Read, Read, Read!

It is not easy being married to a kindergarten teacher.  As I share the events of the day with my husband he often smiles and says, "Honey, I don't need the Genesis version." (You know - In the beginning...)  He also reminds me, "I'm not five.  You only have to tell me once."  In his honor I am not going to give you a Biblical narrative, but the Dragnet version - just the facts.  For our young emergent readers to grow in skill and fluency they need to read, read, read!  An apology to my husband for repeating, but this time it is necessary. Just as a marathon runner must run each day and a championship basketball player must practice 3-pointers, our emergent readers need to practice reading.  Encourage your child to take time each day to read.  Our beginning readers need to read simple repetitive texts that will build skill and confidence.  They also need to hear good reading modeled, so take time to read to your child.  Just like we practice the skills to nail that gymnastics move or to hit that soccer goal, good readers must also practice their reading skills.

One of my greatest joys is to hear a kindergartner proudly say, "I read that!"

Self-Reliance

“To find yourself, think for yourself.”  ― Socrates

This week I have thought a great deal about how to make our kindergartners more self-reliant learners.  As a teacher I want to facilitate learning, model appropriate behaviors, and guide students in developing strategies that help them become competent readers, writers, and problem solvers.  Striking a balance between allowing them to be independent learners and knowing when to step in to help can be difficult.  I want to provide the balance that allows children to become self-confident and self-sufficient while still feeling supported and mentored. 

          It is often more important for me to ask questions to guide thinking rather than to provide quick easy answers.  “What do you think?  How would you solve that problem?  What should we do first?”  Asking leading questions and brainstorming together can help stimulate thinking.  Modeling good questioning techniques provides young children with some strategies to attack problems on their own. 

          As parents and teachers we have to encourage our children to take risks in their work and let them know that it is okay to make a mistake or two along the way towards greater independence.  As adults it is hard to let go of our idea of perfection.  It is definitely quicker (and more skillfully done) to complete tasks for our children instead of allowing them the time to complete them on their own.  When hanging up coats or packing bookbags on their own our children see they are responsible for taking care of their belongings.  When a child says, “What’s that word?” or “How do you spell…?” It is so easy to give the quick answer.  I know I am guilty of this during a time crunch, but this makes my students continue to depend on me.  My goal should be to nurture the persistence and inquisitive spirit needed to find answers independently.  I want our children to know they are capable of solving problems and that making a mistake is not the end of the world.    

          We need to model responsibility and self-reliance in what we say and do.  Our children rely on us and watch carefully to see how we react to life’s situations.  I have often been guilty of wanting to rush in and shield children from disappointment or failure, but by doing this I deny them a chance to develop some important life skills like self-reliance and self-confidence.  Our children are depending on us to teach them how the world works and how we should work in the world.  Sometimes that means they learn from us and other times it means we encourage them to work it out on their own.   

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Questions

Life is an unanswered question, but let's still believe in the dignity and importance of the question.   - Tennessee Williams

Questions, questions, questions!  Skillful readers ask themselves questions as they read to build understanding.  Often children read and save the questions for the end. To better understand a text a reader needs to ask questions before, while, and after they read. As a parent you can help your child become a more proficient reader by modeling this process and encouraging your child to use this technique when reading independently.

As our young readers begin, encourage them to examine the book’s cover.  Talk about the title, browse through and discuss the pictures, and make some predictions about what might happen. 

While reading together model questions - “What do you think the problem might be in this story? Often characters have a problem they have to solve.  How do you think they will solve it?”  Encourage children to use prior knowledge (what they know about the world around them) and think about what they would do in a character’s situation.  After reading on, model how you use evidence from the text to show what the character actually did in the story.  Children love to talk about stories and share their insights.  This practice helps the text become more meaningful and promotes better understanding.

Here is a list of just a few discussion items you might use while reading together:

• Do you think this story is fiction (make-believe) or nonfiction (fact)?
• Describe the character using details from the story.
• Where does the story take place?  Describe the setting.
• Where did that happen?  How do you know?
• Using a picture on a page describe how you think a character feels.
• Why do you think he/she feels like that?
• What was the problem?  Why is that a problem? 
• What would you do if that happened to you?
• What do you think will happen next?

After reading you might ask some of these questions:

• Did the story end the way you predicted?
• What would you have done if you were that character?
• How did the character change throughout the story?
• If you could rename this book, what would you call it?  Why?
• What lesson did this story teach?
• What did you learn from this story?
• Does this story remind you of anything that has ever happened to you?
• How did you feel at the beginning of the story?
• How do you feel at the end of the story?

Reading is so much more than simply decoding and calling words.  We need to help our young ones see that we are reading to gain meaning.  We read for knowledge, but also for enjoyment.  To help our children develop a love for reading we need to model good practices and show them how much fun reading can be.  The quality time you spend together with good books will help create a lifelong love for reading and a lot of fun memories for your child.    

The Character of  Characters – Developing Greater Understanding

Our emergent readers are working with simple predictable texts to develop appropriate reading behaviors, extend word recognition, and increase decoding skills.  These texts are perfect for our young ones as they develop fluency, but are limited in how they can be used to increase comprehension skills.  This is where we as parents and teachers can help build the higher level thinking skills of our young readers.  Reading to children is one of the most important things we can do to increase literacy skills, broaden vocabulary, and help children acquire strategies for greater understanding of a text.  A great place to start is to examine the characters in a story. 

As you meet characters in books discuss who they are.  Use rich language that describes physical traits and personality.  Reading researcher Steven Stahl states, “A richer vocabulary does not just mean that you know more words, but that we have more complex and exact ways of talking about the world, and of understanding ways that more complex thinkers see the world.” 

Examine the roles of the characters. The protagonist is the “good guy,” the main character.  The antagonist, the bad guy, usually provides some type of challenge for the hero.  Discuss how the characters develop through the story and how problems are solved.  How do the characters change over time and through experiences?  Make connections between the text and familiar real world events.  Encourage children to use their background knowledge – what they know about the world around them – and the information in the text to make predictions about what will happen in the story.  When we have meaningful discussions about the characters we model strategies for our children to use and help them develop tools to gain greater understanding. 

Check out the link below to find some wonderful stories read by members of the Screen Actors’ Guild.  Watch, read together, and discuss the story elements.  Sharing quality time and insights about good books will strengthen our children’s desire to read and develop their depth of understanding. 

http://www.storylineonline.net/

Promoting Math Problem Solving Skills in Young Children

The Common Core encourages us to build our students’ math problem solving skills – focusing on the process as much as the outcome.  Modeling math problem solving strategies and talking about the process is a great first step.  In class we work to find the teachable moment and help our children see math problem solving is an integral part of so many of the things we encounter each day at school, at home, or wherever we are.  We start simply, use rich math language, and strive to build a firm foundation.  Here are some things you as parents can do to help your child put their problem solving strategies to work:

·         Look for and point out examples of mathematics all around.  It is almost everywhere.

·         Examine patterns in the calendar, the days of the week, months of the year, and seasons.

·         Count objects.  Play games and use dice to count and move.  Discuss the numbers and what move is greater or less than another. 

·         Count in a variety of ways – by ones, twos, fives, or tens.

·         Use manipulatives to help solve problems.  (pennies, rocks, marbles, or any object that you can use to manipulate and solve a problem)

·         Act out problem solving situations.  If I see two bare feet, how many toes do I see?  How would we model that with math language?  5 + 5 = 10

·         Find shapes in the environment and discuss how they are alike and different.  How many sides do you see?  How many corners? (or vertices – great math language!)

·         Measure and compare when cooking or working on projects. 

·         Talk about how you solve problems.  Having discussions about the problem solving process helps your child develop strategies to attack problems independently. 

·         Ask your child, “How did you solve that problem?  Can you show me?”  Encourage children to use pictures, numbers, words, or manipulative to show what they know. 

·         Use hints to guide children in their problem solving rather than giving them the answer.

·         Celebrate success, encourage perseverance, and help build self-confidence in your child. 

It is amazing the problem-solving abilities that our young students possess.  As facilitators of their learning we need to model and provide multiple opportunities to enrich and expand their good problem solving skills and work to create a desire to be a lifelong learner.

 “Learning is experience.  Everything else is just information.”  - Albert Einstein

The Kindergarten Experience

 Robert Fulghum wrote, “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.” 

As a kindergarten teacher I find that statement incredibly inspiring and do believe kindergarten is the place where a firm foundation and a love for learning are formed.  Kindergarten has truly evolved over the years and with this evolution came more rigorous academic expectations.  The good news is that children are ready to meet these challenges.  Young learners are naturally curious and eager to explore the world around them.  When examining a quality kindergarten experience today one should see:

• ·         Children actively engaged in a variety of real life learning activities (not just completing worksheets). 
• ·         Flexible and meaningful instruction that is ongoing and differentiated to meet individual student’s needs. 
• ·         A safe and encouraging environment that supports and extends the development of the whole child – academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. 
• ·         Rich language experiences!  Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are modeled, practiced, and valued daily. 
• ·         Collaboration and the sharing of ideas and strategies.  The problem solving process is valued as much as the solution. 
• ·         Exploration and a deep understanding of math, science, social studies, and the arts are developed and celebrated.
• ·         A place where diverse activities are the norm.  Children are engaged in large and small skill groups, teacher lead and child-initiated experiences, direct instruction and discovery, and meaningful individual and peer group learning opportunities.
• ·          Children realizing, celebrating, and developing their unique gifts and talents.  “How am I smart?” - rather than – “How smart am I?” (Dr. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences)  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/ed_mi_overview.html

We should combine the knowledge of what is developmentally appropriate with the rigor of the Common Core’s Curriculum that strives to make children college and career ready.  The greatest thing I believe we can do as we work to build the foundation for our kindergartners is to create a love for lifelong learning.  After all . . .

“The Universe is one great kindergarten for man.  Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson.”  - Orson Swett Marden

One Little Way to Enlarge Your Child's World

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

— Jacqueline Kennedy

Research has shown that one of the most important things a parent can do to help instill a love of learning in their child is to read to them every day.   When children are immersed in a great story with rich language their vocabulary is enriched, speaking and listening skills expand, and they develop a desire to become readers.  Reading exposes your child to correct speech patterns, creates awareness of how print works, and demonstrates the excitement that reading can bring.  Books should be an integral part of our children's daily lives. 

Here are a few tips for reading with your child:

 

·        Before you read, check out the cover. - Read the title, look at the pictures, and make some predictions together.

·        Read aloud from easy predictable books and point to each word.  Next ask your child to read and point to the words.  This gives practice matching the spoken word with the print on the page.

·        Use expression as you read and make the story come alive!

·        Ask questions like, “What do you think is going to happen?”  “How do you think that character feels right now?”

·        Encourage your child to use the pictures to gain clues about the text.

·        When you listen to your child read make sure they are reading a “good fit” book.  If your child is making more than 2 mistakes in every 10 words, the text is too hard.  Choose an easier one.

·        Praise your child’s efforts!   Reading is difficult and language can be confusing.  Encourage your child to try to figure out a tricky word by using the letter sounds, picture clues, and by asking what would make sense. 

·        After reading, talk about the book.  Make connections about the text and real world experiences. This helps children learn to draw on their background knowledge.

·        Re-read the books your child enjoys.  Encourage your emergent reader to read the pictures, read words they have mastered, and “pretend” read the text. You are setting them up for success as a developing reader.  

Children's author Emilie Buchwald said, "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."   

What a great gift to give a child!

Poetry and Literacy Development

Children love language and are always eager to learn and use interesting words.  Listening to stories and poems read aloud provide children with good modeling and the motivation to become readers.  Poems are great tools to build vocabulary and excite the imagination.  A child's literacy development is sparked by a literature rich environment.  As our young emergent readers examine print and have fun working with words they begin to match the sounds that go with letters and see patterns in words.  Poems provide a predictable form of literature that offers fun vocabulary and success from the rhyming word patterns.  I would like to encourage you to read predictable books and poems with your child to help build their reading decoding skills and fluency.  Here is a fun one to try:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed.
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

You can make the poem more fun by adding movements and by changing the tone of your voice to capture your child's interest.  Look for rhyming words together and search for familiar words.  Have fun exploring words together.

Words of wisdom from Dr. Seuss:
" Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"

Responsible Behavior

  " The time is always right to do what it right."

                                          Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In our kindergarten class we are striving to understand that we are responsible for the choices we make.  Our Downtown School Responsibility Plan gives us four simple words to remember:

• Show
• Remind
• Ignore
• Report

We work to show we are responsible by the things we do and say.  We make good choices about creating quality work, about listening and following directions, and about choosing kind words and actions with others.  

We remind friends that forget in a kind way.  (All of us need a reminder at times to help us get back on track.)

We try hard to ignore the little things that do not impact our learning or hurt others.

We do report when something or someone does interfere with our learning or is hurtful to someone or school property.  No one has the right to stop another friend from learning or feeling safe here at school.  

If someone does make a mistake (as we all do), our goal is to find a way to solve the problem.  Our kindergartners are learning to be problem solvers.  When there is a problem I ask them, "What do think we should do?" or "How do you think we can solve this?"  I am always amazed at how insightful our young friends are and how empowered they seem to feel when they are the ones who can fix the situation at hand.   

Math Exploration

Our children are working to develop strong math problem solving skills.  Are kindergartners are being introduced to the Standards for Math Practice and these strategies will follow them throughout their educational journey.  There are 8 standards on which we are building our foundation.  They are:

1. Make sense and persevere in solving problems.  We are striving to show our students that there are many strategies we can use to solve a problem.  We are also learning that it is important to keep trying and not give up when a problem might be difficult.  The process is as important as finding the answer as we grow as learners.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.  Good math students in kindergarten begin to use numerals to represent specific amounts (quantity).  We learn to use symbols to represent numbers and mathematical ideas and discuss how and why things work.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.  In kindergarten we are working to clearly express, explain, and organize our thinking.  We use words and symbols to explain our work and we talk about our strategies.
4. Model with mathematics.  In our kindergarten class we begin to experiment with representing real-life math problems in a variety of ways.  We draw, act out, use manipulatives, and develop number sentences (equations) to show our work.  
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.  Proficient kindergarten math students begin to explore a variety of tools to use to solve problems.  
6. Attend to precision.  I love to hear a kindergartner say, "I will be precise."  They know it is important to work carefully, strategically, and to produce their best quality work to be successful.
7. Look for and make use of structure.  Our young mathematicians  begin to look for patterns and structure in our number system and other areas of math.  We use our previous knowledge ("what we know about numbers") to help us solve problems.  
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.  In kindergarten we begin to examine repetitive actions in geometry, counting, and in comparing numbers and shapes.  For example when counting we will explore how the pattern 1-9 is repeated for each decade set (twenty-ONE, twenty-TWO - thirty-ONE, thirty-TWO etc...).

Kindergarten Reading Skills

As our young learners move through their kindergarten year, they will be striving to develop their literacy skills.  Here are some of the things on which our emergent readers will be focusing:

• Understand the basic features of print. 
• Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.
• Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific letters.
• Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
• Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters.
• Recognize and produce rhyming words.
• Blend and segment sounds in words.
• Add and substitute sounds in simple one syllable words to make new words. (cat  bat  rat  sat)
• Read the kindergarten high frequency words by sight.
• Read emergent (beginning level) texts with understanding.

You can help your child with these skills by reading and discussing a variety of types of books together.  Your good modeling will promote a love for literature as well as a desire to read.  You are your child's first teacher and greatest advocate.  One of the best gifts we can give our young learners is the love of reading.

Welcome to a New School Year!

Welcome to a new school year at The Downtown School!  It has been said that "The Universe is one great kindergarten for man."  We will strive to explore the world around us and grow as learners in our kindergarten class each day.  I am looking forward to a great year together.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”
― Dr. Seuss

Reading Fluency

An excerpt from the phonics webinar by Kimberly Oliver Burnim, 2006 National Teacher of the Year and a Senior Curriculum Advisor at ABCmouse.com: Parent Question: How do I help my child to read fluently? Answer: To read fluently means to read words expressively and smoothly. Children who are not fluent read choppily and word-for-word. This can affect their comprehension, because they don’t remember what they have read by the time they reach the end of a sentence. Reading fluently is an important skill. To help your child learn to read fluently, one of the most important things you can do is to regularly read aloud to your child so that you’re modeling the type of reading you want your child to do. For example, if you’re changing your voice for different characters, your child will know that he or she needs to do the same. If a book that you’re reading has text features such as bold print, and you decide to read a bolded word loudly, you’re modeling that they, too, can do that while they’re reading. Another way to develop fluency is to have your child read a book over and over again. Children tend to become fluent readers after reading the same thing many times. They know when to pause, when to speed up, and when to slow down. As they listen to themselves read more and more fluently, this also helps to build their confidence.

Reading

Here are some comprehension strategies for our young readers:

• Stop and think about what you have already read. 
•  Reread the material. 
•  Adjust your reading speed. Slow down if it doesn’t make sense. 
• Make a connection to what you know, something you have read before, or something that has happened to you. 
• Visualize. Create pictures in your mind. 
• Use conventions of print. 
• Notice patterns in the text structure.  

We have been exploring some of Dr. Seuss' creations this week in honor of his birthday.

Neuroscience of Caring

A colleague shared this article by Zaretta Hammond.  As educators and parents it is important for us to show our children we care, see their unique gifts, and expect their best.

The Neuroscience of Caring and Being Cared For

There’s real science behind this idea of caring as the on-ramp to learning. When we feel cared for, our brain is flooded with neurotransmitters and hormones like oxytocin, the same hormone that makes moms fall in love with their babies even after the pain and effort of labor. These “happy chemicals” tell our pre-frontal cortex, the thinking part of the brain, that all is safe socially, emotionally and physically. All systems are a go for learning.

What happens if you don’t feel safe or cared for? Ain’t no learning happening. The flood of stress hormones like cortisol divert blood from the pre-frontal cortex to the amygdala, an almond-shaped organ in our reptilian brain, in preparation for fight or flight. Not the time for learning. The brain is signaling us that it’s time to respond to threats, not lay back and chill.

It’s just like insisting your kids eat their vegetables and refusing to let them eat donuts for dinner. You know veggies are good for them. And while donuts may make them happy in the moment, it’s not in their best interest in the long run.

Hammond is an educator and writer passionate about teaching and learning. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area. 

Reading Principles

Author B. Sanders states, "The critical role of reading widely cannot be overemphasized. - The importance of practicing, using and 'living' literacy is often overlooked."  

What does this mean to us as educators and parents?  We need to provide more opportunities for our children to read, read, read.  We should model good reading as well as what readers do when they hit tricky words or have difficulty understanding a text.  Talk purposefully about the text and what it means to us.  Reading can have a powerful effect on our children!  Research shows that the amount students read affects not only their reading skills, fluency, and comprehension, but significantly affects their overall academic achievement as well as their knowledge of the world.   Our goal is to read, read, read!