tee4we - Greetings!
thecyberbee - Hello
tee4we - How are you this Wed. evening?
thecyberbee - Fine thank you.
tee4we - I believe we are to talk about 4 blocks
tee4we - Are you ladies using 4 blocks in your classrooms?
Kathleen - Hi! It seems we have some people new to chat meetings here, so I stopped by to say "Welcome!" on behalf of Teachers.Net. Other chatters will log on soon. They sort of wander in ...
Kathleen - LOTS of good downloads and other stuff at Goodies: http://teachers.net/4blocks/goodies.html
thecyberbee - Thank you...Kathleen you really helped a lot earlier....I found a lot of great things and signed up for the mailring....
Kathleen - The mailring is a terrific resource. Look in the bottom section of the mailring messages when they arrive...important links there
Kathleen - I can't stay, but why not post here something about where you are in the 4 Blocks journey.
thecyberbee - how often are they sent out?
tee4we - Off topic, but want to ask: are any of you having trouble getting the mailring? Mine has stopped coming through
Kathleen - As often as a member posts a message. If you post a message, it goes out to the entire group.
Kathleen - tee4we, are you on aol?
tee4we - Yes
thecyberbee - ouch...lots of email!
Kathleen - aol people have a lot of trouble with over-filtering of mail. Many have subscribed to the mailring using a YAHOO or hotmail account, then they receive all their messages.
Kathleen - But it's very valuable email. Cheryl Sigmon and Dottie Hall sometimes post advice, too.
tee4we - Thanks. I will have to try that!
Kathleen - So, go ahead and chat about 4 Blocks. I have to move on...
tee4we - Who is using 4Blks?
tee4we - In your classroom?
thecyberbee - I'm just a beginner ...hoping to get ideas here.
thecyberbee - yes...doing a bit of working with words and word wall
tee4we - I am a , ahem, mature teacher...
thecyberbee - other teachers have been doing if for a while ...I am new to the school and blocks
tee4we - have been teaching off and on since 1965
thecyberbee - I taught Title One for 15 years....first before this year becoming a 3rd grade classroom teacher...
thecyberbee - does that make me, ahem, mature too?
tee4we - I find I do much of the same thing as is done with 4 BLks, only don't call it that...
thecyberbee - whoa....I was born in 63...sorry tee
tee4we - Of course!
tee4we - Now you see why the "ahem",
thecyberbee - so, oh,, great words of wisdom from tee....?
thecyberbee - really!
paw - fourblocks chat
tee4we - Well.....
thecyberbee - I'm listening....
thecyberbee - (waiting for great advise and all the answers to solve life's problems...from tee.....
tee4we - Howdy Paw
thecyberbee - (about 4 block of course!)
tee4we - Are you sure you're ready?
thecyberbee - hi paw, bet, rei
paw - hello
thecyberbee - bring it on!!!
mrs.d - We are just starting the four blocks program at my school next year. Any information would be wonderful. Please let me know the pros and cons of the program
tee4we - My understanding of 4Blks is Guided Reading, Shared Reading...
thecyberbee - (it might go right over my head...but the more times I hear things the better.
thecyberbee - I am finding it is hard to fit everything in the schedule....
paw - I read Guided Reading first to get started and then ended up buying all the books. That got me started.
REI - thecyberbee~ how long have you been using the framework?
tee4we - Somewhat intimidating,using those titles I think...
thecyberbee - Sylvia Ford comes to my town to work with our district...She said it takes at least 3 years to work it all in...but start with one or two things and gradually add ideas.
paw - If you only concentrate on the Four Blocks and not add in the English and Reading Groups you will do fine with scheduling
mrs.d - What reading program do you use that incorporates the four blocks? We are thinking about Pegasus
thecyberbee - this is my first year.....
thecyberbee - hbj
tee4we - We all do Guided Reading when we conduct reading groups.
paw - I use lots of novel sets and various series to expose children to a variety of literature.
mrs.d - Are the students doing better using the four blocks?
paw - We are doing an author study right now with Judy Blume books because she has written books on different levels.
REI - This is my 6th year teaching 4 Blocks.
brax - This is my second year to teach the blocks- I suggest trying one thing at a time
paw - The children love it and beg to read the next book.
tee4we - We use the Macmillan-McGraw Hill series. Don't do 4Blks as a grade level or school mandate
paw - This is my second year on Four Blocks too. You are right to go slowly with implementation.
tee4we - What grade levels do you guys teach?
tee4we - I teach second grade
paw - We have the McGraw Hill Series also. We were not satisfied with the company due to not receiving all the materials.
brax - I teach 3rd
mrs.d - I teach fourth grade
paw - I teach Third Grade
thecyberbee - This year is a bear for me...a new classroom, school, all new books to master, new reading series, and Four Blocks on to p of that.....
thecyberbee - 3rd
tee4we - I am doing 4B on my own, no one to collaborate with
REI - 2nd
brax - Remember to use your teachers manual as a guide!!!
tee4we - Principal encourages, but no one wants to venture out
mrs.d - I just don't know where you get the time to do all of it. We are departmentalized in 4th grade and have about 45 min. daily for reading
paw - I have had a hard year also trying to find enough novel sets and I use Reading A-Z and our school has limited our copies.
thecyberbee - group work is B-I-G...collaborative learning....
thecyberbee - I love reading a -z ...wish I could get copies...
tee4we - One idea. 5 Days a week--do one of each block each day, then assessment on Fri.
paw - Our principal is sending all the Third Grade Teachers to Dottie Halls Seminar in Atlanta on January 23rd. He likes what he has seen from us.
REI - Mrs. D...Fourth Grade is a "flex" grade. A lot of 4th grade classrooms use Big Blocks...the timing/structure is different.
thecyberbee - I also like units from schoolexpress.com ...if you sign up for newsletter you get a free unit every other week......(off topic)
tee4we - Do you find 4B works better with grades 3,4,5?
paw - Have you tried teaching is a work of heart internet site?
thecyberbee - ???
mrs.d - What is the best resource book to learn more about 4 blocks or big blocks?
paw - I have used Four Blocks with 1st grade and it is easier with third grade but first can handle it fine.
brax - Get the teachers guide to four blocks
thecyberbee - I bought the month by month phonics book to help get started....everyone needs their own copy of that.....
REI - 4 Blocks works great in the upper grades.
paw - I like "Classrooms that Work" also to explain the Four Blocks.
brax - I use the month by month in conjuction with our basal
tee4we - How do you juggle the basal AND 4B?
thecyberbee - Today Sylvia Ford suggested using science and social studies books to teach reading concepts....use rivet technique...to introduce vocab.
paw - I love the rivet with any non-fiction book.
brax - I use what they suggest for comprehension skills during gr, I use the grammar during the writing block, spelling during the working with words,
thecyberbee - Looks fun...want to use it more...just a matter of typing up sheets to use with kids...anyone know of any sites with materials already made?
brax - You can also use your science and ss text for the activity call "guess the covered word"
tee4we - Understood, brax
thecyberbee - do you use spelling words or word wall words as your spelling list....we have a separate list in addition to word wall words
REI - thecyberbee~I just put Rivet on my white board and do the activity as a class.
brax - I use word wall words and some words from the basal with distinct patterns
tee4we - I use suggested spelling words from basal (12) and then select 8 more from basic sight word list
thecyberbee - good idea rei....Sylvia suggested using an overhead and having matching papers for the kids to fill out...but that would work better for me for now...until I can type things up to go with books
REI - We have gone to strictly using High Frequency Words for spelling.
tee4we - I use a whiteboard, large, and students use individual ones at their seats
brax - The idea behind working with words is to teach the students patterns in words, and that way we teach how to spell
thecyberbee - hey everyone, do you let kids look at word wall for spelling tests??? four block books say it is ok for them to look...but I think....what kind of test is that?!!!!( if they can look)....your thoughts???
REI - thecyberbee~My kiddos use a blank piece of notebook paper. I write the lines on the white board and they just copy the same lines.
brax - I take down the five words they are being tested on, but i do not cover the whole wall
tee4we - Ditto
mrs.d - What exactly is the rivet technique
thecyberbee - Rivet is where you introduce an article ahead of time....
thecyberbee - You give them blanks...and tell them how many letters
thecyberbee - they guess one letter at a time until they can tell the word...if class guesses it first...they get a point...if they
thecyberbee - n 't figure it out....teacher gets a point
thecyberbee - at the end of each solved word....student uses in a sentence
thecyberbee - then ask kids to tell what article will be about by using words .....
thecyberbee - then read article....
REI - My Word Wall Assessment is a bit different. I say one of the word wall words we have practiced for the week and they must write a sentence using that word. By them writing their own sentences I'm able to assess each student at their "level". Also gives me an extra "English" grade (sentence mechanics) each week.
thecyberbee - good idea rei
abc4me - Hi! First time here. I need info for 3rd and 4th grade for presentation. Can you help?
mrs.d - For the writing block, does anyone follow the writers workshop
thecyberbee - thanks for your thoughts...gotta go...thanks all
abc4me - I do not follow the workshop. Any ideas?
REI - I tell them before we ever begin how many sentences have to end with a period, ect... It is up to them to write the appropriate sentence using the word wall word.
REI - abc~Are you presenting 4 Blocks? How much time???
mcf - Rei, what grade do you teach?
abc4me - I'm presenting 4Blocks and I teach first.
abc4me - I have about one and one-half hours
brax - abc 4me go to readinglady.com-the is power point presentation there
REI - I teach 2nd. I conduct 4 Blocks workshops for school districts.
abc4me - Thanks! I've developed a presentation for first and second and presented at our District Teacher's Meeting. Now - more to do!
REI - So, you are just doing a brief overview then, abc?
abc4me - Yes! Our district is thinking of adopting 4Block K-4.
brax - i will also be doing a presentation in may, any ideas would be appreciated
REI - abc...how long have you taught 4 Blocks?
abc4me - This is my second full year.
mcf - I would do an overview of 4 Blocks. The teachers at my school don't know what 4 Blocks are but in some ways they are teaching parts of one or two of the blocks.
REI - When I do an overview, I usually explain each of the 4 Blocks and then pull an activity from each block to "hook" them with.
brax - gotta go- great ideas
mcf - Rei, that is a great idea!
abc4me - I think that is the same here. I will do an overview. I've already looked at readinglady
mcf - What do you do to get a student reading better?
abc4me - In first grade I keep them reading and working with word wall words.
mcf - Do you use leveled books in your classroom?
abc4me - I have tons of books. Some are leveled and some are not.
REI - mcf~during the SSR block. We always have on grade level material for 3 days and then 2 days of "fall back reading" (lower level) during the Guided Reading Block.
REI - http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks/
abc4me - 4Blocks has really organized the structure of my teaching
REI - I love 4 Blocks, too!
abc4me - I think so much of 4Blocks is good sensible teaching
mcf - Got to go! Bye!
abc4me - Michel - Are you familiar with Building Blocks for K
Michel - no
abc4me - I teach in MO
abc4me - My daughter teaches K and Bldg Blocks
TLL - Does anybody teach 6th or upper grades
Michel - we write. . . .writer's workshop, we read----whole group and sm group--guided reading
abc4me - I don't - sorry
Michel - we write. . . .writer's workshop, we read----whole group and sm group--guided reading
Michel - i don't either
TLL - Where in MO do you teach??
abc4me - Rolla, MO
Michel - REI. . . .what grade do you teach?
REI - I currently teach 2nd, but also work with school districts on implementing 4 Blocks, Building Blocks and Big Blocks.
REI - Sorry...I'm in the middle of packing up my last minute material together for a workshop tomorrow.
TLL - I was looking for info on 4blocks with upper levels
abc4me - Not me
abc4me - TLL -me too for 3rd and 4th
Michel - do you know about the program your daughter teaches---abc
REI - TLL~what can I tell you about Upper Grades (Big Blocks).
abc4me - only a little
TLL - We are currently using 4blocks, but I have found that some of the WW activities are not useful with 6th
Michel - what types of things do you do. . .in Working with Words?
REI - Which ones TLL?
TLL - Making words, word sorting, word wall words...
abc4me - We chant and work with words
TLL - Me, 4blocks 6th
REI - Oops...meant which WW activities do you find not useful in 6th?
TLL - the word chants don't go well with 6th
abc4me - I can imagine
Michel - give me an example of word chants
TLL - I have also found I need more time working with stuctural analysis, decoding.
REI - How much time are you spending on your Word Block?
abc4me - today we did the wall snapping vowels and clapping consonants
abc4me - I spend 30 minutes
REI - abc~in the younger grades that is typical.
TLL - I sometimes spend 30 min., but our guided reading takes longer.
abc4me - I spend more on GR also
TLL - I also make it a point to Keep SSR everyday, because this has worked for some previous non-readers.
REI - TLL~ are you following a 4 Blocks framework or the Upper Grades framework?
TLL - I can't seem to get the knack of guided reading with groups. I have 25 students, and sometimes this seems alot
TLL - yes, REI
abc4me - i wrote a grant for classroom books
Michel - I need to write a grant for a computer. . .i don't have any in my class
abc4me - We have 3 for AR
TLL - We are also required to teach the skills in our basal as we must administer skills test and report these grades, so I'm a little hemmed in by this
TLL - Yes, we are also required to use AR
REI - Going to call it a night...to difficult to try and pack materials and try to follow chat.
abc4me - TLL I use H-M and assess too
TLL - Accelerated Reader
abc4me - accelerated reader
Michel - 8 of my students get enrichment reading. . . which is on a 1st grade level
TLL - Sorry what's H-M
Shar - I see accelerated reader- we use that program at our site
abc4me - Houghton-Mifflin
abc4me - Good Night
TLL - I don't mind, I just can't fit all of it in. We also switch for content in the afternoon.
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