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Hat - how long have you been using BB everyone?
Hat - brittany-you using kidwriting?
Brittany (tx) - no....heard about it but not familiar with it
degas - Hi all! I was just trained on 4 block today!
Hat - i am using Kidwriting this year. would like to see how everyone else is using it
Brittany (tx) - this is my first year teaching K...im just trying to survive and perhaps learn something as I go lol
Hat - degas-was it a good training meeting?
degas - yes!! I am very excited about it!
Hat - what grade do you teach, degas?
degas - first
Hat - yes, brittany. the first year you just survive!!!
Brittany (tx) - I just hope the kids learn their letters and sounds despite me!!
degas - I willhave to integrate it with my counties reading series, but I have revised my daily schedule to fit it in
lorey - What is Kidwriting
degas - Is this the meeting or will it start
Hat - Kidwriting is a book published by the Wright Group
Brittany (tx) - we use break thru to literacy...seems to allow for building blocks stuff pretty well...but i haven't been good at using BB yet
Hat - It tells how to get K's writing
Hat - usually there is a moderator, degas
degas - Question- Do you have to do each block right in a row or can they occur at different times during the day?
Hat - i teach K so I don't teach 4 blocks. I teach Building Blocks.
Wheels - I saw Gwynn Myer talk last night
Hat - who is Gwynn Myer?
degas - Is everyone in here a K teacher?
Jane/Mo - i am.
Brittany (tx) - how do u set up ur centers? I have certain centers the kids have to do...journal, math, etc...then 2nd hour of centers later in the day they get to free play any center
lorey - I'm a Reading Recovery Teacher 1/2 time pushing in for a literacy block doing Guided Rdg
Brittany (tx) - I have a 7 hr day (not sure if that is longer, shorter, same as everyone)
Brittany (tx) - is what building blocks does considered modeled reading? and if so, how does BB work with guided reading?
lorey - I work with 1 pull out rdg group / high risk readers also
Jane/Mo - I tried BB last year to test it out. This yr. all of our kinder. teachers are trying it.
Jane/Mo - I would like more info on Kid writing, I haven't tried it yet
Brittany (tx) - does anyone have an example of the schedule they use that includes guided reading?
lorey - I'm from NYC. Where is everyone from?
linda - South FL Ft. Lauderdale-just tryingbb
Jane/Mo - Brittany, Guided reading is not really one of the building blocks units, it is a 4Block thing although some schools are trying to push it down to kindergarten
linda - we do guided read during literacy centers
Hat - I haven't tried predictable charts yet. Does anyone love doing them?
Jane/Mo - Hat. Yes! I love it.
Brittany (tx) - i have some kids who know all their sounds and letters now...was considering guided reading some with them
linda - Yes, predictable charts good-helps with sight words
lorey - I never heard of BB (not in NYC)
kz - hi! I have done some charts. I did a bus one...katie on the bus, mike on the bus, etc.
Brittany (tx) - linda what are some of the literacy centers u have ur kids doing in the mean time?
Jane/Mo - I like having the students cut apart these predictible sentence they dictated and reassemble it. Builds an awareness of words.
linda - Lit centers-ohp, dry erase, abc, library, could email you the list
Hat - Jane-do you do your predictable charts in big groups? they seem to take forever. maybe that's why i haven't gotten hooked.
Hat - Brittany-they seem to be right at the point to start guided reading
Brittany (tx) - linda...oh I would truly appreciate that I will PM u my email
kz - I have done my charts over a few days. we will just
linda - I have found the charts to be too long in 1 day
Brittany (tx) - hat yeah I have 3 I feel are ready for something more...they are attempting to write on their own too...like Texas was t k s
Hat - maybe that's my problem. i try to get so much done in one day.
kz - sorry, i was saying we will do just like maybe 5 kids a day. I also have done ones at the beginning of the year now where the kids just fill in one word or two and the rest I can have written in earlier. if that makes sense!
kindergartencop - I'm from Michigan
Jane/Mo - Hat, I sometimes stretch it into 2 days for dictation, one day to finger read, and one day to cut apart and put back togehter
linda - I like to do about 8 to 10 per day.
Brittany (tx) - how long are u in school each day? im 7 hrs
Hat - oh, that's good, Brittany. You have students who are hearing a lot of sounds.
kz - linda, I would love alist of your literacy centers as well, please! kzuehlke@annandale.k12.mn.us
Brittany (tx) - hat ...yeah then i have those who don't even know the first letters in their names....*sigh*....im worried Im not doing enough for those kids
Hat - 4 1/2 hrs.
Jane/Mo - I start with very simple sentences. I like ____apples best.
linda - Will send Kz
kindergartencop - I have all 13/16 do their writing one day, cut apart and paste and draw the next
Jane/Mo - This helps students who can not speak complete sentences.
kz - how about name activities? (thanks linda!!))
kz - does anyone have a name center yet?
Jane/Mo - kz, we love it.
Hat - Brittany-they sometimes surprise you. Some just take off a little later. I just tested one of my students. He hardly knew any letters! But then I re-tested him using my zoophonics and he knew the letter names using our zoo friends. he just needs a little more time to integrate everything.
Brittany (tx) - linda did u get my pm with email?
Hat - I like that sentence, Jane. We are doing a unit on apples.
kindergartencop - I start with "I ___", then "I see ___" , "I can ____"
Brittany (tx) - hat I have one that was just diagnosed with ooo forgot the name phonological processing disorder??
Hat - kz- I like the name cheers. This is especially good for my quiet students. it gets them to project their voices.
kz - does anyone have a predictable chart for pumpkins or Halloween?
linda - i do not know pm feature HA
Jane/Mo - hat, my kids always draw a picture of the person of the day. It is amazing to see the progress in their drawings.
Hat - Brittany-how does this affect your student?
kz - yes, the cheers are great. I was not sure if I was going to do the name books for each child, but I am sooooo very glad I did. the kids just love it and it really is helping their writing.
Jane/Mo - kz, I will be ____ for Halloween.
linda - Halloween- I will be . . .
Brittany (tx) - Hat he doesn't hear any sounds and is also very hard to understand...he is supposed to start speech soon as well as reading specialist
Hat - Jane-All my students know the oval shape because we emphasize it for the drawings. I love it!
Brittany (tx) - My pumpkin had ____ seeds.
kz - jane, linda- good ideas!
Jane/Mo - Hat, my parents like getting the book of drawing by the classmates. Some told me they are saving it as a keepsake
Hat - I feel for you, Brittany. Journal time is hard when you try to help a child who isn't understandable.
Brittany (tx) - *doesn't do halloween so do pumpkins/fall/farm
kz - has anyone heard about having the kids bring candy wrappers in from Halloween and then making an ABC book with them? I can't wait to try it this year!
linda - Do you prewrite you morn message
Cecy - My jack-o-lantern feels __________.
Hat - I like that idea, kz!
Brittany (tx) - hat I just worry alot right now....worry Im not helping my low ones enough and stuff
Jane/Mo - linda, I did some last yr. but found kids got more from my doing it in class. I could do modeled writing and talk about the letters I was writing
kz - linda, most days I do. maybe once every 2 weeks I have been having the kids do it with me. I guess really for times sake since we are just a half day program, I have it written and we circle, frame, etc. from there.
TJ - Hi all, first time in here
Hat - Brittany-I just tested all my students for alphabet recognition. I am going to have to work with some of them in small groups. This is where I am unsure exactly how to help them. I want to play some fun games, but want to do something that will really help.
Brittany (tx) - linda not sure if u got my email address or not on PM so here it is Ltngbugg@prodigy.net
Jane/Mo - Dotie Hall and Pat Cunningham have a book called Predictable Charts. Very worth while
Brittany (tx) - yeah we just did our first set of report cards
TJ - great ideas in here, special ed here
TJ - elem
kz - how about interactive writing? have any of you read the book Interactive Writing. I love the murals, ideas, etc. in there.
Cecy - I have the book ---it is wonderful. Filled with lots of great ideas!
Brittany (tx) - kz is it worth my buying? I am very interested in it
Hat - I have started interactive writing this year.
Brittany (tx) - who writes it?
TJ - i like that Halloween idea
TJ - does anyone do Morn Message???
Hat - not me, tj
kindergartencop - I do morning message
TJ - just made group flag using tissue paper, huge moral came out great
Jane/Mo - TJ, Dottie Hall says the morning message is a very good way to model how to write, and to help low students learn letters while higher students focus on words, sentences...
TJ - can anyone tell me if they can see me, am I in here???
Brittany (tx) - is the building blocks video worth buying?
Jane/Mo - but she recommends that you do it regularly. not just every few days like I was doing last yr.
TJ - thanx Jane, now I know how to focus in here, lol
Hat - I do something similar to Morn Message. I have students place wicky sticks around the words.
kindergartencop - I see you TJ - do you see me
TJ - i really like the message, kids love it and they get to take it home
Jane/Mo - Hat, I love wicky sticks. Aren't they wonderful
Brittany (tx) - what is a wicky stick?
Hat - Jane-yes, they are great. My students love using them
Hat - a wicky sticky is a piece of yarn that is coated with wax.
kz - Back to the interactive writing book...(sorry I had a phone call!) I thin it is written by the same authors who wrote Guided reading. I can't think off hand.
TJ - haven' t seen video, sorry
Hat - wicky sticks are good to highlight letters or words because they stick to posters or whiteboards
Brittany (tx) - darn lol don't know who wrote that either lol
lyn - Ly (linda) Wikki stixs waxy bendable craft product in arts/crafts section
TJ - anyone doing 100th day of school???
TJ - time for me this year
TJ - 21 days so far
TJ - kcop, sure do, thanx guys, i am new at this, you're great
TJ - and patient
lyn - One of our centers-wikki wall-fun letter making
Hat - yes, it is fun doing 100th day celebrations.
Hat - lyn-good idea. hadn't thought of it!!
TJ - wonderful ideas on net, I found , going to use them, cant wait
TJ - and books toooo
TJ - i just wrote in perm maker all over my only board
kz - Brittany- it is Fountas and Pinnell
lyn - where TJ
Brittany (tx) - thank u kz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TJ - had to buy non acetone pol rem, lol
Jane/Mo - anyone in here on Building blocks Mailring?
Hat - yes, I am Jane
lyn - No , is mailring good
Jane/Mo - It has a lot of good ideas
kz - Thanks, Jane!
kz - yes I am on the mailring, Jane
Hat - yes, excellent ideas
TJ - fountas and pinnell, running record???
TJ - anyone teach in Philly??
Brittany (tx) - well thanks for the ideas and stuff....this site is freezing up my computer so gonna log off
Jane/Mo - running records is the assessment part of reading isn't it?
Mari - TJ, one of my kids told me that if you scribble over a permanent marker with a whiteboard marker, it will remove it.
TJ - yes Jane
TJ - picked out books for that today
Hat - I heard there is a new type of running record out.
TJ - Mari, really????
kz - how about those literacy centers again. I am so curious how people run them.....who goes where, do they move, etc.
TJ - anyone use storybook weaver on pc??
Jane/Mo - Was it DRA? We had inservice last week on that
Hat - TJ-did you already say that you are going to use fingernail polish remover?
lyn - Rigby has good run rec set-Benchmarks
TJ - awesome prog, the kids tape voices
Mari - that's what they said. I've never really tried it, but it would be worth a try.
TJ - that's what we use, Rigby, Mondo
TJ - i love OH No book and tape
TJ - yes Hat, it workd
TJ - non acetone only!!
lyn - I do not like the big books by Mondo
Jane/Mo - fingernail polish or cheap hairspray will remove perm marker from many surfaces
Hat - yes, it works like magic. i use it for my white board markers too because sometimes they don't erase too well.
TJ - Hat, it actually worked
TJ - ah, cheap hairspray, should have done that, my
TJ - lotion cost 10.00
lyn - Hairspray seals chalked art projects too
TJ - i will bring in hairspray , thanx for info
TJ - lyn,, how about Somewhere????
TJ - beautiful story
Mari - TJ, try the whiteboard marker over first. Least amount of chemicals
TJ - I like the Rain, etc
lyn - Tj- don't know "Somewhere"???
TJ - why does this keep repeating???
TJ - on my nerves
lyn - Oh, big book title-yes it is a better one
Mari - Have any of your schools tried the 100 Book Challenge?
TJ - Mondo, Somewhere, it will make u cry
Hat - somewhere is a good book?
Jane/Mo - Mari, not heard of it.
TJ - art proj, lyn good idea
TJ - we are doing 100 challenge
TJ - first year for me, i will let u know
TJ - been on sabbatical for past 2 half yrs
Jane/Mo - man this thing got slow all of a sudden
Mari - Jane, it's actually a company, and they level the books from one word per page all the way up through 9th grade (I think at the high end). The baskets are expensive, but the kids work their way up the levels. I love it.
TJ - Hat??? love that book, do u know it??/
Jane/Mo - I like using real lit. books whenever I can. Kids love to find their books in lib.
lyn - what Mari, it that 100 challenges?
Hat - no, i have never heard of it.
Mari - Kids keep a reading log, like in Guided Reading, but the books are leveled so they know what basket to get their book from.
Jane/Mo - not fam. with this program.
Mari - http://www.100bookchallenge.com/
TJ - great chatting, guys u r fun and full of info
Hat - sorry, Mari, I missed the name of the leveled books.
TJ - will join u another time
TJ - ng to watch Philly!!! nite al
lyn - I just finished an author study robert Munch they loved it@
TJ - my kids mix up the baskets, lol
TJ - but at least we have color codes for them
Mari - Our whole school adopted it. That's their website.
Mari - my baskets are a mess, but they're easy to put back together again.
Jane/Mo - lyn, I like to do author study with Jan Brett's books.. wow.
TJ - Jan Brett is awesome
lyn - goodnight from Fl LATER
Jane/Mo - Have you used her website janbrett.com
Hat - Mari-is it expensive to start out>
TJ - nite all from TJ
Hat - I like Jan Brett's artwork.
Mari - I'm not sure, Hat, I think it might be. I think our district got a grant to start it up.
Mari - I think each basket of 25-30 books is $150 (American).
Hat - that seems like a good price.
Mari - it's pretty reasonable, and they came to do an inservice with us.
Hat - Mari-how many baskets do you have in your classroom?
Hat - anyone do zoophonics?
Mari - between four and six. depends where the kiddos are and what levels they need to have.
Hat - so between $800 and 1200 on books! how great!
Jane/Mo - Connie, we started out talking about Building Blocks. I think we are talking about some leveled books program
Mari - Hat, we rotate the baskets throughout the building. I have mine for about a month, and then switch in the library.
Hat - we have scholastic too, but this might be the last year.
Hat - It's ok. I love the amount of books we get.
kz - I read about having a separate environmental print wall...but with plastic bags with letters on hanging from like a clothes line and then tape things to the outside (Mcdonalds on M, etc,) or put things inside the bag when it gets too full.
kz - Does anyone else have Houghton Mifflin ?
Jane/Mo - I don't have storage space or space to put up all of the stuff that I would like to add
Jane/Mo - kz, I have Macmillian, McGraw Hill Spotlight on Literacy
kz - well, folks, have a great night...
