Winter Holiday Sensory Boxes

In order to practice listening with Kindergarten and First Grade students, I decided to create sensory boxes. It was easy to find winter holiday items to put in the box. I looked through Target's $1 section as well as the art section and holiday section. In my box, I have tiny cut up beads, foam shapes, small holiday balls, and plastic dreidels.

During my lesson, each student at the table had their own box. (I pulled 3 students at a time.) I asked questions such as find 2 gold stars. Show me a penguin. Find the dreidel. Can you find something in the box that begins with the letter t? You can play with number, color, letter, and beginning sounds. It is an excellent way to assess listening skills. I am excited to go to the dollar store to see what I can come up with next.

Keeping it Sensory!

Using cheap hair gel, glitter and ziplock bags I created sensory bags for students to practice letter formation.

Kindergarten Venn Diagram

Today I figured out how to compare and contrast with my Kindergarten ESOL students. I started with the book Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells. My objective was to use a Venn Diagram in order to compare and contrast characters and events. I drew Max on one side and Ruby on the other. Then I drew the key character points, events and objects on index cards. I put balls of tape on the Venn Diagram before the lesson. After reading and discussing the story, volunteers placed the cards on the Venn Diagram. The best part was that several of my students that aren't speaking yet were able to demonstrate listening skills that I hadn't previously observed.

Word Clouds

Word clouds inspire me as an adult, so I was thinking of creative ways to use them in the classroom. I am planning to create a graphic organizer that asks my students to identify characters, setting, character traits, mood and interesting words. Kids can then take their organizers to the computer and create a word cloud to print out using abcya.com/word_clouds.htm. There are a dozen ways to expand the use of word clouds in the classroom, and I am excited to experiment.

WE LOVE PIGEON!

We have read all of Mo Willems' Pigeon Books. Now we are practicing our Reader's Theatres!

Place Value to the Hundreds

Students worked as individuals, partners, and groups to identify numbers. They used flats, rods and cubes with a graphic organizer. Students had to count each manipulative, draw them and record the number. Students then practiced reading their numbers through presenting in the Author's Chair.

Teaching Students to Evaluate

What students think matters. Students engaging with the text is essential. Teaching students to evaluate is an excellent format for getting students involved with the text.

How to start if you are teaching ELLs...

1. Define evaluating
2. Make connections...food critics, movie critics, book critics
3. Build on Background...have students evaluate familiar foods, films, and books.
4. Explain Reasoning...have students explain WHY they do or do not like something
5. Use icons to help students recall the concept...thumbs up and thumbs down works well.
6. Apply the skill to a new text you are introducing.