Month by Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten |
The Teacher's Guide to the Building Blocks |
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Kathleen - Welcome everyone! This is a meeting to discuss Building Blocks kindergarten literacy program
Doug - I hear Pat Cunningham will be publishing a new building blocks book in the near future. anyone else hear that?
Doug - pooped- have you started predictable charts?
Andie - Is this the Building Blocks Chat?
kc - I just bought the BB book. I am excited to use it in SEPT
Miss Mia - the BB book?
Andie - I am teaching reading in a group home and need some fun ways to teach children working at a kindergarten level....any suggestions?
kc - Miss M. building blocks for k
Debbie - This is suppose to be an informal chat---does anyone have any ideas about BB
Dori - Andie - Start with reading readiness and alphabet activities. Then go to emergent readers.
Doug - Is anyone trying some variations of the predictable charts described in the book?
Paulie - Oh I thought someone was gonna talk to us about building blocks. . . hmmmmmmm
Andie - I have two other books by Cunningham for the 1-6 but don't have the building block book. Can someone explain how it works?
Paulie - what is a predictable chart?
Debbie - does anyone know about BB?
Doug - paulie- Do you give Clay's Observation Survey in Kindergarten?
Dori - Has anyone read the month-by-Month reading and Writing for Kindergarten?
Amy k/va - I have read Month by Month
Andie - Dori- I have heard of it.
Doug - Paulie- it is a way to do shared reading and modeled writing. It is described in the October chapter of the building blocks book
Debbie - Dori--I read Sept and Oct. otherwise I'd be overwhelmed.
Melissa - I've only read September
Andie - Is Month by Month done by Cunningham?
Dori - Amy - I'm just going to start with that model this year. My district tends to really want to push the K's to be reading and writing by June.
Melissa - I plan on reading the rest on my vacation
Amy k/va - I was wondering if anyone else thought that journaling and letter recognition should happen a lot sooner?
kc - I've only read September and Oct.
Dori - Debbie - I was going to just read one month at a time so that I don't get overwhelmed. Is that working for you?
Paulie - We begin journals right away
Regina/k/ny - I tried month by month in Jan last year. I'd like some help with sept.
Terri - I have just finished a book that says journaling should start first day.
Andie - Can someone give an overview of Building Blocks???
Debbie - Dori, yes, just doing the kids names the way they described will be new for me
Dori - Andie - Yes, the Month-by-Month books are by Hall and Cunningham.
Doug - paulie- tell us about your journaling experiences in K?
Paulie - kids just draw a picture and scribble under it at first
kc - Andie, the book gives ideas for each month to help promote literacy. In Sept. the focus is on student's names
Debbie - Dori, -- I am going to ask the kids to bring in some environmental print and we will make a book--I think Cunningham describes that part in March.
Paulie - w and copy letters any letters
Paulie - then they copy things
Dori - I also start journals in September. It tends to be mostly pictures with my writing the kid's dictation.
kc - How do you introduce journaling?
Andie - I am working in a one on one situation would this book be worth looking into or is it primarily for whole class?
Kathleen - Month by Month for K gives good examples of how to implement a well-balanced literacy program in k to address: Desire to learn to read and write; Lang. concepts; print concepts; phonemic awareness; vocab.; letters and sounds
Paulie - then they sound out what letters they can
Amy k/va - I was wondering if anyone did building blocks before and followed the book, did you find it beneficial to go that slow?
newlywed - Me too Dori- I let the kids that are ready to phonetically sound out go for it
Paulie - wrote in yellow the words they say
kc - Kathleen, WOW, great explanation!
Dori - Andie - I think there are good ideas in the book that would work with only one student.
Kathleen - I have good news.... Building Blocks teacher/trainer Elaine Williams will be here for Tuesday's session (Aug. 17)
Doug - dori- I use Clay's sequence that is used in New Zealand- tracing, copying, and then writing. all three phases require rereading
Paulie - they trace the yellow words then do the sounding out next time around
Dori - I start the journals by modeling drawing and writing in front of the whole group.
Regina/k/ny - I didn't find BB to be very slow. the kids really caught on & loved it!
Kathleen - Month By Month Reading And Writing by Dorothy Hall and Pat Cunningham gives specific, step by step, month by month activities. Very comprehensive.
Dori - I am also going to use a word wall this year. I want to introduce one word each week. The children will be able to focus on that word in their writing.
Paulie - gee Doug that sounds kinda like what we do I did not know it had a formal name tho
Amy k/va - Good, Regina..I was just wondering. Usually I start them writing the first day.
Debbie - Regina--can you tell us a little about BB
Andie - Where can I get the book?
Amy k/va - I am also going to do a word wall.
Paulie - I model in morning writing
Dori - Doug - I have tried tracing and copying in the past. I tend to change my methods each year. Perhaps I will go back to that this year.
Paulie - I did names and environmental print word wall
Paulie - up when we were on certain themes like Winter
Kathleen - Paulie, didn't you find that the names activities were very effective?
Regina/k/ny - I started with predictable charts in Nov. It was very long to do in one sitting. I didn't pick it up again untill Jan. The kids were more ready then.
newlywed - I am doing my word wall on the chalk board and use magnetic tape so the kids can take them off
Andie - Amy- have you used word wall with K before? some of the research I have read advices against it.
Dori - Doug - have you ever tried writing a child's sentence on a small strip of paper, then cutting it up, separating each word. The child then builds his sentence back together in the correct order.
Paulie - names activities?
Amy k/va - Yes, I have always done it, it gives the students something to refer to when writing.
Kathleen - Andie, Pat Cunningham does not advocate for word walls in k, except names and later, environmental print
Andie - Dori- isn't that part of Reading Recovery?
Kathleen - Tessie, have you tried Building Blocks?
Terri - I also do a word wall. I start with names and add basic sight words later.
Dori - I use my word wall for words such at the, and, like, we.
Doug - Dori- yes. This is part of the sequence for predictable charts. I like to cut up the sentence as the kids read back the words to me
Paulie - kathleen explain your names comment please
Dori - Andie - yes it is. I had some classes with a Reading Recovery teacher.
Terri - My kids use the word wall when writing.
Doug - Dori- marie Clay has written extensively on using cut up sentences in her guidebook
Kathleen - Using the children's names to introduce the concept of word, using the chant, works very well
Paulie - Doug, what is the name of that book?
Kathleen - Tessie, Building Blocks is solid, developmentally appropriate, not gimmicky.
Doug - Paulie what book?
Paulie - I did that Kathleen first their names and later environmental print
Regina/k/ny - Last year I did a lesson on environmental print on the first day. Why does Cunningham suggest it so much later in the year?
Paulie - the Clay book Doug
Debbie - Regina--good question. Cunningham replied that she could not fit everything that she wanted into Sept so she spread it out.
Kathleen - Regina, Djinn wrote to Pat to ask why environmental print later. Pat's response was something to the effect that it doesn't have to come later, she just paced it in the guide. no need to wait
Paulie - I teach half day no time for word walls on first day of school
Regina/k/ny - That's great news! I can't figure out how to fit all in Sept. either!
Andie - Can I go to the four block website and get the info for these books?
newlywed - I taught my Pre K word families last year
Paulie - you have problems fitting in into a month - I have problems fitting things in half days
Melissa - my motto is I get to it when I get to it!!
Kathleen - Pat Cunningham will be here in Sept, we can ask her for more info then. Also, Elaine Williams will be consulting. She teaches K and is the Building Blocks specialist
Paulie - At end of year I did some word families with most of my class too
Kathleen - Amy, are you using Building Blocks?
Amy k/va - Kathleen, I am going to add some of the ideas from BB in my program this year, it's great!
newlywed - basically flash cards- put them on the word wall for them to write t journal time if they like
Dori - Kathleen - I want to start using the Building Blocks in Sept. I will probably be teaching a K/1 combo. Any suggesstions for implementing the program to appeal to both levels?
Paulie - I had a seperate little chart for word families
Doug - Dori- building blocks is a multi leveled approach. It would work well with your situation
Kathleen - Dori, Building Blocks guides you through multi-level instruction. I suppose you should be familiar with 4-Blocks too for the first graders, and meet with those kids for extended activities from 4-blocks
Paulie - So, those familiar with this book, explain how you will use it at beginning of school PLEASE
Kathleen - To order Month By Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten, just e-mail Lori at: appnacorns@aol.com
Amy k/va - I plan to do the name act, where you pick one out of a hat and talk about it.
Doug - Paulie- start with their names.
Kathleen - Paulie, you don't use the book with the kids, it is just a guide. You would start by introducing one child's name, separating the letters, chanting the letters to spell the name, re-building the name, putting it on the wall
Amy k/va - I also am going to do a predictable chart each week and have the students be the sentence and cut up the sentence, etc
Doug - Paulie, chant, cut up and cheer each name one day at a time
Regina/k/ny - I plan on beginning with name activities on the 2nd day. With 18 kids, that will take me through the beginning of Oct.
Paulie - I know u don't use the book with the kids what ideas will you use from book beginning of school?
Paulie - cheer?
LINDA/2/CA - Kathleen--yes, I am 2nd--but unfortunately I will havae several students who are non-readers in my class this year. I use word wall and Making Words--but have not gone this low with them. Will BB be appropriate for them?
Kathleen - The guide has a lot of good explanation about the why's as well as the how. It explains how to select a big book for shared reading, and what the goals are for shared reading
Amy k/va - cheer- echo the letters of the name
Kathleen - Lots of good information for explaining to parents and administrators the value of the practices
Dori - Kathleen - when do you think the kindergartners should begin writing in journals.
Doug - Regina- the name activity is a short 10 minute activity, reading aloud, shared and interactive reading and writing and journaling should also be in place (I think)
Regina/k/ny - Our reading series uses ABC Rhymes throughout the year. This year, I'm going to try to do this Big Book first.
Kathleen - Linda, do you think those kids do not have a good foundation (concept of word, concepts of print?)
Paulie - cheer letters not sounds?
Kathleen - Dori, I think they should start writing in journals immediately
Regina/k/ny - I do start journaling after the first week. Interactive writing & shared reading are a part of every single day.
Dori - Kathleen - how do you go about correcting spelling?
Paulie - u don't clap syllables?
Amy k/va - I thought it was cheering letters..???
Kathleen - Month by Month advises setting up a Writing Center right away.
LINDA/2/CA - I won't know until next week when I do some assessing--from what I can figure out, they have never been assessed for concepts of print--or anything else--I already have several PA assessments that I am going to use
Amy k/va - Yes, I believe you can clap syllables.
Regina/k/ny - What do you use to assess your kids?
LINDA/2/CA - I will have to provide any materials that I use--our district does not provide remedial materials except for RR--and these kids have not had RR
Kathleen - At k I wouldn't do much correcting of spelling early on especially.
Doug - Regina- i use the observation survey all year. In July I give letter id, Concepts about print, writing vocabulary and text reading by the end of the year I give all 6 tests
Kathleen - Linda, my guess is that you would want to be ready to implement the beginnings of 4-Blocks with those kids. Ihope they aren't so low that they need to begin at k level, but it's possible you will need to do a combination of both once you know their needs
Kathleen - Dori, do you belong to the Building Blocks mailring?
LINDA/2/CA - kathleen--would you believe that I am the only techer at my school who has even heard of 4 Blocks, much less tried to implement it???
Doug - Regina- i also use anecdotal records and running records. i try to do 1 running record a day per group
Kathleen - Linda, last June I was talking with a grade one teacher who is almost finished with her MS in Reading, and she never heard of 4-Blocks or Pat Cunningham
Regina/k/ny - Doug, how many in each group?
Kathleen - Doug, first graders or k?
Doug - Regina- i have 4 flexible groups a total of 20
Doug - Kathleen- k...i know but i use guided reading in addition
Amy k/va - Doug, what kind of group are they?
Amy k/va - Doug, I also do guided reading too.
Regina/k/ny - Doug, when do you start guided reading?
Doug - Amy- I group them to how they do on text reading, sometimes I group them by their concepts of print ...depends
Amy k/va - I group mine usually based on their interest of the books.
Doug - regina- after they can get along and work quietly and independently with literacy centers
Doug - amy- do you use leveled books or quality literature?
Regina/k/ny - What do you mean by Quality literature?
Rap3rd - Linda im in the same boat only one whos heard of 4 blocks in my district
Amy k/va - I use quality literature...anything I can get multilple copies of!
Doug - regina- i wouldn't call mr. Grump a Calldecott classic
Regina/k/ny - Okay!! I just thought I'd missed something!
Amy k/va - Doug, what kind of books do you use?
Doug - Pm readers, kaeden, Wright Group are some popular publishers I use...I forget to mention that I am a RR teacher in the AM
Doug - amy_ the few times I try to do author studies or topical studies it just does not work. It worked ok in 1st
Paulie - I did not say I did not want to see it - just said it was impossible today to do so. . .
Kathleen - Doug and Amy, do some of your k kids come in already reading?
Amy k/va - No not usually, over the years one or two have.
Kathleen - Doug and Amy, so how soon are you doing guided reading with your k kids?
Doug - kathleen- you bet
Paulie - none of mine came in reading this year (last year) but several had beautiful handwriting
Norma - Kathleen, thanks, I started using Building Blocks last year and love it. I really felt good about this program and my children learned alot.
Doug - Kathleen- i can teach social skills usualy within a month...it depends on the group. One year I taught my kids with leveled books with one to one conferences
LINDA/2/CA - kathleen--we give a screening to incoming K students--it is so discourageing--of 214 kids we screened for this year--only 17 are ready for school, another 105 are borderline--and the rest are NOT ready--but will be coming anyway
Amy k/va - Kathleen, I usually start after we have done many songs and poems on charts and have learned some sight words. Also we have worked with many pattern and predictable books. I usually begin in October with books we have read a lot in class such as Brown Bear, Mary Wore Her Red Dress, etc.
Kathleen - Norma, that's wonderful. And BB is easy to implement
Doug - kathleen- 2 kids could point to and read "no, no, no " on where's Spot (level B)
Paulie - I find that parents don't "have time or take time" to give their kids life skills like I did my kids
Kathleen - LInda, I believe that all kids are "ready", we just have to be certain to provide what they are ready for :-)
Norma - Very easy in implement. Plus, it is very easy to do different things with.
LINDA/2/CA - Most of them speak very limited, if any, English
Kathleen - Yes, our student populations can be very different in terms of what kind of foundation they have
LINDA/2/CA - And yes--the screening is done in Spanish--they just don't have the skills
Kathleen - Linda, then the sooner they come to school, the better. The needier they are, the sooner they need to be in the enriching environment of a good classroom
Doug - Kathleen- my big thing is to jump onto text memory and quickly throw in 1:1 correspondence. If they get 1:1 and directionality and can locate known words, reading comes so naturally
Paulie - The kids are plunked down in front of free babysitter called TV and never learn about oral language
Kathleen - Doug, IF they have phonemic awareness too, right?
Kathleen - Doug, I agree, most kids do learn easily if they have those basics
Paulie - OK so what else is good to do with this the first month of school?
Kathleen - Paulie, using nursery rhymes, filling in the missing word (oral cloze)
Doug - Kathleen- yes. by the way, there is a jharvard researcher that is seriously questioning this phonemic awareness. Don't worry though i am still a team player LOL
Norma - Paulie, I usually start with a chart using their names and make into a class book.
Paulie - I guess we should read the book for September huh?
Paulie - class book?
Kathleen - read the rhymes, kids recite them, chant, clap to them, pantomime the rhymes.
Paulie - I love phoenemic awareness
Norma - Yes, after different activities with the chart, we cut the sentence strip apart, children put it together again and we make a class book.
Paulie - I do a lot of rhymes with my class
Kathleen - I don't think we can deny that sounds awareness is key, but for most kids that develops easily. For a few, direct teaching, even remediating is necessary. Problem is, we don't always know which kids need the extra help
Paulie - How do u make the class book?
Doug - Norma- predictable charts- how many times do they remake their sentence before you give them glue?
Kathleen - Rhymes, Dr. Seuss, charts, sentence stips, all good tools for beginning
Kathleen - Paulie, the book would be a worthwhile investment for you, really it would
Paulie - I did not know predictable sentences but saw some teacher doing that last year
Paulie - I have the book already not read it lately
Norma - I start the beginning of the year using large construction paper. The children glue their sentence on the paper and illustrate. I then staple the book together with some type of cover that I have made or the children help to make. We made tons of books last year and the children read them over and over.
Paulie - large meaning size of sentence strip?
Paulie - my book
Doug - Norma- I just asked because with short i like sentences, memory may come into play.
Norma - Doug, we make the chart together on Monday and Tuesday. I do different activities whole group and small groups on Wednesday. Thursday, I choose around five sentence strips and we cut and add to my sentence strip chart. On Friday we make and illustrate our book.
Paulie - What is their sentence about? anything they want to say?
Kathleen - Paulie, the Month By Month book gives very specific examples
Norma - Paulie, yes, I use sentence strip size. Sometimes their sentence is longer and so their sentence may take two lines. For example, at the beginning of the year, our chart is... My name is...
Doug - Norma- i try to make the sentence follow the shared reading big book. I tend to follow words rather than student interest.
Kathleen - The hour certainly flew by! Don't forget Tuesday night, 9 pmE, we will have Building Blocks expert Elaine Williams here
Paulie - I want to find enthusiasm for reading this book and using it not just to be told to go read it on my own. . .
vicki - Where can I find the Month by month book. I checked Amazon, and they don't seem to have it. I checked with the teacher store.. No luck. School starts next week, and I would like to have this book
Kathleen - vicki e-mail: appnacorns@aol.com They have it
Norma - Doug, that sounds like a good idea too.
Paulie - I read it when I first bought it I just did not know how to implement it without support
Kathleen - Paulie, we are enthusiastic :-) can't you tell? ;-)
Norma - I do too, Doug
Doug - Norma- for example in toy Box (1), it uses A as an anchor word. A doll, a boat, etc. then we dictate what would be in their toy box but they still reinforce the word I am following (A)
Norma - Paulie, don't be afraid to implement it. You can't go wrong. You will love it once you begin.
Paulie - no Kathleen . . . u told me the book has specific examples made me feel like I should go reread the book and not be here
Norma - Doug, thanks, I like that idea too.
Kathleen - Paulie, I'm afraid you misunderstood what I meant.
Doug - Norma- do you have lots of level 1-3 books?
Norma - Paulie, I went to see Elaine Williams last year and then I wasn't afraid to begin. She is wonderful!
Kathleen - Doug, thank YOU and all! goodnight!
