Teacher’s Guide - K
Helping Kindergarten Students Learn to
Write to a Character Education Theme
Universal Theme: Caring
In Kindergarten this prototype theme can be used several times throughout the year with the same four text selections. Repeat the lesson plan sequence, but change which story you use for each part.
In addition to this grade-specific packet,
a teacher will need the following materials:
q Four “Read-Aloud” stories. Pages 4-5 of this Kindergarten packet review stories that can be used. If you use a basal, these or similar stories may be part of it; all are available as trade books.
§ One Read-Aloud for Step 4
§ One Read-Aloud OR audiotape & tape recorder for Step 9
§ Two Read-Alouds for Cross-Text Comparison for Step 10
(Read-Alouds are part of a balanced reading program. See pages 1-4 of the General Resources if you are unfamiliar with or want to review the technique).
q Markers and chart paper for Steps 5 and 7
q Copies of these General Resources “INSERTS” from this MI-Map Packet:
§ INSERT - Picture Walk . . . and INSERT- Reading Aloud (4 pages)
§ Pull-Apart Venn Diagram -or- T-Square for Step 10
§ Teacher Response forms (1 of 2 options) for Step 8
q Enlarged Pull-Apart “Venn Diagram” or T-Square on chart paper for Step 10
q Individual Alphabet Chart
q Individual student writing portfolios with an assessment sheet stapled inside for Step 8
q Individual reproduced copies of Kindergarten Analytical Writing Rubric for Step 11
Students will require:
Paper and supplies for drawing and writing in steps 6 and 9 (Some Kindergartners are not developmentally ready for lined paper.)
ALIGNING WITH GRADE LEVEL CONTENT EXPECTATIONS
Michigan Department of Education
Kindergarten Expectations
Version 12.05
English Language Arts
Reading
Students will…
· R.NT.00.01 become familiar with classic, multicultural, and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit that represents our common heritage as well as cultures from around the world.
· R.NT.00.02 identify the basic form and purpose of narrative genre including stories, nursery rhymes , poetry, and songs.
· R.NT.00.03 discuss setting, characters, and events in narrative text.
· R.NT.00.04 identify how authors/illustrators use literary devices including pictures and illustrations to support the understanding of setting and characters.
· R.NT.00.05 respond to individual and multiple texts by finding evidence, discussing, illustrating, and /or writing to reflect, make meaning, and make connections.
· R.CM.00.01 begin to make text-to-self-and text-to-text connections and comparisons by activating prior knowledge and connecting personal knowledge and experience to ideas in text through oral and written responses.
· R.CM.00.02 retell up to three events from familiar text using their own words or phrasing.
· R.CM.00.03 begin to make connections across texts by making meaningful predictions based on illustrations or portions of texts.
· R.CM.00.04 apply significant knowledge from grade-level science, social studies, and mathematics texts.
· R.MT.00.01 self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to familiar text by using simple strategies to increase comprehension including making credible predictions based on illustrations.
· R.MT.00.02 construct and convey meaning using strategies including story grammar to identify the author’s perspective (e.g., first, second, and third person) and sorting and ordering information.
· R.CS.00.01 recognize how to assess personal writing and the writing of others with teacher supervision.
· R.AT.00.01 become enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read.
· R.AT.00.02 choose books, book activities, word play, and writing on their own during free time in school and at home.
Writing
Students will…
· W.GN.00.01 write a brief personal narrative using pictures, words, word-like clusters, and/or sentences as support.
· W.PR.00.01 with teacher assistance, consider the audience’s reaction as they plan narrative and informational writing.
INSERT for Step 1 (cont.)
Writing
Students will…
W.GN.00.01 write a brief personal narrative using pictures, words, word-like clusters, and/or sentences as support.
· W.PR.00.01 with teacher assistance, consider the audience’s reaction as they plan narrative and informational writing.
· W.PR.00.02 brainstorm to generate and structure ideas for narrative and informational writing.
· W.PR.00.03 draft focused ideas using semi-phonetic spelling to represent narrative and informational text when writing, incorporating pictures, and drawings.
· W.PR.00.04 attempt to revise writing based on reading it aloud, requesting suggestions and clarifications that support meaning.
INSERT for Step 1 (cont.)
· W.PS.00.01 develop originality in oral, written, and visual messages in both narrative (e.g., natural language, expressed sentiment, original ideas) and informational writing (e.g., listing, naming, describing).
· W.SP.00.01 in the context of writing, correctly spell a small number (about 18) of frequently encountered and personally meaningful words.
· W.SP.00.02 in the context of writing, correctly spell less frequently encountered words, relying on structural cues (beginning and simpler ending sounds) and environmental sources (word wall, word lists).
· W.HW.00.01 form upper and lowercase manuscript letters.
· W.HW.00.02 leave space between words and word-like clusters of letters.
· W.HW.00.03 write from left to right and top to bottom.
· W.AT.00.01 be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write.
Speaking/Listening & Viewing
Students will…
· S.CN. 00.01 explore and use language to communicate with a variety of audiences and for different purposes including problem-solving, explaining, looking for solutions, constructing relationships, and expressing courtesies.
· S.CN.00.02 speak clearly and audibly in complete, coherent sentences and use sound effects or illustrations for dramatic effect in narrative and informational presentations.
· S.CN.00.03 present in standard American English if it is their first language. (Students whose first language is not English will present in their developing version of standard American English).
· S.DS.00.01 engage in substantive conversations remaining focused on subject matter, with interchanges beginning to build on prior responses in literature discussions, paired conversations, or other interactions.
· L.CN.00.02 ask appropriate questions during a presentation or report.
· L.CN. 00.03 listen to or view knowledgeably while demonstrating appropriate social skills of audience behaviors (e.g., eye contact, attentive, supportive) in small and large group settings; listen to each other, interact, and respond appropriately
· L.RP. 00.01 listen to or view knowledgeably and discuss a variety of genre.
· L.RP.00.02 listen to or view knowledgeably, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit.
· L.RP.00.03 respond to multiple text types listened to or viewed knowledgeably, by discussing, drawing, and/or writing in order to reflect, make meaning, and make connections.
Character Education
Global Understandings-A Framework for Teaching and Learning, by Charlotte Anderson with Susan K. Nicklas and Agnes R. Crawford, ASCD publication.
· Caring Outcomes: “The ability to care enables people to relate effectively to others. The concept of ‘relating effectively to others’ means being able to develop friendships, work with other people, and communicate, but it also means more. It encompasses the ability to understand, appreciate, and recognize as legitimate the wide range of human experiences-current, past, and future-around the planet.” Three of the factors that enhance a student’s capacity to CARE are self-awareness, self-esteem and a sense of efficacy.
INSERT for Step 2NSERT for Step 2
SELECTING TEXT(S) FOR YOUR THEME
The teacher should select four Read-Aloud books to use throughout the year. . . or add your own favorites. These four books can be interchanged in Steps 4, 9 and 10 each time you use the model.
Title / Author / ISBNABC I Like Me / Carlson, Nancy / 0140564853
All by Myself / Mayer, Mercer / 0307119386
Annie's Gifts / Medearis, Angela Shelf / 0940975319
Bright Eyes, Brown Skin / Hudson, Cheryl Willis / 0940975238
Crowning Glory / Thomas, Joyce Carol / 0060234741
Hello Toes! Hello Feet! / Whitford/Orchard / 0789424819
Here Are My Hands / Martin/Archambault / 0805003282
Hooray for You! / Richmond,Marianne / 0931674441
I Am Me / Kuskin. Karla / 0689814739
I Love My Hair / Tarpley, Natasha / 0316523755
I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem / Curtis, Jamie Lee / 0060287616
Little Red Ant and the Great Big Crumb, / Climo, Shirley / 0395720974
Mice Squeak, We Speak / Shapiro, Arnold / 0698118731
Now I’m Big / Miller, Margaret / 0688140785
INSERT for Step 2
REVIEWED REALISTIC FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
See also Barnes and Noble’s Website
ABC I like Me!
Feeling good about yourself is as easy as A-B-C!
Nancy Carlson's cheerful pig is back in this vibrant ABC companion book to I Like Me! -and she's brought along a few friends to join her. Introduce children to the alphabet and reinforce positive self-esteem with the lovable characters of ABC I Like Me!
All by Myself
In this simple, sweet, and very human picture book, Mercer Mayer's popular Little Critter shows us all the things he can do by himself, from tying his shoes (almost) to pouring his own juice (and only spilling a little).
Annie's Gifts (Feeling Good Series)
Annie has a talented, musical family, but Annie does not have musical talent. She learns that different people have different talents, and the gifts she possesses are important, too.
Bright Eyes, Brown Skin (Feeling Good Series)
Four children who feel good about who they are and how they look enjoy the activities of a typical day at school, happy and brimming with confidence and self-esteem.
INSERT for Step 2
Crowning Glory
A collection of poems, including "First Braids," "Grandma's Way," and "Mama's Glory," in which an African-American girl celebrates herself, her family, and her heritage.
Hello Toes! Hello Feet!
A girl takes delight in all the things she and her feet do throughout the day.
Here Are My Hands
Owners of human bodies celebrate them by pointing out various parts and mentioning their functions, from "hands for catching and throwing" to the "skin that bundles me in."
Hooray for You!: A Celebration of "You-Ness"
Rhyming verses describe many of the reasons for celebrating one's unique qualities.
In this celebration of the individual, Richmond encourages readers to embrace their unique traits and talents. The text bounces along, celebrating diverse cultures, different physical traits, and individual dreams. The illustrations depict girls and boys feeling good about who they are.
I Am Me
After being told how she resembles other members of her family, a young girl states positively and absolutely that she is "NO ONE ELSE BUT ME."
I Love My Hair
In Tarpley's gracefully told story, a young African-American heroine celebrates her lovely head of hair as part of her heritage.
I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
With fun rhyming verses and fresh lively artwork, Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell's book is about how it's important to like yourself every day. Through alternating points of view, a boy's and a girl's, I'm Gonna Like Me shows kids that whether they get an answer wrong in school or are picked last for the team, what's most important is liking yourself because you are you.
Little Red Ant and the Great Big Crumb
This Mexican version of a fable found in many cultures carries the message that "you can do it if you think you can."
Mice Squeak, We Speak
Three children describe a menagerie of animals and the sounds they make.
Now I'm Big
A group of 4 to 5 year old children reflect on the things they did as babies as opposed to the things they are able to do now that they are a little older and bigger.
INSERT for Step 3
ORGANIZING TIME FOR DAILY INSTRUCTION
Learning to write in response to text takes regular, focused instruction and practice time. Use the worksheet below to schedule when you’ll teach each part, over a 1-2 week period. Then keep notes here to help as you teach with future lessons.
Step / Planned Date / Actual Date / What We Found4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
INSERT for Step 4
STEP FOUR
FOCUSING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Thinking About the Theme
Teacher Directions:
1. Gather the children into a large reading circle for the purpose of sharing a common experience. Placing the children in a circle facilitates large group discussion, partner sharing, and builds good communication skills such as making eye contact and maintaining correct posture.
2. Introduce the esteem building theme, “It’s Great to be Me!” by sharing unique characteristics that make each of the children special. The conversation should focus on both physical and character traits. You can then gather words for the word wall or display sentence strips such as Monica is a friendly girl or Roberto has black hair.
3. Introduce the realistic fiction story you have selected by doing a picture walk of the book before reading it aloud. A description of a picture walk is included as INSERT – PICTURE WALK in the General Resources section at the back of this packet.
Remember to use the same four books throughout the year, alternating their placement in Steps 4,9 and 10.
4. After the reading, pose selected questions using Higher Level Question Cues. Review the Kindergarten Speaking Expectations (page 3 of this section) and use them to facilitate a group discussion relating the theme to the children’s lives.
INSERT - THE ART OF READING ALOUD suggests sample Higher Level Question Cues.
INSERT for Step 5
STEP FIVE
TEACHER MODELING OF WRITING EXPECTATIONS
Teacher Directions:
§ Share with the students that the purpose of writing is to communicate important ideas across time and space.
§ Using yourself as a real life example, tell a story about why you feel good about yourself. Using chart paper, draw a detailed picture, thinking aloud as you create the piece, about what you want to include in the picture and why.
§ Write at least 4 observations/comments about the picture, again thinking aloud. Use boxes to help frame the sequence or show a chaining of ideas, which should move forward.
Teacher Example:
§ Facilitate a choral reading of the piece after it is completed to bring closure to the activity.