book with ideas for predictable charts? If so I think that Patricia Cunningham wrote a book called Predictable Charts. Do you mean something else?
Hockeyrabbit - gg-do you use the letter ppl to introduce each letter?
Lisa - Do you mean a teacher resource book with ideas for predictable charts? If so I think that Patricia Cunningham wrote a book called Predictable Charts. Do you mean something else?
gardengirl - I use a puppet each week.
Hockeyrabbit - Lisa-yes thats what I mean..thanks
BB-Beginner - hockey- I bought the BB Predictable Charts Book it seems really good
Lisa - I am not a bean expert but they were the biggest beans in the grocery store, I guess limas (I don't cook.) I just wrote write on them.
Hockeyrabbit - GG-I use the letter ppl, but will also do BB
Hockeyrabbit - BB-where did you find it?
gardengirl - Is it possible to just use parts of BB
Lisa - Carson Dellosa sells the book.
Hockeyrabbit - gg-I think so
akaivyleaf - A different puppet like "Mr. G" and "miss S"?
BB-Beginner - Picked it up at Hammetts at end of last school year
akaivyleaf - I must say that Carson Dellosa is my favorite publisher.
gardengirl - This state mandated "uniform curriculum is absurd. Obviously a high school teacher wrote. They expect our little guys to be using symbolic notation by week # 8
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- y ou should be able to order if from apples & acorns (a t.net sponsor) ... go to http://www.teachers.net and scroll down to sponsors on the left side of the page ...
BB-Beginner - GG- LOL
gardengirl - Getting back to BB. What part do you find the most successful?
BB-Beginner - glad I don't have that curriculum
BB-Beginner - Has anyone here used BB yet?
meeha/ece/tx - I still say that we, as the "preschool and primary experts" need to rise up and REFUSE to push these kiddos beyond their developmental levels! helping them grow socially and building their language and experience bases should be far more valuable than all the other "junk" we have to push down their throats now!
gardengirl - I used a word wall last year. But I did my way
Lisa - I teach first grade using the four blocks but spent some time reading up on Kindergarten this summer.
gardengirl - Our state has had a major panic over test scores
Hockeyrabbit - meech- WELL SAID..especially with Spec needs kids that have other "issues" going on
BB-Beginner - what state GG?
meeha/ece/tx - gg -- Sandi said that the presence of all the print in the room kind of led the kids to learn or become more familiar with letters, words, and related concepts
akaivyleaf - What state if I may inquire?
gardengirl - Kentucky
BB-Beginner - Do you guys label the room w/ or w/out the kids?
Lisa - I think it is especially helpful if you have their names around the room a lot in the beginning because they will learn those letters first.
Lisa - I label the room before the kids come?
gardengirl - I did label my room this year.
akaivyleaf - Before the children come
meeha/ece/tx - gg -- how many GOOD teachers have you known who couldn't pass a test if they had to? i've known of several! the test mania going around our nation today is inexcusable! ... basing success and learning (proof of) on one or two day's testing over the course of an entire school year!
Lisa - I think it is neat when they discover things like that on their own and realize it says the thing it is on.
BB-Beginner - I think Iread somewhere that there names should be in at least 7 places around the room
meeha/ece/tx - give those people who do that to kids a test on everything that happens in their place of business for nine months ... and they need to take it in some obscure language! see how they do!
gardengirl - Word wall--place words now or as you introduce them?
Lisa - I heard an idea that instead of labeling with one word like sink you could write a sentence like This is a sink.
BB-Beginner - my nephew goes to school in NC and they must pass end of yr test to be promoted starting in grade 3
Lisa - Word Wall words should be put on as they are introduced and practiced.
Lisa - I start off the year with their names on the word wall though.
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- a predictable sentence ... "This is a ____" would be great!
BB-Beginner - Lisa I like the sentence idea how about making the label word a different color from the rest?
gardengirl - How many predictable charts a week?
Lisa - Cool BB, my only problem with the sentence thing is space.
BB-Beginner - One
Lisa - I would say one predictable chart because you want them to master those words.
akaivyleaf - I love the use of color. All word that are objects are one color, words that are proper nouns, or names are another etc.
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- it could still just take a 3x5, 4x6, or 5x7 index card!
Hockeyrabbit - does anyone have a good predictable chart that would incorporate apples?
akaivyleaf - Is this what building blocks is? I used to do this type of thing in the classroom many years ago
Hockeyrabbit - Lisa- but is it "memorizing" them, or do they really know the words?
Lisa - I do a morning message everyday on chart paper with me writing and them predicting what I am writing. At the end we talk about a few things from the message like periods capital letters, sight words, etc. THen I hang the chart up in the room for something else to read.
meeha/ece/tx - ivy -- I think when 'push comes to shove' a lot of what is "hot" today has been good practice for a long time! someone just made a mint putting it all together in a book!
Lisa - This year I want to take a big sheet of laminating film to hang over it and have the kids use markers to frame or circle certain things before I put it up.
meeha/ece/tx - Hockey -- if they can generalize them to other locations, they're learned!
BB-Beginner - Wow another great idea- I better start taking notes!
Lisa - They probably are just memorizing but when they are ready they will realize that the word says what they are saying and will learn that word and that print has meaning.
akaivyleaf - That should have been me. I am seriously considering putting many of my creative inspirations in a book at some point.
gardengirl - Morning message--I just can't seem to think of new things to write daily.
meeha/ece/tx - ivy -- better now than tomorrow ... things are busting out all over!
Lisa - Some days I write about what we will do that day, some days I write about what I did the night before, and some days (especially after bad days) I use it to review rules.
BB-Beginner - Actually I think the skeletal parts remain fairly consistent with morning message
meeha/ece/tx - gg -- last year i wrote the same message daily ... just changed day, date daily. sometimes we wrote something special about the day
Lisa - For a predictable chart about apples you could talk about different things to make with apples and then have them decide what they would make and say "I would make..."
BB-Beginner - I was telling hockey that last year I used a question of the day at the end of my morning message
Lisa - BB-can you give an example of a question you asked.
gardengirl - How often do you make a class book from predictabel chart?
BB-Beginner - How about "I like ..." they fill in red/yellow or green apples etc.
Hockeyrabbit - BB- neat idea
gardengirl - Make that predictable.
Hockeyrabbit - BB..great..thanks!
Lisa - I have not done predictable charts they way they are talked about in the book yet, but I figure why not every time. That way you can assess the individual students as they rearrange and read the cut-up.
gardengirl - Realistic amount of time to spend on morning message.
Lisa - 5 minutes on morning message
Hockeyrabbit - Lisa-so you introduce and do chart 1st day..then what do you do after that?
meeha/ece/tx - gg -- that will depend on 2 things ... the length of your instructional day and the ability of your students to sit and attend to such an activity
gardengirl - Five minutes????
BB-Beginner - I often ask questions related to our theme like during our recycling unit I would ask- "How could you reuse a baby food jar?"
Hockeyrabbit - oh, I am going to hang my charts on a clothes line so the kids can read them
akaivyleaf - I must agree meeha.
meeha/ece/tx - if you include your topic of the day, maybe a morning message could appear in the form of a KWL type chart? at the end of the day you could meet again and write what children report they have learned that day!
Lisa - According to the book then you write each student's sentence and cut it up. THe next day you have them rearrange it and read it, glue it to paper and illustrate. Then you can put the papers in a book. Later on you can have them cut up the sentence.
Hockeyrabbit - after we use the pocket chart I am going to write their response on chart paper
meeha/ece/tx - hi, nina, Teach123, and cloc!
Lisa - Do you think 5 minutes is too long or too short?
akaivyleaf - What grade is this BB Beginner?
Hockeyrabbit - oh ok..I thought you did something different
BB-Beginner - Kinder
Lisa - How do the kids respond to the question?
BB-Beginner - I have an ECE very small book at school that gives a question for every day of the year- I use many of those
gardengirl - Does anyone still use a phonics progrm? Ours is SingSpellReadWrite. Like it quite a bit. Don't want to give it up totally.
akaivyleaf - BB your children are talking about recycling? Understanding the concept and necessity for?
cloc -we use saxon phonics
BB-Beginner - yes...they did a great job with it!
akaivyleaf - I'm impressed BB.
nina - saxon phonics?
meeha/ece/tx - cloc -- saxon is heavy on worksheets, isn't it? do the kids learn the phonics with it? do you incorporate another literacy program with the phonics?
cloc - the same company that writes Saxon Math
BB-Beginner - Lisa- depending on the amount of time and your class size on some days all students share their answer aloud, on others they share w/ a partner and on others they write about it in their journal
gardengirl - Lisa I thin five minutes is too short. It takes me much longer.
Lisa - I like to be quick so that I can get more in.
cloc - meeha, it is heavy on a daily worksheet, i also use 4 blocks, so my kids get a a taste of everything, i'd never just use the Saxon all bt itself
BB-Beginner - I missed it..five min for what?
gardengirl - Lisa, how many students share for you daily?
Lisa - What kind of sharing do you mean?
akaivyleaf - What grade cloc? I like saxon for 3rd grade and above
meeha/ece/tx - Lisa -- in a 5 minute message do you have time to model the thinking processes ( what letter to use, punctuation to employ, upper vs lower case, etc.)?
gardengirl - Beginner--morning message total time
cloc - we just got our scores back and first grade scored higher in Spelling this year than in any other year prior
meeha/ece/tx - that was what i recalled of saxon phonics, cloc ... teacher next to me had to use that several years ago
Lisa - When I do morning message I do not tell the kids what I am writing so I do not go through the thinking process. I do that later in the day during writing time when modeling.
Lisa - I'm still not sure what you mean by kids sharing.
BB-Beginner - I incorporate calendar into our morning message time and sometimes we also do a music and movement activity so total time would be about 20-30 min
gardengirl - Identifying letters, words they know on the message.
meeha/ece/tx - hockey -- remember to check out the archive at http://www.teachers.net/archive, this meeting will be posted in a day or two!
Lisa - About 3 kids.
BB-Beginner - How do you all choose who shares on what day?
gardengirl - That is probably my problem. I'm letting too large a number participate on a daily basis.
cloc - has anyone seen a timer that hangs around your neck? I know that sounds like an oddball question, but i am looking for one desperately
Lisa - I pick someone who is paying attention and I know needs to think about it (not the smartest kid) then they pick the next person and so on.
gardengirl - The start getting wiggly and lose interest.
meeha/ece/tx - cloc -- look at wal-mart or target for a $5 stop-watch ... will that do?
BB-Beginner - that is how I did it last year did you run into the same kids always getting picked though?
akaivyleaf - a stop watch cloc?
Lisa - GG- you could have less kids share and they would probably get more out of it becuase of their attention span and then you could use the extra minutes doing something else important.
cloc - that's the problem, i found one in a catalog, it was a stopwatch, i need one that i can set the time for, like when i am doing g, reading, and really all the other blocks
meeha/ece/tx - you could put names on craft sticks and pull the number you want to participate daily ... put th em in an adjacent container untill all have had a turn and then start over again?
gardengirl - Any suggestions for using the sentence strips in a center.
Lisa - I think eventually it evens out. WHen someone points out that only girls are getting picked I say to the next person pick a boy.
meeha/ece/tx - cloc -- ask at a sporting goods store, they'll probably be the best source!
cloc - good idea, thanks!
Lisa - You could put some sentences from the predictable chart on the sentence strips , cut them and have the kids rearrange. THen they could write their own sentences and have kid rearrange.
BB-Beginner - meech- Ilike the name stick idea and combine that w/ kids picking a name from one can and putting it into the other
meeha/ece/tx - cloc -- a lot of watches now have alarms on them that are pretty easy to set, too! (even cell phones!)
cloc - anyone doing all the activities with the names for first grade?
meeha/ece/tx - i used to print words on sentence strips (names, feelings -- illustrated with pics, words the kids requested) and the kids used them as they saw fit!
Lisa - If you mean King/Queen of the day I do. I do two kids a day or else it takes too long.
cloc - meeha, i an using my little timex watch now, but it doesn't beep loud enough, i guess i'm just getting old
meeha/ece/tx - cloc -- have one of your 'helpers' hold the watch and tell you when it beeps!
cloc - we had a great day in writer's workshop today, just the 7th day of school and i don't even have to talk about fingerspacing, kindergarten took care of thet!
Lisa - cloc-do you have half day or full day?
akaivyleaf - I've found that men's watches seem to have a louder audible beep. I hadn't thought of cell phones but when my alarm goes off on my cell phone it plays a tune. The children might take notice of the tune more so than a beep.
BB-Beginner - any thoughts on when to start journals in K
meeha/ece/tx - do any of you use "spacemen" to teach the kids about spaces between words? little 'alien-looking men' attached to craft sticks that the kids can lay between words
cloc - meeha, problem is that may be all they pay attention too, especially when we are in the "during " part of g. reading
gardengirl - Very beginning of year is what I do with journals.
meeha/ece/tx - BB -- day one is as good as any!
akaivyleaf - Thats a great idea meeha...
gardengirl - I've seen the little "space guys" CUTE!!
Lisa - I think those space men are cute but I usually end up just using finger spaces. One year I had them decorate a popscicle stick but half of them lost it within a week.
cloc - ditto Lisa
akaivyleaf - It's hard to use finger spacing with left handed children. The spaceman idea would work better for lefty's.
meeha/ece/tx - I think our O.T. staff use them a lot with special needs little ones
cloc - i tell my kids that that pointer finger if VERy important: we use it as our finger spacer in writing, our firts grade reader finger to help tracl print and then our quiet finger when walking in line
BB-Beginner - I hadn't thought of lefty's and spacing.....
cloc - sorry, can't spell tonight
lee - i am a new 3rd grade teacher and looking for a creative welcome back to school letters for my students, any ideas?
meeha/ece/tx - well, hope most of you can come back next week for an open session -- suggested topics include math activities, lessons, and centers
cloc - i used this one year, they had to find the missing part of their letter in our room during open house
gardengirl - Sounds great. My math lessons need a pick up.
meeha/ece/tx - cloc -- that sounds fun!
akaivyleaf - Lefties have to cross hands to keep their finger spacing and write the first letter of the next word which is awkward. With a space it would work better and be more encouraging to them. I'm sensitive to lefty's as I am a lefty and my daughter is as well. I've seen her struggle with fingerspacing
akaivyleaf - I like math activities.
Lisa - Or you could cut the letter into pieces that they had to put together before they could read it. Or write it in a code with the decoder at the bottom.
cloc - aka, i'm convinced, i'll let them choose, sticks, or finger!
gardengirl - Lefty here too!
meeha/ece/tx - ivy -- I hadn't ever even thought of that ... there are SO MANY little things to think of!
lee - if you have any please feel free to e-mail me at school lisacrichton@excite.com i will be sending the letters home to introduce myself to them and their parents
lee - thanks i like the idea of finding the missing part of their letter
BB-Beginner - ok lee!
meeha/ece/tx - if you have the die for a puzzle in your workroom, you could print the note on the right size of paper and die-cut it and put the pieces in their envelopes
meeha/ece/tx - lee -- good luck! have a great year.
lee - thanks
meeha/ece/tx - maybe you could send them a note and invite them to check out a website with pictures of your classroom and plans for a wonderful year on it!
meeha/ece/tx - time to say goodnight, all. hope to see you soon!
BB-Beginner - have to run all- its been a long day and I have to drive quite a ways to pick up my teenager from sleep away camp tomorrow.
cloc - bye meeha
akaivyleaf - Puzzles are great. I wonder where I can buy a cutter?
lee - i only have one more week until school starts, although i do have plans to put a website together
BB-Beginner - It has been great chatting with you all!
cloc - lee, what grade do you teach again?
akaivyleaf - Bye everybody. If anybody is staying around to chat a little longer I'll stick around for a while.
Lisa - Ellison sells an extra large puzzle cutter. I don't like ours though becuase it is too big so you have to put it in both ways and the cuts end up being bad. I think it is easier to just use scissors.
lee - gotta run and put my little guy to bed, i'll return tomorrow
Lisa - aka - what grade do you teach?
akaivyleaf - When using scissors, do you cut square shapes or do you make round jig saw puzzle shapes?
lee - cloc i teach 3rd grade
akaivyleaf - I have taught k - 5 in the past. I'm now homeschooling my 2nd grader and I'm an educational consultant
Lisa - round jigsaw puzzle shapes, actually it usually turns out to be jagged cuts (easier)
cloc - lee have you heard about moose folders?
Lisa - What do you consult about?
lee - bye for now
Lisa - Do you meet with other home schoolers for socialization?
akaivyleaf - Technology in the classroom mainly and administration
Lisa - Do you have a website?
akaivyleaf - I have a number of private schools that I work with weekly and where I go, my daughter goes. She has a lot of friends in different schools and she gets to participate in school activities at these schools.
Lisa - Sandy almost everyone has left. You should go spend your anniversary with your husband.
Sandy - HelloI am new to this and I really don't understand what I am to do.
akaivyleaf - Plus we have church, and I a member of a few homeschool organizations. She has quite a network of friends.
Lisa - That is cool that the schools let her participate. It also sounds like a good way for you to be able to do consulting.
Lisa - Sorry Sandy, there was another Sandy on earlier and she had to leave because it was her anniversary. I didn't mean to say you shouldn't stay.
akaivyleaf - You're doing it Sandy. Just type in a message, we read it and respond and you respond to what we write.
Lisa - Sandy what do you teach?
akaivyleaf - I think its a good way for me to earn money and still be passionate about education, both my daughters and other children.
Sandy - OK I am a new pre-k teacher with 2 days under my belt
Sandy - I am trying to figure out how to set up centers
akaivyleaf - congratulations Sandy! Welcome to the teaching profession
Lisa - Congratulations! Are the kids shy or are they already testing you?
akaivyleaf - Somebody asked me if I had a website? It's under revision right now and should be operational soon if I would stop chatting and work on it.
Lisa - One idea is to introduce and practice a different center each day. You could have the kids practice and model before letting them have choice.
Sandy - It is wonderful! I am team teaching with another teacher who had most of the kids last year.
Lisa - If you are team teaching that is great because you could split the class and have them practice the centers in smaller groups with a teacher.
Sandy - I am confused on structuring the center time or letting them choose
Lisa - Personally I like to let them choose because then they are excited about going. I found that if I told them where to go they might have attitude. ALso I didn't like having to keep track of where everyone needed to go.
Sandy - How do you knkow where they have went?
akaivyleaf - I would structure the time first, get them used to the idea of a learning center and then as time goes on, let them choose which center to do
Lisa - In my room (first grade) I have a velcro chart with the names of the centers and the kids put their names next to it and go there. In our Pre-K class the kids names are on the left of the chart with about four pieces of velcro next to it. THen there are tons of pictures of the different centers and the kids put the center that they choose next to their name and when they switch they get a new picture to put second and so on.
Lisa - Do you really need to know where they went? And, what are your centers going to be?
Lisa - If you do need to know you could look at the chart afterwards.
akaivyleaf - So Lisa, they can go to the same center repeatedly without switching? I found that I had children who went to the same one without venturing to a different one, happy in the comfort zone.
Sandy - I don't really know yet for sure. I got the job 4 days before school started and I have been organizing ever since. I have set up a reading center, writing, drama, science, lostening, and block and computer. I just don't know how to get it all started. I inrtoduced the writing center today.
Lisa - When that happens the teacher can encourage or even make them go to a different center first or something like that. In my room the other kids usually take care of it because they want to go there and the number allowed is limited.
Lisa - THat sounds like a good start Sandy. I am impressed with how much you have done considering.
Lisa - Sandy - I also really like art.
akaivyleaf - You haven't had much rest then... That is an excellent start! I applaud you!
akaivyleaf - I like introducing the children to all of the centers prior to letting them choose. I also find out when they start making independant choices, where their interests are and strengths and weaknesses. I learn as much from centers as the children.
Sandy - Thanks, unfortunetly I am the type that likes everything ready adn not throwing it together. I have been on the computer the whole time I am away from the class looking for info and ideas.
Lisa - Good point AKA
Lisa - Sandy don't feel bad about adding new things as you go along. I add new centers throughout the whole year to help alleviate boredom or stale learning.
akaivyleaf - I used to rotate my centers out regularly.
Lisa - Some other centers that I like are games, puzzles, manipulatives, etc.
Sandy - Tomorrow we decided to intro the science area and I have thought about making and playing with play dough. i just don't knkow what else to do. Would that be enough. Having all 4 groups do it at the same as I tell them what to do?
Lisa - Definitely.
Lisa - Plus all kids love play dough
akaivyleaf - Do you have enough play-dough? Children tend to use a lot of playdough for their creations? Don't use it on carpeted areas much to hard to clean up. (Ask me how I know)
akaivyleaf - You need double the amount that you were anticipating.
Sandy - We have 4 groups of 4. I have a really small class and 1/2 of them stay all day 8-3. So I have the time and space, it is just getting a routine and schedule going.
Sandy - I was going to have that be a center activity. Making it with the ingredients.
Lisa - Sandy it sounds like you are doing great. You need to have confidence and just keep being a great teacher. Those kids will love school.
akaivyleaf - ooh...
Lisa - Ok - AKA how do you know playdoh won't come out of carpets?
Sandy - Thank you!
Sandy - ooh...sounds scary!
Lisa - Sandy are you in a public or private school?
Sandy - private
akaivyleaf - I did playdough in a center activity that had a carpeted area. I read on the back that it comes out of carpeting, but the children got up and down and trampled it into the carpet and I'm sure it's still in the carpet until this very day.
Lisa - If I did that the janitor would hate me more than he already does (I have a lot of stuff and I do fun activities that leave a mess)
Sandy - So we should make it on the tiled area and play with it outside huh!
Lisa - Once when I was having an art club after school he asked me in front of the principal if I was going to do painting. I said yes and he wanted to know if I was going to help them clean. My principal backed me up by asking him if he had ever got to paint when he was in school. It was great.
Lisa - THat sounds like a great idea. Outside is brilliant
Lisa - Okay I am going to go, it is getting kind of late here on the east coast.
Sandy - I love being outside. Today it was sooo nice that during our science time I said lets go take a walk! Tomorrow we are having popsicles outside for snack. I am all about being outside! I live in the midwest and we don't have too many days outside.
akaivyleaf - I took the carpet to get cleaned, tried to hand pick it out, vaccuum it.. I would suggest a smooth flore surface
Sandy - Maybe we could make it outside as well!
akaivyleaf - Floor.... oops. Hi Sheri and where in the midwest do you live Sandy. I was raised in Illinois so I know a little about the mid west.
Sandy - I am from Illinois, but I just moved to Indiana to get a job. What part of Illinois?
akaivyleaf - What are your ingredients?
akaivyleaf - Outside of St. Louis. Alton
Sandy - Flour, salt, tartart, oil and h2o. I don't know exact I'll have to get my card out.
akaivyleaf - food coloring? I would do it outside if I could.
Sandy - I have been to the Alton Belle riverboat about 10 years ago
Sandy - Yes, I forgot the color!
akaivyleaf - That would be Alton. I never went on the boat. I had already left by the time it came to be and when I went home to visit, I just found no joy in it. Where in Illinois were you?
akaivyleaf - foodcoloring can leave stains
akaivyleaf - Well I can't seem to maintain a connection in here, so I guess I had better sign off.
Sandy - I was born and raised in a small town Carmi, and I lived in Chicago, Champaign, and Carbondale. I now live in Evansville!
Sandy - Bye, thanks for the info
akaivyleaf - It's almost 11 here in GA
Sandy - What part of GA
akaivyleaf - Always a pleasure. Look forward to chatting with you again. I used to party in Carbondale many years ago
Sandy - that is where I graduated SIU
