5 For Friday and...How to... Eat a Lollipop!

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey!

Wednesday we had a pajama day! My children chose this as their class prize for all being able to TIE SHOES!!! YES!  Everyone!

Pajama Partner Reading

Every year our PE teachers have a contest to see which class in K, 1, and 2 can tie shoes first.  The prize is an extra PE class full of fun and games.  This is always a great chance to really stress the importance of tying shoes to families.  I send home lots of pleading, begging  helpful notes to parents with tips and encouragement to practice and practice and practice, and be patient, patient, patient.  The children want to learn so badly, but it does take some real fine motor control and patience, because it is not easy to do!

Anyway, we won!  One of my sweeties is out for a while, and I don't want him to miss our celebration in PE, so we will wait for him to return for that. We had a pajama party to celebrate in the meantime, because the class was so proud and exited.

I take NO credit for this win.  I did get out my sparkly shoes and cardboard shoes during free choice and work some with the children, but here is my secret weapon...

(His little tongue sticking out just says it all...)

My wonderful mother comes to read with the children each day during our center time (and write, and work on numbers, and just love the kids and get LOTS of love back).  Her patience is never ending.  I am in awe.  She made tying shoes FUN- and then, the contest was no longer impossible in the kids' minds, but it just had to be won! So... we did.

                                                          
We started our 'How-to' books this week. I wrote a post HERE about all the different things I do to teach writing How-to books.

I always start by introducing our transition words.  Then, we order some sequencing cards and tell a story to go with them using the transition words.   This gets the children used to telling a "how to" story. (We use the Lucy Calkin's writing program, and she doesn't use these transition words, but I do because those are the words we use to retell stories, so it fits perfectly that they would use them in these books.)


I wanted to think of a fun way to introduce writing 'How-to' books that I could model and we all could do together.  Since it was a FUN day, I decided we should teach someone how to eat a lollipop.

I have a bag of small size Tootsie Pops, just in case an emergency fun idea like this 'pops' up.

We had to review all the steps of eating a lollipop, by... eating a lollipop.  We talked our way through each step.  I modeled writing the simple steps we talked about using the transition words, as some of the children modeled the actions:

FIRST, you pick your favorite color lollipop.

NEXT,  you take the wrapper off the lollipop.

THEN, you lick and lick the lollipop until it is gone.

LAST, you throw away the trash.



I used these pictures of the children with the following day's lesson, to review  the steps and have the children order them just like we did with the cards, before they continued writing  their books. It was a great reminder, and they loved it. 

You could also make a class "How-to" book with the photographs and writing, and laminate it.

I just drew some quick illustrations to go with our words as the children helped me decide what we would write for each step.  For this modeling, I didn't have the children come up to help write. Sometimes that gets too time consuming, and the children are quick to lose interest.  I have a very busy group, and I need to always assess carefully what my goal for the lesson is.  Today it was for them to talk through the story with me and understand how to tell and write it sequentially using the transition words.

I  took the opportunity to work on the 'ck' digraph a little and explain that we may use words like pick, lick, and stick in our writing! We could have said, 'Last you put the stick in the trash,' to use the word 'stick.'   I love to teach digraphs authentically when great opportunities arise.  The word 'trash' was perfect for the 'tr' blend and 'sh' digraph.

Then, with a little lift of sugar, the children headed to their seats to begin writing.  They did fabulous! I didn't leave our sample up, so they didn't copy my papers.  They were familiar with the ideas and were welcome to use them, but they had to plan what they were going to say and write it themselves.

Here are a couple samples:

 (the tongue licking it!!!)

It worked well to have everyone write about the same topic for our first how-to book.  They could help each other if they needed to, and were very familiar with the steps.

To go along with our 'All About Books' and 'How-To' books, I just posted my new packet of QR Codes for Nonfiction Books. You can get it HERE.  I needed some nonfiction stories for the children to listen to during center time.  They are a lot trickier to find than fiction books!

This QR Code packet has given me another way to immerse the children in nonfiction text.  It's been great for them to be able to hear some different nonfiction stories and see the features as they listen to these books on their iPads.  They are also reading nonfiction during private and partner reading time.

Here are the books included in the packet:

Here is a simple, quick little activity we did on the rug yesterday morning.  I made a crown for 'The King of ing.'  We have been finding 'ing' in so many of our words.  I had one child at a time come up and add 'ing' to a word on the poster, while they wore and were 'The King of ing.'  I have other posters to use different mornings, so everyone has a chance.  I like to divide these lessons into several smaller lessons to reinforce the skill. 



Here is another packet of MORE QR Codes to use for listening centers that I just finished a little while ago.  

My children LOVE to use QR codes. I use them all the time for a literacy center.  This packet features stories from eight authors because I also love to do mini author studies, so my children are really familiar with different authors and their styles.  Here are the stories included in the packet.

The children feel so smart and ARE so smart to know about these great authors. We often refer to different techniques that the different authors use as we write our own books.

So, since the children love the stories so much when we read them, I wanted them to be able to hear the stories over and over again- which gave me the idea to make Author Study QR Code Books.

I have scanned all of the videos through ViewPure to remove any advertisements or distractions. Please check the sample QR Codes to be sure ViewPure isn't blocked at your school.  If it is, many times the IT person at your school can easily unblock the site for you if you ask (or give them cookies or donuts...).  

I print the QR Codes out with the author cover page, and the children can choose an author packet to use for center time.

I have also included a biography page for each author in the packet.  We talk about the authors and learn about their lives, and then I send this page home with  each child so parents know who we are learning about in class.

 

My Author Prezi is also a huge part of our studies.  I have included a link to that in this packet as well.  As we study a particular author, I show the videos of that author throughout the week on the Smart TV.

It is so rewarding when the children hear a story and connect it to an author we have studied!  I am pretty sure I hear angels singing.  "That picture looks like an Eric Carle drew it!"  Or when the children write a story along the same lines as a particular author.  My children LOVE Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and  I get lots of variations of this book after we read it and they hear it a few times.  I get The Question Mark Book, The Period Book, and Quotation Mark books with lots of talking going on in the story and quotation marks everywhere!

The last section in this QR Code Packet is Favorite Familiar Stories.  I included lots of nursery rhymes and stories that SHOULD be familiar to children.  Unfortunately, these stories are not so familiar anymore.  Having the QR Center allows the children to listen to the stories many times and be able to retell them, since many don't have stories read to them over and over like children used to.

  

 

I also have these QR Codes with Writing Prompts. 

Sometimes I use the prompts as a quick little activity or assessment after a center- or as a whole group activity.  They also are fabulous activities to leave as sub plans!  This packet has the QR Codes for making into books, as well as the QR Code on the writing prompt so you can send the story right home with the children!  They LOVE that. 

Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful weekend!

QR Codes for Nonfiction Books

I just posted my new packet of QR Codes for Nonfiction Books. You can get it HERE at my TpT store.

Several people have asked if I had any QR codes for nonfiction, and ... NOW I do!

Here are the books included in the packet:

We use Lucy Calkins for our reading and writing programs.  Right now we are working on writing All About books and How To books.  We have also been reading lots of nonfiction books during private and partner reading, as well as for read alouds in class. The children really enjoy learning about real, true things in the books we're reading, and it's helping them become "experts" as they write their own books.

This QR Code packet will give me another way to immerse the children in nonfiction text, during their center time.  I hope you find it useful, too!

Thank you for stopping by!

Five for Friday September 25

Happy Fall here in the US and Canada! I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey! 

I wrote a post about using writing prompts and QR codes in my classroom! My students LOVE to listen to our stories- and I love the authentic writing and thinking that I get from using writing prompts with our read alouds.  So, I decided to combine these two loves, and make a packet of  Writing Prompts with QR Codes for 102 Stories.

I use these all the time! The best part is that I put the QR code right on the writing prompt paper, so when the children take their paper home, they can listen to the story again and again right from that paper. 

I sent a note home to parents explaining that they could download a free QR Code Reader ap on their phone or iPad at home.  It's so much fun- and a different way to let children hear stories!

I also put the QR codes together at the end of the packet.  For my class, I put together different QR codes to make listening center books.  They love them and want to listen during free choice time!

Here are my "Colors" theme listening center QR codes.

I also made a separate packet of only Writing Prompts- (180 prompts for 115 stories!) (But the QR codes go along with 102 of these stories, so if you already have the prompts, you can get the QR codes below to go with them.)

AND I have  a packet of only QR Codes for the 102 Stories   if you only want them for listening centers or for a Listening Around the Room activity.

I scanned each video through ViewPure to take out any ads or distractions.  Viewing the videos at home won't be a problem because nothing would be blocked, but if you are using these at school in a QR Listening Packet, check the sample to be sure you can scan and see ViewPure video.  If that site it blocked, often the IT person will unblock a site for you if you ask and explain what it is for. 

Here are some completed prompts- which I'm happy with so early in the year!

"It is raining."   (and "cat" at the bottom!)

"I am a bee."  (She said she couldn't spell "I" so she drew the eye - and I loved that for some reason!)

My class is so taken with this read-aloud  on the QR code!  

I made different types of prompts- some require more writing than others.  That way, you can use them throughout the year and with different ability levels. They work so well as kindergarteners are learning to write.   I love seeing some of the first graders complete the prompts, because they just are better able to write sentences and answer the questions with a little more detail.  

We use q-tips and paint for this one. The kids LOVE it!

Every year I take pictures of my students holding our sight words.  The kids seem to think the words matter a whole lot more when they see themselves or their friends holding them!  Here are a couple things I like to do with the words.

First,  I make them into a Sight Word Prezi that we read each day (a few times).  We see how quickly we can read through the words as time goes by.  

This Prezi is SO easy to make- and a great one to start with if you haven't made Prezis before.  I wrote a Prezi Tutorial Post that shares lots of good videos and explanations about Prezis.  

Basically, for this one, you save all of your student sight word pictures on your computer.  I usually resize the pictures and save them smaller, because sometimes regular size pictures are too large on Prezi.  I just open each picture on Paint, resize it to 20%, and save it.

I start with a blank canvas on Prezi. Click on and delete the title area and everything.], so it is really blank.   Then,  go to the top where it says, "Insert."  Choose "Image."  Then, on the top right, choose "Select file." You can then select and choose all of your sight word pictures from your pictures and enter them all at once. With the mouse, you can arrange them any way you want.  I like to put them in a heart shape.  You can leave them as random as you want!  You can make a path by choosing a frame (on the left side of the Prezi) and putting it around each picture.  I always use invisible frames. When you click on  frame, it adds it to the path.  At the top of the Prezi (near the left side), there is a little area that says, "Save." Click that and you are all set!  

Here are some other things I do with the pictures.

I took pictures of each student holding two different words, so I have two sets to use on their lockers. I put magnets on back of the pictures, and use these to help the kids remember which locker is their locker.  Other students can read the words as they go down the hall, too!  It's a great reinforcement.

I also make each student a special sight word book to take home.  I make a little checklist to go with it, and have the children read the book each night and check off the day on the checkist.  At the end of the week if they have read every day, they get a little prize.  (I have tons of little extra books- or even bookmarks, Smarties, eating in the classroom- anything makes a prize if you act like it's a prize!)  The children love their sight word books, because they can tell their families about their new friends, practice friends' names, and read words all at the same time!

 (He found himself on this page!)

Don't anybody tell Irene Fountas or Gay Sue Pinnell... but... I never really got the "letter language" we were supposed to use to teach letter formation.  I tried to explain my confusion, but we had adopted Fountas and Pinnell and it was sort of like the Letter Language Bible. Nobody seemed to admit that they didn't love the language, but people just didn't use it.   I am not a rebel- but here is exactly why it didn't make sense to me. 

For the letter "a," the  language is "Pull back around, up, and down."  BUT if you are right handed and start at the top to make the "a" you aren't pulling back at all- but pushing the pencil forward.  If you are lefty (like me!) , then you are "pulling back" with the pencil.   

Then, for letter "d," the language is... "Pull back around, up and down."   Same thing. Not even "up HIGHER"  or anything (which I always had to add, because, turns out,  I am a rebel.) 

Every year when we begin writing letters, my kids struggle with forming letters correctly, from the top. What works for me EVERY TIME- is to go back to what I used to use (in 1986...  were you even born?! ) Anyway-  here is the magic:

This picture is actually from an Inkastic Monogram Anchor T Shirt on Amazon, but I thought it was perfect as a reminder for my little tip!

Most children know how to form a "c."  They start right where they should start- at the top. And they go counterclockwise, like they should.  DONE.   Well,  that is my anchor letter for teaching SO many other letters.

I have the children make a "c", then keep the pencil right on the paper and go right on up, then straight down, for an "a."  They GET IT!!  For a "d," they start with that "c," go right on up even higher, and then straight down. 

"C" is a great start for:  a, d, g, o, and q. 

The trickiest part of writing letters is starting at the top and then going the correct direction- and my sweet friend the letter C takes care of that.  Thank you letter C.  I love you. 

Pamela Anderson and I  I posted HERE about how I am using ESGI to start the year. Pam just modeled for me...  

 ESGI is a wonderful online assessment program- but so much more.  It offers so many extras and such complete data.  Right now, I'm using it to do a preliminary assessment of my students in all areas, print out flashcards for letters they need to work on at school and at home, and to look at graphs of areas (letters/sounds) that need the most work. I'm also loving the name writing practice sheets and nameplates with letters and numbers.  

That darn "b"!!!

You can read about the many different tools that ESGI provides teachers with HERE- and you can also sign up to try it FREE for 60 days and see if you like it as much as I do! I  posted ALL about the benefits, bells and whistles,  and some examples of what ESGI offers HERE.  If you like using it and want to purchase the program, you can use my special PROMO CODE B1119 and receive $40 off your purchase for the first year. The price is usually $199 a year, but with the promo code, it will be $159 for the first year. Check with your administration because they may be able to purchase it for you. The efficiency of the screening and the wonderful data it provides is enough to sell it to any district.  They can use the code and get it for $159 for the first year, too.  It's a great time of the year to try it out. 

We love our ESGI!

My poor kids can't just eat a snack without me turning it into learning.  They are either counting pretzel sticks or making letters with them, sorting and patterning colored goldfish, or adding cookie crisp cereal... 

This week someone sent in apples and peanut butter- which was so great- except I had no knife, a bag of apples, and a jar of peanut butter.  I ended up giving each child an apple (which one boy asked if I could take the "wrapping" off of) on a plate with a plastic spoon full of peanut butter.  Ta da.  Not perfect, I know.  But the kids were clever.  Some kids took a bit of apple, and then spread on some peanut butter with the back of their spoon.  Others basically frosted the apple with peanut butter. Some just ate the apple, then ate the peanut butter off the spoon. Either way, it was fun and healthy. And that's what sinks are for after snack. 

My little snack person was out on Wednesday (SO many kids are out already with the stomach bug... ugh), and luckily I had two different kinds of Teddy Grahams just waiting to be eaten. It was a perfect day to sort and  practice patterns with the different Teddy Grahams.  We also had to count and put our Teddy Grahams into piles of ten. 

Then, we made our first graph.  I'm showing you the real, un-pretty, authentic graph we made on the fly- not a "ready for prime time" pretty graph I should have made if I new I would take a picture.  But honestly, these are more like our daily activities- #notperfect!    We compared who liked the Birthday Cake flavor or the Chocolate flavor better.  Each child practiced writing his/her name, and we counted up each side.  We even learned how to match up and then count the number that didn't have a match to show how many more!  It was a good way for them to start sharing the marker and writing on the chart paper. 

Finally, a great car dealership near me, Elm Chevrolet in Elmira, NY,  made this Trick or Treating Safety Tips poster that I said I would love to share on my blog.  I think it would be great for a little bit older kids who may go out by themselves! It's always good to have safety reminders this time of year.

Happy Fall! Happy Weekend!  Thank you for stopping by!