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Amos - so do you guys use 4 blocks within your 1st grade classes?
Simply Ani - no blocks here
PJ - Hi. I have a question about handwriting. Do any of you have a good way to convince the children how to hold the pencil correctly?
Sue - Hi - I use 4-Blocks.
PJ - And, by the way, this is my first year with 4 blocks
Amos - oh I was a taught a good one this year
PJ - What is it?
Amos - you have the child told a clean tissue in the hand that they write with and they must hold it and the pencile. It worked great!
Simply Ani - I don't have a strategy for pencil holding but..I do have a thought...our K's don't stress holding pencils properly anymore...too many other things to do...so when they get to first grade it is a habit that is very dififcult to break
PJ - That sounds like a good idea. I certainly had never thought of it.
Amos - try it yourself I was amazed
PJ - Simply Ani, you are so right! I really anguish over the incorrect positioning because I have heard that it can cause writer's cramp.
Teri - I have also had the child hold a makeup sponge in their hand that they hold the pencil with. It works great!
Sue - Our O.T. has them hold a small piece of chalk and the pencil. They love it. Everyone wants to hold chalk.
PJ - How do you keep them from bending the forefinger backwards? Does the tissue help that, too?
Teri - Has anyone read the story Dream Story by Eric Carle to their class yet?
voltron11 - yes i have
Amos - I think so PJ
Amos - Sue do you like 4 blocks with in your 1st grade?
PJ - Thank you for your suggestion, Amos. I will try it.
Simply Ani - I read a story around Thanksgiving that made me tear up..and then the students got all sad faced..good story that has been around awhile by Tomi Depola...The Legend of the Blue Bonnet
Amos - your welcome
Teri - I am going to read it when we return. Our Christmas Parties were cancelled because of snow days so when we return we will still be in the Christmas spirit. Someone suggested having the kids do layover pictures like Eric Carle does. I think I am going to try it.
Sue - I love it - don't know how I ever taught without it!
Amos - I am goign to the workshope feb.13th and I am so excited
Simply Ani - I am having major difficulties with an ADHD student this year.
Amos - do you do everything whole group though?
Teri - Amos, who is presenting the workshop
Sue - who is the presenter?
Amos - Sigmon
Teri - I am going to one in March presented by Dottie Hall
Simply Ani - First time in 7 years that I have had to put up a "wal"l between her and the classroom.
Sue - I do almost everything whole group but I also do FROG.
Teri - What is FROG
Amos - what is that?
bobbie - What's FROG?
Teri - We are all thinking alike tonight
Simply Ani - I saw a PBS special the other night about this school that does nothing but direct instruction with their kids...was interesting but I could never be that type of teacher
Sue - FRog is "Facilitating Reading for Optimum Growth"
Amos - do you walk away from the class feeling ready to do it in your class or does it take lots of prep time?
Teri - Please explain Sue
Simply Ani - LG are you still here?
bobbie - I saw a news broadcast about the Kumon Method of teaching Reading and Math. Anyone familiar with this?
Sue - We break up into groups of 6 or 7 kids with a teacher and do 10 minutes each of each block
Amos - no I have never heard of it
Simply Ani - never heard of Kumon
Teri - Sue, what are the rest of the children doing while they are waiting for their turn with you?
Simply Ani - Has anyone heard of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards?
PJ - Sue, explain further, please. I don't understand.
bobbie - I have, but it is really involved and time consuming.
Sue - There aren't any "rest" of the children. There are 3 teachers with my class. (me and 2 others) we are all doing FROG.
bobbie - Where are the other teachers coming from? Title and Spec. ed.?
PJ - Do you rotate the children's groups?
Sue - yes
Simply Ani - Well, I did it last year....and found out on November 30, that I got certified
Sue - No - the groups stay the same all year
Simply Ani - Just thought if there were questions I could answer them
bobbie - Wow Congratulations!! That's a biggie.
Simply Ani - To those who know what it is...I suppose...around here...no one truly knows what it is....will be in the paper Sunday...some teachers will feel threatened
Amos - do you have these 3 teachers all day long?
PJ - Sue, do you rotate the groups between the three teachers as you do the 10 minute sessions?
Amos - and how many kids do you have in your class?
Sue - No - there are 3 teachers for 40 minutes and that happens to be the last 40 minutes of the day.
Sue - 18 kids in my class
Amos - wow you are lucky!
Simply Ani - was thinking that myself Amos
Amos - I have 26
Sue - Each teacher does all of the blocks (10 minutes) each with their own group
Simply Ani - 23 here
PJ - Okay. I think I understand that part.
Simply Ani - one tired teacher all day...LOL
Sue - Sorry to hear that your class is so large. Do you have any help?
Simply Ani - no aides here
Amos - yep
Amos - I have help from 9:15 to 11:00 and that is it
Simply Ani - where from amos?
Teri - What do you do during the time you have help?
bobbie - 26 is just way too many first graders-unless they"re angels.
Sue - well, if it's good help that is better than none!
Amos - and during this time I do ceneters so that I have help and I can work with the kids in small groups
Amos - Florida
Sue - You'll like the ideas in 4 Blocks. It makes life easier especially with a large group. I started 4 Blocks with a class of 22
Amos - and I can tell you I have 10 girls and 16 boys they make me tired by lunch time
PJ - I am really enjoying 4 blocks this year.
Sue - How long have you done 4 Blocks, PJ?
Amos - good I am looking forward to it
PJ - Sounds like a high energy class, Amos.
bobbie - I tried making activity boxes--centers in peck baskets. I had enough for all the students with activies in art, reading, math , science, lang. arts. When i needed time for small groups I had everyone take one basket to their des k. That worked for about 40 minutes.
Amos - they are
PJ - This is my first year to really try to do all four blocks. I experimented with guided reading and writing last year. That sold me on it.
Sue - Amos, have you read anything about 4 Blocks, yet?
Amos - yes I have ead the 4 block book and I have read the phonics book
Sue - I really love the Words Block. That is the part that was missing from my instruction prior to 4 Blocks training.
PJ - The Guided Reading book is great, too!
Amos - their is a school in our county that the whole school is using it and I went there to vist and I really liked what I saw
Sue - Good luck. I know that you'll love it.
bobbie - Many of our teachers are going for training during the winter months. I am looking forward to seeing it work throughout our primary grades.
Amos - in my centers my students do the making words with letter titles with my assistant
Amos - and I have seen their spelling scores sky rocket
Sue - isn't it amazing - I love it.
Amos - I do have one more question
bobbie - How much total time is spent doing 4 blocks?
Amos - do you mainly do chunks for spelling words in your 1st grade class?
PJ - Maybe in heritage, but just plain southern, really.
Sue - 2 hours minimum but it doesn't have to be in one "chunk" of time
Sue - Amos, what is your question?
PJ - Amos, do you mean chunking the words?
Amos - for your spelling words do you use a lot of chunks ex. hop, top, stop...
bobbie - I'm a Title I Reading teacher-is there a chat night for us?
Sue - I don't do "spelling words". I just use the word wall words. However, we do lots of activities with word patterns (hop, top, etc)
Amos - so you expect for your children to spell high frequency words?
PJ - Because of our curriculum, I have a word wall for high frequency words, but we also have spelling words which emphasizes blends and digraphs.
PJ - It takes a lot of time to do both. Of course, with the word wall you can use lots of word patterns.
Amos - me also PJ my kids are tested weekly on the highy frequency words but I don't expect for them to spell them just beable to read them
Britt - We do a mix of high freq words and chunks.
Sue - I expect them to use the word wall and spell those words correctly. The words are in plain view but a lot of kids say - "I can spell that word with out looking" they really learn the words because you do them all of the time - not just for one week.
PJ - Since they are on the word wall, I encourage them to spell those words correctly in their journals. It doesn't always happen, but at least I feel free to point them out since they are there for the viewing.
PJ - My children really enjoy chanting the word wall words.
Amos - ok I do the same thing the are up on the word wall after we have studied them all week and they are to spell them right in their journals or I count off
Sue - Have you made up any cute chants, PJ?
Britt - Amos, when you test children on the high freq words, do you do it one on one, how do you test?
Amos - yes one on one
PJ - We chant the spelling of the words, of course. The children love to chant like a teacher: hands on hips for consonants, wagging finger for the vowels.
Amos - that is cute PJ
bobbie - That's cute
PJ - Thanks.
Britt - WOW! How many children do you have? What are the other children doing at that time?
Sue - Hey that's a good one! I'll have to tell my kids about it. They love imitating me.
Amos - I do this on Fridays at my center which is guided reading
Britt - PJ, thats cute! I can see my class loving that.
PJ - Sometimes they ask to re-chant, still like a teacher, but with arms crossed for the consonants--another teacher stance. At least they are enjoying the repetition.
Britt - Amos, do they all go to the guided reading centers, I'm confused.
Amos - yea there are 4 stations set up in my room for centers (guided reading, my assistant's table, indepent centers, and seat work) the centers last for 15mins. and every child goes to every center every day
PJ - What are your centers, Amos? I'm always looking for fresh ideas.
PJ - Your independent centers, I mean.
Amos - oh ok this is a little hard to tell over the computer but I will give it my best shot
PJ - I understand.
Britt - OK, I get it now. I'm struggling, because I do not have an aide and every time I start to read one on one with a student, I have a student who has a question, problems, etc at another center. I've even asked for parents to come and help, but no luck. (23 kids)
Amos - k their are 8 indepent stations set up for independent centers. I only have to change these centers ever other week
PJ - And they are . . .
Amos - things like reader rabbit on the computer, geo sarfi, math sarfi, indepent reading, listening comprehesion(which I have tapes of), listenting center (book on a tape)
PJ - Britt, I've read the idea of not letting them interrupt except for B emergencies--blood, bathroom, or . . .I forgot the other. Sorry.
Amos - an art activity for what ever holiday is coming up, and math blaster on the computer
PJ - Okay, Amos. That sounds easy enough--except for management, as Britt is saying. What do you do to keep from being interrupted?
Britt - So all the children do not have 4 centers every day, some are doing seat work.
Amos - do I have you way confused PJ
PJ - You are doing fine, Amos. I think I follow you.
Amos - I really don't have a problem with that because I set the rules in the begining
Britt - We have the 3 D's Dangerous, Distructive, or Disturbing, but when a 6 year old has a question, you know how that goes.
Amos - their seat wrok is usually very easy like a spelling crossword puzzle, puting spelling words in sentences, or a phonics page
PJ - By my clock, we are about out of time. Right?
Britt - I have several special needs students too. I think I could do what you are saying, with help.
Amos - ow that when ever they are at seatwork or indepent centers they are allowed to go to the bathroom but they are not allowed to intterupt me
Amos - man I can not spell tonight
PJ - This was fun. Thanks for chatting with me. I think I'll come back if I can find the time on school nights. Bye, y'all.
Amos - Merry Christmas
Britt - Yup, Its time for ER. Thanks guys! Happy Holidays!
Amos - bye
