Pre-K teaching times, Vol. 5, Issue 6 (Feb. 2009)

BRIGHT FROM THE START
Pre-K Teaching Times GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CARE AND LEARNING

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 6

FEBRUARY 2009

Alphabet Under Construction

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Assessment 3

Science

3

Ask Pat

6

Classroom 7 Changes

Families

8

Helping young children learn to read is one of the biggest tasks teachers have. We feel pressure from families, other teachers, and even from ourselves. We know that being able to read is critical to success in school. We know that getting an early start with reading can give our children a big boost as they transition into kindergarten. What we are often confused about is how to start; how can we best help our children learn to read? In this month's newsletter we explore current beliefs about how young children learn to read. We also offer ideas for incorporating appropriate early reading activities into your Pre-K classroom. So, sit back, and read all about it!
In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. ~Jacques Barzun
Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally
Appropriate Practices for Young Children

Excerpts from a joint position statement of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Children take their first
critical steps toward learning
to read and write very early
in life.

Why take a position on something as obviously important as children's learning to read and write? The IRA and NAEYC believe that this position statement will contribute significantly to an improvement in practice and the development of supportive educational policies. The two associations saw that a clear, concise position statement was needed at this time for several reasons:
It is essential and urgent to teach children to read and write competently, enabling them to achieve today's high standards of literacy.

With the increasing variation among young children in our programs and schools, teaching today has become more challenging.
Recognizing the early beginnings of literacy acquisition too often has resulted in use of inappropriate teaching practices suited to older children or adults perhaps but ineffective with children in preschool, kindergarten, and the early grades.
Children take their first critical steps toward learning to read

and write very early in life. Long before they can exhibit reading and writing production skills, they begin to acquire some basic understandings of the concepts about literacy and its functions. Children learn to use symbols, combining their oral language, pictures, print, and play into a coherent mixed medium and creating and communicating meanings in a variety of ways. From their initial experiences and interactions with adults, children begin to read words, processing letter-
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PAGE 2

Learning to Read and Write (cont.)

A central goal during these
preschool years is to enhance children's exposure to and concepts about print.

(Continued from page 1)
sound relations and acquiring substantial knowledge of the alphabetic system. As they continue to learn, children increasingly consolidate this information into patterns that allow for automaticity and fluency in reading and writing. Consequently reading and writing acquisition is conceptualized better as a developmental continuum than as an all-ornothing phenomenon.
But the ability to read and write does not develop naturally without careful planning and instruction. Children need regular and active interactions with print. Specific abilities required for reading and writing come from immediate experiences with oral and written language. Experiences in these early years begin to define the assumptions and expectations about becoming literate and give children the motivation to work toward learning to read and write. From these experiences children learn that reading and writing are valuable tools that will help them do many things in life.
Research tells us that the single most important activity

for building these understandings and skills essential for reading success appears to be reading aloud to children. High-quality book reading occurs when children are active participants in reading. Children may talk about the pictures, retell the story, discuss their favorite actions, and request multiple rereadings. It is the talk that surrounds the storybook reading
that gives it power, helping children to bridge what is in the story and their own lives. A central goal during these preschool years is to enhance children's exposure to and concepts about print. Some teachers use Big Books to help children distinguish many print features, including the fact that print (rather than pictures) carries the meaning of the story, that the strings of letters between spaces are words, that printed words correspond to the words being spoken, and that reading progresses from left to right and top to bottom. In the course of reading stories, teachers may demonstrate

these features by pointing to individual words, directing children's attention to where to begin reading, and helping children to recognize letter shapes and sounds.
Children also need opportunity to practice what they've learned about print with their peers and on their own. A key area is the classroom library--a collection of attractive stories and informational books that
provides children with immediate access to books. Regular visits to the school or public library and library card registration ensure that children's collections remain continually updated and may help children develop the habit of reading as lifelong learning.
Storybooks are not the only means of providing children with exposure to written language. Children learn a lot about reading from the labels, signs, and other kinds of print they see around them. Highly visible print labels on objects, signs, and bulletin boards in classrooms demonstrate the practical uses of written language. In environments rich with print, children incorporate literacy into their dramatic play, using these communication
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PRE-K TEACHING TIMES

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 6

Assessment Corner--Assessment and the Alphabet

As you begin the spring rating period, make sure you have activities planned to build upon and enhance your children's early reading skills. During your first weeks back to school, try some new ideas in your classroom. Be sure that you've planned ahead for assessment; developing a matrix for an activity can be an easy way to gather information quickly. Collect writing samples (as needed)
Place greeting cards, Valentine cards, and new notepads in the writing area to collect writing samples. Turn part of your classroom

into a post office and encourage your children to write and mail letters to their family and friends. Listen for children's increasing knowledge of letters Create a scavenger hunt for children to locate/name letters in their name. Have children guess a word by its initial letter. Using an alphabet puzzle, watch and see which letters children can name. Read alphabet books in large and small groups and encourage letter discussion. Remember to remove your fall documentation from the chil-

dren's portfolio's to make room for your spring documentation. However, keep the fall documentation on site until the end of the school year. When storing fall documentation, make certain the work stays divided by domains. Use a sheet of paper, gem clips, or file dividers to separate the domains. For the spring you will need to start over with your documentation process following the same format you used in the fall.

PAGE 3

Simple Science

Construction projects are great opportunities to encourage cooperation, engage children in creative work, and create group activities that can last for an extended period of time. Our suggestion this month -- build an Alphabet House! Begin creating the house by cutting windows and a door from a large cardboard box. Provide children with a variety of materials for decorating their house:
alphabet stamps foam alphabet letters magazines and scissorsallow children to search for and cut out letters letter stencils collage materials Continuing with the construction

idea , place the materials in a tool box and have tool aprons/belts for the children to wear while they work on the house. As they work on building the house, encourage children to explore the tools and letters they are using. Some suggestions for additional materials and activities:
magnetic letters on cookie sheets balance scale -- weigh construction items such as different sizes nuts/bolts, large bulk screws, and anchors levels, various types of measuring tapes, and work gloves for children as they explore measuring inside/outside dimensions of the alphabet house

magnifying glasses to explore cross sections of various types of wood blocks such as pine, cedar, or oak. Perhaps a hardware store, home improvement store, or local contractor could supply these from scrap wood piles. large, stuffed alphabet letters made from sturdy paper and different size paint brushes with cups of primary colors of tempera paint. Children can paint letters experimenting with mixing colors to create secondary colors. flashlights to use with color paddles inside the alphabet house

PAGE 4
Learning to Read and Write (cont.)

(Continued from page 2)
tools to enhance the drama and realism of the pretend situation. These everyday, playful experiences expose children to a variety of print experiences and the processes of reading for real purposes.
A fundamental insight developed in children's early years through instruction is the alphabetic principle, the understanding that there is a systematic relationship between letters and sounds. Teachers will often involve children in comparing letter shapes, helping them to differentiate a number of letters visually. Alphabet books and alphabet puzzles in which children can see and compare letters can be a key to efficient and easy learning.
At the same time children learn about the sounds of language through exposure to linguistic awareness: games, nursery rhymes, and rhythmic activities. Some research suggests that the roots of phonemic awareness, a powerful predictor of later reading success, are found in traditional rhyming, skipping, and word games. Engaging children in choral readings of rhymes and rhythms allows them to associate the symbols with the sounds they hear in these words.
The picture that emerges from research in these first

years of children's reading and writing is one that emphasizes wide exposure to print and to developing concepts about it and its forms and functions. Classrooms filled with print, language and literacy play, storybook reading, and writing allow children to experience the joy and power associated with reading and writing while mastering basic concepts about print that are shown to be strong predictors of achievement.
Recommended teaching practices during the preschool years
Young children need developmentally appropriate experiences and teaching to support literacy learning. These include but are not limited to:
positive, nurturing relationships with adults who engage in responsive conversations with individual children, model reading and writing behavior, and foster children's interest in and enjoyment of reading and writing;
print-rich environments that provide opportunities and tools for children to see and use written language for a variety of purposes with teachers drawing children's attention to specific letters and words;
adults' daily reading of highquality books to individual children or small groups,

including books that positively reflect children's identity, home language, and culture;
opportunities for children to talk about what is read and to focus on the sounds and parts of language as well as the meaning;
teaching strategies and experiences that develop phonemic awareness, such as songs, finger plays, games, poems, and stories in which phonemic patterns such as rhyme and alliteration are salient;
opportunities to engage in play that incorporates literacy tools, such as writing grocery lists in dramatic play, making signs in block building, and using icons and words in exploring a computer game; and
firsthand experiences that expand children's vocabulary, such as trips in the community and exposure to various tools, objects, and materials.

Classrooms filled with
print, language and literacy play, storybook reading, and writing allow children to
experience the joy and power
associated with reading and writing...

PRE-K TEACHING TIMES

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 6

PAGE 5

Continuum of Children's Development in Early Reading and Writing

NAEYC and IRA have developed a continuum to guide children's early reading and writing development. The continuum is divided into five phases beginning with preschool and continuing through third grade. We have included Phase 1 of the continuum (the preschool portion) below. Phases 2-5 of the continuum can be found in Learning to Read and Write : Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children, which can be found in the position statement online at www.naeyc.org. Phase 1: Awareness and exploration (goals for preschool) Children explore their environment and build the foundations for learning to read and write. Children can:
enjoy listening to and discussing storybooks understand that print carries a message engage in reading and writing attempts identify labels and signs in their environment participate in rhyming games identify some letters and make some letter-sound matches use known letters or approximations of letters to represent written language (especially meaningful words like their name and phrases such as "I love you") What teachers can do: share books with children, including Big Books, and model reading behaviors talk about letters by name and sounds establish a literacy-rich environment reread favorite stories engage children in language games promote literacy-related play activities encourage children to experiment with writing What parents and family members can do: talk with children; engage them in conversation; give names of things; show interest in what a child says read and reread stories with predictable text to children encourage children to recount experiences and describe ideas and events that are important to them visit the library regularly provide opportunities for children to draw and print using markers, crayons, and pencils

PAGE 6
Ask Pat

Your small group activities should be built around what you need to know about your
children.

Dear Pat,
My director reviewed my lesson plans and told me that I should plan more meaningful small group activities instead of art projects. My plans included cute winter projects like paper bag snowmen, paper plate bunnies, and coffee filter snowflakes. Why can't I plan arts and crafts for small group?--Art Queen
Dear Art Queen,
Your director is right on the mark. The clarifications for the Georgia's Pre-K Program Quality Assessment C5 indicator "Activities for small group in-

struction are developmentally appropriate and purposeful" states "Small group instruction should not include patterned art projects." Small group time is designed as a time to pull a group of children together to introduce, re-teach, or extend learning on a needed skill or concept. Your small group activities should be built around what you need to know about your children. When considering what activities to plan for small group, remember to:
Use the content standards to plan meaningful activities
Use your assessment data to address and answer the question, "Which children

need to develop which skills?"
Ask yourself, "Is this activity relevant and purposeful to the skill I am teaching?"
Look for opportunities to use classroom materials, such as your counting bears and pattern blocks, to assist in teaching the skills you've identified
P.S. Please don't do away with all of your cute winter projects. Add these project materials to the art area; introduce these materials at large group; and allow the children to have them as an option during center time. ---Pat

Wow, It's Cold Outside!

Not many people say that the cold winter months are their favorite months, and we all know that the weather can influence our moods.
Our students are no different. Four and five year olds need to spend time outside, but playground time is often limited during the winter. Although it is appropriate to reduce outdoor time when it is very cold, we have to remember that this will impact students. If the sun has not been out for several days and the temperatures have been low, expect some grumpy children and plan accordingly.
During the winter we need to

plan for fun, mood lifting gross motor activities. Make sure these activities get your whole class moving and that they do not involve students sitting on the carpet waiting for a turn.
It is also important to remember that winter is cold and flu season, and many times students do not feel completely well. Be sensitive to the fact that if a student is congested and coughing, but has no fever, he/she may be well enough to be at school but is not at his/ her best. This may not be the time to convince him or her to participate in a non-preferred activity.

Students who attend before and after school care may arrive at school in the dark and leave school in the dark during the winter. This can make the day seem much longer to a four or five year old, especially if they have been cooped up inside all day.
So get creative! Ice skate on wax paper, have a paper towel snowball fight or think of another way to keep your kids moving and busy -- every day. The payoff will be fewer behavior problems and tears and a lot more smiles.

PRE-K TEACHING TIMES

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 6

PAGE 7

Alphabet Under Construction--Changes for your Classroom

Reading Area:
A, My Name Is Alice by Jane E. Bayer
ABC Pop! by Rachel Isadora Alligator Arrived With Apples: A Potluck Alphabet Feast by Crescent Dragonwagon Alphabears: An ABC Book by Kathleen Hague
Alphaboat by Michael Chesworth
Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault Ape in a Cape: An Alphabet of Odd Animals by Fritz Eichenberg Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert The Airplane Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta The Absolutely Awful Alphabet by Mordicai Gerstein
The Bird Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta The Butterfly Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta The Construction Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
The Desert Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
The Jet Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
The Flower Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta The Freshwater Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
The Human Alphabet by John Kane
The Ocean Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta The Spice Alphabet Book: Herbs, Spices, and Other Natural Flavors by Jerry Pallotta The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book by Lisa Campbell Ernst The Underwater Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta The Vegetable Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta Q Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Michael Folsom

Diversity Books ABC for You and Me by Meg Girnis Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales
Class-made Book Make a class alphabet book by taking pictures of the children working together to form letters of the alphabet with their bodies. Share the book with the class during large group time. Remember to place it in the reading area for all to enjoy.
Writing Area: Include various alphabet materials (stamps and stamp pads, stencils, cardboard letters, magnetic letters and boards, etc.). Encourage children to make their own alphabet cards. Place sentence strips and a container of props to represent each letter of the alphabet in this area. Add dry-erase boards and markers.
Flannel Board Include flannel pieces for children to retell Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
Math/Manipulatives: Add letter lacing materials to the area. To make your own lacing letters:
trace and cut letters (or use die-cut letters) laminate (clear adhesive) hole punch around the edges cut lengths of string or yarn and store them with the letters
Dramatic Play Area: Add props to create a Pre-K alphabet restaurant. Include a tablecloth, writing materials for taking orders, a chef's hat, a cash register, and a posted menu. Props for featured "dishes" can include:

dough and dough cutters for alphabet cookies small letters and teacher-made cardboard pizza slices for alphabet pizza alphabet soup cans and plastic vegetables for alphabet stew
Art Area: Add various materials for letter exploration:
pipe cleaners
craft sticks
Wikki Stix
alphabet dough cutters
letter sponges to use with painting materials
Block Area: Encourage "alphabet construction" by adding a work bench, caution tape, construction hats, tape measures, safety goggles, tool belts, and plastic tools. Remember to also include alphabet blocks. Making your own is easy! Wrap blocks with blank paper and write letters on them.
Science: Introducing new textures to the science area can encourage children to explore letters. Sandpaper letters allow children to explore the alphabet using touch. Place letters cut from sandpaper in a feely box and have children feel and guess the letter by touch. Fishing For Letters: Place a small magnetic strip on multiple paper cut-out letters and numbers. Make magnetic fishing poles using craft sticks, string, and small magnets. Encourage the children to fish for letters. Numbers should be "tossed" back!
Sensory Table Hide letters in sand on the sensory table and have children dig for buried alphabet treasure. For water play, add letter sponges to the sensory table.

PAGE 8
Family Involvement--Letter Scavenger Hunt
Ideas for the Classroom Invite families to the classroom for a letter scavenger hunt. Provide children and families clues that will send them to different locations on your campus. At each location have an envelope containing a letter of the alphabet for the group to find. Once all of the envelopes have been found, the group returns to the classroom to discover what word or words the letters construct.
Family Field Trip Ideas Visit a construction site to find letters on the equipment, tools, building materials, etc. Visit a grocery store and hunt for letters on everyday items
Ideas for Home Construct letters using tooth picks and small marshmallows Look for familiar letters around the house; see if children can find all the letters in their first name in the kitchen (look at food labels and appliance names) Look for letters in the environment and take pictures of them when you find them. For example, the roof line on your house might form a perfect "A," or a pool is in the shape of an "O." Make an alphabet book with the pictures after you have printed them.
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PRE-K TEACHING TIMES