Poetry/Calendar
I love using poetry with the kiddos. At the beginning of each month, along with our class calendar, include the poems for the month. Then each week we post a poem in the classroom, put a copy with an activity in the “language backpack” that goes home each week and on Friday’s the children get to sign the poster if they can say the poem. The signed poem is then “raffled” off to a lucky winner! This year I made bookmarks to put in the “language backpack” as well. Finally I cut out the words, put them in a center, and have the children practice putting the word in order at a table or using a chart. This is great for another genre for reading and encourages expression. Allow students to make up hand motions for the poems.
Hope you enjoy this!! Michele
As you work through the calendar use these routines to enhance Common Core Math Standards and strengthen “fact building” with students. 1. Begin the calendar lesson with the Doubles Chant or the “ways to make ten” cheer. Let’s cheer the ways to make 10! Begin…I say 7 (point to self) you say ?(point to class) and they should say 3. 2. Fill in the date and any special events. Encourage discussion about is the date odd/even. What will tomorrow be? (before and after) How many days until?(counting on) 3. Complete the type of weather. Record the temperature. It is always fun to have them predict whether it is warmer or colder today than yesterday. I have the “weather channel” linked to this page so it is a quick check on the white board. 4. Next work through the “Today is…” page. 5. The bottom section is a quick Common Core Skill Review. Discussion before completing each box is key. Talk about strategies or rules that would help to solve the problem or complete the editing. I then use the box as a quick formative assessment of who gets it and who doesn’t. I do nothing fancy BUT I have my own calendar and I put students names who are struggling with the skill on that page. This is an easy reminder for me of those who need support. I can then transfer their names on my official assessment sheet following the lesson or later when there is time.
Teaching Comprehension with September Themed Literature
Teaching comprehension strategies using September literature is filled with activities to support and enrich this reading standard.
The September themed literature stories used are:
- If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
- First Day Hooray by Nancy Poydar
- Bear Has a Story to Tell by Phillip Stead
- Dad’s First Day by Mike Whonoutka
- Leaves By David Ezra Stein
- Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
**These books can also be found as read aloud stories online.
The packet contains:
- Strategies for posting, Lesson Plans, Graphic Organizers and Activities
- Bear’s Story…Recall details, KWL, Author’s Purpose
- A Mouse at School…Main Idea, Sequencing, Cause and Effect
- Dad’s First Day…Inferences, Summarize, Predict
- First Day Hooray…Compare and Contrast, Fact and Opinion, Definition (using text)
- Leaves…Fiction
- Red Leaf Yellow Leaf … Early Non Fiction
- The packet ends with Making Connections. Text to Self, Text to Text, Text to World
