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TNTinTN - have followed your chats with great interest for the past year. Now will begin my training tomorrow!! How do you think a school schedule of 9 wks. in, 2 0ut will affect the students?
Doug - I am almost done roaming (I teach at a year round school)
Claire - TNT: It's never considered good to even take one day out, but what are you going to do? Be sure to send a lot of books home with the children when they have the weeks off
TNTinTN - Doug, you must be a real pro. Is the training year as bad as I've heard?
Doug - TNT- no I am still learning
Claire - I don't know where you all are in RR, but do you have any suggestions for new books out to use with kids beyond the usual?
TNTinTN - I've printed all your advice from prior sessions for future use and y'all are so knowledgable
Claire - TNT - The training year is really kind of rough, but it's so worth all the knowledge you'll accumulate
Doug - ok- here's a topic...but please change it if someone comes up with a better one...our new TL is advising 60 lessons...everyone else?
Claire - That's been the latest push... in and out in 12 weeks (about)...the good thing is it really emphasizes efficient teaching
msg - Does anyone have suggestions for different types of letter sorts?
TNTinTN - is there a lot of difference among teacher leaders and directives for action?
Claire - tnt - it depends how quick your TL catches Marie Clay's latest stuff, and how it is put to action
Doug - msg- letters in my name/not in my name
Doug - circles/sticks
Doug - underwater, tall and small
Doug - color
Doug - msg- I really like the ABC book...with the stickers, I think it really helps
TNTinTN - thanks, Doug, how about Roaming ideas?
Claire - Letter sorts can be so various: here's some groupings: (t,h,n,f,r) (o,c,g,a,e) (b,d,p,q,g) (y,v) (n,h,b,l) (w,v,x,k), etc.
Doug - TNT- I love sticker stories...follow what they know in writing vocabulary and use those words to make sentences with stickers
Claire - roaming ideas: take quick pictures with digital cam and make book "I can... or I am"
Doug - claire- b and d together?
Claire - use magazine cutouts or stickers with A _____, A _____ on the pages
msg - Make books about "Things I Like to do, eat, play...
Burky - digital cam, i'm in the dark ages here, no such monster in our school
msg - Make a b c books and alphabet books
Claire - Doug - it helps with discrimination, but I would do it at later parts of lessons
Doug - Do you have band aids(1)...trace their body and put band aids on parts of body....write sentences together...bandaids on my elbow etc.
Claire - Another book idea is to use a published book, cover words with white tape, and have child generate own story (roaming)
msg - I like that idea, Doug (band aids)
Claire - if no digital cam, how about a polaroid?
TNTinTN - how sterile or inviting should the classroom/workspace be?
msg - polaroid works great, I use one all the time
Claire - I think the usual thing is less distractions, but I wouldn't worry about that too much
msg - I get stickers from the R.R. site as well
Claire - (for your room stuff, that is)
Doug - tnt- use what you can...some teachers make the writing vocabulary sheet very accessible
didi(Aus) - Do you have a problem if the activities in roaming are too attractive when moving into lessons
Claire - didi...what do you mean?
didi(Aus) - What kind of stickers are you talking about, please?
msg - Ones that you can download and print onto sheets. I use them for Student made books
didi(Aus) - When you do a lot of painting etc then when lessons start they are cut out
didi(Aus) - msg where do you down load them from?
Claire - Well, it is kind of disappointing but the kids usually understand about that and I've never had much of a problem
TNTinTN - msg, do you prefer those to store bought ones?
TNTinTN - I've printed some from the California RR site - http://www.amihome.com/rrca/rrcalabels.htm
msg - ITN I like the fact that there is a word sheet, as well. Then you have a picture and the word for it
msg - when you're trying to stay within that 30 minute time limit !!!!
didi(Aus) - I managed to get one lesson today in the 30 mins its hard with children who have slow processing
TNTinTN - Hadn't thought of that..there's so much to learn isn't there? and I'm just beginning....appreciate all your help!
msg - didi yes it is
Claire - I think that is the hardest thing, didi
Didi(Aus) - Are you all on holidays?
Claire - I'm on summer vacation for a few more weeks, are you?
syt - We go back next week.
msg - I am on summer vacation until Sept. 1
Didi(Aus) - We are week two of second semester here in Australia
Claire - Didi- what kind of reading occurs for your rr students in the classroom?
Didi(Aus) - We have 6 weeks over Christmas at the end of our school year.
Claire - Is it all guided reading lessons?
Didi(Aus) - It depends 2 of our Yr 2 teachers are ex rr teachers and have excellent guided reading groups.
Claire - I see.
Claire - why are they ex rr teachers? just curious
Didi(Aus) - The other 2 classses are less structured One boy gets extra support in reading to a tutor because he is aboriginal
Claire - I've always wondered about how it works with students coming in on exactly their 5th birthday?
Didi(Aus) - Claire there has been a policy here of after 3 years having to go back into the classroom for a year or so
Claire - Didi - you mean that teachers do either exclusive rr or classroom? I do both here and it kills me
Didi(Aus) - Also we have 4 rr teachers trained on staff and the department in ther wisdom would only allow 2 to work as rr teachers this year
Claire - You would like to have all 4? Enough students for everyone?
Didi(Aus) - Last year I was 1/2 rr and 1/2 yr 2 and it was tough
Claire - How did you set up your day? What happened to your students
msg - That must be difficult, Claire I only do Reading Recovery in a.m. Literacy groups in p.m.
Didi(Aus) - TWe have about 100 Yr2 kids
Claire - Sorry for all my questions.
Claire - msg- it really is not a good set up because I don't think it makes for quality teaching anywhere
Didi(Aus) - Our kids all start on the 1st day of school in Jan In the year they turn 6
Claire - Oh, I had heard that they enter on their birthday?
Didi(Aus) - That's in New Zealand.
Didi(Aus) - I was sharing a yr2 class with another teacher She taught in the morning and I did the class in the afternoon
Claire - I see.
Didi(Aus) - This Year I have non contact time and the load is much lighter and far less stressful
Claire - Do you have access to M. Clay or B. Watson at all?
Didi(Aus) - No I haven't met them
Claire - I was able to hear B. Watson, and just love her. She looks like a female Mick Jaggar:)
msg - Yes, she does a little - Claire
Claire - I'll go too, good luck to you both and thanks for the chat
Didi(Aus) - See you later back to class too bye
