How to assess students one on one in Distant Learning

Welcome Back to ~~~

Who would've ever thought we would STILL be teaching remotely in August?!?!  Definitely not me!  I was so naive I thought after Spring Break I would be back teaching in the classroom last Spring!  

Well, here we are starting the year off remotely and none of us ever could've imagined it would come to this!  

My assignment as a Literacy Specialist for the first few weeks of school has been to assess ALL first graders by giving them a DRA.  So I set up 1/2 hour time slots with Sign up Genius and have begun this task.  It seemed daunting at first as I don't know these kids...so I thought - I have to spend a couple minutes getting them to warm up to me and then dive right into testing...ugh! 

But, it has actually been really fun getting to know these kids on line and assessing them.  I've learned a lot in a short amount of time in regards to 1 on 1 testing on line.

I thought I would share some tips that make it much easier!

Google Meet:

Be sure to visit the Chrome extension store and grab Dualless.  It will give you options for sharing your screen easily in Google Meet.

Once you have dualless selected - it will have a drop down menu - select the ratio that will work best for your assessing.

This allows you to EASILY see the child and the child can effortlessly see the text to read.  

Another thing that has been super helpful is this ring light.  It easily attaches to any device with a clamp and has different brightness settings to choose from...

You can grab yours here if you are interested:  https://amzn.to/3lmFR67 { affiliate }

Another amazon product that has been super helpful is the computer stand...for a few reasons!  One, your students aren't seeing up your nose...not that they were before but it does give you a much better angle for your students viewing.  For me though, it has relieved pressure from my shoulders.  I found that I was hunching a bit without even realizing it - now the computer is eye level and it has made all the difference.

If you are interested here is the link: https://amzn.to/31uE7ji { affiliate }

Now onto Zoom which is super easy for adjusting your screen sharing...

If you are using phonics assessments or a benchmark assessment through F & P , DRA, etc.  you can have the book or phonics assesment page ready as a tab to share and adjust as needed. 

 I usually have the book large for the students but still want to see the student to see if I can pick up on any strategies they are using that I would normally notice easily in person but have to dig a little deeper to notice on line.  I did see a child this week point to the screen to be sure after the repeated a word and used 1 to 1 correspondence to remedy the situation.  I also noticed a child counting out syllables and finger spelling a cvc word to help them. 

 So, if you are able be sure to look for those behaviors so you can better assist them in your reading groups.

Well... there you have it, I hope this helped you out whether your district uses Google Meet or Zoom.  Let me know how it goes for you in Instagram or fb  or in the comments below.

Happy { virtual } teaching my friends,

Distant Learning Do Not Disturb Freebie

Distant learning...is not for the faint of heart that's for sure!  Especially to all you mom's /dad's out there that are also teachers!  

I'm giving a huge SHOUT OUT to you guys that have young(er) kids at home while trying to maintain and teach your own students...yikes!  My kids are in college so I don't have the added expectation of helping them in their own virtual learning.

Well, if you are working from home for this very reason OR you have some besties at work that just may pop in for a visit I made something that I think will come in very handy to support you.

These posters are perfect for your classroom door or your guestroom door or EVEN just to put on the back of your computer so if you are in an open space your kids see the message loud and clear! 😂

So if you are in an open space, tape this to the back of your computer or hang it on the wall of the entrance to the room to TRY and have some peace....I know, I know...much easier said then  done.  But, I do think it will help...I plan on hanging it outside my classroom door  as colleagues want to pop in and chat throughout the day. 

CLICK the PICTURE to GET your FREEBIE!

I hope this helps - we got this!  Happy { virtual } teaching my friends! 

           xo,

5 Distant Learning tips for Parents

Here we are heading into a school year with distant learning. 😷  Last Spring I never would've predicted we would still be in this 'model' for school.  

I wanted to direct this post to parents ~ I can't imagine trying to work and teach or monitor my child(ren) at the same time, so my heart goes out to you.  I'm the mom of college aged kids so I don't feel your struggle.  However, raising kids and being an educator for 26 years I feel like I can offer some sound advice for you.

I've created a list of 5 ways you can make at home learning more structured and successful.

At home learning is challenging at best, we understand. However, as you head into this 2020 - 2021 school year understand that it will look very different from the Spring experience you had when we were thrown into this unexpectedly.  Anticipate a much more rigorous, accountable distant learning plan as we are starting the year off in this model.

Here is a poster that you can print out  - it is a great visual created by my friend Greg from Kindergarten Smorgasboard.  

1.) Give them a CONSISTENT place to work ( desk, work space, etc. ) and attend live meetings. Preferably not too far from an adult but also careful to be in a place that isn't too loud.

2.) Hang a poster similar to the one above or one that your classroom teacher sends you so your child can visually see expectations that they need to follow. This would be similar to rules hung in a classroom. It sets the child up to know and follow the expecations from the start.

3. ) Have a WONDERFUL attitude no matter how you might be feeling. I understand this is hard on everyone and frustrating. Your child will pick up on any stress, anger, etc. you have so putting on a smile and encouraging them will take you and them far in this journey. They need to see your great attitude so they can go into this with a similar attitude. Support the teacher the best you can. There's not much we can do about it so let's make lemonade out of lemons together.

4.) Follow a schedule consistently each day - logging in for the live class meetings, taking lunch and recess when the class is etc. But, also be flexible like teachers have to be in the classroom. If you are sensing your child's frustration level is high, give them a 5 minute break in the back yard. SET a TIMER so they know they need to get back on track when it rings.

5.) Communicate with the teacher and share any concerns you have so that you can be on the same page in moving forward to help your child.

These are just a few tips to get your year started off right!  You can do this...your teacher is there to help and support you, so definitely reach out if needed.💖

Digital Stickers for distant learning

I'm fairly confident that most everyone would agree with me when it comes to the IMPORTANCE of SEL for kids right now.  If you are new here SEL is social emotional learning ( and support ).  Kids need social and emotional support now more than ever.  

School closures, hearing the news reports, hearing coversations, seeing face masks everywhere and possibly not seeing grandma or grandpa for a long while.  This is all so confusing for little minds.  

Just in the last few years public education has shown a greater interest/need for SEL.  My district hired social workers a few years ago to meet with children that were struggling or needing extra support. ( insert emoji  clapping hands here )

Kids are going to need lots of praise both face to face ( via Zoom ) and in response to any work they turn in digitally ( feedback ).  I've always said the most important thing you can do in your classroom is build relationships.  That's a little tricker to do on line but certainly can be done. 

 Letters in the mail, class morning meetings online, videos and more will be a good start for building those important relationships...and a step in the right direction.

One way I plan to bring a little sunshine to my students is with digital stickers.  In the Spring when we were thrown into digital learning without any notice I had printed digital stickers that I taped to skewers.  

I bounced around and danced the stickers around to praise a child in reading groups.  If I didn't have them handy for a session the kids would BEG for them. 

These are the ones I used last year and thanks to Creating 4 the classroom - they came in clutch.  You can find hers here:  

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I knew that I wanted my digital stickers to be both printable and able to drop into different platforms...so these digital stickers can be placed directly on student work or in comments both on Seesaw and in Google classroom.

There are lots of themes included and fun ones with puns your students are sure to love.  You can find them here

Happy teaching,

All About Me Bags

Teacher friends ~~~  I know most of you have huge concerns regarding school starting in person or online in the next few weeks.

It will feel so strange to not start the year off in person meeting and getting to know our students.  

I know building our classroom community is one of our favorite parts of teaching.  ( insert sad face here ).

So, I'm thinking about all the things I've done in the past and trying to figure out what can still work online even though it may 'feel' different.

One of the things I love to do is an ALL ABOUT ME BAG activity.  I have a product you can look at { here } if you want to see it up close.   Basically, each child is sent home with a brown  lunch bag an a note and  poem explaining how to fill up the bag with things about them.  

We sit in a circle and share our About Me bags and it's a wonderful way to get to know each other.  We usually spread this out over a couple of days to keep their interest and not fill most of the day with shares.

This can  still be done on line.  You can assign students different days the first week to share their ME bag. They can share their bag in front of their classmates on your digital learning platform...zoom, google meet, etc. It can still be an engaging way to get to know your students.  

I guess I just want to remind you that you can do many of the same things you 've done in person on line, it may take more thought or going about it a different way but may be possible.  Keep thinking outside the box you guys...we got this!

xo,

Teaching multiplication: Ideas, Tricks, Chants and More

Teaching kids multiplication can be a 'bear' of a task and overwhelming at times.  I've heard time and time again from parents that they just don't know how to get their child motivated to learn them.

According to Andrew Cross...practicing multiplication through rhymes might be the best way for kids to learn.  He compares it to a strategy that Shurley Method used to teach english in many American schools.  She relied on rhyme, jingles and short songs to help kids retain information.

As a literacy specialist I see this all the time.  When I work with kindergartners and first graders I see great success when I add in a rhyme whether it's with sneaky y or magic e....it just sticks.

Now, this might not be for everyone, I get it.  Differentiation is key in all areas of teaching.  Offering hands on models for kids to manipulate, teaching them tricks to help them remember and recall them faster are helpful.  Offering daily number talks with students has been found to be extremely beneficial as well - giving them engaging activities that involve critical thinking has shown a link to a stronger math presence.

Columbia research suggests creating a clever phrase to help kids remember facts.  To help amplify learning another idea is to incorporate the numbers into a short story ( adding a rhyme makes it 'stick' even more )

Obviously, looking for patterns such as teaching your child when multiplying by 4's... it's as easy as doubling numbers.  Just take the number being multiplied by 4 and double it twice. 

With all that being said, I want to share a product I created that has been beneficial to almost 500 teachers around the world.  The reviews echo the same sentiment:  

These easy to remember, fun to say chants with the visual picture - images along with words/numbers etc. are the simpliest and most effective way to make sure information gets stored as long term memory.  

Well, these mini posters do just that.  There are several options too.  They can be bound and made into a book ( Staples ), print out the smaller versions and put on a ring by set:  1's, 2's, 3's, etc. 

or just print and put in plastic sleeves for them to use and read during math centers.  

I have found success with them bound in a book and we say them during the few extra minutes we have before recess or waiting in line for an assembly etc.

Find it here

Distance learning got you down?!?! 

 Don't worry - I've created these SAME rhymes and chants in powerpoint.  You can have your students scroll through the chants and say them aloud.  Also you can project it for when you go back to school, my students loved chanting them from the smartboard.

Click HERE for it

So...if you are worried about your own child falling behind or not picking up their facts quickly enough...or you need to best meet the needs of your students you definitely want to check these out and see what all the 'hype' is about.

These are for sure super helpful in helping your children LEARN and MEMORIZE their facts.  If you need multiplication practice for your students I also have these available in my store:

and more found here

Do yourself a favor and check out Mr. Demaio on you tube, he has the BEST multiplication videos that your kids will beg for everyday!!! 

Hope these tips help and if you have some tried and true favorites or links share them below.

Happy teaching!

xo,

Early Childhood Education Curriculum Series

I spent the early years ( and many years after ) of my teaching career in early childhood.  While I was working on my teaching credential I was teaching preschool in the am and running the after care in the afternoon.  Then straight off to night classes about 45 minutes from my home and job.  It was tiring but packed full of valuable learning experiences.

I fell in love with teaching during this time right after my undergrad degree!  

I have learned a lot over the 26 years that I have been an educator and I will continue to  make learning and growing a priority in my life.  

One of the things that I was able to see a direct relationship with in my teaching was working with fine motor skills.  If I was able to build them up in a child I was able to see a direct relation to their improved writing/drawing skills. 

I knew the time I spent preparing fine motor activities for them was going to pay off big time when it came to them holding a pencil, scissors, etc.

That is one of the reasons that I developed my GROW product series on TPT.  My desire as is yours I suspect since you are here reading this is for your students' growth.  We want to celebrate the growth of our students in all areas:  SEL, academic, etc.  In order to do that we need to give them the TOOLS they need to experience that growth so that's how my GROW series evolved.  

Anything that I see as a 'growth' promoter for young learners is included in this series.  I cover fine motor skill actitivites, social activities, pre reading activites and more. 

Below is just a small sample of my grow series that I have started, I have products in my store currently that I am changing covers to and adding to this series.

Pokey pin art - builds fine motor skills and confidence ( not shown but available in my store )
Tracing - builds fine motor skills and confidence - preparing your student for future success in writing, grasping etc.
Dramatic play centers - build social AND emotional skills in young children.  Learning to take turns, delegate and accept 'jobs' within the roles of dramatic play.  Learning to be disappointed when they didn't get a role they wanted right away.  Talking, interacting, imaginative play are all so VITAL in kids  nowadays and lacking in my opinion.
Sequencing pictures - a great pre reading skill as children are learning to navigate stories/events have a beginning, middle and an end.  
Sensory bins ( not shown but availabe in my store )- Perfect for using their pincher grasp to pick up the sight words or cards in the bin amongst rice or paper or cotton balls, etc.

This series is a work in progress/growing series, if you are interested in these just look for the GROW symbol on covers in my store or click the GROW series in my product categories to find more.  
Remember these products will be perfect for PRESCHOOL, PREK, TK, KINDERGARTEN, SPED and possibly FIRST GRADE.

You can find them in my store here.

happy teaching xox