Read to Someone
One thing that I have always worked towards in my classroom is for students to not make fun of other students. For some reason, primary kids love to do this, so we definitely have lots of discussions about being nice to other children, because everyone is special, and everyone has their strengths.
Listening to Reading
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?
I think read-alouds will help with that. Every child that I know tunes in when they are being read to. It definitely piques their interest. When I begin to introduce the listening center, students love that they get to do just as I have done, handling the book and turning the pages all by themselves. I think it is about slowly building and creating that love of books and reading for children.
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?
I have used a community recording device, because I used my iPod’s in a separate center, but I will be getting more iPod’s for the fall, so I’m definitely thinking about using some for separate listening centers. I also have a dock, to use as a community listening center. FYI, do NOT let the kiddos use the earbuds, because they will be FULL of earwax, NASTY!!!!! I bought cheap headphones at Wally World for $5 each. They have truly saved me, because I couldn’t handle the nastiness!!!!
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?’
I teach my kiddos from the beginning, pay attention to how to work electronic devices, because if you keep messing it up, then tough!! I am not coming to fix it! (I know, I’m a meanie!) But it works!! They know to get a book to read. I also used an idea from a friend this past year, center captains. I have a few kids that really know what is going on, and their job is to help someone who made a mistake and exited the webpage on the computer, can’t get the listening center going, etc.
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)?
Well, in my old classroom I did have a designated place for listening to reading. It was a community device, but it had its place. Since the tornado, I’m in a smaller classroom, and let’s just say that we did not do listening for the second half of the school year! (I know, I know, excuses, excuses!) I’m thinking of having some iPod’s designated ONLY for listening to reading, and putting one and a set of headphones into some cute type of carrier. I have one long counter, and it’s usually where I keep everything for centers, so that they can access it when they need to.
5. 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?’
I know that it is necessary that they stay on task, and I think I need to come up with some type of activity for them to do after listening, because this is the time when a lot of off-task behavior occurs.
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’m kind of for and against response sheets all at the same time. Coming from 1st grade, I thought it was a great way for them to display whether or not they comprehended the story, whether it was the plot, inference skills, main idea, etc. However, in Kindergarten, they are so slow to complete things, especially early on in the school year. Now, they will draw to their little hearts are content, but I don’t know that it accomplishes a purpose. I think that I may need to develop follow-up activities, but I probably won’t do a reader response sheet each time.
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?
For iPod’s it is so easy, because you can load several stories at once, and students do not have to just listen to the one that you have chosen for them.
