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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 3 - expressive language pt 2 (3)

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 2 - expressivereceptive language

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AIS Riyadh Literacy Provocations Inquiry

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Reading and Writing Workshop in International Schools FB Group

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Reading and Writing Workshop in International Schools FB Group

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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fay@erinkentconsulting.com

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@literacylala

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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Gots:
Being reminded of our teacher roles and the importance of each one, not only for us teachers but for the children in our care. The importance of creating our environment and giving it life as the third teacher.

Wants:
I'd like to learn more of the words or "teacher language" to foster a more holistic learning environment for my students.
I'd like to know more about the kinds of play.

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Gots:
- Teacher roles especially this year
- Rethinking different kinds of play
- Including more of the host country

Wants:
- Language used for asking questions
- Diving more into kinds of play

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Wants:
1. Would like to know more about documentation and how to help the child based on the same.
2. Time management  - challenging
3. Work on teacher language. (Example: What did you try that was different today?)

Gots:
1. Happy, comfortable, and confident about play-based learning. Love it!
2. Reflection on the core values (individual and as a team).

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Lilibeth (Learning Assistant KG1)
Wants:
want to learn more
*time  management
*kinds of play
*asking questions
Gots:
Core Values & Teacher Roles

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Girlie Ramos - Learning Assistant ( Pre-K & KG 1 )
Gots: The importance of teacher roles and the learning environment as well.

Wants: Improve the teacher language and know more about the kinds of play.

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NAEYC Emergent Writing Through Exploration

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NAEYC Emergent Writing Through Exploration

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions next academic year? What are you wondering?

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions next academic year? What are you wondering?

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AIS Riyadh KG1 Session 1 Exploring Emergent Literacy

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The Power of Documentation in the Early Childhood Classroom, by Hilary Seitz

https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/pubs/seitz.pdf

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-stages of play
-spaces/environment

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- set up of spaces or learning environment.
- diving more into stages of play.

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- documentation (what to document)

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Shared Reading & Interactive Read Aloud Comparison

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Shared Reading & Interactive Read Aloud Comparison

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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"Finally, a book that has the power to stop the literacy pendulum swings! In Shifting the Balance, Burkins and Yates skillfully explore 'balanced literacy' and 'the science of reading' to find the sweet spots where they overlap, connect, and actually complement one another. The result is a resource that raises our level of instruction while helping children discover and reap the joyful rewards of reading."

"What are the research-based, critical elements for teaching reading? In Shifting the Balance, Jan and Kari give you the information, classroom examples, and tools to help you make the best decisions around six key shifts for instruction. After reviewing the misunderstandings, the science, and the needs of your students, you will be able to audit your current practices (individually, in a PLC, or system-wide) to provide responsive and effective literacy learning for all your students."

"In Shifting the Balance, Jan and Kari invite us to reflect and reexamine our beliefs about teaching reading. They gently nudge us to rethink and possibly adjust our early literacy practices. Jan and Kari have taken on this controversial topic by embracing vulnerability and modeling what it means to be truly reflective practitioners. This book is a must read for new and veteran teachers!"

"In Shifting the Balance, Kari and Jan have masterfully dispelled many of the myths and misunderstandings associated with reading instruction. Additionally, they offer classroom teachers and coaches six simple, practical shifts that have the power to transform the way we teach children how to read. Indeed, balanced literacy and science do exist in harmony, and we practitioners can offer our children both concurrently. Thank you, Kari and Jan, for this important work that is sure to change lives!"

"In Shifting the Balance, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates provide a safe space for teachers to courageously examine some long-held balanced literacy practices and turn a critical eye to where those practices have gotten out of balance. If you're willing to be vulnerable and move towards resolving the gap between research and practice, this book provides actionable steps you can take to shift your thinking and bring instruction into alignment with the scientific evidence."

"Shifting the Balance is a welcoming opportunity to reexamine our familiar teaching practices. Without judgment, Burkins and Yates invigorate these practices by inviting educators to make scientific shifts in the systems that have been in place for years. This book will revolutionize reading instruction and in turn, the lives of countless students."

"This book speaks to teachers. It is overwhelmingly clear that Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have been and are immersed in the world of today's classrooms. Shifting the Balance will help many rethink instruction in ways that will support all students. In the current version of the Reading Wars, it is difficult for any of us to say we were wrong about some of our beliefs or practices. And thus, few do. However, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have done just that. This is as commendable as it is unusual."

"This book found me at just the right time! Shifting the Balance gives voice to the questions I've had in my mind about Balanced Literacy and the Science of Reading and provides clear insights on how to connect the best parts of both to benefit early readers. Throughout the book, Jan and Kari confirm practices worth holding onto while providing actionable next steps I can't wait to implement with students to strengthen my reading instruction."

Dr. Jan Burkins was an elementary classroom teacher for seven years and a literacy coach for seven years. She has worked as a part-time assistant professor, a district literacy leader, and is currently a fulltime writer and consultant.

Kari Yates is an author, speaker, consultant and staff developer with a passion for helping busy literacy educators thrive. Her experiences include classroom teacher, special education, Reading Recovery teacher, elementary principal and district literacy coordinator.

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Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom

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Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom

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Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations That Work (The Research-informed Classroom)

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Amazon.com: Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations That Work (The Research-informed Classroom): 9780325105444: Mesmer, Heidi Anne, Duke, Nell K: Books

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Buy What comes before phonics? Second by Neaum, Sally (ISBN: 9781529742244) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Here is the Padlet for our Let's Play course

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To create and provide a fun environment

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To create and provide a safe environment where students feel loved and cared for.

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We promise...
To love and care for our students equally
To support their unique learning
To be present
To encourage them to be the best version of themselves

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We are providing the opportunities and skills for what comes next while being present and using best intentions.

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gots:
We like the and/ both in regards balancing play and structure.
Connection to environment and values! (Schedule is part of the environment)
Play is the driver for inquiry.
Who is doing the work?
Want:
Examples of both/and play and structure.
Examples of making programs into play
How to make the schedule work for you when you don’t have much say.
How to set up centers to enhance play focused learning.

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Understand our values and how that shapes our classrooms.
Understanding how below the surface learning supports phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading and writing.
Finding the balance between expectation and vision in the school and classroom view.
WANTS:
-Concrete examples of what literacy should/could look like in our context.
-Developmentally appropriate expectations or outcomes for students at each level.

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GOTS:
-Asking questions is more effective than just telling students information.
-Looking underneath the surface will allow us to better understand our students' needs and how to provide an environment that meets their needs.
-The environment plays such a big role in what we want our students to experience and how we want to shape their learning.

WANTS:
-With the multiple programs (Words their way, Handwriting without tears, Jolly Phonics, etc.)that we have, is there any way that they could be incorporated into play?
-Documentation and working it into our spaces.

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Setting our promises to our learners.

Plan to create a purposeful and fun-filled learning environment.

Using time wisely.

Wants:
Strategies to aid student needs in learning.
Ways to make center time more meaningful.

Wondering:
How to integrate play and structure within our schedules.

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Gots:
-incorporating values as a foundation for literacy in the classroom
-literacy is more than just phonics, phonological awareness but has underlying deeper concepts that are as important

Wants:
-how to plan to include literacy rich opportunities in centers and play
-how to set up the environment that is rich in literacy inviting centers

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 3 - expressive language pt 2

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 3 - expressive language pt 2 (1)

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Teaching Strategies GOLD Continuum - Literacy

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Teaching Strategies GOLD Continuum - Literacy

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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Gots:
We like the documentation of emergent writing skills and would love to use that in our class documentation

Wants:
We would love to learn more on how to structure different kinds of play across our day and how the schedule will look like

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Gots:
We like the continuum of development over time. Like the literacy example in the early years.

Wants:
What does carpet/whole group learning look like in the early years? What is its place or function?
What does shared reading look like, and how is it different from read aloud?

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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NAEYC Emergent Writing Through Exploration

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NAEYC Emergent Writing Through Exploration

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One of the questions I get asked frequently, is why do my tracing boards (and other tracing toys) not include a 'pen'.

The 'pen' being referred too, is a blank wooden stick to grasp and 'write over' tracing board letters. In a similar view, I have been asked if I will make a fashionable 'copy me' writing board. Copying boards involve the use of chalk or a whiteboard pen, where preschool children can repeatedly practice handwriting.

I often feel with these questions that there is a perception of tracing toys being ok, but children are in need of getting on with 'writing properly'. So, I want to look at the notion of needing a pen or pencil (or imitation like pen toy) in order to facilitate handwriting development optimally.

Safety and Research

A child's interest in and benefit from using tracing toys, starts much younger than often assumed. Children will typically engage with letters from age two onwards, especially their own names. This is why my tracing toys are CE certified from 12 months, so name boards and simple alphabet boards (with sign language) can be safely introduced to a play environment without concern.

Any small thin wooden pen tool is a potential play hazzard. Small parts shouldn't be introduced to children under the age of 36m due to the risk of choking. So introducing a pen-like a tool, would result in a child having to wait until the age of three to safely access the toy. However, safety is not the main reason for the 'missing pen' . I believe pen-like toys are actually a red herring.

Play Based Learning

Children prefer dough, fingerpaints, building blocks and threading activities for a long time before becoming really capable or interested in pen/ tool focused handwriting practice. This broader play-based learning, seen through the accumulation of refined fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, core body strength and postural control, really is creating the foundations handwriting sits upon.

How a child holds a pen is a learning process in itself. In terms of grasp, we see children moving through phases of palmar supinate, digital pronate, static tripod and eventually to a dynamic tripod grasp (at 4-6yrs). Children move through these phases gaining overall dexterity at their own pace too.

An x ray of a developed hand (around the age of 7) compared to an EYFS age child's hand is pretty informative. Also occupational therapists issue fantastic advice on how to develop handwriting in an age appropriate way matched to children's physical development. pic.twitter.com/DambEmTKLg
- Ruth Swailes #antiracist #consultant (@SwailesRuth) July 11, 2019

Ruth Swailes, a School Improvement Advisor recently shared insightful x-rays of a child hands at approximately 7 years old in comparison to x-rays from a 5 year old child during the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is the main photograph feature of this blog post.

In a discussion on Twitter, Ruth commented: "An x-ray of a developed hand (around the age of 7) compared to an EYFS age child's hand is pretty informative". As an image, she believes it prompts us to think about handwriting and handwriting development occurring 'in an age-appropriate way, matched to children's physical development."

"It's worth noting that it's not just the size of the child's hand which changes. The younger child has cartilage which will eventually become bone through the process of endocrinal ossification. This occurs around the ages of 6-8yrs."

Ruth's comments: "The physiology of young children's hands needs to be taken into consideration". Ruth points out hand maturation takes many years longer than assumed and that overall dexterity takes time. Handwriting practice starts AFTER the foundations have been thoroughly laid.

You can find the original thread here which is enlightening read: https://twitter.com/swailesruth/status/1149344734097264640?s=21.

I highly recommend a dig through and a resource shared by Ruth called 'Children, Young People and Families Occupational Therapy Team - Handwriting Development' by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

It lists the play-based learning activities children will enjoy and the foundations of handwriting to start with. Many of which you will have seen illustrated on our feeds through tweezers, tongs, eyedroppers, craft activities involving lots of tracing and copying too: https://www.swft.nhs.uk/application/files/5614/5995/2571/handwriting_development.pdf

Another resource mentioned is : The Ultimate Guide to Mark Making in the Early Years, a book by internationally renowned teacher trainer Sue Cowley.

So to summerise, nurturing the whole body and not focusing in on the tool, the pen or pencil, allows children to grow into their capabilities. Pen like toys, too early, just limit safe play in toddlers and distract us of where the real work is happening in pre-schoolers: in play!

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Where is the Pen?! Nurturing Handwriting Through Play

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One of the questions I get asked frequently, is why do my tracing boards (and other tracing toys) not include a 'pen'. The 'pen' being referred too, is a blank wooden stick to grasp and 'write over' tracing board letters. In a similar view, I have been asked if I will make a fashionable 'copy me' writing board.

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Purposeful Play: A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day 

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Purposeful Play: A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day 

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Play is serious business.

Whether it's reenacting a favorite book (comprehension and close reading), negotiating the rules for a game (speaking and listening), or collaborating over building blocks (college and career readiness and STEM), Kristi Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler see every day how play helps students reach standards and goals in ways that in-their-seat instruction alone can't do. And not just during playtimes. We believe there is play in work and work in play, they write. It helps to have practical ways to carry that mindset into all aspects of the curriculum. In Purposeful Play, they share ways to:

optimize and balance different types of play to deepen regular classroom learning

teach into play to foster social-emotional skills and a growth mindset

bring the impact of play into all your lessons across the day.

We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning, Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. So they provide a host of lessons, suggestions for classroom setups, helpful tools and charts, curriculum connections, teaching points, and teaching language to help you foster mature play that makes every moment in your classroom instructional.

Play doesn't only happen when work is over. Children show us time and time again that play is the way they work. In Purposeful Play, you'll find research-driven methods for making play an engine for rigorous learning in your classroom.

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Purposeful Play: A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day

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Buy Purposeful Play: A Teacher's Guide to Igniting Deep and Joyful Learning Across the Day Illustrated by Mraz, Kristine, Porcelli, Alison, Tyler, Cheryl (ISBN: 9780325077888) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Gots
the value of repetitive text
big books and poems
the different ways literacy looks like

Wants
Different types of documentation and what it can look like.

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GOTS:
We will incorporate cross body movement activities.

WANTS:
How can we keep workshops playful?

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Gots:
Power of predictability
What is a story? Listening to how they see what they are learning.
Planning across two weeks- there is always so much to do it helps to feel more manageable to spread it out.
Wants:
BL planning across two weeks.
From a classroom management perspective- how do we approach "get them back" or "get them all together" to start. (Transitions- especially if they are engaged in something else). Managing everyone who wants to share - sharing to the teacher vs sharing to each other.

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Gots:
Importance of reading
Exposure to print
Print in different ways or formats

Wants:
How do you manage time to address these during play: observation and documentation

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 4 - Story Workshop  InteractiveShared Writing

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 4 - Story Workshop  InteractiveShared Writing (1)

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Gots:
We liked the quote that said, "Just in time, Just for me" and it resonated with us a lot.

How photos, videos, materials and literature can be used as provocations for story workshop.

Wants:
Seeing more examples of student stories and listening to how the teacher's language plays a role in enhancing the story. (i.e. Adam's story)

If there are examples of age group of 3-4 students stories, that would be nice!

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Gots:
It's free choice.
It doesn't have to happen each day.
Probing questions.
Provocations don't have to be loose parts, could be maker space items or other.
Wants:
What does conferencing look like in KG1?
What strategies can we use to motivate students to capture their story? Does is have to be on paper? What other can they capture their stories?

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Gots: Feeling like we are on the right track.
Helped to see that we are starting to get the structure in place.
Loved that you confirmed that story workshop is writing workshop we were feeling disconnected.

Wants: Planner for story workshop.
Examples of other ways to manage documentation, conferring and workshop structure.
Clip picture for student independence in the workshop.

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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HarareIS EY_Interactive / Shared Writing Quick Plan

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG2 Session 5 InteractiveShared Writing

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Gots:
What shared writing looks like in PreK and how we as teachers can incorporate and encourage shared writing in our classroom.

How celebration of stories (LIVE) can make a difference

Wants:
Going back to the Stages of Play, in what ways can we guide and support students to move to the next Stage? Do they need an external push to move on to the next stage or is it something that they need to develop on their own?

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Gots: Modeling should be corrected.
Good ideas for supporting and building our shared and interactive writing.
Compliment for conferencing with the next nudge.

Wants:  What is next for our readers and writers? What should we be teaching into?
Sample schedules for 3/4 yo and 4/5 yo. We have for K1 and K2 but not specifically 3/4 yo and 4/5 yo. Would like to see the similarities and difference.

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Got:
The different ways of planning across the weeks- and the evaluation of where learners are. We are not quite settled on what we need to be doing or how to plan it so it is helpful to see different options. Same idea for the different ways to collect information about student learning.

Wants:
Not to leave the group...I am not sure what that transition will look like jumping in mid-year with the grade 1 team. We are worried that the amazing progress that we have seen with the story workshop will be lost.
We would like to see a story workshop being used for different genre.

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG1 Session 1 - Workshop Approach in EY

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GOTS: What was most helpful? What will you carry with you?

WANTS: What content would you like to dig into in upcoming sessions? What are you wondering?

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What is feeling successful?
What feels tricky or challenging?

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG1 Session 1 - Workshop Approach in EY (1)

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG1 Session 1 - Workshop Approach in EY (2)

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG1 Session 1 - Workshop Approach in EY (3)

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General Prompts for Interactive Read Aloud

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General Prompts for Interactive Read Aloud

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG1 Session 1 - Workshop Approach in EY (4)

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AIS Riyadh PK-KG1 Session 1 - Workshop Approach in EY (5)

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Success:
Modified morning message to plug in more phonics. By sharing the pen.
Documentation is going much better.
Inquiry focused with questions and reviewed through the documentation cycle.
Tricky:
Getting away from carpet time

Making phonics more holistic rather than a whole group carpet time.
Embedding more math into play/choice time.

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Successful - Routines, independent in taking care of themselves and their belongings, moved up in 'The stages of Play'

Challenging - To support those students who are behind with their SEL, still preferring to play by themselves

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Gots:
-Thinking about the importance of community carpet time and how we can bring in real-world connections and students' interests.
-Balance of provocations and invitations
-looking at the exposure to language in order to read

Wants:
How can we expose ELL or ELA students to the language needed with provocations or invitations?

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Gots:
-How community carpet time looks like
-Reading Rope/Reading Comprehension Formula

Wants:
-A simple "nudge" goes a long way, but how far would you nudge in both ways highflyers & challenged students