Literacy Circles - My Revamp

I have been running literacy circles with my top two reading groups for a while now, and really enjoy the discussions that full out of the literacy circles, but felt that at times children were just going through the motions. I felt I needed to 'freshen up' how these were running and make them a bit more effective and also more exciting for the students.

I was doing some research and exploring what others were doing and came across this blog: http://www.3rdgradethoughts.com/2012/04/daily-5-series-read-with-teacher.html from Stephaine who is a 3^rd Grade teacher in America.

She had developed a literacy box for her to use with her reading groups - as you can see below:

I thought I could modify this a little bit, and make a box that the discussion director would use to help develop further discussion and talk about what the group has read in preparation for the literacy circle. I found the same cards that Stephanie had down loaded for free from the teachers pay teachers website. These cards will be super-helpful because they are so quick and easy. I sorted through them and won't use every one, but most of them are fitting. I just printed them and laminated them so they can stand up to lots of use. I will keep them in a bucket and the discussion director will use them at the end of the literacy circle.

I also bought a set of these cubes from Really Good Stuff. Although it is an American website, which does not ship to NZ, I was able to get them posted to my cousin who lives in America, who will be coming out to NZ in two weeks – talk about great timing!  I love these the most because they are a bit more complex than the cards and one even focuses on vocabulary, prefixes/suffixes, and finding meaning through context clues- yay! Kids will love to roll them and then focus on finding the answer to the cube after we have discussed the novel.

As you can see, none of these are too complicated or heavy on the prep time. The choices serve the wide variety of abilities in my room as well as all of the books we read as a group. I am really looking forward to seeing how it works out and it's will be fun to see kids grab a card and/or cube and have a specific goal to attain in our literacy circles.   It has also made the literacy circle more enjoyable the discussion director person as it gives something to rather than just introducing the others and is easy for them as the questions and vocab are all ready to go.

Do you use any of these resources or others for literacy circles? I'd love to hear about it :)  Will post some photos of the completed box and the kids in action next week.

Maths Streaming - Senior Syndicate

This year the senior team has decided to stream across the classes for mathematics - number teacher.  Streaming is method of placing students in temporary instructional groupings according to
their assessed readiness to learn particular skills.   All teachers in the share
responsibility for the entire year levels, with each providing focused instruction to
groups of students brought together by academic need and readiness, rather
than by class assignment.

Our goal is provide appropriate, targeted, math instruction that is tailored to students’
fluctuating readiness levels.

Our Method:
 • Students will be taught the number strand of the mathematic curriculum and will have the other streams taught by their classroom teacher.
• Prior to the start of all number units, students will be pre‐tested using
tests that assess the same unit goals as those that will be assessed in
post‐unit‐assessments.
• All students will pre‐test at approximately the same time,  on the
same day.
• Students will be re‐grouped temporarily for the next number focus, according to their
performance on the pretest.
Teacher assignments will focuses on:
o Key concepts and objectives
o Lessons as outlined in NZ Math with emphasis on pre‐test
gaps
o Extensions designed to challenge students who demonstrated
pre‐test mastery

Benefits
• Sharpens teaching focus to a narrower range of student readiness levels.
• Fosters student interaction with others at similar readiness levels.
• Provides customised level of instructional challenge for students, unit‐by‐unit,
ensuring that they are neither overwhelmed nor stagnating.
• Allows free movement between short‐term groups to accommodate
individual students’ developmental progress as well as setbacks.
• Cultivates student growth by fills conceptual gaps while avoiding redundant
instruction

We found the 6 weeks that we trialed streaming across the syndicate very beneficial for both students and the teachers and have decided to do continue to stream for all number units.  The next being at the end of this term for a multiplication and division focus.

Brain Breaks

Last term I trailed using brain breaks to break up my teaching lessons and help to elevate children getting 'stale'at their desks.
Using physical activity challenges in the classroom helps children be ready to learn and remember information better. Physical movement increases blood flow bringing more oxygen to the brain and leads to improved concentration. Brain breaks can be used to energize a group after lunch or relax and calm a class before a test, or to break a block up before you start a new lesson. Well-developed breaks can help students stretch, develop flexibility, improve coordination, and gain focus for the next lesson.
The idea is to provide some moderate activity that gets the blood pumping so form and skill are not the focus of activity breaks. Some movements can also incorporate core academic concepts. 
During term 1 I gave a whole bunch of brain breaks a go to see which the class liked the best.  These ranged from movement actions and stretching at their desks, moving around the room and high fiving 5 classmates and songs.  Overall, the kids loved them all, but their favourites seem to be songs with actions.  Their favourite being the 'shark song' which i have posted below.

This term i'd like to try some other brain breaks and also get feedback from the kids and see what brain breaks they like the best.  Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly received!

Movie Making Term 2

This term I would like to get my class into movie making and creating using the ipads.  i thought i would start them off using 'itrailer'.  This is an app that helps the students put together a 'mini movie' in the form a movie trailer.  They use small video clips and photos to put this together.  Below is the success criteria i have create to help guide the groups:

 

I will post some links to the trailers when they are completed.

New Reading Learning in Room 14

During this holidays I have spent a great deal of time anaylising my reading data and looking at my lower learners of reading to see the areas where they were lacking.  My lower 4 students really lack in thier comprehension skills.  So this term I thought I  would trial a programme I read about online to see if this increases their comprehension ability. 

The RISE Menu System has been designed to encourage higher level reading comprehension skills in a fun, meaningful and very simple way:

R - Retell
I - Infer
S - Synthesize
E - Envision and Connect

Reading is thinking and understanding text.   This programme helps focus your reading instruction on what really matters: Higher Level Comprehension.

Using this menu system and the included response sheets to give students the instruction and guided practice that they need to develop comprehension skills.

The RISE Menu and response sheets are a perfect springboard for students to discuss their reading with each other, deepening their understanding even further!

Restorative Practice

What is restorative practice?

The essence of restorative practices is disarmingly simple: that human beings are happier, more productive and more likely to make positive changes in their behaviour when those in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them.

Restorative practice at Vardon School:

Restorative approaches was originally sought as an alternative to more punitive disciplinary systems and procedures where often there was little or no links between ‘wrongdoers’ and those they have ‘harmed’, nor any real connections between the punishment and the actual offence.

The reason I am so keen on the restorative approach in my class and school is because previous measures are also often failing to meet the relational needs of teaching and learning in 21st century schools. Increasingly schools are finding restorative approaches more effective in establishing long term lasting changes in relationships, more connecting of the members of a school community, more involving and hearing of victims, and more enhancing of climates of care within schools as a whole.

I’ve been reflecting on these two questions since our TOD when Marcus and Myra posed the following questions in relation to our work in restorative practise:

 

·         Think about a student who features regularly in our reflection book?

·         What reasons are they listed in the reflection book?

·         What could of you done differently with this student?  

 

The student that I have been reflecting on featured a number of times during 2013 (last year).  Generally during the first and last two weeks of a term.  Generally this student was in the reflection room for being off task, but occasionally for ‘bullying’ type behaviour against one child – name calling, and fighting.

 

In reflection of how i dealt with this student – i do feel that i did a great deal of things to help prepare this student for success with his learning and behaviour – things such as lessons durations tailored to his attention span, a behaviour smiley face book to monitor his behaviour during blocks and break times, reflective conversations where the student discussed how he was going with his learning and behaviour, incentives based on his interests – (4D shark, games of rippa rugby), consistent txt message and email contact with his parents.  A great deal of this students behaviour issues came about because of his short attention span during key learning subjects.

 

There are always other things I could have tried or done to have further success with the student.  Ideas I have had since reflecting on this student:

·         Tried some team building or relationship games with the student who he had friction with to try and build a more positive relationship between the two of them.

·         Included brain breaks during lessons.  This student’s attention span was extremely short – perhaps breaks within the learning sessions would have helped to stimulate his attention further.

·         Made even more of an effort to include some of this students ‘loves’ (sharks) into his learning tasks – read more books about sharks, maths that includes sharks etc.

·         Tried to incorporate more art based activities during key learning areas to hold his attention.

I’d love other suggestions you would have handled this student.  What kind of activities or learning situations would you provide?

Term 3 Reflection

Wow, what another super busy term!  I can’t believe how much we have crammed into this short term. 

Highlights:

·         Gymsport competition

·         Cross country

·         Pastel art

·         QR codes

·         Cultural Evening

·         Speeches

·         Children finding out more about their personal identity

Goals for term 4:

·         Have a go with Movie maker.  This was something I wanted to trial this term, but there just wasn’t enough time.  I’m thinking that I will use this to show our learning in either reading or in for our science learning in kitchen chemistry.

·         Start looking and my year 5’s and give them opportunities to take on leadership roles in our room

·         RP: this hasn’t been consistent and timetabled due to pressures and so much going on.  I want this to a non negotiable for next term for a couple of reasons.  Firstly because they are a great way for my class to bond, and secondly due to the nature of term 4 i think it will be essential to have time at least once a week for us to gather and remind each other about why we are such as strong team.