Wow! It's been awhile since I sat down to write. Today is a holiday - Statehood Day! I really needed the holiday to catch up on my sleep and the unbelievable stack of paperwork that has accumulated.
I have an energetic, talkative bunch this year! They are excited to learn but don't have the skills to be student just yet. We have been practicing staying on task, speaking in 6 inch voices, and completing our work.
On Friday, the student's presented their reading timelines. This is a fun activity that I love doing! I model my timeline for the students, gathering books that I remember reading. The students are gathered on the floor and when I hold up Curious George as my first book, they all squeal with delight! I hear shouts outs of "I remember that book" or "My mom read me that, too." Then I read a passage from Madeline, Snowy Day, and others. The kiddos are so engaged by these books and the memories of the books. As I pass through the years, giving them a little taste of various books - Ramona the Pest, B is for Betsy, All of a Kind Family, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Little House in the Big Woods, and Phantom Tollbooth, they start to have conversations about their own memories.
I send them off, with a stack of post it notes, and a Timeline from Really Good Stuff. Some are completely engaged in this activity, drawing on their memories and talking through the timeline. Others remember one or two books, they get ideas from other students, adding to their timeline. Some say that it's so hard to remember all the way back to pre-school! I tease them, telling them that it's much harder for me to remember back when I was in pre-school than when it is for them!!
They have been working on their timelines in their independent work time. I will post pictures later. The best part of this exercise is after the students present their timelines, I have the students analyze their timelines, reflect on the timelines, and set goals. I read through the reflections and some of them were very reflective! I look forward to working with them to reach their goals.
