I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday. Thank you for hosting, Kacey!
Hi! I hope you all had a wonderful week. Quick question- Where is this "spring" I've heard about? Actually, this winter hasn't been as cold as some I remember, but I'm ready for it to be over. It doesn't look like that's happening, at least this week. We are actually already hoping for our last snow day on Tuesday if the forecast is right. That's a teacher's way of turning lemons into lemonade... Our saying should be "If winter gives you snow, turn it into a snow day." Anyway, this is my spring bulletin board for the hall., which I thought was timed better!
Our next writing unit is our Persuasive Writing. Jillian Jiggs is a great mentor text to use to introduce a ... messy room. The kids love to see that somebody else has a room that looks like it was lived in by pigs!
Here is the video if you aren't familiar with the story.
After we read the story, I like to have the children turn and talk to share why it is important to keep their bedroom clean (so toys don't break, so mom is happy, so you don't lose things, so you don't trip and fall on things) and then transition to why it is important to keep our classroom clean (pretty much the same reasons except you can just substitute in 'so the teacher is happy!'). After this discussion, I write a mentor text with the children to show how we can persuade (or convince or encourage) others to keep the classroom clean using important reasons. (I wasn't even going to share this mentor text I made with the class because of the 'illustrations' but then I thought you might get a kick out of those ridiculous lips and teeth in the last picture...)
My kids LOVE to use an ellipsis any chance they get. Probably because I do, too...
Writing this persuasive story together gives the children a good idea about how to write to convince someone to do something using reasons- very simply. This is a good introduction story. You can always add to and elaborate on the reasons as time goes by. You could add speech bubbles, extra tips, anything fun like that to give the kids other ideas.
You can have the children make a book after you model one, or they can make a poster for the classroom and write their favorite reason on the poster.
Jillian Jiggs is fun to use throughout the year in different ways. In the beginning of the year after we read, we draw and label a map of our own bedroom. First, I have the children write a sentence focusing on using neat printing, spaces, and hearing all the sounds. I model "My room is _________." "My" and "is" are sight words. We hear the "r" then the two "oo's" (like they've heard in BOO all last month!) and "m" at the end of the word. They can choose anything to write at the end- the color of their room, if it's clean or messy, big or small...
"My room is clean." (beginning of the year)
This time of the year, I have the children draw and label a map of their bedroom, and then write about their bedroom and why it is special to them:
Another fun thing we do for Persuasive and Opinion Writing is to learn how to spell 'because.' That's a big word, and the kids are so proud to know it! We sing a little song:
(BINGO tune)
I know a class who writes opinions,
'Because' tells the reasons-
B-E-C-A-U-S-E
B-E-C-A-U-S-E
B-E-C-A-U-S-E
'Because' tells the reasons.
It's silly- and simple. But it works. You just have to spell BECAUSE a little faster than BINGO to make it fit. I literally make every word fit the BINGO song because that's the tune I can remember.
Here is our vowel song just in case you don't believe me:
I know a class who knows some letters
Vowels are their name-O
A-E-I-O-U
A-E-I-O-U
A-E-I-O-U
and sometimes even Y, Y, Y.
In the beginning of the year if some children just can't remember how to spell their name, I can make almost every name fit that song, too.
I know a girl with long, brown hair,
And Mary is her name-O
M-A-R-Y
M-A-R-Y
M-A-R-Y
and Mary is her name-O!
I'm a one-trick pony.
This time of year the children are really starting to take off with reading. They're using their reading strategies and growing each day! I want to be sure they continue to grow as much as they can at home as well as at school. We don't send homework home with children (thank goodness), but we do send books home with them to practice reading at home. I wanted to send home some ideas to help parents while they read at home with their children. Reading at home with children is such a huge benefit and important part of a child's reading success, but sometimes we forget that parents don't always know what we're focusing on or looking for as they read with their child. I made this parent note to help with ideas. I labeled the praise points, "Wonderful," and the questions for parents to ask, "Wondering."
These ideas help parents remember to praise, praise, praise and encourage their child as they read together at home, as well as provide questions to help parents take their child deeper into the text and beyond the text.
I thought you might like to use it with your students' parents, too. Just click the picture below if you would like a copy! Enjoy!
Here are some good graphics you could share with families, as well, to show the benefits of reading with their child each night at home. This graphic is from Makayla Schenkelberg.
One of my former students, now in 4th grade, who I just love to pieces, stopped by my room like she does every morning. She dug through her bag because she had something for me, and pulled out this scratched plastic ornament. I told her how much I loved it, and gave her a hug. When I asked where she got it, and she just shrugged, I sort of knew right then and there it was probably a hot item she'd stolen from some other "World's Best Teacher." I know I should go right down to her teacher who is a friend of mine, and see if she may be missing an ornament- but for tonight, I'm just loving her sweet heart and hoping I'm wrong.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
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