1. Oh, the Things Your Child Will Learn! Welcome to Our Seusstastial Kindergarten!

2. Welcome to Room 104! Whole Group Instruction Rug Smartboard Easel Calendar Time Small Group Reading Instruction Word Work Table (Centers) Independent Work Area Teachers Desk

3. Our Weekly Schedule TimeMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday 8:45- 9:05Morning Welcome and Enrichment Work 9:05- 11:30Language Arts and Writing 11:30-12:10Lunch/ Group Bathroom Break 12:10- 12:55 Math 12:55-1:40PEArtPEMusicLibrary 1:45-2:15Intervention/Extension 2:15-2:30 Snack 2:30-2:55 Science/Social Studies or Al’s Pal’s 2:55-3:05 Pack -up 3:05-3:40 Recess

4. Our Language Arts Block  140 minutes of Language Arts Instruction Daily  Reading Instruction  30 minute whole group  80 minute small group instruction.  20 minute rotations  Guided Reading Instruction (Small Group)  Word Study Practice, Review and Independent Work  Literacy Centers  Writing  Thinking Maps and Letter Formation  30 minutes daily

5. Hats off to Our Staff! These staff members will or may work with your child:  Mrs. Wilson - Teacher  Ms. Ferguson – Student Teacher  Mrs. Racanelli- Reading Specialists  Miss Norwood- Intervention and Extension Teacher  Mrs. Wells- Special Education Teacher  Mrs. Umstead and Mrs. Mulder – Class Volunteers  PALS Remediation Teacher- TBD

6. Stages of Readers EmergentBeginningTransitional Working On: -Alphabet knowledge -Concept of Word -Language Play (Phonological Awareness) -Sight Words Working On: -Phonics Instruction -Sight Words -Guided Reading -Concept of Word -Word Study Working On: - Fluency - Word Study - Supported Reading - Sight Words -Please be mindful that your child’s stage will change as they progress through out the year.

7. Literacy Assessments  These assessments determine your child’s reading level and stage. They are used to group children for small group reading instruction to best meet their individual learning needs. AssessmentWhen?Purpose PALS https://pals.virginia.edu/parents-child.html - Twice a year (fall and spring- Three times a year, if below 25 th percentile or identified in the fall. - Determine child’s reading instruction and areas of improvement. Fountas and Pinnell http://www.fountasandpinnellleveledbooks.com / - January and May (or as needed) - Determine child’s guided reading level. Writing Sample http://thinkingmaps.com/ - Three times a year.- Assess areas of strengths and weakness.

8. Kindergarten Reading Levels  Think of the alphabet.  In the fall, students should be reading at or above a level A (Pre-Readiness Reader). By spring, students should be reading at or above a level D ( Preprimer 2).  I will keep in contact with you throughout the year of your child’s reading levels and progress and it is noted on interims and report cards. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z QuartersReading Level 1 st A ( Pre- Readiness) or above 2 nd B ( Readiness) or above 3 rd C ( Preprimer 1) or above 4 th D (Preprimer 2) or above * Many children will meet or exceed the above standards. This is simply a guide to help you better understand communications about your child's progression through reading.

9. Whole Group Reading Instruction  Occurs before small group reading instruction.  Students are exposed to and work on skills listed in the Virginia Standards of Learning.  Focus on rhyming, concept of word, comprehension, reading strategies, and expanding vocabulary.  Skills are reinforced again during small group reading instruction.

10. Small Group Reading Instruction  Using assessment data, students are put into guided reading groups based on their instructional independent needs.  Students move in and out of group’s pending growth in reading levels.  Each rotation lasts 20 minutes: Guided reading, word study review and practice, and literacy centers.  The next three slides show sample lesson plans for these reading groups based on the groups reading stage: emergent, beginning, or transitional.

11. Emergent Reading Instruction ComponentTimeActivityComments Alphabet & Beginning Sounds 10-12 minutes ABC Tracking: Students will recite and point to ABC chart and find letters and sounds (m, a, f, t). Letter Recognition and Letter Sounds: Font sort with Mm and Tt. Students will say the letter sound and place the font under Mm or Tt. Writing (2-3x/week): Practice writing Mm and Tt on dry erase boards.  Say letters automatically?  Track letters accurately?  Identify the letter/s/:  Identify the sounds:  Sort correctly & automatically  Can write the letter/sound? Developing Concept of Word* 5-10 minutes Story, poem, OR song title: Tap Your Toe COW Activity: 1. Model reading and pointing the rhyme. 2. Choral read rhyme. 3. Students take turns reading on the chart paper 2-3 times pointing at the words as they read. 4. Students will be given individual copies. Students will use the stickers placed under the words as stepping stones to help them finger point as they read.  Easy / hard to memorize  Tracking was accurate / needed support  No. of times read: 1 2 3 ___  COW activity was: easy / hard Language Play (Phonological Awareness)* 5-10 minutes Phonological awareness task: (circle one) Listening Rhyme Words/Sentences Syllables Initial/Final Sounds Title of Book/s/: Silly Sally By: Audrey Wood Activity: Read and rhyme. Mask rhyming words in this familiar read-aloud with a post-it. Students will supply the rhyming word, as I reread the story. If students are stuck on the word, I will reveal the first letter to help them figure out the rhyming word.  Phonological awareness task was easy / hard / just right?  Reading of book: 1 st 2 nd 3 rd  Other:

12. Beginning Reading Instruction Lesson PlanDescription of ActivitiesComments Fluency (3-5 minutes) Re-read 1-2 books:  Students can chose 1 book from box. Text copy: The Picnic (Level B) # of words missed Easiest book: Examples of errors (if any): Ready for text copy: WORD STUDY: Phonics & Sight Words Use 1-2 activities daily (10-12 minutes) Sight Words:  Word hunt in The Picnic: Find go, in, on, the, who Phonics Activity:  Sound boxes (Push & Say It): op, ot words. Use two boxes side. Call out: hop, pop, dot, not, top, mop, pot, hot, cop, got Sight Words: Added ____# of words: Unknown words: Words were easy / hard for students. Examples: Phonics activity: Words were easy/ hard for students to read/ write: Examples: Guided Reading (7-9 minutes) Book (level): I Can Hop (Decodable Book Reading A-Z) 1.Read title & discuss cover together. 2.Introduce the text: Picture walk the first two pages. Point out the word “dots” and how the s at the end means more than one dot. 3.Set a purpose for reading: Let’s find out the items the rabbit can and cannot hop on. Remember to use your magic finger to point to words. 4.Students read the book. 5.Response activity:  Writing: Dictate: I hop on the (mop OR pot) said ___________. Unfamiliar concepts/words for student before reading: New book was easy / hard: Examples of difficult words: Response activity was easy / hard:

13. Transitional Reading Instruction ComponentType of ActivityComments Fluency (5-7 minutes)  Reread 2-3 pages from Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend “Wet Yuck”. Find two long e words on page 6 of “Wet Yuck”. Comment on student’s reading. Expressive, monotone, uses punctuation correctly, choppy, word by word, phrases. Word Study (5-10 minutes) Choose 1 daily:  Picture & word sort: Assign buddy sort ee, ea, e_e word sort to be completed after group.  Analogy: If I know __ then I also know ___... Do one of the week’s sort words together on dry erase boards. Words were easy/ hard for students to read/ write: Examples: Supported Reading and Writing (10-12 minutes) Title: Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend (S. Stevenson) Level: mid-2 nd (Guided Reading J; DRA 16) Before Reading/Writing: 2 min.  Activate prior knowledge: “Bored”: discuss what things you might do if you can’t go outside. Have you ever played inside before on a yucky day?  Introduce the text: discuss what bored means and what you might do if you are bored. Have you ever been bored?  Set purpose for reading: Predict what Henry and Mudge will do to solve their problem of being bored. Read to find out. During Reading/Writing: 8 min.  Monitor & support students’ reading (meaning & strategy use): Stop every 2 pages to confirm or change prediction. Make a new prediction. After Reading/Writing: 5 min.  Meaning check: Write a summary together on chart paper with students using the frame, “Somebody Wanted But So…” Assign next chapter to read. Complete the frame with your assigned partner independently. Prior knowledge was: limited / average / extensive Note any unfamiliar words: Meaning Check: limited ; avg. ; extensive understanding of text Observed strategy/ies/: Written response comments: ___ communicate clearly (with / without prompts)__ ___uses capitals ___ uses punctuation

14. Word Study Practice and Review  Word Study and high frequency word practice.  Word Study Activities:  Word Manipulation – Start with one word and change beginning and ending sounds.  Dictated Sentences  Written Sort  Draw Pictures  Circle Maps To learn more about Word Study Click here (It’s not what spelling used to be)! http://literacyconnections.com/WordStudy.php http://literacyconnections.com/WordStudy.php http://www.readingrockets.org/article/word-study-new-approach-teaching- spelling  High Frequency Word Activities:  Bingo  POP – Student pulls out card and reads word. If read correctly, keeps it. If not, goes back in the bucket. If pulls out POP, all words go in the bucket.  Read and Write  Differentiated Games http://www.atozphonics.com/highfrequencywords.html

15. Literacy Centers Students rotate daily to a new station. Station materials are color coded by the different groups based on their independent levels.  Listening – Listen and read along with i Pod shuffles. Draw or write (based individual ability) about the story for comprehension practice and give the story a rating.  Computer Center - ABC Mouse, Star Fall, ABCYA etc.  Writing – Differentiated to meet student independent learning needs with letter formation, writing to become an author and illustrator.  Reading Center- Library, poetry, Big Book, retelling and Non- fiction.  Word Work Center- Play doe, ABC, Pokey pinning, Detective, puzzles. *Other special centers will rotate to meet student learning needs.

16. Sample Guided Reading Activity This poem would be used with emergent readers to build concept of word. Students would listen and watch modeling of how to read. Then, take turns reading poem to the group and independently. This poem focuses on sound and recognition of the letter T.

17. Sample Word Study Activity Each reading group will work on a word study list for the week. The word lists are determined by your child’s instructional needs. Below is a word sort for a transitional speller. -an-ap-at rannapcat mantaphat tanlapfat vangapmat canmapsat capbat

18. Sample Literacy Center Activity The listening center is where students will listen and read along with a book. Afterwards, students will rate, write, and draw about the story. Various leveled response sheets are provided for different learners. Here are two samples of different leveled sheets and more are provided at the station.

19. Thinking Maps- Writing Instruction Amherst County Public Schools has adopted Thinking Maps as our foundational expectation for grades K-12. This is an exciting change! This means that your child will learn and use tools to write in all continent areas using the same methods as their understanding and knowledge grows so will their thinking maps. There are 8 different types of maps and they are pictured below. What are Thinking Maps?  Visualizing our thinking allows us to have a concrete image of our abstract thoughts. Visual representations enhance the brain's natural ability to detect and construct meaningful patterns. Thinking Maps reduce anxiety by providing familiar visual patterns for thinking and working with complex ideas and situations. http://thinkingmaps.com/ To learn more click here

20. What can you do to help?  Read to your child every night.  Have your child read the book that is sent home.  Practice word study through reading and spelling.  Ask your child questions about their school day allowing them to recall their day and details.  Encourage your child to write and illustrate their own stories. “Research demonstrates that when parents and teachers partner together, at-risk student achievement increases” (Darling, 2005).

21. Hopes and Dreams

22. References Darling, S. (2005). Strategies for engaging parents in home support of reading acquisitions. The Reading Teacher,58(5), 476-479. doi: 10.1598/RT.58.5.8. Gwaltney-Thacker, S. (2011). Blank Emergent Reader Template[PDF document]. Retrieved from Class Lesson 7 Online Web Site: https://collab.itc.virginia.edu https://collab.itc.virginia.edu Gwaltney-Thacker, S. (2011). Blank Beginning Reader Template [PDF document]. Retrieved from Class Lesson 7 Online Web Site: https://collab.itc.virginia.edu https://collab.itc.virginia.edu Gwaltney-Thacker, S. (2011). Blank Transitional Reader Template [PDF document]. Retrieved from Class Lesson 8 Online Web Site: https://collab.itc.virginia.edu https://collab.itc.virginia.edu