Teaching language and literature in elementary classrooms

Presentation—Reading a Book Aloud 48Reflections Charles Kamm, Retired Teacher and Principal 53 A Perspective on Reading Aloud Jim Trelease, Author 53 What Research Says About the Benefits

Teaching Language and Literature

in Elementary Classrooms

A RESOURCE BOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Teaching Language and Literature

in Elementary Classrooms

A RESOURCE BOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Second Edition

Marcia S Popp

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Teaching language and literature in elementary classrooms : a resource

book for professional development / Marcia S Popp.—2nd ed.

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Thank you for a lifetime of inspiration and learning And for my husband:

The conversation continues.

In the Classroom: Three Teachers’ Views 1

A Kindergarten Classroom: Gail Nave, Summerfield GradeSchool, Summerfield, Illinois 2

A Third-Grade Classroom: Dr Dick Koblitz, Ralph CaptainSchool, Clayton, Missouri 11

A Fifth-Grade Classroom: Jackie Hogue, Marine School,Marine, Illinois 24

What Research Has to Say About Integrating Language and

Preparing to Read Aloud in the Classroom 46

Determine the Purpose for Reading Aloud 46Consider the Experience and Interests of Your Audience 47Assess the Resources for Reading Aloud 48

vii

Presentation—Reading a Book Aloud 48

Reflections (Charles Kamm, Retired Teacher and Principal) 53

A Perspective on Reading Aloud (Jim Trelease, Author) 53 What Research Says About the Benefits of

Humor for All Occasions 55Stories of the World 55

A Kindergarten Classroom: Silent Sustained Reading 57

A Primary Classroom: Reviewing Strategies 58

An Intermediate Classroom: Discovering New Books 60

The Importance of Independent Reading Practice 62 Preparation: Independent Reading in the Classroom 63

Introduce the Idea of Independent Reading 64Create a Comfortable Reading Environment 65Select a Wide Range of Reading Materials 65Teach Independent Reading Strategies 66Model Self-Selection Techniques 66Use Various Ways to Preview Good Books 67Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover 69

Presentation: Manage Independent Reading Time 69 Evaluating Your Independent Reading Program 70

Reflections (Jackie Hogue, Fifth-Grade Teacher) 72

A Perspective on Independent Reading (John Dewey,

What Research Says About Independent Reading 73

The Importance of Creating a Literature Base for Instruction 83

Kinds of Children’s Literature and Examples 85

Presentation: Using the Literature Base for Instruction 91 Evaluating Children’s Literature: How to Choose the Best 93

Creating an Award-Winning Library 93Using School Book Clubs Effectively 94

Series With Substance 98Helping Students Develop Book Selection Skills 101

Reflections (Gail Nave, Kindergarten Teacher) 103

A Perspective on School Reading (John Dewey, Philosopher

What Research Says About Selecting High-Quality Literature 104

A Primary Classroom—Literature Groups: Single Title 111

An Intermediate Classroom—Literature Groups:

Multiple Titles 115

Presentation: A Guided Reading Session 122

A Kindergarten Classroom—Guided Reading With

A Primary Classroom—Introducing Literature Response

An Intermediate Classroom—Discussion Groups 124

Evaluating Progress in Guided Reading 126

Basal Texts—Levels of Involvement 128

Reflections—Pat Sheahan (Second-Grade Teacher) 129

A Perspective on Guided Reading (Louise Rosenblatt,

What Research Says About Guided Reading 131

A Kindergarten Classroom: Small-Group Skill Practice 135

A Primary Class: Using Literature to Develop Concepts 138

An Intermediate Classroom: Connecting Reading and

Academic Skills 148Social Interactive Skills 148Caretaking Skills 148Creative Skills 149

Reflections (Jackie Hogue, Fifth-Grade Teacher) 151

A Perspective on Mini-Lessons (Jerome Bruner,

What Research Says About Mini-Lessons 152

A Kindergarten Classroom: The Emerging Reader 155

An Early Primary Classroom: Assessing Competence 160

A Primary Classroom: Sharing Ideas and Developing

Presentation: The Individual Reading Conference 175

Begin the Conversation 176Ending the Session 177

Show Personal Interest 177

Help Everyone Participate 178

Evaluating the Individual Reading Conference 179

Reflections (Patricia Sheahan, Second-Grade Teacher) 181

A Perspective on Individual Reading Conferences

What Research Says About Individual Reading Conferences 182

A Kindergarten Classroom: Captions 185

A Kindergarten Classroom: Key Words 187

A Kindergarten Classroom: Language Experience Charts 191

A Kindergarten Classroom: Shared Writing 194

A Primary Classroom: Word Charts, Poems, Journals 196

A Primary Classroom: An Individual Writing Conference 197

An Early Intermediate Classroom: Mini-Lessons and

A Late Intermediate Classroom: The Author’s Chair 203

Plan for Everyone to Participate 208

Individual Writing Conferences 217

Portfolios 220

Reflections (Julia Parker, Fourth-Grade Teacher) 223

A Perspective on Writing (Sylvia Ashton-Warner,

A Primary Classroom: Friday Afternoon Sharing Time 235

An Intermediate Classroom: A Shared-Pair Discussion 239

The Importance of Developing Listening and Speaking Skills 242 Preparing for Listening and Speaking Activities 244

Examples of Grade-Level Previews 246Shared-Pair Discussions 248

Reflections (Jackie Hogue, Fifth-Grade Teacher) 262 Perspective on Listening and Speaking (Jerome Bruner,

What Research Says About Developing Listening and

An Intermediate Classroom: Social Studies Sociodrama 282

The Importance of Themes and the Languages of Learning 284 Themes: Organizing Ideas and Creating Connections 285

Creating a Theme Cycle 290

Considering All Learners 291

Presentation: Using Language to Explore Ideas and Information 293

Recording and Responding to Ideas and Information:

Learning Journals 295Student Activities to Explore and Explain Ideas 298

Teacher-Directed Experiences to Assist Learning 299 Evaluating Learning in the Content Areas 301

Reflections (Christine Lanning, Fifth-Grade Teacher) 304

A Perspective (Eleanor Duckworth, Teacher/Researcher) 305 What Research Says About Literature in the Content Areas 306

A Kindergarten Classroom: Play, Drama, and Literacy 309

A Kindergarten Classroom: Drama and Music 312

The Importance of Play and the Fine Arts in Emerging Literacy 314 Preparing for Play and Fine Arts Activities 314 Presentation: Introduction to Play Centers 315

A Primary Classroom: Movies and Literacy 316

Preparing for a Media-Literacy Experience 319

An Intermediate Classroom: Art History 320

Importance of Expression Through the Arts 323

Literature for the Arts 324

Presentation: Exercises to Express Responses to the Fine Arts 325

Exploring Art in Reverse: What Do You Hear? 326Exploring Music in Reverse: What Do You See? 327What Can’t You See in a Painting? 328

Begin with a Line 329

Evaluating Play and Artistic Experiences 330

Build Partnerships 330

A Perspective (Karen Gallas, Teacher/Researcher) 333 What Research Has to Say About Play, Language, and Literature 334

Book Selection Literature 346

Book Links: Connecting Books, Libraries, and Classrooms 346

Multicultural Publishers Exchange Catalog of Books by and

Notable Children’s Trade Books in Social Studies 347 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 347 American Library Association Notable Children’s Books 348

APPENDIX D

Student Forms and Guidelines 354

Special Features of Informational Books 356 Types of Literature: A Genre Checklist—Intermediate 356 Student Reading Conference Preparation: Primary 357 Student Conference Preparation: Intermediate 357 Student Preconference Memo to Teacher 358 Guidelines for Biographical Writing: Primary and Intermediate 358

List of Book Response Activities for FAST 359

APPENDIX E

Teacher Forms and Guidelines 362

Sample Skills Checklist for Late Primary/Intermediate 365

Sample Questions for Writing Conference 366

Writing Skills Checklist: Primary/Intermediate 367

New to This Edition

This revised edition of Teaching Language and Literature in Elementary

Class-rooms: A Resource Book for Professional Development retains the purposes of

the first edition, but adds ideas and information gathered over the yearsfrom new classroom observations It also incorporates the results of exten-sive reviews of educational research, continuous reading in all the genres

of children’s literature, and correspondence with faculty and students Inresponse to these varied and helpful experiences, the following elementswill be found in this second edition:

• Strategies for dealing with problems of disruption in the classroom

• Expanded discussions related to diversity and special needs

• Increased attention to methods of evaluation and mandated testingprograms

• Reorganization of chapter sections to make them more useful toreaders

• A new chapter on Play and the Fine Arts

• Integration of electronic teaching technology into all chapters

• Extensive in-text annotations of children’s literature, discussions ofnew titles in children’s literature, cultural literatures, book clubs,series books, and the influence of books published internationally

• Updated reports of research and best-practice studies

• New classroom observationsAlso new to this edition is a set of appendixes designed to provide infor-mation and resources for instructional support They include:

Appendix A: Minimizing Distractions to Learning—Preventing and

re-sponding to classroom disruptions; information and ideas drawn from theauthor’s experiences in special education and the literature of educationalpsychology

Appendix B: Book Selection Literature—Annotations of key reference

works helpful for book selection and instruction

Appendix C: Awards for Children’s Literature—Books honored in the

United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand

Appendix D: Student Forms and Guidelines—Sample guidelines for

responding to reading; preparing for conferences; and evaluating writing,listening, and speaking

xvii

Appendix E: Teacher Forms and Guidelines—Sample guidelines for

conference preparation and evaluation of learning

The Continuing Purpose of This Text

In light of the changes to the text described above, it is important to note

those aspects that have remained the same The original edition of Teaching

Language and Literature in Elementary Classrooms was written for two major

purposes:

• The first was to provide beginning educators with a handbook onlanguage arts instruction that would serve both as a text and a pro-fessional resource to be carried into the first year of teaching Nearly

a decade after its initial publication, this text remains the only one

in the field designed specifically for this purpose

• The second purpose of the original text was to share the talentsand enthusiasm of the many competent teachers I had observed inelementary classrooms over a period of 30 years in the field Somewere my colleagues when I was an elementary school teacher, andothers were visited regularly as part of my work to place teachers-in-training with classroom mentors I watched these exceptionaleducators at work—listened, asked questions, and recorded what Ilearned As a professor of education, I tried to share as much aspossible from these observations with my undergraduate students.This revised text, as did the first edition, represents an effort toshare these experiences with a wider audience

Organization of the Text

The sections in each chapter of the text are arranged in an order thathelps readers move from a direct experience of the narrative to step-by-step descriptions they can follow to implement these activities in their ownclassrooms Chapter 1 presents readers with narrative accounts of entireschool days, as observed in the classrooms of three exemplary educators.Following the observations, these teachers describe their practice in theirown words Readers observe, firsthand, how to plan daily schedules to meetyearly goals and provide instruction that generates excitement for learning

Chapters 2 through 11 describe the individual practices of

literature-based, integrated language arts teaching These include the following:

• Reading Aloud—daily sessions with teachers, book buddies, and

guest readers

• Independent Reading—the silent sustained reading of individually

chosen books

• Creating a Literature Base—developing a classroom library that

supports learning in all the curriculum areas

• Guided Reading—instruction in small and large groups; literature

circles

• Mini-Lessons—brief presentations of specific skills or information

• Individual Reading Conferences—private discussions of books with

the teacher

• Writing to Create Meaning—ways to use writing as a tool for inquiry

and expression

• Listening and Speaking—developing skills that assist

comprehen-sion and exprescomprehen-sion

• The Languages of Learning in the Content Areas—using

special-ized languages in context, to explore ideas in mathematics, science,and social studies

• The Languages of Expression (Play, Media, the Fine Arts)—using

play and the arts to develop language and express ideasIndividual sections are consistent from chapter to chapter throughoutthe text and follow the sequence listed below:

• In This Chapter—the major topics of discussion

• The Main Idea—a brief summary of the practice to be described in

the chapter

• In the Classroom—narratives drawn from observations at all

ele-mentary instructional levels

• The Importance of the Practice—explains why a particular practice

is considered “best” practice

• Preparing for the Practice—describes how to get ready to use the

various activities that comprise literature-based, integrated languagearts teaching

• Presentation of the Practice—step-by-step suggestions for what to

say and do as activities are introduced to a class

• Evaluating the Teaching Experience—suggestions on how to

mea-sure learning and redirect teaching

• Build Partnerships—ideas for reaching out to all constituencies of

the school and community, to extend and enrich student learningexperiences

• If This Is Your Situation—ways to meet challenges such as

man-dated testing, required curriculum texts, and philosophical ences with colleagues, parents, or administrators

differ-• Reflections on Practice—first-person accounts of experiences

edu-cators have had with a particular practice of language arts teaching

• Perspective—a section that features ideas from noted educators

related to the chapter practice

• What Research Says About This Practice—a brief review of studies

related to the effectiveness of the particular practice

• For Your Personal Library—an annotated list of handbooks, guides,

read-aloud books, and professional journals that can be used forreference and resource

• Try Out the Chapter Ideas—suggestions to explore the information

and observations from the chapter

Integrating Instruction

Although the individual practices of integrated language arts instruction arediscussed in separate chapters in this text, you will notice in the narrativesthat they are woven throughout the curriculum and never stand alone ascontext-free objects of study For example, a mini-lesson on alliterationmay involve a particularly good read-aloud picture book Students provideexamples from books they have read independently, and the entire lessonwill focus on a specific problem observed during individual conferences orshared reading experiences Practice for the skill may draw from a currentunit in science or social studies, and the lesson and examples become awriting exercise that can later be used as reference for further learning

In a similar vein, the first edition of this book featured a separate tion devoted to the accommodation of instruction for students with speciallearning needs In the current edition, this information has been integratedthroughout each chapter—in the narratives and sections on preparation,presentation, and evaluation A comprehensive plan for teaching must in-

sec-clude the consideration of every student’s abilities and challenges All

chil-dren are individuals, who bring varied experiences and skills to any ing situation The focus is therefore on ability, not disability—building onstrengths and supporting special needs where they exist

learn-Special Features of This Text

The narratives in this text, and the accompanying instructions for preparing

to teach, are included for every elementary instructional level There areseveral reasons for this First, all learning is developmental No two childrenlearn at the same rate or in the same way Every person’s experience withlanguage has differed from the time they were born, depending on theirphysical and emotional development, their natural abilities, the use of lan-guage and books in their homes, opportunities they have had to explore thelarger world, and individual interests

These variables continue to influence the rate at which children efit from their experiences in the classroom, the level of their curios-ity, and their desire to learn Whether a person is assigned to teach aself-contained kindergarten class or departmental sixth-grade language arts

ben-in middle school, their students will be developben-ing learners Knowben-ing thatlanguage skills develop at individual rates, depending on natural abilityand environmental circumstances, beginning teachers will be in a betterposition to evaluate and assist every student in their classroom

The second reason that narratives and preparation guidelines are cluded for every elementary instructional level is quite practical This book

in-is intended to help new teachers learn how to teach the language arts, but

it is also designed to be a reference—a resource book for professional velopment From methods classes and experiences in cooperating schools,students develop many ideas about what they want to do in their ownclassrooms The sections of this book that deal with situational challenges,developing curriculum themes, working with classroom management prob-lems, and creating a community of partners will assume more importance

de-as they move into full-time teaching

In addition, most beginning teachers have a distinct preference for theage of students with whom they most enjoy working Throughout theirteaching careers, however, it is more than likely that they will be assigned

to several different grade levels If they have observed what goes on in rooms at all stages of elementary instruction, they will be more comfortableand confident with these inevitable changes of assignment

class-Finally, it is by conscious decision that the numberless distractions thatattend all teaching are not fully described in the classroom stories It isdifficult enough to identify what a teacher is attempting to do in an in-structional way, without adding these to the mix In most cases, many ofthe problems that detract from classroom instruction have been factoredinto the ways the lessons are conducted In addition, most of the teachersfeatured in the narratives help students practice responses to disruptions inadvance, as thoroughly as they rehearse for fire drills

But there are still days that challenge even the most effective classroommanagement programs For these times, and for other more serious difficul-ties with individual behavior problems, Appendix A of this book providessuggestions for anticipating and preventing minor and major disruptions

It presents ideas drawn from the literatures of special education and tional psychology, which have proven to be successful in a wide range ofclassrooms, at all instructional levels

educa-It is my hope that this new edition of Teaching Language and Literature in

Elementary Classrooms will be useful to readers, not only as a textbook,

but also as a resource for instruction Please feel free to contact me atjpopp@siue.edu if there are any questions and comments about the text

I would be most happy to hear from you

The teaching of language arts can be both challenging and exciting Itdraws upon the most creative of our impulses and prompts us to share ourlove of literature, words, and ideas with children There can be no finercalling than to help students develop their individual powers of learning

as they use language and literature to explore an increasingly complex andfascinating world

—Marcia Popp

I would like to thank all of the exceptional teachers who are profiled in thisbook It has been an honor to be welcomed into their classrooms, some ofwhich I have been visiting for more than 20 years I am especially gratefulfor the contributions of Gail Nave, Julia Parker, Christine Cook, ChristineLanning, Ingrid Patterson, Charles Kamm, Jim Furtkamp, Rebecca Culler,Jackie Hogue, Dick Koblitz, Kathy Burch, Cathy Woods, and many talentedbut modest educators who prefer to remain anonymous I would also like tothank Martha Eggers, a colleague at McKendree College, whose insights,teaching skill, and tireless efforts on behalf of her students have always been

an inspiration

I acknowledge, with the greatest respect, Stephen Poweska, Judith son, Patricia Sheahan, and Deb Cryder (all deceased), whose influence ontheir colleagues and students live on in the narratives of this book

Swan-My deepest appreciation is extended to the reviewers of this text I wouldlike to thank them for their astute analyses and ideas about what could behelpfully added to this revised edition

I would also like to thank my extraordinary editor at Erlbaum, NaomiSilverman, for her advice, counsel, patience and direction, and Erica Kica,who has diligently provided the information necessary to complete thisproject

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge Theresa Raglin,whose encouragement, keen observations, and eye for detail were invaluableassets in this revision

xxiii

Teaching Language and Literature

in Elementary Classrooms

A RESOURCE BOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Main Idea

Elementary school educators, who integrate language learning and literaturesuccessfully throughout the curriculum, share a common belief that childrenlearn best through active participation

In the Classroom: Three Teachers’ Views

In subsequent chapters of this text, you will look closely at individual ities that promote language and content area learning In this chapter, youare invited to spend the day in three different classrooms to see how theseactivities function as integral parts of a daily schedule and are incorporatedinto planning for the entire school year

activ-In the sections following the classroom observations, teachers talk abouttheir programs and respond to the concerns they most frequently hear ex-pressed from student teachers, such as: “How do you start the school year?”

“How do you introduce the different activities?” and “What kind of ule do you follow?” They also address such questions as: “How do you helpchildren with special needs?” and “How do you involve parents and thecommunity in your classroom?”

sched-The teachers portrayed in this chapter are lifelong learners, who arecontinually growing in their understanding of how children learn They

1

all read extensively and attend conferences to improve their professionalknowledge Each has a long history of sharing ideas with others and sup-porting the efforts of their colleagues to introduce new ways of teachinginto their classrooms Visitors are always welcome and, because they seethemselves as learners, they openly discuss the ways they want to changeand improve.

Over a period of years, they have interacted with college and universitystudents, both as instructors and classroom mentors All have received local,state, or national awards for their teaching and have been widely recognized

by students, colleagues, and administrators for professional excellence

As you enter their classrooms in these narratives, you will notice that eachteacher exhibits a particular style as they interact with their students Theymay provide you with an additional teaching model to complement thoseyou will have gained from firsthand observations of practicing teachers.Although the grade levels and teaching contexts of these teachers differ,they share common beliefs about teaching and learning Whether they teach

in rural or urban situations, to students of economic privilege or deprivation,all believe that learners should be active inquirers in the classroom.Each teacher creates a print-rich environment for his or her studentsand provides many opportunities for them to develop and practice skills

in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking All have created acommunity of learners in an environment that encourages sharing and risktaking

A Kindergarten Classroom: Gail Nave, Summerfield Grade School,

Summerfield, Illinois

“Mrs Nave, what do those words say?” Aaron points to a new poem written

on the story chart

“Just a minute, Aaron, I need to finish here first,” she replies Ten minutes

of free play remain in the kindergarten room before the formal beginning

of the school day Mrs Nave is busy providing background for the day’sactivities to a classroom visitor

“Now! Mrs Nave, I need to know now!” Aaron insists “I need to knowwhat those words say!”

Mrs Nave excuses herself to read the new poem aloud to Aaron, whothen rushes over to another boy to share the news

“Guess what the new poem says?” he asks, and the two of them continue

to puzzle out the words on the chart

When Aaron first began school in the fall, he did not notice the words

on the chart or pay any attention to the many books displayed around theroom They were not a part of his experience previous to attending school.But, as he listened to books read aloud and shared the foot-tapping, finger-snapping shared reading sessions, he began to observe that printed wordswere associated with exciting, rewarding experiences He discovered thatbooks had pictures of things he was interested in, like animals, trucks, andcars He was encouraged to write his own ideas about what he heard, saw,

and thought about, and soon he encountered new print with the intensityrecorded above.

Kindergarten children arrive at Summerfield School over a 20-minuteperiod in the morning Some walk, while others arrive in buses on a staggeredschedule When children enter the room, they sign in and fasten a clipclothespin with their name on it beside a picture of a lunch tray or a lunchbox to indicate their lunch choice They deposit any notes, book club orders,

or lunch money envelopes in a basket and move on to free-choice activities

at various centers around the room

There are special areas for housekeeping, blocks (Tinkertoys and gos), and “The Write Place,” which features paper and writing utensils The

Le-Computer Center is stocked with programs such as Math Rabbit and

Al-phabears and The Library Corner has class-made books and multiple copies

of regular-sized versions of the Big Books from shared reading There arealso puzzles and learning games, a listening station with books and tapes,and a painting center

Because most children do not have many toys in their homes, they areoriginally attracted to areas that feature these things By February, however,Mrs Nave notices that most of the children cluster in small groups duringthis free-choice time—reading, singing, and chanting to each other frombooks or from the songs, poems, and stories on charts around the room.Students especially enjoy reading the books they have written and pub-lished themselves Each book is a collection of their memories and commonexperiences: field trips, visitors, theme studies, and favorite books Many ofthese class books begin as displays on bulletin boards “Look Who Goes toKindergarten,’’ from the beginning of the school year, features children’sself-portraits and conversation bubbles Inside the bubble, the teacher or anaide writes whatever the child wanted the class to know about them, such

as “Hi! My name is Lisa I love pepperoni pizza.”

After free-choice time, students move to Writer’s Workshop and the

“Word of the Day.” This word is written prominently on the blackboardand is usually associated with the current theme, such as “butterfly” from a

study of insects or “spider” from their current read-aloud book, Charlotte’s

Web (White, 1974) Students draw a picture to illustrate the word or create

their own words and pictures

Today, the word is “leprechaun,” which they have heard in read-aloudbooks and in discussions about the upcoming St Patrick’s Day To assisttheir writing, students consult other words on their discussion chart andbooks about leprechauns that are displayed in the room Some label theirpictures with words such as “shamrock,” “rainbow,” “pot of gold,” or “greenhat.” All use developmental spelling to tell their stories

Above the chalkboard, Mrs Nave has placed the manuscript alphabetfor children to use as a model for their writing She makes her own alphabetcards, writing the letters on an enlarged version of the blue and red dotted-line primary paper available to students

When everyone has drawn and written, it is time for Morning Meeting.Students retrieve clipboards from a large plastic tub at the front of the roomand gather on the rug in front of a large calendar Also posted here are the

“Poem of the Month” and an enlarged copy of the “Letter of the Month”,written to the students from the teacher The clipboards hold copies of thecalendar, poem, and letter At the end of the month, Mrs Nave will sendthese materials home, and parents will help children continue their readingpractice There are no books in many of her students’ homes and the teacher

is eager for children to have printed matter that they can read in their hands.Each morning, students interact with the calendar, practicing the con-cepts of time They add a new numeral for the day and review the name ofthe month and day of the week They talk about what happened yesterday,what will happen today, and what they will do tomorrow They count thenumber of months in the school year before February and say the names ofthe months that will follow They create questions for each other, such as:

• How many days have there been since the beginning of the year?

• How many days have there been since the beginning of the month?

• How many days until the end of the month?

They talk about birthdays that occur during the month and count thenumber of days left until these special days In the beginning, Mrs Navewrites in the numbers on the individual student calendars before they are du-plicated, and children draw Xs through each day as they occur By the thirdmonth, however, children are filling in the numerals on their own.Students draw pictures on their calendars to note birthdays, holidays,and special events like field trips, visitors, the first snowfall, early dismissal,and days off The teacher writes the day’s number on an appropriate seasonalshape (sun, leaf, snowflake, flower) and fastens it to the register tape thatmakes a border around the room This is part of the 100-days-counting-project and, at the end of 100 days, there will be a celebration Childrenmake frequent estimates about how far the tape will go around the roombefore the end of 100 days

“Lost Tooth of the Month” follows, and for every lost tooth the childrenchant, “I lost a tooth, but I don’t care; another one is growing there!” Eachmonth has a tooth on it, with the names of children who lost teeth duringthat month The group talks about tooth statistics and makes comparisons,such as the fact that more people lost a tooth in September They alsoexamine their calendars to find the month when the fewest children lostteeth

On their copies of the teacher’s letter, students find the word “love” anddraw a heart around it They also draw pictures to illustrate other words inthe poem or the letter, and draw blocks or circles around the letter of theday Poems of the month are repetitive and rhythmic, allowing children tojoin in immediately

At Christmas time, Mrs Nave uses “I wish you a Merry Christmas,” and

in late spring, Robert Louis Stevenson’s verse: “The world is so full of anumber of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.” The largechart letters and poems are saved and hung up on nails above the blackboard,

so that children can refer to them during the year

Behind the Scenes During each Morning Meeting, a child tells aboutGriswold’s visit to their home the night before Griswold is a stuffed bearwho goes home with a different child each night and returns with a story ofthe visit written in his journal Children may also choose to draw a pictureabout the visit and talk about the visit firsthand By the end of the year,many are writing sentences and brief stories in the journal themselves andsit in the author’s chair to read.

Griswold travels to the various homes in a book bag, along with hisjournal, which is enclosed in a ziplock bag The journal is a spiral notebookthat has hard plastic covers to withstand repeated use As the smaller spiralnotebooks are filled, they go into a three-ring binder and are placed in thelibrary center for student reading and review

Morning Meeting is followed by a read-aloud session, to which studentsrespond enthusiastically P.E is out-of-doors today, followed by a snack andrestroom break After this, the children settle down with favorite books forsilent sustained reading (SSR) Each chooses a favorite spot: Some sit attables, while others stretch out on the rug or tuck themselves away undertables and behind shelves

The classroom aide joins the class before SSR and participates by readingher own book When the independent reading period is finished, she workswith the students on a song she is teaching them to sing and perform in signlanguage On other days of the week, this may be time for a shared readingexperience, using Big Books or other predictable stories, poems, and songswritten on a chart tablet

The morning closes with math activities and another story In the noon, the teacher will read aloud from a chapter book, and they will exploretheir current theme study During the last half hour of the day, students ex-amine books with their Book Buddies from second grade or listen to a bookread aloud by a guest storyteller

after-Because most of my children have never been in an educational setting prior

In Her Own Words

to enrollment in kindergarten, I need to “ease” into my program However,from the first day of school, my students are reading, writing, and immersed

in quality literature They “sign in” to the classroom every day by ing their names in any way they are able This daily exercise establishesthe need to write and demonstrates the power of writing Through care-ful prodding, I get them to take risks and show them they are valued aslearners

writ-We also begin Writing Workshop on the first day, and I model for thechildren what I would like to see on their papers: words, a picture aboutthe words, their name, and the date—stamped with the library stamp

I continue modeling for the first week or so and, periodically through theyear, as the need arises Within days, the students are able to independentlyfile their writing efforts in hanging files

The types of activities in the daily schedule remain the same from day

to day, but there is flexibility in how long each activity lasts I like to allowmore time for activities when children are really involved, and move on iftheir attention wavers

Our Daily Schedule Morning

Free choice of activities in centers—art, blocks, writing, reading, scienceMorning meeting—discussing ideas together

Writing workshop—individual writing and drawing projectsMini-lesson—reading and writing strategies

P.E.—outdoors or in the gym, according to the weatherMusic—experiences to enrich the theme study

Shared reading—predictable books, nursery rhymes, chants, poetryMath—manipulative experiences

Afternoon

Story time—reading aloud from a chapter bookAfternoon theme study—reading, writing, talking, and thinking aboutconcepts in science and social studies

I begin planning for the year with a broad overview of where I wantstudents to be by the end of the year, and then I am able to better paceactivities, based on the abilities of my students I do not use workbooks orrely heavily on ditto sheets, but I must meet the objectives established bythe district I identify the skills my students will be expected to know by theend of the year and incorporate these objectives into mini-lessons, as theyare needed I also identify a sequence for reviewing letters and sounds inshared reading I have discovered, however, that my students always learnfar more than I set out to teach them! The children are in charge of their

learning, and I am quick to point out that this year belongs to them I had

my year in kindergarten a long time ago

Most of our themes begin with the KWL approach Children contribute ideas about what they already know about a topic, and we list things they

want to know At the end of each session, we review what we have learned.

To get them “hooked,” I also like to introduce the theme with an especiallyappealing book When the children walk into the classroom on the day anew theme is being introduced, they see new books displayed that deal withthat topic and pictures or a chart on the easel

Although I must use some of the materials adopted by the district, Isupplement from many other sources In many respects, my program seems

to be driven by the introduction of new books Given the fact that many

of my children are environmentally disadvantaged, a good number are notfamiliar with the language of print If I expect them to read print, theymust first hear the language of print and hold books in their own hands.While students in my class are basically practicing how to read, they surprisethemselves by becoming quite accomplished readers by the end of the year

I believe that children first act as readers and then they become readers.

I am always genuinely excited about any book I share with my class.There are far too many good books to read to waste time on ones that areso-so When I read aloud to them, I always identify the author and illustrator

of the book, something I did not always do (I continue to be amazed at howadept my class is at identifying authors and illustrators.) I might also ask the

children what they think a certain book might be about, based on the titleand cover illustration Then I read the book in its entirety, trying to avoidinterruptions, as the first reading should be for sheer pleasure.

Usually, I hear whispered requests to read it again, just as I am closingthe book And YES, I do read it again that day and many other days as well.During later readings, I will certainly pause for discussion or bring attention

to some particular part At the end of the school year, children vote on theirfavorite chapter book, and we read it again

I delight in the first day of SSR (silent sustained reading) I place a tub

of wordless books in the center of the floor, and we sit on the floor in a circle

I pick up a book and start looking at it silently Sometimes, others join me

by selecting a book Other times, they just stare When I have finished thebook, I share what a wonderful story it was This creates a model, and sooneveryone joins me

I have discovered that at this age, independent reading time will not besilent I also discovered that vocalizing is part of developmental reading, and

that if I occasionally walked around the room and listened while children

were reading to themselves, I had a wonderful opportunity to see how welltheir reading strategies were developing

I use many resources for my students’ learning Visitors are always awelcome addition to the classroom, and I invite a different storyteller eachFriday That person might be the principal, other school personnel, a familymember, or family friend They are asked to share several of their favoritechildren’s books with the class

I try to take the class on as many field trips as the district will allow to helpbroaden my students’ knowledge of the world around them We go to the ap-ple orchard, visit the dairy farm, go to the post office to mail valentines to ourBook Buddies, attend a performance of the St Louis Symphony, and attendthe all-school Outdoor Education Day Most years, we are able to squeeze

in a trip to the St Louis Zoo, Grant’s Farm, or the Continental Bakery

I try to increase my professional knowledge and skill by attending ings of our regional reading teacher’s group, which provides excellentmonthly programs They also bring in outstanding speakers several times ayear for Saturday conferences My all-time favorite conference is the IllinoisKindergarten Conference, held in Chicago in late winter Not only do I hearwonderful keynote speakers, but the presentations by fellow teachers alsoprovide me with many ideas to bring back to the classroom I also regularly

meet-read The Reading Teacher (2004) for ideas to use in my teaching.

If I were a beginning teacher, I would purchase for my library the four

professional books that have had the most influence on my teaching: What’s

Whole in Whole Language (1986) by Kenneth Goodman, because it gives an

overview of this kind of teaching in clear terms; Joyful Learning (1991)

by Bobbi Fisher, because it is written by a former kindergarten teacher

for kindergarten teachers and has applications for both half- and full-day

programs; and Transitions: From Literature to Literacy (1988) and Invitations

(1992) by Regie Routman, because I have found many useful ideas for myown teaching in both of these books

If I had to recommend the best books I have read aloud to my class, they

would have to include: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) by Bill Martin, Jr.,

and J Archambault; How Many Bugs in a Box? by David Carter (1988); The

Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle (1990); and Griswold’s Journal, a continuing

account of our room mascot’s visits to student homes

My student teachers regularly ask me: Do you teach phonics? Can I really

do all this when I’m a teacher? and Where do I start?

This is how I answer them: I do teach the sounds of letters, but in thecontext of helping students figure out how to spell a word for their writing or

to read a word in a book they are interested in Sometimes at the beginning,

teaching can seem overwhelming, but you can do it! You must be patient

with yourself and your students Teachers who expect miracles or try to dotoo much at one time will soon burn out This is an evolving process thattakes years to develop, but what fun we have along the way!

Begin with an area that interests you most, the area in which you aremost comfortable Visit other teachers and observe the way they present andmanage activities in their classrooms Then, choose the best of what yousee and mold it to fit your own situation While you are in the classrooms,ask the teachers why they do certain things Ask lots of questions

The first year I introduced daily writing, I eventually discovered thatchildren only become writers when they have the time and opportunity toimprove their skills I learned to be patient, waiting for results One day, Iapologized to the class because I had forgotten to pick up balloons for ourcalendar Without a blink of an eye, Travis, who was helper of the day, told

me he would write me a note to help me remember Much to my amazement,

he did just that and slipped it on my desk From then on, children were quick

to write notes to remind me of things I should know I had convinced thechildren that they were writers with a real audience

I believe in whole group instruction for the most part, with limitedgrouping by common needs in the form of mini-lessons Children learn

so much from each other, and I learn from them, too Immersed in a rich environment and provided with many opportunities to practice read-ing, they come to see the joy of reading and believe that they can learn

print-to read as well They are actively involved in learning throughout theday

My children know up front that the word “can’t” does not exist in ourroom I expect all students to succeed in my program, and I try to create anenvironment in which all can meet with some measure of success Patiencegoes a long way, and if we provide enough opportunities to practice literacyskills, they will suddenly bloom when we least expect it

Each time I learn that I am getting a child with special needs, I tend

to be a bit apprehensive As soon as he or she arrives, however, thosefears vanish and we all seem to adapt very easily Children fought overthe opportunity to join Charley in a quiet game when the weather did notallow him to be as active as he would like (he was born without sweat glandsand could not perspire to cool his body) Kate participated in all aspects ofphysical education and was cheered on by her teammates, even though shewas slowed down by braces because of cerebral palsy Thomas’s frequentepileptic seizures did not alarm his classmates Another student was quick

to get a resting mat for Thomas, because he or she knew that Thomas wouldneed to rest afterwards from seizures that physically exhausted him Added

to these special needs were those of foster children, who were emotionallydrained.

To each child, my classes have responded in an accepting and caringway This may be partly due to the fact that limitations and differences arenot pointed out or emphasized, and partly a result of the bonding we enjoy

as a community of learners Without exception, all of my students makegreat strides

My classroom library has books of every kind and description I also haveclass books the children have made throughout the year These books willlater find new homes with class members who take them home in May.Many show the wear and tear of daily handling, as they are always favorites,given the fact that students’ own efforts are between the covers

In addition to the class books, there are also multiple copies of sized versions of the Big Books we use in shared reading Children are alreadyfamiliar with the text and can use these books to practice their reading skillsduring free-choice time or SSR Before children begin handling the books,

regular-we read Benjamin’s Book (1987) by Alan Baker, the story of a hamster who

spoils a page in a book and tries to clean it up This book sets the tone forhandling books with care

I have all kinds of trade books in my classroom, not only in the library butalso around the room, on chalkboard ledges, the piano, the window ledges,and any other available space where children might be drawn During ourstudy of spiders at Halloween, I might read aloud from a factual book about

spiders, help students examine a Big Book version of The Very Busy Spider

(1985) by Eric Carle, and share with them some of the Anansi tales such as

Anansi and the Talking Melon (Kimmel & Stevens, 1995).

I make a real effort to introduce my children to many different kinds ofliterature A fun activity that requires little effort on my part and thoroughlyholds my students’ attention is gathering different versions of a folktale Eachday I read a different version, while the children develop their listening skills

to fill in a chart of common elements

For example, at Thanksgiving, when we are getting ready for the feast

with our Book Buddies, I share a different version of Stone Soup (Brown,

1982; McGovern, 1986; Forest, 2000; Muth, 2003) each day The childrenlisten for the main characters in the story and try to remember the differentingredients that go in the soup We then record this information on a chart.Once the chart is completed, we are able to develop many math concepts,such as “There were more than any other ingredient.”

We vote on our favorite version of the story and dramatize the one that ischosen As a culminating activity, we make stone soup as our contribution

to the Thanksgiving feast We also use this activity with different versions of

Little Red Hen (Galdone, 1985; McQueen, 1987) and The Mitten (Tresselt,

1964; Brett, 1996), identifying the animals involved in the stories dents are able to familiarize themselves with story elements and learn thatalthough the characters and settings may vary, the problem is generally thesame, as is the resolution of the problem

Stu-I also used this activity with environmentally deprived first graders,who were equally receptive to the activities I brought in a number ofthe ingredients that I knew they were not familiar with, and passed the

food around so children could examine it They were then given a smallpiece of plain paper to draw, color, and cut out their own pictures of thefood.

Children experimented with spelling the names of the food on a chart.Next, we looked up the standard spellings and wrote them in a differentcolor The students were amazed at how close their approximations were

to the correct spelling, a point that I also emphasized The children sharedwords that described the food, which I recorded on the chart Then, theypasted their pictures of food around the words

One of my favorite topics to study is St Patrick’s Day Although thisstudy only lasts for 2 days, the children really enjoy it We begin with a briefoverview of Ireland and the historical meaning of St Patrick’s Day Theylove it when I pull down the map and whisper to each other, “She’s pulling

it down again!”

There are some wonderful books about this holiday, which I read andmake available to them The first day, children decorate Styrofoam cups Itell them that they will be used for our party, but that night I put them inthe oven for a short time and they shrink, taking on a strong resemblance

to a leprechaun’s hat

When the children arrive the next day, they see that the room is notorderly The leprechaun has even left his green footprints on the “Sign In”sheet Needless to say, the children are high all day We make green glasses

to read with—oak tag with green cellophane for the lenses For math, wecover black construction paper with different-colored shamrocks; then wecount and graph the number for each color

Probably the highlight of the day is when our principal, Mr Kamm, comes

into the room wearing a sparkly green tie and reads the story of Jeremy Bean’s

St Patrick’s Day (Schertle, 1987) Jeremy fails to wear anything green to

school, and after the offer of many green articles, he finally decides that theprincipal’s tie will do It is a beautifully written book and very heartwarming

We do the traditional potato prints, wear green shamrock name tags, and

I am “Mrs O’Nave’’ for the day

Although many teachers distance themselves from holiday themes, I feel

it is important to tell about these holidays so that children understand whythey are celebrated However, I do not concentrate on subjects like ghostsand goblins at Halloween, but rather have areas of concentration on owlsand spiders My holiday themes are generally light on holiday, but heavy onliterature

Given the nature of five- and six-year-olds, most of my evaluation is donethrough “kid watching.” I can generally be seen with a clipboard, circulat-ing around the room On the clipboard is a checklist of one or two items

of reading or writing student behavior to observe Within their languagedevelopment portfolio, you might find writing samples and informal readinginventories as well as emergent reading and writing checklists Post-its are

a “must” because they can be quickly added to the child’s individual folderalong with other anecdotal notes

I do occasionally use formal assessment because it is required for port cards and often demanded by parents, who want to see documentedproof of their child’s progress However, from my own notes and checklists,

re-I know much more about each child’s strengths and weaknesses than anypaper-and-pencil test can show.

A Third-Grade Classroom: Dr Dick Koblitz, Ralph Captain School,

Clayton, Missouri

“Look at that,” Shannon whispers to Bethany “I’m getting the dictionary,”she adds, as the girls settle down at one of six round tables situated aroundtheir open classroom area

“You have to try it on your own first,” Bethany whispers back

“I know,” Shannon says “But we’re going to need the dictionary beforewe’re through.”

When students enter their space in the third-grade pod, they focus onthe warm-up exercise written on the blackboard at the front of the room:

i gots a knu book calld the 5 little girbels askt Amy

dr amery tooked a plain to hawai on thersday

The two sentences contain misspelled words, grammatical errors, andpunctuation problems that students frequently make in their writing Stu-dents quickly finish editing the sentence and begin reading books of theirown selection Some read individually and others look at books in pairs,talking about the pictures or content

Books and print surround the students There are two baskets of related books on Argentina and shelves of picture books and chapter books

theme-on every subject, in every genre, at a variety of reading levels Beytheme-ond thepod is a computer area that stocks additional class sets of books and ma-nipulative materials Another adjoining area provides sinks, a water source,and surfaces for science demonstrations and experiments

On the wall of this third-grade classroom, charts developed by the dents display concepts from all the content areas Twelve charts groupedtogether list multiples of familiar objects, from one through twelve (twohemispheres, three blind mice, four seasons, etc.) Another group of chartslists common objects that are solid geometrical shapes (sphere—globe;cylinder—potato chip container; cube—dice)

stu-A prominently displayed theme cycle web groups the students’ interests

in learning for the year, and another web displays facts about spiders from the

book Charlotte’s Web (1974), which students have just finished reading A

student-made chart portrays concepts related to vertebrates, while anotherlists synonyms for the word “said.” Other displays include a learning webfor Argentina and a list of questions students have about the Argentinepampas

“Mark your places, please,” Dr Koblitz says, and children pull out marks to complete their reading

book-The teacher moves to the board, and the class begins a discussion of theediting exercise

“The i needs to be capitalized, and you need to take the s off of ‘gots’”

Charles begins, and Dr Koblitz makes the corrections

“That still sounds wrong,” someone remarks

“Is the grammar correct?” Dr Koblitz asks.

“I think it would be better to say ‘have’ instead of ‘got,’” Shannon adds

“I have a new book.’’

“What if someone asked you what you got for your birthday?” Bryce asks

“Then you might say ‘I got a book.’” Shannon agrees but sticks by her firstsuggestion, because they do not know the context of the sentence.Colton says that “knu’’ should be spelled “knew,’’ and Dr Koblitz changesthe spelling Immediately, several students object with “That’s not the rightword It should be ‘new.’ ”

“It’s not the wrong spelling,” Bryce says, “it’s the wrong word ‘Knu’ is ananimal.”

“That’s not how you spell ‘gnu,’” Michael says “I looked it up in thedictionary last night for something I was reading It’s g-n-u, not k-n-u.”Bryce agrees, “Oh yeah ”

Someone adds the e in “called,” and then there is a discussion about

how to correctly indicate a title in writing A student says that titles arenot underlined in books, and another student remarks that book titles areitalicized in print The teacher says that underlining is a convention toindicate italics in writing There is a discussion about the spelling of “gerbils.”Several attempts are made to spell it correctly, but they all look wrong tothe students

“I have a dictionary,” Shannon announces “Shall I look?”

“Please,” says the teacher

She provides the correct spelling, and several children murmur, “Oh,yeah ”

“Read us the definition, too,” the teacher suggests, and she does

“What else?” the teacher asks

“That word ‘askt’ is misspelled,” Colton says, “but the word ‘asked’ should

be changed to something else.”

“Why?” the teacher asks

“Because it doesn’t make any sense They’re telling something, not asking

something.”

“What would you replace it with?” Dr Koblitz asks

“It should be ‘said,’” Amy offers

“Could it be something else?” the teacher asks

“Exclaimed,” Shannon suggests

“No,” several others protest “That doesn’t make sense.”

“What if what if someone asked you ‘Why are you so excited?’ andyou answered, ‘I got a new book!’” Bryce asks “Then it would make sense.”

He again defends a response on the basis of a possible context

They continue editing, noticing the need for capitals and periods to dicate abbreviations For each instance of editing, the teacher asks students

in-to explain the error and the correction: “Why do we need a capital here?”,

“a period?”, or “a new word?” They come to the word [hawai] and Charlessays it should have another “i” and capital letter

“Why?” asks the teacher

“Because it’s a place,” Charles says

“What kind?” the teacher asks

“A state,” he replies

“Which one?” he asks.

The class replies, “Fiftieth.”

“Where is it?” he asks

“In the Pacific Ocean,” they say, and he adds that it is the only state that

“Good work,’’ the teacher says

When the class edit is complete, students check their own papers, thenturn them over Dr Koblitz draws a vertical line on the board On one side

he writes the letters “gn” and on the other he writes “soft g,” an exercise thatdraws on information the teacher has gained from observing spelling errors

in student writing He draws a circle around the “gn” and asks students whatwords they know that start with these letters As they offer suggestions, herecords them: gnarled, gnome, gnu, and gnaw Bryce suggests “newt,” but

other children remind him that there is no g He looks it up in the dictionary

to be sure

After each contribution, the teacher asks students to tell what the wordmeans and to use it in a sentence When a student says “gnashed,” Dr.Koblitz asks if they know a famous children’s book that has that word in

it Immediately, someone says “They gnashed their terrible teeth ” and

another student says, “Where the Wild Things Are’’ (Sendak, 1963).

“By whom?” the teacher asks

“Maurice Sendak!” they chorus The students make remarks to eachother about the book, telling when they read it and how much they likedit

“Can you guess what ‘gn’ word means a small biting insect with twowings?” the teacher asks

There is a short pause, and then the class responds: “Gnat!”

They move on to soft g, and the class generates “gel,” “gelatin,” “George,”

“Georgia,” “gin,” and “gerbil.”

“What’s unusual about the word ‘George’?” Dr Koblitz asks

Students study the word “It has two soft gs,” someone says The teacher

encourages them to look for soft g at the ending and middle of words also,and they produce sage, edge, sedge, ledge, and merge

The teacher asks them what “merge” means, and they are uncertain

“Like you merge from the ground you come up out of it,” Bryce tries

“No, that’s e-merge,” Michael says

“I had to merge this morning when I was coming to work in my car,” Dr.Koblitz says

“Rush? Does it mean rush?” Scott asks

“I had to wait for other cars before I merged,” the teacher says

“Move in slowly?” Shannon asks