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Differentiated Kindergarten

Differentiated instruction in the classroom

Kindergaten Daily 5 Link up and FREEBIES.

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We are already moving into Chapter of 5 of our Daily 5 Kindergarten Book Study.  Man, the summer is flying by isn’t it.  This chapter actually deals with ‘Read To Someone’ and ‘Listen To Reading’ so it’s been divided into two parts for this weeks study.  My blogging buddy Mary, from Sharing Kindergarten, will be taking on the ‘Read to Someone’ portion, and I will be covering ‘Listen to Reading.’

While I doubt that this will be the most challenging part of Daily 5 for you to implement, the ‘sisters do a really good job of pointing out WHY listening to reading is so important.  Likewise, there are definitely some logistic/organizational issues you’re going to want to think about. These are the things that I think sometimes weigh us down and keep us from moving forward.  We often can understand the WHY but the HOW, WHERE and WHAT can be daunting and so we do nothing.  I want to make sure we think about how this is really going to look and work in our classrooms, not just the theory behind it.

1.  How will you instill the importance (or urgency as the sisters call it) of ‘listening to reading’ in your students and especially those students who have had little ‘lap time’ or reading done for them in their own homes?

When there are students who haven’t had much exposure to ‘listening to reading’ it is difficult to ‘teach’ them that it’s important.  I think the main thing that these little kinders need is lots of anticipation building, lots of excitement and lots of experience hearing reading.  It may take bringing in some volunteer Grandma and Grandpa readers those first few weeks just to give them the experience.  Or perhaps, I could create a ‘listening book in the spot light’ type of anticipatory display to create interest. Anyone else have any ideas?

 2.  What devices or strategies are you going to use to conduct listen to reading?’ Will you use a community recording device with one cd and several earphones, individual cd players, tape recorders, ipod-type devices or computers?

Of course, this is going to vary for everyone.  Some of you may enjoy the benefit of iPads, iPods and even reliable computers.  Lucky You!!! There are lots of great sites on the internet that you can take advantage of in your classrooms.  Here’s just a few you might like.

Different actors take turns reading children stories.  An entertaining site for sure.

Storynory, like Storyline Online, has actors reading a variety of fables, fairy tales and stories. 
RIF Reading Planet
This site has authors reading their own stories online.
If you’d like to see other sites for online reading, just click here to see the complete list. Of course, if you’re willing to pay for it, there are tons of other great sites with leveled listening books such as Raz-Kids.com.  I have actually used this program with my own kids when we are able to venture to the computer lab. 
Unfortunately, the two computers that I have in my classroom are unreliable and, because I can’t really count on them, I won’t be using them for Daily 5. So instead, I’ll be using individual cd players.  I may incorporate the Leap Pads I have in my class and perhaps borrow my sons’ Leap Tag readers as well throughout the year just to provide a bit of variety. My own boys LOVE their Leap Tags.  I would really like to have a couple of sets for my classroom, but perhaps ‘someday.’ 
3.  What expectations will you have for your students during ‘listen to reading’ and how will you keep them on task and independent instead of needing your assistance when they can’t manage ‘devices?’
Especially with Listen To Reading, I believe there will be a need for LOTS of practice and talk about “HOW” to use the devices. I want to make sure everyone understands how to run the CD players, how to handle the cds, where they can use the equipment and how to take of the items when they are done.
Of course, we will complete an anchor chart together intially, but I will also provide one for them to have as a visual reminder.
I actually have three different versions because I couldn’t decide on the color, so there are three different versions to choose from when you download.
I also included an ‘I Can . . .’ sheet for using the cd players with it.
Because my room is so small and because I like to have everything where students are not having to ‘look’ for materials, my ‘Listen To Reading’ materials will be house in 6 individual listening bags like this one here.
 
These are actually my teaching neighbor, Kerri’s bags, that go with her room colors.  (My own are ‘on order.)  I love these bags because they are just big enough but not too big.  They will easily hold a clipboard, cd player and head phones and several books as needed.

It even has a sweet little pocket in the front to hold pencils and crayons. 
Each student will choose a numbered bag
and can find their spot to get started.
Even though I plan on training, modeling and practicing until I’m blue in the face, sometimes, my kinders for get how to use equipment and the expectations.  So I included the expectations and the cd player ‘I Can . . .’ sheets as cards attached to the bag.  Students can reference these rather than interrupting me for help.
If you’d like a copy, just click the picture below.  There are three sets of colors to choose from.

 
4.  Do you have enough ‘listening to reading’ type materials? If not, what ideas do you have for securing these materials?  Where will you store them? How will your students retrieve these items? Where will they be used (will there be a designated spot in your class for listen or reading or will it be their choice)?

I actually have been very fortunate to have collected many great books on cds over the past couple of years.  Let’s face it, the best place to get these materials and probably the cheapest is through Scholastic.  I have always used my points and free book coupons to buy cds.   Honestly, I currently store them in three messy bins in ziplocs and I HATE that.  Here’s a good picture of what NOT to do.
I have discovered the simple pleasure of taping the cd sleeve to the inside of my book (why didn’t I think of that-Gotta love pinterest), and that is how they will be stored from now on. 


6.  The sisters do not really talk about this in their book, but how do you feel about listening response sheets?  Will listening to reading be just for ‘listening’ or will there be follow-up work required of your students?  If there is reading response sheets, what will they look like?

I personally like to have students do a response sheet even at the beginning of their year if it’s only a picture of their favorite part of the book.  I’m not big on worksheet-type stuff but I often have parents who tell me their children never have anything to say about school.  If I have them refer to these listening response sheets it can be a simple way to start a   conversation about what they did at school. 

I kind of took some ideas from my followers and ideas of what I like to have my kiddos do and tiered them a bit and made a set that you may use if you’re interested.  Just click on the picture here to download.

Also, because there are various levels of ‘writing’ abilities.  I made this package editable so that you can add the title of the book if you choose to or have students write it.  This is the first time I made an editable product so you guys are my guinea pigs.  Let me know how you like them.

7. I would be remiss to not add this so . . . how can this station be differentiated to meet the various learning profiles, interests and/or readiness of your students? 
One very easy way to differentiate is to just provide some simple choices.  Students can choose which story to listen to, they can choose where in the room to listen to a story or perhaps they can choose which device (if there are more than one) to use.  Of course, you can also tier this activity by providing tiered books at their reading readiness level and provide tiered response sheets.
I’ll be tiering my response sheets by placing different options in clear bins like I use in my writing learning center in this picture next to where the bags will hang.  Students will find their name on the bin, pick out a response sheet, grab their listening bag and go.  So those are my ideas for ‘Listening to Reading’ for this weeks Chapter 5 of Daily 5.  Remember to link up below and then follow my blogging buddy Mary’s blog button below to see the other half of this chapter, ‘Read to Someone.’ 
I’m anxious to hear what you came up with so make sure you link up.

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Comments

  2. April Wolf says

    Lots of organization for me to chew on. Thanks for that! I am considering Raz Kids for this upcoming year since I was able to grab two more computers for my room. Most of last year I only had 1 computer–now I have 3. I would still have my traditional listening center with the headphones for my books on CD. This would allow more choice in my room too and more kinders the opportunity of listening to great stories.

    Reply

    • Marsha M. Moffit McGuire says

      Lack of reliable computers is a BIG problem or not having enough. I was able to use Raz Kids last year when my kids got to visit the computer lab. I love that it’s leveled. I think your kids would enjoy it.
      Marsha

      Reply

    • Marsha M. Moffit McGuire says

      I can’t take credit for the cd in the book idea. I totally saw it on Pinterest somewhere and then couldn’t figure out where I had seen it but knew I was gonna do it.

      Those bags are cute aren’t they. I ‘know a lady’ who makes them. These are my neighbor teachers. Each one is a little different but all go together. They are just the right size.
      Marsha

      Reply

  7. Ready 2-B in second grade says

    Thank you so much for the tags and reading sheets! I have been following along with your daily 5 posts, even though I teach 2nd grade. 🙂 I will be using daily 5 and cafe this year in my classroom and your discussion questions are very helpful. THANK YOU! Stacey

    Reply

  9. Jessica Lowe says

    I LOVE all of these ideas. I wish I had individual CD players (gonna have to work on getting those over the next few years), but I only have a CD/Tape player with a port for 4 headphones. It doesn’t leave a lot of individual choice or leveling when 4 have to use the same CD/book. I’m definitely going to tape the CDs inside the books now and I LOVE the response sheets. (I like it because it gives them the responsibility to actually pay attention and not just sit with the headphones on their heads!) Thanks for all your freebies! 🙂

    Reply

  10. Meg says

    I just found your site today and my Daily 5 book just arrived in the mail today as well. Perfect timing! I will need to catch up with your previous posts regarding the other chapters but I have a few questions for you!
    1. How do you “integrate” parents into this system?
    2. When do you do art or activities related to literature/songs or poetry?
    Thanks for everything, this is such a fun, new adventure!

    Reply

    • Marsha M. Moffit McGuire says

      Meg, I will be sending home a letter to parents explaining what their children learn during Daily 5 and if I have ANY volunteers this year, I will have them working with individual groups during read to someone or word work. I also will not being incorporating art and music into Daily 5 centers because I have other times during the day that I do that. Since I go all day, every day with my kinders there is more time to get those kinds of activities done.
      Marsha

      Reply

  11. diana.a says

    I have one computer and two CD players, more like small radios. A couple years ago I purchased a DVD story set from Scholastic that comes with 16 DVDs each with 4-6 stories on them. Not all of them have the words at the bottom. I have my computer listening center set up with 6 head phones. While it’s not the ideal, that was my listening to reading center. I resorted to this because I didn’t have any Books that go along with CDs.

    While I plan to keep it in place next year, I also want to make sure that students have the choice of using the CD players with books, I also need to get more of those.

    Did you end up making tiered response sheets?

    Reply

  14. Marla Granger says

    Thank you so much for the wonderful ideas:) I did not realize how many different web sites there were for listening…now I know I can try to incorporate my computers if they work this year..lol:)

    This is my first time trying the daily 5, if you can give me any advice on the daily 5 and how to run it would be great and if you don’t mind checking out my blog too…This blogging stuff is all new to me:)

    Reply

  16. Beatrice Samples says

    I have been going from one post to the next since I found your blog! Thanks for sharing such wonderful resources. Your tips, advice, and expertise are greatly appreciated!
    Bea Samples

    Reply

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