New Year Strategies for Sight Words

I've had requests from conference attendees on how to use the Quick Time files on their Smart Boards or Interactive Whiteboards (IWB).  Read below for a "How to Guide" on operating the files.  If you follow the steps below, you will love the ease and management when compared to a Power Point file.  Don't have a Smart Board, IWB, or student computers?  Keep reading after the "technology" directions, and I will show you how to do it "low tech."


How many of your students struggle with learning those words that do not follow the rules.  Many are high frequency words found on many word walls throughout the United States.  Last December, while on an airplane, I was going through my students' checklist of known sight words from our word wall.  It was very consistent that most were missing the words that could not be read phonetically.  

When my students struggle, I try to think of a strategy that will help them learn, recall, and retain information.  Singing, movement, hands-on activities, along with integrated technology can help children learn and retain new concepts including those troublesome high frequency words.  We call them Outlaw Words at my school because they "do not follow the rules."  

So in the holiday tradition, The Twelve Days of Christmas just popped into my head and "The Outlaw Words" song was born.  I took the words from my word wall list that did not follow the rules and put them to this familiar tune.  I ordered them so they would be repeated frequently to help with memorization.  I also color-coded them in phrases to give it a visual connection too.  The result was a new song from my CD "Growing Dendrites with Kathy Griffin"  (c) 2011.  

Here is a picture of the multimedia file (4 of the 14 slides) that I made to go with the song.  I show it on my Smart Board, but it is applicable to any IWB  (Interactive Whiteboard), as long as you have Quick Time on your computer.  It can also be used with a digital projector or student computer.  The IWB allows students or teacher to control the file by using the tools at the bottom of the screen as in the following pictures. On your student computers, the students use the mouse to click the play-pause button.

This is the 6th slide. When we get to the "what do you want" part, the children stand up, throw their hands in the air, and shout - "What do you want?" - Then quickly sit back down.   Since that line comes into play 8 times, it keeps the children moving and learning, giving them much needed movement opportunities.  And of course, it is their favorite part of the song. Kathy Griffin (c) Copyright 2011

Slide 13 - The song continues in a repetitive fashion. We sing the song various ways:  together, by rows, boys vs. girls. They like the competition.  I remind that readers look at the words while reading. Sometimes we point to the words across the screen as they appear. Kathy Griffin (c) Copyright 2011.

Refer to the red box for strategies we use in our classroom to
reinforce learning the "Outlaw Words." Using this multimedia file on the Smart Board or IWB makes  a great literacy station too.  I partner my children up, and they look for phonics patterns, practice spelling the words, or change the words to make new words all while operating it independently. During literacy centers, I turn the volume off, so they work directly with the words. Kathy Griffin (c) Copyright 2011

Remember that when you purchase the Quick Time file, it can be put on your student computers.  Then your students will have a chance to practice during Readers' Workshop or during "Read to Self" or "Listen to a Book" if you are doing the Daily Five.


You can purchase the Quick Time file of The Outlaw Words from my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for $3.00. I am selling each multimedia file individually, so you can purchase "what you need - when you need it."  


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Outlaw-Words-for-the-Smart-Board-or-Computer


"Low Tech" The Outlaw Words - BOOKS!!!


So you want all of this technology, but don't have it yet?  No worries!  You can purchase the mp3 version of the song to play in your listening center or on your CD player.  I made a book set that includes an 8 1/2 X 11 size version for whole group of the listening center, along with a 1/2 size book to use during guided reading.  There is a flip book version included which students can cut apart and make a fun flip book of the song along with a song file folder that I use to put in my students reading folder. The mp3 song is $1.00 and the book set is $4.00.  I found CD players at Target for less than $10.00 and let individual students who need extra practice use these CD players during Read to Self or Independent Reading time.


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Outlaw-Words-Books

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Outlaw-Words-Song


GAMES!!!!


You have to have games to go with everything:)  I made a Game and Activity Pack and am releasing it for a short time at $5.00.  It includes the following:

There are 139 pages in this game/activity pack.  That averages out to 39 cents an activity.

These are actual sample activities from the packet.  You can purchase this packet on my Teachers Pay Teachers Store:


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Outlaw-Words-Activity-and-Game-Pack


Check back again for pictures of the activities during my Readers' Workshop time and learn how I use another song from "Growing Dendrites with Kathy Griffin."


Thanks for stopping by!

Train Inquiry - Our Completed Train

Happy New Year! I enjoyed my time off and am getting ready to "get ready" to return on January 3rd.  We had a great time finishing our train inquiry project.  I am combining all of our pictures from the week before our winter break.  There are many pictures that show how I incorporated math during our train inquiry project at the end of the Polar Express train pictures so keep looking. The first are pictures of our collaborative work that we did to build the train.  We used our lists from the earlier post to help design our train and make the gauges, levers, and buttons.  

Student generated rules for the train.  I guess they hear their teacher say this all the time during circle time:)

Preparing the background scenery with white paint mixed with shaving cream to give it a "puffy-snowy" look.  Don't you just love children's descriptions.  She was right.  It did look like puffy snow when we were finished.

Walking into our room for the magical moment.  Classroom lights out and train lights on.

Side view with the lights on the student-created train wheels.

The students made snowflakes to walk on when going to the train.

Rules, Signs, and Important Information
Note:  They loved the craft sticks that were out for another project.
They ended up making poles for the signs.

The students used non-standard measurement to build the train tracks.

Student created boards for the front of the train.  Looks like we
needed lots of clocks and gauges  and levers to pull.  

Love, love, love the written directions for operating a train.
I also love the ''I love Mrs. Griffin" button too.
I think that was a happy first grader enjoying our project.

A View From the Front
We showed the actual book of the Polar Express instead of the movie.
Of course, we had hot chocolate along with songs from the movie sound track.  

Side view of our trains with wheels and lights.

Student drawings of what you would see when looking out of the train.

More student pictures to add to our train.

A View From the Back
The students painted the night sky and cut out trees, stars, and other objects
for our background scenery.  No patterns required just a child's imagination.

It was a big train for 2 classrooms!

Side View

The children loved that their train and box cars went around the room.
They thought it looked like there was a train in the mountains above them.

There are signs everywhere.  Lots of authentic writing opportunities.

Vocabulary and Math Integrated

You have to have rules:)

A close-up view of the buttons and gears.

Front View of Our Train and Train Tracks

Thanks Mr. Petersen!  The lights were a magical touch!

Take a look at the wonderful math that took place during our train inquiry project.  We focused on nonstandard measurement, shapes, addition & subtraction, and spatial awareness.  We used our classroom tables to build a train math museum.  

Give them the materials, and they will build.
pattern blocks, craft sticks, post-it-notes, and creativity

Future Engineer

Give your students post-it-notes to label their creations.

Our Everyday Math curriculum was measurement, so these activities worked in nicely.
We are learning to use standard units to measure.
Making bead trains requires a lot of fine motor work too.

Our bead trains were supposed to be 10 inches long.
estimation and measurement

All I can say is WOW!  Look at this student's attempt at symmetry!

The girls decided to go 3D in building their trains.  I see some future engineers here too.
The boys were very impressed as was I!

Fine motor, balance, building, spatial awareness, and shapes all weaved in together.

Notice that this student was trying to make the top of the train at different heights.
Young children have amazing patience when engaged in learning.

Why YES!! We were discussing "The 2 Vowels Together Rule."
Spelling with a Purpose

Finished products of friends working side by side but individually too.

Creative Use of Materials

Says, "All Aboard!"
Inventive spelling at its finest:)

This child spent over 30 minutes making this creation. I had a copy of a pattern block train out, but there was a problem.  We didn't have all of the required shapes.  This child had to figure out which shapes you can put together to make other shapes.  I would say she was quite successful. 

These were challenging pieces to put together to build a train. It actually made my head hurt.
So what did I do . . . walked away and said, "Use your imagination."
I think he did!  

Love the directions to show where the driver side is.

This year's class was really interested in the different types of box cars and what they carried.
Here is the table museum of their snap cube trains.
Math, math, everywhere!

Flat cars were fun to build.

More Flat Cars

Hopper Car

Hopper Car - A View Inside

Hopper Car with Train Wheels so "It can stand up like a real train."

Gondola Box Car
I learn so much when our class does inquiry projects.

So what's next?  Nonfiction books will be coming soon.  We ran out of time to have the finished project.  So check back again soon.  Do you need to wait for the Polar Express or Christmas to have a train inquiry project?  NO!  How many of you do a unit on "Transportation" or "Community Helpers?"  Turn your pretend center into a train or use another area in your classroom.  We learned so much new vocabulary, incorporated our reading and writing skills (more to come), and integrated math, science, and social studies.  

Here are more posts on the Polar Express and Trains:

Polar Express KWHL Chart Trains

Polar Express Researching Trains

Polar Express Drawing Trains

Polar Express Drawing Modern Trains

Thanks for stopping by!