< Previous36 What are the rules at school? DAY 2 Focus Question 4 Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Review the question of the day. Build off of the children’s responses and discuss how missing pieces of a game can be annoying and frustrating. • Ask, “How can we make sure that games and activities are ready and have all of their pieces when we need them?” • Display the Classroom Rules chart. Point out the rule about caring for the classroom. Say, “We care for the classroom when we clean up items after using them, when we are gentle with materials and books, and when we make sure that trash and recycling go in the trash can and recycling bin.” • Explain to the children that many of the little rules help them show respect , or thought and concern, for other people’s feelings and needs. • Discuss with the children how to care for all of the specific areas of the classroom. For example, when they put books away at the Library station, they should face the covers of the books outward so that other children can see the books more easily, and when they put the markers away at the Art station, they should make sure all the caps are put on tightly so that the markers don’t dry out and remain available for everyone to use. Including all children When children show respect for the classroom environment and for others, you can acknowledge this behavior by giving children positive affirmations. Keep in mind that some children might enjoy hearing you say, “Thank you for picking up the math manipulatives and putting them in the container,” while others might enjoy a simple high five or a pat on the back. Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Notice and show appreciation when children take care of the classroom and school environment throughout the day. For example, you might say, “Alice, thank you for putting all of the books away neatly on the shelves. They are ready for other children to use now.” • Use Intentional Teaching Card SE23, “Clean Up the Classroom.” Beginning the year considerations Using very specific language helps children understand what behavior is appropriate and encourages them to self-evaluate and persist through challenging tasks. Rather than saying, “Good job,” explain exactly what the child is doing and why it is appropriate: “You cleaned up the tangram shapes and cards and put them back in the basket where they belong. Now they are ready for the next person who wants to use them.” How to Care for the Classroom Ensuring that children know how to take care of the classroom environment is an important step toward fostering independence and will help create smooth daily activities and transitions. Taking care of the classroom also helps children understand the idea of respect for shared materials, which in turn builds awareness of and thoughtfulness toward their peers. Today you and the children will discuss how to care for your classroom environment and how that helps other people. Vocabulary English: respect Spanish: respeto Question of the day: How do you feel when you try to play a game and you find that some pieces are missing? Transitions • Movement: Mighty Minutes 16, “Wolf Pack” • Movement: Mighty Minutes 29, “Pencil Pantomime”The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 37 Read-Aloud During your read-aloud, take time to do the following: • Talk about the main character in the story. Invite the children to notice how the character shares ideas, listens to others, and cooperates. • Ask the children how the story would be different if the character treated others in a different way. Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Over the next two days, take time to observe for Objective 11d, “Shows curiosity and motivation,” and Objective 18c, “Retells stories and recounts details from informational texts,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the questions and prompts in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. You can observe for both dimensions today or continue making your observations tomorrow. • Intentional Teaching Card LL05, “All About Animals” Large-Group Roundup • Review the Classroom Rules chart.• Ask, “How did the classroom rules help you today?” Reflecting on the Day • Which areas of the classroom do the children maintain with little support? Which areas are more challenging for the children to clean up and care for? • How can you ensure that the children understand how to independently care for the classroom learning stations? For example, during the first several weeks of school, give the children more time during transitions to clean up the stations. Begin by offering many reminders about how to care for the stations. Over time, decrease the frequency of reminders and use them only when needed. 38 What are the rules at school? DAY 3 Focus Question 4 Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Remind the children of the classroom rules and point out where they are posted in the classroom. • Ask, “Are the rules the same everywhere in school?” Record the children’s responses. • Review the question of the day and create a list of the children’s favorite library activities. • Ask, “What rules in the school library are different from the rules in our classroom?” Record the children’s responses on sentence strips. • Discuss the other places the children visit in the school, e.g., the media center, cafeteria, and gymnasium, and create a list of rules for those places that are unique, or different from, other rules on sentence strips. Explain that each place has rules that do not apply to other places. • Write each of the classroom’s big rules at the top of a sheet of chart paper. • Invite the children to take turns identifying which big rule each of the rules on the sentence strips would fall under and posting them on the appropriate chart. For example, if one of the rules in the school library is to return books to the book cart, that could fall under the big rule “Take care of our things.” Including all children As children share rules for different areas, repeat the rule each child identifies and ask follow-up questions to gauge understanding. For example, when Sirah says, “We have to use our whisper voices in the library,” you might ask, “Why do we need to be quiet in the library?” and “What would happen if we were loud?” Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Before visiting other locations outside of the classroom, review the rules for that location. While it may feel repetitive, repeating the classroom rules and rules for other places helps children learn and internalize the rules. Kindergarten children should not be expected to remember all of the rules after reviewing them only once. Use gentle prompts and reminders to support children as they learn the rules during the first several weeks of school. Beginning the year considerations Assigning children small groups to work in builds social problem-solving skills and children’s capacity to work together. Be intentional as you group children together and consider each child’s skills and abilities so children can use their strengths to support each other. Review Intentional Teaching Card SE29, “Working Together,” for more guidance. Rules Outside of the Classroom Around the school, rules often change for children depending on who they are with and where they are. Just as it is important for the children to know and understand the big rules and little rules in the classroom, they need to be comfortable with the rules outside the classroom with other teachers and adults. Today you will review the rules for places outside of your classroom and help the children better understand those rules by putting them in the big rule categories. Vocabulary English: unique Spanish: único Question of the day: What is your favorite thing to do in the school library? Transitions • Game: Mighty Minutes 43, “I Spy Spanish Colors” • Game: Mighty Minutes 48, “Vocabulary Q&A”The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 39 Read-Aloud Read The Night Gardener. Before reading, show the children the cover of the book. Remind them that, in the story, a neighborhood discovers trees shaped like animals and a boy named William meets the man who created them. Ask, “How did William discover who the Night Gardener was?” While reading, point out the illustrations in the story. Ask the children to notice how William felt throughout the story. Comment on the events that take place. You might say, “Before William went to bed, he felt excited because he wanted to see what animal would be trimmed in the trees the next day!” After reading, invite the children to recall a few events from the story. Ask, “How do you think William felt when he found the Night Gardener and the Night Gardener asked him to help trim the trees in the park?” and “Why do you think the Night Gardener left William a pair of trimmers the next day?” Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Continue to observe for Objective 11d, “Shows curiosity and motivation,” and Objective 18c, “Retells stories and recounts details from informational texts,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the questions and prompts in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. • Intentional Teaching Card LL05, “All About Animals” Large-Group Roundup • Ask the children to share what rules they followed today in the classroom and in different areas of the school. • Explain to the children that tomorrow you will talk about how they can help each other follow the rules at school. Reflecting on the Day • How did the children show an understanding of the rules in other places around the school? • How can you continue to help the children feel confident in knowing what is expected of them in the classroom and in other places? For example, you can incorporate a quick rules review into your transition routines for the first several weeks of school, such as by saying, “Our big rule is to be safe at school. We can do that by walking calmly together in the hallway to the library.”40 What are the rules at school? DAY 4 Focus Question 4 Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Review the Classroom Rules chart. • Discuss the question of the day. Create a list of the children’s responses. • Say, “Sometimes our classmates forget the rules and need reminders to help follow them.” • Explain that a reminder is a way to help others remember something. • Ask, “What are some ways that we can remind each other to follow the rules?” • Comment on the children’s responses. You might say, “If you see Eduardo running in the hallway, you can help him follow the rules by saying, ‘Remember, we are supposed to walk in the hallway.’” • Share additional scenarios of how children can remind each other to follow the rules. For example, you might remind children of the time when Dara pushed Ezekiel out of the lunch line and then how Sally reminded Dara to follow the rules by saying, “Please don’t push Ezekiel. Pushing is against the rules.” • Create a chart titled Friendly Reminders. Add strategies that the children can refer to throughout the day. • Encourage the children to kindly remind each other to follow the rules and to tell the teacher if someone does not stop breaking the rules or if they are hurting themselves or others. Including all children Model specific language for children to use as reminders, such as “You need to be safe” or “You need to take care of our things.” Short phrases such as these can help children feel more comfortable and confident when confronting their peers. Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Use Mighty Minutes 94, “Good Choice, Bad Choice.” • Add strategies to the Friendly Reminders chart throughout the day. • Remind children to refer to the chart when they see a classmate who is not following the rules. Beginning the year considerations Using “when, then” statements is a helpful positive guidance strategy that explains an expected sequence of behaviors. These clear, concise statements let children know the appropriate next steps and help them learn to plan, e.g., “When you are sitting on your cushion, then I will give you the book you want to read.” See Intentional Teaching Card SE22, “Using When, Then Statements,” for additional guidance. How Can We Help Each Other Follow the Rules? Kindergarten children will often tell the teacher when someone is not following the rules. To help reduce the frequency of children sharing these events, you can give them strategies they can use to help their peers follow the rules and to solve problems that occur in the classroom. Today you will review the rules and discuss how children can remind their peers to follow those rules. Vocabulary English: reminder Spanish: recordatorio Question of the day: What can you do if you see someone who is not following the rules? Transitions • Rhyme: Mighty Minutes 64, “Fritzie the Frog” • Game: Mighty Minutes 74, “Syllable Steps”The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 41 Read-Aloud During your read-aloud, take time to do the following: • Talk about and compare the characters in the story. Invite the children to identify the differences between the characters. • Ask, “How do you think we should treat others when they are different from us?” Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Take time to observe for Objective 15c, “Notices and discriminates discrete units of sound,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the question and prompt in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. • Intentional Teaching Card LL66, “Swat the Rhyme” Large-Group Roundup • Use the Friendly Reminders chart. Say, “There are so many ways we can help remind our classmates to follow the rules.” • Invite the children to share how they helped a classmate follow the rules today. • Encourage the children to refer to this chart throughout the school year. Reflecting on the Day • How were the children able to support each other to follow the rules? • How can you continue to help the children support and help each other in other situations? For example, when a child seeks you out for help with a simple problem or question, encourage him to ask a peer for help first. If the peer is unable to help, offer assistance as needed. 42 What are the rules at school? DAY 5 Focus Question 4 Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Review the question of the day and ask the children to share their responses. • Explain that the question of the day is a silly “What would happen if…?” question. • Say, “If something is silly , it is not serious or it doesn’t make sense.” • Invite the children to think of additional silly “What would happen if…?” questions. Write them on a piece of chart paper. • Add your own questions to the list that pertain to classroom rules, e.g., “What would happen if you didn’t have to clean up the Math and Games station when you were finished?” or “What would happen if you were allowed to run in the classroom?” • When you have at least ten questions, pose the questions to the children and invite them to share their answers. • Explain that the list will be posted in the classroom for them to refer to throughout the day. Including all children If some children need more support to ask and answer questions in large group, conduct the activity as a partner activity. Working with a partner is easier for many children than working individually. Invite the children to come up with the questions and answers together or ask one child to come up with the question and the other to share the answer. Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Add additional questions that pertain to the classroom rules to the list throughout the day. • Use Mighty Minutes 54, “Kooky Questionnaire.” Refer to the guidance on the back of the card by inviting children to take turns asking their classmates silly questions. Beginning the year considerations The first few weeks of school are often very busy and sometimes hectic! During your busy days, don’t forget to find time to be fun and silly with the children. Relaxing and enjoying yourself will make your classroom dynamic feel warm and welcoming and alleviate some of the stress you and the children may be feeling. What Would Happen If...? Asking children “What would happen if...?” questions about common classroom scenarios that depict children not following the rules is a fun and silly way to discuss the consequences of not following the rules. When children are able to see how their actions affect themselves or others, they gain a deeper understanding of why the classroom rules are important. Today you and the children will come up with silly “What would happen if...?” questions and then create regular questions that pertain to your classroom rules. Vocabulary English: silly Spanish: ridículo Question of the day: What would happen if we wore socks on our hands? Transitions • Game: Mighty Minutes 75, “Seesaw Silliness” • Game: Mighty Minutes 85, “Silly Town”The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 43 Read-Aloud Read The Night Gardener. Before reading, invite the children to share the part of the story that they enjoyed the most. Ask, “How did the neighborhood feel about the animals trimmed out of the trees?” and “How would you feel if you saw trees trimmed like this in your neighborhood?” While reading, point to the illustrations and talk about the neighbors’ responses to the Night Gardener’s work. Ask, “Why do you think the Night Gardener trimmed the trees this way?” and “Why do you think he trimmed the trees only at night?” After reading, explain that the entire neighborhood wanted to see the trees that the Night Gardener had trimmed. Invite the children to share things in their neighborhood that they get excited about. Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Take time to observe for Objective 20c, “Connects numerals with their quantities,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the question and prompt in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. • Intentional Teaching Card M25, “Numeral Card Counting” Large-Group Roundup • Ask, “What would happen if we didn’t have any classroom rules?” • Invite the children to respond. • Review the list of “What would happen if...?” questions that you and the children came up with. • Invite the children to share one “What would happen if…?” question with their families at home. Reflecting on the Day • Which children are having trouble following the rules?• How can you support those children to understand how their actions affect others and the classroom environment? For example, you might notice aloud when children are following the rules or not following the rules and then share the consequences you observe: “Alexander, we need to take care of the things in our classroom. Please don’t stand on those books. It may cause pages to rip.” Use Mighty Minutes 39, “Animal Yoga.” Invite the children to recall the animals that the Night Gardener trimmed into the trees and to do different yoga poses that represent those animals.Day 1Day 2Day 3 AT A GLANCE Who works at our school? Focus Question 5 Day 1Day 2Day 3 Question of the Day Who might we see during our walk around the school today? What would you like to ask our visitor today? Who have you met at school? Large Group and Extension Discussion: Take a Walk to Meet School Staff Members Materials • clipboard (one per child) • pencils (one per child) • camera Discussion: Classroom Visitor Who Works at the School Materials • list of questions for the visitor from Day 1 • Intentional Teaching Card LL71, “Classroom Visitor” • camera • paper, crayons, and colored pencils to create a group thank- you note Discussion: Graphing School Staff Responsibilities Materials • staff members’ pictures taken on Day 1 Read-Aloud The Woman Who Outshone the Sun Book Discussion Card 02 (first read-aloud) Selection from the “Children’s Books” list or your own library The Woman Who Outshone the Sun Book Discussion Card 02 (second read-aloud) Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Objectives 3b and 11e Intentional Teaching Card SE21, “Finding a Solution Together” Objectives 3b and 11e Intentional Teaching Card SE21, “Finding a Solution Together” Objective 2c Intentional Teaching Card SE12, “Room for One More” Additional Daily Resources Mighty Minutes ® 49, “Abstract Art Critic” 59, “Rhythm Rascals” Intentional Teaching Cards ™ SE10, “Ready for a Change” Mighty Minutes ® 57, “Remember the Steps” 03, “Musical Turns” Mighty Minutes ® 06, “Spanish Numbers” 63, “Photo Fruit Salad” Intentional Teaching Cards ™ SE31, “Let’s Learn Together!” 4445 Day 4Day 5Make Time for… Vocabulary English: names of school staff members, interview, responsibility, names of special tools the visitor uses for her job, assist Spanish: nombres del personal escolar, entrevista, responsabilidad, los nombres de las herramientas especiales que el visitante usa para su trabajo, ayudar 45 Day 4Day 5Family Connections How did you get to school?What job do you do at home?• Download, customize, and send home the Starting Kindergarten Together: Meeting the People Who Work at Our School! note. You can access this note to families 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 As you engage with families throughout the school year, it is important to be a good listener. Active listening skills show that you take families’ concerns and ideas seriously. You might say, for example, “Thank you for letting me know that Orlando was feeling upset that Claire was mean to him at recess. I will carefully observe how they interact and give them some strategies for showing kindness to each other.” For additional ways to communicate with families in daily exchanges, see page 175 in Volume 1: The Foundation. Discussion: Classroom Visitor Who Works at the School Materials • list of questions for the visitor from Day 3 • camera • paper, crayons, and colored pencils to create a group thank-you note Discussion: How Can We Help? Materials • staff members’ pictures taken on Day 1 • Intentional Teaching Card SE14, “Handy Helpers” Selection from the “Children’s Books” list or your own library The Woman Who Outshone the Sun Book Discussion Card 02 (third read-aloud) Objectives 9a, 9c, and 9d Intentional Teaching Card LL13, “My Story” Objectives 9a, 9c, and 9d Intentional Teaching Card LL13, “My Story” Mighty Minutes ® 84, “Story Starters” 96, “More Than One” Mighty Minutes ® 100, “Fruit Stomp” 02, “Outer-Space Explanations”Next >