Goodbye, Mr. Terupt

This December 2020 you can get your hands on Goodbye Mr. Terupt. Rob Buyea with the win! This would make a perfect read aloud to kick off the new year after winter break. When the first book in the now series, Because of Mr. Terupt came out I was teaching grades 4 and 5 Social Studies and English Language Arts, and read the book aloud to my class. The students made on going collage and word art for each character, as I read aloud daily. This helped them better understand and visually express how the characters changed over time. I currently teach kindergarten now so I will read this book for my own love for the series and pass the book along!

 

Catching Fireflies

"Leave the flower for the bees, don't hurt the bug for doing what a bug does" are words spoken by early childhood and elementary school educators. Nudging children's admiration and respect for their natural world, while evoking the children to ask important questions about what they notice and wonder. This picturebook weaves in the child's affections for science and ecology. The simple text, the sweet monster learning to be an ecologist, and the delicate vignettes pull together a message of looking closer at the world around you. When we see or experience a beautiful moment in nature, we keep it safely tucked away in our hearts and schema. It is with us and everyone always when we let it be.

IF... by Sarah Perry

If... by Sarah Perry is pure artistic and poetic creativity. It...is something different. A book you would feel proud you discovered, observing the delight of those you share this treasure with. A welcome to the absurd but magically beautiful world of Surrealism. A juxtaposition of illustrations, ideas, and intermedia. A modern day Fluxus event. The interaction between the text and the reader will surely prompt the reader to continue with their own Ifs... If skunks made honey...If chickens laid lemons. This will be perfect to prompt children writers to write and illustrate their idea. #Netgalley

Making Popular Curriculum More Diverse

We need quality model texts in our classrooms that offer access to narratives of lives less visible in children's literature. From guided reading, to read aloud choices, to mini lessons, we must seek what Rudine Sims Bishop describes as "Window and Mirror" books. 

With the kindergarten How-To Writing Unit of Study I am going beyond how to make PB&J. Demand your curriculum is inclusive. If someone isn't making sure- you must. Stories about those less visible matter, a lot.

As we use text with purpose, children are looking for what their society values and their place is in it. 
 @LEEandLOW @pacylin

Mirrors, windows and sliding doors

Building little words from Big words

Kindergarten Math Games Remote Learning

After sharing these two games on our class weekly math menu, I received a lot of positive feedback. They were fun for kindergarten kids and their families. Perfect for this time of remote learning when we all need interactive and hands on learning fun!

Close to 10

  

Bears Race to Escape Within 110

Public School Teacher Pride

Kindergarten Remote Writer's Workshop

Kindergarten Remote Learning Sight Words / Units of Study Phonics Snap Words

High frequency sight words are hard to learn in isolation. That is why those early leveled reading books are so helpful for word repetition, leading to ease with reading and writing them with automaticity (without struggle and long pause). Building these words can be fun if you do it in different ways (markers, colored pencils, cut paper) or you can write them in shaving cream or build them with play-doh, Lego's, or sticks and stones! Building a daily SNAP or SIGHT word has been a favorite remote learning literacy menu option for kindergarten.