On the first day of school I always guide my students to create the classroom rules. I base this off the Ideal Classroom activity in the TRIBES book and it really helps the students understand the importance of having classroom rules (to keep us safe and help us learn). Usually the students come up with A LOT of rules and I help them narrow them down to five (and they are usually very similar, if not the same, year to year). This year, though, I was quite impressed with the rules that my students came up with, and they couldn't narrow it any further down from six. I always write the rules on a poster board and the kids sign this "contract" for the year. We have been working on our first week time capsules. Yesterday the students wrote their first day letters to themselves and today they worked on a posted that includes: handprint, footprint, thumbprint, and list of favorites. I went around the room and cut a piece of string to the length of each students' height. All of these are placed in an envelope and sealed until the end of the year. I got some free envelopes a few years ago and loved the black ones, but never had a chance to use them. I figured this was a perfect opportunity. They put their photo on the front of their envelope and wrote on them in white crayon/pencil. We have a few more items to add to their time capsules before we seal them up! Here are a few from today.
If you have ever struggled knowing the best way to teach grammar to your students, you are not only one! Whether you infuse your grammar instruction into your reading and writing units or whether you teach from a more traditional curriculum, I think it is safe to say that none of our students have mastered […]
If you have followed the discussion over the past years about "21st Century Skills" or have been on this planet long enough, you know that the ability to work with others is just as important as any "content" knowledge that we, as teachers, can provide. That being said, working "cooperatively" is NOT natural for all people, especially young children, and we have to make sure we are thoughtful about how we help students learn this valuable skill. Today I thought I'd share three key things to keep in mind--and then offer a few suggestions to get your brain thinking about ways to incorporate more learning partnerships in YOUR classroom! Partnerships are the perfect "starting point" for cooperative work! Think about how difficult it is for us, as adults, to get 4 or 5 of us to agree and be productive! Young students simply haven't been around long enough to know how to do that "delicate dance" of sharing, contributing, listening, and more. Learning how to actively listen is easier with just one other person. Sharing with just one person is so much easier for student who are more shy--and it's easier to have a back and forth conversation than try to balance several people. As students become accustomed to working with pairs, then it becomes easier to add people to the group. When forming partnerships, be mindful of your students' feelings. Be careful about the "find a partner" direction--because that is SO difficult for so many students. Whether they be shy, slower thinkers, worried about other students' feelings--asking students to form partners on the fly is often a tricky situation. Think about those who struggle finding partners and make sure everything is safe for them. Ideas? Use a "people picker" like popsicle sticks or index cards. Premake partnerships whenever possible (in addition to avoiding popularity contests, this allows you to encourage students to work with MANY other students, not just best friends). If you DO have students pick partners at times, consider a disclaimer, "If you don't find a partner in 15 seconds, come to me." so you can quickly help pair off those last few students. My students get very used to working with EVERYONE in the class (males, females, tall, small, etc) and they actually REQUEST me to pick popsicle sticks to take the partnering process out of their hands. We need to explicitly TEACH partnering skills Before I ask my students to work in partners, we have a number of discussions where we talk about what partnering LOOKS like, SOUNDS like, and WHY working in partnerships is beneficial. Together we made a list that we continue to refer to as we refine our partnering skills. The students did a pretty good job, I thought! Consider making a similar list with your students to make sure they understand that partnering isn't always easy--but it's worth it! As students start to work in pairs, you may need to stop and review some of these...and your students may come up with different ideas as well. Students need to realize that partnering isn't easy--and they will have to work at it! For some students, understanding that "balanced power" means that BOTH people have to share and both people have to listen is key--they can all relate to times they have had someone try to take over a group...and trying to work with someone who is NOT engaged or on task. So when should I use partnerships? All day long! Think about all the different ways that "Two heads" might be better than one...try some of these! Creating a climate where students work peacefully together will help increase engagement, improve learning, and increase the amount of academic discourse in your classroom. Another added bonus? As students work well TOGETHER, you are free to circulate, coach, and get a better sense of what is happening with your students' learning. Buddy reading Whether your students read with younger students or with others in your class, learning to read so others can hear, taking turns, staying on task, and using an appropriate voice level are all easy to practice with buddy reading. Try making copies of a fun poem for students to experiment with--or have them partner read an article. If you really want to dig in, have students read a novel as partners where they have discussions and buddy reading over an extended period of time. They can even complete a culminating project together! Checking for accuracy One of the first "partner routines" my students learn as we start the school year is "check for accuracy". I start this with basic math problems, math homework, and other tasks--where students work alone, then compare answers with a partner. We then practice how to handle when answers are different...and learn how to re-solve the problem together to see who was wrong and how to "fix up" any mistakes together. This really helps create a climate for collaboration, not competition and is a great way for students to check homework, to check over practice work, or to test the spelling of a tricky word! "Turn and Talk" One of the classic partner activities...and a GREAT way to get all students involved in discussions--turn and talk is a way for students to participate more frequently. This DOES need to be explicitly taught as well. If you simply say, "Turn and talk to a partner", you can sit back and watch certain students immediately turning to a best friend, other students sitting back and waiting to be asked (often ending up sitting silent)--and this doesn't lead to productive talk. Teach students to turn and talk by first checking around them to "include" students (may mean creating a trio!) and to make sure that each partner has a chance to share their ideas. This is a great way to get everyone talking--especially when asking questions ALL students should have access to. Not all students will know the answer to all math problems...but everyone should be able to answer questions related to opinions...to read alouds ("What do you think Ally should do next?")...or other easily accessible ideas. Math games Math games are a fun and easy way to teach the give and take of partnering. When students struggle, you can sit with them and coach the fair play and sportsmanship...but with games, the turn taking part is more automatic and students can work on some of the other factors such as voice level, on task behavior, using supplies wisely and more. This is one of the games in one of my "Partner Play" resources! Partner journals One thing my students enjoy once in a while is what I call "partner journals". You can do a lot of different things with this--but essentially in involves "sharing a notebook" to reflect back and forth on a read aloud, an article, a math problem--anything. Check out THIS POST for more information. It is a great way for students to realize that they write so that others can understand--and if they don't, communication breaks down. Try it and see! Challenge problems Putting students in situations where they need to solve difficult problems can be a great way for partners to learn how to make suggestions, listen to ideas, and politely disagree. When the answer isn't immediately obvious, it becomes clear that "two heads can be better than one"...and students can take their learning to higher levels. What about when students WANT to work alone? This is when coaching might be important...students need to see that other students might have great ideas, might help them find errors in their own thinking--and can make the entire process more fun! My students did a great job partnering on this back to school shopping challenge! These algebra thinking cards were MUCH easier when partners started working together! The math discussions they had were fantastic--and they found lots of misconceptions and mistakes they were making as they worked! My favorite quote? "I knew I could never do math this hard by myself!" And so much more! These are just a few suggestions to get your students working in pairs--but there are so many more! Keep stressing how important collaboration is--and how it takes practice to get good at it...but when we ARE good at it, working together can be so much fun! Follow me on... Facebook Pinterest Instagram @Fourthgradestudio Twitter @FourthGrStudio Periscope @ FourthGrStudio Teachers Pay Teachers Store Blog
I love spending the final weeks of school working on projects with my students! While we complete a variety of projects throughout the year, my students become project-making machines after testing!! And we love every minute of it!! At this point in the year, the stress of fitting in curriculum has vanished, students have…
I had previously sold items here on my site. Since I had to manually send items to people, I have just transferred everything to Teachers Pay Teacher (see link tab above). These items here are just free files I have made over the years. If you like these and want more options, please visit my TpT store. LOOKING for my only items? Check TpT! MANY of these have additional items in my TpT store. Thank you! :) SIMPLY click on the image to download the FREE FILES! Check back often! OTHER:
Now, for some reason the IPG (Instructional Planning Guide) in my district says to start 4th grade with arrays, factors, and multiples. A...
October 12, 2013 Fourth and fifth grade students are reviewing "rhythm" (the short and long patterns of the beat) in music class...
There are so many reasons why exit tickets are powerful classroom tools! This blog post lists how and why you should be using exit tickets in your classroom. It also includes FREE exit tickets and classroom examples!
This is a 20 question analogies worksheet. It is good for practice, review, or even as a quiz. Analogies range in difficulty. It was designed with 4th graders in mind, but can be used with lower grades or even upper grades. Answers may vary.•Answer key included !We appreciate your comments and ratin...
An Upper Elementary Collaborative blog written by 13 teachers. Includes teaching ideas and resources for grades 3, 4, and 5.
A blog full of tips, lessons, and ideas to use in the upper elementary classroom.
Teaching the meanings of prefixes and suffixes is undoubtedly a skill that needs to be scaffolded over multiple grade levels. When I taught second grade, my main goal was to teach students how a prefix or a suffix affected the meaning of a word. We started with five basic prefixes and six basic suffixes. (Check out this affix blog post at my personal blog if you want to view my anchor chart, or read about my favorite way to introduce prefixes and suffixes to younger students.) Then, with each passing grade level, a few more prefixes and suffixes are added to the list. When I work with 4th and 5th grade students, I like to use concept circles to provide an opportunity for students to analyze affixed words in a more challenging way. (If you're interested in using these with your own upper elementary students, don't miss the free student worksheet version near the end of this blog post!) This activity involves four steps: Students read the four words written inside the concept circle, and determine which one does not belong. Students draw a line through the misfit word. Students determine the meaning of the affix used in the other three words. They write the meaning in the innermost circle. Students think of another word that uses the featured affix. They replace the word they crossed out in Step #1 with their new word. In the outside rim, students write the meaning of each word. Here are a few photos of some concept circles I have done with students: Click on the image below to download this packet of concept circles for FREE! It contains the three large concept circles picture above, 5 students worksheets like the one pictured below, and blank versions so you can create your own concept circles! Also, if you're looking for additional resources for teaching about prefixes and/or suffixes, feel free to check out some of the bundles in my TpT store! (Just click on an image to check one out!) Thanks for stopping by today! FREE Newsletter! Blog TpT Store Instagram Facebook Pinterest My YouTube Video
This introduction to poetry gives teachers ideas on teaching poetry minlessons that make a difference in how your students think about poems.
When setting up your Calendar, the first thing you will need to do is look at your state standards. Ask yourself, what are those key standards, that I teach once or twice, and the kids just don't seem to get it? For me, things like place value, prime and composite numbers, factors, and multiplication and division of larger numbers and fractions came to mind. Those were the things I wanted to put on my Calendar. I go through my standard (which, at this point are Common Core Standards) and check off the really "big" ones. Those are MUST HAVES on the Calendar Math page. I try to pick things that I know the kids won't struggle too much with, but will also find rigorous enough to constitute new learning. I want them to practice, not guess at answers, so I don't put finding percentages on the first level. That would be WAY too far over their heads. I do put simplifying fractions though, because, even though they haven't learned it formally yet, it is easy enough to teach a rote way and have them practice daily. (which then frees me up later to teach them the concept of it all!) Here are the actual sheets I use in 4th and 5th Grade. You can see that there are A LOT of standards covered. At first, this truly is a lot for the kids, but once they get good at it, it takes no more than 10 minutes. 5th Grade Daily Sheet 5th Grade Geometry 4th Grade Daily sheet 4th Grade Geometry Click on the pages themselves to enlarge. You will see that they are fairly similar to each other. I have designed it that way on purpose. I want 4th and 5th graders to see the consistency of it all. I want them to practice skills and not be bogged down in format. So I make them all the same, with different skills plugged in. You can click here to access BOTH the 4th and 5th Grade first level versions for free. Once I had all of the things on my Calendar that I felt needed daily, constant review, I then went about setting up my calendar board. I have had many incarnations of the board. The last few years, due to space issues, I have the templates on actual poster board. These go up and down as I work on Calendar with the kids. These are close up views of the boards I use. These were used FIRST semester in 5th grade. Second semester looks a *bit* different (no odd/even, for example) But this year, I have space again in my room (different set up) and I am able to have a dedicated board!! I am so excited to have it up all day long this year. Sometimes though, I actually just project the sheet itself on the ELMO and we review it that way. There is no right or wrong with this part, just how you as the teacher are most comfortable. I made a set of templates that I use in my class. They really aren't that hard to make, and I fully encourage you to make them on your own to fit the needs of your class. BUT, if you want to use mine that are already made, I have them available for you in my store. You can find them here. And while I fully encourage you to manipulate this to suit your needs, I respectfully ask that you do not repost on your own blog or TpT store. (free or paid) I appreciate you respecting my copyright on this. Thank you very much. OK...so there you have the set up. Now, you are probably wondering how this all works in class. I have written some more posts about it just for you! Next up, the routine! This post will tell you all about how I go about delivering Calendar instruction in my class. Or, if you would like, you can read about how to get it up and running the first week. Here is a video I made showing the gestures and motions we use. *************************************************************************** I am always asked if an editable version is available. Well, I made one for you! It is $3 at my store but all the formatting is done and taken care of. Just change out your standards. It is the 5th grade version AND the 4th grade version AND the 3rd grade version. If you teach 6th or higher, the 5th are perfect for you to edit (as they are based on CCS standards, which I know contain a lot of middle school things in other states.) Again, you can always make your own....but I have done the work for you in case you want to go that route :) Just so you are clear though, these are text boxes in POWER POINT that you can put your own words on if you wish (or just keep it that way!) These are editable for you to change the actual math TASKS. I hope that makes sense. (I don't want anyone buying them thinking they are something they are not. Inputting the numbers is NOT what the editing is for) If you teach 5th grade or 4th grade I have a special treat for you. I created a Calendar Math Starter Kit!! This is over 300 pages of everything you need to get this amazing program started in your room. What is awesome about it (and what I am looking forward to having for next year) is that I have prefilled the numbers in on over 4 months worth of Calendar time...so the sheets are literally print and go for your students. You don't have to think about what numbers you will put on the Calendar sheets. It also gives you tons of examples of how you can actually implement the program in your room. There are editable sheets AND the templates in there for you. It literally is all there. I will be updating these every year for the next few years, so if you buy it once, you basically get a subscription to it! Just click the links above.
Well this weekend has already flown by. My plans were to have a guest post by an AMAZING person and a wonderful give-a-way to celebrate reac...
Incorporating social issues into our literacy studies is a great way to help students think more deeply about texts and get more engaged.
I’m *very* excited to be linking up with Jennifer at 4mulaFun for her Interactive Notebook Linky Party! Aaaand since I’m a double-dippin kinda gal I’m going to show you 5 of my interactive notebooking lessons, making this a great Five for Friday! All of these ideas come from my Interactive Reading Literature Notebooks ~ Teaching […]
I have used the reading workshop model for about 8 years now. It has changed a lot over the years! One thing that has stayed the same is the ‘Respond to Text’ station. This is a time where students get to write about their reading. The station stays the same all year, but the activities in the station change. Below is a list of activities you can add to your ‘Respond to Text’ station at the beginning of the year. 1. Bookmark Book Report At the beginning of the year, some students struggle to finish chapter books. I find that this bookmark book report helps them stay engaged in their reading. The students keep track of the pages they read, and complete activities as they read their book. There is a fiction and nonfiction version available for download. 2. Text Structures Tri-fold Students can use this trifold to ‘hunt’ for different text structures. Just put a basket of nonfiction books at the station and you are set! It’s a great way to get them reading nonfiction books. 3. Choice Board Students get to choose what activities they’d like to complete. This is great because it can be used for the story of the week (if you follow a basal) or the chapter book they are currently reading. You can have the students glue this page inside their reading notebook, or have them staple their responses to this sheet and turn in. Download the Printables: Click here to download the bookmark book report. Click here to download the text structures trifold and choice board. Add editing tasks to your reading workshop block! Math Resources: 1st Grade Tri-Folds 2nd Grade Tri-Folds 3rd Grade Tri-Folds 4th Grade Tri-Folds 5th Grade Tri-Folds Thanks for reading! I hope you will find these printable helpful :) Visit my blog @ Learning With Mrs S. Visit my TPT Store Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram! Follow me on Facebook :)
Thank you to Diane for submitting this fun book report poster. It’s legal size (paper) worksheet and is great for lower grades (or as an easy project for upper grades). Great end of the year …
This blog post contains a FREE compare and contrast reading activity! Materials are included so you can replicate the compare and contrast anchor chart and lesson for your own upper elementary and middle school students.
Teaching the meanings of prefixes and suffixes is undoubtedly a skill that needs to be scaffolded over multiple grade levels. When I taught second grade, my main goal was to teach students how a prefix or a suffix affected the meaning of a word. We started with five basic prefixes and six basic suffixes. (Check out this affix blog post at my personal blog if you want to view my anchor chart, or read about my favorite way to introduce prefixes and suffixes to younger students.) Then, with each passing grade level, a few more prefixes and suffixes are added to the list. When I work with 4th and 5th grade students, I like to use concept circles to provide an opportunity for students to analyze affixed words in a more challenging way. (If you're interested in using these with your own upper elementary students, don't miss the free student worksheet version near the end of this blog post!) This activity involves four steps: Students read the four words written inside the concept circle, and determine which one does not belong. Students draw a line through the misfit word. Students determine the meaning of the affix used in the other three words. They write the meaning in the innermost circle. Students think of another word that uses the featured affix. They replace the word they crossed out in Step #1 with their new word. In the outside rim, students write the meaning of each word. Here are a few photos of some concept circles I have done with students: Click on the image below to download this packet of concept circles for FREE! It contains the three large concept circles picture above, 5 students worksheets like the one pictured below, and blank versions so you can create your own concept circles! Also, if you're looking for additional resources for teaching about prefixes and/or suffixes, feel free to check out some of the bundles in my TpT store! (Just click on an image to check one out!) Thanks for stopping by today! FREE Newsletter! Blog TpT Store Instagram Facebook Pinterest My YouTube Video
tw When it comes to math, geometry seems to be in a whole different league. Some kids fall in love with it instantly, while it seems challenging for other kids. One of the great things about geometry is that there are so many hands-on activities we can provide for our students, which makes it lots of fun! Here are some of my favorite geometry activities: 1. Start With Shapes I like to have students start with shapes they've known since they were tiny, like triangles, squares, and circles. We draw these on whiteboards as a whole class. Next we draw the more advanced shapes like pentagons, hexagons, octagons, trapezoids, and even the rhombus! This brings us to a discussion of polygons and we can classify shapes that way. Besides whiteboards, there are lots of ways for kids to work with shapes, like Popsicle sticks (which are also great to use to illustrate lines like parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular), LEGOS, Geoboards, and even clothespins which can be clipped together. 2. Marshmallow Geometry I like this activity because any time you add food, kids are all in! Using marshmallows and toothpicks, kids can make simple 2-D shapes, and also 3-D shapes. Plus, this activity is the perfect place to emphasize vertices since each time you add a marshmallow, you place it at a corner. If you have food allergies or school regulations which prohibit food, you can substitute the marshmallows for Play-Doh. 3. Use an Anchor Chart Once students have had lots of exploration time with shapes, it's time to discuss their attributes. I like to actually make this anchor chart with the kids' help. I explain how it will be organized, from the smallest number of sides to the greatest. We also notice patterns of sides and vertices as we create it. I do ask kids for examples of shapes, and sometimes they get really creative with this! 4. Go on a Shape Scavenger Hunt This is an activity that is great to do with some parent helpers if you have any. I like to send iPad cameras with each group, clipboards and pencils, and a record sheet. Kids record the shape that was found, the type of object it was, and where it was found. It's really fun to see what shapes they're able to find while walking around the school campus! 5. Incorporate Some Art I am a huge art proponent so I add art wherever it fits in. Geometry is a great time to do either geometric animals, robots, or people. I usually choose one of those categories but really you could make it a wide open project too! I shared another fun geometric art activity on a blog post I wrote called Incorporating Art in the Classroom. This one is from Literacy Loves Company. As a follow up to geometric lessons on lines and angles, I cut polygons from white construction paper for each child. I have kids use rulers and sharpies and follow my step by step directions of drawing lines and then finding obtuse angles, right angles, perpendicular lines, and so on. After the lesson is done, kids add color to these, making it a really fun art piece. 6. Add Some Kinesthetic Learning Kids need movement and it's easy to add some movement with this unit. For this activity, students will be on the floor working with a partner to make different kinds of lines (parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular), shapes, and angles (right, acute, and obtuse) using their bodies. An alternative is to have kids stand up and use their arms to illustrate these geometric concepts. Another kinesthetic activity is to gather Chinese jump ropes or packages of sewing elastic. If you use elastic, one package is enough for one small group of 5 - 6 kids. The idea is to have students use the elastic as a group to make the shapes you call out (types of triangles are especially good) or types of angles. Different kinds of lines can also be made if two groups work together. 7. Add Some Task Cards and Games Task cards are one of my go-to tools! Kids love the game-like format and I know that they're getting really focused learning on whatever math concept we're working on. I have used them as centers/stations, for whole class math time, for one on one, and as exit slips. If you'd like some pre-made math task cards specifically for geometry, click here; 3rd Grade Geometry Bundle 4th Grade Geometry Bundle 5th Grade Geometry Bundle 8. Read Mentor Text I love it when I can tie reading into math too! The books above are some of my favorite mentor texts for geometry. I love all of the visual examples included. 9. Use Music I just found these songs by Numberock on YouTube and they are perfect for this unit! Really great pictures and catchy tunes: Parallel, Perpendicular and Intersecting Lines Angles Types of Triangles 10. Practice Angles Seriously, next to long division, measuring angles is probably the most difficult math skill students will face in the elementary years! It doesn't help too that it is introduced in fourth grade in common core and then not even mentioned in 5th grade standards. Oh well! One activity that helps is to have kids use graph paper and write their first name in all capital block letters. Students can measure any angles created by the intersection of the letter's lines. Another favorite activity for practicing angles is to take tape and make different lines, which create angles on a desk, table, or even on sheets of butcher paper. Kids use protractors to measure angles and then write with expos (or markers on the butcher paper) right on the desks/tables! Great way to add some fun to this difficult concept! Hope you've found at least a few ideas you can use for your geometry unit! I did want to let you know that I have Math Task Card Bundles for every grade from 3rd - 5th. Each bundle has 30 sets of 32 task cards that cover ALL STANDARDS (CCSS) for those grades. I love prepping them at the beginning of the year and then grabbing whatever concept we're working on for some added practice. If you'd like to take a look: 3rd Grade Math Task Cards Bundle 4th Grade Math Task Cards Bundle 5th Grade Math Task Cards Bundle Thanks so much for stopping by! If you like this post, I would love it if you would pin it or share it with a teacher friend! For more ideas and strategies focused on Upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter right HERE. I'd love to connect with you! Facebook Pinterest Instagram TpT Store
Check out these fun teaching materials for teaching comma rules to upper elementary including an anchor chart, videos, and graphic organizer.
Take a G and an E and O, And add a little R-G-E, To a W-A-S-H, I...N...G If you add 2,000 pounds, That makes a ton, So what have you got? You've got a lot!
A blog full of tips, lessons, and ideas to use in the upper elementary classroom.
Lesson Idea and Foldable for the Distributive Property for Algebra 1
Use the numbers in the box to make both sides of the scale equal. For a great visual have the students use an actual scale and bl...
Hello Everyone! I hope your week is going well! My last post suggested that it had been a few years since we've gotten to enjoy St. Patrick's Day at school. Well, that changed this week! Finally we got to enjoy some shamrock, leprechaun, and rainbow fun...and believe me, there was a ton of learning going on!! Take a look! Morning Work---ABC Order Math Notebook- All in Green! :) Our Number Operator Page looks awesome in green! Graphing in Math! Lucky!! Math Tub...More Graphing! What is all this green for? Practicing Fractions!! 1/4! 4/4 = one whole! Leprechaun puppet play reading! Practicing ai words on a rainbow! Finding gold! And creating something out of the wrapper! Rainbow Shape and Color poem "Living under a rainbow" writing We had fun learning through all the colors!! Thanks for letting us share! If you would like to try some these, maybe next year...CLICK HERE!!! Next week we will try to introduce kids to prepositions. This is a tricky concept for our young learners. We will also begin learning about life cycles, specifically chickens...so...Rosie is coming back for a visit! You know from Rosie's Walk, by Pat Hutchins!!! I love using this book to explore position and direction words, so it is also perfect for prepositions. I put together a mini unit on prepositions with Rosie as our focus. Here are some pics of what is included. The hands on visual retelling preposition book's pattern is included in the unit. If you are looking for a simple way to help kids make connections with prepositions... For your copy of the mini unit, CLICK HERE! Phew, I didn't mean for this post to be so long, but I couldn't wait to share this little peek into our world of wonder!! Sometimes we forget that the little things, even leprechauns and shamrocks can...and do... engage kids into learning. Connecting hands to heads and hearts is what I love about being a teacher! Have a great rest of the week! Stay tuned for more! Joyfully! Nancy
Ever since Katie King and I released our Storybook STEM Units for K-2 last December, upper grade teachers in third, fourth, and fifth grade have been begging us for a similar version with novel studies. Well, we’ve been working our tails off for the past few months, and both happen share a love of all...
I teach 5th and 6th grade math to beginning English language learners. This post shares 3 critical strategies that support ELLs in the understanding of math concepts AND in the language of math. These are three "must haves" for any math classroom with ESL students, especially those with newcomers! "Math is a universal language." Have you heard this saying? I must admit, it's drives me a little crazy! Have you seen "standardized" testing? There is a LOT of language involved in math, and for students who are new to the country, this poses a lot of obstacles. Not only do we teach grade level math concepts to our students, but we also need to teach the language of math. So how can we best support our beginning ELLs in math? There is a reason I put vocabulary instruction at the top of the list. It simply cannot be ignored if we want our students to be successful. 1 - Vocabulary Instruction There are three types of vocabulary: tier 1 is basic vocabulary, tier 2 is grade level vocabulary (terms most native English speakers are familiar with), and tier 3 is low frequency content specific vocabulary. ALL students need explicit instruction in the third tier! Being aware of all 3 types is important, and knowing your students is key in deciding which words might need front-loading before a lesson. Ex. of Tier 1 Basic Vocabulary - tall, short, fast, long, more, less, far, close, heavy, light, around, cover, most, many, about, big, small, fill, full, empty, all, etc. Ex. of Tier 2 "Grade Level" Vocabulary (math language) - increase, decrease, greatest, least, altogether, replace, combine, random, weight, length, opposite, distance, etc. Ex. of Tier 3 Content Vocabulary - ratio, probability, quadrilaterals, polygons, equations, diameter, circumference, coefficient, variable, volume, capacity, scalene, kilometer, etc. In classrooms with beginning ELLs, vocabulary is one of the main focuses of instruction. Terms from all 3 levels need to be explicitly taught. Analyzing the math lesson during the planning phase and looking for terms that need front-loading is vital to providing comprehensible instruction. On days that I'm introducing a new concept, I KNOW that my primary focus is on vocabulary. ---- Vocabulary Building Activities ---- I use the KIM Strategy for direct vocabulary instruction. To read a post about this highly effective vocabulary strategy, click HERE. Key vocabulary is introduced, a simple kid friendly definition is produced and visual "memory clue" is illustrated. Make vocabulary fun:) Write terms on one set of cards and visuals or examples on another set, then pass out cards to students. As an "exit ticket" they must find their matching partner. The vocabulary terms on this day were "ascending" and "descending." My sixth graders used the KIM strategy in their notebooks at the beginning of class. We practiced putting numbers (fractions, decimals, percents) in ascending and descending order. At the end of class, I passed out index cards with percentages, and their "exit" task was to get into descending order. Then I mixed the cards up and asked them to get into ascending order. I always add an interactive notebook activity, or a foldable activity, to follow up. This resource provides students with a reference during their independent work time. These also are used as study tools before unit assessments. Quadrilaterals Interactive Notebook Activity Quadrilaterals Foldable Activity Numerical Patterns Interactive Notebook Activity Types of Lines Interactive Notebook Activity To find these math resources, click HERE. The direct vocabulary instruction always come first, then I find ways to get my students up and out of their seats for fun vocabulary building activities. This physical activity helps to solidify their understanding. An interactive notebook, or foldable, activity usually follows. Then we practice using the vocabulary throughout the unit with sentence frames to support their language acquisition. 2 - Visuals and Anchor Charts Beginning ELLs do the majority of their learning by watching. Meaningful visuals are key to their understanding. My lessons are loaded with visuals and I am constantly drawing pictures to show what something means. I really wish I could draw!! That hand has 6 fingers!!! Yikes! It's always a challenge, but my students get a kick out of my efforts. LOL! If only it could be this simple... It would be so much easier for me, and for them! :) Color coding is also an effective visual strategy. My students copied this capacity "diagram" in their math notebooks using 5 different colors. Add visuals to math notebooks for each lesson so that students have a reference. On the left hand page is a visual chart for the "Types of Lines" vocabulary. To be successful with independent activities, such as centers and homework, they have everything they need in their notebooks. Use images that relate math to the real world around them. I often use the "Essential Questions for 6th Grade Math" pages by The Illustrated Classroom. They've been a real life saver to me! The visuals are great and the text is simplified. I print them at 75%, cut the excess edges off, then have my students glue them into their notebooks. It works great! Create a visual math word wall. I use this word wall, also by The Illustrated Classroom. Another math reference tool with visuals, and a great place to introduce AND review content vocabulary. Math Videos - I absolutely love using short math videos in class, especially the ones on You Tube by NumbeRock!! NumbeRock videos are free on You Tube. He also has a ton of awesome math resources on TPT. The visuals are spot on, and each video is short, only about 2-3 minutes. My students love them and can see the math concepts in action. These videos are often a part of my introductory lessons. I also use Brain Pop Jr. videos. Brain Pop Jr. is a paid subscription. Even though the "Jr." version is for grades K-3, the focus is on vocabulary, and the language is simplified, so compared to the upper elementary BP version, I find that it's a better fit for my beginning 5th and 6th graders. Creating anchor charts is also invaluable. Pinterest is such a great place to find inspiration for math anchor charts! It's my go-to destination for ideas! As long as we are learning about a concept, the anchor chart stays up for viewing. When we go back to review at the end of the year for state assessments, or spiral back to a concept later, the anchor chart gets pulled out again. Some charts stay up all year! KIM Vocabulary Strategy Poster. Students regularly use this format in the back of their math notebooks. Inequalities anchor chart Order of Operations anchor chart The most important thing to remember about teaching beginning English language learners, IMO, is that you need to show the concept visually FIRST, along with explicit vocabulary instruction. Even with definitions, adding a visual can be "worth a thousand words." ;) When I am planning a math lesson, I think to myself, "How can I show this concept to my students?" And... "Where can I add meaningful visuals?" If I'm teaching fractions, I want to show them parts of a whole. Maybe that means breaking a Hershey's candy bar into pieces, or cutting a pan of brownies into equal parts. (I see a chocolate theme happening here!) If I am teaching probability, I want to show the concepts of certain, impossible, likely and unlikely. It's all about Visuals - Visuals - Visuals!! 3 - Hands On Activities Manipulative and hands-on activities are a great way for students to see "how" math works. Cubes, tiles, measuring tools, foldable activities, food, tangrams, fraction pieces, dice and games are just some ways we can get our students working on and practicing math skills. When students are using their hands, they are focused on "doing" something, compared to when they are note taking or using receptive skills to understand a lesson or new vocabulary. Here they get to practice and try out their math thinking. It's also a great way for ME to see what they understand, as well as what might need clarifying. When math is FUN, and students have had both vocabulary building and meaningful visuals beforehand, the hands-on activities are where they can dive in and practice what they've learned. ---- Hands-On Activities ---- Creating Math Foldables Forming Angles with Wixi Sticks Measuring circumference with round foods. Measuring that skittle was a challenge! FUN math games Measuring Around the Room Vocabulary, visuals and hands-on activities are the 3 must-have strategies for any math classroom with English language learners, especially beginners. Here's an example of all 3 in action. >>> Data and Statistics - Day 1 <<< Direct Vocabulary Instruction - term: "Data - a collection of information (facts, numbers, measurements)" Students copy this in their notebooks. Visuals - Bar Graph Anchor Chart: Question Posed- "Which color do you like best?" Collecting Data - Students come up and color in their favorite color choice. Then we analyze the the data. I ask questions like, Which color did most students like best? Which color did the least, or smallest, number of students like best? Which color did no students like the best? How many students chose the color red? How many students chose the color green? etc... This is a great time to build that tier 1 and 2 vocabulary. Next, I want to model how to take this data and show it in a different way using a circle graph. See pics below. >>> Data and Statistics - Day 2 <<< We review the data from the circle graph and then convert fractions to percents in a whole group setting. Hands-On Activity - My students gather data and use it to create their own circle graph. They will also convert fractions to percents. They each get a baggie of skittles and predict how many are inside. Then they take out the skittles and gather their data. They count and note the amount for each color. Next they write the fraction for each color and convert that number into a decimal. Last, they create the circle graph the same way I modeled with the colored strips the day before. (The M&M Lab Activity by Lisa Tilmon can be found here.) My students all had a firm understanding of data collection after these 2 days. My teacher heart was smiling:) ************************************************ Vocabulary -- Visuals -- Hands-On Activities -- Oh Yea!! ************************************************ I hope that you found some helpful tips in this post. I'd love to hear about a strategy that you find to be a "must-have" when working with beginning English language learners!
I've been completely enjoying my time in 3rd grade. The kids are a scream! I've been making anchor charts for them because I'm a visual learner. I like to see in print what I am learning. So, I just assume these kids can also benefit - hence the love of anchor charts. I'm literally obsessed with pinning them on my Pinterest account. Anyhow, here's my recent anchor chart for our prefix and suffix lessons coming up: As you can see, I sorta ran out of room with all those suffixes, but it's better in person. It's just a teaching tool....basically so I don't have to keep writing these things on the board each and every day! I know my Phonics chart made a real difference with the kiddos, and that's all the proof I need! It was so handy to scaffold the information from lesson to lesson, and class to class. Frankly, anchor charts make me feel smarter and also make me look good...Why? Because all I have to do to remind myself of the answer is LOOK AT THE CHART! It's all about making things easier for the teacher. At least, that's what I'm discovering each and every day.
