Kindergarten
An Interview with Kindergarteners
This interview took place in 2013 with Alice’s (then) six-year old twins, Miller and Lillian, soon after they started Kindergarten. Why do you have to go to school? Miller: To learn. Lillian: Because our moms and dads are at work and we won’t have anywhere to stay so we go to school to learn. What…
Read MoreMaking Meaning
Retelling – Another Tool for the Reader's Toolbox
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . . Each day we are on a quest – a quest to build readers. We want our growing learners to know that reading is so much more than simply calling words with lyrical expression. The purpose of reading is to gain meaning and a strategic way to…
Read MoreReporting from Real Rooms: Math Stations
Because of the nature of coaching teachers, our team is fortunate enough to be in classrooms on a regular basis. This affords us the opportunity to not only offer our expertise, but also watch some important transformations that happen in schools. One effective practice we are glad to be noticing more and more is incorporating…
Read MorePigeonholing Children
From the desk of Carol… I’m a reader all the time and a mathematician when necessitated. So it was clear to me when my great-niece, Madyson, reached the toddler stage she was going to be a reader. After all, she loved to look at and listen to books. She couldn’t seem to get enough of…
Read MoreMy Child Can Read a Level
From the desk of Carol C… My child is reading above grade level. My child is reading at level J. My child is struggling with reading. How could all of these statements be said about the same child? Do they not contradict each other? The answers depend on the definition of the word “reading” you…
Read MoreWhat's it Like to Learn There?
From the desk of Alice… My twins are wrapping up their kindergarten year at a public magnet school in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are in different classrooms (by my choice) and this has afforded me the opportunity to see things from multiple perspectives despite a similar context. When I have talked to them…
Read MorePromoting Independence
From the desk of Leigh Ann… “To find yourself, think for yourself.” ~ Socrates This week I have thought a great deal about how to make our kindergartners more self-reliant learners. As a teacher I want to facilitate learning, model appropriate behaviors, and guide students in developing strategies that help them become competent readers,…
Read MoreA Parent's Guide to Asking Questions
From the desk of Leigh Ann… Life is an unanswered question, but let’s still believe in the dignity and importance of the question.~ Tennessee Williams Questions, questions, questions! Skillful readers ask themselves questions as they read to build understanding. Often children read and save the questions for the end. To better understand a text readers…
Read MoreThe Character of Characters – Developing Greater Understanding
From the desk of Leigh Ann… In our kindergarten class our emergent readers are working with simple predictable texts to develop appropriate reading behaviors, extend word recognition, and increase decoding skills. These texts are perfect for our young ones as they develop fluency and the strategies they need to decode new words. The limiting factors…
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