Sharing Early Literacy Learning Journeys

Archive for June, 2011

Sharing Breakfast – and celebrating children’s work

A yellow cloth covers the collage table and tea, coffee and juice await parents and children. A blue cloth covered table awaits fruit platters, small pancakes and banana bread that will arrive with parents and children. Mozart wafts from the CD player in our mat area.

It’s 8am on the morning of our Sharing Breakfast – a regular event in the last week of term. Children share their work with parents and parents celebrate children’s accomplishments. Piles of books grace the hexagonal tables – children’s books they work in like journals, alphabet, maths, activity and news books.  Children choose three books to read to parents – and two books for parents to read to them. 

On the previous day, the morning message is displayed at the classroom entrance as a reminder to parents. Children’s colourful drawings add a personal touch.

The morning message is a reminder to all
Evidence of each child’s work and books to read with a parent are displayed on the hexagonal tables.
Henry reads ‘Zac Power’ to his mum
Jake looks at ‘Tigress’ (Dowson) whilst nearby, his big brother reads to their mum
After all that sharing and eating, Ned chooses a Ravensburger puzzle

Parents stay for as long as it suits them. After sharing their child’s drawings, writing, reading books, numbers, science journals, etc., some parents head off to work – and they won’t even be late! Other parents stay and enjoy food, books, games and more time with the children.

How do you share children’s work with parents?

Category:

Drawing, Early literacy, Reading, Writing

Great Day for ‘ch’: Child brings baby chicks

With thanks to Dr Suess for Great Day for Up, ours is a Great Day for ‘ch’.  
A child brings in four little chicks. They go cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.
Children chatter about the chicks and cheer when the chicks run, jump and fly.

The children observe the chicks.  We take photos and make notes.
Children exclaim…
“Look at him jump.”
“Look out! She’s trying to fly.”
“They’re scratching and pecking the floor.”
“Now they’re cleaning their feathers.

Children talk, draw, write, read and share their work.

A lone brown chick on our mat area.

All 4 chicks on the mat area. They didn't want to go on the white paper in the foreground!

Before writing, children brain-stormed words about the chicks

Trevor's drawing of the brown chick to accompany his writing.

Carl's drawing and dictated sentence about the happy chick.

Mariah’s colourful drawing of 4 yellow chicks.
 
What pets have come into your classroom?
Tell us about an experience with a pet in your classroom.

 

Category:

Children talking, Drawing, Language Experience, Reading, Writing

Celebrating children: Under 8s day

Under 8s week was May 20-27. Our school celebrated our young children on Friday. The canopy and nearby grassy, treed area were dotted with ‘stations’ where children, younger siblings and parents participated in activities including:

  • playdough
  • blowing bubbles
  • making kites, crowns and masks
  • finger, face and easel painting
  • coloured chalk on blackboards and black paper
  • magnetic fishing
  • a giant parachute and
  • dancing

 

Through the eyes of a child: a playdough person.

I can write my name!

A child had his face painted as Hulk, then drew about it.

Face painting was popular.

The giant parachute was popular too!

 Looking for ideas to celebrate early years children in your school or your classroom? Click here.

What sorts of days for celebrating your children do you have in your state, province or territory?
In your school?
In your classroom?
 

Category:

Children talking, Drawing, Early literacy, Language Experience, Reading, Writing

An echidna in my backyard

The excitement began first thing Monday morning when Nyssa and her dad told us about an echidna they found when her dad was landscaping their backyard. Nyssa (aged 6) wrote about the echidna. Later we found pictures and information about echidnas. This is Nyssa’s story with her dad’s photographs…

An echidna in my backyard

I saw an echidna in my backyard on Saturday. I had a sleep over with my best friend Gretal and when we went outside, my dog found the echidna. It had spikes and the echidna was digging down.

Gretal, Meg and I played ponies together and then my dad gave us the picnic rug and we had alphagetti and cheese sticks. We had fun and after our picnic we went back to see the echidna. The echidna was gone. We liked the echidna. It had black and light brown spikes.

Then I was happy because I knew he was safe. I think he went to look for a new home to live in. I hope the echidna likes his new home. I liked the echidna and he liked me. I hope he doesn’t lose any spikes.

The echidna was digging down, down.
His spikes were black and dark brown.

Have you seen an echidna outside of a zoo?

 What do you know about echidnas?
 

                               

 
 
 

Category:

Children talking, Writing