Kindergarten readers, thinkers, and writers were cycling through the Reading Rope on Thursday. This week, a focus on letters s and d wove their way into: morning meeting greetings (e.g. “Good morning [name], did you know [word you generate] starts with the letter d?”); students’ writing; word searches on worksheets and in books; and their focus on rules for decoding text. (You can learn more about all elements of our early literacy instruction, and the Reading Rope model that depicts them, in this parent ed follow up). They practiced handwriting (because research shows students should be learning to write whatever they can read and spell) and used sky-writing techniques that amplify retention of writing motor plans. They practiced distinguishing phonics from phonemic awareness questions (i.e. what letter does it start with, versus what sound do you hear?). They also connected their phonics (letters/decoding), phonemic awareness (sound patterns), and their writing with comprehension and analysis during daily read-alouds.
On Thursday, kindergarteners were overheard discussing new vocabulary, feelings and inferences, making predictions, and sharing text-to-self connections about the book Larry’s Latkes by Jenna Waldman. Their teacher paused frequently to ask questions and share context, building students’ vocabulary (e.g. for thyme, spud, lox, herb, fret, miracle, and shamash), and asking them to generate predictions, opinions, connections, and examples that facilitate retention of new terms and practice conveying comprehension. Students defined terms they had learned earlier in their own words, like, “A miracle is something you didn’t know would happen but then it happens. Like a rainbow!”
A miracle is something you didn’t know would happen but then it happens. Like a rainbow!
They described their interpretation of imagery repeated in the story, like, “When he looks at his grandma’s recipe, it fills his heart with memories.”
They also shared opinions about the various latke recipes Larry tries, like, “I [would] add pepperoni pieces. It’s super spicy but I like it!”
This story also supported students’ discussions about celebrating Hanukkah and their noticing of what’s similar and different between their own families’ traditions and Larry’s in the book.