Kris Damon Transitional Kindergarten Coach Long Beach Unified School District Whitcomb Hayslip

1. Effective Use of Large and Small Group Instruction in the TK Classroom Part 1, Small GroupOctober 15, 2013 Kris Damon Transitional Kindergarten Coach Long Beach Unified School District Whitcomb Hayslip Early Childhood Education Consultant Elizabeth Quintero Professor and Coordinator of Early Childhood Studies CSU Channel Islands

2. Agenda • Welcome • Voices From the Field Updates • Transitional Kindergarten Presentation: • Effective Use of Large and Small Group Instruction in the TK Classroom : Part 2, Small Group • Q&A – Please email all questions to asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org • Next Call: December 3rd, 3:30-4:30pm • Close

3. Voices From the Field Updates What is happening in the field?

4. Effective Use of Large and Small Group Instruction in the TK Classroom Whitcomb Hayslip Early Childhood Education Consultant

5. Here They Come! Are We Ready? Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

6. Here They Come! Children come to Transitional Kindergarten with a very wide range of experiences and skills.

7. Here They Come! Once Size Does Not Fit All! Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

8. Here They Come! How can we use small group instruction to meet the unique needs of each child?

9. How Do We Design Small Group Instruction thatAddresses Children’s Developmental Needs? • Active: Bodies in Motion • Concrete Thinkers : Real/Relevant • Need for Repetition, Predictability and Routine • Use of Play to Make Sense of the World • Drive towards Mastery Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

10. Here They Come! Facing the Challenge

11. Small Group: Why, What, How? Elizabeth P. QuinteroEarly Childhood Studies, CSU Channel Islands

12. Small Group = Differentiation & Meaning! Active, concrete project based—not so much direct instruction—must be meaningful Exploration/hands-on centers or stations -- students are responsible for their learning Directions that are short and concise with questioning possibilities Student as well as teacher initiated hands-on learning http://tkcalifornia.org/ Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

13. EPIC Integrated Curriculum UPenn Enhance Skills through Reading and Dialogue Practice Communication Adapt to Individual Differences Teachable Moments Center Activities: Peer-play to practice and support peer learning through exploration!

14. Teachable Moments

15. Alma Flor Ada & Isabel Campoy (2009) “…at school we promote “book culture” In many homes family choose to share and transmit wisdom in different ways, such as through storytelling, music, or other ways Our responsibility to ensure that the world of book literacy is not presented as a wedge between parents and their children, but instead fosters all sharing of knowledge How?......what can we do in small group? Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

16. The Magic Book “In my family we have a ‘Magic Book’. The magic book got its name because everyone in my family tells a different story every time it’s told. We have different types of levels of education and life experiences.” Her story of her mother….then! Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

17. The Magic Book “My nephew has had this magic book, a wordless book, since he was a few weeks old. My sister read to him this magic book every night. As he grew he carried his book and asked different family members to read. We explained to him that he could use his imagination and make up a story every time… He is six years old now and continues the tradition with his younger cousins and his sister. “….he never repeats the story; it’s always different. What I find more interesting is that he individualizes the story according to whomever he reads the story to.”

18. Prieto (2009) advises That environments for dual language learners intentionally and continuously support bilingualism. This can be done in Small Group through… Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

19. Ideas Felt boards with story scenes and characters reflective of multiple cultures; and letters and numbers in a variety of forms and textures. Puppets for retelling stories;  A listening center for listening and speaking activities; Picture cards with labels for the writing center; and  Magazines and catalogues for collage work. 

20. Rich Interactive Language PLAYDOUGH BECOMES…. FINGER PUPPETS Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

21. Cultural FolktalesThe Twenty-Five Mixtec Cats by Matthew Gollub

22. The Author’s Suggestions • Dramatic Teacher Reading • Dramatic Student Reading • Analyze Illustrations • Art Projects • Creative Writing & Spanish Support http://www.matthewgollub.com/pdf/The%20Twenty-five%20Mixtec%20Cats%20Teacher%20Kit.pdf

23. Small Group + Large Group Cohesion – Integrated Curriculum • Big Idea: • Integrated Areas of Study (minimum of 4) • Themes: • Anchor Text: • Project Based Activity/ies • Key Vocabulary • Planned Spontaneous • Small groups should be sometimes rotation with (homogeneous) and sometimes spontaneous with heterogeneous based on kids interests, abilities etc. Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

25. Observe: Children’s Knowledge, Development, and Interests THANK YOU!

26. Effective Use of Large and Small Group Instruction in the TK Classroom Kris Damon Transitional Kindergarten Instructional Coach Long Beach Unified School District

27. Small Groups • Allow you to offer a more focused experience • Introduce a new skill or concept • Engage children in solving a problem • Applying a concept already introduced • Provide the teacher time to notice what every child is able to do and where each has difficulty Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

28. Extension of Large Group Instruction • TK California website • Teaching Tools • Sample Lesson Plan • Small Group teaching is the best opportunity to engage your students in: • reflective conversation • interactive dialogue Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

29. Revisiting Morning Message in a Small Group 1. Student Need: identify letters in their name Small Group Instruction: Students use name cards and find matching letters in the message. Teacher prompts and supports letter identification as needed. 2. Student Need: spaces between words Small Group Instruction: Use the morning message to make boxes or a marking if some kind to indicate the spacing between words. Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

30. Revisiting or ExtendingInteractive Writing 1. Student need: still learning to track text from left to right Small group instruction: Reread text in interactive writing. From prepared sentence strips, students cut words apart, mix and reassemble with teacher support. 2. Student need: ready to write sentences with more independence Small group instruction: Reread text from an patterned book (I like ___.)Using chalk boards or learning logs, etc. students write sentence with teacher support as needed. Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

31. Digging Deeper into Text Retelling stories is powerful, but can be a challenge for some students. Use small group time to involve reluctant students in acting out and retelling a story. Use props or the book itself to support the retelling. Revisit a text with intricate or exceptional illustrations read in large group. Reread selections from the story and take a closer look at the relationship between the illustrations and the story.

32. I have formed my groups and their learning targets… What do I do with the remaining children?

33. Small Group Rotations • For a designated amount of time, students rotate through stations. • Students may spend 5 to 10 minutes at each station. • A class of 30 may move through 5 or 6 different stations. • One station is with the teacher, usually working through a mini-lesson.

34. Small Group Rotations Advantages • Predictable routine for young children, often quickly learned • Some teachers find this easiest to manage • Minimizes materials preparation Challenges • Often not differentiated • Takes away choices for children • Students sometimes “stuck” with same group of children • Assumes all students will finish task in the same amount of time Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

35. Learning CentersInterest Areas Ideas from Developmentally Appropriate Practice by Copple and Bredekamp • Dramatic play • Art • Blocks • Math manipulatives and games • Science • May include sand or water area • Writing • Computer • Literacy • Including books and audiobooks with headphones Ideas from TK Planning Guide • Art • Dramatic play • Language and literacy • Mathematics • and manipulatives • Science and technology More Center Ideas • Cooperative building • Playdough • Pocket Chart (literacy) • Storytelling • Puppet • Puzzles and Games Web search: Transitional Kindergarten Planning Guide

36. Learning Centers Advantages • Flexible grouping • Child initiated based on interests • The spontaneous small groups that are formed can be very meaningful to children • Predictable routine • Can promote inquiry Challenges • Requires clearly defined learning spaces in the classroom • Can be noisy • Initially materials preparation can be overwhelming • Initially time consuming to establish behaviors and working expectations Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org

37. Essential Components of Learning Centers(student choice or rotation) • May be used by children independently • Most centers integrated with specific teaching and learning concepts • Extension of what was learned in the large group • Does not always require a product • Not always at a table • Differentiated for learners • Predictable and flexible • Active and quiet • Familiar and novel • Teachers: • Observe • Instruct • Interact • Respond • Assess

38. You can do this!Be gentle with yourself and patient with your little ones. In the beginning… • Students staying in one area for a time period • Students choosing and focusing on a task • Group cooperation • Students knowing, understanding and “doing” procedures As the year proceeds… • 5 students working independently in 6 different areas • Students have learning and practice opportunities designed just for them • Teacher is able to spend time with a small group with few interruptions

39. Questions and Answers Please email all questions to : asandoval@earlyedgecalifornia.org