How I Keep Up With Make-Up and Late Work

Ah, absent work.  How I loathe thee!  For a while this past year, I had at least two students out each day for about a month.  That was not a fun time with all the missing grades and papers.  It was enough to make me ALMOST resigned to the fact that I would never keep it all straight.

So what did I do about it?

I made this poster, of course!

 

After laminating the poster, I write the assignments and student numbers in dry-erase marker.  After a student has turned in an assignment, I simply erase their number from the poster.  After all students have completed the assignment, I erase the whole thing. 

You can pick up a FREE copy of the poster by clicking here.

The only thing that could make it any better is if it stayed clean like it looks now, but I'll settle for a neat and concise way to keep it all together.  How do you keep it all organized?

Developmental Word Study

My school uses the Words Their Way program by Marcia R. Invernizzi, Francine R. Johnston, Donald R. Bear, and Shane Templeton. 

Since I am 4th Grade, these are the editions that I use so that the wide range of needs of my readers/spellers are met.

Last year, we also started using Mindful of Words: Spelling and Vocabulary Explorations 4-8 (Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy) by Kathy Ganske.  This adds a little more of the "word study/vocabulary" piece to the spelling.

I spent the last couple of years tweaking my small group word study and word study packets for independent learning.  Basically, I usually end up with 3-4 spelling groups after I give the beginning of the year pretest. 

Some things I found that do NOT work for my students:

• Weekly spelling tests: Students were "memorizing" words just long enough to pass the test and them misspelling the same words in their writing.  Plus, it takes a lot of class time to give a spelling test.
• Assigning spelling packets for homework. 

Some things I found that DO work:

• Have a packet that explicitly tells students what to do each day during independent word study time.
• Keeping one plastic baggy for "this week's words" and one for "old words"
• Pulling words from the "old words" baggy randomly to see which words need to be practiced
• Holding students accountable for words learned during word study in their writing

This is a sample weekly independent word study packet and the small group rotation schedule.

The packet includes 5 days of activities to be done independently after all the words have been introduced in small group. The rotation schedule is meant to keep the groups "flowing" so that not all students are doing the same activity and thus, have access to all materials as needed.

The packet addresses the vocabulary/writing, as well as the spelling practice components of word study.




This is the basic weekly schedule:

Day 1

Group 1: (lowest group): Introduction of sort and activities in packet (15 minutes)

Group 2: (2^nd lowest group): Introduction of sort and activities in packet (15 minutes)

Day 2

Group 3: (middle group): Introduction of sort and activities in packet (15 minutes)

Group 4: (highest group): Introduction of sort and activities in packet (15 minutes)

Day 3

Group 1: Check-in: clarification of sort, meaning of words, activity expectations (5-10 minutes)

Group 2: Check-in: clarification of sort, meaning of words, activity expectations (5-10 minutes)

Day 4

Group 3: Check-in: clarification of sort, meaning of words, activity expectations (5-10 minutes)

Group 4: Check-in: clarification of sort, meaning of words, activity expectations (5-10 minutes)

Day 5

All groups: open agenda (usually answering questions as a whole group)

Packet collection schedule (provided there was a full 5 days for them to complete the activities):

Groups 1 & 2: Mondays

Groups 3 & 4: Tuesdays

 

You can pick up a FREE copy by clicking here.

 

What about you?  Do you use anything similar to this?  How do you run it?

 

  

Using Sticky Notes for Reading Comprehension

I love using a Reader's Notebook to increase reading comprehension.  A goal I have for myself for next year is to increase readers' use of sticky notes to mark their thinking.  After digging around for a bit on Pinterest and the Internet, I came up with the following visual.

This PDF can be turned into a poster or simply printed and stapled into readers' notebooks. It is designed to help readers track their thinking on sticky notes, which in turn, help the teacher see the areas in which the students need help or have mastered.             


You can pick up a copy by clicking here.

I also felt like this is not solely for reading class, either.  Why not add a copy of it to our Social Studies or Science notebooks?  There is so much reading comprehension that needs to happen for full understanding in these subjects as well.

What about you?  Do you already use this method?  Is there anything you do differently?  I'd love to hear your strategies!

Comparing the Earth to an Apple

I am taking a Historical Geology class this summer to complete my Middle School Science endorsement.  Even though I teach components of this in 4th Grade, I haven't gone nearly as in depth as I am expected to do in this course.

For instance, the first chapter alone covers the creation of Earth and the Solar System, the layers of Earth, the major features of mountain ranges and ocean ranges, the rock cycle, and the different types of rocks (and those are just the highlights).  Whew!

I have got to learn/review an enormous amount of information in a relatively short amount of time.  So I got to thinking...  The Earth kind of reminds me of an apple.  This could help me memorize the layers of the Earth.  Not to mention the fact that I just might get the chance to use this with my students before too long!

This customizable PowerPoint includes the following:
Label the layers of the Earth
Compare the (filled in) layers of the Earth to the layers of an apple
Answer key for the compare and contrast slide

You can pick up a FREE copy by clicking here.

Do you have any great tricks or resources for this information?  If so, I'd love to see it!

My Teacher Always Says Linky

Tammy at Forever in First is hosting a Linky party to share our classroom mantras.  I absolutely love what I've ready so far!  I'm borrowing/stealing some of the sayings for next year!

One that I CONSTANTLY use....

This one comes from Dr. Becky Bailey's Conscious Discipline.  Even 4th Graders need to stop and think about this quite often.  It helps them to differentiate between tattling and reporting an emergency.  We have a "Tattling Turtle" and "Cool-Down Spot" for any comments that don't need to be taken care of right that second.

This is another one from Dr. Bailey.  You can fill in the blank with "take you to specials" or "continue with the lesson," etc.  It reminds the student that they have the power of self-control and they should use it at that moment.

This one is for when the class is a bit too loud or I just need to bring their attention back to me.  I say it quietly and compliment those that follow my directions immediately.  I remind them that if their finger is on their lips and the other hand is a peace sign, they can't be talking.  It usually doesn't take long for the entire class to be sitting silently with peace signs proudly showing!

This one lightens the situation when a student is just kind of pouting or maybe being a bit too dramatic.  The first saying is from "The Pout-Pout Fish" book by Deborah Diesen and the second is from "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?" by Dr. Seuss.  Kids usually will crack a smile when I say either one.

Do you have any mantras you use?  I'd love to hear them because I'd love to "borrow" them!  Head on over to Forever in First to link up and share!

Math Rounding Rules Poster

Each year, we almost always start out with a review of place value as it applies to rounding, and each year, I feel like I cannot do enough to help students remember the rules for rounding to a specific place value.

So I created a poster to put up next to my math word wall that I will refer students to when we are doing our daily review.  After all, I can say it a million times but ultimately, they must make that metacognitive process work for themselves.  The more they go look at the poster, the more they will commit it to memory or at least learn to read the room!

This customizable polka dot PowerPoint shows the little saying that I use to teach/review rounding rules with my students. I have added a little extra to it this year, so we'll see how successful the saying is! You can pick up a FREE COPY by clicking here.

Polka Dot Word of the Day

I've been working on improving literacy in Math, Science, and Social Studies.  I've learned that looking up words in the dictionary rarely, if ever, seems to truly teach students the meaning of the word.  Using prescribed vocabulary lists doesn't seem to do much, either.

I thought about all the words in our Social Studies, Science, and Math textbooks that students just breezed by but didn't stop to think about the meaning.  The students need to KNOW these words and be able to use them to be successful in these classes.  What can I do to increase the knowledge of these words?

This polka dot Word of the Day PowerPoint is customizable so you can choose what things you will have your students focus on.  The labels I've included:
1. Textbook definition
2. Textbook sentence
3. Synonym
4. Antonym
5. Non-Example
6. Dictionary guide words
7. Plural
8. Plural Possessive
9. Illustration
10. Prefix
11. Suffix
12. Root Word
13. Dictionary Part of Speech

You can pick up a FREE copy by clicking here.

I don't plan to have students complete this in one day.  It will most likely take several days, especially at the beginning of the year.  Some of the labels will not apply to every word, either.  For example, if the word is "venture", there won't be a root word, prefix or suffix. 

I do plan to create a classroom job (Word Master) so a student can go around to help/check their peers each day.  I always check this student's work first so I can assure it is correct and the understanding of the word is accurate.  This is a great chance for me to conference and assist ESL or other students that are developing language skills.