(Insert theme from Jaws) It's coming.... charge up your laptops... plug in your apple spice Febreeze air freshener... and hang up your students' best work. Conferences are almost upon us!
As our kindergarten team met last week we talked about how confusing our new report cards, er, progress reports can be for parents. Take the category of "phonemic awareness" for example. There is no explanation. It simply says, "phonemic awareness." What does that mean?? How can we show them in uncomplicated terms what it is? What do parents really want to know about their kiddos?
We figured they want to know the basics. Letters, sounds, high frequency words, counting, identifying numbers, and reading ability. So let's give it to them straight.
I created a document to fill out for each child based on the assessments I'm completing over the next couple of weeks. It will be send home prior to conferences as a quick snapshot for parents to see regarding their child's basic kindergarten abilities. Yes, there are much more complicated things we're working on that will be on the report card such as "text to self connections, editing writing, revising writing, data collection, and fiction/nonfiction knowledge," but these are the basic building blocks that support the rest of these more challenging skills. Feel free to use it or tweak it to meet your school's needs.
Click here to download the Kindergarten Skills assessment. (It didn't upload exactly as I had it done in Word, but you'll be able to rearrange things as needed.)
Happy conferences!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Pretty Cool Pumpkin Lessons!
October is one of my favorite times to teach kindergarten! Pumpkins, bats, leaves, oh my! Once you look past the crazy Halloween party, kids hopped up on candy, and the repeated question, "What is YOUR costume?" it's actually a lot of fun!
Here's a little peek at some of the things we've been doing throughout our tree unit in September and then our pumpkin unit in October. Hopefully you can take away something to try out in your classroom this fall or... let's face it... next fall. Happy haunting!
Here's a little peek at some of the things we've been doing throughout our tree unit in September and then our pumpkin unit in October. Hopefully you can take away something to try out in your classroom this fall or... let's face it... next fall. Happy haunting!
These are our torn paper trees. We learned about how trees in our area change with each season. Students worked in groups of 3 and tore pieces of construction paper to create a tree for the season of their choice. Here is a spring tree. Below is a photo of some trees through the seasons spring, summer, fall, and winter.
I asked parents to bring in pumpkins for our class to use for our science unit. We spend time measuring the pumpkins during math as we learn how to use a measuring tape. They recorded their measurement and taped it to their pumpkin.
We practiced estimation by guessing how many pumpkins tall we were. The kids wrote down their estimation on a recording sheet and recorded their actual answer once they measured themselves. So much fun!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
It's Fun to Skype at School!
I've wanted to take my students to a desert region for some time now. We live in the midwest, so plane tickets and hotel accommodations are a little beyond our budget I was told. Hmmmm how was I going to teach students about trees that grow in different regions if we can't visit different regions? Skype! I posted a project on Skype for Educators website asking for classes to teach us about their trees. Within a few weeks I heard back from a teacher in Arizona and boom- we set up a video chat between my kindergarten kiddos and her fifth graders!
With a few weeks to prepare, my students created several projects showcasing their learning about trees and practiced presenting them. When we were ready, I set up a chat with the teacher from AZ the night before our classes would see each other to discuss the agenda. Turns out Skype was "no longer available" on my school computer and needed to be reinstalled by our IT guys ASAP. I sent in an IT request that night and called first thing the next morning. After some desperate pleading and a lot of praying, my Skype was up and running, ready for our first video chat! Yesss!
At 3:00 we were all set up, ready to meet our new friends from AZ. The kids waited on pins and needles as the video chat phone rang.... it was all so exciting! Finally, there they were. A fifth grade class from AZ perched atop desks, the floor, and some standing, just as excited to see us as we were to see them! My students proudly shared their tree projects in groups and asked some questions that were asked.
AZ student: Why do your leaves change colors?
Kinder kiddo: (With lopsided pigtails and glasses) Well, um, during the fall we have less sunlight than the summer. It gets dark earlier. So the sun goes away and there isn't as much chlorophyl for the leaves. The sun helps make chlorophyl. With less sun, there's less chlorophyl and the leaves lose their green color. Chlorophyl makes them green. So they get red and yellow and orange and brown and fall to the ground because the tree doesn't need the leaves anymore. (She pushed her glasses up off her nose, pushed back her curly little hairs that had drooped into her face during her explanation and stared at the screen of fifth graders. They just sat there, blinking, in awe of this 5-year-old and her thourough answer. I couldn't have been prouder!)
Then the fifth graders had their chance to share information about their trees in the desert. They held up tree samples from their backyards and taught my students (and me) about their very different trees. My kids were captivated. After some more question and answer sessions, we had reached the end of our chat. As we signed off, my kids began showing their new fifth grade friends a heart symbol using their hands (think Taylor Swift!) Mortified, I tried to get them to stop and wave goodbye instead. I looked up and the fifth graders began to do the same thing. That's when I stopped and realized, not only had the kids learned a lot about trees from another region, but also had developed a friendship with students in another state they may have never met without Skype.
As teachers, we emailed back and forth following the experience and vowed to keep in touch. The kids had formed a bond and we were certainly not going to break it! Once our first snow falls, we'll be contacting them to let them "join in on the fun!" They don't see much snow (if ever) and we certainly are more than willing to share ours with others. My kids cannot stop talking about how cool it was to Skype in the classroom and look forward to our next adventure with Skype next week when we'll be talking pumpkins with a group from Baltimore!
Don't ever think kindergarten is too young to give Skype a whirl! It was an educational and fun experience for both students and teachers involved! If you have hesitations or questions, I'd be happy to help you out!
With a few weeks to prepare, my students created several projects showcasing their learning about trees and practiced presenting them. When we were ready, I set up a chat with the teacher from AZ the night before our classes would see each other to discuss the agenda. Turns out Skype was "no longer available" on my school computer and needed to be reinstalled by our IT guys ASAP. I sent in an IT request that night and called first thing the next morning. After some desperate pleading and a lot of praying, my Skype was up and running, ready for our first video chat! Yesss!
At 3:00 we were all set up, ready to meet our new friends from AZ. The kids waited on pins and needles as the video chat phone rang.... it was all so exciting! Finally, there they were. A fifth grade class from AZ perched atop desks, the floor, and some standing, just as excited to see us as we were to see them! My students proudly shared their tree projects in groups and asked some questions that were asked.
Kinder kiddo: (With lopsided pigtails and glasses) Well, um, during the fall we have less sunlight than the summer. It gets dark earlier. So the sun goes away and there isn't as much chlorophyl for the leaves. The sun helps make chlorophyl. With less sun, there's less chlorophyl and the leaves lose their green color. Chlorophyl makes them green. So they get red and yellow and orange and brown and fall to the ground because the tree doesn't need the leaves anymore. (She pushed her glasses up off her nose, pushed back her curly little hairs that had drooped into her face during her explanation and stared at the screen of fifth graders. They just sat there, blinking, in awe of this 5-year-old and her thourough answer. I couldn't have been prouder!)
As teachers, we emailed back and forth following the experience and vowed to keep in touch. The kids had formed a bond and we were certainly not going to break it! Once our first snow falls, we'll be contacting them to let them "join in on the fun!" They don't see much snow (if ever) and we certainly are more than willing to share ours with others. My kids cannot stop talking about how cool it was to Skype in the classroom and look forward to our next adventure with Skype next week when we'll be talking pumpkins with a group from Baltimore!
Don't ever think kindergarten is too young to give Skype a whirl! It was an educational and fun experience for both students and teachers involved! If you have hesitations or questions, I'd be happy to help you out!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Tips for Words Their Way Please!
Words Their Way is a program we've been using in our school for the past few years. I've been implementing it in kindergarten for 2 years now and find it to be so great for their reading, writing, and spelling skills. Although hesitant at first because of all of the pieces, management, and front loading that is needed for it to be successful, I'm glad I stuck with it! I highly recommend you look into the program if you haven't already!
We're about 3 weeks into Words Their Way this year and I'm proud of the way my kindergarteners are working... for the most part. They are struggling to follow the work board and remember the tasks they need to do for each icon (ex: Blind sort, word hunt, and speed sort.) The last few years I only had kids sort and record their work every day. This year after introducing several other jobs, they seem overwhelmed and aren't getting the most from their time.
If you have any ideas to share on how your work board looks or how you tweak Words Their Way for kindergarten, I'd love to hear from you!
We're about 3 weeks into Words Their Way this year and I'm proud of the way my kindergarteners are working... for the most part. They are struggling to follow the work board and remember the tasks they need to do for each icon (ex: Blind sort, word hunt, and speed sort.) The last few years I only had kids sort and record their work every day. This year after introducing several other jobs, they seem overwhelmed and aren't getting the most from their time.
If you have any ideas to share on how your work board looks or how you tweak Words Their Way for kindergarten, I'd love to hear from you!
Friday, October 14, 2011
A Pest Problem....
It all started with, "There's a bug by me!" That was squealed by a curly blonde 5 year old from near the window during math time. I held up my hand to signal that I was working with someone and I'd help her out in a minute.
"OK, but.... it's a really big bug," she pleaded.
I calmly walked over expecting an ant or small spider and saw THE GODZILLA OF ALL CRICKETS! Or at least I think it was a cricket. One that ate all of the other crickets in our room... or building for that matter. I saw it, gasped, and took a few steps back.
OK. They didn't teach me this in college. How do I kill a bug that is big enough to fight back? I did what any sane teacher would do in this predicament.
"Does anyone in here like stepping on bugs?" I called.
"Um, actually, I love it." said a boy in class with a glimmer in his eye.
He proceeded to step on the cricket as a peanut butter like substance oozed from his insides (the cricket, not the boy.) There was now a crowd of about 6 kids around us watching as the bug fought for it's life. "The show is over everyone. Back to your math work please!" I called.
I grabbed about 7 tissues and bent down to pick it up. I hesitated when seeing the thick brown goo that the cricket was now smothered in. So, I again called for back up.
"Who wants to clean the bug up?" I offered.
"I'll help!" said my favorite red head.
He bent down, picked it up, tossed it in the garbage, and made me feel about 2 inches tall. He made it look so easy. Why couldn't I just do that? As he walked away he looked back and said in a tone that resembled that of my own dad, "You know, you don't have to be scared of a little bug."
And so it goes. Just another day in math class. Hopefully I'll be able to tackle the next bug attack on my own. Maybe...
"OK, but.... it's a really big bug," she pleaded.
I calmly walked over expecting an ant or small spider and saw THE GODZILLA OF ALL CRICKETS! Or at least I think it was a cricket. One that ate all of the other crickets in our room... or building for that matter. I saw it, gasped, and took a few steps back.
OK. They didn't teach me this in college. How do I kill a bug that is big enough to fight back? I did what any sane teacher would do in this predicament.
"Does anyone in here like stepping on bugs?" I called.
"Um, actually, I love it." said a boy in class with a glimmer in his eye.
He proceeded to step on the cricket as a peanut butter like substance oozed from his insides (the cricket, not the boy.) There was now a crowd of about 6 kids around us watching as the bug fought for it's life. "The show is over everyone. Back to your math work please!" I called.
I grabbed about 7 tissues and bent down to pick it up. I hesitated when seeing the thick brown goo that the cricket was now smothered in. So, I again called for back up.
"Who wants to clean the bug up?" I offered.
"I'll help!" said my favorite red head.
He bent down, picked it up, tossed it in the garbage, and made me feel about 2 inches tall. He made it look so easy. Why couldn't I just do that? As he walked away he looked back and said in a tone that resembled that of my own dad, "You know, you don't have to be scared of a little bug."
And so it goes. Just another day in math class. Hopefully I'll be able to tackle the next bug attack on my own. Maybe...
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
It Was a Strawberry Applesauce and Liquid Starch Kind of Day...
I could hardly contain myself! Only 30 minutes until I could introduce today's way cool science project to my 24 kindergarten kiddos! I ran through my materials and instructions as a mental checklist throughout the day. Yes. This was going to be great!
It was finally time. 3:00. I gathered my students to the bright red carpet in the middle of our classroom. One friend promptly told me, "Um, there's some strawberry applesauce on the floor where I'm supposed to sit." I calmly told him to not sit there and find somewhere else. Now, onto my amazing project that I knew they would just love!
I flipped through a book I had gotten from our school library on different types of leaves. Kids "ooed" and "ahhed" over the actual photos of leaves. I dramatically pulled out the laminated leaf outlines they would be using and colorful tissue paper they would stick to the outline. I poured the liquid starch into a bowl and modeled how to dip the paper into the bowl and lay it delicately onto the outline. The kids nearly jumped out of their skin, excited to try it themselves. The problem? I think I was a little too excited too.... because as I would soon learn, I hadn't given nearly enough directions.
As kids began working, I tiptoed over to my desk to get a camera. I wanted to snap photos of the kids working to put onto my parent website. By the time I got my camera and turned around to capture the beautiful learning moment that was happening in my classroom, I quickly realized there were many small "fires" to put out. One student had slopped about 40 pieces of tissue onto their outline, another had literally poured the liquid starch onto their bits of tissue paper, and another began screaming, "My hands are green!!!"
I set (or rather, threw) the camera back on my desk and promptly put the fires out one at a time. As I assisted students with clean up, I saw that half of their leaf outlines were not only smothered in liquid starch and 5 times too many pieces of tissue paper, but were also sitting in puddles of strawberry applesauce.
They packed up for the day, went out the door, and left me to scrub tables full of sticky goop. Oh well. That's what I get for being overexcited about a new project. Next year, we'll stick with leaf rubbings. I guess it was just a strawberry applesauce and liquid starch kind of day! That's what happens in kindergarten :)
It was finally time. 3:00. I gathered my students to the bright red carpet in the middle of our classroom. One friend promptly told me, "Um, there's some strawberry applesauce on the floor where I'm supposed to sit." I calmly told him to not sit there and find somewhere else. Now, onto my amazing project that I knew they would just love!
I flipped through a book I had gotten from our school library on different types of leaves. Kids "ooed" and "ahhed" over the actual photos of leaves. I dramatically pulled out the laminated leaf outlines they would be using and colorful tissue paper they would stick to the outline. I poured the liquid starch into a bowl and modeled how to dip the paper into the bowl and lay it delicately onto the outline. The kids nearly jumped out of their skin, excited to try it themselves. The problem? I think I was a little too excited too.... because as I would soon learn, I hadn't given nearly enough directions.
As kids began working, I tiptoed over to my desk to get a camera. I wanted to snap photos of the kids working to put onto my parent website. By the time I got my camera and turned around to capture the beautiful learning moment that was happening in my classroom, I quickly realized there were many small "fires" to put out. One student had slopped about 40 pieces of tissue onto their outline, another had literally poured the liquid starch onto their bits of tissue paper, and another began screaming, "My hands are green!!!"
I set (or rather, threw) the camera back on my desk and promptly put the fires out one at a time. As I assisted students with clean up, I saw that half of their leaf outlines were not only smothered in liquid starch and 5 times too many pieces of tissue paper, but were also sitting in puddles of strawberry applesauce.
They packed up for the day, went out the door, and left me to scrub tables full of sticky goop. Oh well. That's what I get for being overexcited about a new project. Next year, we'll stick with leaf rubbings. I guess it was just a strawberry applesauce and liquid starch kind of day! That's what happens in kindergarten :)
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