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4 Blocks Chatboard

Needed Help!

by Crystal

Jun 28, 2008

Hi! This year I have taken on a new teaching position at a new school after teaching K for the last 7 years. I have been hired to teach a high 1st grade/high 2nd grade multi-age classroom. I was wondering if anyone out there has been in this classroom situation before and could give me some pointers on how to manage a schedule (what to teach at what time - -together or split group, etc.) I feel there are things I'm going to have to teach apart and things I can do whole group. If anyone could help, I'd appreciate it! Thanks! Needed help!

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JJ I taught a 2/3/4 class for the last few years. I found four blocks multi-level enough to do most of the things whole class. (especially SSR and writing.)

The hardest to differentiate and do for the class with mixed level is working with words and guided reading. I still do whole class guided reading. I do the three days on the higher grad...See MoreI taught a 2/3/4 class for the last few years. I found four blocks multi-level enough to do most of the things whole class. (especially SSR and writing.)

The hardest to differentiate and do for the class with mixed level is working with words and guided reading. I still do whole class guided reading. I do the three days on the higher grade level, and two days on the lower level. It still works pretty well. For example, I use Scholastic News at the higher level, but use guided reading books at the lower, either a whole class novel, a poem, etc. This seemed to work well for me. For working with words, making words is still pretty multi-level. I will meet with small groups and do the guided lesson, and then other kids would work on their own or with a partner, using a sorting sheet I made that kind of forces them to move beyond three letter words. I do end up making one of these sheets for each lesson, but it works well for me. (I KNOW this is NOT four blocks, but with a huge range, this is what I have found works best.) I do more centers than four blocks recommends, but this is what I have to do to make it work.

The one thing I found that did NOT work at all is the word wall. I had tried using the middle level, but even that was too easy or too hard for too much of the class. Instead, my kids have word rings and their own words based on their level and needs. They do different activities with a partner for 5-10 minutes a day while I walk around the room and help. I then pull one set of kids a day to do on the back type activities with their five words while the other kids begin something else. I have tried to do the www for 3 years and NOT been successful with the range in my class.

On 6/28/08, Crystal wrote: > Hi! This year I have taken on a new teaching position at > a new school after teaching > K for the last 7 years. I have been hired to teach a high > 1st grade/high 2nd grade > multi-age classroom. I was wondering if anyone out there > has been in this classroom > situation before and could give me some pointers on how to > manage a schedule (what > to teach at what time - -together or split group, etc.) I > feel there are things > I'm going to have to teach apart and things I can do whole > group. If anyone > could help, I'd appreciate it! Thanks! > Needed help!

Jun 30, 2008

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KathyB2ndIA For Word Wall and Making Words try the Systematic Sequential Phonics by Pat Cunningham. It is published by Carson Dellosa. You will need to add more transfer words, but that will give you a chance to tailor it to the class needs.

On 6/28/08, Crystal wrote: > Hi! This year I have taken on a new teaching position at > a new school afte...See More

Jul 6, 2008

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