Monday Management: Learner Fish

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen is such a fun book to read with students! My class always enjoys the rhyme and repetition, so we have a blast reading it together. If you aren't familiar with the book, it tells the story of a fish who just can't help his horrible attitude. His friends try repeatedly to convince him to change, but with no luck. Finally, a new fish comes along and shows him a better way.

Throughout the story, one phrase is repeated. "I'm a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face and I spread the dreary wearies all over the place!" At the end of the book, he has a change of heart and a change of song. I usually stop right before this point and have the students discuss a few key components: who is responsible for your attitude, what choices help you to have a positive attitude, and why positive attitudes are important so that everyone can be learners. Then, we create our own song based on the discussion.

I always start the song off with "I'm a learner fish with a learner face..." and then let students make suggestions for what our learner fish will spread. We vote on the suggestions that have been made so the students can really take ownership of the song. I write the song on the anchor chart, decorate it a bit and hang it in a prominent place in the classroom.

For the next few weeks, we sing the song during transition times and it typically resurfaces when attitudes become an issue. It's a fun, simple way to build positive attitudes in your classroom.

Keep it class-y, ya'll.

Thursday 'Rithmatic: Place Value

There are so many great ideas for teaching place value to children. That's a very good thing for a couple reasons. First, it takes several repetitions to really cement the concept and be able to excel with the idea. Secondly, a lot of those ideas are horribly confusing and you need the alternative so you have something that is actually teachable! This activity is simple to use and engages students in practice that will keep them entertained for an entire math lesson.

The process is simple. Put students into groups of 3 or 4. Give each group a suite of cards 2-9 (make sure you remove face cards, aces, and tens). One person is the card holder. Another student draws a card for the tens place, and a third partner draws a card for the ones place. They then work together to fill in the blanks on this straightforward worksheet.

At the start of each repetition, the cards are placed in their respective columns. The recorder writes the resulting number in the first column. In the second column, they record the number of tens and ones in the number they created. The final column is for adding the tens and ones to show how they come together to make that number. (Ex. 42: 40 + 2 = 42) Your students will have such fun with the manipulatives, their group, the process as a whole!

CCSS.Math.Content.K.NBT.A.1 Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (such as 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.

Wednesday Writing: My Mouth is a Volcano

Today's idea is a triple threat--management, writing, and reading! I love using the book My Mouth is a Volcano to teach about interrupting. It uses the perspective of a kid much like those in your class to illustrate the problem with talking out of turn. The relevance this establishes brings the concept home. I take advantage of this "Aha!" moment by taking things one step further. 

In the first section of the worksheet, I have students draw and write about a time when they have interrupted someone. (They can also write about a time someone has interrupted them.) In the second section, they write and draw about a better choice they can make--ideally, sitting quietly and waiting their turn to talk.

This is such a simple activity, yet it covers so many bases. Obviously, it's a great management tool because it addresses a rampant problem in classrooms across the globe. Reading comprehension is addressed in the form of text-to-self and text-to-world connections. And since it's Wednesday, we'll work in writing--after all, that is what's happening here!

Keep it class-y, ya'll.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Tuesday Reading: Retelling

Retelling a story isn't always easy when you're little, but it is expected under the Common Core. This is a skill that we practice for about a week whole group before we start working in small groups or independently. To introduce the skill, we read The Giving Tree  by Shel Silverstein. I have six key points from the book typed out on strips of paper. As we put them in order, I tape them onto an anchor chart which can later be displayed in the classroom or the hallway. See?

We put the first three strips in order about halfway through the book and the second three in order at the conclusion of the book. That way, the information isn't too overwhelming. It's easy for the kids to think it through and come up with good answers.

Keep it classy, ya'll.

CCSS: ELA Literacy RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

Monday Management: Parent Notes Galore

I love encouraging my students in whatever way I can. Sometimes that's a hug, sometimes it's a word of affirmation, and sometimes it's a brag note home. Typically when I send a brag note home, I give it to the student and we read it together so I'm sure they know the good things I want to say about them. I use several different brag notes, but this is one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, there are also days when I have to send home a not-so-good note. I have several options for these that vary based on the severity and the persistence of the problem. This particular note is easy to use because it is straightforward and requires very little time.

You can access these and several other notes to send home at my TPT store. They're easy to print, download, and use! 

Keep it class-y, ya'll.

Thursday 'Rithmatic: Number of the Week

Calendar math is a huge part of my classroom. It's a user-friendly way to share math concepts without overwhelming or intimidating students. My calendar math board is subject to a variety of adaptations throughout the year, but one of my favorite features is the Number of the Week.

Each week has a given number. (1, 2, 3... you get the idea.) Students have a number of the week journal (coming soon to my TPT store!) in which they can record the Number of the Week activities each day as we do them together in class. It goes a little something like this:

• Monday: Record the numeral and the written number. (Ex: 1, one)
• Tuesday: Fill in a ten frame to represent the number.
• Wednesday: Represent the number using tally marks.
• Thursday: Draw a picture of the number. (Ex. 1--one circle, 2--two squares, etc.)
• Friday: Review as a class--no notes needed.

The slow, involved approach gives students ownership of each number without resulting in an overwhelmed panic. As an added plus, the Number of the Week journals can be collected as often as you see fit for a quick assessment of student learning. It's a simple and effective element for any calendar math routine!

Keep it class-y, ya'll.

CCSS Math.Content.K.NBT.A.1. Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (such as 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.

Wednesday Writing: Getting Ideas

Learn to write, write to learn! But if you don't have an idea, that's easier said than done. By providing your students with their very own idea list, you can avoid writer's block altogether. I have my students make a list of ideas every so often. Once a quarter is plenty. 

Model creating your own idea chart. Come up with at least one idea for each section. Fill in the blank on the last section with a broad topic--sports, dinosaurs, games, etc. Make sure students understand that they get to pick the category in that section. This gives them more ownership of the chart, and in so doing makes it more exciting. 

Have your students keep the idea chart in their desk or writing folder so that it is accessible whenever a new writing project is about to take shape.

Keep it class-y, ya'll.