Pre-K Teaching Times
December Edition
LIFE ON A FARM- SCREAM THE THEME
We are well underway with learning about Life on a Farm. Some classes have changed the dramatic play center into a barn, while others have had visits from a farmer. Student work and shared writing charts have been posted throughout the classrooms. Below you will find a few classroom highlights. Thanks to the Pre-K teachers at Toomer ES for Screaming the Theme (STT)! Who will we catch next??? Maybe you! Please submit pictures of how you Scream the Theme in your classroom.
A wonderful real-life experience!
Great theme display!
Express thoughts with sentence dictation!
Wonderful way to model writing!
Displaying books encourages reading!
Adding visuals of vocaulary is a great way to build language.
Whiteboard Resources Related to Life on the Farm
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Interactive.aspx?cat=39
Great books from the library:
Mrs. Wishy Washy's Farm by Joy Cowley
Our Friends at Maple Hill by Alice and Martin Proversen
MID-YEAR OWL ASSESSMENT-REQUIRED
It is time for us to take a look at the progress our students have made, adjust instructional decisions, and regroup children based on their progress. Use the OWL Progress Monitoring Assessment 2 Recording Form the final week of Unit 4 "Life on a Farm" to assess your students. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the Literacy Assessment and about 10 minutes for the Math Assessment. The assessment window is from December 14-18th.
Materials needed:
* Progress Monitoring Assessment 2 Recording Form
* Assessment Visuals- Alphabet Knowledge, Phonological Awareness, Concepts of Print and Numbers and Operations
* 10 Color Cubes from manipulative kit
* An age- appropriate storybook
GREAT CLASSROOM JOBS TO INCREASE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Classroom Comforter is responsible of supporting classmates in distress. Examples would be to offering a tissue to someone that is crying or rubbing a sad classmate's back.
The Kindness Reporter is responsible for notifying the teacher when he/she sees another classmate being a good citizen. When the teacher is notified, a heart is placed on the heart tree displayed on the wall.
Consider these classroom jobs to assist with creating a positive classroom climate.
A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE T.A.L.K. STRATEGY
T- Tune-In
A- Ask Questions
L- Lift Language
K- Keep it Going
This year in Pre-K, we are placing a deeper focus on the power of language. The TALK strategies developed by the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy, help build children's language through meaningful conversations. Research shows that teachers who use complex, well-formed sentences have a positive impact on children's language development. Our desire is to provide every child the opportunity to build language and to develop vocabulary that will continue through 3rd grade and beyond.
To lift the language, we:
Encourage:
-Engage in think-alouds to expose children to new vocabulary
- conduct parralel talk: explaining what a child is doing they are doing it
- use forced-choice questions to model vocabulary and to encourage the
child to respond
Respond:
-Restate what chid has said using a more complex sentence
- Model correct grammar and rich vocabulary (synonyms)
These steps will help you create meaningful conversation that build a strong language foundation for children.
BUILDING NUMBER SENSE
JUMPSTART'S READ FOR THE RECORD
All the Pre-K classes across the district participated in Jumpstart's 2015 Read for the Record Campaign. The featured book was Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennet. We had over 1000 participants throughout our district. Many classrooms hosted guest readers for the day. Several of our classrooms welcomed APS board members to come read to their classes.
(Pictured- Board Member Cynthia Brown-Briscoe reading to Pre-K students at E. Rivers)
UPCOMING EVENTS/ DUE DATES
Dec.14-18 OWL Progress Monitoring 2 Testing
Dec. 4 WSO Narrative Summaries CompletedDec. 7-11 Parent Conferences Completed
Dec. 16 Parent Tracking Forms Due (Head Start Schools only)
Dec. 16 Assessment Tracking Forms Due (Head Start Schools only)
Dec. 16 Monthly Professional Development (3:30-5:00 pm) Kennedy MS
Dec. 18 Health and Safety Checklist Due (Head Start Schools Only)
Dec. 18 End of "Life on a Farm" Theme
Please check your email for your yearly BFTS required training confirmation.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
*Email your student referral information to your Program Specialist using the form provided
* Follow field trip protocols provided by Karen Hurley-Farmer
*Lesson plans are due on Thursday by the COB each week for the upcoming week and place previous lesson plans in your lesson plan binder
*Submit the Changes to the Environment plan at the start of a new theme
*IQ guides should be updated and kept in view for the state consultant's visits
OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING
This newsletter is intended for APS Pre-kindergarten teachers and assistants to inform of important information and dates during the 2015-16 school year.
225 James P Brawley Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA, United States khfarmer@atlanta.k12.ga.us
atlanta.k12.ga.us/prek