Resources

Teach a Child to Read.com- reading home activities 

SchoolFamily.com- look at the 25 ways parents can make a difference in their child's education. 

 Literacy Connections.com-how to create a home environment that enhances your child's literacy development. 


http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/games/
http://www.brainpopjr.com/readingandwriting/

http://www.daycareresource.com/freegames.html

Getting To Know You Before I Know You

Technical: Mirror, Mirror on the wall, tell me who’s the best teacher of them all…

Technical genre
The goal of technical writing is to clearly communicate a select piece of information to a targeted reader or group of readers for a particular purpose in such a way that the subject can readily be understood. It is expository writing that requires a response from the reader. "

This semester, I was an intern (called “practicum”) for a first grade teacher at a high- socio economic school. I really have struggled with the question I ask myself every day, “what makes a good teacher?” I have this obsession with being the very best teacher in the world when I start teaching. I get anxiety that I won’t be good enough, am not even close to good enough, constantly question teachers who I observe, and don’t know if I can realistically fulfill this gigantic role in young lives. Will I be all that they need and want, will I be nice but still firm, will I give them an early positive image of education, will I really give them the most ACCURATE information? I have struggled my whole life with the notion that I’m not smart enough, and now I really ask myself every day this same question.

Poems: Calendar, Apple, Math

1. ~~Calendar Song Poem~~

(Sing to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")

When we do the calendar
We learn the month the date the year.
Every weekday has a name
There are lots of numbers that look the same.
So let's begin to show you how
We do the calendar right now.

2. Apple Poem
(tune: Bingo)

I know a fruit that grows on trees,
And apple is its name, oh!

A P P L E
A P P L E
A P P L E
And apple is its name, oh!

In summer and in early fall
It's time to pick an apple!

(Chorus)

It may be sweet or may be tart,
It's red, or green, or yellow!

(Chorus)

A McIntosh or Granny Smith,
A Winesap or Delicious!

(Chorus)

Make applesauce or apple juice
Or apple pie with apples!

(Chorus)

3. Math Poem:
Pull straight down a 1 is fun,
That’s the way to make a 1.

Around, and down, and out go you,
That's the way to make a 2.
Around, and around, just like a bee,
That's the way to make a 3.
Down, across, and down once more,
That's the way to make a 4.
Short neck, tummy fat,
Number 5 wears a hat.
Down, around, in a circle you go,
That's a six, just as you know.

Straight across, slide down from heaven,
That's the way to make a 7.
First a snake, then come back straight,
That's the way to make an 8.
First a ball and then a line,
That's the way to make a 9.
Tall straight, circle then,
That's the way to make a 10

Persuasive: Family Involvement

It is so important to me for us to create a strong classroom community of learners, so that all children can learn from their peers, family members, community, and teacher. The classroom community of learners is comprised of the student, parent, teacher, and members of the community. Supporting relationships among all role models and friends in your child’s life will create a positive learning environment.

I am a teacher who's door is always wide open for class volunteers and is so appreciative for that help! The children and I would LOVE to invite your family in for many events this year. Some, which I wil send out specific newsletters and calendars for are listed below:
1. Bring someone special in for your child’s star student of the week Friday to tell us about how your career/life relates to literacy and to read us a story(I will hand out a newsletter).
2. Your participation with homework: signing the weekly newsletter with communication updates in regards to weekly news and any upcoming family involvement events, and having them telling you about the daily vocabulary word before you sign the sheet.
3. Through out the year, your participation in watching reader’s theatre, dramatic plays, writer and reader’s chair, King/ Queen of the Day, Popcorn party, Read-Ins, Store, etc.(don’t worry, I will always send out additional detailed newsletters about what these activities are, why we do them, and when they are!) If you want to join in, your always welcome! If not, I always take pictures!
4. Please fill in your ideal day to volunteer if you are interested in helping with centers on the form attached. I will hold a "centers meeting" during at 1:00 while the children are in P.E. next Friday if you can join for additional specific information on centers!

Narrative genre: Worksheets and behavior management

In the classroom, I always come across specific experiences, events, and teacher language/ rewards systems that make me inspired by the teacher or just the opposite.For example, my mentor teacher is VERY into classroom management and worksheets; two things I don’t necessarily agree on. She is also into singing and movement; which I am on the same page with her on. In terms of classroom management, she is constantly telling the children to “card up/down” for behavior and calling on individual children, rather than getting the whole group focused by doing a different activity or reminding the whole group of desired behaviors instead of constantly punishing. Worksheets are a MAJOR part of the day, and although they are not NORMALLY the only part of a lesson, they are often a follow-up or beginning activity- I see worksheets basically all day long. In the morning, they do a morning worksheet, after language arts, they usually do another, after centers and during centers they have both a “work book” (worksheets) and follow-up worksheets in guided reading. They have worksheets in math and an end-of- the day worksheet. Worksheet and constant behavior management takes up a large portion of the school day.

Expository: Counting Activity

Expository: (An activity to help students and families to take full advantage of their environment)

This week we are counting by 2’s and 5’s! The children are having a lot of fun finding things that come in 2’s at school. Please have your child show you how they can count by 2’s and 5’s! Please have them gather items around the house that they can use to represent 2 or 5 and then have them count to you as high as they can. If they can’t think of anything, suggest a pair of socks, shoes, or gloves to count by 2’s, and nickels to count by 5’s. Maybe their chore this week can be matching the socks and counting by two’s as they throw the match into their drawer ;)!

Expository: Reading/ Writing Workshop

We have started participating a very fun activity called Reading Workshop in language arts this week! In Reading Workshop, students read, respond and participate in peer and teacher conferences. 
 Reading workshop is a great way for children to practice their reading fluency, but also is a wonderful opportunity for us to understand their response to the book and their comprehension. I will send your child home with a "reading workshop packet" this Friday that we will continue on for the next month. Children will have a special book to read every night on their own and questions that you may ask the children to help them to further think about and relate to the book (called metacognitive thinking!) There will also be a picture book that you can read to your child in the packet that relates to their leveled book. Begin by first:
1. Reading the picture book to your child
2. Ask the questions that are attached to the picture book 
3. Have your child read their leveled book to you (the key thing is LITTLE-NO frustration from the child. They need to have a positive image of success in reading in these early stages of reading). :) If they can't read a word, use the strategy card I have in the packet (look at picture clues, stretch the word out, etc.) Just read it for him/ her if they get frustrated- the key is discussion and excitement for the message that reading books has! 
4. Read the discussion questions I have attached to the leveled book before and discuss their response to the book- there is no right answer, just discussion and excitement about reading is what we're looking for at this time! :) 

Descriptive:A literate Environment

      I love to see a literacy-rich classroom; it shows me that active learning is taking place! The classroom I fulfill my practicum hours in is definitely a literate environment J! The children’s work, alphabet, North/East/South/West signs, and a word wall drapes the walls of this literacy-rich classroom. There are easily-accesible categorized books as well as leveled books surrounding the room, there are literacy centers every single day, and there is a clear  itinerary written on the board of their schedule every single day. There is a daily standard for each subject posted on the wall each day, the center activity is written with a picture and the center number every single day. There is also a calendar wall with calendar, today, tomorrow, and yesterday with a sentence strip for all of the days of the week and a pocket chart to place the day of the week in the right spot. There is also the names and pictures of coins, a number line, and a job chart on this wall. The teacher makes a unit box on the whiteboard (to model) and the children write on their individual whiteboards with “What is today” and write the notation, “how many students we have today,” and “how many teachers we have today.” The students’ names are also posted in multiple areas of the room and there is a nametag with the alphabet on each of their desks every day. The word wall is added to every week with high-frequency words that they have learned. 

About Me

Hi, I'm Ms. Bode and I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself before I begin my blogging experiences! The purpose this blogs serves for me is an educational record of my path in the pursuit of education as a careeer; I am experiencing new things in my work with children, learing from my mentor teacher during my practicum hours, and learning from my professors and classmates every day and needed a record of that!  I am currently attending Northern Arizona University in the teaching program, majoring in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Early Childhood Education and I hope to teach the Early Childhood grades (K-3) when I receive my Bachelor's degree and Teacher's credential in December of 2011.

From since before I could remember, people always told me I should be a teacher; partly because of my compassion and ability to connect with children (or at least I like to think) and party because I was so bossy (I used to boss around my siblings since I began talking)! After I graduated high school, I decided that I knew that I wanted to make a lot of money and be a fashion buyer; I got into FIDM in San Francisco and was planning on starting one month before life through me a curve ball. I didn't know I wanted to be a teacher until I experienced what was to come next in my life, literally a life-threatening and life-altering experience. I was a healthy, active, athletic 18-year old girl and I had a brain tumor that was taking up over 1/3 of my brain stem and I needed to have brain surgery or I would face the strong possibility of a stroke and either be paralyzed or worse; I chose surgery. I went in naive and couldn't comprehend why everyone around me was so traumatized. I came out of surgeyr as a different person; I had severe weakness (they thought I was paralyzed at first) on my left side and double-vision. I have walked in the shoes of one who is in a wheelchair, severely disabled, in constant sufferring, and I came out the other side of the sunny tunnel. After that, my compassion for my life grew to an all-time high and I knew that if I could conquer that and get to where I am now, that God had great things ahead for me, and I wasn't meant to be a business-woman or a fashion buyer, etc. I was meant to inspire lives; so I chose my niche, YOUNG lives! I couldn't be happier. :)