School Bulletin Board

LITERACY STRATEGY IDEA:

After doing two schema lessons, a questioning lesson and a visual images lesson in one teacher's classroom, Nancy Zelenka, from Cleveland, was thrilled when the second grade teacher came up with this idea:

She said, "When we do a book frenzy next week, let's make baskets of books based on the strategies! That way students could practice using the strategies independently or with a buddy!"

Thanks, Nancy, for passing along the good idea!

CRAFTING: THE CHILD'S PERSPECTIVE

Liba Peters, Sycamore Elementary in Talladega, writes:
I was observing a crafting session in a third grade class and became so excited when I saw what the session meant to the children. The teacher was doing a wonderful job, but what really got my attention were the children's reactions. (That is how you can tell if the crafting (modeling) is working.) Noted below are the totally unrehearsed comments made by the children:
I like crafting because:

…I get images in my mind.

…it is a time for me to reflect.

…when she (teacher) reads us a story, we can use our imagination to see that sort of person (in the story).

…we get to see all kinds of images in our minds and the teacher reads us stories and all of the kids get together and make images and then we reflect on it.

…I like when we do text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world.

…Nobody is afraid to think in crafting.

…it is a way to express ourselves.

…because we can say what is in our minds.

Nancy Zelenka, Scranton Elementary in Cleveland, writes:
I had to share the brilliant response I received at the end of my lesson today. I used the book Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting. I had gone through my description of what schema was, about making connections, etc. I had shared the story described my text-to-world connections. When we were reflecting on the lesson at the end, I simply asked, what is schema? Brillant, second grader Marissa said,

"It's everything you've heard, or read, or seen and it's in your brain, and you add to it. THAT'S schema!"

Her innocence and her inflection on the last two words were precious. It's these little moments that make it all worthwhile!

CADWALADER HAS LITERACY PJ PARTY!!

When Cadwalader had their P.J. party recently, boys and girls dressed in their favorite PJs, sat on the floor mats and listened to a special storyteller, who read to them. Parents came too. (Students could not come without an adult.) It was terrific fun!