I Like Tape!

...because it is sticky!

My Kinder team and I use the wonderful Guiding Readers set by DeeDee Wills & Deanna Jump. Click HERE to purchase. If you haven't tried it, you should. Our PTO purchased it for us because we were so disappointed by our adopted series.  We love it! Anyway, enough advertising...

One of the components of a recent lesson on long a included writing a sentence using a word in a sentence. I took a picture of some of my favorites.

You may be wondering why some of the sentences are marked up. They are examples of some of the editing we do. Last summer I got to attend a two day Kristina Smekens literacy retreat. In one sessions she explained how to use color coding to help kids to edit their own writing. I picked three things that I felt were appropriate for Kinders to focus on while writing: spaces between words, capital letter at the beginning, and ending punctuation. We do work on other things, but I figured three skills were enough for my little Kinders. I do think that they are doing a great job! 

I created a freebie set using the color coding edits you can get HERE. I purchased a pack of kid sunglasses at Party City & popped out the lenses. The kids have fun wearing them as they edit. 

Penguins

OK, I know it's March and the last thing anyone wants to think about is penguins...  Well, I never got around to writing a post about our fun with penguins (in January), but I guess it's better to be late than never.  

Our hallway bulletin board.  The wonderful ~ realistic ~ penguins were made by our wonderful primary aide Mrs. O.  They really complimented our penguin writing!

Are you bigger than a penguin?  My kids had fun measuring themselves against the different sizes of penguin breeds. 

The following are some samples of our penguin writing.  Every level of learner successfully wrote about penguins.  We really had a lot of fun researching the flightless birds!

The little author of this piece was very concerned about what penguins do during storms.  It was her "What do I Wonder."  I had to do a little Google research to find out that they "huddle up together in a storm."

If you aren't totally sick of all things winter, then hop over to my TpT store and get my top-selling Penguins unit.  It's half price for a while.  (Grab it now & prep it at your leisure.  It will be ready for you next January!)  Click HERE to purchase.  

Sequencing ~ How to Writing

Just in time for cold & flu season!  Before Christmas break my Kinders worked on sequencing ~ ordering cards, completing pages, and finally creating collaborative posters on How to Wash Your Hands.  Perfect for this germy time of year!

Here are some samples of the pages the kiddos did ~ there are two versions for differentiation. 

 I forgot to take pictures of the actual cards, so I just pasted on the images.

I always am amazed at how well Kinders can work collaboratively on a project.  It does take a bit of training, but they usually get really good at sharing materials and ideas.  This little trio had to work a little harder at dividing up the workload, but their poster turned out well.  

These girls used their sequencing pages as guides for their work.  The kids completed the pages during Writers' Workshop the day before creating their posters.  They worked independently to complete the pages, but did have time to share with their partners to be sure they had the pictures in the correct order.  

The Kinders love having lots of different spaces to work.  This little table is a cast-off my daughter found when moving into her college apartment.  She didn't want it, but knew I could use it in my classroom.  Hubby cut the legs to kindergarten table height for me.  It's been in lots of different places around my room & is getting a little wobbly. But, it should hold up for the rest of the year.  Once summer rolls around, I think I'll bring it home to shore up the legs and maybe give it a new coat of paint.  (I'm thinking pink or purple.)

Here are three examples of the completed posters.  We hung them by our sinks and in our classroom restroom.  Hopefully they will serve as a reminder to wash hands!  (Fingers crossed!)

If you would like to purchase this, please click HERE.

Writers' Workshop

I have to admit that teaching Kinders to write has never been one of my favorite things to do.  We didn't have a dedicated writing curriculum so instruction felt as if it was scattered.  I did attend several workshops presented by Kristina Smekens, and was very familiar with the 6+1 traits of writing, but I still never felt totally comfortable with writing instruction.  (My past Kinders did learn to write with a good level of proficiency ~ check out some of my past posts on writing ~ I just felt that something was missing.)

Last year I decided that I wanted to revamp my writing instruction, so I did a little TpT research and came upon the fabulous Writing Through the Year units by DeeDee Wills & Deanna Jump.  This was just what I was looking for to take my little kiddos' writing up a notch.!  These talented ladies created an entire year's worth of Writers' Workshop lessons that take Kinders from telling stories with pictures to writing sentences.  And, as it turned out our corporation adopted a writing series that also has a workshop format.  Now that I am armed with lots of great resources I feel confident with writing instruction!  This is already proving to be an exciting year of writing in room A161!

Getting started

Before beginning our Writers' Workshop I made sure there were ample supplies.  Each student has a yellow workshop folder that is kept in a tub (each table has a color-coded tub.)  There are little wire baskets with Target pails filled with an assortment of writing supplies all around the classroom.

So many places to write!  

Each workshop session begins with a mini lesson.  After the 5 - 10 minute lesson the students are dismissed to their tables to get their folders.  They are free to choose where to sit while writing.  When we first started Writers' Workshop the students stayed at their assigned tables.  A few mini lessons on choosing appropriate places to work helped them to find comfortable places where they can be successful.  Of course, being that most of my Kinders are five we have to revisit that lesson now and then. :-)  Here are some pictures of the many places the kids can work.

Writing & Sharing

My little students have really gotten good at staying on task and writing for a good 15 minute stretch!  During that time I check in with as many students as possible, asking questions about their writing, listening to their stories, and helping them to think about what they can add or change.  I like to ask, "What are you working on today?"  This way the students can explain their stories to me.  We are still at the pictorial writing stage, so I ask them things like "What can you add to your picture to let your reader know that this is outside?"  "What color hair does your mom have?  What color crayon could you use to show blond hair?"  For those students who are ready to be pushed a little further I might ask them to try to spell their dog's name, or help them to find a word in the classroom to include in their writing.  I set the timer on my phone for 15 minutes.  They know to finish up their current thoughts and to gather on the carpet for sharing.  At first some of the kids got upset because they weren't completely finished with their piece.  But, the beauty of Writers' Workshop is that they can go back to finish their writing on another day.  (This really does happen!  At first I didn't think that Kinders could do it, but they can!)    Two students are selected to share with the class (I have a check list of students who share & jot down notes about their writing.)  Those selected to share with the class get a "Share Pass" and get to pick a special magnet for holding their work on the easel.  A special "Sharing Pointer" rounds out the special experience.  Everyone gets a turn to share with the class ~ I have 17 students, so no one has to wait very long for their turn to come up again.  Once the students have shared with the class everyone gets to share with their partner.  So, even if it's not your turn to share in front of the class, you get to share every day.

Working at their levels

Another aspect of Writers' Workshop I like is the fact that each student gets to work at his/her own level.  They get to choose what they work on ~ they usually are not working on a specific prompt.  They are working on specific skills, but the topic is up to them.  I think that being given the choice of what to work on is a great incentive.  I have kids asking me when we are having  Writers' Workshop.  If something comes up and we can't fit it into our day, the kids are actually disappointed.  Imagine ~ kids getting sad because they don't get to write!  Here are some samples of the different levels of writing in my class.  Everything is celebrated for what it is!  No one feels that their work is not as is being compared to their classmates' work, so they want to write.  I haven't had anyone say that they didn't like writing yet.  Yippie Skippie!  Now, I like writing in kindergarten, too!

Only 2 more Fridays to Go!

Actually, I only have ONE more Friday!  I am taking a personal day next Friday.  What??  Why am I taking a day off so close to the end of the year???  Well, I usually NEVER take personal days ~ we get three per year, and I only used one sick day this year, so I decided to finally get around to taking a personal day.  It's not really going to be a day of fun ~ my license expired on the 14th of this month, and I need time to complete my online stuff to renew it.  (I do plan to sleep in a little, and maybe read a little!)

But, for now, I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her fun Five for Friday linky party.

 

County Fair!  The third graders recently finished their book study on Charlotte's Web, and celebrated with an old-fashioned County Fair.  They invited us to join the fun!  We got to participate in a few of their activities.  My Kinders loved, loved, loved the watermelon eating contest!

 Because our third grade Book Buddies invited us to their fun fair, we wrote thank you notes to them.

 

 Scrappy the Turtle paid us a visit to talk about recycling today!

 



 

 

Prom 2014.  My final year as prom sponsor.  My fourth grade teacher friend & I have been the prom sponsors since our daughters were in high school (They are both now 24 years old!)  Mrs. Lain & I decided enough was enough and resigned our post as co-prom sponsors.  This year's theme is "A Night in Wonderland."  (Think Alice...)  Not my favorite theme, but it turned out pretty cute.  Our little school's tradition is to have a big "Grand March" complete with decorations & crowning before moving onto the banquet hall where we have dinner & dancing. 

 

 

 

My daughter's newest book!  My daughter, Emily Goodwin, has a new book out.  It's about the horrific topic of human trafficking, but it is well written and is a compelling read.  (Available for only $2.99 on Amazon!)  Click HERE to read the first chapter for free!

 

 

 

 

One more thing...  I will be participating in the Indiana Bloggers $1.00 Sale this weekend!  Be sure to check back for the links!

 



Five for Friday ~ 3 more Fridays left!

Yup ~ only three more Fridays until school's out!  It seems hard to believe that this year is nearly over.  Because of all the crazy winter weather, our school year is only 178 days this year (two days were waivered by the DOE).  My little cuties have really made an impression on my heart ~ I am going to miss these Kinders!  I was blessed with an amazing group of children this year.  They have learned and grown so much since August!  It will be so hard to let go of them.  But, I do have to say I am looking forward to lazy summer days spent on my front porch.  Click HERE to see a post on a lazy summer day to see what I'm looking forward to.

It's time to link up for the fun Five for Friday linky party hosted by Doodle Bugs Teaching!

 

Mother's Day gifts.  Yes, I know Mother's Day was a while ago, but here is what my kids made for their mothers.  A few weeks ago my teaching partners & I went to the "Free Teacher Store."  One of the goodies we got was a craft kit that contained these wooden door hangers.  The Kinders used them to create these cute gifts.  After the paint dried, they adorned their door hangers with a small picture and some foam stickers. 

 

Seriously one of the cutest bulletin boards ever.  The hallway bulletin board next to our Reading teachers' room is very Pinterest-worthy!  

 

 

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! ...or the boat, or the train, or the wrecking ball!  My kids love, love, love this silly book!  I have so much fun hamming it up as I read it.  (Hamming it up ~ just another perk of being a kindergarten teacher!)  We used this book for a lesson on speech bubbles.

 



 

I recently purchased some of Deanna Jump & Deedee Wills' Writing Through the Year sets.  Because they were a late-in-the-year acquisition, we just finished the "How To" unit.  I am SOOOO excited by how much my Kinders' writing has improved just by doing this one unit!  I had never done a Writer's Workshop before, so it was a learning experience for me, too.  My corporation is moving toward the Writer's Workshop next year, so I decided to try it out with my current crop of Kinders.  I figured that it is good to try out new things with kids who already know procedures, etc.  This way, I get experience in using it before I take the plunge with a bunch of newbies.  I have to say that I am totally in love with this product!  ...and plan to purchase all of their sets!

The picture on the left shows an almost-ready-to-be published piece.  We worked on the same pieces for a couple weeks.  I had never thought that kindergarteners would have the stamina to stick with the same piece of writing for so long.  (I was wrong!)

This sample is from a very average little Kinder.  The spelling is well, kindergarten spelling, but I love the subject!  "How to read Words If you're not sure, sound it out.  If that didn't work, then try a different one.  Break it into chunks.  If that doesn't work, then try a different one.  Look at the pictures.  If that doesn't work, then try this one.  Ask a friend.  If that doesn't work, try this one.  (not exactly sure...) Then ask the teacher what the word is."

We "published" our writing & invited our principal to our Publishing Celebration today.  I didn't snap any pictures, but we sure had fun.  My students have developed a love of writing that I hope follows them throughout their life.   

Our ONE AND ONLY finger painting day.  I must be getting old or something ~ I can only handle finger painting once a year.  We do use other paints throughout the year, but I can only handle the mess of finger paints once a year.  One of my little cuties asked me if May 16th was always finger painting day!  It sort of is ~ give or take a few days ~ I only break out the finger paints in May.

This week really flew by ~ full moon, end-of-year testing, and all.  Tomorrow I will be participating in Relay for Life with my teacher friends.  We walked in Relay for Life last year, and I am looking forward to doing so again.  (Even if it is going to be so cold that it could snow.)  My dear father had cancer, so this event is especially meaningful to me.  I need to remember to put on my pedometer to see how many steps I take tomorrow.  I figure I'll walk to keep from freezing! 

 

Have a great weekend!