I can’t believe this is year 26!
MY own twins were in first grade MY first year of teaching!
( NOT in my class…TG…)
MY own twins were in first grade MY first year of teaching!
( NOT in my class…TG…)
Each year things CHANGE!
CHANGE is NOT a BAD thing!
It can make you rethink, reevaluate, redo, remake, revitalize!
After 26 years…I can HONESTLY say..
I will NOT throw out the BABY with the BATHWATER!
WHAT????
OK…We have a new curriculum. AGAIN!
EVERY 7 YEARS..
Whether you want it …or NOT!
And so, here we go again.
It really doesn’t matter what “program” you give me.
BALANCED Literacy
is
BALANCED Literacy
My “STRESS” level rises when I try to plan .
HOW TO FIT IT ALL IN?
Reality check…
Some days I can…some days I can’t.
It’s ok.
Life won’t end if you don’t do it ALL!
BUT..
TRY!
Let’s start with
READ ALOUDS!
I start my day with a READ ALOUD.
AND
I end my day with a READ ALOUD!
( I try to make ONE of those Read Alouds
a SCIENCE,SOCIAL STUDIES, or HOLIDAY story)
INTEGRATE whenever YOU can!
After EVERY story…WE Discuss.
Characters.
Setting.
Problem.
Solution.
EVERY Read Aloud.
Discuss for 10 minutes …MAX!
Highly Effective!
When students THINK about a story, “turn & talk”
about it, use the “academic language” from the story they are engaged!
They might NOT take it on for themselves the first time…..
but…over time, they will!
This week I heard some “reading partners”
discussing our anthology
story.
I heard “MAIN CHARACTER”, “Beginning, Middle, END”,
“How did they SOLVE that Problem?”
WOWZA!
Teacher Happy DANCE!
If you need suggeastions for Read Alouds…PINTEREST!
I use ANY Science Books,
Scholastic News,
MY Classroom Library,
MAGAZINES ( use Non-Fiction also ),
and One Week a MONTH…
We read a chapter book!
Their current FAVORITE!
How do we ask kids to “SEE THE PICTURES IN YOUR MIND”…
If we never teach them HOW TO?
Chapter books are GREAT!
LOTS of dicussion. Review what you read.
Make connections.
Change YOUR Speed &TONE as you read.
Remember…this generation is VISUAL & ACTIVE!
( Think Video games & Movies…)
So …draw them in with your VOICE, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, & Reading SPEED!
THEY will LOVE IT!
They ask if it’s a chapter Book week on MONDAYS!
Read Alouds bring children into the WORLD of Imagination!
It allows them to go outside of their daily world,
into new & exciting places!
Think of reading on MOMMY & DADDY’s lap.
NOT all kids get to do that!
( Sniff..sniff)
YOU
May be the ONLY one who does that!
DO IT!
And do it WELL!
Your kids WILL LOVE YOU for it!
If you need a BALANCED LITEREACY RESOURCE…
This 154 page resource binder is AMAZING!
It has ALL of the resources you will need to
create a
BALANCED LITERACY
classroom!
Happy Fall ‘YALL!
From NorCal 🙂
