Teaching Kiddos

  Learning about long vowels helps kiddos understand different letter-sound relationships. Thus preparing strong reading and spelling foundations. Teaching spelling generalizations with long vowel spelling patterns allows kids to learn and remember that long vowels can be represented in different ways. By the way, there are so many different ways, oh my!   One activity that helps kiddos understand long vowel combinations is sorting. We love to make a game out of anything . And this lesson was no exception. First the kiddos took turns pulling a word out of the jar. Then they had to choose what column it fits in.     Once our kiddos have had repeated exposure to these long vowel letter combinations, they can begin to work on getting to know them, in order to recall them in reading and spelling contexts.

Flow Map The flow map is used for sequencing and ordering information. Kiddos can use it to identify the relationships between stages and substages of an event (or order or numbers, operations, steps, etc.) They can be used to explain the order of events.    This map can be used to plot a story, show historical events in sequences, steps in problem solving math, identify stages of a life cycle and much more. This map can be applied to all subject areas. The best part about it, is that it can be used as a note taking tool before a test and even sometimes DURING a test to help clarify what the story is about.   Luckily for us, flow maps are introduced during 2 nd grade by our fabulous second grade team . This allows us to reintroduce it and take it to the next level in third grade.   Most recently we used a whole group flow map while reading , " There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog" we love doing this whole group so all kiddos can get involved. As we read the story and he