Summer Fun by Vanessa

Recently, Inside Pre-K co-blogger Karissa wrote about how quickly summer vacation is approaching for her and her students. By the time this article is posted, her community-based center will officially be on vacation.

However, my pre-k classroom, embedded within a public school system, follows the regular K-12 school calendar.  Summer fun won't come until our last day of class, this year it falls on June 5th.  And we've got quite a ways to go and myriad of assessments to complete before we get there.  For this reason, many teachers in my district refer to the final six to nine weeks of school as “crunch time.”

During our final weeks together, I have to assess each student one-on-one in a multitude of areas. Here’s a breakdown of our testing:

• CIRCLE testing on palm pilot: Assesses 7 areas of phonemic awareness, all letters -- uppercase and lowercase, letter sounds, vocabulary, nine concepts of print, and writing assessment. Each question must be administered one-on-one.
• PMI- Primary Math Inventory: 3 pages of math assessment that must be administered one-on-one. Questions can only be asked one at a time to each student (for example, if you start with student A and ask question number 1, then you have to move to student B and ask question 1, when you get to the last student you can then move to question number 2).
• DRA- Diagnostic Reading Assessment: Students reading levels are assessed, this test is also administered one-on-one. The more the student knows, the longer the test takes.
• Report card testing: Each child must also be assessed on report card skills not covered in the aforementioned tests, such as oral counting, name writing, color identification, number recognition etc. All of this testing is also done one-on-one.

Now you’re probably wondering when I have time to teach if I’m doing all this one-on-one testing. The answer is, I don’t!  It’s just not physically possible to do all the required testing and teach a classroom of 22 four year olds simultaneously.

Add that to the mix of numerous paperwork deadlines, meetings, registering pre-k students for next year, not to mention the Cinco de Mayo celebrations, class pictures, Mother’s Day, and end-of-year celebrations that come with the territory.  It’s no wonder that teacher appreciation days come during the first week of May.  It's a bribe so we will make it through until the end of the year!

Karissa also wrote about her concerns regarding her student’s lengthy summer vacation. We’re fortunate that in our district all ELL (English Language Learner) pre-k students are eligible to attend a free summer school program where they will continue to develop their oral language skills, should their parents agree to enroll them. The program Learning the Language is offered from June 11th – July 11th, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and includes free bussing and meals.

But unfortunately, not all students qualify for Learning the Language, so I send each of them home with a "summer fun" kit I've devised for them and their parents.  It includes:

• A letter to parents explaining the content of the kit.
• A Map, the address and the phone number to the local library, as well as directions on how to obtain a library card.
• A Calendar with dates and times for story hour at the local library as well as dates of special local events such as discount days at the zoo.
• A reproducible nursery rhyme booklet, enabling students to practice their nursery rhymes over the summer.
• A book list of the top 100 books for preschoolers to check out at the library. Titles include classics such as: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, The Rainbow Fish, The Snowy Day, Corduroy, and The Runaway Bunny.
• An Activity-a-Day calendar, like this one from Preschool Express.  I generally make up my own activities for July and August as they're not published in advance.
• A number booklet comprised of 20 sheets of paper stapled together with a number and the words to each of our number songs on each page. The students practice recognizing their numbers by singing the song on each page. The words are so the parents can read and sing along as well.
• An alphabet chart- so students can practice singing their letter sound songs or use it when they write.
• A Blank booklet so students can “journal” or write about their summer experiences.
• One free treat coupon from local ice cream shop. If you ask nicely, most places will give you free treat coupons to give to your students.
• One Scholastic book: I use my bonus points and buy each child one book so they will have a book at home to read. Scholastic offers one 95-cent book each month.
• Information about our summer daycare program for those students that don’t qualify for our ELL summer program. Our district offers summer daycare for students ages 5 and up at very affordable rates. The program is staffed and run by teachers.
• A Brown paper bag with leftover crayons, markers, pencils, construction paper, glue, scissors, etc. so students can create and practice writing during the summer months.
• A Pre-addressed postcard so students can send me a postcard if they travel, or just for fun!

(Note to self: Add “make summer fun packets” to already lengthy crunch time to-do list!)

Counting and Accountability: A two-part series by Karissa

The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) team at my school has been going crazy the last few weeks.  They just finished their “check-up” from the state agency that audits district programs every three years.  I am fortunate to have a great working relationship with these teachers and specialists and can empathize with their frustrations with the paperwork and attention to protocol.  They all put in a great deal of work to make sure records are accurate, procedures are documented, service plans are communicated and above all else – students are encouraged, challenged and respected in their classrooms. 

Last summer I attended a conference geared more towards ECSE teachers. When I began to ask questions, I learned that all of this seemingly “extra” work is done for many reasons.  An Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is written for a child or family in order to assess and monitor various goals.  Another major goal is to be able to track progress and show statistical proof to the state and federal government that what is done in the classroom is worth the time and money. In this post I will focus on the importance of documentation.

Every two years School Readiness Plans are submitted to the state of Minnesota. These documents describe our program and are used as a framework for directors and teachers. To my knowledge, these documents have always served as a way to plan for the future of our programming. My director submits an end of the year report which contains basic demographic information, attendance records and programming notes. However, little to no information is given about the progress made by actual students and families enrolled in our program. I know, as a teacher, this means a lot more work added to my plate. Nevertheless, all pre-kindergarten teachers need to be able to show what our work is doing for our students and their families. 

This commitment means keeping accurate formal and informal assessments through work samples, anecdotal records and developmental based checklists.  It also means that teachers and administrators need to continue to stress the importance of individualized goals. Not every student is going to succeed at the same level, but that doesn’t mean the work we do is not worth it. The work that is being done in Minnesota will make a difference in the coming years.  Through the support of organizations like Ready for K, we are proposing legislation that would help to organize and regulate early childhood care and education both at the community level and statewide.   I hope that this will allow various pre-kindergarten programs to feel knowledgeable and supported as we begin to be held more accountable. As I have seen with ECSE over the years, their programs don’t just get free handouts. Their teachers and administrators are able to show documented proof that their work is worth it!

A+ for Parents! by Karissa

It seems hard to believe that the school year is coming to an end.  In just a few short days our regular programming will be over.  As I reflect on our last eight months together, it is easy to see how my students have progressed.  They are learning to write and recognize their letters,  they have practiced using manners, they've begun playing cooperatively and are now able to keep their bodies in control.  What is maybe less obvious but more astounding is the transformation their parents have undergone!

The one benefit to our “no transportation” dilemma is that I do get to see and interact with each parent every day.  They have all made a huge commitment to their children and to our world.  Recognizing the importance of early childhood education and getting their children to school each day are two of the most important things they can do to ensure their kids' healthy development. 

I am reminded of a mom who was nervous about her son, an English language learner.  He was quiet and reserved in our classroom for the first 5 months of the school year.  Every day, we would take steps to encourage him to use his words or participate in a classroom activity.  His mother came in to ask me if she should just keep him at home because at least there he chooses to talk.  I worked with her regularly so that she could reinforce the activities Sam was learning at school in their home.  Now Sam is thriving -- and choosing to speak in school, too!  He participates in every lesson and is using English as if it was his first language.  Mom recently mentioned how much he has grown and added, “I feel like now I know what to do to help him.” 

Another family in our class struggled to come to terms with their daughter's special education diagnosis.  While early detection in pre-k helps Teresa and others obtain key supports and services sooner than they might otherwise, learning that a loved one will most likely always require additional help in classroom settings can  initially prove difficult to swallow.  But throughout this past year, Teresa has shown both her parents and me that she is ready to learn.  At our conferences, her parents mentioned, “We didn’t know she could pour her own juice, use manners, or really play with another kid.”  I reminded them that with practice, patience, and the proper tools children with special needs can achieve great successes.  They are committed to helping Teresa achieve her goals and will actively support her throughout her development. 

What a great feeling to know there are so many dedicated and caring parents out there!  Parents and teachers will always have something to learn from one another, and I so appreciate having partners like these who are equally committed to helping their children develop into happy, healthy, and contributing citizens. 

Keeping the Beat! by Karissa

The fact that music is a powerful tool is not a new concept to me. Growing up in a household of  music educators, I practically sang my way through my entire school day.  Recently, I ran into a CD that would both foster a love of music in the classroom and expose my students to different cultures around the world.  Its selections give my class the opportunity to hear the many different ways music can be played and used. 

During this week, we have been working with rhythm instruments.  We've talked as a whole class about musical beats and enhanced our world music CD with  live accompaniment.  Another important component, we've  we've discussed how we take care of our instruments and our friends as we make music together. 

To form our classroom band, every class member had to choose a rhythm instrument.  Once selections were made, I turned on the music while the children kept the beat. 

The resulting joy and respect seen in our musical circle was nothing short of amazing.  It was a great to see all students, in particular those learning better self-control skills, excel at this activity.  Not only were they participating, they were also encouraging and supporting their peers! 

This was not the only surprise.  In my Monday and Tuesday observations this week, I began noticing a change in free choice center activities. A reluctant student, who often needs direction during free choice time, independently chose to journal about being in a band.  Three others, who don’t often play together, created a bridge and tunnel system in our construction and design area.  Four students invited each other to be a family of cats for the day in our dramatic play center.  Two boys, who are actively working on using kind words, solved a conflict without a teacher’s help. We've even had a suggestion to host a dance party where each child would get to show off their moves!  What a great way to practice our large motor and social skills!

I'm no researcher, but I would venture to say that our large group musical experiences are directly related to the increased student engagement, imaginative play and greater sense of community I'm seeing in our classroom.  It is amazing how life’s great lessons can create such beautiful harmony.  Hopefully my students will be able to “keep the beat” as they groove from pre-k into Kindergarten! 

Rewriting Literacy by Vanessa

I have written often here about the benefits of technology and Web 2.0 elements in the early childhood classroom. Recently I’ve been thinking about literacy and how our teaching methods also need to change to keep up with the pace of 21st century learning. If we expose our students to the latest technology through our teaching of other types of curriculum, shouldn’t the same be true for literacy instruction? The same emphasis should be placed on advancing our literacy instruction that has been placed on technology; in fact, the two should go hand in hand.

Why then, are so many pre-k programs still clinging to antiquated literacy approaches such as letter of the week? Often it’s not the teacher who is choosing to use letter of the week, it’s the pre-k program that is mandating it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again;

If there are 36 weeks in a school year and 26 weeks are spent teaching the letters one at a time, valuable learning time is wasted.

I’m puzzled why so many pre-k programs across the US, both public and private, still use the letter of the week method as their main source of literacy instruction when research has shown it to be ineffective at best.  It’s time we shed this outdated method in favor of more research based best practices to give our students the best literacy instruction.

Some of the arguments for leaving letter of the week behind are:

• The students who struggle the most with learning the letters are the ones who are least helped by teaching letters in isolation.
• Young children need something to help them make connections - isolating letters doesn't do that.
• Teaching with letter of the week slows readers down, yet it's too fast for others, it doesn't meet the needs of all learners and there is no room for differentiation.
• It is more meaningful to introduce letters as they become meaningful to the students, they will retain more this way.
• Children who are taught letters in isolation often have difficulty placing that information into literacy activities (Wood and McLeMore, 2001)
• Removing letters from their meaningful context removes the meaning and purpose from the letter.

In place of letter of the week pre-k teachers should embrace best practices such as:

• Interactive Writing
• Writing Workshop
• Reading Workshop
• Teaching letters through fun student name activities
• Incorporating environmental print
• Implementing name/word walls
• Phonemic awareness

When best practices are used in the pre-k classroom the results are phenomenal.  Students learn their letters and letter sounds much more quickly and thus there is more time to focus on other equally important skills such as phonemic awareness and concepts of print.  By the end of the year in my full-day pre-k classroom most of my students:

• Recognize all upper and lowercase letters
• Know all letter sounds
• Can identify characters, setting, events, problems, and solutions in any given book.
• Can make inferences and predictions in any given book using the skills they have learned in reading workshop.
• Can identify the beginning, middle, and end of any given story.
• Can write stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• Can write a story that makes sense and uses phonetic spelling- or the sounds they hear in the words.
• Can identify the basic conventions of print and use them in their writing. For example; their writing reads from left to right, they use spaces between words, and they use punctuation such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points.

All of this has been accomplished in very developmentally appropriate, engaging, and fun ways.

I can only surmise that teachers and programs that still use letter of the week do so because it provides a clear and easy path to follow- start with A and end with Z.  It’s easy for administrators to hold teachers accountable when they know what letter is supposed to be taught when. It’s also easy for parents to know what their child is learning when the letters are introduced one at a time. However, it’s not our job as teachers to do what is easy, it’s our job to what is best for our students.  We must educate parents and administrators about the best practices and why they are more beneficial.