Dendrites, Do Not Disturb, Guided Reading Groups, OH MY!

Wow!  Have you ever had one of those weeks that just flew by so fast you wonder where the week went?  That is how my week went.  The students were out of school on Monday for Presidents' Day while the teachers had professional development.  I attended some great sessions on Inquiry in the Classroom, Math Centers, and a new program that was just installed on our computers - Graphing Club.  Plus, I got a student teacher this week from ORU who is absolutely fantastic and amazing with the children.  It's going to be a great 8 weeks.

So today's blog is going to be about DENDRITES!!!  My students love that word, and take their new learning seriously.  We've talked about growing dendrites all year, and of course, that is the name of my new CD so they see/hear it in my multimedia files, songs and books.  I decided to show them an actual picture of the brain with dendrites and neurons on an imaging scan I found on the Internet via the big screen, digital projector/Smart Board. Whoa!  You need to google that and show your students.  The children were so excited to see what it actually looked like as the dendrites branch out to all of the neurons.  We contemplated what might be on one of those dendrites branching out to the neurons.  


I love how children think . . . Combinations of 10 such as 5 + 5?  The doubles facts? The phonics patterns "ch, sh, aw, eu, the silent e?"  Our "Outlaw Words?" Reading strategies?

Do not disturb -We're growing dendrites!  This is my teacher hat to wear during guided reading groups.  Students know when I am wearing this hat, there is "serious brain work" going on:) It's been a great visual for the children.

My student teacher Ms. Johnson working with one of my students during "Read to Self."  She is rotating around the room getting to know the students and their reading patterns/strategies.  We decided she needed a "Do not disturb hat" too because they were all wanting to read to her.  

It's going to be a great 8 weeks!  Well I guess we have 7 left.

So there is my strategy for the week.  Purchase a $1.00 foam hat, staple on some pipe cleaners, and add some colored pom poms.  I love being an Early Childhood Teacher!


Visit my TpT store and check out my songs, multimedia files for the Smart Board or IWB, games, and books that teach phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, and reading strategies.


Thanks for stopping by!  Tomorrow is FREE Smart Board Sunday!