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!

Five for Friday March 14

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

It felt like much longer than one week since I linked up. I think that's because we had summer and winter this week. It was sixty degrees and sunny on Tuesday, and then snow/ice/wind and MINUS 10 degree wind chill temperatures on Wednesday. 

I saw some geese flying back.  Poor, confused things.  Sticking with the theme of confusion, here are my very random five of the week.

This project always makes me happy for spring.  I love to have these Spring Smiles up for Open House and Grandparents' Day.  The children love to figure out this challenge.  It's amazing how easy it really is!  I don't have this year's smiles up yet...I just took the pictures.    These are from last year. I can still remember every one of them. :)

Here is another project that made me smile.  We planted our grass seed to make our Crazy Hair People.  I took everyone's picture up close and printed them 3X5.  I used two sided tape to stick the pictures on to the styrofoam cups.  Hopefully we will have some hair to style soon.  I have some little tiny rubber bands that the girls love to use to make pony tails.  The boys love to give themselves haircuts. 

This is a reading comprehension strategy that is really for older students, not kindergarten- but I just shared it at our RTI meeting and thought I would share it here, too, just in case anyone can use it. I used it with an eight year old last year who needed some extra help with comprehension.

My little eight year old was having a hard time understanding what she read and having a hard time actually finishing what she was supposed to read. (I am just using Fox on Wheels as an example text to demonstrate what I mean because I had it here. )

When I worked with my little girl, I had her use these little post-its at the bottom of each page.  She had to put a green post it with a  period on it at the bottom of the page if she understood the whole page.

 She had to put a yellow post-it with a question mark on it at the bottom if she had a question.  (She didn't have to write the question- because that would be too difficult for her, and take her away from my focus for her which was reading.) 

At night when she read on her own, she had to do this for each page so that we could discuss it and see what she came up with the next day. We reviewed what she had read, and then looked at the yellow post-it pages.  She reread to find what question she had about the page, and we talked about it together.  Putting a post-it on each page really helped her to focus on one page at a time because she had a job to do after reading each page.

She was a little sticker lover, so next, I added a hot pink "!" post-it, that she could put beside anything that she read that was exciting or that she wanted to share with me.

After a while, I had her use the post-its every two pages. 

This was a wonderful reminder for her that she had a job to do- which was to read and understand the text.  If she did not understand, her job was to ask questions, so she could understand.  This also helped her to think about the main idea of the story, because she had to really decide what each page was saying.

I had a lot of success with this strategy.  She slowed down her reading and really had much better discussions about what she read. 

This strategy reminded me of this:

And then this...

Wednesday we got out early because of ice- so we didn't have time for our math lesson in the afternoon.  Instead, I turned snack into our math lesson.  Poor kids- can't just eat a snack without learning...  Anywhooo- I told them they were going to have to take a math test. Frowns.  Sighs.  The test was a taste test to see which cookie was their favorite! Smiles. Relief.  My little snack girl brought cookie packages, so everyone got one of each kind of cookie. (She actually brought enough for each child to have an entire PACKET... but nobody needed six oreos at ten o'clock.)  After a thorough taste test, we made a graph of our favorite cookie.  Here is my REALLY UGLY functional graph.

I just taped the wrappers on top- no title or anything- so not an official graph, I know... It was very last minute, but we did so much math with these cookies, I was actually happy with math that day so I am overlooking the ugliness. Then, I wasn't going to even share the graph and pretend that I had made a perfect looking one, but this is the real deal, like "celebrities without make-up."

After we made our graph, we talked about more, less, most, least- and the dreaded "how many more?" question.  I called up different children to match up and compare two cookies to see which ones were left without a match. That was how many more.

We also did addition and subtraction questions with cookies.  We had just begun talking about greater than, less than, and equal to symbols, so we did some work with that concept, too. 

We are working on Opinion Writing this week.  I could have had them write about the favorite cookie they chose, and WHY, WHY, WHY it was their favorite cookie. We ran out of time, but there is always tomorrow!

I also had the children sort my bins of "things" from biggest to smallest, or smallest to biggest, with a partner during our center time.

  They had lots of fun sorting.  (The magnifying glass distracted them for a while because they had to study everything they found with it, but they managed to finish their task eventually, and find every tiny mark on each item using the magnifying glass in the meantime.)  First, we talked about (and I modeled) how to line up the objects by having them all rest on the same bottom line to get an accurate measurement.

 Ta-da!

Apparently,  the kids had a good time with our math for the day, because after lunch this was on my desk because I "made short days fun."   Yes- I gave it back... but I took a picture first. I am thinking this may have been a bribe to get me to use more cookies in math. 

We had so much fun this week talking about and drawing emotions.  The artist we studied this week was Rembrandt, because he drew so many different faces. Here is my "emotional post," which includes some great TPT freebies, from earlier if you missed it. 

 

Morning Glory Update!

Have a beautiful weekend!  Thank you for stopping by! 
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