• The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Teaching Guide Adapted from The Creative Curriculum ® for KindergartenCopyright © 2019 by Teaching Strategies, LLC. All rights reserved. Teaching Strategies, The Creative Curriculum, Mighty Minutes, Mega Minutos, and the open book/open door logo are registered trademarks of Teaching Strategies, LLC, Bethesda, MD. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission from Teaching Strategies, LLC, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. The publisher and the authors cannot be held responsible for injury, mishap, or damages incurred during the use of or because of the information in this book. The authors recommend appropriate and reasonable supervision at all times based on the age and capability of each child. It is advisable teachers not distribute photos of students or post them online without written consent from parents or guardians. Photos and videos should be kept internally absent written consent from parents or guardians. Teaching Strategies, LLC Bethesda, Maryland www.TeachingStrategies.com 978-1-60617-987-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2019939503 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 Printing Year Printed Printed and bound in the United StatesTable of Contents Focus Questions Glossary 2 Who are the people in our classroom? (Days 1–2) 8 How can we express our feelings at school? (Days 1–3) 16 When do things happen at school? (Days 1–5) 30 What are the rules at school? (Days 1–5) 44 Who works at our school? (Days 1–5) 58 How do we make and keep friends in kindergarten? (Days 1–5) 72 How can I do things for myself? (Days 1–5) 86 Focus Questions2 Focus Question 1 Who are the people in our classroom? AT A GLANCE Day 1Day 2 Question of the Day Can you find your name and put it on the attendance board? How many people are in your family? Large Group and Extension Discussion: Welcome to Kindergarten Materials • name cards (one per child) • Mighty Minutes 53, “Catch a Question” • ball • book that describes a “first day of school” experience • Mighty Minutes 46, “Under the Bed” Discussion: Our Families Materials • name cards (one per child) • paper and drawing utensils for children’s family portraits • Mighty Minutes 19, “The Drill Sergeant” Read-Aloud A World of FamiliesA World of Families Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Objectives 4 and 5 Intentional Teaching Card P04, “Hopping Relay Race” Objectives 4 and 5 Intentional Teaching Card P04, “Hopping Relay Race” Additional Daily Resources Mighty Minutes ® 61, “Kindergarten Greetings” 92, “It Makes Me Happy!” Intentional Teaching Cards ™ SE27, “Good Mornings” Mighty Minutes ® 68, “Say Hello!” 31, “Big Steps, Little Steps” Family Connections • Download, customize, and send home the Starting Kindergarten Together: Welcome to the First Week of School! note. You can access this note and other resources in the Resource Library at teachingstrategies.com/first-six- weeks-k-support (password: First6SupportForK). • Encourage families to review the information and follow the guidance in the note to support their child’s development and learning at home. Family tip Fostering strong relationships with families is an important step in building your classroom and school community. You can help families feel connected to what’s happening in the classroom by sending home a note related to your weekly focus question that suggests ways to support or extend their children’s learning at home. Vocabulary English: children’s names, words related to family roles Spanish: nombres de estudiantes, palabras relacionadas con los papeles en la familia The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 3 Focus Question 1 Camilla slowly walked over to a group of three children playing a math game on the carpet. She watched the group play for a few minutes and then returned to the shelf to choose a math game she could play on her own. Camilla showed an interest in the game the small group was playing but did not attempt to join the group. How can I help her initiate interactions with a small group of children when she wants to participate? (Objective 2c) I will observe Camilla interacting with or watching her peers during other parts of the day. When she appears to be interested in an activity but does not try to join, I can ask her if she would like help joining the game or activity. I might say, “Camilla, I noticed that you were watching that group play a math game. Do you want to play with them? I think there is room for one more player. Let’s go ask them together if you can play in the next round.” EXAMPLE 1 ObserveReflectRespond EXAMPLE 2 ObserveReflectRespond Xavier took a board game from the shelf and asked two children if they wanted to play the game with him. He said, “I like to go first, but you can go first this time.” He waited for his turn to play. Xavier is able to initiate a small- group experience and play cooperatively. I think he may be ready to interact with more children in a group. What can I do to give him opportunities for more group-play experiences? (Objective 2c) After the game, I will talk with Xavier about what I observed so that he can reflect on his experience when inviting others to play the game with him: “I noticed that you played a game with Henry and Quan. It looked like fun! And it was kind of you to let Quan go first.” I will look for opportunities in the future for Xavier to play indoor games with a larger group of children and encourage him to organize outdoor games during recess. The first days of kindergarten are both an exciting and stressful time for you and the children in your class. For some children, this might be their first time away from their families or in a formal school setting. To help smooth this transition, the most important thing you can do is help children feel comfortable, secure, and welcomed in the classroom environment. You can do this by helping children learn one another’s names and become familiar with you and any other adults they will interact with each day. Your warm and welcoming interactions with children during the first few days of school will build the foundation for strong relationships throughout the remainder of the year. During this focus question, keep Objective 2, “Establishes and sustains positive relationships,” Dimension c, “Interacts with peers,” in mind. Typically, kindergarten children are ready to work in small groups of two or three. They benefit from opportunities to initiate, join in, and sustain peer interactions. You can support positive peer relationships by purposefully and intentionally planning small-group activities during which children can interact and communicate with each other. For additional strategies that promote positive peer interactions, refer to page 20 in The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten, Volume 2: Objectives for Development & Learning, Birth Through Third Grade. As you interact with children this week, observe how they interact with their peers. Take time to reflect on the behaviors you see and how you can respond to individual children to support their social–emotional development. Who are the people in our classroom? 4 DAY 1 Focus Question 1 Welcome to Kindergarten The first day of kindergarten sets the tone for the rest of the year. As you interact with children individually and learn their names, they will feel valued and included as members of the classroom community. Today you will focus on making children feel special and comfortable by engaging them in two read-alouds that focus on first-day feelings and families, asking them questions about themselves, helping them become familiar with everyone’s names, and giving them a brief tour of the classroom. Vocabulary English: children’s names Spanish: nombres de estudiantes Question of the day: Can you find your name and put it on the attendance board? Transitions • Song: Mighty Minutes 61, “Kindergarten Greetings” • Game: Mighty Minutes 92, “It Makes Me Happy!” Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Welcome the children to kindergarten and share that you are happy they are there and excited to be their teacher this year. • Talk about your excitement for the year ahead. • Explain that you will take the next couple of days to get to know one another and learn about the things you will be doing together in the classroom. • Give the children their name cards to hold. • Use Mighty Minutes 53, “Catch a Question.” As you play the game, encourage the children to say their name on their turn before answering the question. Many names can be pronounced in different ways. As you meet with families on the first day of school or during an open house, note how they pronounce their child’s name so you’ll be able to say all of the children’s names correctly. • Choose a book from your classroom collection or school library that describes a “first day of school” experience. • Read the story to the children and invite them to identify and discuss how the characters in the story are feeling. • Document the children’s thoughts and ideas about the story on chart paper. Including all children Some children might not feel comfortable answering questions, especially during the first few days of school. If you notice that children are hesitant to share, consider changing an open-ended question that requires a more detailed response (e.g., “How did you get to school today?”) to a closed question requiring a simpler response (e.g., “Did you ride the bus to school today?”). Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Repeat the children’s names throughout the day. Encourage the children to use their classmates’ names in their conversations. • Take a tour of the classroom. Name each area and briefly describe what types of materials are available and how the children may use them. • Invite children to explore a few materials in different areas of the classroom, such as books and bookmarks at the Library station or tangrams and unit blocks at the Math and Games station. Beginning the year considerations Getting to know children as individuals shows that you care about them and who they are. As a teacher, you can begin to make connections as children arrive on the first day of school. Be intentional about these first interactions and take time to smile and greet each child by name. See Intentional Teaching Card SE27, “Good Mornings,” for guidance on how to have meaningful morning conversations with children that provide a positive start to their day. Who are the people in our classroom? The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 5 Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey The Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey helps you gather information about each child’s knowledge, skills, and abilities at the beginning of the year so you can quickly begin the important work of individualizing instruction. Each day, you will find one or two suggested objectives or dimensions to observe for and assess. You can use the prompts provided within the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey or, if time allows, you can engage children in an experience using the suggested Intentional Teaching Card ™ that will inform your assessment. Over the next two days, take time to observe for Objective 4, “Demonstrates traveling skills,” and Objective 5, “Demonstrates balancing skills,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the questions and prompts in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. You can observe for both objectives today or continue making your observations tomorrow. • Intentional Teaching Card P04, “Hopping Relay Race” Large-Group Roundup • Use Mighty Minutes 46, “Under the Bed.” • Invite the children to share which classmates’ names they learned today. • Explain that the children will continue to get to know and learn the names of the people in the classroom tomorrow. • Say good-bye to individual children by name, thank them for coming to school today, and express how excited you are to see them tomorrow. Reflecting on the Day • How well did the children interact with their peers on the first day of school? • How can you support these interactions over the next few weeks of school? For example, you can provide opportunities for children to work on activities together to help them become more comfortable interacting with their peers. Examples of partner or small-group activities include playing games, reading books, and sharing ideas during discussions. Read-Aloud Read A World of Families. Before reading, talk with the children about something you enjoy doing with your family. Show the book cover and say, “We’re going to read a book called A World of Families.” Ask, “What are these families doing? What else do you think families around the world do together?” While reading, invite children to talk about the different families and point out any familiar activities or objects that are important to their families. You might say, for example, “Kazu said their daddy plays the guitar, too. Does anyone else make music with their family?” After reading, ask, “What do you like to do with your family? Do you play any special games or eat any special foods? Nancy says she’s teaching her little brother how to play catch.”Next >