In my last article I started a discussion about children and learning to read. In the last article I discussed the first stage of learning to read. This stage includes letter recognition and letter sounds. After children master several letter sounds, they are ready to begin what is called sound blending or word blending. In this phase, children begin to put sounds together to make words. Children can begin this step even when they do not know all of the letter sounds. Work with the letter sounds that the students do know. CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words are the most … Continue reading →

One major enjoyment that I receive from teaching kindergarten is having the opportunity to see children learn to read. It is a very rewarding experience to know that you have been a part of a concept that will open thousands of doors for these children. From my research and experience as a kindergarten teacher I have discovered that learning to read must come in the form of stages. Teachers cannot expect that the students will be on the same stage or in the same phase of reading at the same time. Therefore teaching children to read takes much individualized teaching … Continue reading →

In two of my previous articles I discussed the early childhood activity of coloring. I also talked about what can be gained about a child’s ability from the way that he or she colors a picture. During the first days of kindergarten, most children will be asked to color a picture. In addition to asking children to color a picture, they are also usually asked to draw a picture. In fact our test that we use at the beginning of kindergarten, the Kindergarten Diagnostic Instrument (KDI), asks children to draw a picture of a person. Again it is amazing what … Continue reading →

In a previous article I discussed the importance of motivating students and getting them excited about learning. One way that I suggested to spice up lessons is with food. Children of all ages love manipulatives. However, when food is involved they simply cannot resist paying attention and getting involved. In addition to food, holidays make for great learning fun. Including both in your lessons can be a wonderful experience! Monday is St. Patrick’s Day and what better fun to kick off the week than with a box of Lucky Charms cereal? The cereal adds to the holiday spirit with rainbows, … Continue reading →

When teaching intermediate and middle school, teachers most always have a manual and textbooks to follow. However, this is not always true when it comes to the primary grades. Until recently, kindergarten at my school did not have a reading series text. Therefore teachers had to create their own plans and lessons. Most primary grades are based around units. A unit typically lasts for one week. A unit focuses all lessons around a central theme. The theme may be a place such as ocean or farm. It may also be an animal or a concept. Some common themes for primary … Continue reading →

My last article detailed my frustrations with teachers not raising the bar and taking the students beyond what is expected. By staying on level, teachers are not meeting the needs of the above average students. Many teachers feel that it takes extra work or extra planning to meet the needs of every level of the class. This does not always hold true. In my classroom, I have three phases that occur each day. I call these phases, reinforcement, teaching, and exposure. During reinforcement, I review skills that have previously been taught. In this phase, struggling students are given the extra … Continue reading →

We have had the discussion about educating gifted children before. We all realize that much more focus is placed on struggling children than those who are well beyond exceeding. Most teachers are threatened by intelligent students and have no idea how to take them beyond their level. Those that do know how are not willing to put in the extra time of planning. Today I want to stay clear of the word gifted. Some children are smart but not gifted. Just because a child is intelligent and may function higher than the standards set for his or her grade level … Continue reading →