Teaching Strategies
KWL Chart
A KWL chart is a way to organize information about a particular subject. The ‘K’ stands for 'know', as in ‘what do we already know’. My class will be completing KWL charts frequently throughout the unit. Students will share the ideas that they already have in place about these topics. Upon the completion of the ‘K’ we will dive into the “W’ portion of this graphic organizer. ‘W’ stands for ‘what do we wonder about, or want to know’, about the topic. This portion of our chart will be filled with questions the students may have regarding our areas of study. These two parts of the chart are completed prior to any class readings or discussions about the topic. This is a useful way to begin the lesson as it provides me with an idea of my students’ exposure to the topic. The KWL chart also allows any misconceptions about the topics to rise to the surface. This is certainly useful as it affords me the opportunity to address incorrect ideas prior to them impeding the learning of my students. The final portion of the chart, ‘L’ is all about ‘what did we learn’. Completed after the readings and discussions, it is a nice way to summarize our learning and to highlight any information that I feel is especially important. These completed charts will be posted in the room for the duration of the unit. It will be a useful touchstone for where we started and where we are in our learning at the end of the lesson.
Non-Fiction Text
There is a push in education to have students interacting with more non-fiction text. As my students move from kindergarten into the high-stakes testing grades they will encounter more and more informational writing on a variety of subjects. I feel that I am performing an important service for the third grade and up teachers in my school by giving my students a wealth of experience with non-fiction texts. Reading non-fiction requires different skills than enjoying a story. Students will be utilizing skills like finding a main idea and supporting details. Identifying the author’s point of view and purpose, and using graphics like charts and maps to gather information. A non-fiction text teaches facts and is a way to activate a student’s brain into high-level thinking.
Vocabulary Acquisition
Vocabulary is a massively important piece of comprehension. At the kindergarten level, I have found it most effective to use images, whenever possible, in the presentation of new words. For this unit, as I introduce new terms, I will find pictures that highlight the concept. I will then have my students talk and discuss what all of my pictures have that is the same. Through these commonalities we will derive a working definition for each new word. By teaching vocabulary in this manner, my students will develop a mental image of the word. They can then supplement this mental image with our ‘homegrown’ definition. This combination of the visual with the linguistic is more likely to be remembered than a dictionary definition that was delivered to the students.
Cooperative Learning
In kindergarten especially, it is extremely important to practice cooperative learning in class. My students need many opportunities to practice critical skills that are a prerequisite of teamwork. Being a good listener takes practice and repetition. Simple skills like facing the speaker, making eye contact, and being quiet when listening, are not a given for kindergarten students. Many activities such as playing a game, also require students to take turns and share materials. Again, it cannot be taken for granted that these skills are locked in with five- or six-year-old students. My students will be involved in a variety of activities in which they will share ideas with one or more partners. Sharing ideas builds their proficiency at both listening and speaking.
Draw and Tell
Draw and tell is an app that my students use on our class iPads. This app is very aptly named. My students can either draw a picture on the device or they can create their art on paper and import a photo of their work into the program. Once the art is complete, the students can add text or special effects to their image. The students can also tell their ideas to the iPad recording their voices to accompany their artwork. In the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), kindergarten writing is defined as a combination of actual writing, dictation, and drawing. A voice recording of a story is a form of writing as defined by the CCSS. This is beneficial to me on a few levels. The first benefit of this strategy is that it allows the students to record their ideas. Since many of their writing skills are fairly rudimentary, the students are more comfortable and willing to express themselves orally. Secondly, voice recordings like this make it easier on the teacher. I can review the students’ effort on the iPads whenever I have time available, instead of sitting with each child during instructional time to aid them in the dictation of their ideas.
Notice and Wonder
Notice and wonder is a very useful strategy. It is particularly useful in conjunction with an anchoring phenomenon. Students make observations about an event or object and then share out what they notice. This is a valuable activity because it can often highlight misconceptions about a topic. In addition to sharing what they notice, students are also invited to share anything that they may be wondering about the phenomena or the focus of the observation. I will most always record student notices and wonders to be revisited later in the activity or unit.
Comments: