Making Personal Books For Struggling Readers

 

  I am currently tutoring a First Grader who is reading at a Level B.

  I started making books about her life, and it has really made a difference in her attitude and interest. 

Here is one of the latest: Skyler's Hats

I should tell you that Skyler is her big brother who she idolizes.

Miss Deborah is me! (Who she thinks is her secret weapon!)

I am working on the words: I, he, his, like.

I just thought you might find this idea interesting.

 I tell the mother which pictures I need, and she takes the pictures

 and emails them to me.

Smiles,

Deborah

Words Their Way: Within Words Sort 8

 I've been working with my 2 granddaughters on improving their spelling. I chose the Words Their Way Program because I wanted it to fit the needs of two different age groups with similar deficiencies in spelling skills.  

As an Instructional Coach for a large school district, I have been trained by Pearson Learning Group and have trained teachers how to use the program.  So I thought I would share some of the materials that I develop to go along with the sorts the girls and I will be doing together.  

We are on Sort 8 in the yellow book, Third Edition.  (Within Words)

This lesson focuses on "short and long i" vowel sounds.  I noticed that many of the long i words have the ending ice. So I began gathering a collection of words that ended "ice." 

These are the words that I decided to use to expand their knowledge of "ice" words.

This is the sheet that I used on Zoom. 

I shared this page on Zoom, and the girls took turns writing the first sounds on the line to make the new words that I was giving to them orally.

Believe it or not, they really liked learning the word- sacrifice, as they didn't believe they could actually spell it. They liked the challenge. 

Together we looked up the meaning of the word using the Longman Dictionary.

When I search for definitions, I add "Student Friendly" to the search.

sacrifice

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Religionsac‧ri‧fice1 /ˈsækrəfaɪs/ ●●○ noun    1 [countable, uncountable] when you decide not to have something valuable, in order to get something that is more important

If you would like a copy of my worksheets, Click on the Pages Above.  They are free to you.Please leave a comment if you decide to download the pages as your thank you.

Smiles,

Deborah Devine

Interjections and Emoji for 5th Graders

Today when I met with the two 5th Grade students that I am tutoring, we continued on our journey to understand the function of interjections in writing and in our speech.

After doing a bit of research on the Internet, I realized that emoji are "emoticons." Check out this chart that attempts to describe the feelings shown with the emoji.
The definition of emoticons is:
A pictorial representation of a facial expression to express a person's feelings or mood, or as a time-saving method.

So hopefully you can see the connection between interjections in speech and writing ... and emoticons.

So I decided to make a series of cards showing different emoji characters and have my student connect it to an interjection.
😓 = Oh no!
Then we used that interjection in dialogue.
"Oh no! My mother is going to be so angry when she see this broken dish."
Lastly, we wrote a sentence that might be in a narrative writing.
Oh no! The teacher saw me pass that note to Ali. 

I was trying to make connections between ways we use interjections.  
Yippee! I believe they understood. 😊 

Smiles,
Deborah 


 

What is an Interjection....5th Graders Want to Know.

What is an interjection ?....5th Graders know. 

 Or they should know, according to the Common Core Standards.  Those amazing 5th Graders are expected to know the function of interjections, in general, and their functions in particular sentences...YIKES!!!!!

First, let's deal with the word interjection.

interject = emoji

5th Graders get emoji's

Even their clothing features emoji's.

So use it!!!! Yeah!!!!

An interjection is not commonly used in formal or academic writing, because they don't convey facts... they convey feelings.

"Wow! This is the perfect time to teach dialogue writing." pleaded Mrs. Devine.

"Gosh, ,you mean it?" said those 5th Grade Teachers.

 "Use those interjections, and teach them to punctuate it correctly, and you can 

live happily ever after, " said Mrs. Devine.

 Smiles,
Deborah
P.S.  I told the children, that I tutor,
 that ! and ? is stronger
 than ,
 and that is why you see them in dialogue writing instead of a ,

How Far Did Your Car Roll? Pre-K and K

If you give 3 and 4 year old children some cars, an empty cardboard tube, and blocks, what do you think will happen?

They will naturally set up the cardboard tube and blocks to make an incline.  They will want to see the car roll through the tube and how far the car will travel. Next, they will want to compete against other students. 
“My car will go farther than your car!”

Through teacher intervention, instead of hearing students comment, “My car went farther than yours,” you can hear, “My car went farther. It went to the 10 and yours went to the 8.”

 What materials must you add? 

 A number line including a visual ten frame.

Next, let students explore for several days. Then ask them to record what they found out with this recording sheet and a marker.

Students color in the number line to show how far their car traveled. 

 

Then extend the experience by adding  a small and large car to the center. In whole group discuss that fact that there are going to be 2 size cars now to experiment with. 

“Does the size of the car matter?”

Again, let student explore this idea.

Lastly, discuss in whole group,does the size of the car also effects the WEIGHT of the two cars. I used a food scale and weighed the cars in front of the group to see if one car weighs more than the other. 

Discuss: Why does the weight matter?

 

I loved doing this experiment with a group of native spanish speakers in a Pre-K class. 

 If you would like to do it with your students, it will be  available in my Teacher Pay Teacher store soon.  All the response sheets and ten frames are done for you in both English and Spanish for only $2.00.

Smiles,

Deborah   

A Fun Way to Learn Letter Patterns in Your Name

While working in a Developmental Preschool Classroom, I noticed the center in which students work on letter formation.  That doesn't sound like much fun, but the teacher was working hard to make it as enjoyable as possible.  

Just imagine a young boy trying to learn how to spell his name...

 C H R I S T O P H E R.

Since the next thematic unit is transportation, I decided to make him a special surprise. 

His very own parking lot with lettered cars.  

As he drives the cars into the parking spaces, he will be repeating this letter pattern in a fun way.

 Here is the parking lot, complete with individual parking spots for each car. 

I hope it makes 

learning

F U N !

By the way, I don't want you to think this activity is only for boys.

I made a parking garage for 

I S A B E L L A

also.

Smiles, 

D E B O R A H

"Think Out Loud Cap" to Promote Verbal Language Development in Children.

 

These materials were used in a Developmental Preschool that encouraged students to verbalize their thoughts to promote language growth. 

 That is the reason for the “Think Out Loud Cap.”  When I modeled thinking out loud and sharing my thoughts, I would put on the “Think Out Loud Cap.”  My plan was to concretely show student how to share their thoughts and ideas.

 I wanted more details!

Now, I couldn't have every student wear a hat like this, or share my hat with the speaker because of head lice concerns.  So I made a laminated  “Think Out Loud Cap” Card. 
 The students were encouraged to think out loud when I  handed  them the laminated “I am thinking” card. 

By the way, the blank cap was purchased at Hobby Lobby for about $2.50.  It actually had head breathing holes sewn in the fabric and that is how I stuck the pipe cleaners out through the hat.

Smiles,
Deborah

Proper Nouns All About You

 I've been tutoring a 2nd Grader and a 3rd Grader in writing. 

We have been editing our writing and that lead to a short lesson about Proper Nouns.  I created this worksheet to create a connection between themselves and Proper Nouns.  I think it made a difference, so I thought I would share it with you.  

Let me know, in the comment section, if it helped your students or not.        

Click HERE to download the worksheet.

April Calendar: Two Dimensional Attributes

The April Calendar features two dimensional shapes. 

 Each week a different shape is featured, but they look different. 

This difference leads to a discussion about what attributes make a particular shape.  

Here's another way to change up counting the days of school. 

 Each day is worth one penny.

 

Smiles,

Deborah

March Calendar Idea

I laminated this calendar so I could actually draw the weather pictures on each day.

Next, we took it a step further and predicted the weather for the next day. "Likely"... not  "What do you think the weather will be like tomorrow?"  Why? 
Likely is the correct terminology to use when discussing  probability.  Likely leads to 'most likely' and 'least likely," if you have a split K/1 or 1/2 class. 

How do you change your calendar discussions 

at this time of the year?

Smiles,
Deborah

Grade K or 1st: Fraction Pizza Center

Here is an idea for a quick math center. 

 How do you cut these pizzas to share them equally? 

They are fun to make out of play-dough also in a kitchen center.

My granddaughter had 2 friends over for a sleep-over and we made individual pizzas.  So each child cut their pizza with a fun pizza cutter utensil to show how they would share their pizza with 2, 3, and 4 friends.  

By the way, my granddaughters laugh when I ask them to do things like this because they know I love sharing math with them.

Smiles,

Deborah

ADD/HD Students: Strategy to Help Them Complete an Assigned Project

My last post discussed using numbered magnetic clips to help you organize models in a classroom setting.   Here, I used the numbered clip that corresponded to the number item on the worksheet, but I've used them in the past to help my ADD/ADHD students complete an assigned project.

ADD/ADHD students have a hard time breaking a task into parts, then working on one small step at a time...to complete an assigned project.  

So what I would do is: First, meet individually with ADD students and write down the steps they needed to do to complete the project... for example,  researching a topic.

Then, I would cut the steps into strips and clip them to the numbered magnetic clips that hung on the magnetic whiteboard near their desk.

As that student completed that step, he/she would turn over the strip and clip it back onto the clip.

This became a VISUAL picture of how he/she were progressing towards the completion of the project.It shows not only how much more he/she needed to do, but also how far they have come.
They could see their own progress!! 

 I can attest to the fact that many students found this helpful.  For ADD/HD students it's so hard to keep focused... they get overwhelmed and get lost and don't know what to do next.

This visual clue kept them on track, and answered that question of what they needed to do next, without me guiding their every move. They began taking responsibility for their own progress.

Smiles,

Deborah 

P.S.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed with life too, and I find myself writing down those small steps. I find it a great comfort for myself, and I LOVE checking off the steps as I complete them.

Identifying Angles of a Triangle: From Worksheet to Models

It all started with a worksheet like this one shown in the picture.  The students were to write in the name of the triangle based on its angles...

But, I changed up the lesson by creating large construction paper triangles that closely resembled each of the shown triangles on the worksheet.

These triangle could be measured, and the group passed each triangle around as we discussed the angles together.

Suddenly, the classification based on angles used in the triangles began to make sense to the dual language students in the small guided math group.  

   It took more work on my part to make the individual triangle models, but the students seemed to understand it more clearly and the discussion from the group was great!

 It was worth my effort.

Smiles,

Deborah 

Evaluating Student Knowledge About Lines and Angles with Art Project

If you teach math using guided math groups,

 here is way to quickly review what your students know about lines, and angles.

 

 An Art Project illustrating different types of lines and angle. This poster illustrates these Common Core Standards:

CCSS.Math.Content.4.G.A.1
Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.G.A.2
Classify two-dimensional figures based on the presence or absence of parallel or perpendicular lines, or the presence or absence of angles of a specified size. Recognize right triangles as a category, and identify right triangles.

You can evaluate them as they work using this rubric:

 

Click Here for copy of my rubric.

If you teach a multi-grade class, two different art project posters could show different concepts that students are working on. For example, the 3rd Graders could be illustrating these Common Core Standards

 CCSS.Math.Content.3.G.A.1
Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories.

Have you ever used an art project to evaluate students in the area of mathematics?

Smiles,

Deborah

2016 PARCC Released Math Items: Typing in Your Answer/ No Choices Given

Did a quick review with my 4th Grader about how answers are entered into the PARCC Math Test when multiple choices of a possible answer are NOT GIVEN.

57 is a Composite Number

I've been working with a fourth grader on prime and composite numbers.  As soon as she walked into our session, she couldn't wait to tell me how she corrected the teacher in class.
"She thought 57 was a prime number.  I told her the factors for that number were 1, 57, 3, and 19 so it couldn't be a prime number... and EVEN her teacher's manual was WRONG!"


Can't you just image how wonderful it felt to be the 
Math Wizard
at that moment... 

Here are some resources that I used to work with her on understanding prime and composite numbers:
1. Learn Zillion   https://learnzillion.com/lesson_plans/2048-4-determine-prime-and-composite-numbers-c
 I just love this site and the easy to understand videos that they offer. When working with one child, you can pause the video and talk about the concept as they view the video. If you have parent volunteers for your class, this is a great way for them to interact with your students too. The lesson is all prepared, all they have to do is TALK to individual students and clear up any misconceptions. Follow up that talk with 4 or 5 math questions to double check understanding.  In MULTI_GRADE Classroom, use 2 different videos... to meet individual needs of the students.

Screen shot from  Learn Zillion

2. Cool Math Internet Site
Give all your students a 100 chart and as a whole group do this lesson with them, which allows them to find all the prime numbers through 100.

 http://www.coolmath.com/prealgebra/00-factors-primes/03-prime-composite-numbers-01

Screen shot from Cool Math

3.  Brain Pop 
If you have access to the internet site, Brain Pop, use this video and other materials that have been created for this lesson.

Screen shot from Brain Pop

Have you used any of these resources? Do you find them useful?
Are there other resources that you find useful.  Please leave a comment, as I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Smiles,
Deborah

The Structure of Opinion Writing for 3rd Grade Using ... Fingerpaints!!

 My 3rd Grade student and I had a little fun this week with FINGERPAINT!!!
We've been talking about how an Opinion Writing Piece is organized. I wanted to use her senses of touch and sight to make a connection about what that structure really was all about.
So we started with a large piece of bulletin board paper, some fingerpaints, and some graphic images .  

First step:  Get ready to tell the reader of your Opinion Writing Piece your opinion.  Grab their attention so they really want to listen to your opinion about a subject.  Then state your opinion clearly...I believe that

Second Step:  State your opinion and support and defend your thoughts with 2 or 3 details or facts/personal experiences/evidence.

Third Step: End with a strong concluding statement that restates your opinion....but don't just relist those details or facts. Mix them all together and come up with your own summary.  Restate it with a strong VOICE. 
 

Then we took an opinion piece, that we had written together previously, and cut it into sentences and or paragraphs.  We glued those parts on the top of our finger-painted structure to see if we had really written a strong writing piece about our opinion about what's the best summer fruit of all. 
Lastly, we stepped back and asked ourselves:
Did  it flow...did I use my own voice...was my concluding sentence written in a way that summarized my thoughts and pulled my writing all together so it ended strong?

"In my opinion using sensory experiences in your concept instruction, assists children and adults in learning and retaining information. First, we know that stimulating the senses sends signals to children’s brains that help to strengthen neural pathways important for all types of learning."     (Now you finish this opinion writing piece and think about what your opinion is.)

 Smiles,
Deborah

Foldable Worksheet Unit using 2016 PARCC Released Math Items To Prepare My Students

 Why Does Test Preparation Work for Standardized Tests?

Since the PARCC standardized Test follows a specific structure and assesses a known set of math concepts that are detailed in the Common Core State Standards for each grade level, test preparation can help your students succeed on these tests.

Test preparation is effective when it is an accurate representation of what is on the actual exam.  Since the practice set uses actual released items from the PARCC tests, the time you spend on it in class will be worthwhile.

I don't advocate weeks before the test being spent on test preparation.

I do advocate making CONNECTIONS between what you are teaching in class, and how they test students about these same math concepts on a standardized test.

  Think about yourself.  When you know what to expect and how to pace yourself on a test, you are more likely to be relaxed, confident, and comfortable. This typically leads to better scores than if you're full of anxiety and stress.

 

For all these reasons, I decided to use the PARCC 2016 and 2015 Release Math Items for 4th Grade and create a student friendly foldable worksheet to use to start discussing the released items while teaching the same material in class.



ONE QUESTION AT A TIME

ALL DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR

My first completed unit focuses on the area of

 Operations and Algebraic Thinking. 

It includes the foldable worksheets and a completed student response pages from their notebook to show what the 

finished pages might look like.

 

Notice that is states the Common Core Math Standard in      

"I Can" format.
 Also suggested are talking points for the teacher to use 
while discussing the individual questions.
In addition , it includes test taking strategies and 
not just how to do the math. 

Check it out at my Teacher Pay Teacher Store here.

I tried to do the preparation for this unit,

 so you would have the time to teach it to your students

starting tomorrow.

Smiles,

Deborah