If you teach K-2nd, you know that you have a certain amount of minutes dedicated to each subject. Yet the increasing rigor in the standards require kinder teachers to have their class reading by the end of the year. So, we find ways to incorporate ELA skills into content areas while still teaching content area standards. How can we do this successfully?
1. Find grade level text that talks about what you're teaching. Some good resources are reading a to z. While most of their readers don't directly meet the standards, I have had luck finding books there that can be used for certain lessons. This, this, and this science predictable readers meet the Texas kinder TEKS. They include a predictable reader and a video that reads the book aloud to be used for a shared reading. These will soon be a part of a bundle.
Whichever resource you choose, you can have it available after your unit is complete. It can be put in your science center, or in children's book boxes, depending on what their independent reading level is.
2. Follow a 5E lesson plan. (Engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate). If you follow this format for math and science, you will more than likely have to find text to go with the "explain" portion of your lesson. Sometimes you'll be able to fit it in to the "elaborate" portion as well! In the "explain" or"elaborate" portion of your lesson you can also incorporate a written response, which brings me to my next point...
3. Incorporate a written response or reflection at some point in your lesson. If you're doing a science experiment that day, you could have them write their prediction right before you've told them the experiment and they're excited about it. If you've just explored hands on materials for a lesson you're teaching, take the time to have them reflect. First they tell their impressions to a buddy (as a pre-writing activity). Then have them go to their seat and quietly reflect in their science notebook about their findings.
This blog post was written by Teacherof20, TpT seller, blogger, and SAHM to two great kids!
My vacation just started less
than 2 weeks ago, but I am already thinking about the
new year! Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward
to my months of relaxation, but I LOVE setting up my classroom and organizing
myself for the new school year (ask me again in October, though :D).
Every year, I think of things halfway through the year that I
wish I had thought of at the beginning of the year. I figured, what better time
than NOW to share ideas of things we want to implement this upcoming year?
So, if you share my enthusiasm for setting up
and organizing, here are a few ideas that may help. Please
share your own ideas; I love learning new ways to make my life easier or my
classroom more fun :).
CLASSROOM THEME: Pick a theme and brainstorm a list of
associated words/ideas. Then, think about your classroom-
reading and writing areas, word wall, poetry board, etc. See if you come up
with ideas of how to incorporate the theme into these areas. For example, for a
space theme, you may name your tables after planets, and your reading corner
could be called ‘The Reading Orbit,’ your word wall may be labeled ‘Word
Galaxy’ and your trash can could be the black hole :). I made a few themed lists and decided
to go with a farm theme because I had so many cute ideas for it! Here is a look
at one of my reading nooks- the garden of reading.
I wish I had more pics, but this year I will be amping
everything up with stuff from my farm décor pack! If you also want a farm
theme, click the picture to take a look- it’s on sale! The EDITABLE newsletter template is a freebie.
ANCHOR CHARTS- I love doing anchor charts with my kids,
but they are time-consuming to ‘cute-sify’
every year! So I laminate
charts with just a border, heading and anything else that doesn't need kid
input, then I fill in the meat of the charts with the students using dry-erase
markers- cute and kids still have ownership because of their participation!
STUDENT PORTFOLIO/MEMORY BOOK FILES- I also
keep a file folder for each student, with manila folders inside to separate
items, such as writing samples, assessments, etc. This year, I also used this
to store unit of study projects that they completed over the course of a few
weeks, such as our farm study. Having it kept neatly in one place made it easy
to send home undamaged at the end of our study. I also had my students work on
a year-long memory book and placed their sheets in a folder till the end of the
year, when I stapled them together to make their scrapbooks. Here is the
scrapbook and a freebie !
TWO FILING SYSTEMS- My monthly files hold holiday
and seasonal items, but I keep all my skills stuff organized by just that-
skills. I used to organize by unit in program, or month we covered the skill,
but we change programs so often, I was constantly rearranging my files.
GARAGE SALE! Keep a
bin for things you don’t need/want anymore. As the year goes on, instead of
getting rid of them, place them here. At the end of the year, have kids earn
bucks named after you (my kids earn Tejeda
bucks) for excellent work and on the last week of school, host a garage sale in
which you place all your junk. . . ahem, merchandise . . .on the tables for
kids to ‘shop’ for! Very motivating when kids have checked out early for
vacation!
PLANNING AHEAD- I always have an ‘extra time’
basket and a ‘sub tub’ ready for
whenever we may have 5-10 extra minutes, or even a whole extra period, if an
event is canceled, delayed, etc. It helps to have plans for a sub in case you
have to be out unexpectedly. I keep books and response sheets in there from my
monthly read-alouds packs,
since many can be used year-round and cover essential skills, as well as
Scholastic News magazines with directions for pulling them up on the
interactive board. Plus, I always keep things like a bus list, first aid kit,
class emergency contact and allergy list, schedule, etc).
Make yourself a beginning of year to-do
checklist that you can save for next year!
Use a notebook or Excel spreadsheet to track your expenses for tax
purposes.
BIRTHDAY CORNER-This idea I got from a
colleague, who got it from her 5th grade
teacher! To make every birthday special, I wrap the cover and bottom of a big
storage box (we reuse the same box for each birthday) that kids get to open on
their birthday. I fill it with 3-4 little treats (bouncy ball, bubbles, pencil,
etc) as well as A LOT of tissue paper (we actually make a joke out of it, since
the box is so big and is mostly filled with paper :D). I also decorate the
back of my door with a big happy birthday sign and take the kids' pictures
holding the box while wearing a birthday crown in front of it.
CENTERS- Creating centers can be very time-consuming, so I love centers that are ‘reusable.’ For example, I keep a stack of reading response sheets that can be used with different books and kids just write in the title of their book at the listening center. Check out this awesome freebie from Krista Wallden. . .
and I use my baseball spelling center, which can be reused weekly because kids just write in the new words. I also like sticker story center, because students can always use different stickers to make up new stories. You'll find a link to a free one in the writing centers freebie below, from my previous post, in case you didn't get it before:
OK, so hope some of these helped you start thinking of things you want to implement this year! If you have any other ideas of things to start the year with, please share! Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Hello, everybody! My name is Erica, and I blog over at Blooming In First. I am so excited to be a part of this collaborative blog!
So if your students are anything like mine, they are getting a little squirrely being stuck inside with all the cold and snow we've had this winter! I can't blame them- I want to put on my flip flops and go outside too! We only have gym class once a week, so it's up to me to make sure they get some physical activity the other 4 days of the week. I like to use Brain Breaks, or energizers, in my classroom so that my students get up and move during the day. This is just one way I get my students up and moving.
Why Brain Breaks? Studies have shown that physical activity increases blood flow, which in turn increases focus and concentration. This helps them to learn and recall information better. When the students are doing these activities, they are crossing the mid-line of the body, which engages both sides of the brain. Plus, they are fun! Brain Breaks can also involve academic content, so no instructional time is lost! Brain Breaks can be as short as a minute or as long as 10 minutes. The times and activities are flexible. They are great to use after lunch or special area time to get students relaxed and focused, before an assessment, or anytime students have to sit for long periods of time. They require little prep to use them in your classroom.
There are a few things to remember before you begin using Brain Breaks in your classroom. Since students are up and moving around, it is super important that you make sure students know your expectations for how to do the Brain Break.
You need to make sure you have some sort of a signal for students to freeze when it is time to switch activities or if you need to give directions. Sometimes these are built into the activity, but sometimes they aren't. Something as simple as a clap, or raising your hand up and saying "give me five!" are simple and easy ways to signal to students that it is time to focus and listen.
You could also play music, and turn it off when the students need to freeze.
You may also want to remind students of their physical space, especially if your classroom is small! Remind students of the amount of space that they have to move around in.
Provide reminders of the expectations before the Brain Break so that your students know what is expected of them.
Today, I'd like to share a few simple Brain Break activities that you can use in your students. Most of them require only classroom space to spread out! I also have some great activities that you can use with your computer! And though I am sharing a few activities here, there are a ton of ideas on the internet that you can use by simply doing a web search.
You don't need anything except space and creativity!
Over, Under, Around, and Through
Not only does this activity get your students up and moving, it helps them learn those important prepositions that some of them struggle with!
Have your students spread out throughout the room or stand behind their desks. You can also get in a line and walk around the classroom if you have the space. The teacher calls out a movement that has one of the above prepositions in it; for example, tell the students to "go under the water" or "go through the tunnel". The students can act out each movement for 20-30 seconds each.
Act It Out!
The students can help you come up with a list of some great action words to use with this activity!
Have the students spread out around the room or stand behind their desks. The teacher calls out a sentence to the class, and the students act it out for approximately 30 seconds. For example, the teacher could say "run as if a tiger is chasing you" or "reach up as if you were a monkey swinging from tree to tree." After 30 seconds, signal for the students to freeze and give them a new sentence to act out.
You can also have the students act out different animals by making their sound and mimicking their body movements. You can use flashcards with the names of animals written on them, or pictures of animals for younger students. This will allow one of your students to lead the activity. I have created a set of flashcards with pictures of different animals and their names for you to use with this game. You can find it here in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Oh yeah, it's free! Click the picture to the right to go to my TPT store. If you download my freebie, I would love it if you would leave me some sweet feedback or consider following my store! Another variation is to call out a sport skill that students can act out, such as hitting a ball, swimming, or throwing a football. This activity can be adapted to help your students practice academic skills by turning the movements into addition or subtraction word problems.
Vocabulary
This activity can be adapted to use with math facts or spelling words as well.
The students spread out around the room or stand behind their desks. The students perform a physical activity, such as jumping, jogging in place, or doing jumping jacks. When the teacher yells out a vocabulary word, the students freeze. One student needs to use the vocabulary word correctly in a sentence. Then the students can begin moving again until the teacher yells out another vocabulary word.
Air Writing
This is a great way to practice spelling or sight words with your students!
The students spread out around the room or behind their desks. They can march or hop in place for about 10-15 seconds. Then the teacher calls out one of the spelling words or sight words they have been working on. The students have to air write the word using their finger. Kindergarten teachers could also have the students write a letter, shape, or number in the air instead.
Simon Says
This classic game can be used as a brain break!
The teacher gives the students a direction, such as "Simon Says put your finger on your nose" or "Hop on one foot." The students follow the directions that Simon gives, and freeze whenever the teacher doesn't say "Simon Says." Whenever a student follows one of the directions that they shouldn't, they have to sit down. The game continues until one student is left standing, or you get tired of it.
While the Brain Breaks I explained above are great to use when you have a few minutes, there are some great technology resources that you can use with your students. You can use your CD player or MP3 player and allow your students to dance their little hearts out until the song is over. Songs like the Cha Cha Slide or the Cupid Shuffle are great because the movements are controlled, so the students have to follow the directions the song gives. This is also great because it forces students to use their listening skills.
There are also several online resources for Brain Breaks. YouTube or TeacherTube videos are great for Brain Breaks. You can do a search for popular songs or Brain Breaks. I found a great playlist of upbeat, kid friendly videos that are perfect for Brain Breaks. Disclaimer: If you choose to use You Tube videos, it is important that you watch them yourself before showing them to your students to ensure that the content is appropriate for your students.
My friend Ivy personally recommended the Kangaroo Dance video for you. :-)
There are a few great websites that I found that are perfect for increasing physical activity in your classroom. One we use extensively in my classroom is called Go Noodle. It has several short videos that are 3-5 minutes long. They allow the students to practice different academic skills and move at the same time. When you create an account and log in for the first time, you choose a character.
As you increase the time you've spent on Go Noodle, your character grows as well. Each time you play the games, they change a bit so that you aren't doing the exact same thing each time.
There are several choices for games on Go Noodle, as well as Zumba Kids activities (I am terrible at those!) and You Tube videos as well. The activities vary in length. For example, Freeze It is only a minute long, while Word Jam is 3-5 minutes.
I like that several of the activities incorporate academics. Mega Math Marathon pauses every few seconds to ask the students a math question. The teacher inputs whether the answer the students gave is correct or incorrect. Word Jam introduces new vocabulary, gives the definition, and the students act out the word. BodySpell allows you to put in custom words to spell, or you can use the lists of words they provide. And the best part about this website is that it is FREE! Did I mention that already?
Another great site is called Adventure To Fitness. This is another free site that you can use with an entire class of students. It's different than Go Noodle, and they both serve different purposes. For one, the videos are longer: they are about 30 minutes each. The videos are also more "mission focused" and have a story to them. They also teach the students about different things. For example, in the Egypt video, they talk about mummies.
Your students help the characters in the videos solve the mission by following along with the characters and doing what they say. They jump, run, hop, and do other movements throughout the video. Though these videos are much longer, you could always break up the video into smaller chunks, or use it as wellness/recess time. There are a few commercials in the video, but they are more like advertisements for Adventure To Fitness than actual ads.
Another hot technology item is QR Codes. I found this great QR Code Brain Break activity from Miss DeCarbo for FREE. Each card links to another fun activity through the QR code. How cool! Go check it out!
I hope that you will begin using Brain Breaks in your class if you don't already, and that you will quickly see the benefits of giving your students a physical activity break! Like I said before, these are just a few activities that you can use for Brain Breaks! There are hundreds of other ideas if you do a Google search, check Pinterest, or look on Teachers Pay Teachers. I just wanted to give you some free ideas that you can use in your classroom!
Do you have any great ideas? Leave a comment and share, please! I am sure there are others who can benefit from your fantastic idea!
Happy New Year to you! I am Jasmine from Buzzing with Mrs. McClain and I'm so glad that you're here.
I'm sure that you are at the end of your Christmas Break/Winter Break. Like many teachers, you may have planned for all of the great things you'll do for the rest of the year, especially for the first week back. Or...perhaps...you haven't! Don't you fret one bit. I'm going to offer you some suggestions to survive the first week back after winter break. I am in love with Pinterest, so all of my ideas were discovered while searching there. I've pulled ideas specifically targeting the New Year. They include crafts, bulletin boards, and writing activities.
Here are 5 things that you can do with your students during the first week or weeks after winter break...
The first idea was originally created for 2013, but it can work perfectly for 2014 too. It is a bulletin board idea to encourage your students to read throughout the year. There are so many ways to modify this for your students and grade level. Of course it would read 14 books in 2014 or maybe another goal that you set for the class or each individual student. Better yet, you can have your students think of their own goals to reach.
#2-Start on the right foot...pinned by Erica Bohrer:
I like this idea because it is simple yet fun. Erica sells this in her store, but you can certainly create this on your own or have your students create this using a few materials. Students create the front cover and then write down a few things they will do to "get on the right foot." You can have your students create this, and then post it in the classroom or let them put it in their quality binders. It can serve as reminder to them to strive for the goals that they set.
#3-Make resolution wreaths...pinned by Paula Saul:
This is another New Year's activity that your students can make to share their resolutions. Again, I love how writing is incorporated!
#4-Compare and contrast the U.S. and Chinese New Years . . . pinned by Pam Costello:
I found a picture of this Venn Diagram and thought that a cool idea would be to have your students research the Chinese New Year and do activities to compare and contrast our new year to theirs. There are tons of things that you can do to extend a study on the Chinese New Year and the U.S. New Year.
What better way to get your students energized for the new year than to read a few books! Search your school's library to see if you have any of these books so that you can read them to your students.
To add one more suggestion for you, I have a freebie in my TpT store that you can do with your students. It's a simple writing activity where your students can discuss their New Year's resolutions.
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