May 2008

Why do so many teachers tell us “signing songs is just the best thing we do”?  Children love it!  Parents love it!  Teachers love it!  Signing songs and finger spelling provides powerful multisensory language learning.  In response to your requests for a summary of the scientific and evidence-based research see:

Research Supports Signing Songs and Fingerspelling

Join us June 23rd & 24th at the beautiful Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel, Portland, OR., and discover the magic of joyful accelerated literacy using American Sign Language. 

Partial scholarships are still available. 

Click here for information on NBCT and New Kindergarten Teacher scholarships.
Click here for information on Mentor Kindergarten Chatboard Teacher scholarships.

Seminar #1 –June 23, 2008

Seminar #2 –June 24, 2008

Download Seminar Flier (PDF format)

Updated Photo Essay: The Magic of Signing Songs

To gauge the comprehensiveness of your kid writing classroom, you might enjoy Eileen Feldgus’ 2007 checklist:  What do The Most Effective Kid Writing Classrooms Look Like?

In conversation with Eileen Feldgus, she emphasized that where teachers have maintained the integrity of the daily “kid writing” model, reading test scores are amazingly high because writing teaches reading.  Many of our highest achieving kindergarten classrooms in Oregon have added a “Writing to Read” component to their required scripted reading program. 

  See video clip: We Can Write Nonsense Words with Diane Bonica

If you have not yet read the award-winning kid writing book, see Kid Writing: A Systematic Approach to Phonics, Journals, and Writing Workshop by Eileen G. Felgus and Isabell Cardonick at www.kidwriting.com.

See Isabel Cardonic’s writing displays and kid writing wall of fame.

Our Oregon kindergarten colleague, Julie Lay has created an awesome “Kid Writing” classroom and seminar.  She studied with Ellen Feldegus this year and will share some of the latest workshop strategies that are not even in the original “Kid Writing” book yet.

Writing to Read in Kindergarten: Explore the Power of Kid Writing

July 21, 2008 - Orlando, Florida
July 24, 2008 - Nashville, Tennessee
August 5, 2008 - Salem, Oregon

Partial scholarships are still available. 

Click here for information on NBCT and New Kindergarten Teacher scholarships.
Click here for information on Mentor Kindergarten Chatboard Teacher Scholarships.

For a glimpse into Julie’s classroom, see these practical photo essays:

Download Seminar Brochure:  Writing to Read (pdf format) or request a flier at info@nellieedge.com

Susan Ventura and Mitzi Shirk’s kindergartners in Eugene, Oregon are busy hand painting wings this month for the end-of-the-year Kindergarten Fly Away Celebration.  Parent volunteers trace and cut out a set of wings from railroad board for each child.  “After the children paint their wings with bright colors and designs (and sometimes feathers and glitter) we attach two elastic straps to hold these on their arms.  On our last day of school families are invited for an informal picnic lunch and popsicle event that concludes with the children donning their wings and “flying away” from kindergarten.  Children love the effect of flying in their wings down the sloping hills and meadow areas at the edge of the school woods!” Susan writes. 

Families watch and applaud at the bottom of the hill as their joyful child comes floating up and down again and again.  What a lovely, symbolic way to bring closure to a joyful kindergarten year.

Appropriate music for “The Fly Away:”

• I Believe I Can Fly (chorus) by R. Kelly Lyrics from the soundtrack for the movie Space Jam
• See Me Beautiful by Red Grammer  
• What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

For other end-of-the-year celebration ideas see:

Photo Essay: The Kinder Stars Year-End Celebration with Celeste Starr

See Kathie Bridges Video clip: Year-End Rap

Article: End-of-Year Celebrations Bring Closure to the Learning Community.

Powerful kindergarten literacy gains can easily be lost over the summer – especially by our emerging readers and writers who are still building foundation skills.  Wise kindergarten teachers have developed strategies to support family fun and literacy learning over the summer:

• Give Each Family a Copy of Summer Homework? Summer Fun! Encourage families to keep the love of learning alive and to value unstructured childhood play.
• Encourage your children and their families to reconnect with nature over the summer.
       See Summer Learning Fun: Playing in Your Own Back Yard.
       See the eloquent NKA letter “ Connecting Children to Nature” by Anna Rainville.
• Share information with families about your local library reading program.  The theme for Oregon’s 2008 summer reading program is bugs:  “Don’t Bug Me I’m Reading.”  How fun is that?
• Teachers ask each child to carefully print two self-addressed envelopes so she can write to the child.  In return, the child is given two addressed envelopes or postcards so he can write to his teacher. Children will continue their passion for drawing and Kid Writing all summer long.
• Teachers send home a blank drawing/writing book to use as a Science Journal or Summer Happenings Book.
• Encourage the child to verbalize their summer learning goals during the final student-led parent conference and the last week of school.  “This summer I want to learn about…”.
• Send home a summer reading journal for each child: They can draw a picture of their favorite part of each new picture book and write the name of the book, author and one sentence about it.  “I like the…”
• Give each child a favorite paperback book from their teacher.  “Happy summer reading…” 
• Remind families to reread, recite and sing together from their child’s “I Can Read” Notebook pages of poems, songs, rhymes, and chants.  Children will continue to gain reading fluency with these short familiar works of language.

We believe that our role in building strong joyful family learning connections may be one of the most important contributions we make toward creating healthy schools and healthy communities.

May 27th will be the last Salem Cadre meeting of the school year with mentor kindergarten teacher Katie Nelson in her joyful classroom at Salem Heights Elementary.  Our topic is “What do the most effective “Kid Writing” classrooms look like?”  Janis Wurgler and Nellie Edge will facilitate.  You will enjoy seeing “Charlie the Turtle” the newest addition to Katie’s classroom, who is receiving adoring letters from his kindergarten friends. 

You are welcome to come at 4:00 to enjoy exploring this delightful writing-to-read kindergarten.  Presentation and discussion begin promptly at 4:30. Kathie’s program clearly demonstrates joyful learning with high literacy standards. 

One, two or three units of professional development credits are available for Salem Cadre teachers as you choose to pursue a meaningful project that will make your kindergarten the best it can be. You have all spent many hours implementing new literacy strategies—you deserve the credits.  We will be happy to share project ideas with you.

Please note that Julie Lay is presenting her practical and highly praised seminar Writing to Read in Kindergarten: Explore the Power of Kid Writing in Salem, OR August 5th at the Red Lion on Market Street.

Our Cadre members are invited to attend at $99.00 instead of $195.00 (while space is available for prepaid registrations).  Salem teachers who have previously attended Julie’s seminar are welcome to attend as our guest.  (You pay only $25.00 to cover the cost of the new updated handbook). However you need to register as soon as possible to ensure a scholarship space.

If higher literacy scores and happy engaged writers and readers is your goal, join us August 5th.  Talk to your principal about financial support: you are the reason we scheduled this training in Salem! 

Discover why teachers from across the country say: “This is the most practical and important kindergarten seminar I have ever attended!”

Happy teaching days to you,

Nellie Edge