Here are some of the top tips, tricks, ideas, strategies, for teaching first grade and the first grade classroom. A meeting place for a world of reflective writers. The Poem Farm. The Go To Teacher: Inquiry Circles. We have started our Nonfiction Inquiry Unit and I am beside myself!
I love, love, LOVE the way the students get so pumped about reading and learning facts!! To start out our reading unit, we used a modification of a Chart Chums chart to look into what it means to be an investigator. We changed Develop Theories into Research to help with our approach to inquiry. After picking research topics, we used our strategy of Questioning to help us guide our research. As the class was grouped off into their own inquiries we also did a class inquiry into space to model thinking and expectations. FUN Critical Thinking Activities. For Students in Any Subject The experts on STAAR, such as the Texas Education Agency, the Lead4Ward team and Regional Service Centers tell us that there are some very specific things that we need to do, and other things we should let go of in order to prepare our students for the state assessment.
In addition, these strategies can also deepen and broaden their knowledge. Allow for more collaboration on rich content between students (student-centered)Provide higher level thinking questionsGive ample wait timeIncrease critical thinking through authentic instructionFollow the DETAILS of your TEKSKnow the vertical alignment of your TEKS and collaborate with other grade levels The following are ideas for activities that you can use in conjunction with our curriculum in order to help meet some of these criteria, as it is necessary to adjust our mindset from TAKS driven packets to STAAR rich conversations and activities.
Talking Chips 1. Pair - Square - Share. K-3 Links. All About Balanced Literacy. Shared Reading is a link in helping students become independent readers.
It allows the teacher to model and support students using prediction and confirming skills. It allows less confident students the chance to share stories/articles/poetry in a nonthreatening situation. It focuses on the meaning, fun, enjoyment, characters and sequence of a story and allows them to relate it back to their own experiences. It promotes discussion, problem solving and critical thinking by students. Shared Reading is an interactive reading experience. In the shared reading model there are multiple readings of the books over several days.
During the initial reading, the teacher: Independent Reading: 101. What is Independent Reading, Really?
Independent reading is any time carved out of your day in which your students are reading self-selected books that are a "good fit" for them. There are different kinds of reading that may be going on in your room during this time and it will look different from classroom to classroom.The focus of this time is to support, encourage and validate your students as they grow as readers, through all of their ages and stages. The main components of independent reading are outlined below.
When do I find the Time? Independent Reading is an indispensable part of the day in a literacy rich classroom. More Formal/ Larger Chunks of Independent Reading Time. Melissa Lockett's 1st grade Pinterest Math Board. First Grade Garden: Daily 5 and Writer's Workshop {freebies} Alright, I am finally back with some writing ideas and freebies I promised!
Be prepared for the longest. post. ever! In February, my teaching partner forced coerced asked me nicely to present a half-day session with her for our divisional P.D. day. I get so nervous talking in front of peers, but we had a lot of fun! We decided to do a session on writing because that was something we both chose as one of our focuses for professional growth this year. Writer's Workshop - First Grade. Depending on your class situation and available time, Writer's Workshop activities can be a useful and meaningful extension to TeachersFirst's online instructional units.
Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum. Flying High In First Grade: Reader's Workshop. Today I am linking up with Ms.
B over at Buzzing with Ms. Tales-of-a-First-Grade-Teacher: My Daily 5 Story. Rowdy in First Grade. First Grade Blue Skies. Fun in First Grade. Mrs. Wheeler's First Grade Tidbits. Teaching With a Mountain View: Anchor Chart Tips & Tricks. It's no secret that I have a "thing" for anchor charts.
My readers know it, my students know it, my colleagues know it, my husband knows it... I can't help it--they have changed my classroom! They have made my walls interactive instead of stagnant. I just LOVE anchor charts. I remember seeing anchor charts begin to pop up on Pinterest and looking at mine in shame. First Grade Factory: Reading Comprehension Strategy Materials. Word Study Instruction in the K-2 Classroom. Click the "References" link above to hide these references.
Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2000). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2008). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (4th ed.). Bear, D.R., & Templeton, S. (1998). Beckham-Hungler, D., & Williams, C. (2003). Brand, M. (2004). Brown, G.D.A., & Ellis, N.C. 4 Literacy Block Schedule First Grade. CalkCurricPlan Gr1 ReadWshp. Reading - "First Grade Daily 5 Reading" - Jaime Bouwens. Science Games for 1st Grade & 2nd Grade . Science . Education. Try some of these free science games for grades 1 and 2 featuring PBS KIDS characters to boost your child’s early development of science skills and interest in science.
Sid the Science Kid: Super Fab Lab Help Sid, May, Gabriela and Gerald play a series of games all about weather, temperature and more! Muscle Memory Learn how to follow directions by clicking on the body part that Sid’s dad tells you to move.Vegetable Patterns Use the vegetables in the baskets to complete the pattern of vegetables on the counter.Super Duper Antibodies!
PreK-1st grade SmartBoard activities. 62 First Grade Websites That Tie into Classroom Lessons. These are my 62 favorite first grade websites. I sprinkle them in throughout the year, adding several each week to the class internet start page, deleting others. I make sure I have 3-4 each week that integrate with classroom lesson plans, 3-4 that deal with technology skills and a few that simply excite students about tech in education. Here’s the list: Do you have any to add? To sign up for Weekend Websites delivered to your email, click Weekend Websites here and leave your email. Follow me Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and author of two technology training books for middle school. Like this: Like Loading... The Parent's Guide to First Grade. Normal Child Development in First Grade. When it comes to children's behavior, it can be hard to know what is part of normal child development, and what you should be truly concerned about.
Brian, normally a free thinker, has started crumpling up his drawings if they are not exactly perfect, saying with frustration, "It's not right! " Easygoing Tatiana has a crying fit when dad wins at a game of Chutes and Ladders. When 6 year old Gabe accidentally knocks a box of crayons to the floor and sees you looking, he yells, "It wasn't me! "