It's Here! Let the Christmas Craziness Begin!! (And Cyber Monday Sale, Too! Yeah!!!!!)

It's finally here! December! Christmas! Oh, how I love all of the fun of December! Christmas stories, crafts, lights and fun! What are your favorite things to do with your kids during these weeks? Alas, it also comes with challenges. One of the biggest that I find is keeping some sort of routine for the kids. "Business as usual" doesn't always work. Last year I created "A Math Problem a Day 'Til Christmas" which has a fun problem for the kids to solve each day. This is something you might like to use also!

I am participating in the Cyber Monday sale at Teachers Pay Teachers, and this is one of my items that is on sale! I hope you find it useful! A Math Word Problem a Day 'Til Christmas

Have an AWESOME week!

Fun and Learning in RTI!

How does your school handle RTI requirements? We have just begun instituting an RTI system this year, as required by the Third Grade Guarantee in Ohio. In first grade, the children that are identified for RTI go to teachers who have a Master's in reading or a reading endorsement. The kids from their classes are divided amongst the other three teachers to work on topics such as handwriting or grammar. Since we have no "official" RTI materials, I have been using a combination of Fountas & Pinnell's Phonics book, and some items I have created. The biggest struggle for me is that there is no certain "pathway" for the RTI. It is driven by the data collected to meet the needs of each child, but that does not always let me know what  or how I should be teaching. Finding ways to grab and keep their attention, make it fun, but very meaningful is such a HUGE task! Then there is challenging the rest of the class . . . the on level and above level kids. . .

Last week, the kids worked with some of my Short Vowel Word Slides

The kids really enjoyed using these word slides, and I have created them for all of the short vowels. The kids pull the slide through to create new words with each word family chunk. They write the word in the shape boxes and again on the line. I use the empty space to help them transfer the word chunks to create new words such as "then" and "Ben" on this particular example. I also have some for my other reading group levels, including a free download of a Thanksgiving themed  word slide Thanksgiving Turkey Digraph Word Slide. My on-level and above-level kids are ready for the digraphs, and even the Winter Penguin Consonant Blend Word Slides that I will be putting in my centers soon.

I can't wait until our Thanksgiving Feast next Tuesday! I will be sure to post some fun pictures! Have a great week!

Dianne

Cooking Up RTI

I admit it . . . I am a cookbook addict! Are there any others out there? I love looking through new cookbooks for that perfect mix of ingredients that will make my family's mouth water at the thought of it. I think, however, every time I am looking at a new cookbook, that I need one like a hole in the head. What I really need to do is go back through the ones I already have and use the recipes in them. Refine them, perfect them, and save the money and space in my house!

I am feeling that way about RTI and the Ohio Third Grade Guarantee. I am overwhelmed by the expectations, at this point. What I need to do is to go back to what I know. Refine it, perfect it, and present it to the kids in small portions so that they can begin to understand the concepts of reading. Obviously, if they have been selected for RTI, they have some "holes" in their learning, and I need to find ways to help them connect the reading dots so that they can be successful. I have spent a lot of time looking through a lot of websites with the latest and greatest recipes for reading success. What I really think I need to do is to take a deep breath, and start back at the beginning. I was looking through my vast stock of books and materials and I came across the Fountas and Pinnell Phonics books that I purchased many years ago. These are some very sound reading activities that should fit the bill. Whew!

It's so easy to feel overwhelmed with all of the unrealistic expectations placed on teachers today. I love the analogy of holding the dentist responsible for the number of cavities each of his patients have upon a visit to the office. Sometimes it seems the same for us. However, when I look into those small, trusting faces, I realize that I am the person, in their lives right now, who needs to help make a difference at this moment. That is my call . . . .

Where to Begin?

Where to begin? That's what I've been pondering for many weeks now. Ever since I decided to create a blog, I have been trying to decide about the direction to move with it. I was thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of my teaching style, and I keep coming back to differentiation in the classroom. That is, trying to teach the kids in different ways to match their learning style and their academic level. I think that is, or should be, the goal of most teachers. Sometimes I would consider this both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness.

I love to work with gifted children. (I do believe that every child is "gifted" in some way), but the ones that I am referring to here are the traditional idea of gifted where the kids tend to think and even work, somewhat "outside of the box." Sometimes this is at higher academic levels. However, often, it is a different way of thinking . . . a different way of coming at an idea or a project that doesn't follow the "norms."

In every classroom, a teacher usually has a mix of children. Most are working somewhere in the range of the average child, a few struggle with the basics and a few are out there in the advanced-to-gifted realm. The most difficult job is, of course, to find ways to reach all of them with the small amount of time allotted to us throughout the day.

As a first grade teacher, I am continuously working to find new or different ways to achieve this. I have always tried to differentiate the reading levels. That is not too difficult, except for the time factor, through reading groups. I give a regular spelling list and an alternate list each week, which is relatively easy to accomplish, also. Three mornings a week, I try to have an alternate math group for some of my higher-achieving math students.

I know I can do more . . . I know I can do better. With the new Third Grade Guarantee and it's requirements being organized in Ohio, our schools are trying to find a way to differentiate even more. I have my Master's degree in Elementary Reading, so I'm going to be right in the center of it. That requires even more small group work for the "at-risk" readers, so that will be a stronger focus.

In a nutshell, I am hoping, through this blog, to help other teachers work through some of the issues of the differentiated classroom with me. I will try to keep it light, keep it fun, and keep it relevant!

Talk to you soon!!!!!!