Literacy Experiences

In the mornings, while waiting for school to begin, the kindergarten classes all sing together so that by the end of the week they have all learned a new song.  I am told that later in the year, they give a concert performance of all the songs they have learned.  In our class, we also do morning music and so far have done the same songs every day:  the welome song, the days of the week song, the months song, and the numerals song.  We also meet together for the children to put their "hot" or "cold" lunch cards by their names and the helper of the day does the weather and changes the date.  A lot of the morning literacy block is teacher led using the Hartcourt curriculum, intermixed with activities and worksheets for the children to do at their desks. When they are finished, they can get out the literacy tubs to use.  Each tub (three total) has about six or seven activities in it, such as magnetic letters for the whiteboard, foam letters that stick on the chalkboard, different puzzles using the alphabet, and games and cards using the alphabet. 

Some literacy experiences examples in the classroom: 

• Mary wore her red dress book/song on tape; sing version with children's names and what they are wearing.
• "Name puzzles" with the children's names.  Match letters together to make their name.
• Handwriting practice with chalkboards and on HWT practice sheets.
• Practice zoophonics animals...kids love the movements that go with each letter sound.
• Along with introducing the letters, teacher gives tips on saying the letter (ex: tongue on roof of mouth for N)
• During the literacy block, there are activities that go along with the curriculum and the book of the day. (ex:  teacher says /j/ /am/ and kids blend phonemes to say "jam")
• Storytime after lunch...kids choice library books
• Teacher shares small easy read (at this point, pictures ony) books that go along with the curriculum and go home with children after they have read it together as a large group.  Teacher also pulls four or five students together to a desk to help them "read" the book together.
• "Popcorn" share:  Teacher starts a topic, (ex:  "I like to play ___") and each child gets a turn to share.
• Rhyme practice:  Baa Baa Black Sheep book, teachers says two words, kids stand up if they rhyme, stay seated if thy don't.
• Letter finding game with big book, using an animal plate with a space cut out. 
• Magnetic shapes to create letters through handwriting without tears; use shapes to create Mat Man to Mat Man song
• "I spy" color game; Use promethean board to do letter finding (children work at desks with pretend magnifying glasses and a worksheet of letters
• Making otter books, incorporating art, counting, and language
• Teacher says a sentence, children count the number of words in that sentence

These are some of the activities the children have engaged in while at school this past week and a half.  The Literacy element in the classroom is centered around the Hartcourt program (which is followed with fidelity) and ZooPhonics.  I am still not a fan of worksheets and teacher-directed learning, but I do like the movements that go with the alphabet sounds of ZooPhonics.  The kids have already picked up a lot of them and most of all, they have fun learning them!