Challenging Challenge

Kinder 5 Galileo Galilei School

Our first challenge is to give answers to the necessity provided the ages and levels of our students.

We believe that not only the exposition and the interaction among peers guaranty the possibility to acquire a language; but also playing will allow the integration of the different members through the teacher’s versatility.

“At School, we can play with freedom and respect. When we enjoy we grow as persons and we encourage in our students the possibility to construct several intelligences”

Characteristics of the Group• 5 K in d e r “ F ” M o r n in g

• :N u m b e r o f S t u d e n t s 23• Description of the Group: Restless, eager

to learn, fast learners, motivated by oral activities, “competitive with themselves”, attracted by graphical-artistic activities, looking forward to new challenges.

How did we Start with the ABC Project?

First of all, we started to recognize some letters in an ABC chart.

Students were able to repeat each word and name objects which matched with the correct letter.

Besides, we enphasized this activity by singing the ABC Song. At the beginning, we pointed to each letter and object on the ABC Chart.This chart was the responsible for making classes more interesting and having fun while learning. It was placed at the front of the class next to the blackboard so it was part of our routines.

Students were not only motivated by the variety of activities with the ABC Chart but also they showed enthusiasm when singing songs.

We would like to share all this with you…

The activities related to the ABC recognition were planned twice a week. They were introduced with different resources to make them

feel comfortable and motivated.Sometimes it was with a ball game, a spelling game, a chant or we just identified the letters on the ABC Chart while singing different

funny songs. Some of the activities were both oral and written.

At the begining of each day, the routine was connected with the spelling of the day and the name of the topic of the week or month.Those days which we didn’t work with the ABC in deep, we worked

with this activity. Some students were picked up and they spelt each letter to a student which was at the front. All together, we were

identifying the letters on the ABC Chart and recognized an object which started which the spelt letter.

Meanwhile the student was writing the letters at the blackboard.After some days, students were able to write the letters on their own

without the help of the chart.

One of the activities they enjoyed and liked most was related to spelling. It was simple, to the point

but the results were amazing.How did we play?

The ABC letters were placed on the floor and a group of students had some words. Another group,

was responsible for writing the letters while listening to the ones who were in charge of

spelling a colour. It was easy and the idea of working with spelling, writing and correcting

mistakes together was a great opportunity to test

the group as a group or individually. (Note: it was one of the games we played?

Making Sentences… a new challenge

We were working with spelling, sounds, chants and songs so we were ready to follow the new step: “Making Sentences”

Once more, the resources and drills were very important in this step. I had to change the activities to make them feel attractive not because they were bored or not motivated. It was because I wanted to create their interest and enthusiasm every day. That is the reason I planned to work with the ABC twice a week.

H o w a b o u t r e a d in g s im p le?s e n t e n c e s

?Wh e n d id w e s t a r tAfter some months of working with the Abc

recognition, with a variety of games and with different activities, the group gained more

self-confidence and independance specially at the second term of the year.

They were well-prepared after working with words and making short and simple

sentences so we went on a new level: Reading words- Reading sentences.

Some activities were done on the blackboard or on a sheet of paper on the benches.

The most important thing was at the beginning, the development and the ending of the class were done together and students had the opportunity to participate, name and correct mistakes at the same time they were learning.

Preschool and The ABC

• Teaching children to read and write can be one of the most enjoyable things to do. Preschool aged children are eager to learn and have an amazing capacity to absorb information. The key is to keep it simple and keep it fun.

Do a little each day and maintain a relax environment.

Getting Started

• English Phonic Approach

Letters Names Letters Sounds

Blending Identifying Reading Writing

Teaching/Not Teaching the Alphabet

Step 1: ABC• Little children love singing the ABC . • They will later know the alphabetical order.• Use visual and auditory modes.• Drill both capital and lower case (when

possible)• Example: A a as in

Step 2: Phonics

• Don’t be afraid to overemphasize sounds• Start with one-syllable words (one vowel)

Cat CarPlay AirHat Heart

• Permutation exercises are the most important in the reading process

Activities

b f p v

• /l/

• Suggestion: drill every day with common and familiar objects

Step 3 Blending

• The child begins to blend phonics together• They discover what letter comes after the other • Example: N No Not They discover their name very early unless it is

very long or complicated“Students will get it on their own when they have

the revelation”

Step 4 Reading

• Once the child starts blending phonics together they are ready to start reading simple words.

• Don’t underestimate the power of memorizing words or family words e.g sat; set; sit

• The more they see the more they will be able to read.

Climbing the Ladder

• Addition of letters and complex phonemes (-ck / -sh / -sp)

• Silent letter is a harder concept• Teaching kids to read has become a highly controversial

– and feared-subject.• 75%of preschoolers are visual and verbal• Try to avoid extreme positions of mastering reading by

kindergarten• Children will feel ready by themselves• Honor their individual needs and style of the child• Make room for mistakes and strategies• Allow yourself to dive in and have fun

GamesTeacher-Directed / Class Activities1- “Show me” ActivityDisplay a number of picture cards. Say a name of and object on one of

the cards and have individual students go to the front of the class and point to the appropiate card

2- “Naming by initial letter”Display a mix of picture cards, several of which show items that begin

with the same letter. Have the students name all the objects beginning with the same letter.l

3- “Point to…”Display words with pictures in a mixed order. Name objects and have

students point to the word and the object4- “Picture Setences”Have students learn and chant sentences fot the key word on each

picture card that you present. In this way, students learn additional words that arise from the context of the picture: The mouse in on the table // The hat is unde the bed

5- “Spelling Bee”Show the students picture cards and have them spell the words after you. After you have done this several times, have a spelling bee. Divide the class into two teams. Show a picture card and have a member of a team spell the word. Akternate giving words to teams and team members. A team gets one point for each correctly spelled word. The team with the most pints at the end of the game wins.6- “Cloze Sentences”Choose five to ten picture cards. On the board, write a sentence for each card but leave out the name of the object pictured. Display the cards. Hve the students complete the sentences with the words pictured. Be sure to write sentences for which there is only one possible answer among the picture cards. Example, “ The_________ is pink” when there is only one pink object in the set of picture cards. 6- “Alphabetical Order”Display five or ten cards. With the students, put the words in alphabetical order according to the first letter in the spelling of the word. You might want to have the students first say the names of teh objects and as they do so, you can write the initial letter above the pictures.

7- “Picture Dictionary”If you wan to have a final product of the Abc project, you can design a picture dictionary with your kids and add new words or work different days with a particular letter and stick objects they can draw. At the end of the year, you will have a wonderful dictionary which will be showed in the last parents’ meeting or you can send it home and share it with the families every Friday. 8- “Mailbox”At the end of the class you can choose a word with yor kids, write it on a card and put it in a box. You can tell your kids that it is going to be a mailbox so you can open it on Friday. You might want to have your students to open the box and read the words together. You can do a variety of activities with the words in the box.9- “Key Word”At th end of the class, say a word or a sentences to kids in order to remember it the next day before they enter to class. They have to remmebr it because it will be “the key” to enter!

, A f t e r a ll e v e r y c h ild is a n in d iv id u a l a n d w ill

le a r n a t t h e ir o w n.p a c e

!Th a n k s a lo t

M a r ia C e le s t eB o t t e g o n i

G a lile o G a lile i S c h o o l