Comprehension Strategy Analysis

So for this observation I observed two children in my class, and found that they have been predicting what the stories will be about, and their always making connections. They tell me what they think will happen when we are in large group and small literacy groups. I have asked the children questions that have them think of a time they did something or other such questions that allows them to connect to the story. There have also been times that the children listen to the story and they have an 'Ah-ha' moment and tell me about something that connects them to the story.
A few strategies that I think I would begin to use with these children would be questioning and summarizing. I think that these should come next and I will perhaps start implementing this into my large group read alounds and also my small literacy groups. I feel that the children are starting to use the questioning strategies because children in kindergarten are always asking questions and I think that they're at the point where they're learning to ask questions about the story to clarify confusions and make inferences. The next thing would be summarizing so they can have a better recall when their reading.

Until next time...

Keeping Up

It's been ages since I've posted on here..ok not ages...just a few weeks! It's been crazy..had a rough patch in my internship..and then took some time off to be with my husband who was home from Afghanistan. Now, I'm just trying to get my self on track. I'm trying to complete this weeks assignments and make up what I haven't completed. I'm struggling trying to make everything fit into my schedule - not enough time in a day, and not enough energy to get through all of it!
Any who...things have been getting better for the internship. I came back and got readjusted to everything. I'm caught up on everything for my CF. I've taken over the literacy portion of the lesson planning and prep'ing. I've also begun to plan for the math portion of our week. I will soon be learning to prep - which doesn't seem like will be too much or too hard to learn. I just need to find out where all the materials are in the room.
My teacher has let me borrow her Debbie Dillar book, so I'm collecting handy info from there and will be making copies from it this week - it has alot of labels and such things I want to use in my classroom.
I am just hoping to get my class work up to date and done well!

Catching up

So, I know it has been a while since I have posted. After having the flu, and jumping right back into school as soon as I could things have been hectic.

Last week I was able to teach/lead two different lessons. Thursday, I did the morning lesson - which was I read a story as the children transitioned from breakfast (the children all have free breakfast everyday, which is served in the classroom). Before, during, and after the story there were questions that I asked the children. This was guided by the HM book that my MT has. After the story I went on to introducing the new nursery rhyme for the day. For the first week or two we had a new nursery rhyme every day. I introduced "Hickory Dickory Dock". I taught them hand motions to go with it, and followed the words with my pointer. We're modeling how to follow words when reading. After I introduced the new rhyme, we reviewed some of the others we had learned as a class. When my portion of all that was done, my MT took over and showed them how to do the next page in their nursery rhyme books that they made.
Friday I lead/taught the math/calender time. During this time we learn the date, how many days we've been in school (we model that several ways), how many days left of school, the weather, "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow", sing "Days of the week" and "Months of the year". When I was finished my MT took over and lead them to the next activity, which is gym.

This week I lead/taught the student interview/writer's workshop. During this time we randomly pick a student to have the class draw and "write" about. We have the chosen student tell a few things about themselves that they'd like to share with the class. I then modeled how to write the student's name. I then have the class tell me what things I need to draw to make a picture of the student (legs, arms, hair, nose, etc). I then model writing my name at the bottom, since I made it. I had the students return to their seats and do their own.
Wednesday I spent the morning observing a Kindergarten teacher across the hall. She introduced the new theme - "Look at Us". The reason why I observed is because I was going to teach it the next day.
Thursday (yesterday) my MT was out for a scheduled absense. With her being out, my MT thought it would be benefial for me and the students to have me as the lead teacher for the day. So, that's what I did! This way the students new me, and I new them and how our class has been running. I was then able to be ahead of the game and have my first full day of teaching, with no MT. I feel that now I know I can handle it. It was nerve-wrecking at first, but once the day started, things were fine. I had a sub and a TA to help with children who can't sit still or were misbehaving. I know that having my own classroom will be more of a challenge, but I know now that I can do it!

I truely feel that I have found my "calling" and what I'm doing is right for me!

PS...In our Learning Unit it says to do a read aloud...I did a readaloud on the first day of Kindergarten..and it went well (even infront of all the parents)!

Fall Back Into School!

For my first week, I think it was quite interesting! First I didn't have a placement, then I did! Then I was just a practicum student, and now I think I'm back into the internship! I'm still praying! Things have been challenging, but that is just how life is - full of bumps we need to overcome! I think I've done well with hanging in there, and sticking to my beliefs, and sticking up and staying strong about everything! I have stayed on the ball and gotten in there and gotten things taken care of! I have to say I'm proud of myself!
As for my placement, I was originally placed at Ravenwood in Eagle River, and between the mess of things that have happened, I received a new placement - at Willow Crest, here in Anchorage! I was a bit disappointed about the move because I was looking forward to my school and classroom, but I have come to love the school I'm at now! The Kindergarten teacher I'm with has just swooped me up and taken me under her wing! She has been so energetic and excited! She has such a good spirit! She has also been loading me with tips and helpful knowings to help me now and at a future position! The principle has been very warm and inviting! She's always asking how I'm doing with my class and my internship! I like that she cares! I do plan on seeing if I can spend some time out at Ravenwood, just because I want to learn more about that school, and perhaps make myself known there (future job maybe?!)!!
So, our first assignment was to make a welcome board and post it here...I only had a few days to work on this, so I have to say that I still have more things I'd like to do to it! For one, I am adding the pictures that we've taken of all the students as they've come in! Maybe add a few other things! So, when I feel that this is finally complete (hopefully Monday), I will post an updated picture!

How do Dinosaurs say goodnight

I like this book because I think that it's good for that child that has a difficult doing the whole "going to bed" thing. Parents would like this a lot if they had this problem, or if a teacher couldn't get a child(ren) to take a nap. It's definitely a read for younger children because it's a very beginner book. It also has Dinosaurs which I know a lot of boys, and some girls like!

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

I really like this book because it was very cute! I appreciated that the illustrator added their own version of a famous painting - "American Gothic". I like that the children stuffed the turkey's under their shirts and took them home with them! Again the illustration was awesome with the coloring and how they made the children look so silly with turkey's under their shirts! I would definitely read this to my students at Thanksgiving! I do sometimes wonder if this book would make all my students vegetarians?!

All in Just One Cookie

This book was one that I didn't particularly like very much. I like that it had just sentences, for when you're reading to the younger children and then it went into detail about how every ingredient was made/where it came from. I guess I didn't like it because that's not something I'm interested in. However, I think that I would still have this in my classroom library because you never know what child might actually really like it! I do want to add though, that in the back it had the recipe on how to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch...yummy!

Balto and the Great Race

This was a very informative book. I felt that it was a bit hard to get into at the beginning, but things started to really get moving when the race began! Once it started to pick up, it just kept going and ended with a bang! I thought that with just this young children's chapter book I was able to learn more about Alaska. I really like how this book was based on a real story and that if I wanted to I could go visit Balto's statue or the museum where he is being preserved! I have already suggested that this be one of my husband's reads during his deployment to Afghanistan!