Each day during "alphabet time" we give the children the exact same worksheets to do - it's just a different letter. For example: glue buttons on a bear for the letter 'B', next week glue dots on a dog for 'D' and so forth. It's the middle of April and we are still doing this stuff. The reasoning is that the students need routine . . . Anybody else teaching Building Blocks have this philosophy?
On 4/13/06, Southern Belle wrote: > Each day during "alphabet time" we give the children the > exact same worksheets to do - it's just a different > letter. For example: glue buttons on a bear for the > letter 'B', next week glue dots on a dog for 'D' and so > forth. It's the middle of April and we are still doing > this stuff. The reasoning is that the students need > routine . . . Anybody else teaching Building Blocks have > this philosophy?
- worksheets are NOT building blocks, so to label this "bored with building blocks" is not acceptable or adequate or accurate.
I would encourage you to get TRAINING by real trainers of building block people.
Let's begin with the fact that we need to assess our kids and determine where they are and where they need to be. Some children come to us needing those Teddy Bear pages and other don't. And I agree these sheets can be so boring! As with any program we as educators need to decide what we need to achieve this goal. Please don't throw out the baby with bath water. Building Blocks works...you only need to find what works best for you and your students. At our school we are allow to determine what to use to reach our goal of the children becoming good readers. Let's look at predictable charts...it is one of my favorites, because the children love it and they learn so much. You even get a class book each week to put into your class library. Monday- we create our chart on chart paper. I read it to the children and then as I track they read it back to me as a group. On Tuesday, I read each sentence to the class and again the children read it back to me, then the children volunteer to come up, track and read their own sentences. On Wednesday, the children all take turns coming to the chart to read their sentence from the chart, by now I have also typed each child's sentence on the computer (28 size font), I have them find their sentence...they take it back to their table, cut each word apart from the sentence, mix it up then unscramble the words to make their sentence. Once my para pro or myself have had the chance to approve their sentence they glue it onto a large piece of white construction paper in the correct order. I remind the children that all sentences begin with a capital letter and end with some form of punctuation. Once they have finished they illustrate their sentence. I collect all of the papers and the para pro puts it together into a book. For ex: the week we do I like... the title of the book is The I Like Book. On Thursday... I read the book to the class and the children take turns telling us about their illustrations. Friday is our Catsup and Relish day. So we do not do Building Blocks,etc. on Fridays. This means...if a child did not finish their work Mon.-Thurs. they have to catch up (Catsup) If they have finished everything they get to relish the day...doing centers, etc. of their choice. I also love read and write the room, and I could go on and on. If you are bored with Building Blocks ask your adminstrators to let to go to visit some schools that use it. You might get a breath of fresh air and really enjoy it.
On 4/15/06, lovin' it wrote: > I've been doing building blocks for five years and I've never > had that philosophy. I teach content units and integrate the > blocks into what I am teaching. They learn the letters > (without the letter of the week) through the morning message > work, interactive writing, etc. I don't really do any letter > activities unless it is a center activity involving beginning > sounds, etc. I feel the need to make every minute count, and > gluing buttons on a bear doesn't have a lot of meaning to the > children, in my opinion. We do a lot of work with letters in > names at the beginning of the year. The kids know their > letters by Christmas (they sure don't come in knowing > them!). I do the 5 day lesson cycle for shared reading and > try to do a predictable big book that ties in to the unit. > Our activities are about concepts of print, sequencing the > story or finding high frequency words etc. > > I am not doing the things now that I do at the beginning of > the year because they master those skills and we move on.
I love the American Girl Series, especially the Meet Addy Series. It is great to really explain slavery through a child's eyes.
On 3/08/07, Ann-M wrote: > On 4/28/06, Debbie wrote: >> I am looking for some great read aloud books for 2nd and >> 3rd grade aged children. I would love to hear from many >> of you. > > I love to read realistic fiction to my students. I see that it > helps them to see that their own lives are worth writing > about. My favorites: Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, > Hatchet, Where the Red Fern Grows and Love that Dog. Each of > these have provided powerful fuel for our writing.
On 4/27/07, A L wrote: > I love the American Girl Series, especially the Meet Addy > Series. It is great to really explain slavery through a > child's eyes. > > > On 3/08/07, Ann-M wrote: >> On 4/28/06, Debbie wrote: >>> I am looking for some great read aloud books for 2nd and >>> 3rd grade aged children. I would love to hear from many >>> of you. >> >> I love to read realistic fiction to my students. I see that > it >> helps them to see that their own lives are worth writing >> about. My favorites: Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, >> Hatchet, Where the Red Fern Grows and Love that Dog. Each of >> these have provided powerful fuel for our writing.
I loved the Ratatouille movie! and something along those lines is the Geronimo Stilton series - 32 wonderful books and an award- winning e-book too! Stilton is such a nervous, mild-mannered mouse kids can't help but be fascintated, and as the editor of The Rodent's Gazette, New Mouse City's daily paper, he's always traveling and taking his sister Thea and cousin Trap and nephew Ben on what turn out to be wild adventures. I love all the cheese images and mouse vocabulary which is so fun!
There is one in August in Clemmons, NC (the birthplace of Building Blocks). You can find out more at Pat and Dottie's Four Blocks website. It is part of the whole Four Blocks Conference. They have break out sessions for each grade level.
Thank you special teacher For helping me to know The things I need to learn To live my life and grow.
I feel good with you because Your teaching makes me see, If I work at it, I can do it. Thanks for showing me!
By Joanna Fuchs
On 5/24/06, Angie wrote: > Does anyone have a nice little poem that a child leaving > kindergarten could send to her teacher? I would appreciate > anyone's help.
As a Florida mentor, I help FL teachers with National Board information, discipline, centers ideas, integrated curriculum, incorporating food as a learning tool, parent communication, and other educational topics.
I have four years of experience as a mentor and know the impact a little assistance can make on a teacher. I hope you will keep my email addy handy for confidential, expeditious, and comprehensive assistance. Better yet, email me now.
Because I mentor for a National Board stipend from the state of Florida, I am required to secure each teacher's full name, school name, grade, and last four digits of the social security number (never the whole number, please). The state tracks the teachers I help, making sure they teach in Florida.
Have a great school year, and hopefully you will afford me the opportunity to assist you via email, by phone or in person.
Dusty NBCT Palm Beach County, FL 14 Years Teaching PreK-Adults
Dusty are you saying you will only help teachers in Florida who will give provide theire name, school and last 4 of Social Security?
On 7/02/06, Dusty wrote: > As a Florida mentor, I help FL teachers with National > Board information, discipline, centers ideas, integrated > curriculum, incorporating food as a learning tool, parent > communication, and other educational topics. > > I have four years of experience as a mentor and know the > impact a little assistance can make on a teacher. I hope > you will keep my email addy handy for confidential, > expeditious, and comprehensive assistance. Better yet, > email me now. > > Because I mentor for a National Board stipend from the > state of Florida, I am required to secure each teacher's > full name, school name, grade, and last four digits of the > social security number (never the whole number, please). > The state tracks the teachers I help, making sure they > teach in Florida. > > Have a great school year, and hopefully you will afford me > the opportunity to assist you via email, by phone or in > person. > > Dusty > NBCT > Palm Beach County, FL > 14 Years Teaching PreK-Adults
I will be teaching K this year for the first time. I have been in 3rd grade for 13 years so this is a big change. We have 1/2 day K. I need some help! How to satart my first day, week and how to set up my morning board. I am also looking for a gingerbread man border for a bulletin board. I've checked Carson-Dellosa and Teacher Created Resources, but no luck. Any suggestions helpful! Thank you in advance.
On 7/08/06, Carrie Jean wrote: > I will be teaching K this year for the first time. I have > been in 3rd grade for 13 years so this is a big change. We > have 1/2 day K. I need some help! How to satart my first > day, week and how to set up my morning board. I am also > looking for a gingerbread man border for a bulletin board. > I've checked Carson-Dellosa and Teacher Created Resources, > but no luck. Any suggestions helpful! Thank you in > advance YOU SHOULD DO IT IN A STORY WORLD THING
On 7/08/06, Carrie Jean wrote: > I will be teaching K this year for the first time. I have > been in 3rd grade for 13 years so this is a big change. We > have 1/2 day K. I need some help! How to satart my first > day, week and how to set up my morning board. I am also > looking for a gingerbread man border for a bulletin board. > I've checked Carson-Dellosa and Teacher Created Resources, > but no luck. Any suggestions helpful! Thank you in > advance.
On 4/13/06, Southern Belle wrote:
> Each day during "alphabet time" we give the children the
> exact same worksheets to do - it's just a different
> letter. For example: glue buttons on a bear for the
> letter 'B', next week glue dots on a dog for 'D' and so
> forth. It's the middle of Apr...See More