1. Give Your Children This Just Right February Love-Day Song | 2. Models for Student-led Parent Conferences | 3. Enjoy Chewy Yum Yums and Full Color Play Dough Picture Recipe | 4. New Video Clip! L-O-V-E Spells Love and February ideas and links.
5. Learn The Silent E Song: Video Clip of Phonics Fun with Diane Bonica | 6.Oregon Kindergarten Summit- March 19th
7. Salem Kindergarten Cadre Schedule for 2008
February 2008

Welcome

1. Give Your Children This "Just Right" February Love-Day Song

Oh, My Darling Valentine
(To the tune of Clementine)
February is a short month
28 days or 29
In the middle is a love-day,
Won't you be my Valentine?
Oh, my darling
Oh, my darling
Oh, my darling Valentine.
In the middle is a love-day,
Won't you be my Valentine?
—Author Unknown

This perfectly delightful song came to me from mentor kindergarten teacher, Joanie Cutler. Clementine is a contagious melody so you may find yourself repeating, “In the middle is a love-day, won't you be my Valentine…” over and over. What a memorable way for children to learn about February calendar skills, the concept of “middle”, and cultural traditions of love and friendship.

With happy hearts we dance and sing everyday in kindergarten :It's how the brain learns best!

 

We have redesigned the first section of our Poetry “I Can Read” Notebook pages making it easy for you to see all of the poems and songs before downloading individual pages.

Download: Oh, My Darling Valentine.
View our collection of songs and rhymes: February Themes of Love and Friendship.
(These are either in the public domain or shared with permission.)

Tip: When asking parent volunteers to make language charts for your class, show them a model and discuss the lettering and colors. See: Celebrate Language Photo Essay for examples of classroom poetry and song charts.

2. Models for Student-led Parent Conferences: Plan now for Spring

Teachers who use student-led parent conferences consistently tell us “It is just the best thing we do!”

Our kindergarten colleagues have developed many variations of student-led and student-assisted parent conferences that involve the child in presenting and celebrating their learning achievements.  Whether you choose a framework that allows four children and their families to conference for 40 minutes at a time while you serve as a facilitator (only if they need assistance), or you choose to have a role participating in the last part of each conference, we hope you will consider the benefits of allowing children to communicate with pride in their new learning accomplishments.

For more information, see the following articles:

Teacher Stories: Student-led Parent Conferences are the Best Thing I Do!
Tips on Creating a Celebration of Learning
Student-led Parent Conferences: What Does the Child Share?
Parent Letter: Use Active Listening and Encouraging Language
Student-led Parent Conference Checklist
Kindergarten "I Can" Picture Checklist (PDF)

Student-Led Parent Conferences Workshop: All Are Invited

Join us to discuss the above topics at our kindergarten Student-led Parent Conferences workshop from 4:00 – 6:30p.m. on Thursday, February 7, 2008 in Lisa Young’s kindergarten at Marion Miller Elementary School, 1650 46th Pl SE Salem, OR, (503) 399-3332. Registration is not required except to email us by Feb. 4th with your name and phone number so we have enough handouts ( info@nellieedge.com). 

Please consider calling or emailing us to share your successes with student-led parent conferences.  Perhaps your tips, parent letters, photos, or assessment forms will inspire other teachers to use this powerful authentic assessment tool.  I may, with permission, share your photos in a future photo essay.

3. Enjoy Chewy Yum Yums and Other Free Picture Recipes

Kids and cooking go together— and what a delicious way to learn. 

Chewy Yum Yums with dates and nuts are easy and fun to mix, nutritious and yummy to eat. Consider making these for your Valentine’s party or student-led parent conference snacks.  You are welcome to make copies of our recipes for families.

Download Chewy Yum Yums and other picture recipes.

Our Playdough Recipe is now available in Full-Color: You can enlarge this recipe for your classroom cooking center.

 

4. L-O-V-E Spells Love and February Writing Ideas

View our sign language video clip:
L-O-V-E Spells Love

Singing, signing, and spelling are powerful ways to learn high-frequency words.  

February card writing activities provide great practice in writing meaningful sentences and phrases:
I love you.     To _________.
I like you.      From _________.
You are my friend.
Keep sentence strips, photos/name cards of classmates, and a variety of paper, pens and envelopes in your card- making center. Children can practice writing a message and adding “To _____” and “From _____.” Enjoy their delightful, creative designs.

See Becky Leber's Literacy Centers Photo Essay (page 2).

Invite children to write love coupons and bring them home for Mom and Dad. This idea comes from the book “Kid Writing: A Systematic Approach to Phonics, Journals, and Writing Workshop”: (page 92) See the Kid Writing Website

Children can write “I love you” messages to secretly hide around their homes. Brainstorm where they might tuck them: Under Mom’s pillow? By the computer? In Dad’s shoe?..

Each child can write several notes on 4” by 8 ½“ paper and tuck them inside a business envelope to keep them safe on the way home from school. This is a great way to build fluency with high-frequency words and phrases.

Strategy from Celebrate Language and Accelerate Literacy: High Standards · Joyful Learning · Proven Strategies by Nellie Edge (Chapter 10).

 

Here are Some of our Favorite February Links:

Happy Browsing!

5. Learn The Silent “E” Song: Phonics Fun with Diane Bonica

Master Oregon kindergarten teacher Diane Bonica shares one of her creative phonics songs to make leaning
playful and memorable.

See Video: The Silent “E” Song with Diane Bonica

Enjoy exploring Diane Bonica's website and reading her weekly newsletter.

Diane is presenting an all-day kindergarten workshop for us March 8th in her language-rich classroom in Tualatin, Oregon. See Diane Bonica Seminar Flier.

6. Oregon Kindergarten Summit - March 19th

The second annual Oregon Kindergarten Summit is being held at the Portland Conference Center. This day is a celebration of the important work Kindergarten teachers do.

We appreciate the commitment our superintendent Susan Castillo has for quality all-day kindergarten models. There is no charge for this event, which includes lunch and refreshments. How nice is that?

For more information see: Oregon Department of Education

7. Salem Cadre Schedule

January 31, 2008 (Thursday)

More of exploring “The Daily 5” or “The Daily Three” in Kindergarten: How to Foster Literacy Independence (First part of the DVD)

Debi Fauth's joyful kindergarten at Yoshikai Elementary School located at 4900 Jade Street NE Salem, OR 97305-3169; phone number 503-399-3438.

You are welcome to come at 4:00pm for a tour of this wonderful kindergarten classroom and to visit with your colleagues! We will start the DVD viewing promptly at 4:30pm. We are excited to view “The Daily 5” DVD: the teacher modeling is superb. You will see actual demonstrations of the three ways to read a book independently and with a buddy. These are strategies you can easily use in the kindergarten classroom.

We will explore how to create a culture for reading and begin systematically developing independent reading behavior — even in kindergarten.

If you have not received a copy of the important resource The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (“the 2 sisters”) please email Janice Wurgler at Wurgler_Janis@salkeiz.k12.or.us

February 7, 2008 (Thursday)

How to Conduct Student-Led Parent Conferences in Kindergarten

Lisa Young's language-rich kindergarten at Marion-Miller Elementary located at 1650 46th Place SE, Salem, OR 97317-6672; phone number 503-399-3332.

Lisa Young has built on the work of Barb Sagen (and Patti Kuedell) and developed a model kindergarten student-led parent conference format involving four families conferencing at a time. We will take you through the steps in preparing for and conducting student-led conferences including skill lists and parent letters. If you have also developed a model for kindergarten student-led parent conferences please contact me info@nellieedge.com and we will be happy to have you share in this presentation.

February 21, 2008 (Thursday)

Interactive Writing and the Use of Individual White Boards

Jeff James kindergarten classroom at Faye Wright Elementary located at 4060 Lone Oak Rd. SE, Salem, OR 97306; phone number 503-399-3198.

Jeff will demonstrate how to conduct interactive writing lessons, and share tips on using individual white boards with kindergarteners. He will also share his experience implementing some of “The Daily 5” strategies. Come early (4:00) to visit and tour his writing-to-read kindergarten. Your kindergarten colleagues have loved studying with this master teacher. The presentation will begin promptly at 4:30pm.

March 10, 2008 (Monday)

Music is Magic in Accelerating Language and Literacy: Using Books That Sing and Rhyme to Create the “I Can Read” Habit

Join Nellie Edge for a “Living Room Workshop” from 4:00-6:00pm in her South Salem home. E-mail for directions info@nellieedge.com and to let us know if you plan to attend. Space is limited. Please bring your Celebrate Language and Accelerate Literacy manual and carpool if possible.

  • Explore how to transition from shared reading to guided reading, develop literacy skills, and scaffold independent reading behavior.
  • Use accelerated literacy strategies to teach high-frequency words.
  • Use music, sign language, and drama to make language and literacy come alive!
  • Discover free resources for building individual Student-Book Boxes and filling them with “Just Right! I Can Read!” books.

April 26, 2008 (Saturday) Note: NEW DATE!

Literacy Through Literature: Developing Skills Within a Love of Language

A Saturday Workshop with Kathie Bridges at Pringle Elementary
4800 Reed Lane, Salem, OR 97306
phone number (503) 399-3178

Pre-registration required. You will receive a beautiful full-color literacy manual.

Download Seminar Flier

May 15, 2008 (Thursday)

What Do the Most Effective Kid Writing Classrooms Look Like?

Kindergarten Classroom To Be Announced!

June 2008 (date and details to be announced)

Art, Science, and Literacy Connections in Kindergarten: High Expectations and Amazing Levels of Learning

All-day Kindergarten Workshop with Laura Flocker at Candelaria Elementary School located at 935 Hansen Ave S, Salem, OR 97302
phone number (503) 399-3136

June 23 and 24, 2008 (Monday and Tuesday)

The Magic of Signing Songs: Joyful Accelerated Literacy

Attend one day or both days! No previous sign language experience needed. Presented by Nellie Edge and Diane Larson in Portland, OR.

Download Seminar Flier

See ASL Video Clips    The Pledge of Allegiance,   Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

What does research show about the benefits of signing? View Photo Essay: The Magic of Signing Songs

Wishing you a happy February,
Nellie Edge

This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is the perodic newsletter from the Nellie Edge Excellence in Kindergarten and Early Literacy site. For more information and resources visit www.nellieedge.com.
For questions email to info@nellieedge.com.You may update your subscription frequency and information or unsubscribe at any time.

We know your privacy is important. Email addresses and personal information are not released to third parties.

© 2008 Nellie Edge - Excellence in Kindergarten and Early Literacy