wild, wild about early...

November 2014 Ɣ Volume 4, Issue #4Ɣ

November Thanks! A few days ago I was at the bank when the teller looked at me and said, “Mrs. Porter, do you remember me? I am Donna. I was in your prekindergarten class at Walnut Creek”. I must say that these are words that terrify most of us teachers. What if I don’t remember? (After all, typically they look different at 24 than they did at 4.) But this one was easy. I did remember Donna. She had a hard time separating from her mom each day and cried for the first hour of every day into October and held onto my hand for most of that time. I remember teaching one-handed as Donna needed my other hand. Donna’s mom and I worked together to find a way to help her feel safe at school and she excelled--and let go of my hand. Donna, the bank teller, told me that because her mother and I spent so much time talking about her success, her mother credits that time with becoming more involved in her education and her mom encouraged Donna to go to college and get a degree in accounting. Donna was so grateful and thanked me for helping her family. She was the first of three children to go to college. She thanked me for lending her a hand when she needed it most. We don’t always get to see how we make/made a difference in the lives of the children we teach/taught. But I am grateful for the time and diligence that you have placed in all of the children that you have touched. One of you taught my mechanic, my doctor, my dentist, my City Council member, etc. I appreciate how you have helped to shape Austin, one small child at a time. I know you may not see your results, but I want you to know I appreciate the work that you do and the results that you have! Thanks so much for touching lives and lending a hand when it is needed!

Austin ISD Prekindergarten Newsletter November 2014 Jacquie Porter, Director of Early Childhood Vol. 4, Issue #4

WILD, WILD ABOUT EARLY

CHILDHOOD!


Gail’s Garden Gazette Gail Laubenthal, Early Childhood Consultant

What’s going on in the garden? Your children might be already harvesting some of their fall veggies and herbs if you got started at the beginning of the year but if not, there is still time! Last month I gave you the link for planting options for November and December. I hope that you will get your children outside and give them opportunities to plant and care for a garden and begin to notice the seasonal changes, which is the focus of my column this month.

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of the year. Not only are the leaves changing colors, but the acorns and pecans are falling, and the squirrels are scampering. The children are changing, too. They are beginning to understand that letters can be put together to make words and words can name objects. Taking advantage of these changes can be as easy as collecting some of these “signs of fall” and giving the children opportunities to create seasonal words by using letter tiles and/or writing tools. In the first example, words from the fall word bank are paired with the real objects. Children are provided with paper and pencils, both plain and colored, to draw the objects and write the word. In the second example, laminated fall word cards are paired with objects and the letters needed to “write” the word no pencils required. Each activity is placed on a fall themed placemat. Speaking of squirrels scampering I found these pictures from my classroom on the day that we were learning more about squirrels. After reading the book, Sara Squirrel and the Lost Acorns by Julie Sykes, the children were able to play with a squirrel puppet and crack nuts with a wooden screw-turning nutcracker, which was in our Tree Home Pretend and Learn Center.


Gail’s Garden Gazette, continued Another fall tradition might be making Stone Soup with your children. Since they are learning about eating nutritious food, you could ask them to bring in some of the soup ingredients. Other items might be harvested from their own school garden. It always amazed me that children who help prepare and cook vegetable soup, always like to eat it. The pictures below show how you can make the activity be a cross-curricular event – literacy, fine motor, math, science, and social studies.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Gail Laubenthal at [email protected] or call me at 512-585-7802.

From making soup in

the Pretend and Learn Center to

making real

soup children benefit


Read for the Record Melinda Servantez, Early Childhood Specialist

The Austin ISD’s participation in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record was a huge success! There were over 10,000 early childhood children who listened to Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells being read to them. The Early Childhood Department would like to thank all our amazing district and community volunteers for participating in this year’s largest shared reading experience. Austin ISD Volunteers

Dr. Paul Cruz Rey Garcia Mel Waxler Rita Gomez Dr. Pauline Dow Charlie Gutierrez Dr. Suzanne Burke Stephanie Heinchon Dr. Aida Alanis Irma Hernandez Claire Alvarado Brian Hill Raul Alvarez Beth Hudson Mary Alvirez Jessica Jolliffe Erin Bown Frieda Lamprecht Rhonda Boyer Marisa Limon Kristen Brazil Linda Medina Tanya Browne Brian Mowry Irene Campos Alexa Obregón Liz Canales Edmund Oropez Crystal Castañeda Elizabeth Polk Darla Caughey Sherrie Raven Sandy Chilton Terry Russell Christian Clarke-Casarez Cheles Rhynes Ariel Cloud Sheila Thomas Perla Delgado Angela Ward Tina Dong Lee Warren Becky Flynn Nicole Whetstone Peggy Garen

Community Volunteers Gerardo Castillo, Capital Metro Montserrat Garibay, Ed Austin Stephanie Hernandez, USA Compression Janie Maldonado, University of Texas Cindy Medina Claudia Miranda, McGraw-Hill Pearson Publishing Company Sandra Rivera Christopher Rios, Texas Capital Bank Monica Saavedra, Community Care of Texas Karen Siles

Dr. Cruz reading to Barrington Elementary students


Read for the Record As shared by Mary Alvirez, Director of Area 2 Elementary Schools

I am thrilled that I was asked to participate in the Read for the Record event this school year! I had the pleasure and honor of reading Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells to the kindergarten classes of Ms. Griffin and Ms. Carr at Campbell Elementary School. The children were so bright-eyed and attentive as they listened to the story and so eager to respond to my questions about Max, Ruby, and Grandma’s birthday cakes. Reflecting on the day, I remember thinking to myself how important it is that we, as educators, promote the love of reading in our students on a daily basis. I want to extend a special thank you to Campbell Elementary School Principal Keith Moore and kindergarten teachers Ms. Griffin and Ms. Carr for sharing your precious students with me. I also want to thank the

Early Childhood Department for inviting me to participate in Read for the Record. Now I must be off--I am on my way to buy some red-hot marshmallow squirters!

As shared by Brian Hill, Administrative Supervisor for Area 2 Elementary Schools It was such a blast reading during the Read for the Record event! I had the pleasure of reading to Mr. Butler’s (AISD 2014 Teacher of the Year) pre-K class and Ms. Totten’s kindergarten class at Gullett Elementary! The kids were amazing and asked SO MANY great questions. We got a chance to preview the text, talk about characters, plot, etc., and we discussed what we thought the moral of the story was. Some kids said the moral was to never give up. Some said it was to keep working on your writing skills. One kid even said the moral was to be careful in the kitchen so you don’t make a mess! Love it! My big takeaway from the day was that this event reaffirmed just how great our district is because of great teachers like Mr. Butler and Ms. Totten. Thanks to the Early Childhood Department for inviting me to read, and I can’t wait to do it again!


Assessment Rubric Updates Brian Mowry, Early Childhood Specialist

You will now have the option to view each nine week assessment rubric within a variety of formats. Two of these display formats are identical (the Class List Option)—the only distinguishing feature being that one is a PDF version and the other is a Microsoft Word document. The Class List document allows you to document when and how you assess your students’ progress in relation to each student outcome as outlined by a 4-scale rubric—e.g., (1) Needs Improvement, (2) Emerging Understanding, (3) Proficient, and (4) Mastery. The Word version of this document makes it possible to populate your class list for each student outcome that is measured for that nine weeks reporting period.

The other format, which will be available in both English and Spanish, is the Parent/ Individual Child Summary Option. This document is useful for sharing individual data with parents because it is a condensed version of the rubrics, thereby taking up less space per page. All of these documents will be housed in the Early Childhood Internal Website under the Prekindergarten drop-down menu/ “assessments”.


Mighty Fine Motor Skills As shared by Crystal Young, Pre-K Teacher, Sunset Valley Elementary

Play dough has long since been known as a great way to strengthen little one's hands. It allows children to work on their bilateral hand skills, which is the ability to use both hands at once. Tools and accessories aren't all that necessary at first. Just having a big ball of play dough to pound, squish, roll and pinch is enough to build those muscles. However, having the right kind of play dough makes for a more positive experience. Homemade play dough is so much softer and easier to manipulate than the store bought stuff, but it takes more effort to make than to just buy some. So here is a solution to help you get the homemade kind in your classroom, it's called parent volunteers! Just have them sign up to be in the play dough club. Below, you will find a letter (with the link to it) that can be sent home to enlist volunteers to make the play dough for you. It even includes a recipe. You can also do an internet search for “homemade play dough” and get tons of other great recipes.

http://mrsalbanesesclass.blogspot.com/2011/08/playdough-club.html

This month, consider adding these cute turkey placemats (http://www.prekinders.com/turkey-playdough-mats/) to your play dough center so the kids can count and make play dough feathers for their birds. If you want to see even more creativity, give the kids feathers, pipe cleaners, beads, and googly eyes so they can create their own turkeys from the play dough.


Family Tree Jacquie Porter, Director of Early Childhood

The family tree is a display in the classrooms that allows the student and family pictures to be displayed in order to promote togetherness. This display creates security and is a visual reminder of the home/school connection. As they go throughout the day, children see their families and are reminded of how our home and school are both part of our world. I owe a special thanks to Ms. Eres and Ms. LaCour at Lucy Read for allowing us share their family trees and also Ms. Koch from Wooldridge!

Ms. Eres, Read Pre-K Ms. LaCour, Read Pre-K

Ms. Koch, Wooldridge


Repurposed Overhead Projectors Sylina Valdez, Early Childhood Administrative Supervisor

Do you remember these? Maybe you have one sitting in a closet or your campus may have some stored away. You may have seen the many cool activities that can be done with light tables, but an overhead projector can be used in many of the same ways. If a light table has been on your wish list, you might consider taking that overhead projector out of the closet and give it a new purpose for use in the classroom. Below are some ideas for using the overhead projector. The links will take you to the websites for more information about the activities.

Visit our Pinterest board for more ideas! Overhead Projector/Light Table

Shadows Storytelling Tracing Objects

Letter and Number Stamps in a clear tray with colored sand

Fall Tree with Leaves


Shared Reading Irene Campos, Early Childhood TLI Grant Specialist

Shared reading is a valuable component of reading instruction that can be used effectively in the pre-K classroom. It’s a time where children and teachers share in the reading of text. Sometimes the term shared reading is used interchangeably with shared read aloud. Shared reading is a different component of reading which requires an enlarged text. Read aloud is a valuable and common practice seen regularly in early childhood classes, however, shared reading seems to be a rarely utilized method of reading with children. The benefits of shared reading are numerous. It is an enjoyable activity that children eagerly participate in when

appropriate texts are chosen. A shared reading session begins with a big book or other enlarged text such as a song, poem or a shared writing piece previously created. The teacher gathers students around the text to begin the reading. A pointer is useful for tracking text as the reading occurs. The first reading is simply an enjoyable reading where the teacher reads the text fluently and with expression. During this first reading students may make predictions and converse about the pictures. During future readings students will join along in reading certain portions of the text. Future readings will lead to other valuable student learning. During re-reading of favorite shared reading texts, among other things, students will:

x Participate in building community as they read together (choral read, echo read, cloze reading)

x Enjoy and participate in reading with a high level of support x Hear reading modeled fluently as print is tracked left to right x Practice fluent reading x Build vocabulary and oral language x Access text up close x Learn letter sound correspondence x Participate in extensions of reading

*See newsletter attachments for a sample that can be enlarged and used for shared reading.


Nature Sculptures Robbie Polan, Early Childhood Childcare Liaison

Autumn is here and soon we will be finding signs of this new season all around us. This is a wonderful time of year to combine art and science. The beauty in nature can be the foundation for creative art and students participate through their investigations and creativity. Science Take your students for nature walks. Allow them to collect fall treasures in the play yard or bring collections from home. These items can be displayed on the science table and used for sorting, making comparisons, and investigating the signs of the season. Art Set up your art area with clay, play dough, fall nature items, and magazine or pictures of fall scenes. Let children explore their newfound materials, and see what they do on their own without offering suggestions. Open-ended art activities allow children to think beyond the basic rote instructions, but it allows them to explore, create, and problem-solve. Providing this opportunity for creating also acknowledges your trust and belief in your students.


Pre-K Vocabulary Development in Dramatic Play Center Crystal Castañeda, Early Childhood TLI Grant Specialist

The dramatic play center provides many great opportunities to build oral language and vocabulary. During centers teachers can support this by moving into the centers to boost children’s work. Teachers can sit in the center and model language and begin conversations around what the students are doing.

A great idea mentioned in Words Their Way for PreK-K is keeping a list of words posted in centers as a reminder to yourself of vocabulary words you can use with students.

Suggested vocabulary words to put in various centers:

Table 1.3, p. 15 Vocabulary Development in Centers

Sand and water grains, gritty, damp, moist, clumps, sift, trickle, ripples, scoop, liquid, droplets, texture, measure, volume, mold, mounds, impression, containers, sieve, strainer

Blocks construct, create, erect, assemble, organize, reorganize, elevate, destroy, dismantle, design, increase, shambles, elaborate, entrance, exit, reproduce

Dramatic Play as a Restaurant

Customers, servers, waiter/waitress, chef, delicious, recommend, suggestion, appetite, request, menu, expensive

An exciting way to encourage conversation is to convert your dramatic play center in to a restaurant:

Guest Check

Server

Table # Guests

Tax

Total


Linking Dramatic Play to Writing Alexa Obregón, Early Childhood TLI Grant Specialist

In Matt Glover’s book, Engaging Young Writers, he outlines simple, authentic ways to have our youngest students writing. He encourages teachers to have students move beyond single page writing and to make book writing a daily part of their experiences. One strategy he utilizes is capitalizing on dramatic play. We already know the importance of play so that students can experiment with roles, problem solve, build understanding of new concepts and ideas, and develop literacy and language. Glover suggests that another important result of dramatic play is to serve as an “entry point” into writing. Dramatic play allows for ideas to be generated for future writing. With careful questioning and gentle nudges, Glover is able to have students turn play experiences into multi-page books. Below is one example of students transforming their dramatic play into a book writing opportunity.

Dramatic Play Log

Alex: You’re the mom and I’m the papaw. I’m fixing the roof. Can you give me the ladder, guys?

Courtney: (Using the vacuum, mop and cleaning as Alex narrates)

Alex: I’m up here fixing it. I can’t get down.

Matthew: Where are the steps?

Alex: I need help. I’m going to fall!

Matthew: I’ll help you!

Alex: I’m falling. (Man slides off the roof.) Ooohhh!

Matthew: I’m on the roof. I’m stuck. I can’t get off!

Alex: Don’t fall.

Matthew: I’m falling too. I’m hurt!

Alex: We have to get fixed at the hospital.

Matthew: Let’s go to the hospital.


Linking Dramatic Play to Writing, continued

The idea for this book came from the above dramatic play experience.

x On the first page mom and dad are on the roof.

x The second page illustrates the characters falling.

x On the third page, they go to the hospital.

x On the fourth page, the dad is in the hospital.


Fish for Shapes Melinda Servantez, Early Childhood Specialist

This activity can be used to help your little learners with shapes, sorting, and graphing. The idea for Fish for Shapes comes from http://www.littlefamilyfun.com/2011/09/fish-for-shapes.html.

Cut out or die cut a bunch of fish shapes from construction paper and draw shapes on them. Laminate for durability. Attach a paper clip to each fish shape and prepare a stick with a magnet attached to a string. As the student retrieve a fish, have them name the shape, sort and/or toss back. For added fun, create a simple graphing sheet for students to sort and place their fish.


Prekindergarten Professional Development Fall Calendar Sylina Valdez, Early Childhood Administrative Supervisor

Early Childhood Language Arts

Section Description Date(s) Location Presenter(s) Early

Childhood Language Arts: Pre-K PRIDE Fall Session

APPLICATION ONLY This class is for teachers new to pre-K for the 2014-15 school year. Teachers must apply to be a part of this year-long book study. Contact Sylina Valdez (414-9682) in the Early Childhood Department for an application. Pre-K PRIDE (Purposeful, Ready, Intentional, Direct, and Essential) is a year-long book study of Literacy Beginnings by Pinnell and Fountas. Teachers who commit to the year-long book study will receive the book and other materials for classroom use. All sessions will be led by staff in the EC dept. Some topics include organizing the environment for learning, the role of language in learning, phonemic awareness and phonics, supporting ELLs, supporting emergent readers and writers, and assessment of literacy learning. Literacy Beginnings is full of resources like songs, rhymes, and finger plays. The book also includes 35 ready to use lessons to introduce young children to reading and writing.

Tuesday, November 18th

3:30-5:30

Sanchez Portable 4

EC Staff (Sylina Valdez)

Early Childhood Mathematics Section Description Date(s) Location Presenter(s)

Early Childhood Mathematics: Where’s the

Math? (Pre-K and

Kinder) #65212

The actual course, designed by Juanita V. Copley, PhD., focuses on equipping teachers with the content knowledge and instructional strategies to ensure that young children encounter good mathematics instruction in their early years of schooling. Where's the Math? provides a meaningful and actionable hands-on study of relevant information on a range of topics that deal with the eight Mathematical Practices that promote effective learning and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics; child development and how our general knowledge about young children and how they learn can help teach mathematics; specific, appropriate experiences for the young child that link the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Standards for Mathematical Practice and math content; tips and strategies.

Third Class: Thursday,

November 13th 3:30-5:30

Lucy Read Brian Mowry


Professional Development Calendar, continued

Team Leader Curriculum Updates Section Description Date(s) Location Presenter(s)

Pre-K Team Leader

Curriculum Update: 2014 2nd

Nine Weeks (North) #65278

District Curriculum Specialist will share information and curriculum updates concerning the 2nd Nine Weeks CRMs and Assessment Rubrics. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and provide campus feedback with regard to these instructional planning documents.

Wednesday, November 19th

3:30-5:30

Lucy Read EC Staff

AISD EARLY CHILDHOOD

Jacquie Porter

414-4740

Debra Caldwell 414-4790

Sylina Valdez 414-9682

Brian Mowry 414-9683

Robbie Polan 414-7487

Melinda Servantez 414-7485

Diane Smith 414-9684

Irene Campos 841-6561

Crystal Castañeda 841-6561

Alexa Obregón 841-6561

Office Fax 414-9879

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