The What If Anchor Chart

It's that time of the year.  Teachers are heading back to their classrooms to organize, rearrange, and gather their lessons together as they prepare for the first day of school.  And with all of those preparations, comes thoughts of new students and teaching those essential procedures.

I am a big "anchor chart" teacher.  I believe every problem can be solved by building an anchor chart with your students.  Here is my favorite one to do with my class.  You can adapt it to meet the needs of your students' ages and developmental levels.  If you have younger students, add some pictures.  If you have older students, add more details.

This chart is a springboard for a future chart we will build together.  This is the . . . "What if" . . . chart.  Just picture it in your head.  You are sitting at the guided reading group table and children are coming up to the table to ask you questions.  You are working with small groups in guided math.  Once again, the students have burning questions.  I take those burning questions and turn them into a "What If Anchor Chart."

Here is how it works.  Brainstorm a list of reasons that the students might need to interrupt you.  Here is the beauty of this chart.  It is a building chart that can be added to all year long.  This chart gives students solutions to their problems.  Yes, I know we all have procedures into place for a broken pencil, missing game piece, and broken technology.  But there is something magical about the "What if" chart.

 I hang it close by my guided reading table and kindly point to it as children approach me.  They learn really quickly all of the procedures for the "What if I need to interrupt you questions."  I hope you drop by again for my next blog post.

UPDATE in response to questions from readers 7-1-14.

This is the "first" anchor chart to get them brainstorming their "burning" questions.  I address them one at a time over the next few days - week.  Sometimes a new one comes up and we address it immediately.  We add it to our long anchor chart.  I hang the Question-Answer Chart by my guided reading table.  If a student walks towards me at the first of the year during guided reading or other small groups, I just point to the anchor chart.  They usually nod their heads and read the chart.  I use picture clues for younger students to help provide an anchor for them.

The answers to the questions will be your routines.  Here are some of mine. 

Question: What if I need to tell you something?
Answer:   Write in down and put it in the question box.

Question:  What if I don't know how to spell a word?
Answer:    Look at the "I Need Help Spelling a Word" anchor chart. 

Question:  What if my pencil breaks?  
Answer:    Put it in the "no" box and get one from the "yes" box.   

Question:  What if the Smart Board quits working?
Answer:    Go to another center.  

Question:  What if I need to go to the bathroom?
Answer:    Use the bathroom pass and go.

Question:  What if my friend is being mean?
Answer:    Use your kind words and ask them to please use their kind words.

Question:  What if I need a Kleenex?
Answer:   Go get one.  Use it.  Throw it in the trashcan.

We practice these scenarios as a class and model how to handle these issues.   It doesn't take long to cover as you are establishing  your procedures at the first of school anyway.

It is like a worry chart in some ways.  It really helps them realize where to look for help and become independent.  I also tell them readers know where to look for information.  Thanks for the feedback and for asking your questions.

Farm Action Verb Dance

I just returned from presenting at I Teach K, DI, PreK-1st Common Core Academy, and the Extraordinary Educators Conferences.  So what do I need to do now?  Upload all of my new multimedia files, song, and games to TpT.  That is a daunting task for anyone out there that is a seller.  Preview files, pictures, zip files, OH MY!!! So this evening I am celebrating the first multimedia file loaded.  Only 7 more to go! If you want a fun multimedia file to play on your Smart Board, Interactive Whiteboard, digital projector, or computer, then this is for you.  And the activity pack has sequencing cards, retelling cards, fun games such as "Farmer Says" and more.

Teaching nouns and verbs can be fun for our little ones if we keep the music, movement, and creativity in the mix.  This packet contains the multimedia file, activity pack, and mp3 song with many activities for practicing nouns and verbs.  Here is a brief clip of the Farm Action Verb Dance.  And it will be on sale through Tuesday, July 31st.  Stay tuned:  The Zoo Action Verb Dance is coming soon along with Superheroes to the Writing Rescue multimedia mini-lessons for spelling, capital letters, punctuation, ideas, personal narrative, and opinion writing.  And if tonight was any indication of how long it will take me to load them, there might just be a sale for each item I add.

Common Core Writing is a SNAP

I'm back!  And to make up for being "missing" from the blogging action I have a FREEBIE just for you!  I'm always thinking of ways to teach the Common Core Standards in an early childhood, developmentally appropriate way.  As I was working with some students on Opinion Writing this past year, I noticed they were having trouble connecting the steps in the writing process. With the Common Core, our students have guidelines included for narrative, opinion, informational, and research writing. 1st grade students (and up) need to use linking words or temporal words to connect their thoughts.  This can be hard for our young students to do abstractly.  So here is where "Writing is a SNAP" was born.

You can use any type of snapping block or cube to make this connection. Mega Bloks and Legos work great for this hands on analogy.  There are several different types out there, and most teachers already have them in their classrooms. You could also use regular snap cubes manipulatives from your math center. I use the analogy of building a building to connect to children's writing.  Some buildings are one story and some are several stories.   Here is the idea behind opinion writing. There are steps to writing an opinion piece.  Each step (block) is connected to the next step (block).  The linking words (top part of the Lego's or Mega Bloks) help connect one thought to the next thought (stories of the building). Without these connections, our building would fall over.  These connections make our building stronger.  Here are the building blocks for Common Core ELA Opinion Writing.

DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF OPINION WRITING

DIFFERENTIATE FOR YOUR GRADE AND YOUR STUDENTS

It is easy to model, manipulate and differentiate for your students.  They can increase their stamina for writing by adding more thoughts, details, and reasons to their story.  The following is a FREEBIE that I added to my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Here is a sample of the packet. Click HERE to download the FREE file.

If you like this FREEBIE, check out the complete packet of COMMON CORE WRITING IS A SNAP.  The packet contains building blocks for PERSONAL NARRATIVE, OPINION (contained in FREEBIE), INFORMATIONAL OR HOW TO, and RESEARCH WRITING.  There are more multiple forms for each type of writing including LARGE BLOCKS for ANCHOR CHARTS. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Common Core Teaching Verbs in FUN Way!

Do you need a fun way to teach verbs to your students? How about giving them a brain break and letting them act out the verbs to this multimedia file? Your students will be marching, jumping, hopping, and laughing as they learn about verbs. And since learning verbs and their shades of meaning are important parts of the Common Core and Language, you can build their knowledge of what a verb is by "doing" them.  Here is a longer glimpse than I can show on Teachers Pay Teachers due to size limits from the animations.  

Click HERE to view on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Verbs covered in this song:

walk, jump, twist, dance, turn, ride, clap, hop, blink, stomp, laugh, wave, sing, kick, run, snap, cross, spin, twist, sit, and cheer

Check back all week as I will be loading many activities to go with this multimedia file plus I have 2 more versions (Zoo Action Verb Dance & Farm Action Verb Dance) to load to Teachers Pay Teachers.  Nana K has been busy with her new grandson, so I am playing catch up.  Like my page on Face Book and follow me on my store and blog for the latest updates.  If it doesn't get loaded by Wednesday for the Teacher Appreciation Sales, I will go ahead and discount it 30% off for 2 days from the time I announce it on Face Book and my blog, so check back in!

The multimedia file runs on Quick Time. You can show it on your digital projector, Smart Board, any Interactive Whiteboard, or computer.

Kathy Griffin (c) Copyright 2013.
All rights reserved.
For single classroom use only.
Multiple user versions or school licenses are available for an additional cost.

Mother's Day Song & Video

I love Patty Shukla.  Check out her new song for Mother's Day.  So precious!

After watching the song/video, brainstorm a list of why the students love their mom. Remember to think about those who may not have a mom and include grandmas too. Then let the children make a card or write a story for their moms for Mother's Day. Thanks for stopping by!

Dr. Jean Celebration Cards

I am so lucky that I get to see Dr. Jean now and again when I present at conferences.  Talk about someone who has touched a lifetime of teachers and impacted so many children all over the United States.  She even inspired me to write my own songs.

Oh my!  I just found Dr. Jean on Teachers Pay Teachers and her amazing celebration cards are a FREE Download.  YAY!!! What are you waiting for?  Your students will love doing them!  What a great way to finish the school year by providing instant celebrations with your students.  And I use them in so many different ways as meaningful print. So what do I mean by meaningful print? Songs are meaningful print. Favorite books are meaningful print. Classroom labels are meaningful print. Your school creed is meaningful print.  And Dr. Jean's Celebration Cards are definitely meaningful print.  I place the cards in a pocket chart very close to my easel.  The students get to choose a celebration for good behavior, amazing work, exhibiting school character traits (respect, compassion, etc.).

I use meaningful print to teach fluency, phonics, phonemic awareness, letters and sounds, and sight words.  The sky is the limit.  The children have buy-in because they are familiar words and sentences that they hear every day.

For this literacy center, I copied the celebration cards onto regular

copy paper.  The students took a card then highlighted "What they 

noticed" on the card.  Letters, little words hiding in big words, word

wall words, phonics, blends, digraphs, silent e words, vowel teams, 

diphthongs, word endings (suffixes - ing), prefixes, word families.  

Your students will love playing detective.

Try these ideas with her cards.
Put them in a handwriting center and let the students make their own celebration cards to take home.  My students get so EXCITED to copy them and create their own artwork to go with them.  Start a celebration to the last day of school.  How many celebration cards can you make for your house before the end of the year?  Give your parents some great ideas for celebrating at home too.

Put them in a "What Do You Notice" center.  Copy and laminate the cards and place them in a literacy tub.  Put in some magnifying glasses.  Give your students a recording sheet to write down words that they notice.  It's differentiated because all children are at different stages of literacy at different times.  Some children will notice the letters in their names.  Some will find little words hiding in big words. Some will notice your word wall words in the cards. Some will find letter blends, digraphs, the silent e, vowel teams, word families, prefixes, suffixes or word endings (Common Core).  Have them share what they found.

Put them in a fluency center along with some PVC pipe phones.  Throw in some minute sand timers too.  Let your students practice reading the celebration cards.

Click on these links to take you to Dr. Jean's celebration cards.  And don't forget to leave her feedback and tell her how amazing they are!

Set #1

Set #2

Set #3

Set #4

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY Games and Flash Cards

Are you ready to test the waters and start making your own games and flash cards?  I use Power Point to make all of my games.  It is much easier to move clip art around than in a word document.  I created this starter packet for those who want to give it a try.  

Click HERE to view this on TpT.  The packet includes 45 pages of templates in different sizes and colors and is only $2.00.  Click on the download preview button on my TpT site to see all of the pages.

Follow me on Pinterest and check out my FREE Clip Art Board.  You will find some great  FREE clip art to use and will also get to know some great teachers who are wonderful artists too.

Choose from the different templates to create your own cards.

The file is in Power Point.  You will click on insert - text box - then type in your words.  Then choose the different clip art that you want to use to decorate your cards.

Here are some examples of cards that you can make for your class.  You can make cards for  learning your ABC's, sight words, spelling words, vocabulary words, math problems, science, and history.  The only limit is your imagination.

Have fun making your new games.  Stop back by as I share how I use these templates to create more games for my classroom.

You may use this template to create and sell products on Teachers Pay Teachers or other teacher stores.  You do NOT need to include a link back to me.  You may NOT sell these templates as a stand alone product.  You must modify them to make a game or other activity with them. If you use any FREE clip art from my Pinterest board, please follow the Terms of Use for each individual seller.  Most will will require a link back to their store, if you sell something with their product on it.