Awesome Kindergarten SDE conference!

We were so very BLESSED to be able to attend the SDE Kindergarten Teacher's workshop in San Marcos, TX. Here is the link to their website. See what is near you! This was an amazing workshop so loaded with brilliant ideas it made my head spin! SDE

This is the awesome Patricia Pavelka. She has super high energy & fantastic ideas for kindergarten literacy. Here is her website. http://patpavelka.com/
We can't wait to incorporate all her fabulous ideas!!!!

Success for ALL 21st Century Readers: Games, Activities, & More
Patricia Pavelka 9-10:15

Stop Signs
"Reading is meaning making".  Pavelka recommends using a sticky note with a red dot on it at the bottom of each page in a read aloud. Before you move on to the next page make sure students can tell you what is going on-characters, setting, etc.... fabulous for getting them to attend to pictures & print! I tried this today with my students & they did awesome! It was also a good way of making sure we were accomplishing our objectives as framed in the beginning & end of the lesson (Fundamental 5!!!) 

Strategy Cards
Sense Cards---make a movie in your head.
What do you see, hear, smell, touch, taste, feel----emotions.
DETAILS!!!!!! 
This is something we have already been incorporating. At the K-5 Rigorous Writing workshop we attended at Region 16, Kelly Thompson helped us create "writing offices" with useful writing tools such as number word spellings, color words, family words, mini word walls, and there are picture cards reminding students to write about their five senses as well as a heart to remind them to write about how they felt.

Story Elements
Characters, setting, problem, solution, actions picture of a sneaker- walk through the story- this then this then this (sequence), predict (talk about a sequel) This is something we have also always incorporated. We are especially working hard with these elements in Guided Reading using Deanna Jump's fabulous Guided Reading 101. One great idea Pavelka had us create was a simple foldable implementing sticky notes. It was a large piece of construction paper folded in thirds vertically. The first column was labeled "Something Else Happened", the middle "Prediction", and the third was labeled yes. Students put their initials at the bottom of their sticky notes & place it on the foldable in the corresponding column. If partially into the book a student changes their prediction you put an arrow at the bottom of the note & move it to something else happened. If the prediction is correct at the end they can move it to Yes! If at the end of the story, the prediction is out in left field, this could be a valuable piece of anecdotal record documentation for RTI, etc...

Story Boards
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS IDEA!!!
Introduced whole class- goes into a center. Setting is made from a plain 'ole paper bag. Keep the book with the center give them one piece---maybe the bridge from Three Billy Goat's Gruff or they can cut out pics from magazines & elaborate on setting. Let them create puppets as homework-the puppets stay at home (imagine 11 kids x 30 puppets====you do the math lol). Kids can create the story boards at school. Keep the teacher created story board in the center.  She recommends using big paper bags Sept-Dec. In January when they have mastered writing & drawing a bit less large----switching to  smaller bags. She also suggested sending home copies of the books so they can practice at home. Story boards are sent home on Fridays. Students may choose to donate their story board to the center. 

I would love to use the storyboards for retelling during Daily 5 read to someone (at least need one partner- no more than 3 in a group.=)

Treasure chest
Pavelka uses a treasure to remember each book. So for Stella Luna she had a bat. 

She had us list books we had read recently & that would could possibly find treasures to include in the chest. 

We recently read: 
 
OH BOY IS IT TIME TO GO THROUGH TOY BOXES!!!! Can't wait to use this as a center!!!

Each book will have a baggie to go alone with its treasure---in the baggie--index cards with words on them and a visual.  Students can choose to write:synonyms, antonyms, connections- text-to-text, self, world, a sentence about themselves at home or school. 

Vocabulary:

Cards with the word (desolate) & a visual.

Students may write the definition in their own words, give examples & non examples (inferencing), or list pros & cons.

For students to choose activities from the list above, they can use cubes or goo you throw at wall, or a velcro ball to throw at target. This ensures the selection is random & varied.  

The Blank Center
(one of my favorites!!!)

This is simply a foldable. Fold a piece of paper in half then half again, & half again. Should make 4 squares. You can pre-print these I found ______, ________ times & have them glued inside the foldable. STOPS KIDS FROM JUST FLIPPING PAGES IN THE BOOK- MAKES THEM ATTEND TO PICTURE & PRINT!!  You can have them search for sight words, colors, numbers, ANYTHING YOU WANT!!! AND they are held accountable! They can turn in one square or ten. She also recommended using post its to mark letters, sight words, or colors in a book. I tried this today with two lower level students & it gave them CONFIDENCE!!! They had success in the classroom today when they often do not.

Fantastic for differentiation!! 

Instead of spending my weekends creating foldables, she suggested having a foldable party. Have older students create foldables for you to have on hand. Folding straight is HARD for kindergarteners' little bitty hands. 




Creating Independent Literacy Centers: A Make & Take
Patricia Pavelka 10:45-noon

Literacy Centers: A Make & Take
Never Change!

Reading Center
Manipulative
Curriculum to find & mark

Six square handout (poster)
Have students mark sight words, colors, letters, etc...books with Wikki stix, poster, highlighter or highlighter tape before students remove whatever they used to mark- they have to tell someone else at the center what was marked. Pair them up with a higher and lower level student. :)

“I define reading as a message-getting, problem-solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced. My definition states that within the directional constraints of the printer’s cue, language and visual perception responses are purposefully directed by the reader in some integrated way to the problem of extracting meaning from cues in a text, in sequence, so that the reader brings a maximum of understanding to the author’s message.”

Low level students need exposure to letters/words/numbers/concepts etc....
FORTY-FOUR TIMES BEFORE THEY RETAIN IT!!!!!!!!!!!
Reading center is NOT just books! Use Cereal box books! Environmental print!!! Create a book from plastic bags from stores!!! Months, days, sight words, color words, number words, 
"IT'S LIFE!!!" Pavelka
Pages from Highlights magazines....

 Sight Word Centers----Look Alike Books 
by Joan Steiner Series of 4 books 
AAAAAHHHHH! I just ordered these the instant she showed them to us!
These are similar to I Spy Books but the pictures are created out of every day items.

She also suggested giving them just a piece of a character- then they could draw the other half of the character, for example, just the head of Clifford. Keep all of the characters in a box---students must create characters to go along with current story & may choose previous characters after this for more center time.

Interview Center
Favorite ___________ (color, story, food, could interview student of week!)
One doing the interview is writing (or drawing if they can't write)
Rather have ______ or ___________.  (Pizza or Macaroni) Then interviewer is only writing student's names!!!
Rather do _____ or ______. 
Can use later for graphing!!!! :)  Always give them the topic.  Can let them choose their own topic later. PUT ON A WALL ON A POSTER.  Only words that change will be words in blank or choices.  Makes them talk! Cross-curricular---Fundamental 5!!!!!! Collaboration!!! Talking with a purpose! Can use a tchart....construction paper on clipboard. 


Picture Cards

----8 squares---hot dog, hamburger, french fry
Draw, write the words, color Pictures on one side WORD is NOT on the other side EXCEPT at the beginning of the year. Great for English Language Learners!

List!! 

Can Draw Pics  & write words  

Can start with top 5

Top Ten Colors
Different color every week 

Top Ten Friends Names

Top Ten Things You Buy at the Grocery Store

Top Ten Animals

Here we are learning more about Ipads in kindergarten. 

Lots of cool apps & ideas!!! I frequently search for free apps at Matt Gomez's workshop. 

Here is the link to his blog. Lots of

great resources. http://mattbgomez.com/

Next up was the high energy Dr. Mike Longoria.
I apologize for the blurry picture but he was literally RUNNING around the room! His enthusiasm was contagious & I have already used some songs from his awesome CD in my classroom. 
WOW! He is phenomenal!!! He has created songs, illustration, chants, and movements to make Science FUN! He made me tired after just a few minutes! BUT he has amazing songs that I can really see my kids LOVING! I can't wait to try this stuff out!!!!! He uses simple nursery rhymes & incorporates ELA, math, kinesthetic learning, & SOOOO MUCH MORE!!!

Next was Sandi Reyes' Calendar Math.
She is from New York but taught kindergarten in Florida for several years. Adding manipulatives into the daily calendar routine will help get all the kids involved. She does 45 minutes of calendar every day. Kids come in everyday and get their math bags. Inside bags are dry erase boards (cheap alternative----shower board in paneling section of hardware stores, 32 for fifteen dollars!! Tell them you are a poor teacher and they won't charge you to cut them.) Bag also includes two different color dry erase markers (especially for addition & subtraction), mini clocks or dry erase clocks, eraser- she uses black socks, can use gloves or mittens,can let them be a special treat, bag of coins, weather cards, number word cards, Can add items slowly, 2 or three different sizes and colors of manipulatives. Can just be beans!
The calendar helper reads yesterday was Monday today is Tuesday tomorrow will be Wednesday. Make them read complete sentences! She adds one number to the calendar daily. The number cards have pictures on them to let students predict number and picture based on pattern. Then her students label the pattern type using abc abac etc...suggests building the pattern on a long sentence strip & adding to it each day. Students sitting on the rug with white boards write pattern on board. Reyes says boards up and they show them. Informal assessment!!! Boards down let's see which row can be ready first. Erased and leader picks quickest row. Make pattern then transfer. Pipe cleaner threaded through unifix cubes---hanging on wall. Add a new cube each day. 
>>>>>Multiple representations of patterns.<<<<< Then translate pattern into movement-- leader picks movements.    
 Now weather calendar -helper goes and checks weather and whispers to teacher which weather card. Kids on rug looking for their weather card and drawing pic with word. Boards up reveal--- then leader reveals. Put up weather pattern on weather graph then talk about it. Let calendar leader call on three kids to tell one thing about graph in complete sentences. End with in----month. Then tally marks on weather through the year. 

How many days in school? Everyone counts the days of school but she recommends using it with hundreds chart and predict what number is next. Kids tell leader when to put the brakes on and start counting by ones instead of tens. Kids have to write number on boards then revealed. Then place value count with sticks. Call rubber banding tens packing them up to move. I used this phrase with my kids today, the liked it! It was effective!!!! She also plays "I like to move it" song from Madagascar. Then read sentence we have been in school 90 days. Now number study. Write word using cards from bag for ten as many times as you can. Figure out all the addition sums with the number ten. 

Reyes does most of her math during calendar time. Instead of sending them back to their seat & losing time in transitions she picks a number story problem out of the bag. She said it is okay to let them copy each other, maybe they will finally get it! Reveal boards. Things like this added later. Use manipulatives to create ten with some here and some there 4+6=10. Students will start to understand commutative  properties. Number story--- tell them a number story and they write on boards and write number problem. Leader is also doing this on big board. 3+7=10. Have kids draw pic first using different colored markers for each part then write the number problem.

Add a square helps them practice counting by two Addams family theme song...add squares on cookie sheet hung on wall. Add squares in twos. Then decide even or odd. Kids are writing even or odd on their boards. Then add a paperclip to paper clip chain change colors every group of five. Hundreds chart play secret number of the day. Calendar helper covers one number with sticky note. Kids try to guess and write number they think umber of the. Day is. Drum roll reveal. If running out of time then let leader choose last few activities. Secret Shape of the day two & three dimensional shapes. slip under cover sheet helper gives three clues.then kids draw shape they think it is. Money song and they take out money and sort into pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters -give them 4-5 mins to sort. Can create sorting sheets at first. Helper takes out paper coins pass them out and call kids up to the front. Then do Dr Jean money song. Kids holding particular coin jump up when coin is said in song or number ten etc for dime. Can line them up and put strugglers next to students with like coins. By the spring, give them an amount of money and they have to find ways to create that amount. Calendar leader does it at front. To differentiate give different amounts to higher students. Do five and ten jumps by color coding the hundreds board---make fives purple circle and tens a different color. Helps them add money. Time at least introduce it although most kindergarten curriculums don't even introduce it!!  She recommended only doing o'clocks or thirties. Have leader quiz kids on what time it is. Do math sentences and hop on number line. Kids sitting down can have laminated number line to do jumps. Can do clock also take away what they are playing with!  Reyes finishes calendar time by playing the song "Calendar Girl" but sings Calendar KID while hugging them- she said her kids really loved it. Basically thanking them for all their hard work! I think the kids would enjoy this!!!! :)

***I have already changed my calendar wall to add things Reyes suggested. I moved everything lower- before the kids could not reach all the parts....how silly is that??? Now that they are leading it, I can keep an eye on the kids on the rug & see who is really understanding!!! I also started letting my leader do all the work of calendar. They have seen me do it 101 times, I think they can take it from there! :) My first little helper did amazing! Plus it gave him the opportunity to practice talking even if he was just repeating after me. I loved hearing the other kids trying to help him remember what to do when he hesitated. I played Calendar Girl & we all sang Calendar KID & hugged him & thanked him for doing such a good job with the calendar. :)