New Teacher Needs Ideas

Thanks for caring enough about these guys to try to do more than babysit them :)

I’ve got some stuff on my site that might be helpful (http://www.resourceroom.net)

Sue (who gets an error page when she tries to log in)

Try Textmapping. http://www.textmapping.org

Hi Jim,

Here’s the trend….. have the state standards book open until you know them pretty well.

Make sure that the kids know what standard they are working on, how they will get assessed and how they can get a better score. They can help give you ideas from stuff that they’ve done in the past. They have to make it fulfill state standards because in many states that’s what gets them to the exit exam and graduation.

Also, look into Mathusee.com

Bye, good luck, and ask your fellow teachers for ideas and ask what they’re doing.

I have a State Standard Notebook for each state standard in Writing and Reading. I have tabs in each section for
How To
Reproducible
Overheads
Games/Activities
Student Samples
Misc (things like Mailbox Magazine articles)

This has been helpful. I purged things that didn’t align with state standards and now have everything at my fingertips. This has been so helpful and saved me so much time Gone are the days, “Darn it, I just passed summary writing and forgot I had this.”

Next, I went to the teacher store and bought some bulletin board border. I took 6 pieces with red brick pattern. I put Kindergarten on the lowest strip writing all the state standards, then first grade with first grade standards, etc. all the way to the top with 6th grade standards. I tell my students they are all missing bricks. I must test them to find out which bricks are missing and must fill them up. If we miss too many, the whole thing will fall. We need a foundation. Etc… This is a theme in my room. When they don’t do their homework, I say, oh, you missed a brick. The others in general ed are moving along. Let’s try to catch up, you need to help. Your mom can’t do it I can’t do it. We only have 5 ways to get information into your brain. I can’t just cut open your head and stick these multiplication facts inside and sew you back up. We need to put them in by seeing, saying, hearing, etc….. Let’s use as many senses as possible each time we input into your brain for the best effect. When they misbehave, I say…Your missing bricks and wasting time. Come on, focus. Let’s see if you can get to…….this problem in the next 20 minutes. Whatever.

I’m even thinking about going to www.lilyskids.com and ordering those cardboard bricks and writing standards on each brick. I’m thinking of putting post it notes on each brick where kids can sign their name as they get the brick and designing some kind of report card written in brick fashion to give a visual to motivate the kids. I tell them about state standards all the time and which one they are working on. I try to make a visual on the board to remind them to remember. For example, for author’s purpose we made a paper pie
P=persuasive
I=inform
E=entertain

After each story I ask, what is the author’s purpose? “Oh , yay, the pie, I remember” I have this pie on the board with magnets for constant review. I’m doing it now with other things.

Read the book Simon’s Hook. Great book. I even bought a hook necklace. Great book on teasing. Tells of a boy and grandma who uses a fish hook analogy on teasing that is WONDERFUL. It was so good, that I bought 4 books. One for each of my own children’s teachers for Christmas and one for myself.

Here are some programs I use, but perhaps they are already in your district sitting on a shelf. See if you can put out an email to principals or teachers asking if anyone has these? Do you have a district place for materials that might have some things?

DECODING:
1. Phono-graphix (www.readamerica.net) or read about it here pdf: http://www.devon.gov.uk/dcs/speceduc/phono/phono.pdf
2. Real books, like Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, Henry and Mudge, Zack Files, Time Warp Trio after PG

OR: look at these 2 PG SPINOFFS:

2. Phono-graphic Spinoffs that I’m hearing good things about but haven’t used personally but look promising
Or I’ve been hearing about a Phono-graphix spin off see below www.readingfoundation.com see below cut and paste (this appear to be a spin off might have all you need for fluency and comprehension built in)
3. Or www.ounceofprevention.com for a teacher variation getting popular in Michigan

After Phono-graphix I’d try REWARDS:
REWARDS by Sopris West for more multi-syllable practice following PG (www.sopriswest.com)

FLUENCY:
1.Read Naturally (www.readnaturally.com)
2. OR: GreatLeaps for fluency, (www.greatleaps.com) (cheaper than Read Naturally)

COMPREHENSION:
1. MindPRIME http://www.understandmore.com/policy.htm#Ordering (has better lesson plans but costs more)
2. Or Visualizing Verbalizing by LindaMood Bell (cheaper..about 70 us dollars) http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/compare/isbn/0945856016/isrc/b-home-search
3. A good book with strategies book is called I Read It but DON’T Get IT: http://www.stenhouse.com/0089.htm
4. The book called Strategies That Work by Harvey : http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/compare/isbn/1571103104/isrc/b-home-search

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:
1. http://www.picturevocabulary.com/home_3a.html these are flash cards with visual flash cards to help remember
2. Wordly Wise workbooks found at: http://bookpeddler.us/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=tbp&Product_Code=3866&Category_Code=ww3

WRITING:
1. FOUR SQUARE for paragraphing, (very cheap about $12.00) http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/compare/isbn/1573101885/isrc/b-home-search

2. Step Up to Writing www.stepuptowriting.com or sopriswest.com (about $200 with notebooks/posters/overhead/reproducbles) Excellent but it helps to have workshop or videos (400 us dollars)
Inspirations software this is a great program you can download to try www.inspiration.com which really helps kids to organize writing, very multi-sensory, kids love it.

SPELLING:
1. Spelling Power: http://www.spellingpower.com/shopping/spelling/spman.htm
2. OR: AVKO Sequential Spelling for spelling or Power Spelling. http://www.avko.org/Sequential_Spelling/Seq_Spelling.htm

Handwriting: Peterson Handwriting found at www.peterson-handwriting.com If you ask for a guy named Chick he might send you a free video with him teaching this which helped me. It is old but works just great. I am amazed that this program works so fast and has even helped my own handwriting. Plus it is cheap. They even have these triangle stickers to put on the desk with the whole ABC so the student will put the paper in the exact position and then there is a reference to see the whole Alphabet.

Other Software:
Soundreadingsolutions.com
Earobics http://www.cogcon.com/
http://store.yahoo.com/purplus/kids–education.html all 3 of the following below at this website.
1770 Scientific Learning Reading Edge $21.95 1 $21.95 1868 Away We Go Professional Version $24.95 1 $24.95 1602 Away We Go! Bookshelf Win/ Mac $14.95 1 $14.95 (these are only for very young kids)

Then of course once the kids can decode get them as quickly as possible into REAL BOOKS by REAL authors of interest to your class. Time Warp Trio, Zach Files, Magic Tree House.

Math
Math Facts the Fun Way http://www.citycreek.com/
http://www.mathusee.com/
Mountain Math
http://homepage.mac.com/algona81/iMovieTheater37.html this is a cute link to explain it
to buy it check; http://www.mtmath.com/

I’m also considering this: IT’s Elementary
http://www.epsbooks.com/catalogsite/code/epspgebld.cfm?product=2411M

Favorite virtual math website
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/grade_g_2.html

.

I do realize that teachers teach and programs help, but it is always nice knowing what others are using that they find help. Thanks,
Michelle

For spelling try Looking Glass Spelling at www.gwhizresources.com.

Number Sense workbooks are good for math if they are having a hard time. I don’t remember the publisher off hand.

Fern