September - November Literacy Events

Most recent listed first.

Date: Thursday, November 30

Shared Reading: Charts	Review I Like peaches.
Shared Reading: Predictable Books	We read Miss Polly Had a Dolly
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Thursday, November 28, 2000. This is the last day of November. Wow! Are you ready for December? Yes No Love, Mrs. H.
Daily Routines	Read names on cubbies, coat hooks, placemats, etc.
Play Writing	Conclusion of hospital in playhouse with children writing prescriptions and charts for patients.
Signatures	Printing names on all art and craft items.
Notes	We practiced rhyme words and more children are confident enough that they can have fun making silly or nonsense rhymes as well as real ones.

Date: Wednesday, November 29

Shared Reading: Charts	Review Father Bear, Father Bear What Do You See?
Shared Reading: Poems	I encouraged children who wanted to “read” a nursery rhyme picture chart to do so while I turned the video camera on. We nearly had all the children involved when we realized the camera was not functioning properly. We will need to borrow another camera and repeat this again.
Independent Reading	Dear Boys and Girls, Today is Wednesday, November 29. Yesterday, we had Cameron’s birthday. Did you like his cup cakes? Yes No Love, Mrs. H.
Daily Routines	Reading helping hands, name tags, cubby boxes, placemats for snack. (It is interesting to note that those children assigned to the job of passing out placemats are now becoming conscious of the names on them and frequently try to place their friends placemat near to their own placemat).
Writing Centre	Children were encouraged to make a sign for their creative art pictures which incorporated their name: Michael’s boat or Matthew’s snowman. Children were encouraged to try to anticipate which letter was needed next if they could isolate the sounds or if not, when the teacher isolated them. Many children were able to handle this.
Signatures	Print names on all art and crafts.
Other Literacy Experiences	We viewed a video of Little Red Riding Hood which had sign language actions incorporated into the story line. Many children were fascinated with these actions which were introduced before the story and they used in the story and finally reviewed at the end. A growing number of children are trying to sign to the little girl in my class that cannot speak.

Date: Tuesday, November 28

Read Aloud Stories	Mrs. Jarosche read a variation on the three little pigs
Shared Reading: Charts	Review Once There Was a Princess
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Tuesday, November 28, 2000. Today is Cameron’s birthday. He is 5 years old. Happy Birthday, Cameron. Love, Mrs. H. PS. Will we eat cup cakes?
Daily Routines	We are beginning our last week of Show and Tell ABC Object Book where each child has a turn (weekly during the month of November) to bring something for our big book that can be left on the page with the letter that it starts.
Signatures	Names printed on all art and craft work. I again explained to children that their name on the back of the picture helps a volunteer file their paper in their own portfolio. Now that they have all had a chance to show their file folder to their parents during our student led conferences, the reasoning is logical.
Other literacy experiences	I drew a picture of a clown on a chalkboard and erased parts of him as I read a silly poem, which incorporated rhyme words: e.g. he can’t hear…if we erase his ear.
Notes	Magic Words – After reading the old sight words we added Dad and love

Date: Thursday, November 27

Read Aloud Stories	Our volunteer visitor, Mrs. Trifunski read the big book, “Starfire”.
Shared Reading: Poems	Share the nursery rhyme, Little Jack Horner.
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Monday, November 27, 2000. Let’s go to the music room for music today. Susan is coming. Hooray! Love, Mrs. H.
Daily Routines	Reading charts, names on nametags, cubby boxes and placemats
Signatures	Most children worked at a special centre for improving letter formation with letters from their own name.
Notes	Magic Words – we read all the sight words we had collected last week

Date: Friday, November 24

Shared Reading: Charts	We looked at a recipe and added the ingredients to make MMM-marvelous mini muffins as our Kindercook experience today.
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Friday, November 24, 2000. We will cook today. Love, Mrs. H. Did you bring show and tell?
Daily Routines	We read our names on the helping hands, coat hooks and cubby boxes. We count on the calendar. Our show and tell is focused on bringing flat objects for our Show and Tell ABC book. This helps us hear the sounds of the individual letter at the beginning of each word.
Play Writing	Children at hospital (play house) are writing prescriptions.
Signatures	Children are working at improving their signatures
Notes	Reread magic words

Date: Thursday, November 23

Read Aloud Stories	We read the Paul Galdone version of Three Bears.
Shared Reading: Charts	Review Papa Bear Papa Bear What Do You see?
Shared Reading: Songs	We reviewed Once there was a Princess as a song-play.
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Thursday, November 23, 2000. We are learning the 3 Bears Rap. Love, Mrs. H.
Daily Routines	We read our names on the helping hands, name tags and coat hooks Our Show and Tell book continues
Writing Centre	We finished the little reading books at the book making/writing Centre.
Signatures	We practiced printing our names on art work and craft activities
Notes	We reread our magic words

Date: Wed., November 22

Shared Reading: Charts	We reviewed Jack and Jill. We learned Papa Bear, Papa Bear, What Do You See? (I see Mama Bear looking at me…)
Shared Reading: Songs	We reviewed our new rap of the Three Bears.
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Wednesday, November 22, 2000. Yesterday, Gisela's Puppets came to our school. Did you like Rascal? Yes No Love, Mrs. H. PS Did you bring show and tell?
Daily Routines	We are still reading our name and those of some of our classmates On cubby boxes, coat hooks and name tags. We print our own names on artwork and crafts that we make. Show and tell in our ABC book continues each day
Writing Centre	We are working on numeral formation.
Written Communication to friends	One of the children wrote and drew a picture for the puppet lady from yesterday. We will mail it to her along with a photo of the two of them.
Notes	We reviewed rhyme words as we drew a clown on a chalk board

Date: Tues., November 21

Read Aloud Stories	Our visitor, Gisela, presented the story of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears; and the Three Pigs.
Shared Reading: Charts	We reviewed the chart I Like Peaches
Shared Reading: Poems	We chanted the poem about 3 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys. Today is Tuesday, November 21, 2000. Today Gisela's Puppets are coming to do a show. Love, Mrs. H. P.S. Today is Lorie's Birthday. Happy Birthday Lorie!
Daily Routines	Read helping hands, calendar numbers and words, coat hooks and Cubby boxes Every day from Tuesday to Friday, five children bring Show and Tell. This month we are making a show and tell book with objects that we can find around our house. We need to tell what letter the object starts with…and help find that page in our Show and Tell ABC book. We have seen yellow yarn, beautiful butterfly, nine noodles, etc.

Date: November 20

Read Aloud Stories	We read the big book of When Goldilocks went to the house of the Bears (oh what did her two eyes see?)
Shared Reading: Charts	Review Jack and Jill and match words cards to word strips
Independent Reading	Dear Girls and Boys, Today is Monday, November 20, 2000. Today we will have Zianna's cup cakes. Love, Mrs. H. P.S. Can Susan use the music room today? YES NO
Daily Routines	Read names on cubbies, coat hooks, helping hands and nametags…
Writing Centre	Book making continues with little nursery rhyme booklets
Signatures	Names on art work and crafts
Notes	We read our magic words and added Wow.

Date: Friday, November 17

Shared Reading: Songs	Continue Once I was a Princess as a song and dramatization (the children do not seem to tire of this)
Independent Reading	Good Morning! Today is Friday, November 17, 2000. Today is Earl Buxton's birthday. Will we eat cupcakes? Yes No Love, Mrs. H.
Daily Routines	Reading helping hands and counting on the calendar
Book Making Centre	Choices: all previous little booklets available for making and reading
Signatures	Names on all art and crafts
Written Communication to friends	Children continue to write prescriptions at the Hospital/play house centre
Notes	We reread our Magic Words and added: is & today

Date: Thursday, November 16

Read Aloud Stories	Read “Nursery Rhymes,” a collection of eight rhymes
Shared Reading: Songs	Read Once There Was a Princess…
Independent Reading	Good morning! Today is Thursday, November 16, 2000. Lorie and Celine are away today. Love, Mrs. H.
Daily Routines	Reading helping hands and counting on calendar continue every day.
Book Making Centre	Little booklets – Continue Hickory Dickory Dock and introduce Hey Diddle Diddle
Signatures	Names on art work and crafts. I worked with a few children reinforcing correct pencil holding position and correct formation of several difficult letters in their name.
Notes	I asked children to spell their first name today and only one child with ESL problems could not completely succeed…but even he gave me initial three letters

Date: Wed., November 15

Read Aloud Stories	Mrs. Word, a character/visitor, read a selection of three books to the class and played a word game
Shared Reading: Poems	We read/recited several nursery rhymes to Mrs. Word
Shared Reading: Songs	Once There Was a Princess
Independent Reading	Good morning! Today is Wednesday, November 15, 2000. Mrs. Word will read today. Hooray! Love, Mrs. H. PS Our buddies are coming after recess.
Daily Routines	Continue to read helping hands and count on the Calendar
Book Making Centre	Little booklets – Hickory Dickory Dock
Notes	We reviewed our Magic Words

Date: Tuesday, November 14

Read Aloud Stories	Librarian read Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
Shared Reading: Charts	Review Round is an Apple
Shared Reading: Poems	Jack and Jill in pocket chart
Shared Reading: Songs	Once There Was A Princess
Independent Reading	Good morning! Today is Tuesday, November 14, 2000. Mrs. Jarosch will read to us today. Hooray! Love, Mrs. H
Daily Routines	Names read from cubby boxes, coat hooks, and name Tags.
Book Making Centre	Continue Humpty Dumpty booklets
Signatures	Names on art and crafts
Notes	We added several words to our collection of Magic Words: words we want to learn to read: Besides I, we put in a, up, cat, dog, Mom and Wow

Date: November 13

Read Aloud Stories	Our visitor read When the Earth Wakes by Ani Rucki
Shared Reading: Poems	Jack and Jill with little word cards in the pocket chart
Shared Reading: Songs	Once There Was A Princess. We acted it out as we sang twice.
Independent Reading	Morning Message: Good Morning. Today is Monday, November 13, 2000. Did you have a good weekend? Yes No Love, Mrs. H.
Writing Centre	Continued at booklet making with little booklet, Humpty Dumpty.
Signatures	Children are encouraged to print their name on all their art work and papers.
Language Experience	Books in the hospital/play house centre are referred to by the doctors and nurses to figure out the extensions to their jobs.
Notes	I interviewed most of the children today and I will continue tomorrow to determine which children can naturally produce rhyme words from a prompt.

Friday, November 10

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Reading - message: Dear Boys and Girls, Today is Friday, November 10, 2000. Today we will have a special assembly. Did you bring Show and Tell?
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Reading : charts : We reviewed Jack and Jill word strips and started to match little word cards below each word in the strips. Then we reread both. We read/sang Once There was a Princess (based on Sleeping Beauty) and discussed how we could act it out.
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Reading: Today we started a collection of words that we know how to read. Using a shower curtain ring, and some strips of card with a hole punch in each, I prepared the first word: I. I told the children that it was probably the easiest word to read because the name was the same as what it said. We practiced pointing to ourselves and saying I am Mrs. H....or their own name...(We will collect other key words/magic words/ or special words throughout the year. I keep them close to the reading books on a special hook.)
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