Walking through the Autumn Leaves with Kindergarteners

Do you get outside with your kindergarteners?  In this day and age of kindergarten, every minute seems dedicated to Common Core-based curriculum in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, plus ( if you're lucky), art, music and PE.  If your school has a scheduled recess, it is probably before/after lunch and, most likely, you do not supervise recess.  So, I'm wondering if many kindergarten teachers are able to get outside with their students much at all.....

I, myself , do not get outside often with my students.  Readers of this blog know that I take my class outside on Green Day to look closely and describe what they see in the grass.  On another occasion, we walk around the school property to locate and read all the environmental print (street signs, banners, murals,etc.)  If it's that rare warm day in winter or early spring, we may take an outside route to or from one of our related arts classes.  But 21st century elementary education does not typically afford much time to enjoy outside learning.

Nonetheless, most years, I manage to take my class on one special walk through the neighborhood surrounding our school. You see, I live just two blocks from school!  For me, working and living in the same community has been a very good decision.  It has helped me connect with the everyday lives of my students.  I know where they shop, worship, take swim lessons, and play soccer because my family has visited those places, too. So, the destination of our annual community walk has always been my house.

In the early years, during the first couple of weeks of school, we took the walk on Red Day.  We had a BIG tomato crop for a few years and it was fun for the kids to come pick a tomato to take home.  Neighbors used to come out to watch the parade of children all dressed in red.

One sadly memorable year, we walked to my house right before the holidays.  I thought the children would enjoy seeing holiday decorations.  My eldest son was home from his freshman year at college and he met us at the door with a tray of cookies and the sad news which he whispered in my ear.  Our beloved Balinese cat had suddenly died.  I had to mask my feelings and lead the class back to school with that knowledge weighing me down.  But the kids had a great time!

In memory of Prancer.

For several years, our walk was in the spring towards the end of school.  Everyone brought a picnic lunch and we had a picnic in the backyard under a big maple tree.  My husband was on hand to shoot hoops and give gentle pushes on the tree swing.

But, for the past 5 years, the walk has been during the fall and tied into our unit on the community.  I send home this note to parents which you can grab HERE:

Before the walk, the children dictate sentences about what we might see on the way to my house.

As we walk, I point out common features in a neighborhood like fences, and we talk about why some people have fences.

We look at American flags and discuss why people fly flags and how we are (mostly) Americans.

We practice looking left, right, and left again before we cross the quiet neighborhood streets.

At my house, we have a treat on the front deck, sometimes apple cider or donuts.

And, back at school, we get out our whiteboards and dry-erase markers. We practice drawing what we saw and using our sounds to spell the words.  This year, we also made little booklets with 3 flaps. Under each flap, we drew and wrote what we saw on our community walk.  You can have a copy of the tri-flap booklets RIGHT HERE.

Students cut on the dotted lines and fold down the flaps.
Then they draw a picture and write the word behind each flap.

Of course, you don't have to make your home the destination for a neighborhood walk.  Simply walking around a block or two adjacent to your school can provide you and your students with a shared, pleasant experience outdoors, material for good writing, and good memories to last a long time. 

Why (and How) Kindergarteners Belong at Their Conferences

It was right around the turn-of-the-century (this century) when I first learned how to involve kindergarteners in a parent-teacher conference.  I attended a workshop given by a couple of wonderful teachers who had developed this new approach to conferencing.  I wish I could give them credit here on my fledgling blog for what became one of my favorite experiences as a kindergarten teacher.  Unfortunately, I do not remember the names of those teachers but if they should ever read this post, thank you, thank you, thank you!

So, why do I love, love, love student-involved conferences in kindergarten? By including the student at a conference about his progress in school, we empower the child, we show parents how to work with their child, we clarify our expectations for parents, and we strengthen the home-school connection.  Plus, it is really a lot of fun!

So, how do I prepare for and conduct annual student-involved conferences?

First, like all teachers, I collect initial data in math, reading, and writing for each of my students. In addition to AIMSweb literacy and numeracy data, this is the data I collect in the first 6 weeks of school:

          Math:  counting to 100, identifying numerals to 20, and identifying 2D and 3D shapes
          Reading:  identifying letters, identifying letter sounds, reading pre-primer sight words
          Writing:  a first signature, re-visualizing and writing upper case and lower case letters

For each of the math and reading skills listed above, I have a graph which the students color after the initial assessment and at the end of each trimester of kindergarten or until the goal is achieved.  Here is a sample and you can grab a copy HERE:

I put all of the graphs for each student in a data-collecting folder.  I also have certificates of achievement which I award for mastery of each of these skills.  I organize the data collecting folder so that there is a blank certificate behind each graph.  On the other side of the folder, is a My Goals sheet that looks like this and you can get a copy of it  HERE.

Next, I decide on three activities for reading, for math, and for writing.  The activities suggest a range of difficulty which I note with one, two or three stars on the task cards.  For example, here are the three task cards for writing:

A few days before the conferences, I send home a reminder that our parent-teacher conferences include the student, as well.  At our Parent Night (Back-to-School night),  I always tell parents that I conduct conferences with the parents and their children.  Here is what my reminder note looks like and your copy is HERE.

Along with the reminder note, I include a reflection paper for the child to fill out with her parent.  The purpose of the reflection paper is to start the conversation between parent and child about what she is learning in school.  The child brings the completed reflection sheet to school and we discuss it briefly at conferences.  Here is what my reflection sheet looked like this year:

You can grab a copy here but you will have to edit it, of course.

Right before conferences, I prepare the class for conferences.  Here is a video clip of me preparing the class:

After introducing the concept of a conference to the whole class, I show the activities at each table to half of the class at a time: 

After showing and telling about each activity (but not actually doing any of them), I go around the table and record everyone's choice of activity with a 1, 2, or 3.  I love hearing their choices.  Most often, I can predict who will choose just the right activity for himself and who will choose without any self-awareness at all.  Actually, very few children make random choices.  And, if they do, this is also very informative.  Here is what my table indicating student choices looks like and your copy is  RIGHT HERE.

On the evening/day of school conferences, I set out the three leveled activities at each of three tables.  I set the stack of data-collection folders at the first table. I place each child's stapled collection of Writer's Workshop pieces in a pile at the writing table. I usually have a tray of cookies on another table for the children to enjoy at the end of their conferences.

Conferences at our school are scheduled for 20 minutes.  Student-involved conferences usually take most of the time.  After greeting each family at the door, we sit down right away at the first table where I explain that the student is going to show her parents how she challenges herself to learn the most she can at school. 

The child attempts the activity she chose, I scaffold it (if necessary), and I offer feedback.  Some parents will also offer feedback or, at least, praise and encouragement.  Then, I open that student's data-collecting folder and we look at the graphs and certificates for that subject area.  If a child has already mastered a goal, then I award the certificate.  I have a secondary goal for some of these skill areas ( example: if you can already count to 100, let's now try to count to 175 which is how many days we have been in school.)  If the child has not yet mastered a goal area, then we write a short term goal on the My Goals sheet (example: By the end of the first trimester, I will count to 25.)  One of the most powerful aspects of student-involved conferencing is setting the goals in front of the child and having her sign the goal sheet at the end of the conference.

While the child enjoys a cookie and looks at books, I ask the parents if they have any questions.  Usually, they do not have any academic questions because we have thoroughly discussed these at the activity tables.  Sometimes, they have concerns about how their child performed and I try to put these in perspective.  If a child has significant learning or behavior issues, this conference will not be the first time I have discussed them with the parent (and probably not the last....)  And, if ever a parent needs more time to talk, I always reassure them that we can talk further by phone or in person, if they want.

While it looks like a lot of work to prepare and conduct student-involved conferences, it is not so much work once you have created the task cards and student-data collection folders.  After the first year, you will find student-involved conferencing is actually much easier than the old way.  And, if you are at all like me, you will find it is way more satisfying.

Kindergarten Workshops, Part 3: Math Workshop

Since this is my third post about kindergarten workshops, I have been wondering about the origins of the word workshop.  A quick Google search produced this graph (graph=math, right?) Evidently, the term workshop was hardly ever used until the industrial revolution when it began to refer to a room or a building where goods were manufactured or stored.  In the mid-twentieth century, it acquired the more modern meaning of a meeting where a small group of people engage in intensive discussion or activity about a particular topic.

As explained in my earlier posts on Writer's Workshop and Reader's Workshop, the actual workshop teaching model follows a definite sequence of mini-lesson, guided practice, and independent practice ( or "I do, 2 do, you do.") My Math Workshop runs a little differently.

I use the Promethean Board (interactive white board) a lot during math lessons.  Each day, I start our math lesson by displaying this flipchart which I created with the help of clipart panda to remind students that math is all about thinking.  We start each lesson by pretending to fasten our math thinking caps.  Some kids pretend to tie on their thinking caps, others use Velcro. Over time, as we build our schema of math, we add pictures around the thinking cap (ie; math is patterns, math is numerals.)  

Our daily Math Workshop begins with a warm up or a fluency drill.  Our district has used Bridges Math for the past 3 years.  Before Bridges, we were all scrounging around for Common Core-worthy math curriculum.  I discovered and utilized EngageNY math lessons.  So, my warm ups and fluency drills are from both Bridges and EngageNY.  These 3-5 minute quick activities get the students to start thinking about math.  For example, we might count forwards and backwards to 19, drill the numerals 10-19, or tell how many dots on  double tens frames.

These are from our Bridges Math program.

After the warm up or fluency drill, we proceed by reading and discussing that day's math objective.  As described in an earlier post, I have decided on a trimmed-down list of math objectives based on the Common Core.  Here is one from my list:

We read the objective, discuss whether or not it is familiar (links to prior learning) and then take a look at a Think Aloud which I have created on the Promethean Board.  For example, here is the flipchart that corresponds to the above objective:

Partners turn and talk to one another about the questions on the Think Aloud.  I select one pair of students to come up and share their thinking with the class.

After the Think Aloud, I describe today's activity or game from our Bridges curriculum.  Then I will model it with a partner either using a document camera or "in fishbowl."  If you are not familiar with "fishbowl," it's a great technique for gathering students close to observe something. I sit down at a table and my helper of the day sits next to me.  Then, half the class kneels around the table while the other half stands behind them. I've done this with as many as 25 students.  It looks like this: 

Then, the students are off to their tables to work as a class, with partners, or independently on the lesson.  Sometimes I will have an enrichment option for a lesson.  After completing the assigned activity, students may ask their partner if they want to try the "math challenge."  I put the challenge in a large envelope at each table.  The back of the envelope looks like this:

In other words, if both partners want to try the challenge, then they definitely should do so.  If one wants to try and the other does not, then they definitely should try it because the willing partner might be able to explain it to the less certain partner.  If neither one wants to try the challenge, it probably is too difficult for them.

After cleaning up the math materials, we usually conclude with an exit ticket.  I wrote about exit tickets in my August 12, 2017 post, Kindergarten Magic. Here is what I wrote:

 At the end of all of our numeracy-based lessons, I pass out a simple exit ticket to each student.  I actually prepare two versions of the exit ticket so that neighbors receive different versions.  This makes it a little harder to copy off of someone.  I wear my magician's hat while they complete the exit ticket on their own. After a student finishes her exit ticket, she stands. When everyone at her table is standing, that group comes up and puts their exit tickets in my magician's hat.  After we are all gathered on our mat spots, I pull out an exit ticket, make sure it was correctly done, share it with the class, and that student gets to be first to exit the room for recess (or at the end of the day.)  I do keep track of who has been thusly rewarded so that everyone gets a turn. This is a culminating activity that is fun and educational, of course.

Kindergarten Workshops, Part 2: Reader's Workshop

My husband has a workshop out in our garage.  Tools are scattered everywhere. Boxes of 
this and that are piled on top of each other.  A teddy bear somehow found its way into the mess.  And it IS a mess right now in the aftermath of major flooding in our area.  My husband is looking forward to a time when he can properly organize his workshop.

Recently, I needed to properly organize a workshop, too.  My "Reader's Workshop" had been evolving over the last few years since I gave up on literacy centers and The Daily 5.  I had grown weary of the commotion of so many different activities taking place at the same time in a small physical space.  I also felt there needed to be consistent expectations in the room for movement and volume.  So many children were distracted by the activities at neighboring tables or unclear of what to do at a center.  I don't like much "busy work" and prefer children to be engaged in authentic learning.  

The last few years, I tried to involve the entire class in Read to Self or Read to Someone for 15 minutes each day.  Unfortunately, it rarely looked like this....

And more often looked like this....

Since Writer's Workshop was working well in my classroom, I thought I should give Reader's Workshop a try, as well. 

All workshop models in education follow a tried and true instructional sequence sometimes called "I do, 2 do, you do."  

        "I do." First, the teacher shares a teaching point and models it.  A common teaching point in Reader's Workshop is "Readers read closely."  So, the teacher starts out by modeling how this is done.  For much of kindergarten, we are closely reading the pictures.  

        "2  do."  The second step is for the teacher and a student to show how to practice the teaching point side-by-side. This helps the students visualize more than one person practicing the teaching point.  

         "You do." Then, all the students are sent off to get their own book boxes and practice reading to themselves or partners. The teacher may circulate amongst the students and offer encouragement and/or pull aside a student or small group to work on their reading.  

At the end of the workshop, students gather together to share their successes ("celebrations")  or problems ("challenges.")  For example, yesterday one student celebrated the fact that he remembered to point to all the pictures and retell the story.  A few students reported the challenge of reading when someone at their table was trying to distract them.  We problem-solved and decided that it would be okay to take your book box and go read somewhere else.  No one has the right to disturb our precious reading time! 

In their book boxes, my kindergarteners have a variety of reading materials.  They start the year with alphabet, phonics, and environmental print cards that I've created.  Very shortly thereafter, we add copies of Weekly Reader and Reading A-Z booklets, as well as class booklets that we create.  As we learn poems during shared reading, I put them in poetry folders which go in the book boxes, too.  Leveled readers are also included after individuals read them in instructional settings. This year, I have decided to share books that I have read aloud to the class, as well.  

We have been engaged in Reader's Workshop for about six weeks now.  I've been enjoying using the teaching points suggested in a resource I found online.  It was created by the Park Hill School district. You can find it here:  Park Hill School District Reader's Workshop Curriculum  You'll have to click on Curriculum- Reading (PDF.)  

I am discovering that giving the students a daily purpose for reading is key to the success of an independent/partner reading time. I have also noticed that students are happily engaging with our read-aloud books. 

So, thus far, I like the looks of our Reader's Workshop .  Now, if I could just say the same for my husband's workshop...

Kindergarten Workshops, Part 1: Writer's Workshop

Busy little elves. Enthusiastic. Creative. Productive. That's how I pictured Writer's Workshop when I first learned about it ten years ago. That's still how I picture it although it's trickier than I imagined.

Writer's Workshop and Reader's Workshop both follow a good pedagogical model:  the teacher shares a teaching point, models it, and sends the students off to practice it.  As the students practice, the teacher circulates about the room, acknowledging students who are practicing the teaching point.  For example, in a kindergarten Writer's Workshop, one frequent teaching point is "Writers stretch out the sounds to spell words."  When I observe a student attempting to phonetically spell words, I offer some positive feedback like "Maria is using her sounds to spell giraffe!" Other students hear my comment and are encouraged to attempt to stretch out the sounds in a word, as well. At the end of the workshop, I'll ask several students to share their work.  

Here is where it gets tricky:  Not all students attempt the teaching point.  Sometimes this is not a big deal. For example, a student might be working on something else as a writer like writing a sentence using known words or sight words.  I try to comment on this positively but encourage that student to try today's teaching point, as well.  Sometimes, however, few students choose to try out the day's lesson.  They only draw or draw the same thing every day for a month or wait for me to come help them write.  Writer's Workshop takes a lot of patience on my part, especially the first half of the year.  That's when so many kindergarteners can't draw anything representational and/or don't have the fine motor skills or letter/sound knowledge to write.  However, by the spring of each year, I feel rewarded as I see most students are writing simple, legible sentences and some are even writing multi-page stories!

Here is an anchor chart that I created with my students last week:

It has taken us six weeks to get to this point where almost everyone has at least a general idea of these six teaching points. We will use this anchor chart for most of the fall. I'll continually pull my teaching points from it.  For example, I might select "add details" one day and focus on including symbols of the weather in my drawing. Another day I might select "add details" again, and focus on the kind of ground line in my picture (grass, floor, sand.)  When I see that almost all of the students have mastery of these six teaching points, we will move on to other kindergarten Writer's Workshop skills like writing multi-page stories, using transitional words, and including feelings in our writing.

I'll write about Reader's Workshop, Math Workshop, and Crafter's Workshop(!!) in my next several posts.