The children thought that our learn about the world (teaching) books in the science area should be organized into different baskets, like our butterfly books have their own basket. We took the time to organize our books into four groups, thinking of what is the same about the books. The book groups they decided were animals, bugs, frogs, and growing. They examined the front covers and titles, for some books we took a quick look at the pages. They looked, thought, and sorted.
This experience connected authentically (coming from our students) to the bigger teaching point for unit 1; readers read the world to get information. Labels give information, like the teaching books we're reading during reading workshop give us information.
This moment was not planned in my lesson or in our day, but it came from a child's question; Why do butterfly books have their own basket? It was important to take the time to follow this question and support children in recognizing that nonfiction books teach us about many different things. We can use the front cover and title to get information about the book. We can find things that are the same in our nonfiction books and things that are different. These initial conversations and this experience will support work that we will do later in the year.
During academic choice, Sebby created labels for our sorted books.
I love alphabet books.
Alphabet books support language development, encourage children to think of other words that start with a specific sound, and connect to all of our important phonological work. Alphabet books are some of the first books we read and the first books we create together. When engaging with alphabet books in different ways children are transferring skills from our writing workshop into their work; they are stretching words and listening for the sounds they head, they are using drawings to represent ideas, and they are understanding that their words and representations hold meaning.
Notice the detail a child used when drawing a fan in the second picture. This is a child that doesn't gravitate towards drawing opportunities and has been quick to say his drawings are all done. He found a picture of a fan in an alphabet book and carefully used lines and shapes to represent the fan in his own book- he was invested, engaged, and empowered. I invite you to also notice the labels children are adding to their letter books and notice the child that embraced the "is for" challenge.
When reading the little letter books there is no "is for" written. But, some children were reading their books and reading the words is for. We had a community meeting to check in about how readers only read the words or pictures on the page. If they wanted to read is for (which is really smart, because most alphabet books have is for) they could write those two words. Those are words we learn and use a lot in Kindergarten! Solveig eagerly wrote is for on every page. When sharing her book she inspired other children to say, maybe I will write is for tomorrow.
One of our newer academic choices is dot letters. We have read many books about lines and dots, we have used lines and dots to begin printing letters and have used lines and dots in our drawings. Dot letters is a choice that will evolve. Using only letters that have been introduced during Fundations, children are expected to. . .
1. Write their name
2. Write the date (using the morning message)
3. Carefully add color to the tiny dots of both the upper and lower case letter
4. Draw a picture of something that starts with that sound
5. Try adding a label using an alphabet book or what they know about letter sounds
The only thing I love more than alphabet books is our morning message. It is the tool that connects all of our learning. It is a way to say hello and invite students to engage in deep thinking. The children love circling noticings; letters we've learned, words we know. They love filling in the missing date; using the calendar and our birthday calendar to solve for missing numbers.
On Friday we used the morning message to give information about our afternoon, we would be going on a Fall hike. Our first community hike, our first outdoor classroom. The children will have nature journals for our outdoor classroom time this year. Friday's morning message provided the first prompt; what will we see on our hike?
The children used skills from writing workshop to think, plan, and write. They added more detail and talked about their work. On Friday mornings Derreth joins us from the middle school. When Derreth joins us she is another teacher in our classroom. Derreth helped to record children's words (with their permission) on their work. She then created her own prediction of what we would see on the trail. This prompt connected literacy, community, and science!
The share- an essential part of every learning experience. In these images Ira shares what he thinks we will see on the trail. He talks about his drawing of a chipmunk and connects it to a nonfiction book we read about Fall earlier this week. Ira is using speaking skills to reflect on and explain his work. His peers are listening as the audience and providing noticings. Caleb notices detail in Ira's drawing.
We have been talking about the changes we're seeing around us. While playing on the playground we've noticed our beautiful trees changing, we've noticed monarch butterflies in the fields, and dark mornings. It is the beginning of Fall. We've read nonfiction books about Fall this week and I've recorded what children know about Fall and what they could teach an audience about Fall.
During our closing circle on Thursday I asked the children to think about Fall and use one word to describe their thoughts or feelings. I've done this with Kindergarten classes in the past, but never this early in the year. We have been so excited about new words and sharing our learning, that it seemed this group would love trying to think of one Fall word.
It was challenging.
A couple of children said, It is cold. We counted how many words in their sentence. It is cold in Fall, but you said three words. We need one word. With support and teaching around how many words, the children were able to think of one word.
It was surprising.
Children could pass and not say a word. Bryan passed and passed again when we came back to him. As we were packing up from our closing circle he suddenly said, "Ms. Cassidy, I do have one!" We all stopped and listened; Scarecrow.
It was amazing.
I recorded their words and typed them up. On Friday I introduced a new choice during academic choice; two friends could create illustrations to go with our first community poem. Yes, when I put their words together it created a poem about Fall.
What do we know about poems?
They rhyme - Most children
They make you want to dance - Caleb
They are a kind of writing - Layla
Poems sometimes do rhyme. Poems could make you want to dance, because they have rhythm. Poems are a kind of writing. Poems often have strong feelings with them and we can use words to describe a feeling or a thought in a poem.
When you read the children's list of words, can you picture Fall in your mind?
Can you feel is? Can you hear it? Can you smell it? It is the beginning of Fall.
