Best Practices: Daily 5
I use the Daily 5 to help structure Reader's Workshop in my classroom. The students are very familiar with the structure and it has easily become a habit for all. In four short weeks the structures and routines were established for each rotation, setting the stage for a productive, independent work time for students. I start Reader's Workshop with a short mini lesson, the students then move into the first rotation, which is either Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing or Word Work. I use a rotation chart to rotate each group daily, giving them different work opportunities. After 12 minutes I stop the students at their rotations and we all convene to a whole group for the second mini lesson. Following the second lesson students then go to their second rotation, which is different from their first. We conclude with one last short mini lesson. In the end, students listen and participate in three mini lessons and two rotations. Throughout the year as I reassess my students, the small groups they work in change depending on ability. Once a week I also meet with each small group as one of the first rotation, allowing me to meet with each group once each week.
2. Technology Integration- eSpark
I use the Daily 5 to help structure Reader's Workshop in my classroom. The students are very familiar with the structure and it has easily become a habit for all. In four short weeks the structures and routines were established for each rotation, setting the stage for a productive, independent work time for students. I start Reader's Workshop with a short mini lesson, the students then move into the first rotation, which is either Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing or Word Work. I use a rotation chart to rotate each group daily, giving them different work opportunities. After 12 minutes I stop the students at their rotations and we all convene to a whole group for the second mini lesson. Following the second lesson students then go to their second rotation, which is different from their first. We conclude with one last short mini lesson. In the end, students listen and participate in three mini lessons and two rotations. Throughout the year as I reassess my students, the small groups they work in change depending on ability. Once a week I also meet with each small group as one of the first rotation, allowing me to meet with each group once each week.
2. Technology Integration- eSpark
Saline Area Schools Curriculum Snapshot:
Reading/Language Arts
The Kindergarten curriculum of Saline Area Schools incorporates a balanced literacy program for the instruction of reading/language arts. Instruction is in the five components of reading – Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension. These components support the Language Arts Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) and Common Core recommended by the Michigan Department of Education. The curriculum focuses on the foundational skills necessary for early reading success.
Phonemic Awareness /Reading Street/Best Fit (Modeled Writing/Daily Message)
· Identifies and generates rhyming words
· Identifies beginning, ending and medial sounds in spoken words
· Blends sounds together to make words
· Segments sounds in words
Phonics (Zoo-phonics)/Reading Street/Best Fit
· Recognizes and identifies all upper and lower case letters
· Matches consonants and short vowel sounds to appropriate letters
Fluency/Reading Street/Best Fit (Leveled Reading Books)
Vocabulary/Reading Street/Best Fit (Daily Read Aloud and Modeled Writing)
Comprehension/Reading Street/Best Fit (Daily Read Aloud)
Concepts of print
Our assessment program is based off of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System.
See the Reading Street Instructional Map below:
Reading/Language Arts
The Kindergarten curriculum of Saline Area Schools incorporates a balanced literacy program for the instruction of reading/language arts. Instruction is in the five components of reading – Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension. These components support the Language Arts Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) and Common Core recommended by the Michigan Department of Education. The curriculum focuses on the foundational skills necessary for early reading success.
Phonemic Awareness /Reading Street/Best Fit (Modeled Writing/Daily Message)
· Identifies and generates rhyming words
· Identifies beginning, ending and medial sounds in spoken words
· Blends sounds together to make words
· Segments sounds in words
Phonics (Zoo-phonics)/Reading Street/Best Fit
· Recognizes and identifies all upper and lower case letters
· Matches consonants and short vowel sounds to appropriate letters
Fluency/Reading Street/Best Fit (Leveled Reading Books)
- ·Reads beginning level text
- Check pictures
- Use beginning sounds
- touch words
- find chunks
- stretch words
- does it make sense
- pay attention to punctuation
Vocabulary/Reading Street/Best Fit (Daily Read Aloud and Modeled Writing)
- · Read simple high-frequency words
- · Recognizes environmental print
Comprehension/Reading Street/Best Fit (Daily Read Aloud)
Concepts of print
- Makes predictions based on background knowledge
- Makes connections to what they knows and what they read
- Responds to reading through discussion or retelling
- Character, setting, plot with a beginning/middle/end
- Classify and categorize
- Main Idea
- Sequencing
Our assessment program is based off of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System.
See the Reading Street Instructional Map below:
Writing
Saline Area Schools elementary students learn how to become writers using the Lucy Calkins: Art of Teaching Writing curriculum adopted in 2008-2009. Below is a brief description of just a few of the strategies that our students use in kindergarten. Essential to the program is the continuity of the writer's workshop structure that the students use for the entire five years. The program builds on prior learning and allows for adaptations in instruction as the sophistication of writing skills increases year-to-year. Other hallmarks of the Lucy Calkins curriculum include extensive use of literature, author studies, teacher modeling, on-demand writing and published work.
Unit of Study:
Launching the Writing Workshop
· Help children see themselves as authors
· Establish writing workshop
· Choose topics – plan for writing – drafting
· Independent so teacher can move about/conference
Unit of Study: Pattern Books
Children write a core sentence using high frequency words
Learn different types of patter books
Example: plain, twist, see saw
Unit of Study: Small Moments
· Value tiny moments in their lives
· Writer’s hold moments in hearts
· Focus: Good Writing/Sense of Story
· Hearing and recording sounds/tackling words
· Risk taker in spelling
Unit of Study: Writers for Readers
· Writing so others can read
· Spelling, punctuation, grammar, spacing, penmanship
· Word walls/blends
Unit of Study: Nonfiction
· Writing as a tool for teaching others
· Sequence a story
· Attention to audience
· Explicitness, clarity, sequence
· How to stories (links to essay)
See Lucy Calkins Curriculum Map below
Saline Area Schools elementary students learn how to become writers using the Lucy Calkins: Art of Teaching Writing curriculum adopted in 2008-2009. Below is a brief description of just a few of the strategies that our students use in kindergarten. Essential to the program is the continuity of the writer's workshop structure that the students use for the entire five years. The program builds on prior learning and allows for adaptations in instruction as the sophistication of writing skills increases year-to-year. Other hallmarks of the Lucy Calkins curriculum include extensive use of literature, author studies, teacher modeling, on-demand writing and published work.
Unit of Study:
Launching the Writing Workshop
· Help children see themselves as authors
· Establish writing workshop
· Choose topics – plan for writing – drafting
· Independent so teacher can move about/conference
Unit of Study: Pattern Books
Children write a core sentence using high frequency words
Learn different types of patter books
Example: plain, twist, see saw
Unit of Study: Small Moments
· Value tiny moments in their lives
· Writer’s hold moments in hearts
· Focus: Good Writing/Sense of Story
· Hearing and recording sounds/tackling words
· Risk taker in spelling
Unit of Study: Writers for Readers
· Writing so others can read
· Spelling, punctuation, grammar, spacing, penmanship
· Word walls/blends
Unit of Study: Nonfiction
· Writing as a tool for teaching others
· Sequence a story
· Attention to audience
· Explicitness, clarity, sequence
· How to stories (links to essay)
See Lucy Calkins Curriculum Map below
Math
In Everyday Mathematics, children develop a broad background by learning concepts and skills in all these six content strands. The Kindergarten program emphasizes the following content.
Number and Numeration
Counting every day in different ways and from different numbers – by 1s, forward and backward, and by 5s and 10s; reading and writing numerals; comparing numbers through daily routines, games such as Top It and Monster Squeeze, and other activities; exploring different ways to represent numbers (equivalent names for numbers) using manipulatives, words, drawings, and operations.
Operations and Computation
Exploring addition and subtraction through concrete activities, games, and number stories; developing and sharing multiple strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems including counting and using fingers or other objects, all of which are still very acceptable and useful, using the +, -, and = symbols to write number models for number stories.
Data and Chance
Collecting, organizing, displaying, and analyzing classroom data through the daily weather, temperature, and survey routines as well as through games and activities; working with data and graphing in activities such as graphing dice rolls; exploring probability through games and by describing the likelihood of events as definite, impossible, or possible.
Measurement and Reference Frames
Making direct measurement comparisons followed by using non-standard units of measure (such as their own feet and hands) all of which lay the groundwork for understanding the need for standard units of measure and learning proper measurement techniques; learning coins and their values; developing an understanding of time measures (day, week, and month), and temperature measures through daily routines (calendar, daily schedule, and temperature).
Geometry
Exploring 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes with manipulatives – such as pattern blocks, attribute blocks, and building blocks – and through games like I Spy; exploring line symmetry.
Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Identifying, creating, and extending sound, movement, and visual patterns; exploring number patterns on the Growing Number Line and Class Number Grid; using rules to sort objects, make patterns, and play “What’s My Rule?”
See Everyday Math Instructional Map:
In Everyday Mathematics, children develop a broad background by learning concepts and skills in all these six content strands. The Kindergarten program emphasizes the following content.
Number and Numeration
Counting every day in different ways and from different numbers – by 1s, forward and backward, and by 5s and 10s; reading and writing numerals; comparing numbers through daily routines, games such as Top It and Monster Squeeze, and other activities; exploring different ways to represent numbers (equivalent names for numbers) using manipulatives, words, drawings, and operations.
Operations and Computation
Exploring addition and subtraction through concrete activities, games, and number stories; developing and sharing multiple strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems including counting and using fingers or other objects, all of which are still very acceptable and useful, using the +, -, and = symbols to write number models for number stories.
Data and Chance
Collecting, organizing, displaying, and analyzing classroom data through the daily weather, temperature, and survey routines as well as through games and activities; working with data and graphing in activities such as graphing dice rolls; exploring probability through games and by describing the likelihood of events as definite, impossible, or possible.
Measurement and Reference Frames
Making direct measurement comparisons followed by using non-standard units of measure (such as their own feet and hands) all of which lay the groundwork for understanding the need for standard units of measure and learning proper measurement techniques; learning coins and their values; developing an understanding of time measures (day, week, and month), and temperature measures through daily routines (calendar, daily schedule, and temperature).
Geometry
Exploring 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes with manipulatives – such as pattern blocks, attribute blocks, and building blocks – and through games like I Spy; exploring line symmetry.
Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Identifying, creating, and extending sound, movement, and visual patterns; exploring number patterns on the Growing Number Line and Class Number Grid; using rules to sort objects, make patterns, and play “What’s My Rule?”
See Everyday Math Instructional Map:
Social Studies
Kindergarteners learn about the social studies disciplines (history, geography, civics, economics and government) through the lens of “Myself and Others.” Each unit is presented with a series of lessons that contain literary components, classroom discussions, and hands-on activities and supplemented with lessons and literature from Reading Street. These units are:
Who Am I?
· Distinguish between yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
· Describe ways people learn about the past.
· Students will create a timeline, using events from their own lives.
· Discuss how to be a cooperative and responsible citizen.
Where Am I?
· Identify and describe places in the immediate environment (classroom, home, playground).
· Use environmental directions or positional words.
· Describe ways people use the environment to meet human wants and needs (food, shelter, clothing).
· Identify our country’s flag as an important symbol of the United States.
How Do I Get Along With Others?
· Students create a set of class rules that promote safety and fairness.
· Students discuss and participate in role-playing activities that demonstrate responsibility and common good.
· Describe fair ways for groups to make decisions.
· Express a position on a classroom issue.
· Participate in projects to help or inform others.
How Do I Get What I Want and Need?
· Distinguish between goods and services.
· Recognize situations in which people trade.
Science
Kindergarteners will build an understanding that scientific inquiry and reasoning involves observing, questioning, investigating, recording, and developing solutions to problems using supplemental lessons and literature from Reading Street.
The learner will explore these skills through units on the 5 Senses, Force and Motion, and Living vs. Non-Living things.
The Five Senses (Science Processes)
· Identify objects based on visual characteristics
· Identify the sources of different sounds
· Explore, compare, and measure a variety of items and sort them according to touch sensations
· Identify a variety of smells
· Distinguish between varieties of tastes
· Identify a variety of objects using the 5 senses
Force and Motion (Physical Science)
· Compare the position of an object in relation to other objects
· Describe the motion of an object
· Observe how objects fall to the earth
· Demonstrate pushes and pulls
· Observe how pushes and pulls can change the speed or direction of moving objects
· Observe how shape, size, and weight of an object can affect motion
Living vs. Non-Living (Life Science)
· Observe the differences between living and non-living items
· Determine and answer questions concerning life-supporting needs
· Identify plants as living things and identify earth materials that are used to grow plants
Kindergarteners learn about the social studies disciplines (history, geography, civics, economics and government) through the lens of “Myself and Others.” Each unit is presented with a series of lessons that contain literary components, classroom discussions, and hands-on activities and supplemented with lessons and literature from Reading Street. These units are:
Who Am I?
· Distinguish between yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
· Describe ways people learn about the past.
· Students will create a timeline, using events from their own lives.
· Discuss how to be a cooperative and responsible citizen.
Where Am I?
· Identify and describe places in the immediate environment (classroom, home, playground).
· Use environmental directions or positional words.
· Describe ways people use the environment to meet human wants and needs (food, shelter, clothing).
· Identify our country’s flag as an important symbol of the United States.
How Do I Get Along With Others?
· Students create a set of class rules that promote safety and fairness.
· Students discuss and participate in role-playing activities that demonstrate responsibility and common good.
· Describe fair ways for groups to make decisions.
· Express a position on a classroom issue.
· Participate in projects to help or inform others.
How Do I Get What I Want and Need?
· Distinguish between goods and services.
· Recognize situations in which people trade.
Science
Kindergarteners will build an understanding that scientific inquiry and reasoning involves observing, questioning, investigating, recording, and developing solutions to problems using supplemental lessons and literature from Reading Street.
The learner will explore these skills through units on the 5 Senses, Force and Motion, and Living vs. Non-Living things.
The Five Senses (Science Processes)
· Identify objects based on visual characteristics
· Identify the sources of different sounds
· Explore, compare, and measure a variety of items and sort them according to touch sensations
· Identify a variety of smells
· Distinguish between varieties of tastes
· Identify a variety of objects using the 5 senses
Force and Motion (Physical Science)
· Compare the position of an object in relation to other objects
· Describe the motion of an object
· Observe how objects fall to the earth
· Demonstrate pushes and pulls
· Observe how pushes and pulls can change the speed or direction of moving objects
· Observe how shape, size, and weight of an object can affect motion
Living vs. Non-Living (Life Science)
· Observe the differences between living and non-living items
· Determine and answer questions concerning life-supporting needs
· Identify plants as living things and identify earth materials that are used to grow plants