Where is Letter?… (Sing to the tune Where is Thumbkin?…)

Every child has a letter card that is large enough to hold up and show the other students. All the children are sitting in a circle on the rug.

The teacher sings:

Where is letter (a)?
Where is letter (a)?

The student with letter sings:

Here it is.
Here it is.

Teacher sings:

Tell me what the sound is.
Tell me what the sound is.

(All children sing)

/a/ /a/ /a/
/a/ /a/ /a/

Continue through the alphabet

Interviews in First and Second Grade

Getting Ready for Interviews

My turn yet?
To reassure the students that all students are included and will have a turn, I give all the kids an index card (3×5). I had each student write their own name on the card. Each student placed the card in a box. This way all the kids KNOW their name is in the box so they don’t drive me crazy, “IS MY NAME IN THERE???”

Markers – I labeled a marker box “Interview Markers.” I took out the yellow marker out of the box because the kids could not see the yellow on the chart paper and I don’t want the kids to choose this one. I write their chart with the marker color they pick.

Chart Paper – I post a piece of chart paper and have a box of markers by the chart paper.

Where to sit? How to sit?
I had all the kids sit on the floor in front of the teachers share on the sharing rug (called the living room or the sharing place or the community area… where ever your kids can sit and gather and learn without spending lots of time finding a place to sit together… Anyway, they come and join me on the rug. I have them sit so their knees and nose face me. Then I draw a card out and say that name. The child chooses a marker color from the box and hands me the marker. The child then sits in my teacher chair.

The Interview – the discussion
The kids on the floor raise their hands. The child who is being interviewed chooses kids to ask questions. The kids sitting on the floor ask whatever they want to. I prefer not to use contrived questions. I prefer to have my students actually have a discussion. The child answers the questions as in depth as they like. Some kids are chatty so the interview lasts 8-10 minutes. Some aren’t so the interview lasts 3-5 minutes. I try to stay out of the way of the discussion and let the kids interact without the teacher interfering.

Problems that sometimes occur
I provide guidance whenever necessary though. Kids get stuck on specific questions. Maybe they work, maybe they worked on the first eight interviews and now you are sick of the question! “What is your favorite ice-cream?” or “How many grandparents do you have?”, I lead the children to think about what else can we ask. You are the teacher! Repeat after me, “I am the teacher.” Remember the purpose of this activity is building sight words. If they ALWAYS ask the same questions, they will only have a very limited amount of words. If before interview 17, you are sick of “Do you like pizza?” Tell the kids we are NOT asking this question anymore. Then if the kids ask the question, the teacher reminds the kids that this question is off limits. It is not about this child, it is about building more opportunities for reading more words during interviews.

Say Something for the Modeling of the Writing for the Interview
After the lull of conversation, I then tell the interviewed child to choose four people to SAY SOMETHING about the child. I have the boy-girl-boy-girl or girl-boy-girl-boy rule so that all the boys pay attention when the girls are interviewed and vice versa. If a boy is interviewed, then the first person who “Says Something” is a girl. The next person who says something is a boy. The next person who says something is a boy. The next person who says something is a girl. The teacher needs to say to the interviewed child, “Is this true about you?” I added this because sometimes you are writing the third or fourth sentence and have to start over because the kid who said something just MADE it up!!! If yes, “This is true about me”, then the teacher writes the sentence on the chart paper modeling how to write the words. The teacher uses interactive writing techniques as the opportunities arise. If we have had that word before, the teacher encourages the kids to tell me…

Then we continue until there are FOUR sentences written on the chart paper. You can have as many sentences as you want, just remember that you will do these interviews with EVERY child and MUST be FAIR so only do 120 sentences if you are truly insane!!!!!! ha-ha-ha!!!!!!! I found that 4 sentences fit on ONE sheet of chart paper easily so that is why I choose 4. I wanted to write large enough that the kids can easily see it BUT also so that it fits on one piece of paper.

So now the interview is written. There are four sentences (or however many you want) written.

Hand the interviewed child the marker and have him/her track the print as the class reads the sentences.

I usually have the students read the chart twice.

Then we re-read the other charts with ME tracking the print until we have 5 charts up.

Then I change this procedure and have the kids read the charts in the room for about 5-8 minutes.

I keep all the charts up all over the room until the last interview. If you don’t have room for all the interview charts, leave five charts up at a time. If I was looking at the wall on day five, I would see chart one, chart two, chart three, chart four, chart five. On day six, send home chart one, and replace with chart 6. If I was looking at the wall on day six, I would see chart 6, chart 2, chart 3, chart 4, chart 5. On day seven, send home chart two, and replace with chart 7. On day I would see chart 6, chart 7, chart 3, chart 4, chart 5. On day eight, send home chart three, and replace with chart 8. On day eight I would see chart 6, chart 7, chart 8, chart 4, chart 5.

After the class activity:
-Type up the interviews and send home nightly as homework. Parents and kids alike will love this!
-Make interviews into book so the kids could read all the charts. If you type them on half sheets of paper, and run for all your students eventually all your students become fluent readers of your interviews.

Teachers Matter! Part 2

Today I had the opportunity ‘staff develop’ or train a wonderful group of teachers. Many gave up the day to set up their classrooms to attend the writing training. Teachers give so much time to their profession. They are gracious and kind to people like me. On their lunch hour, many of the teachers went to Staples and Office Max to spend their own money on teaching supplies and supplies for their students. Teachers are important. Just thought I would mention it.

Parents Matter! First Days of School

To Beth’s First-Grade Teacher By Richard F. Abrahamson
I didn’t know the man in front of me that morning. But I did notice that we both walked a little straighter, a little more proudly, as our daughters held our hands. We were proud but apprehensive on that important day. Our girls were beginning first grade. We were about to give them up, for a while at least, to the institution we call school. As we entered the building, he looked at me. Our eyes met just for a minute, but that was enough. Our love for our daughters, our hopes for their future, our concern for their well-being welled up in our eyes. You, their teacher, met us at the door. You introduced yourself and showed the girls to their seats. We gave them each a good-bye kiss, and then we walked out the door. We didn’t talk to each other on the way back to the parking lot and on to our respective jobs. We were too involved thinking about you. There were so many things we wanted to tell you, Teacher. Too many things were left unsaid. So I’m writing to you. I’d like to tell you the things we didn’t have time for that first morning. I hope you noticed Beth’s dress. She looked beautiful in it. Now I know you might think that’s a father’s prejudice, but she thinks she looks beautiful in it, and that’s what’s really important. Did you know we spent a full week searching the shopping malls for just the right dress for that special occasion? She wouldn’t show you, but I’m sure she’d like you to know that she picked that dress because of the way it unfurled as she danced in front of the mirrors in the clothing store. The minute she tried it on, she knew she’d found her special dress. I wonder if you noticed. Just a word from you would make that dress all the more wondrous. Her shoes tell a lot about Beth and a lot about her family. At least they’re worth a minute of your time. Yes, they’re blue shoes with one strap. Solid, well-made shoes, not too stylish, you know the kind. What you don’t know is how we argued about getting the kind of shoes she said all the girls would be wearing. We said no to plastic shoes in purple or pink or orange. Beth was worried that the other kids would laugh at her baby shoes. In the end she tried the solid blue ones on and, with a smile, told us she always did like strap shoes. That’s the first-born, eager to please. She’s like the shoes solid and reliable. How she’d love it if you mentioned those straps. I hope you quickly notice that Beth is shy. She’ll talk her head off when she gets to know you, but you’ll have to make the first move. Don’t mistake her quietness for lack of intelligence. Beth can read any children’s book you put in front of her. She learned reading the way it should be taught. She learned it naturally, snuggled up in her bed with her mother and me reading her stories at naptime, at bedtime and at cuddling times throughout the day. To Beth, books are synonymous with good times and loving family. Please don’t change her love of reading by making the learning of it a burdensome chore. It has taken us all her life to instill in her the joy of books and learning. Did you know that Beth and her friends played school all summer in preparation for their first day? I should tell you about her class. Everybody in her class wrote something every day. She encouraged the other kids who said they couldn’t think of anything to write about. She helped them with their spelling. She came to me upset one day. She said you might be disappointed in her because she didn’t know how to spell “subtraction.” She can do that now. If you would only ask her. Her play school this summer was filled with positive reinforcement and the quiet voice of a reassuring teacher. I hope that her fantasy world will be translated into reality in your classroom. I know you’re busy with all the things that a teacher does at the beginning of the school year, so I’ll make this letter short. But I did want you to know about the night before that first day. We got her lunch packed in the Care Bear lunch box. We got the backpack ready with the school supplies. We laid out her special dress and shoes, read a story, and then I shut off the lights. I gave her a kiss and started to walk out of the room. She called me back in and asked me if I knew that God wrote letters to people and put them in their minds. I told her I never had heard that, but I asked if she had received a letter. She had. She said the letter told her that her first day of school was going to be one of the best days of her life. I wiped away a tear as I thought: Please let it be so. Later that night I discovered a note Beth left for me. It read, “I’m so lucky to have you for a dad.” Well, Beth’s first-grade teacher, I think you’re so lucky to have her as a student. We’re all counting on you. Every one of us who left our children and our dreams with you that day. As you take our youngsters by the hand, stand a little taller and walk a little prouder. Being a teacher carries with it an awesome responsibility ~ published by Chicken Soup for the Soul (online)

Teachers Matter!

As teachers return to school, we need to remember that starting school is stressful for children and teachers. Bud the Teacher writes really well about why teachers matter. bud the teacher link to an open letter He helps all teachers feel important because teachers are important.

Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers have been writing about why teachers are important to students. link to recap of the big picture series by two writing teachers

When my children start school each Autumn, they are crabby and hot, and tired. The unair-conditioned school, all the other students, and dealing with getting up early in the morning definitely takes adjusting to. I know that it takes me time to adjust too.

Letters and Sounds: Sound Muncher Ideas

I have seen sound munchers that are not in action in the classroom. I have always wondered about them. Mrs. Kilburn explains how to use a sound muncher on her blog today. It is awesome because most sites just show the pictures of sound munchers instead of including what to do with this little garbage can! Mrs. Kilburn’s Kiddos blog

This is a wonderful sound muncher song. sound muncher sound link Kindergarten teachers are so creative!

Taking a garbage can decorating it with stickers, then adding little objects that start with the sounds = sound muncher!

Marcia has lots of pictures of sound munchers on her site.
more munchers at Marcia’s site

Strong Emotion Writing Minilesson

Stacey at Two Writing Teachers wrote an awesome writing minilesson about strong emotions. Here is the link. Do you love the candy Skittles? Stacey combines candy and writing into an awesome lesson.

Stacey’s Strong Emotions Minilesson link

Don Murray Writing Quote

Don Murray wrote “I write to know what it is I didn’t know I knew!”

I remember as I wrote my book with Pat Cunningham, Beyond Retelling, this quote was stuck on my computer. I would send a chapter to her. She would send it back with very important questions. I would write what I didn’t know I knew or remembered. As we ponder the question, “How will we help our students with topic development?” I think it is important to think about prior knowledge and developing the memories that they have experienced about their lives. This certainly helped me as Pat and I wrote this book together.

wii Interactive Whiteboard for CHEAP

wii cheap whiteboard project link

I don’t know a lot about this. This link says that the wii can work as an interactive white board for $99.00. WOW! If this is true, wouldn’t that be great? I would love to know if this is true!

Longer School Day? More Days?

Do students need more time with parents or more time with teachers? I want my children home with me. 180 days is plenty of time. All day kindergarten should not be a mandate. Longer school days is not necessary. Let me parent my children, let me provide them with life experiences so that when they are in school they will have prior knowledge and something to write about…

link to article