Guided Math In Action Chapters 3 and 4

Hello, it is time to take a look at chapters 3 and 4 in the Guided Math In Action book! 

If you have not read this or do not have it and would like to add this to your resource library please click on the book below:

Chapter 3 

As in any grade, routines are very important in first grade. In order for my kiddos to be successful, I take the first 3 weeks and really focus on routines, expectations and small group rotations. We practice rotating without materials and activities to begin with. We do this for a week. I use visitimer, which is a visual and audio timer. They learn during this week what the timer should look like when it is time to clean up and get ready to rotate. This also allows them to watch the timer so the uniqueness runs out. They normally spend a good deal of time watching the timer to see what picture it is going to make. By practicing this gets out of their systems by the time we add manipulatives to the rotations. After the first week, I extend the time at each area and I put manipulatives on the tables. this will allow them to experience both the manipulatives and the timer.  They now have something to clean up. The third week is the same but the time at the areas are now the time they can expect to have when they have the actual activities.

My groups at the areas were heterogenous. I feel that it is important that the groups at the technology, activity and writing areas were a mixture of abilities. This will allow all students to become successful. The groups at my area were homogenous and that is when I am able to differentiate the material to increase their success levels. My kids rotate when the timer goes off. Once they are at their area, the timer is restarted. There are chalkboard easels that direct them to the correct area.

Here is the timer I use if you are interested! It is free!

My activities are in monster buckets that I got from Krispy Kreme! They are labeled with the group number. I have a new activity for each group every day for Monday throughThursday. That is a total of 16 activities per week. On Fridays, I conference with my kids while they work on activities or technology at their seats.

But now that I have read this chapter, I am rethinking the rotation part. I liked how she had the students stay at the table and there was a leader who would go and get the next activity. This seems to be a great way to cut down on wasted instructional time that happens when they rotate. I am still thinking about this!

My teacher toolkit is my saving grace! I use a pink sears tool bag for my materials! 

In this bag I have:

1. dry erase boards

2. dry erase markers

3. pencils

4. number lines

5. dice

6. spinners

7. magnetic numbers

8. ten frames and dots

9. timers

10. plastic money

11. flash cards

12. deck of playing cards

13. dominos

14. stamps and stamp pads 

15. I need a break cards

16. pointers

17. ice cube trays with pom poms

18. clocks

19. rulers

20. I will add other materials as needed

Chapter 4

I am still one of those old fashioned gals who have to write down her lesson plans. I will do typed ones on the computer as well but I love my lesson plan books! I think it is just a routine or habit that I just have a hard time breaking! LOL! Now in our district, we have to write LFS lesson Plans so I write my written plans in my format and I then type up and have the official LFS plans in my book as well! 

I use a variety of methods to determine the levels of my kiddos. I use common assessments, formative assessments, every day observations, daily work in activities, anecdotal records and benchmarks. ESGI has been a life saver! I am able to create tests or use tests that are already in the test bank and the students take them on the computer. The tests are graded and data is formed for you. There are informational sheets available for each child and provides data for you to share with parents and to use to form your small groups! This is an amazing system! Click on the picture below to learn more about ESGI!

My groups are fluid. The students at my area are always changing amongst the groups. Since my area is differentiated, when a child has gained success and is able to move on to another group then they are placed in the correct group. This is  also the same for children who begin to struggle!

Please follow the schedule below so you can join us on our journey throughout this awesome book!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Guided Math In Action Book Study

I am so excited that today is the day we begin our book study on..................

So please follow along with us and comments along the way!

To follow along you can........

1. Visit our Facebook page. We will have the questions posted and discussions going on!

2. Follow our updates on Instagram- @kickinitwithclass @maggieskinder and @mrspriceskindergators

3. Follow us on twitter #Guidedmathbookstudy

4. Follow our blogs and post along with us!!! 

mrspriceskindergators.blogspot.com

maggieskinder.com

http://kickinitwithclass.blogspot.com/

Here is our schedule:

Please introduce yourself below! I would love to get to know everybody who is participating with us!!!!

Engaging Young Writers Chapter 3

I could not wait to read the next chapter of this awesome book and share my thoughts with you. So once again, I am linking up with 3 amazing educators for our book study on the book, Engaging Young Writers written by Matt Glover. 

Last year, my kiddos and I were beginning our organisms unit. We received our first box of plants for the terrariums and the aquariums..... or so we thought it was just plants. When we opened up the box to check the contents, there was a round container that said chameleons. Well being that it was in the box of plants and we do not get chameleons in this kit or any kit that comes to first grade, we assumed that this was a plant. So we left it in the container until Friday. friday was the day that we were going to set up our terrariums. So it is friday, I open up the box and we are all excited to be placing the plants into the terrariums. I open the round container and what should happen, 7 yes 7 little heads started popping up and out jumped lizards, yes lizards. they were running all over the room. I was in a skirt, crawling around trying to get these quick little critters. I have kids screaming and laughing. The lizards are jumping on the kids. What an experience! But this experience produced the most detailed writing, I have ever received. It also broadened my kids choices of writing! They got into looking up lizards on the computer and writing about them. This led to them looking up all sorts of things and writing about them!

Experiencing this first hand definitely deepened their engagement. Also, the fact that they learned what research is and the enjoyment they received when looking up the lizards on the computer to see what kind they were and other facts really deepened their engagement. I think also, I created name badges and gave them special notebooks because they were being researchers/reporters and they needed these tools to create their  writing pieces. My excitement deepened their engagement!

We discuss different things they can write about during their writing conferences as well as during our writing block. My writing center is set up with many examples of the different writings as well as a variety of materials for them to use when creating their writing piece. I do not tell them what they need to write. By providing them the choice, they are more apt to write and write meaningful pieces then when they are told to write a particular piece. they need to have ownership over what they are writing.

We must remember that many of our kids do not have a lot of experiences or a lot of background knowledge about many things in the world around them. Many have never left their neighborhoods. This is where we must teach before we expect them to write. They need to experience things before they can write about them. Field trips, assemblies, curriculum unit of study, class visitors, skype, etc are all experiences we can provide so their writing is more meaningful and enjoyable!

So when you read these questions, how do they apply to your classroom? Please feel free to share your thoughts with us! We would love to hear them!

Engaging Young Writers Chapter 1 and 2

Hi, Everyone!

I am so excited to be teaming up with my awesome education buddies for a magnificent book study! We will be doing this for the next 5 weeks. Please feel free to read along or to add any comments as we blog about this awesome teacher resource.

So, thanks to +Kristen Poindexter for bringing this book to our attention! Writing is an area that I love to teach!  

I just wanted to share my favorite writing quote before I shared my responses to the chapter questions!

And now onto the questions!!!!

How does this encourage children to be writers?

I love book making! I love it when my kids make books! When children make books, they are showing me their love for writing. They are not afraid to write, illustrate and share their ideas and thoughts. My most favorite part of book making is the looks on my kid's faces when they show me their finished book! It is truly a masterpiece. 

The idea of them creating their own books and becoming an author is so important to them! It makes them feel so important. 

One thing I always do is stress how they can all be writers, that we are all authors! Even if we just make picture books to start with, we are being writers!

I love how the author, Glover, talks about book making! He talks about how books are what children have a vision for and this vision makes it easy for them to write. 

One thing I do is make sure my writing center has all materials needed for them to write whatever they choose. There is also a small stapler for them to create their own books! 

Here is a video I thought you would enjoy about a First Grade Maker Space: Book Making!

The next question is: What are some ways you honor your students' approximations in writing? 

First, I think we need to list what the approximations are!

I love all aspects of my kids' writing. Depending on the developmental level of my students and where they are in the writing process, their approximations are at different stages. I highlight all of their successes. I make a big deal of all of their writing and I have a writers' gallery where all children's writing is displayed. All kids share their writing, no matter what approximation they are on. I love to see the proud look on their face when they read it to the class and receive the round of applause the class always gives to the speakers for the day!

Now on to Chapter 2! The next question is Which kind of writing do you tend to lead your students towards?

I will have to say personal narratives and how to writing are the kinds I tend to lead them towards. I love when they write about things that are about them. They really love to write about themselves and to share this writing. i also find that personal narratives are easy for them to understand and feel successful with.

The other type is how to writing. I love to teach this type because it is a more active type of writing. I model this type by making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and writing about how I made it. I love it when they think of an activity and write how to do it. I also have them perform the activity they are writing about. So they actually teach us how to do what they are writing about. They love it and so do I!

How does the idea of various entry points fit into your classroom writing routine?

Entry points are a great way to differentiate the writing in your classroom. This is where it is important to know your kids. There are kids who are ready to write books, write narratives,  create poems or just ready to raw a detailed picture and add a few letters. By having different entry points, we are allowing them to be successful. This will create an environment where writing is looked at as something they want to do not have to do. If we want to instill a love for writing then we need to be mindful of where our children are and use various entry points! 

I leave you with a final quote about writing and with a thank you for reading my post. please feel free to share any ideas or writing tips! It is through collaboration that all teachers and students are successful!

Daily 5 Book Study Chapter 9

I can not believe that the book is over! I have enjoyed reading this book by the 2 Sisters! They have another book that I think I am going to dive in to soon.

I love the quote the Sisters started the chapter with! 

Chapter 9 deals with Daily 5 being used in "Special " Circumstances!

The Sisters discuss using Daily 5 in several different circumstances! Here are my outtakes from the chapter!

Barometer Students:

We all have a barometer student in our class. These are what the sisters refer to as the challenging students! We must remember that if we help these students and give them the tools they need they will be successful!!!

But we also have to do the following:

1. Stay out of their way! This is hard for me! but I will be working on this this year!

2. Make sure we teach the 10 steps to Independence. Remember there are 10 of these, we do not skip them or decide to pick and choose which ones to teach. There are 10 and we need to teach all 10.

3. If they are misbehaving, have them stay in at recess for a little while to practice appropriate behaviors.

4. If this does not work, you mat need to have a special spot for them to sit, a timer to help with their stamina, whatever tools you feel will help these students be successful!

5. Make sure they pick Good Fit Books!!!

Substitute Teachers:

We all know how crazy it is to get ready for a substitute! We worry if our plans are done and how our students were going to behave or folow our routines. It is very important for us to make sure the routines are kept as normal as possible. It should be like you are there. But we need to make sure that we write detailed plans. These should be specific Daily 5 plans that can be used with every substitute.this provides consistence for the students!

New Students:

AS the school year goes on, we all get a new student here or there. We need to kep in mind that not all teachers do Daily 5. So when the new students arrive, review the I Charts and the 10 steps. This is a great time for review for the entire class! Another great plan to have in place is to have students be the buddies for the new students. They can teach them the ropes!

Parents:

Open Communication is necessary for this to be successful. Explain all procedures and routines to the parents. Send home Daily 5 information. Keep them informed. This will insure that all those involved understand the Daily 5 process!

We must remember that we must trust our kids! I know this is hard at times but we must loosen the ropes and allow them to choose. In order for this be done successfully, we must teach all 10 steps of independence! You can do it! 

Well this is the last post of our Daily 5 Book Study! Check out TPT, there are so many resources available! Also, we have had several free resources throughout our book study!

Here are the links to my previous posts:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

An InLinkz Link-up

A Flipped Reading Book Study Giveaway!

Hello all!!!!

We have been doing a book study on the book:

We are loving it! So in honor of this awesome book, we have a giveaway for one lucky blogger!!! Just enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a selfie stick! Our post on chapters 5 and 6 will be posted on Wednesday, July 29!

Good Luck From:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Daily 5 Chapter 8 Math Daily 3

I am linking up for chapter 8 in our Daily 5 Book Study. I can not believe that we only have one more chapter left! I have learned so much from this book and I can not wait to get into my classroom and implement the Daily 5!

This chapter is about The math Daily 3. The previous chapters have been focused on ELA. I have to say I love The Math Daily 3. I implemented this last year in my classroom. I teach First Grade and I was team teaching. So all I had to teach all day was math and Science. I wanted to teach it in a different way then the traditional way so I researched and I combined The Math Daily 3 with Guided math and I have top tell ya, my kids soared!

When launching these components, we launch Math By Myself first. The focus will be on building stamina woking independently with math games. Stamina is being built. I Charts are created. 

Next component launched is Math Writing. Focus is on expressing themselves mathematically using pictures, words, and equations. This is done similar to work on writing in Daily 5. Allow them to choose a comfortable area. Great for Math Journals.

Then we launch Math With Someone. The focus is working with someone else collaboratively and appropriately.

All of the components have I Charts Just like the components of Daily 5 do. I have created I Charts for the Daily 3 and posters if you would like them click on them below to download.

We only have one  more post left in our book study! In case you missed my other posts, here are the links:

Chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like A Pirate Chapter 8

I am blogging about Chapter 8 in this amazing book about Student Led Classrooms written by Paul Solarz. If you do not have this book, click on the book below and it will bring you to Amazon! Buy this book, I promise you, you won't be disappointed!!!

Paul Solarz is discussing the importance of empowerment! The importance of Passion! It al starts with the classroom environment! Be honest with kids. Create an environment where they are safe, safe physically, emotionally and safe to take risks!

So what is Passion Time? Passion Time is when the kids can work on a research project or something that they feel passionate about. Paul mentions Maker Spaces and I couldn't agree more. Maker Spaces are amazing. These allow the students to create and explore! These spaces are what puts grins and excitement back into education.  Paul had an after school club for maker Space but since I teach First Grade and really can not have an after school club, I will be having a Maker Space area in my classroom where they can explore on Fridays!!!

What does passion ignite in kids? 

I have created a sign that I will be hanging on my door for those who enter during Passion Time. Feel free to download it if you would like!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post! This is a book that I recommend all educators read at some point during their career! I absolutely loved it! It has provided this 22 year veteran teacher some awesome ideas to implement into my classroom!!!

Teaching With Intention Chapter 7

I am so sad that tis book is coming to end soon! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this and learning from the amazing Debbie Miller!

The hosts for this week's post are Famous  in First and Luv My Kinders. They are two amazing bloggers! Check out their posts.

So here we go.......

This is a short but powerful chapter. It is about that dreaded word. You know the one that we all stress out when we hear it!! That's right, this chapter is about Assessment!

In my room, I do two types of assessing. I use formative assessments that I have created in order to insure the instruction I am providing my students is differentiated and meaningful. Then there is the summative assessments that are district made that I have to give. 

I love how Debbie Miller provides us a list of various ways for Formative assessments! 

The chapter ends with a discussion on Reflection! By looking over your formative assessments and reflecting on what you have taught, ow you have taught and what they have understood, the next thing to do is what she calls A Next Step Lesson. this is when we use what we learned through the various ways of assessing and teach using this new found knowledge!

Once again an amazing chapter!!

Click the pic below to see what some other amazing educators thought abut this chapter!