tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66014584561156892052024-03-27T16:53:39.930-07:00Little Bird KindergartenLittle Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-47376390743491427852019-10-09T09:26:00.003-07:002019-10-21T20:04:25.607-07:00Using Lacing Cards to Promote Fine Motor Skills<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good control of the hand/wrist muscles
makes learning to write SO much easier. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">Kids who struggle with fine motor
strength and/or stamina can find it very frustrating to </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">hold their pencil correctly or be able to
write and draw. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">When fine motor skills become strong,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">learners can focus on what they are doing
and learning instead of struggling just to hold </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">their pencil or think about being tired. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">There are many ways to have kids work on their fine </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;">motor skills, such as cutting, </span><span style="font-size: 22.66666603088379px;">play-dough</span><span style="font-size: 17pt;">
painting, picking up small objects, etc. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17pt;">I have found </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">that lacing cards are a fun, engaging and
painless route to increasing hand and finger </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">strength, dexterity, and stamina . I have
used them in small groups, centers, morning work, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">rotations and for early finishers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">Just
remember, the goal is not perfect sewing! </span><span style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The goal is fine motor work which is all
about process not product. If cards get tangled, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;">find a couple of able helpers to detangle!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The prep is not a lot, but it is prep, (I like to do my cutting and hole punching while I'm sitting on the couch at night!) I have included a note in each of my lacing card sets to send home with parent volunteers to prep for you! When my kids were little, I loved it when their teachers did this, since I was teaching and couldn't go and volunteer in their classrooms. It helps people feel invested and that they are contributing, even if not physically able to come to school.Plus, the kids are SO proud that their parents are helping out!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here are some activities I have created to promote fine motor skills in fun & engaging ways!</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://bit.ly/finemotorlacingcards" target="_blank">Lacing mats</a> are very calming as well! There is something about sewing that brings a peaceful feeling. Another fringe benefit to adding them to your centers, morning work, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">small groups, or early finishers tub!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/finemotorlacingcards" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1122" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCxOZvZWwGnpxge57gachZ2Q7-ooESMundWS86cZpiG5OxnQsuT8xBnfOldVznK3TFX8K4HL_2t9IQQDlk12GS83SY4qgs5X4lSedKjrZHMewZ1PI29t6Tbn3VQHrwfNaZLYuDlX9HkS4/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-09+at+9.06.50+AM.png" width="544" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2L7lpXR" target="_blank">Play-dough</a> is another calming activity. So many fine finger muscles are used to form the</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">dough, rolling in different ways to get the desired shape is fine motor practice at it's finest!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2L7lpXR" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSrgHugzKthKDXjLdq127Ekm4Td-ke2nMizN1T0LubMjBk80AySTmR2iMSMCZp01s4NMdVw9DjwXv3gSu79CtWVYEsT9-MRJdVQRGM6WQZz9art1JhWV_0C9h4jzdHPDWd6sqMKk-bIdl/s640/Playdough+mats+long+pin.png" width="384" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 22.66666603088379px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Cutting activities are great for fine motor too, since building content into the activities is</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">easy and can be purposeful for practice. An example would be our <a href="http://bit.ly/2BN2Gbd" target="_blank">Magazine Numbers</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">resource. Cutting out numerals to match to quantities builds fine motor skills while working</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">on number sense!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2BN2Gbd" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1020" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYWteHLo9HW9568xy3EKob1wRsrBkNiHvDF9KSi5j3LRLZay8-FRiF8hVJqRVJAziIWKD3HIXX4y3e_TYyXzaEdY1Vu6yOkK0_scGSLVv8vqrELJ1QTvGd_d3AFBJABv0NL1inAqQFX9k/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-10-09+at+9.17.06+AM.png" width="494" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">I hope your are inspired to intentionally add some fine motor building activities! Your kids will love them and they will make great gains in their hand and motor skills. They'll have so much fun they won't even know you're helping them work-out! :o)</span></div>
Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-65927727743666318702019-09-22T14:13:00.002-07:002019-09-22T14:37:08.767-07:00Fall is my Favorite!There's just something about fall... even here in Arizona where the leaves are NOT changing, it is NOT cooling off yet, but.... there's a subtle shift in the sun, it's getting dark much earlier... you can tell it's coming! Enough to make me want to burn a fallish candle and start breaking out the fall decor! I also love all of the fun fall things to do in the classroom!<br />
I've compiled a bunch of ideas on one of my <a href="http://bit.ly/2CvOd7F" target="_blank">Pinterest boards</a>! If you haven't followed Little Bird on Pinterest yet, go follow! I share new ideas every week!<br />
The ideas below are from my board "<a href="http://bit.ly/octoberintheclassroom" target="_blank">October in the Classroom</a>"board.<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2CvOd7F" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="646" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFd___b8xHdMr9miscHGzt9L5c-TifxnE1KOjhR5HSUK58ctTjPS7ISpBUBPoNZS91Td0Kmsu2dysPyKojMOhhDwwo71vawlh2EY_YeJgJZzEFujKsNsHu4zwH8h2ewOB6OZyZlL87jOno/s640/IMG_1347.JPG" width="323" /></a></div>
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If you're ready for fall and need a little inspiration to get started, grab this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11eLmEtQg2bXAXKctBJZeNMDuyR1RYe2x/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Happy Halloween FREE printable </a>to print and post up in your home or classroom! I hope you are enjoying fall so far!<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11eLmEtQg2bXAXKctBJZeNMDuyR1RYe2x/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1124" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygM3pWJediAncx3VfslB9RdjQDa1jXRVGRw1ciJ3RDWOPyJqn8-yZE9AogghyphenhyphenBlbVbPMc7q6vCXDxYHZwllWn4JmAam5jNIiuokrzSxQnJX4ipy7WoLh4tgqhxxygzHzrvodzGNFlSeMf/s400/final+17.JPG" width="356" /></a></div>
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xo,<br />
PamLittle Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-57051766415513722902019-01-10T12:27:00.001-08:002019-01-10T12:27:05.437-08:00Winter Close Reading for Little Learners & A Sweet NoteYesterday I got the sweetest note from a teacher named Ann in New York. She was telling me about how much her kids love my close reads! That made my day! She said they love the "big words" and all of the animal facts... I do too! I invest lots of time writing passages that are "worthy" with lots of juicy vocabulary, and double-meaning words. I want the passages to be truly interesting so that deep engagement with the text comes naturally and intrinsically! I am excited to write a note back to Ann's class with a fun surprise for them!<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2FDU5d1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqL0OhehPfXwi7iOaq8QT3lHkHjZoXv6WErBNIjTDp1iFFiY0M1h3d4MzbUZdDITKb8YVVbsB0klAppPmvGA9ouEOC0C66UDObCqu_SZL2EdRq03VFWA3I8t9W_lYX4roUUb-dEAE5QWb/s640/Learning+about+penguins.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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Even if you've never tried close reading in your classroom before, I think you'll find <a href="http://bit.ly/2FDU5d1" target="_blank">my resources</a> fun and easy to teach! I include lots of directions and tips to support you, even if it's new for you!<br />
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Ann also told me how she loves the easy prep and even how she used the <a href="http://bit.ly/2FDU5d1" target="_blank">Polar Bear passage </a>and annotation pages for her formal evaluation! So glad to hear it went great!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write to me, Ann!<br />
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One of the things I love best about doing close reading is how much it helps to grow writing skills. They LOVE annotating!! The passages give them something meaningful to write and report on. The forget about trying so hard and just do it! Soooo fun to watch! :o)<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2FDU5d1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1124" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfzSOKjxxH5lBp-NMp5fa_torrKRb-u_nUUSPM7VYyIe_OhqGYrw1kxzV1ZbljyeVoCpST_QVYm-ebRv5Qgmp3ru5trRlYLw53eQeGIzawcbZiBoxfTU7uBiYY46UQZvnY-miNu2bnk9W/s640/final+4.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-63040745616112789532018-11-17T06:57:00.003-08:002018-11-17T06:57:48.116-08:00Attitude of Gratitude<div style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir1SaZLpXDyAjbpQAX0MMrIOiOS6GYlFY5qD63t3la8MKahnQ9XjouoapD5H9sFhXO815UMBK8I99ATv6xcLkQ9Al93gdy6UtCVTBvHFW-2BuEwO7oeTQ2ZJwy8-fcjdU2y3zI9Z70_5X/s1600/attitude+of+gratitude+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir1SaZLpXDyAjbpQAX0MMrIOiOS6GYlFY5qD63t3la8MKahnQ9XjouoapD5H9sFhXO815UMBK8I99ATv6xcLkQ9Al93gdy6UtCVTBvHFW-2BuEwO7oeTQ2ZJwy8-fcjdU2y3zI9Z70_5X/s640/attitude+of+gratitude+.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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Thanksgiving is a natural time to teach & learn about the meaning of thanksgiving, and what that means and can look like in our everyday lives. Modeling an attitude of gratitude is one of the most important gifts we can bestow upon our littles... learning to deliberately be being thankful for what we have and counting every blessing makes for happier people, and can lead to helping kids how to learn how to live their best life! It's natural for them to <i>feel i</i>t, it's just not always natural for them to <i>say it. </i>Giving them the language to use is vital. Not just to communicate it to others, but for them to identify those feelings within themselves. </div>
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I love the sweet things they think of when they start thinking about what they're thankful for. It catches on quickly and hopefully they go home and share that contagious spirit of thankfulness!</div>
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I like to prompt them with questions and sentence frames such as these:</div>
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When you think of your family, what are you thankful for?</div>
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I am thankful for___________________________________.</div>
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When you think of things you need to live, what are you thankful for?</div>
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I am thankful for_______________________________________.</div>
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It really helps to define an area of life to envision. It breaks it down for them into smaller </div>
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chunks so they can wrap their head around it and make it real. Giving them the opportunity to talk and share with partners is key. They need a chance to practice the language so they can try it out and save it for later too! Finding other times of the day to model this attitude of gratitude will help them see it in the context of other areas too! Even little things such as "It's so cold today! I'm so thankful we have a heated classroom to learn in!" It might seem trivial, but it matters! :o)</div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Our <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thankful-Headband-4180544" target="_blank">Thankful Headband </a>is fun and meaningful little craft for your kids to make for Thanksgiving! Littles draw what they are thankful for on the feathers, color and decorate the headband, then attach to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">make their thankful headband! I love how proud they are of their headbands, and what a great </span><span style="color: #222222;">conversation</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> piece to take home and get their families involved with taking an attitude of gratitude!</span></div>
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(They can use their sentence frames to tell about their headbands too!)</div>
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Another great way to teach about gratitude is to read about it. It's a wonderful first step and conversation starter. Here are links to some of my favorite books to teach and spark conversations about being grateful and thankful! (The picture is the link)</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060510986/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060510986&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=20419ada0bf46038cf4059fd4b316c9a" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0060510986&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0060510986" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310000882/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0310000882&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=764784049dbf6b804377b93f38277cb6" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0310000882&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0310000882" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416958568/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416958568&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=1eac6b8eb6545ef9eacc169ca6060075" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=1416958568&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1416958568" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-11537254960936781722018-11-07T09:36:00.000-08:002019-04-04T08:40:31.391-07:00November Resource Round Up<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM_dgSNc2OYFnpKC6yYwzxFHVZ7EwKWbhd0Ug14yKBaN7tgPfkIJUYkYKwfYHG1ypjl_svFrThUlV5o8w82yzkc_Q7PuHp08kLnoEcVhxQjI1RXt_GtDTpSE6saMF4w9_wGS1AzjKhGEq/s1600/Untitled+design-12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM_dgSNc2OYFnpKC6yYwzxFHVZ7EwKWbhd0Ug14yKBaN7tgPfkIJUYkYKwfYHG1ypjl_svFrThUlV5o8w82yzkc_Q7PuHp08kLnoEcVhxQjI1RXt_GtDTpSE6saMF4w9_wGS1AzjKhGEq/s640/Untitled+design-12.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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N<span style="font-family: inherit;">ovember is one of my favorite months of the year to teach! So many kid friendly, naturally engaging things to do! The cooler weather helps my mood too! I just want to do all of the fun fall things! Here's a little round up of quite a few activities and resources that I have created for this season! Hopefully you can find something to have some fun with your kids and save you some time! (All of the pictures are clickable links)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our <a href="http://bit.ly/2hdE0R9" target="_blank">Thanksgiving Uncovered</a> is a large resource with LOTs of activities! Close reading, many writing prompts, story of Thanksgiving retelling story sticks, games, centers and more! This is the perfect resource for teaching all about Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2hdE0R9" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKmm_01WdWuMrkodv8vuj8lfRqMi8BDEqVEIHDZHLdBD2O4WI1LAsC33Ya0ANehX9JqjFx8pBKU-7icES1-pvxrnPalPGNZpLDkocMXWWcG6HyK75auxp_RQsRyg39-woiitv6KCqLCil/s640/Thanksgiving+uncovered+long+pin.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Our <a href="http://bit.ly/2PPMvEW" target="_blank">Thankful Headband</a> is fun and meaningful little craft for your kids to make for Thanksgiving! They draw what they are thankful for on the feathers, color and decorate the headband, then attach to </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">make their thankful headband! I love how proud they are of their headbands, and what a great </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">conversation</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> piece to take home and get their families involved with taking an attitude of gratitude!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Included in this resource:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•Elements to create a thankful headband</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•What I'm thankful for writing prompt (great for early finishers!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2PPMvEW" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa1OwRbRDYfop9nVDkMvIwsBV2e4JIOMir0hM9CIzaV4rpve8lLjq1q_y4yeyk5WkIH4ZWx42x2cfrDX-78MkxVdL-KwZsiMCMZ3AtOG2CsA0LK8RGaqoE3sxWrD5HDc1HNpFKkxA1XES/s400/Thankful+Headband+Square+Cover.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2RH6pj3" target="_blank">Our Pattern Blocks Work & Play Kit for Kindergarten </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Perfect for using with:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Instruction</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Literacy Centers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Math Centers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Math Stations</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Small Groups</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Sensory Play</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Self regulated work & play </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Fine motor, busy box, or morning work activities</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•Counting practice pages for follow-up, math stations, morning work, assessment</span></div>
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<span style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-size: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><ins style="background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Included in this EASY TO PREP & EASY ON THE INK resource:</span></ins></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•10 Thanksgiving themed Pattern Block Work and Play Kit Cards</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•10 Counting Practice Pages- one for each puzzle card</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•Pattern Block Cards for playing as a card game OR for stuffing clear pocket stuff-able dice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•Spin It! Game Board for playing with a game spinner OR pencil & paper clip spinner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•“I CAN” statement card for displaying at center or station (2 options, whole sheet and half sizes included)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•Question prompts to engage little learners and promote inquiry and learning</span></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2RH6pj3" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kVTzS7XZqIOfmCUOJaYgOzhp-qHFr6u6IqASCUoWARU2rEVa1L8r9tpP0eQw41fFmGcbMP5rvZG0bbADrBmPYaUwwmk8_GBrAnu17z3S2T8AFsbXxD14y4eScJRLbKaUW7OmYWRBZslc/s400/Pattern+Blocks+Thanksgiving+Square+Cover.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2RTrN4F" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsYG4VUxqPC0am66nL6MHlfFNERC8H8LRHga_1dnBO6LgFUOhOmnvucNq6p5Qq2an-7LntE3RqvZKx2AjjRUTS-_8ucdrKBbtMZKlGEUSR5SbZWiGbCGs0pu65FerLCWmYlUl4iM9b1xX/s640/boom+netting.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://See more about Pattern Block Work & Play Kits here" target="_blank">Pattern Blocks Work & Play Kit THANKSGIVING</a><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/2QrgmAT" target="_blank">Work & Play Cards Letters Kit ( letters pictured above t u r k e y)</a><br />
See more about Pattern Block Work & Play Kits<b> <a href="http://bit.ly/2zAOSBl" target="_blank">here</a></b><br />
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I love to create invitations to play for little learners. It inspires curiosity, engagement and wonder to gather interesting items and place them in and inviting arrangement for littles to discover, play, work, and learn. I love how quiet and thoughtful they are at these stations. You can almost see their little wheels turning in their head. This little inspiration page has several resources, so the photo is not linked, but I'll add links to all of the resources below the picture. Products without links are coming soon! I just love this so much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnscOIMIaj1JMGGwviRLKm6J_TSVJ4h31nuUP2h4_fqwBM9eNWBujaqu6vlTWJIOSSZq4NMxaylMyt84hi0vTl7QGsqu1j5M7sGZ8-b753aSuc1MHn1GcFdPYgji-jOVI658yyQI0r-yTM/s1600/Fall+Inspiration+Pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnscOIMIaj1JMGGwviRLKm6J_TSVJ4h31nuUP2h4_fqwBM9eNWBujaqu6vlTWJIOSSZq4NMxaylMyt84hi0vTl7QGsqu1j5M7sGZ8-b753aSuc1MHn1GcFdPYgji-jOVI658yyQI0r-yTM/s640/Fall+Inspiration+Pin.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2QrgmAT" target="_blank">Work & Play Cards Letters Kit</a></div>
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Work & Play Cards Sizes & Positional Words</div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2SViRgy" target="_blank">Pumpkin, Pumpkin Miles on the Tongue Emergent Reader</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Ten-Frame-Numeral-Number-Name-Match-Center-354280" target="_blank">Fall Ten Frame Number Center</a></div>
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Natural Wonders Work & Play Posters</div>
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Close reading is a strategy to help kids engage closely with text. I love using close reading passages. I have written dozens of passages and created hundreds of activities to go with them. The language, vocabulary, stamina, comprehension and text feature skills they solidify from doing close reading are just amazing. When I write my passages I work hard to use interesting vocabulary, and engage little readers! These photos are from my Quarter 2 Close Reading Bundle, there are 6 passages and activities, this is from the Owls passage. They get so much out of annotating the passages! I include lots of tips and directions about this, but in short, you start slowly, doing it together, and they quickly get the hang of it and start finding words to annotate on their own! How cute is the annotation and pictorial representation for "parliament"? (All the heart eyes!!)</div>
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The <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">o w l </span>letters are from our <a href="http://bit.ly/2QrgmAT" target="_blank">Work and Play Cards Letters Kit</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2GAJhOi" target="_blank">Close Reading for Kindergarten & First Grade Quarter 3 Fall Bundle</a></div>
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Want to read more about Close Reading? <a href="https://www.littlebirdkindergarten.com/2014/11/close-reading-again.html" target="_blank">Click here!</a> OR <a href="https://www.littlebirdkindergarten.com/2013/08/8th-day-of-kindergarten-getting-started.html" target="_blank">Here!</a></div>
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I love simple little math centers that I can add to my existing stations or add to a small group or</div>
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morning work tub. Our <a href="http://bit.ly/2JNL58J" target="_blank">Turkeys to 10 Just Right Activities & Centers </a>are so much fun! Simple to prep and easy for kids to play independently, with partners or in small groups. They're just right!</div>
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I hope this resource round up is helpful and gives you some ideas for fall!</div>
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xo,</div>
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Pam</div>
Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-65012655216760026592018-11-06T08:37:00.001-08:002018-11-13T13:30:28.895-08:00Pattern Block Work & Play <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I remember in my very first classroom one of the only things in my closet was a tub of pattern blocks,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">they became the manipulative that I relied on the most and I found so many different ways to use them! I wish I had all of the fun activities to go with them back then! The littles love using them and practice so many skills along the way! <span style="color: #44454c; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">They are so hands-on, developmentally appropriate and so good for the growing brain! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I start out using pattern blocks at the very beginning of the school year, and we use them all year long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">They provide rich exposure to lots of skills such as </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">shape recognition, patterning, sorting, matching, problem solving, fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">differentiation, flexible thinking, and so much more. I change out </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">my math stations regularly so that our theme or the season is integrated with math. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">Our <a href="http://bit.ly/2quuptY" style="color: #9ad7cc; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Pattern Block Work & Play Card Kits</a> are perfect for using during each season/theme for </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">an independent activity, small groups ,</span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">or centers! Students can practice matching the shapes to fill the card, or play using the included dice, </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">game cards or spinner versions. Using the </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">game elements makes for such a great partner activity to use for centers, math stations, even morning work! </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">They LOVE it! To add an extra </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">element of challenge you can require them to name the shape the drew, rolled, or spun! I really like using the games for partner activities. They help them learn how to take turns and play a game while working on their skills. Here are some ways they can be used:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;">• Instruction</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;">• Literacy Centers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;">• Math Centers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">• </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">Math Stations</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">• </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">Small Groups</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;">• Sensory Play</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">• Self </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">regulated </span><span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: 13pt;">play </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;">• Fine motor, busy box, or morning work activities</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;">• Partner games</span></div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Teachers Pay Teachers links to resources:</span></b></div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2RH6pj3" target="_blank">Pattern Block Work & Play Cards THANKSGIVING</a></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: blue;"><b><a href="http://bit.ly/2qEfeyF" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Pattern Block Work & Play Cards CHRISTMAS</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: blue;"><b><a href="http://bit.ly/2SU1cpx" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Pattern Block Work & Play Cards FARM</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: blue;"><b style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2PL0TOO" target="_blank">Pattern Block Work & Play Cards FOREST ANIMALS</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners"; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: blue;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2K2rHVw" target="_blank"><b>Pattern Block Work & Play Cards OCEAN</b></a></span></span></div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Affiliate links to companion materials:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>(Click on photos for link)</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WKPP/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00004WKPP&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=1280be66b8d56cdb609e3548ed42cc53" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00004WKPP&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00004WKPP" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604189274/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1604189274&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=a5dbb4adc50f5d20fa2d78d529d34d47" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=1604189274&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1604189274" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XN5N5RM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B06XN5N5RM&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=f5328f79ac020d24fb6d1588703d30f1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B06XN5N5RM&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B06XN5N5RM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-26842483775261781652018-11-01T13:11:00.000-07:002018-11-01T13:37:28.655-07:00Using Comparative Thinking for Phoneme Mastery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIpkekuoTYEkwHwwybRfnoXjoTCDzAhBu-BNX6XsO-MY02E0C066HHCrH_XxVzi3498tPDkdZxwa4O-GyUvLLImOtDsquXiIyrn7N09D0pLWIfxyKoedPrwOO_d8-JMgscI45WcJpotXv/s1600/Comparative+Thinking+long+11-1-18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIpkekuoTYEkwHwwybRfnoXjoTCDzAhBu-BNX6XsO-MY02E0C066HHCrH_XxVzi3498tPDkdZxwa4O-GyUvLLImOtDsquXiIyrn7N09D0pLWIfxyKoedPrwOO_d8-JMgscI45WcJpotXv/s640/Comparative+Thinking+long+11-1-18.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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We practice SO much on letters, sounds, phonemes everyday. Why is it that some of our kids still struggle after so many exposures? We know some of them just aren't ready yet. For some developmental reason, it's not clicking... yet. But it will. For others, the reason can be SO simple. They need opportunities to compare and sort sounds. I have found this to be the most solidifying experience for my littles to really master their sounds. Even those who aren't showing they're quite ready yet, may really benefit from this approach.<br />
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Let's take a look at the research. Based on the 2007 work of Robert Marzano he "reconfirmed earlier research that asking students to identify similarities and differences through comparative analysis leads to eye-opening gains in student achievement." (Harvey Silver, ASCD)<br />
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Although much research has been done on older students, why not use Comparative Thinking Strategies for the littles? It only makes sense. It is such a natural and early function of the brain...<br />
We compare almost from birth, we know our mother/father, vs. not... As we grow we use more and more complex comparative thinking on a daily basis, dozens of times each day.<br />
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As <a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/110126/chapters/Section-1@-Why-Compare-$-Contrast%C2%A2.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444;">Harry Silver's ASCD article</span></a> outlines, even though our brains are used to making comparisons in our daily life, making the transition to using this type of thinking in school is not always the most natural for most of our kids. If we start early, it can lead not only to letter mastery as were referring to here, but actual pathways and greater metacognition and analytical skills for our learners to use throughout their lives.<br />
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I have taught Comparative Thinking practices to my kinder kids for many, many years. Being intentional about it will grow complex thinkers! Silver's article suggests setting distinct instructional goals such as strengthening memory, developing higher order thinking skills as well as other goals.<br />
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I find this research fascinating because I feel that it really brings validity to what we teachers already know. When kids compare, they learn. When we use the power of comparison in our classroom instruction, we bring an enriched experience to our learners that equips them well beyond the content we are currently trying to inform.<br />
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I have used Comparative Thinking strategies in every content area. Math, reading, writing, science and social studies, in my opinion, there is no more powerful strategy. Although I have been using them I my own classroom for years, I had never made a resource that was quite pretty enough to put in my store until now. Because I feel so strongly about using comparison when teaching sounds, I created a couple of resources that make this an easy, time-saving and super high yield resource that puts into practice the Comparative Thinking strategy for our littles to master sounds. Although what I exposed my littles to wasn't quite as pretty as these, I know they were able to benefit from the proficiency that resulted from comparison as a means of learning. I hope you'll give it a try too!<br />
(I even use this strategy for teaching high frequency sight words, see below!)<br />
*If you use McGraw Hill Wonders, I have created <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wonders-For-Kindergarten-Sound-Sorts-Comparisons-Sight-Words-Bundle-4134865" target="_blank">Compare & Sort Resources formatted for Wonders </a>too!<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2NSJQ8B" target="_blank">Letter Sounds Compare & Sort Big Review</a></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2qbUhKV" target="_blank">Fry's First 100 Sight Words Write the Room</a></span></h4>
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<br />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-80414300122852517502018-10-31T14:24:00.001-07:002018-10-31T14:25:00.054-07:00The Likes That Matter - An Opinion Editorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me start by saying I do not claim to be a perfect parent, I do, however, claim to be an advocate for kids, and this blog post is my <i>opinion</i>.<br />
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In my 30 years in the classroom I have learned a lot <i>about </i>kids and a lot <i>from</i> kids. They want to be loved & respected <i>no differently</i> than adults do. <i>They remember meanness</i>. <i>They remember kindness.</i> We are not raising littles that will forget. We are raising littles that learn what they live, and they will only be littles for a short time before they are grown up and acting out the life we have modeled for them.<br />
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Parenting is the hardest job in the world. It takes every bit of all you have 24/7.<br />
These are trying times to be raising kids. Parents have so much to contend with these days. My kids are young adults now, in their twenties. We didn't have a computer until they were in about first and second grade. We didn't have cell phones until they were older than that. They didn't have cell phones until high school. I believe we had it easier in this regard, less distractions, ironically, more time because we were not distracted.<br />
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Social media was just getting started. I joined in a bit, just to monitor and provide guidance as needed for our teenagers. We wanted our son and daughter to know how to intentionally interact and exist on the internet, that seemed like it would be a part of their future. I was learning with them. I thought Facebook was such a great way to connect with my family and friends in other parts of the country, see pictures of little ones and share good times. I still think that. There is good. So much good. But... I've noticed a growing trend that as an educator, parent and human being, I find alarming, disturbing, and just so sad.<br />
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I remember first seeing it around 10 years ago when someone was showing a video clip from a late night show where the parents would pretend to have eaten all of their kid's Halloween candy. Honestly, I thought it was awful. Mean-spirited, sarcastic, and disrespectful. Not only did they pretend to take the candy, <i>they filmed them, at their worst. For a laugh. </i><br />
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Fast forward 10 years and now those types of video clips are all over the internet. Thousands and thousands of parents filming their kids during all kinds of moments. Happy, cute, funny, embarrassing, sad, tantrums, and everything in between. Kids are cute. They say and do so many hilarious things! <i>There is such a fine line here. </i><br />
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So many views, so many likes. In some cases, dozens, or hundreds, or, viral.<br />
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Imagine a day in recent memory when you had a really bad day. You know those days, nothing goes right. It goes from bad to worse. You can't wait for it to be over so you can go home, curl up on the couch and be left alone. We all have those days.<br />
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Now think back, and imagine yourself during that same day. The stress, the pent up feelings you were fighting past, just to get through the day.<br />
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Now imagine <i>someone you trust </i>holding their phone up in your face, filming you. Maybe smiling, maybe laughing, maybe speaking sarcastically about what you should or shouldn't have done. Maybe not, maybe they're just filming you. At your worst. At your most vulnerable. At your most embarrassed.<br />
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Try it on for size. How does it feel. What does it teach?<br />
Does it teach love?<br />
Does it teach empathy?<br />
Does it teach trust?<br />
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Emabarrassment and humiliation are undoubtedly t<i>he most raw of emotions. </i><br />
We feel belittled, exposed, we feel we don't belong.<br />
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How could anything at all ever be worth evoking those emotions to arise in our children?<br />
The world will conjure emotions like that plenty of times in their lives, <i>certainly without our help</i>.<br />
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I suggest, it's fair to ask ourselves, <b>whose "like" matters the most?</b><br />
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Is it the video gone viral because watching it for a moment will entertain lots of people we don't know, and will never know, and prompt them to also make a "funny at someone else's expense" video?<br />
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Or, is it <i>our child</i>. <b>Is it the quiet, private "like" of our child because they know that their vulnerability, their pride; <i>their feelings are safe with us</i>. We will not expose, embarrass or disrespect them by selling out their privacy. We will not humiliate them by putting a camera in their face when they are just trying to grow up and learn how to be a good human.</b><br />
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<i>When we show empathy, we teach empathy.</i><br />
<i>When we show love, we teach love.</i><br />
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I wonder what my kids would be like as adults today, if we would have put a camera in their face during their unflattering moments. <i>What would any of us be like?</i> Would we have deep seeded feelings that would be revealed in our relationships? What about teachers, or parents or doctors? Would they possess the level of empathy we would expect them to in order to <i>compassionately and competently</i> carry out their jobs? I wonder if the late night show hosts would think it as funny on their own kids?<br />
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I've read the comments. Many are sarcastic if anyone tries to defend the child. Or they say things like:<br />
"Can't anyone have fun without the perfect parent police butting in?"<br />
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The answer is no. Not because people are the perfect parent police.<br />
Because kids are human and <i>the price is too high.</i><br />
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We want our kids to learn to laugh and not take themselves too seriously, but that is not what they learn when they are the butt of a joke, particularly in front of a camera.<br />
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Our kids, our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, all of us deserve to have kids who have been raised to be loving, respectful people. If you think it doesn't matter, visit a school, visit a playground, see how kids are treating each other these days. At a minimum it is dismaying, and many times it's straight up shocking.<br />
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Our kids will only know better if we teach them better.<br />
It starts with modeling, it starts by putting our phones down. We don't need a video of everything.<br />
We don't need to share everything. I know some will think I'm taking this too seriously, "it's just a joke".<br />
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I have known a LOT of kids. Happy kids, angry kids, needy kids. One thing I know is that every kid deserves to be respected. Whether they are having a good day or a bad day. <br />
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They need us. They need us to model love, and kindness, and respect, and empathy.<br />
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And <i>we all need</i> the quiet "like" that will happen in their heart and mind when they know<br />
we have their back, and <i>we will never sell our place in their corner for a view or a like</i>.<br />
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<br />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-66254133590729693742018-08-28T14:24:00.004-07:002019-09-21T20:39:52.922-07:00How To Line-Up Invitation to PlayWe all know how the first few weeks can be rough! I don't know about you, but lining up is quite a foreign concept to most of the littles who have walked through my door! There is this sweet <i>unawareness </i>that comes with being a new kindergartner! As endearing and innocent as it is, it's our job to help them along and learn how to be a school kid! I have found as with every other classroom/school procedure that it works best when I break it down and speak their language. Meaning that we talk about it, we practice it, we read about it, and we act it out! Here are a couple of ideas for establishing foundations for learning how to line-up:<br />
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<b>• Talk about it: </b>As with anything else, meaningful discussion goes a long way in getting them on board with whatever you are doing. If they know the <i>why</i>, it's much easier for them to understand the reasons we do things. I always explain that when we line-up it helps us to be able to move as a group of people from one place to another in an organized and safe way. I use my felt board and model what a line looks like and facilitate conversation about how much easier it is to go all together to the cafeteria or playground when we are in a line. I use my <a href="http://bit.ly/2EvLNVh" target="_blank">Duck Tails and Bubbles Anchor Chart</a> as a model too. We talk about how "duck tails" help us remember to keep our hands to ourselves, and how "bubbles" help us to remember to be quiet so that we won't disturb other classes as we walk by.<br />
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<b>• Read about it:</b> I have been reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Line-Up-Book-Marisabina-Russo/dp/0688062040" target="_blank">The Line Up Book by Marisabina Russo</a>. It is simple, engaging<br />
and physically shows what a <i>line is</i>. Another cute book about a line is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Line-Paula-Bossio/dp/189478684X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=189478684X&pd_rd_r=20d658bc-ab03-11e8-b369-ffe841fc31b4&pd_rd_w=7E2Hg&pd_rd_wg=ZnzqF&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7ca3846a-7fcf-4568-9727-1bc2d7b4d5e0&pf_rd_r=C05XKZ1CZDYH08HD875S&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=C05XKZ1CZDYH08HD875S" target="_blank">The Line by Paula Boss</a>. It's cute for a discussion about lining up because it leaves a lot of room for discussion. The kids really love both books!<br />
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<b>• Practice it and act it out:</b> So much grace and patience is required when learning how to be a big school kid! It takes a lot of practice and it's so easy for them to forget, but with all of the discussion, practice and concrete experiences they will quickly remember and it will soon become habit! The practice comes everyday when we go places and practice using our "<a href="http://bit.ly/2EvLNVh" target="_blank">duck tails and bubbles</a>" and say our little rhyme to help us remember. I post one of the anchor charts near the door and sometimes just give a little point as we walk out the door. We even have posted the anchor charts at a few spots in the hallway to serve as little reminders when there are lots of bodies and movement in the hall.<br />
Creating a little "invitation to play" can be SO helpful for the littles that have never been to school and need a little more concrete practice. Here are the elements I used to create this provocation:<br />
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The Line Up Book by Marisabina Russo<br />
Duck Tails and Bubbles Anchor Chart <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2EvLNVh" target="_blank">(from our Classroom Management & Behavior Anchor Chart Bundle)</a></span><br />
random figurines ( I used some wood animals, bear counters, monster finger puppets)<br />
black beans for another object to line up<br />
washi tape to create a couple of lines<br />
a white board, marker and eraser for doing a pictorial representation of a line )if they wish)<br />
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I'm sure you'll think of other great items you have on hand to add to your provocation! If you create a line up invitation to play please keep in touch and let me know how it goes or send me a picture or two!<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2EvLNVh" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUy66J2NxzjR9tQwXAdP7diQ8mbcrrfPauI7ensc00RBJiKjo3UCpZ1lAW57TLDCakN90BKExcQNSfdtN7wfUh1wbRH-00uSSmSLNXn2NVf4ujDgCjTgMtfKj_Mn_44fQwlg4gLCUX82E/s640/how+to+line+up+invitation+to+play.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Link to resource:</span><br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/2EvLNVh" target="_blank">Classroom Management & Behavior Anchor Charts & Slideshow</a><br />
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-size: large;">Here are links to a couple of books I love about lining up!</span><br />
<span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-size: large;">(Just sharing ... I am not affiliated with Amazon!)</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=littlebirdkin-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0688062040&asins=0688062040&linkId=dac21264279306ccf33421814edc0758&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=littlebirdkin-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=189478684X&asins=189478684X&linkId=bbf31a89404767981a1ed603a9cbe53d&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-76434728097610099752018-08-06T18:29:00.000-07:002018-08-07T11:57:24.637-07:005 Tips for Teaching Number Sense & Number Talks that Impact Learning & Engagement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bit.ly/2AJNiBh" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLnW1idMLnN4S2qLgy_viC-k_Eq88LmgwQMrcYZcMuAzVJL-7_FqXbs8bzG3gOK_8K9nyWqYJeDiciTiQw5QPg5AmMn46Lh4j3NrCjegnPCqOc_Sw42r-DwRlL1k7dcyaP9gFnmYIfgwf/s640/Number+Sense+Blog+Header.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Around the back on the railroad track, you made a 2 just like that! Solid foundations in number sense are prerequisites for any math learning! We sometimes think they have it when they come to us because they can count a little, but when we get to know them a little better we learn that they don’t understand that a 2 = 🍎🍎 (Am I right??!!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-BUNDLE-1-20-1481435" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicauptX9eNZV7OaDZ1D1FYTU0wTm8KYewYqyRJqS4Lbt2aVW7HnbI-CWE5pT6seIsVkaDN7-Q3FdLLm5Yf0kaS7x9IPavVudCWs-KVRt31bGMNZ8HDK4Ekb8KjU_lup0feoRyqK8DOuCB/s640/5+tips+for+teaching+number+sense.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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We can’t assume they have it, so skipping over deliberate instruction and practice of number sense is not an option! I start at the very beginning of the year with math talks at calendar, and math workshops, using my <a href="http://bit.ly/2AJNiBh" target="_blank">Number Sense Anchor Charts</a> to support instruction & scaffold at labs. They offer multiple representations and pneumonic rhymes for writing the numerals.<br />
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Here are some tips for teaching number sense to your littles!<br />
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<b>1</b>. Start at the beginning. Even if kids come to school and can count, it doesn't mean that they have<br />
a solid foundation in number sense. Sometimes they can fool ya, but it doesn't take long to see the gaps. When I say start at the beginning I mean assume nothing. Assume they don't know that a<br />
a 2 = 🍎🍎 ... even if they do, it won't hurt them to hear how you talk about numbers and make sense of the numerals and quantities. Starting out on the same page is SO important. Using the same language and them hearing you articulate math talk is key - from the first day of school.<br />
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<b>2.</b> Use TPR ... all day long! TPR (total physical response) makes ALL the difference in solidifying number sense. They REALLY need to show those numbers on fingers. I even show them how I use my thumb to hold down fingers I don't need when I'm showing <i>how many. </i> For some of them it's a new skill just to learn how to manipulate their fingers!<br />
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<b>3. </b>Talk numbers all day long, not just during math instruction. Make a point to mention numbers during every content area in some way. "Here I have 3 books that we are going to read today! Let's count them! 1, 2, 3! Show me three fingers!" .... etc. Inserting it naturally in LOTS of conversations will make a huge difference!<br />
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<b>4.</b> Build in a Number Talk time into your calendar time EVERYDAY. Starting on the very first day of school and everyday there after, we talk about a number, until we make it all the way to 10. Then we begin to talk about operations beginning with addition. I use my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-BUNDLE-1-20-1481435" target="_blank">number sense anchor charts</a> and we talk about each thing on the chart. We count each representation, we say the pneumonic rhyme to learn how to write the numeral, we draw it big in the air small in the air, and on our hand. They turn to their partner and tell a sentence about the number.... so they have to use that number in their sentence. (At my house we have 2 dogs.) Then their partner has to give them an "I heard you say sentence. (At your house you have two dogs) As they grow and begin to learn more numbers, I add<br />
little questions or challenges. I encourage TPR between the partners when they are talking numbers as an added way to solidify number sense.<br />
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I do not post my number anchor charts on our calendar math talk board until we have learned them. Our "<a href="http://bit.ly/2vnMrAY" target="_blank">number of the day</a>" is something we do together, so they become a partners in the reason the numbers are posted on the board (very impactful!) vs. having them already there and they just become another piece of text around the room. Even after we get to 10, i still do a number of the day.<br />
I do almost a drum roll approach to see what it's going to be (extra copy of the anchor chart turned upside down)... they get sooo excited! I usually do it in a riddle kind of way. "I'm thinking of a number that we have 4 of in our classroom, they are long and tall, shaped like rectangles and we go<br />
in and out of them"... I tell them they cannot shout out, they must hold their thinking in their brain, and then they turn and whisper to their partner their predictions. Capturing their engagement and attention for our number of the day is so much fun and really starts our day out right, not to mention all of the schema we are building! <a href="http://bit.ly/2vnMrAY" target="_blank">(</a>Find our Number Sense Anchor Charts <a href="http://bit.ly/2AJNiBh" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
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<b>5. </b>Invitations to count and practice number sense. There are soooo many ways to do this! Math workshops, labs, centers, small groups, etc. Whatever works for you in your classroom, just make sure you provide opportunity everyday. Practice is essential. Using any hands-on manipulatives you have. Using theme related objects is a fun way to integrate and make it new and fun each week.<br />
As you observe them at their workshops watch to see if they are beginning to count with accuracy, touching one object and saying one number. If not this is the time to model for them and provide a hand over hand to scaffold for them.<br />
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Number sense is essential to any and all future math learning, so starting out with solid instruction and hands-on practice to provide a concrete foundation will be an invaluable building block in their math schema! Find our <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-BUNDLE-1-20-1481435" target="_blank">Number Sense Anchor Charts for Little Learners</a> in the shop to help you guide your young mathematicians!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2AJNiBh" target="_blank">Number Sense Anchor Charts for Little Learners</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2vnMrAY" target="_blank">Number of the Day Anchor Chart for Little Learners</a></span><br />
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Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-30509749043362182132018-07-30T16:18:00.003-07:002018-08-02T11:24:10.733-07:00Inspiring KindnessWe hear it all the time. Be kind. Kindness matters. Pay it forward. It's on posters and social media and hashtags and t-shirts. Good! Thank goodness it's being talked about! How, though, do we get our kids to DO IT?? Kindness can be a personality trait, an adjective, but for our kids to do it, we must teach them that it's a <i>verb</i>. Kindness is displayed in action. That can mean words or it can mean an act, but it should be an action word.<br />
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Conversations <i>everyday with our students </i>are imperative. To teach, to provide context and example.<br />
Shining a light on what is good, and kind, and what we want to see repeated. Anything, really, can set the stage. It might be something that happened in class, the playground, or in the cafeteria. Anecdotes that provide a connection and some schema for what we are talking about. Characters from books we read make great talking points for teaching about character. What was their point of view? How do you think the other characters felt about that? So powerful.<br />
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I love using quotes too. They can be fantastic conversation starters. "What do you think _____<br />
meant when they said that? What could that mean for us in our classroom? For you at home?".<br />
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I have created a set of <a href="http://bit.ly/2LgRBVe" target="_blank">Farmhouse Growth Mindset/Kindness Posters </a>that can be used as charming decor, but also serve as terrific talking points and reminders for classroom culture! If you pick these up and display them in your classroom, please send me a photo so I can share it on Facebook and Instagram! littlebirdkindergarten@gmail.com<br />
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<br />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-80277514406127297152018-04-23T18:15:00.002-07:002018-04-23T18:15:21.892-07:00FARM Round Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Somehow, for some reason, some things just get old after teaching them a few times! If I ever get to feeling this way I usually will try to perk it up a bit with a new resource or a new approach! At any rate, when I do it always seems to come out on the great end for kids anyway since they love the activities and it makes it a deeper learning experience for them!<br />
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There are SO many great classroom titles to use when teaching about Farm... and by the way, honestly teaching the farm theme never gets old for me! I love it. Maybe it's my farm girl roots, or my love for Fixer Upper or anything chippy, cute or born on a farm! It lends itself to so many fun classroom activities and centers!<br />
I love getting out the farm animals and putting them in the block center, and seeing all of the creative ways the littles build their pens, etc. Creating a sensory lab or station with corn, beans, some little farm animals and craft sticks makes for some wonderful imaginative play!<br />
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I always try to use natural ways to get kids talking and "putting miles on their tongues" as we learn about a new topic. I use <a href="http://bit.ly/2JxeL9z" target="_blank">this little reader</a> during the entire unit as something to do when finished, as<br />
a small group activity or a time filler to take out and read together when we have a minute or two to fill! They love being able to read it, and I love giving them lots of opportunities to practice reading behaviors and oral language! At the end of the unit they LOVE taking their books home to read to their families! It's so fun to ask them the next day what mom and dad thought of their reading... sweetest smiles! So proud! <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , "ubuntu" , sans-serif , "arial unicode ms" , "zapf dingbats" , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "notocoloremoji" , "emojisymbols" , "symbola" , "noto" , "android emoji" , "androidemoji" , "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , "applecoloremoji" , "apple color emoji"; text-align: center;">❤</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another fun activity for a farm unit is <a href="http://bit.ly/2DuXqdc" target="_blank">Write the Room</a>! There are sooo many amazing reasons to write the room! Do you do it in your classroom?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Write the Room is one of my go to centers for each theme! I love how they get so good at it and when the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">theme changes they go to town on the new cards! I a</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">lso love how they use the words in their everyday w</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">riting! They remember where in the room the cards a</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">re and love recalling them to use!</span></div>
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It's so quick and easy to print the cards, cut and place them around the room. All you need is clip boards, pencils and copies of the response pages!</div>
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If you've used any of my close reading resources you might like this <a href="http://bit.ly/2Hq4BKn" target="_blank">fun </a></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2Hq4BKn" target="_blank">close reading and listening comprehension pack</a> that I made! The kids LOVE</div>
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learning a little more in depth about the farm animals. The facts they pick up and</div>
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are able to write and report about are pretty impressive. The passages, as with all</div>
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of my other close reading resources, are original and especially written for little learners.</div>
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They are packed with vocabulary and literacy skills that build thinkers!</div>
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Check back often, I have more farm activities in the works and can't wait to share them with you soon!</div>
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Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-83004010811448486952018-04-09T15:48:00.005-07:002018-11-13T08:28:04.673-08:00If You Give A Pig A Pancake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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BIG FAN of Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond! I mean really big! I LOVE their books so much! SO much that I decided we need more of them in our lives!! Designing and creating companion activities to go with books is how I got my start and what I most love to do!<br />
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Making the book go further, extending it and squeezing out every possible opportunity of learning and fun in the classroom is my goal! I LOVE that when you do book extensions the books become part of your classroom in a way that just reading them can't. I LOVE that the books become like old friends... our experiences with them beg to be remembered later on... "Remember when we..."<br />
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Integrating so many parts of our day using the activities in different contexts and content areas just makes for a much more rich and engaging experience! I have LOVED working on this resource!<br />
I love taking a book that I've had for a long, long time, and breathing new life into interacting with it!<br />
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If you have this book and you are looking for a companion, I bet you and your kids will LOVE it too!<br />
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Teachers Pay Teachers links to resources:</span></b><br />
<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2GHHiaG" target="_blank">If You Give A Pig A Pancake Story Companion</a></span></b><br />
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255); color: magenta; font-family: "letters for learners";"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Affiliate for the book:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>(Click on photo for link)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060266864/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060266864&linkCode=as2&tag=littlebirdkin-20&linkId=ed753f4c0397360da131cd15cb0d8b23" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0060266864&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=littlebirdkin-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=littlebirdkin-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0060266864" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-49351663945441591172018-04-09T14:43:00.001-07:002018-04-10T10:24:40.192-07:003 Reasons to Write the Room<h3>
Why Write the Room??</h3>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2IFML26" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5heGPxHF9jXqZc0PBDpSuKi-z7jR1szbFHB7yh5rPGhmhPQ2CicTdNQzguZjvoVVG2DLKV0IoVVbAukNrBRNq7ElBzQwW8BLYgS86nDlmRfyM-Ri9hDyxY65IkepRCaYm57Mq0XgMtI98/s640/3.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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It might just seem like a fun and easy way to insert your theme into centers, but it is SO much more!<br />
Underneath those cute cards taped up around the room, and that clipboard in tow are the makings of<br />
a powerful punch of academics and fine motor skills wrapped up into one neat little package!<br />
Here's why:<br />
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1. Writing/Reading</h3>
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For obvious reasons...</div>
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<b>Writing:</b> practicing writing letters and words in orders that don't happen in everyday class work<br />
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(cvc etc.) name writing, numbers etc.</div>
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<b>Reading: </b>Looking around the room for the cards, then visually discriminating the letters they see</div>
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is more challenging for a little learner than you might think! Imagine yourself doing the same thing,</div>
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looking around the room for a card so that you can write the word, only your characters are in </div>
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Chinese (Mandarin).... would you have to look hard? Would you have to study the characters to </div>
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see how to make them? I would presume it's much like that for many of our littles! </div>
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2. Oral Language</h3>
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Not an obvious one, but important nonetheless. As they are walking around working to find cards</div>
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and then set to work writing... they are talking! Magical academic language at it's best! I LOVE to sneak up behind and eavesdrop a bit on the conversations! So good! Asking questions, taking turns</div>
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speaking and listening. Ya, I like it.</div>
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3. Fine motor skills/dexterity/hand and wrist strength</h3>
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Whoa!! The power of what happens during Write the Room in the area of motor skills is mind-blowing! Think of all they are doing by holding a clipboard at a slant and holding a pencil to</div>
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write at a slant....</div>
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<b>hand and wrist strength</b><br />
<b>dexterity</b><br />
<b>strong control of finger muscles (fine motor)</b></div>
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Play has changed a LOT in the last few years. Kids are <i>tableting</i> more and writing less, dexterity has</div>
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suffered! They need LOTS of opportunities to practice fine motor skills in productive ways that</div>
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can provide academic perks as well! </div>
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I have always loved providing <a href="http://bit.ly/2IFML26" target="_blank">write the room opportunities</a> and I include write the room in nearly all of my resources, even my <a href="http://bit.ly/2IqA4IECLOSEREADINGBUNDLE" target="_blank">close reading resources</a> have write the room included for each passage! I have had lots of requests to make more stand alone write the rooms, so I've been adding a few here and there! If you've never tried it with your class, I hope you will! Let me know how it goes!<br />
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If you need help getting started, here are some <a href="http://bit.ly/2IFML26" target="_blank">simple resources</a> to get you going!<br />
<b>Click on the pictures for the links!</b><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2GshzU7" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="858" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7jNJc-OD9h5PGvca14c_2-2PMVI5hf32Eca-ZoPBk-wOV_6viMI2_QHG1hE2pplZzdnURx7hXlQ2ZcuMV31rWjN9p7aV0ynJEOaDqWqIuy6A3i8eM5dFAQnlwF_6WsLJlodTKCNpr5_E/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-04-09+at+2.32.01+PM.png" width="537" /></a></div>
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Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-68188335562788847992018-03-16T19:05:00.002-07:002018-08-06T18:05:31.355-07:00Organizing Your Time Freebie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bit.ly/2tTAxAx" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01zbRWRfefzW48AKBeNa2PLasvEpg8SwZ_62YLXjYU1bwW-QNv9GVvHDTMnW0lvi0tvFsmrH5v2XzXoCcr2eV1Eoeij9wqLwvTb38fiKz-Q9rDDyKNtZHaBHBr8MVYX8HSJ8e9CDVN7SP/s640/printable+calendar+freebie+feature.jpg.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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With Spring Break coming to an end, (boo!) it's time to start thinking about getting back to school.<br />
I am a list person. Always have been. When I am looking ahead to the school week ahead I like to have a single page calendar that I can lay out my week on. I use one color pen for home stuff, and another color for school. It really helps me organize my thoughts and keep track of everything going on. I refer back to it during the week and usually keep it in my purse or school bag so that I can cross off or add to. I created a new one to use and thought you might like it too! It's Rae Dunn inspired for all you Rae Dunn fans out there! Hope your first week back is a good one!!<br />
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Here's a quick link to my shop, so you can grab the<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/2tTAxAx" target="_blank">Week-at-a-Glance Printable Calendar FREEBIE!</a><br />
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<br />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-91561299807835950522018-03-14T12:02:00.000-07:002018-03-14T12:49:21.159-07:00Parenting Literacy<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2sWWvzY" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe8D5SdzVBaqSPekRhhNGXsafvBOAjXXY8HRgZYr1GxehiaQhV2iqOWqp_tUnLMjMuwNaPgCpUnRbYvHP9H73qEJVLDl2-6H_QEAA639E9TQX2BsGzI6t5euD50Gbo3o3R6kk85BOPFXN/s640/Parenting+Literacy+Feature.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Parenting Literacy. . . . what is it? My definition of parenting literacy is:</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">Parents who possess the awareness and skills to thoughtfully </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">and intentionally raise their children to be:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-size: large;">• Aware of themselves and the world around them</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-size: large;">• Emotionally intelligent, and physically healthy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-size: large;">• Of a happy disposition ready to learn, grow and thrive</span><br />
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Sounds so simple, doesn't it? Any of us who are parents know it is not. Parenting is the best, hardest job there is. So much to do. So much to think about. All. The. Time. It never ends, but as some would say, that's what we signed up for, right? As teachers we know what we see. We see it all, the great, the good, the mediocre, and the downright ugly. We have such a unique perspective. Many of us are parents, so we truly know the struggle. But... since many of us are parents, we know that it takes self-discipline, selflessness, patience and self introspection to try and get it right most of the time.<br />
So many things we would like to share and instill in parents of our students, but there is no way we have the time to do it.<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2sWWvzY" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwByIeM21bbPTunFCpGNA3JAGiGfLzf4Omul54QX1TGhpd7cxVTBWiPk1AKd2eMhky9jwTwrx8u5BL46gRvfBYATkyrzIeLGaPnC-gdssNf5Bhh-7CKB3Fh3d5aoC8O2LjuTXDcTz-kj0C/s640/Parenting+Literacy+Long+Pin+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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After many years of seeing examples of amazing parents and just as many examples of not-so-amazing parents, I wrote a <a href="http://bit.ly/2sWWvzY" target="_blank">school-year-long series of articles</a> for teachers to send home each week with their students. With the hope that every now and then parents who might need a dose of parenting literacy will open up a back pack to find some parenting inspiration! I know you can't force it, but with the weekly consistency they might just look forward to knowing that their shot of parenting literacy is coming each week!<br />
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I have heard from hundreds of teachers and several administrators that their parents are pleased to be given some support and the struggles they face. I love to think of these articles as "Close Reading for Parents"! The articles are not progressive - send them home out of order if you need to in order to address certain issues as they arrive. It's never too late to start! Parents would appreciate getting them any time you start sending them home!<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2sWWvzY" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv4UO0gRPgmyIYdUssSecESK2HfeQrZqPlHw88TiY79Fsh8w5ZFPKLEFRZ5na-0RlSyQ-E2IEFm15kN7sBfExbMaaauHAwMN9j4g-5BAoURzX6uuloQXTP5fN_E7Ue2r5eBCyxwf5aIZ1/s640/Parenting+Literacy+long+pin.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<br />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-71579938058440047322018-02-07T13:02:00.001-08:002018-03-13T08:53:19.308-07:00Close Reading for Valentine's DayWhat better way to insert some academics into Valentine's Day than a close read? Another opportunity to interact closely with text, and a highly engaging topic make for lessons strong enough to stand up to an evaluation! Kathy J. told me she used the Valentine's close read with annotations for her evaluation last year (on Valentine's Day) and she rocked it! Good job, Kathy! My only question is, what were they thinking scheduling an evaluation on Valentine's Day?? Sounds kind of awful, but Kathy made it work! The truth is, it's all in the presentation, and even when they're super excited and full of energy we can always find productive ways to make the day a day full of learning!<br />
This close read is part of my <a href="http://bit.ly/2DVe3Ue" target="_blank">Close Reading for Kindergarten & First Grade February March Editio</a>n.<br />
Also included are passages, writing prompts, vocabulary cards and write the room for Groundhog Day, President's Day, and St. Patrick's Day.<br />
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<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-23350815182370129032018-01-16T19:02:00.000-08:002018-08-06T18:33:45.345-07:00Anchor Charts for Little Learners & a FreebieOne of my favorite ways to teach is through the use of anchor charts. There are sooo many different ways to use them! It is so helpful to have them to refer to during instruction, either when introducing a new concept, or when spiraling around to re-teach or review. They can be a great "memory jogger"! They are also great for interventions or tutoring. They provide context and reference for the person who is providing intervention to refer to.<br />
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Sometimes when time allows it's fun to get creative and make an anchor chart, but it's also pretty nice to be able to print one out and have it ready to use, post or put up on the smart board or doc cam.<br />
There's really no right or wrong way. The goal is to support instruction and scaffold learning, so whatever you have time for will work just fine.<br />
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For basic concepts I really like to use pre-made charts. They are ready to go, they can be used at centers as reference, and they even become part of my decor.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Little-Bird-Kindergarten/Category/-9819-Anchor-Charts-301298" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DkcjlMwbpMxqE16-eQ7sixRYqsMeGLq7Qr20F3Zijro0WYvIku9QL5TRBJOpvCbqiyke_y6LAKGmg1qGYx1G97TwqJR2TI1PLheD0YLjC1j5mxuJNP2qfZ6NjvT7qAHsKTlbMW0SNAnC/s640/Square+Blog+Picture+Template.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For content, I like to have the elements already glued on my chart paper, and then the kids and I can build the chart together. My close reading resources all have elements that are ready to print and go for each passage. They make it super easy to prep the day before and then work on the chart with the kids. I have also found that this is a great activity for a sub day! It's easy to prep and can take up a good chunk of time. The sub can re-read the passage with the kids, ask some of the questions and/or review some of the vocabulary. They can then work on the anchor chart together based on what they have read in the passage. Following up with one of the many writing prompts completes the activity.<br />
The subs I have left this for have loved it, and I know that my kids are doing something purposeful while I'm away! (Example below is from my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spiders-Close-Reading-Listening-Comprehension-for-Kindergarten-First-Grade-3445575" target="_blank">Spiders Close Reading Resource</a>)<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/LBKClosereading" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCfiVT5z-updJju6rN13TipF5kxkvwImtC_zkTc5sJ1mTUYEkqixnHpY8ESgDJsrIt7gE6FGp-uzSbkRZDqzUSrAYiBqFT-M52_uvcnzLN4cYnl06RgImvUy0VXfnlRL4j_VvhrzDj3A4/s640/3+Minute+Anchor+Chart+Elements.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anchor charts really are versatile! Here is a fun little freebie for you to try during science!<br />
This anchor chart focuses on writing like a scientist does. Try using during a lesson, then post it in your science center to remind students when they are working independently! (<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Write-Like-a-Scientist-Anchor-Chart-for-Little-Learners-3595470" target="_blank">CLICK on picture</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-to-Write-Like-a-Scientist-Anchor-Chart-for-Little-Learners-3595470" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="720" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uBwWH-4wTaOLpsR_ltARaiGKZwm_UdpCkfxSL0rQLs5uwf68-s3i_82BoUjX1LOs6nD2mrTsKPFwJ14rcnhPfydu3fANTlOqRUQIAvxIO1biu6XH1LAlIsimhk6GP8ayi7vvEJJNEXgT/s640/How+to+Write+Like+a+Scientist+Anchor+Chart.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Here are links to some of my most </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">popular print & go Anchor Charts!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-Plus-Silent-e-Long-Vowels-2020301" target="_blank">Alphabet Anchor Charts</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digraph-Anchor-Charts-Practice-Pages-for-Little-Learners-2164076" target="_blank">Digraph Anchor Charts for Little Learners</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-Anchor-Charts-For-Little-Learners-0-10-804995" target="_blank">Number Sense Anchor Charts for Little Learners 1-10</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-11-20-984960" target="_blank">Number Sense Anchor Charts for Little Learners (11-20)</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-3366573" target="_blank">Color Anchor Charts for Little Learners</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Body-Parts-Anchor-Charts-For-Little-Learners-Craftivity-Research-Project-885724" target="_blank">Body Parts Anchor Charts for Little Learners</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Management-Behavior-Anchor-Charts-Slideshow-Bundle-1984814" target="_blank">Classroom Management Anchor Charts</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Role-of-Author-Illustrator-for-Little-Learners-RLK6-1461665" target="_blank">Role of Author & Illustrator Anchor Charts</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-with-Text-Types-Purposes-2698426" target="_blank">Writing Anchor charts for Little Learners</a></div>
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<img align="left" src="https://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png">Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-26397416318205074562017-12-04T12:16:00.001-08:002018-03-08T06:50:49.705-08:00Integration is as easy as PB & J!Are there ever enough hours in the day? I don't know about you, but for me, the school day flies! I almost always have too much planned to get through! Integrating content areas helps SO much! If you can nail several standards in one activity, then why not? Not to mention the value that it brings to learning! Kids learn best when they can see connections, and when they have time and opportunity to<br />
process, work through, and apply learning in different ways. That's when the magic of transfer happens. It's also when they <i>learn how to learn</i>...<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/LBKClosereading" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1559" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvllC5gkVkdUZdhF-DQ-pM2LdDhyphenhyphen2J9EhSrXaXdkSnSZrITMy6FaE1z3wOeE6gZzEF7F0Bt74Iwln8UdyJiMkA2D1MWfmDQap_xeY9k8971FbkzEB1GLTjnxmeVq2YonEVe1s2WMqeQ0i/s640/integrateeasypbj.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's kind of like peanut butter & jelly! What's peanut butter without the jelly? Dry and a bit boring! What's jelly without the peanut butter? Sweet, but slippery, nothing to hold on to! Together though...<br />
magic! They bring out the best in each other! They make the other more than they could have ever been on their own! The same could be said to be true of integrating content areas! Science... cool and interesting, but to read, write, and talk about it makes it come to life! So much to cling to... to much to build on! So much to think about and so many connections to make! Viola! The magic in learning is tying it all together!<br />
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For me there is no better way to teach science than to integrate it with reading and writing skills. I love building several mini lessons around a meaty close reading passage, essential questions and lots of follow up discussions, writing activities and oral language opportunities. I feel best about my instruction when I do this because I know that I am providing my kids with great materials, but<br />
also I am scaffolding adventures of <i>how to be a learner</i>. No surface learning here. The learning that occurs is <i>deep, meaningful, and lasting</i>. I am always amazed at the number of times throughout the rest of the school year that kids bring up notions, discussions or facts from our integrated<br />
science lessons. I'm also always impressed with the growth that occurs in their writing, oral language,<br />
general stamina for paying attention, comprehension, and general abilities as students.<br />
<br />
Although I love making all kinds of materials for early learners, I love writing and designing these<br />
meaty lessons the best, probably because for me they are the most fun to teach! I have always loved<br />
teaching in units vs. the fragments that some adoptions inherently bring. The richness it provides to the classroom environment cannot be understated, and is timeless in pedagogy. Although we all have slightly different state standards that we teach by, some Common Core, some not, one thing remains the same. We all teach young learners. Essentially, the basic skills each must learn to be prepared for future learning are largely the same, the path to get there, largely different.<br />
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In my nearly 30 years of experience, I have seen many, many adoptions come and go in every content area. The expectations for instruction and use of those materials varies from administrator to administrator, but I have found that most all respect an integrated, thoughtful approach drenching students the deep learning that only integration of content areas can bestow. It's not <i>instead of</i> the<br />
purchased district adoptions, <i>it's with</i>. Teachers Pay Teachers resources <i>can be friends</i> with big box<br />
adoptions, remember it takes a village!<br />
<br />
I have been writing close reading resources for many years, and they are still my most popular to date. The feedback I get from teachers is why I keep writing more! I have been working on creating new close reading resources that provide an even deeper learner experience. The resources are filled with many lessons and activities that could be used for comprehensive activities such as research projects, but my personal favorite are mini lessons. They are easy to fit into lesson plans that are already packed with "have-to's"!<br />
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If you try out activities and think of it, please send your in-action pictures to me for a chance to win<br />
a monthly drawing for a Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card! littlebirdkindergarten@gmail.com<br />
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Below are a few of my favorite resources for integrating science!<br />
Happy integrating!! :o)<br />
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-8823669544746621672017-05-26T14:50:00.000-07:002018-11-06T14:51:08.145-08:00A New ChapterI have begun a new chapter in my life! After nearly 30 years in kindergarten I have retired from full time teaching to pursue other dreams. I still have SO MUCH love & enthusiasm for teaching... so I plan to bottle it up, and pour all of that love, experience, and enthusiasm into writing and designing lots more activities and lessons to share! (My notebooks full of ideas are locked, loaded and ready to go!)<br />
My sweet husband built me a beautiful new office to create in, and I feel more inspired than ever to continue to create!<br />
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I have done what you do! My kids are grown and out of college now, but I have been a working mom my whole life, in fact, this is the first time in my adult life that I haven't had a contract to teach full time. I know how hard it is, how much work it is to be a teacher and a mom, and a wife, and a housekeeper, and the list goes on... Lots of juggling, it was my way of life. I loved lots of it, but if I'm being honest, there were times that all that juggling got pretty exhausting. It is my sincere hope that the resources I have written and will continue to create will in some way save you some time, make your life a little bit easier, and bring some enriching activities to your classroom! It is also my hope that the tips, tricks and insights from my years in the classroom can offer some perspective and hope for you on your teaching journey!<br />
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My fork in the road came last February. I took the path that I had never traveled on. It was a leap for me. There was so much safety in doing what I had always done. The unknown can be a bit scary.<br />
I feel stronger as a teacher than I ever have. I LOVE sharing what I have learned along the way.<br />
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I tell you about my new chapter because you have been my customers, many of you have bought<br />
multiple products from me, and every time you decide to buy from me I am so flattered! I want you to know what I'm doing now, and authenticity matters to me. You have trusted me to create resources for you to use with your kids! To me there is nothing more important than that!! I appreciate your support, kind feedback, and sweet words more than you'll ever know. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.<br />
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Oh my goodness how I miss my little peeps!! Five year olds are so my people!<br />
One of things I will be doing in this new season of life is substitute teaching- hopefully lots of kinder classes! I will be excited to use my new resources in the classes I am guest teaching in, but since I won't have a classroom of my own I would love to see "action shots" of my resources being used!<br />
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Thank you for taking the time to read about my new season of life. I have so much to share... and now I have a little more time to do it. I am so excited & and so grateful for YOU!<br />
xo<br />
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<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-80567286976042080442016-10-23T18:00:00.001-07:002018-04-09T16:35:56.105-07:00Miles On The Tongue: First Steps to Literacy<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">“The
limits of my language are the limits of my world.” ~Ludwig Wittgenstein</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">When it comes to teaching there really are no truer words. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our
classrooms are becoming more and more global, diverse and cosmopolitan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">As much as things change, some things still hold true. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All
learners must have </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic;">multiple
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">opportunities
to speak: talking, singing, reading,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>saying, telling ---- all contributing means to
<b>“miles on the tongue”</b> also known as fluency when speaking.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
ability to speak fluently cannot be underestimated in its pre-requisite value
both before and as l</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">earning
to become a fluent reader. It is estimated that children need exposure to
approximately </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;"><b>30,000
words</b> a day by the time they begin school to be fully ready to learn. (Both </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">quantity
and quality of words matter)</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">You </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">can imagine how different
households offer different opportunities for language, or <i>not so much. </i></span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">A
second language learner who has been exposed to rich language interactions at
home, in his native </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">tongue
is much more prepared for school, and for learning a new language.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Brown-Bear-Brown-Bear-Miles-on-the-Tongue-Oral-Language-Reader-2844077" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQdBJOFeQB7F1EQNw2SGsU7cYs6cTgSnSFEt0HRzquOfKFHBQz_NK13FURV-tWBD-pgpLMj_zAZrIZGOtJQLDqqbos0Aj8pXlU5BEbRr0DSMxD-8TYMJlMRvdpSyQw6xd0Lgsfwj0Ru8T/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Fluency
in the first language equals preparedness to learn a second language </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">successfully
at school. We have all known every kind of learner in our classrooms, with
every kind of </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">background.
It is staggering to think of the vast differences our students come equipped
with. </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">Language
skills that have developed enriched vocabularies, critical thinking skills, and
abilities </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">to
relate to others, or alternatively, depravation that cannot revel in any of
these competencies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All
of that being said, good instruction for second language learners</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">is
good instruction for all. Making sure that little learners have multiple
opportunities</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">at
school to become fluent with their oral language is just as, or possibly more </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">important
than all other instruction. It is sometimes forgotten, sometimes assumed they
already </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">have
it,</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">and sometimes just misunderstood,
but it truly is the foundation to which all other learning </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">can
occur. It is imperative to deliberately plan for and provide </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">opportunity,
time and resources to help bridge the gap for many of our little ones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">I met with parents of my students last week at conferences. I needed the assistance of a translator with every single conference this time. I am always </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">surprised at how they don't think they can help their child to learn language just because they can't speak English. I encourage them to read books in their native </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">language and talk to their children as much as possible. All of the same things I </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">encourage with my English speaking parents. They are surprised to hear how important a role they play. (I wish I could have talked to them 5 years ago!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">I have many little books that I have written in a very predictable way, to facilitate</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">oral language practice for my kids. I am slowly making them pretty enough to share</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 15px;">with you! I have two so far, but have many more in the works.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is
my sincere hope that your students can put many </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“miles
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">on
their </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">tongues”
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">with</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">my
Oral Language Practice Predictable Readers. I wrote them with every little
learner</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">in
mind! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In my nearly 30 years of teaching both English speaking and second </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">language
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">learners,
there is no greater joy I have found in the classroom than</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">observing
students </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">achieve
more oral language proficiency than they started with. The </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">comfort, </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">the
repetition, the oral language proficiency, and confidence that is
gained</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">and
then realized again at home when </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">practicing
their little books </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">is
truly priceless</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Not to mention the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">valuable </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">literacy skills!)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We use our little books all the time. I teach my kids </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">to
practice pointing to the words (and looking at the pictures for clues, wink,
wink!) every time </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">they </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">read, so they are always practicing
good reading behaviors. After </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">reading
at school several times,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">whole group, small group, partners,
to self</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">)
they </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">take
their book home to share. I recommend to </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">them </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">that they put a little star
(asterisk style</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">) on </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">the back every time they read it,
and try to fill it </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">up </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">with dozens of little stars! I
place extra </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">copies
</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">of
each predictable reader in our Browse Box for</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">students
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">to
pick up and read in the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">classroom
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11.0pt;">when
they are finished with work or at centers etc. </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">They </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">love it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;"> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pumpkin-Pumpkin-Miles-on-the-Tongue-Oral-Language-Reader-2844092" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0qzFy3fmBh3E0SMofRMkBDv_yQUkyJYw9v6dFZkF38O-TU0C6FMR6HL60xGRTwCG_3xeh_nZHdRW2_FLcnWMmfkMxc_B8MFL_SKXRNSp8QWvB4sLRVl-60PxSMf35FTni9426ropcKjR/s640/Slide02.jpg" width="496" /></a></span><br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pumpkin-Pumpkin-Miles-on-the-Tongue-Oral-Language-Reader-2844092" target="_blank">Pumpkin, Pumpkin Oral Language Practice Reader</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Brown-Bear-Brown-Bear-Miles-on-the-Tongue-Oral-Language-Reader-2844077" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDU4hKtlNgaIIi3oP42VG75-J3WI6ruEScFX9MNoXQJPoPuzvUJvVchCqBgX3xZ-OTt14yPFyYDiMTCdRz3YF62JwRNZkZ6ufKNmp5dJsjJFykTXmdv9Te7OlMb3q5Azb67FjQs6SzDkI/s640/Slide02.jpg" width="496" /></a><br />
Brown Bear, Brown Bear Oral Language Practice Reader<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Farm-Miles-on-the-Tongue-Oral-Language-Practice-Reader-2847399" target="_blank">Hello Farm! Oral Language Practice Reader</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Farm-Miles-on-the-Tongue-Oral-Language-Practice-Reader-2847399" target="_blank">Fish, Fish, In the Ocean Blue: Oral Language Practice Reader</a><br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2JxeL9z" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsz9RZfPaOssHJilVKesSssS1Rd6NAgz42w2nHPVLYN06odeLIB56bWQJC5xxgzvcONvaFbQQfm3DEbyCIyvac3gCJNo0qL9UzmCtwjQ4DV3wmrVPUcPh2_IPugmyRn9s3F6xyRwTcc2o/s640/1.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">If you are lucky </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">enough to </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">have </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">students </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">come and visit you when they are in third grade, </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">you </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">will be so glad you spent the </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">time </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">it took to intentionally plan </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">oral language </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">activities! </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">There </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">is no greater reward than hearing a </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">hesitant </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">kiddo become a </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">proficient </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">speaker</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 11pt;">!</span><br />
<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-79445051277564308682015-10-24T10:48:00.002-07:002018-03-08T06:49:16.355-08:00Literacy Anchor Charts for Little LearnersI love using anchor charts in my classroom! I love having information so ready and easy to access for my kids. It is so much fun to see even my little kinder kids so adept at knowing where in the classroom to find the information they need!<br />
I us my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-2020301" target="_blank">Alphabet Sense Anchor Charts</a> everyday for instruction and review. I also post them around the room for "writing the room" (they LOVE this!) The smaller version is great to have in the writing lab on a ring. They can find the chart they are looking for and use it much like a picture dictionary, but in a super kid-friendly way!<br />
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When my kids are doing letter work at their seats one of my favorite things to do is to display the<br />
PDF of the letter we are working on up on the Smart Board! Seeing it really big is so helpful for the kids and really brings it to life!<br />
It is so great being able to print out extra copies whenever I need it! (Hello <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial rounded mt bold" , "ubuntu" , sans-serif , "arial unicode ms" , "zapf dingbats" , "segoe ui emoji" , "segoe ui symbol" , "notocoloremoji" , "emojisymbols" , "symbola" , "noto" , "android emoji" , "androidemoji" , "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , "applecoloremoji" , "apple color emoji"; line-height: 33px; text-align: center;">❤</span>HP Instant Ink!!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-2020301" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQ0cObRsYSY9JDIowivkdgeYYnU_1rT94JCr8vLsRJV_xKF9LLL9Hpo9RQoQsUtuKDgHtzIi8fpbxXNAPdhR-66lYxqdsrKtDqum-Gsfb8tXqa8-DKB9aY09tHoERT6x5C6Zile3AxCSC/s640/Slide01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-2020301" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2SufBMp3t2eKpsk8Xaqtidbkx_M8WFS1Fqyun-x4i7XNGcg4rq-r2Shzcv6IfVEbFqH9O5x6b8xg0aD-1C7ZjQpl1l6hgGSR8CCxyKaIhFlsGpzVGp54a8VSv-2XVWVQeuPJoBh2e048/s400/Slide02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When I teach vowels I find it very frustrating and confusing when long and short vowel sounds are mixed together, so she I created these anchor charts I separated the long and short vowel sounds on their own anchor charts! This has been SO helpful for helping my students to listen for and hear the differences in the sounds! (All are included in my resource).<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-2020301" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_I3_tkNafOor-HusfnAISUiWPS7df0kLMh0740csqNgIB-OVHAC4sqYEVc5uMw79cjoE3H-JUD0lIjYhGkDmBoK30862UtjrDGMWdx550PLhsi4Sw7il94_nU-HfQbyqcgeEwQgovNTC_/s400/Slide03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Writing the room is a big part of our center time. They love the opportunity to look and find letters we are working on and write down the words that go with the picture. After all, walking around with a clip board is a very grown-up and official thing to do! (#hot-stuff)<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Sense-Anchor-Charts-for-Little-Learners-2020301" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_kdGJ5BXMCVQGVPUdV22qtAYQZVKwQ877qWmIpA9yz8ZtdTXaGT7uX7UJu4j_kX3-_jWhkDsY2LuRDCkkCKcXbuMLoygov7dCk2CDF5blimv3JuwN76MvRXF2H1dYTA8Za0GyM6vWlH9/s400/Slide52.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My newest anchor charts are for teaching the tricky digraphs (ch, ph, sh, th, wh). I have always explained to my kids that a digraph is a "super sound" because it is when </div>
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one sound + one sound = a new sound. I created anchor charts in the same style as my Alphabet Sense Anchor Charts to provide continuity when teaching these sounds. I love using them and they are really helpful to provide pictorial representations of each sound.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digraph-Anchor-Charts-Practice-Pages-for-Little-Learners-2164076" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH14xEZ4Ws_ehSLdDN-egC-_0-LAOGcb1soROwKmrfqShi5ttm0N0U-XHJB-qEZjEFbJkP8uwgTScXQpvBVofiVb7t6vH5vie1qw39_939JuNHYrGlkThYkbZpSpS8xGUZ8ECLnXTT9XmA/s640/Slide01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digraph-Anchor-Charts-Practice-Pages-for-Little-Learners-2164076" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHpceSsw9-FhCI8OKFcAkoERl9ldAAI358zvR5ijuxEMp6Vpx7hDB84nGGUlyiZvYuOmV9SY2Dv1bVFHcwA72LPU5joaVY-OxfZoC3E3p1Hv8IXQIppxSwpvgNXExG2yq_eKr_jB1HR7S/s400/Slide02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In this resource I have also included picture cards for sorting, and practice pages for students to apply the skills they are learning. One of the practice pages engages students in looking at pictures to pronounce and listen for the sound, with an open-ended space for them to draw and write about the illustrations that have that sound. The other practice page provides several pictures to cut and sort by the sound or NOT the sound. (They love this!)</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digraph-Anchor-Charts-Practice-Pages-for-Little-Learners-2164076" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIc-E1vFGv7-ZaEvhEdRnlOmLJB4yxWEa9aLFW9tAu-BHTmvkXmXAWqRP6NdKiFXEuKFIA4XK0FODCcP3jqKbpfREeUBxR0O-uiCWROgfSzpJ13wO0jgKY7V5XjFimoXQ1BJoh3BISBHKw/s400/Slide1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digraph-Anchor-Charts-Practice-Pages-for-Little-Learners-2164076" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpReuMLz_7tdAUM2SfBrCwv_hJkciGsQ-tzf-2zBsz9h_rX0a66pMw8uL7GabYwRv4idJh35BN57s0a5XGfW8D-5gTynZkLLi_WDImJEwuEB0ouSmK3sFnDFDb2_kRPhteyvVshQE6LCxn/s400/Slide2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I have also included the smaller version of each anchor chart, which I like to use in the writing center, laminated and on a ring (just like the Alphabet Anchor Charts). Write the Room recording sheets are also included!</div>
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<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-53131702563875390142015-07-28T13:57:00.001-07:002018-03-08T06:51:12.343-08:00Parenting Pep Talks - Best Practice Articles for All Year Long<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 17px;">If you read my last blog post, you probably already have a sense of how passionate I am about teaching kids about responsibility and emotional intelligence. I really, really, am!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 17px;">So much so, that for over a year now, I have been writing <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reach-Beyond-the-Classroom-Parenting-Articles-for-All-Year-Long-1989679" target="_blank">parenting articles</a> to send home each week with my students. I really believe that most parents really do the best they can, but as Maya Angelou put it so well . . . .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reach-Beyond-the-Classroom-Parenting-Articles-for-All-Year-Long-1989679" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ79IM00LM07YXsiMjOmLAdsYDDC2i4D66YJA5Nk4le2fZgRRyS2dLnq4PQBUu-D05FjOz6Nr4Dxi2H-6rKnpGq1VgtKp8XuYNS0YDGV6DTboyiD-Wo5H-735vovqqNZW_Yz868wGScO5_/s400/Slide2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum"; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reach-Beyond-the-Classroom-Parenting-Articles-for-All-Year-Long-1989679" target="_blank">This quote is a freebie in my store... just click on it, then click on "Preview" to download. </a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum";"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Back in May I wrote about "10 Things Teachers Absolutely LOVE" I got a lot of great feedback here, as well as on Facebook, so I know that my feelings resonate with a lot of other teachers who face so many challenges in the classroom. So many variables we cannot control. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum";"><span style="font-size: 17px;">So many wishes, so many worries. So much hope.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://littlebirdkindergarten.blogspot.com/2015/05/10-things-teachers-absolutely-love.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEUdZ9UH4TJSsbuBorDQotPfYf2x8JD06ZoYkXR2hGQhnmEfGYpqqntBf0uyF0nxJeISnMN2I87ck9UJ86m-Z6axceQd5AD56TvjioaG_jzjybA1tuPedYcOejMrI5af8NGiMekwnGkpW/s400/10+things.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum";"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Parents of today are: busy, stressed,
over-worked, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">sometimes
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">distracted</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">, but
like parents of the past who parented in simpler times, they want the best for
their kids. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">It is my sincere belief that raising
children in this technology filled – too easy to</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">be distracted life is one of the great
challenges of our day. Being deliberate</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">about thoughtful parenting practices is
imperative for our kids to grow, thrive and succeed. It has truly been a labor
of love, frustration, concern and hope that I have written these parenting
newsletter </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">articles </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">with
the future of our </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">families </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">and
country in mind. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">From my 27 years of experience </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">in
working with under resourced parents, I have found that the vast majority have never read a
parenting book, magazine, or attended any type of parenting </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">class.
What </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">better
way to reach our parents than in their child’s folder/backpack? :o)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">We as teachers only have so much time,
but we have </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt; font-style: italic;">so much </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">to
share. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">The topics covered in these newsletters
are written in a non-threatening format</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">i</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">n
order to reach parents where they are at, from us to them as if we were sitting
down together for a chat and had time to talk about everything under the sun
(but don’t and can’t!) I cover modern topics such as technology, as well as
character traits and behavior management. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">The
articles </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">are written with </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">much
thought </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">and consideration for addressing common
educator concerns with gentleness and respect for parents wherever they are at
in their parenting journey.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Even if readers are well equipped,
amazing parents and have all of this stuff down pat, validation is as sweet as
honey when you are doing an important job that came with no instruction manual!
Validation breeds confidence, confidence breeds </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">even stronger parenting and of course we
all know the benefits of strong</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">parenting!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Writing this resource <i>does not</i> make me an
expert parent! It does, however, </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">make me an expert of my own experiences
of being a parent and a teacher for</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">many, many, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">years
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">who
has </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">seen
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">many
examples of parenting over the years, the good , the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">bad
and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">the
well, you </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">know. My husband and I </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">have
raised two sensitive, kind, and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">well </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">educated
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">young
adults</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">
that </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I
am so proud of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>:o)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">An expert, no. A person who wants to help
other people with the struggle, yes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I have been a working mom/person my whole
life. It is HARD to do it all. I hope to communicate through my writing the
perspective of someone who has been there, but has also been on the side of
seeing the adverse effects of the less</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">than desirable parenting behaviors. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I have written LOTS of close reading
passages for little learners that I am honored to say have been used by
thousands of teachers all over the country and</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I like to think of this resource as </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt; font-style: italic;">close
reading for parents</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>:0)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Can I get an AMEN?!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reach-Beyond-the-Classroom-Parenting-Articles-for-All-Year-Long-1989679" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucTBKFiuHW-MtCxVJorInV6zOeW-mAEDTr7uq04D4P77Fp1QCwAr0soznc-IlvEPXN_RhY15oZC6ThbXqtoak34Z50Wz2woJCr0lmfsuQOVIWI9b8tojvqL3Pqd6_ZU-LcY6MjpjDIJes/s400/parenting+articles+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">May parents </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">read
these articles and find inspiration</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">,
validation, understanding, and hope for the greatest, and most noble adventure
life has to offer</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">. Each newsletter also has an
inspiring quote to go along with the theme of the passage. The newsletters are
appropriate for parents of Pre-K through the elementary grades, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">and
I’m </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">quite sure even high school parents
could glean a thing or two!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">This resource provides </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">35
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">“Trending Topics”, simple,
to-the-point, purposeful </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">articles </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">-
(</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">pep talks if you will!) </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">one
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">for each week of </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">the
school year, o</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">ffering </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">tips,
advice, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">gentle reminders and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">inspiration
for the most current parenting topics and dilemmas as well as a thought
provoking and inspirational quote </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">for
each topic. Each article is written with thoughtfulness and respect for the
difficult job that parents </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">face.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Whether you copy and share as a
stand alone Parent Communication OR copy on the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">backside
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">of your weekly newsletter, you are
imparting important information that </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">parents
may </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">not have access to otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">The newsletters are not written in
any particular order, or consecutive at all, they could even </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">be
shared as needed by topic (wink, wink!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I began sending the articles home in my kids' backpacks last year. I received good feedback, and I think the ones that read them looked forward to getting them each week!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">I know that some will not read them, but hopefully the ones that do, will find some comfort in knowing that I (we) care about, and understand the challenges they face as parents. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "kbbubblegum"; font-size: 13.0pt;">If you decide to send <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reach-Beyond-the-Classroom-Parenting-Articles-for-All-Year-Long-1989679" target="_blank">these articles</a> home to nurture and support your parents each week, let me know how it goes! Thanks so much!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kbbubblegum";"><span style="font-size: 17px;">School Site License also available <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reach-Beyond-the-Classroom-Parenting-Articles-for-All-Year-Long-Site-License-1989792" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></span></div>
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<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-16769684933018087302015-07-26T20:40:00.000-07:002018-03-08T06:47:55.092-08:00Classroom & Behavior Management: How to Start Right and Keep it Going!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">As we all know, going back to school brings with it so many thoughts, plans, and emotions! There is nothing better than a fresh start! Starting out right with classroom and behavior management is always at the top of my list! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Without it we really can accomplish nothing else. </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Mindfully teaching kids about how to behave in our classrooms and on the playground is how we set the tone for the year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><b><span style="color: red;">PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: GOOD CHOICES/BAD CHOICES</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">A deep quote when thinking of teaching little ones? Maybe. Maybe not though. If you are thinking about the big picture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Whether you agree with this statement or not, I bet we can all agree that in the classroom we want our kids </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">to be respectful and treat others with kindness. We need it to teach, they need it to learn. We all deserve </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">to have a safe, friendly environment to enjoy everyday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Even the littlest students can learn about personal responsibility, and that your choices, good and bad, all have consequences.</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"> </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">It has been my experience teaching in a Title 1 school for over 27 years that </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">m</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">any of our kids come to school without some of the basic ideas of right and wrong, at least from my perspective. We, as educators, teach our own children these things, so we assume that most parents do to. Right? As with everything else, yes, and no. I have been teaching long enough to see former kindergarten students grow up, go to college, have children of their own, and even be in my class!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Unfortunately, I have seen former students who have made bad choices in life that led them so far astray that they will never be free again to do as they choose. There is much debate and talk these days about how to handle classroom management. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">As a new teacher, many years ago, I remember it to be my biggest challenge. Whether you use a behavior chart, a clip chart, Class </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Dojo</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">, or whatever system you use, or choose not to use, <b>consistency, and fairness are the key</b>. Clip charts or behavior charts are not bad in and of themselves, they can provide structure for teachers (new and experienced)! Some folks with challenging class circumstances, really like the concrete visuals they provide for students. I really believe there are so many different ways to approach this, and I feel a little sad when I see so many generalizations and negatives written about the use of clip charts etc. If they work effectively for you, and you use them with respect and integrity, you shouldn’t be shamed for it. We need to stop telling each other as educators that there is a “best” way. There are many ways. It’s not so much what strategy or system we use, but <i>how we use it</i>. New teachers especially should not be made to feel that they are doing something wrong. There are best practices with everything, but there are also many approaches and ways of doing things that work for different people. My goodness, this world is hard enough on teachers without our help!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">That being said - I do not agree with overt ways of dealing with behavior issues that belittle, embarrass or poke little holes in little ones' self esteem. Absolutely not! My go to is "the look", a whisper in the ear, a private heart-to-heart conference (my favorite), and meeting with parents if necessary. I really believe people can successfully use lots of different kinds of systems if their heart is in the right place, and they are thoughtful and respectful about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>How do you start out on the right foot?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;"><b>1. Building relationships. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">2.Teaching/demonstrating clear expectations <u>directly </u></span><span style="font-size: 17px;"><u>and indirectly</u></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> through </span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'KG Miss Kindergarten'; font-size: 13pt;">modeling and also <u>directly</u> through instruction: lessons, games, anecdotes and stories.</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;"><b>3. Classroom climate and culture</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red;">BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Building relationships with kids takes time. Letting them get to know you, to feel safe, and know that you are the same person all day long in the classroom as you are when you are </span><span style="font-size: 17px;">step out</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> on the sidewalk (talking to parents after school). They know. It matters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">We all know that feeling we get when we know someone genuinely likes us. It makes us feel good. It is validating. One of the best things a student ever said to me was this: “I love the way you look right at me”. Melt. My. Heart. That genuine feeling of knowing that </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">someone cares about you, and that how you feel and what you have to say matters. When they know you like them, they are much more apt to want to please you. These relationships take time and effort, but they are worth it for our kids both emotionally and academically. Ultimately, years down the line, they will remember how we made them feel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">No matter what, to be successful, any classroom management must start by nurturing g</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">ood behavior by teaching right from wrong. We cannot just assume that our kids idea of</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;"> right and wrong is the same as ours. Plain and simple, in life there are good choices and there are bad choices. Talking about bad choices seems to have become, somehow, politically incorrect, I disagree with this notion because we, as their teachers, may be the only person being ‘real’ with them, and talking to them about it. We can teach that we may make bad </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic;">choices</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;"> sometimes, but that does not make </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic;">us bad people</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">. Think of a seventeen year old who made bad choices and is serving time for those choices. A lack of education and information about right/wrong, good/bad, and the consequences that accompany each may be something he/she wishes someone had taken the time to make them </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic;">really </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">aware of. If we want our students to follow classroom rules, be respectful, kind, courteous, and work hard, we must show them HOW, and tell them WHY, and facilitate meaningful conversation to deepen critical thinking about how we can</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"> identify emotions and control ourselves.</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">Ultimately, we are growing citizens. I believe it is the greatest responsibility we face as educators. Growing good citizens. There is nothing more important. In simpler times we taught them mostly academia. It is now our duty to teach them so much more. We live in a very complicated world, and as educators, this is probably the greatest challenge of our day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><b><span style="color: red;">EXPECTATIONS/CLASSROOM CLIMATE & CULTURE</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">In order to be effective, expectations for conduct, behavior, and personal responsibility should be modeled through </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">indirect </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">instruction daily and taught </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">directly</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;"> through lessons, discussions, and visual reminders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">Many of our students live in homes and neighborhoods that operate much differently than our own. Their </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">“rules” at home may look very different than our own homes and our classrooms. Assuming they are the same is a huge mistake. Every environment has it’s own culture. Every culture has acceptable and unacceptable norms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">To understand this, think of a student who, according to our standards, may not have a good home life. In order to “survive” in his/ her home and/or neighborhood, he/she may have to act a certain way that may not be acceptable at school. Many kids who come to school who are “survivors” at home, and may have trouble assimilating into the school environment because it is so different from their home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">We must teach them that </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">at school </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">we have </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">our own culture, </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">and our own norms, and that it’s okay to assimilate into each as needed. “At school we _____________”. It’s fair, and it’s honest to teach them that things can look, feel, and be different at home and at school, and that it’s okay. When we respect what their home environment looks like, we are validating them and telling them “you come here as you are, we accept you, and this is how we do it at school”. I believe with all my heart that there are many, many kids that learn in school, with a kind, caring and thoughtful teacher at the helm, that there is a different way of living than what they may be use to. Providing them a peek into a different way of life, even when they are very young, can give them a vision for a life they may have never otherwise known could exist. Directly teaching right from wrong, good choices vs. bad choices provides a </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">standard </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">for which to live and behave, and that those choices come with positive and negative consequences. There is power in knowing that you have some control over outcomes of situations based on choices you make on the front end of any given situation, even for little kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Indirect:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">Building a classroom community takes time. It takes talking, sharing, caring and a common understanding of the culture of the room, and the expectations for behavior and conduct. This is not really a lesson. This is everyday, threaded into every interaction. They are watching </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">how</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">you handle problems and challenges. You are role modeling the how, they are learning every minute of everyday what you accept, tolerate, and celebrate. This indirect influence is </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">how you lead, </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;">it matters most of all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Direct:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: small;">Conversely, there are many ways to approach building community in the classroom in a direct way. Lessons, books, games, anecdotal stories, and discussions that are absolutely deliberate in approach. These are very effective because they provide concrete, hypothetical examples of the social norms and virtues that lead to positive relationships, self pride, satisfaction, happiness and academic success. (</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">Check</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: small;"> out <a href="http://hellosunshineteachers.blogspot.com/2015/07/back-to-school-5-ways-to-teach.html">this great blog post</a> on direct instruction of rules</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: small;">by Pamela Carson Wendt (<a href="http://hedgehogreader.blogspot.com/">Hedgehog Reader</a>) from last week)!</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'KG Miss Kindergarten';"><span style="color: red;">HOW DO YOU KEEP IT GOING?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Review, review, review. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">I developed a resource to use for explicit instruction of classroom and behavior management because I needed visuals that provide clear illustrations and simple, </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 17px;">kid-friendly</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;"> explanations to teach my little learners the basics of how to behave and get along in school. I have lots of second language learners as well, and the visuals are a must for them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">When I start out at the beginning of the year I assume my kindergarten kids know </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic;">nothing </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">about being in school or how to use any of the materials in our room. Every detail of every minute of the day is explained. From how to stand up and push your chair in nicely, to how to hold scissors when we are walking. </span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic;">Everything</span><span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">. It is tedious, tiring, and time consuming, but it is worth it. You can’t maintain procedures that were never there in the first place. The first month is so crucial for nailing down routines and procedures! The <i>pay off</i> is around the first part of October when things start running like clock work and reminders become much less frequent!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten"; font-size: 13pt;">I LOVE using these as anchor charts and also as a slideshow. To be able to have something I can show physically or digitally to my kids is priceless. They get it. I keep the “Duck Tails & Bubbles” anchor chart right on the wall near my door all year long. “Show me your duck tails and bubbles!” They love it, and it's positive and fun! Pulling out the other anchor charts as reminders with the class or individually as needed with students becomes a mini social story of sorts. It takes them back to the time when we learned about it, and makes it easy to recall and connect the discussions we had prior, to the current situation. Re-visiting the slideshow when new students arrive helps them to assimilate into our environment and also serves as a great review for the whole class.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Management-Behavior-Anchor-Charts-Slideshow-Bundle-1984814" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBoJSEw90ov0w_G3-lz55FHA5JJkc7T7NTipuXw8h81JuaquWRQ0dMizQt58gkIFAbHkst7xobTRV8rarVdVqHTM8Wj-r4ovXaQWAh8VX1gJTqfnNL6gg-XPTDWYhEoVD0J_t1V5x8fpJ/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-07-26+at+3.59.54+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Management-Behavior-Anchor-Charts-Slideshow-Bundle-1984814" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBcKH4b2IbEh8aHVTcFfIlnuL912zDB4e3kogBDMXaxDtY9NYg79rx9c5ImmyeniC8czfbM8SfUKFodObKHXqBc2Z91VxtZzCCmQOhyphenhyphenoXt-2ukPw8DZnkUMALDn0ZoCszggisednlyLRr/s640/Behavior+Anchor+Charts3.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg miss kindergarten";">I truly hope you have a great school year, and whether you are brand new to teaching or have some years under your belt, I hope this blog post will inspire you to approach your classroom management deliberately with intention for growing great little people!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Classroom-Labels-FREEBIE-1995175" target="_blank">Here's a little management freebie for you!</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Classroom-Labels-FREEBIE-1995175" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuddoHWNLSrPZ9qMl7f_i7VAVSFV-9XuFS_cSYzzCfXUlMCEdjJtOIUUjgbSM2IqJHDwDwHLLxtaRZ3ix4vKgs52pOB6RpfqZPWcSgVGrw6VYSGcrwiDFWTU59i13KNKAD2gJPhCSoTR4/s640/Little+Bird+Back+to+School+Freebie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6601458456115689205.post-32911564938802822492015-06-28T13:12:00.001-07:002015-06-28T13:13:58.416-07:00Mindsets in the Classroom Wrap Up!<div style="text-align: center;">
We are wrapping up our Mindsets in the Classroom Book Study over at <a href="http://hellosunshineteachers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hello Sunshine</a>. If you read along or haven't had a chance to read the book yet, check out all of the great posts for inspiring growth mindset in the classroom. There are lots of free posters to print out as well! (including this one!)</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2bISoY6vEKYVHpoVE55bkdoLXM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBd996vehgLPgLQxG94dUaz-rEhQxY715Hbdl5Ae7ZQ_h7pZLUhlrYpo07VzxaJkwfmWKuaH6LmrhAk5ZBArTQBP5ym3JyYUgQ_FCE8id13FiwEYcu7cioOxAr7feAazly2JcyLa_pJXo/s640/Slide3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<img align="left" src="http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g447/eschaff/Little%20Bird%20Kindergarten/sgn2.png" />Little Bird Kindergartenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00638782165628605984noreply@blogger.com1