How Teachers Support Students’ Unique Learning Talents

I work primarily with kindergarten through 2^nd grade students. Each student I work with has unique talents, skills, and needs to remediate or nurture. When working with over 20 students in a classroom, I must focus on creating curriculum for the greater good of the student population based on the grade-level common core standards mandated by California. Then I must adapt my curriculum to meet the needs of highly challenged students as well as gifted and talented students. When working with second grade students after the COVID school shutdowns, a few students are still emerging at the first-grade level in their reading and math skills while others are performing at the 4 through 5^th grade levels.

Literacy Skill Development at Different Proficiency Levels

When working with reading groups, I have to help beginning readers learn their sight-based words and provide them with readers and activities that reinforce reading comprehension while looking at pictures and using phonics to lean the sounds of letter combinations. The focus is to learn phonics while also learning how to comprehend stories at a basic level by asking prediction, story content sequencing, and reading understanding questions. I also have students illustrate with simple words the big ideas in the stories.

Students who are reading at the second-grade level can sound out words correctly and are learning how to sustain their reading skills with more complex comprehension questions. They can summarize what they read and are able to apply their reading comprehension to everyday and new learning situations. Their vocabulary is expanding as they use the context in a story to define the meaning of new vocabulary words.

Several second-grade students can read 4^th through 6^th grade level books. They have mastered reading the Harry Potter series as well as the Babysitters-Club series. Many graphic novels are highly sophisticated and students love the illustrations as they learn to read longer length multi-chapter novels. When students can read at this level, they are able to evaluate, analyze, and apply what they have read to other situations and learn to write evaluative book reports.

Math Skill Development at Different Proficiency Levels

As I work with math skill development for challenged students, I have them learn their basic addition and subtractions skills while using math manipulatives. I encourage them to practice basic addition and subtraction math facts with flash cards and math games at home.

Students at second grade level are learning to solve addition and subtraction 2 and 3 digit numbers without and with renaming when using various strategies including number bonding, use of number lines, writing a math story, and writing the solution in standard form or expanded form. They are also learning about measurement, geometry, graphing, and basic fractions.

When working with several advanced students, I first complete the daily assignment with them. Then they will tutor students requesting help with the daily assignment. I also prepare advanced work problems for them to solve along with third grade advanced problems. They love being challenged. I started with 5 advanced students and now have half the class challenging themselves with advanced math problems.

Putting It All Together

As I challenge more students with advanced work, I had several advanced readers research and write about rattlesnake bite antidotes. Others studied snow crystals and created detailed illustrations about the composition of snow crystals while writing a factual story about how snow crystals formed. We have written and researched opinion stories about ideal pets. For black history month, our students are learning about how Ruby Bridges entered a school with no other white students initially joining her. The students will write an opinion story about how they would feel if no other students would join them in class to learn because of the color of their skin or because of another prejudice against them. As the students expand their research, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, I am impressed with their growing leadership and compassion for their classmates. They are becoming supportive cheerleaders and tutors for their classmates as they expand their knowledge and leadership skills.

Getting Kids to Read

It’s summertime! School is out of session and our children love to sleep in and play outside. It is hot and our children enjoy waterplay and staying up late. But what can we do to avoid the summer slide? As a teacher, I send home 12 donated books for each child to use for summer reading. I instruct them to read each day throughout the summer and write in a journal their reflections about what they read and learned from each book. Then I tell them to bring their journals into class in the fall and share with their teachers their wonderful reading adventures. I also warn my younger readers that if they do not practice reading each day, they may forget how to read at the start of a new school year. They agree that they must practice and are proud when they have completed extended reading homework assignments.

Ten Summer Reading Activities

Below are ten motivating strategies to inspire kids to read each day this summer:

Make it fun. My grandkids asked me to bring some of their favorite books to the swimming pool so they could read to me while eating their snack after a swim lesson. They are excited to show me how well they read.
Be engaged. Although I did not attend back-to-school night, the grandkids made sure I sat with them as they read their stories to me. One granddaughter described how she is in a published book. Another wrote about having a funny grumpy grandpa and nice grandma who helps her.
Incorporate art. Each grandchild keeps a journal at my home. A favorite activity is having a sibling, cousin, or me draw a picture in their journal. Then they draw their version of the illustration and write a story about the picture. Favorite themes have been bloody horror and scary stories. Other themes include how to stories and fantasy adventures.
Take the kids to the library and relax while reading together various books. Our library sells children’s books for $1. I encourage them to purchase books that they would love to keep.
Research your family history by checking out relevant books about the country that your family immigrated from. Study the history of the communities you and your relatives have lived in throughout generations.
Encourage your child to write a graphic novel. They love to create talking bubbles with illustrations. They can also develop a book of their favorite characters with a new adventure or storyline.
Explore having your child submit a creative writing story to the Highlights Magazine for kids.
After completing an art project, have your child research and write a story about how they created their project and what they can do in the future to expand their skills. For example, our granddaughter loves to watch YouTube videos about how to draw specific animals. Then she researches specific books about the animal to understand their behaviors and their habitat
Help your child plan for a summer camp or family vacation by having them research places to visit and the history of specific activities. For example, a granddaughter will be traveling to New York, New York this summer. After reading and researching various activities, she is excited to visit the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park, and a Broadway play. She will also collect postcards and memorabilia to add to her scrapbook with a story about her travels.
Research the rules about a sport. My grandson is passionate about sailing and spends hours reading and researching all the safety regulations of sailing in the bay. He also must master how to safely prepare for and navigate a sailboat in various weather conditions.

Much success as you and your children incorporate reading into relevant daily life summertime activities.

Learn About Marine Biology and Science Through Zonk Picture Books

David Hoobler is an artist and author of three Zonk picture books that highlight Zonk, the tortoise, and his many adventures in the ocean when encountering various sea creatures and eco systems. David has used his personal marine biology research and experiences when observing the Sonoran Desert, Baja, and the gulf of California. David also links these books into educational marine biology and science presentations at school and in the community.

Children Learn

Through these events, David has learned that:

Children are very engaged when reading a rich story in color.
Students learn respect for their environment through the various creatures in each book.
All are able to related to the various characters in their daily interactions with each other.

A YouTube Book Reading

These richly illustrated water colored books have been read to students and children in various different settings at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1xaPUGfVOM&feature=youtu.be. David also helped children explore sea life and nature as illustrated in the artwork included in this blog. Kids become inspired to write stories about Zonk ad his sea life friends.

Learn More About David’s Books

For more information about how you and purchase these inspirational stories, please see the ad on this page or contact David at www.Zonktheturtle.com.

I Don’t Help My Child with Homework

I hate homework. No, here’s a better statement: I loathe homework. I suppose that’s a pretty bold, maybe even a hypocritical statement to make, considering I was a former classroom teacher! Allow me to clarify: I believe there’s value in homework, either to practice what was learned in class because our brain’s muscle memory benefits from repetition, or to continue the learning process by applying what was learned much like revising an essay for better word choice or for better organization.

Ok, so a more specific statement is: I loathe doing homework. More accurately, I loathe doing my children’s homework. The truth is, only the person doing the homework can reap the benefits of doing the exercise, so I have resolved never to help my children with homework. Instead, I equip them to be problem-solvers. I ask a series of questions that enable them to take responsibility for their own learning. Here’s what I ask them:

Questions I Ask to Guide Math Assignments

Do you understand what the question is asking?

Most of the time, clarifying the terms or steps that need to be taken to solve the problem will put them on the right track to getting it right.

Do you need me to demonstrate an example?

Without solving their actual homework problem, I will walk them through the procedure of solving their problem. Once they understand the process, they can apply it to all other problems.

Can I direct you to another resource for help?

When children come to me for help, they see me as an expert on the subject. While this might work for elementary school subjects, this would simply be impossible when their studies get more advanced. They have to acknowledge other sources of authority on topics they are learning.

Questions I Ask to Guide Writing Assignments

This seems a bit confusing, can you read it out loud to me?

When kids hear their own writing, some of the errors in their writing will become apparent. If they are stumbling over their own reading, they will be able to tell which areas still need more clarification.

Can you explain what you mean in your own words?

Sometimes, they really can’t hear where their organizational flow or logical arguments are lacking. Take away the obstacles of writing by treating it like a conversation. When they explain their ideas verbally, take notes so they can see how they want to convey their ideas.

This is a great word here, but is there something better?

Children will use simple and general words because it’s easy. However, finding more apt words to describe their ideas and feelings (other than mad, sad, glad, for example) will be the mark of a sophisticated thinker. I aim to point out 2-3 words for them to reconsider so they get in the habit of evaluating words they use.

Here’s to lifelong, self-directed, problem solvers!

Jaime

Fun Elementary Language Arts Activities

We are now enjoying hot summer days! And our children are already wondering how to fill their days with lots of fun-filled adventures. Many parents are worried how to keep their children from backsliding on their learning skills during these few summer weeks. Here are five interactive reading activities that we can share with our kids:

Sign-up for a two-week free trial at raz-kids.com, an online guided reading program with interactive e-books, downloadable books, and reading quizzes. Parents can finally have their child reading grade or level appropriate books with confidence. I would strategically use the free two weeks during the summer. If you want to jump all in for a fee, you can have access for a year.
Encourage your children to reread favorite books. Rereading familiar text builds fluency and is a fun and fresh way to look at old favorites. Create specific character voices and record your reader so that they can hear the characters new sound. Share files with friends and family. It may get contagious and before you know it, your family has built a mini video library for everyone to enjoy.
Bring the main character to life by creating a paper image and have your child add an alternative ending to the book. Share the stories and projects with younger siblings.
Have your children write your grocery list, read the food labels at stores, and read menus at restaurants.
Ask younger children to identify letters or read the road signs when driving. Older kids can learn how to read maps and guide you in your travels. Have them compare their paper mapping skills to directions found online.
Journaling is another engaging summer activity. It can be as simple as recording three sentences of gratitude daily or compiling memorable moments on a family vacation. Be sure to include the date, location, and a picture or drawing of the journal entry when documenting a trip.

Keep at the forefront of your mind that summer reading can be fun!

Danielle