JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

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WHERE CAN I GO TO GET

EARLY YEARS INFORMATION?

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AT

HWDSB https://

kindergartencaptured.commons.hwdsb.on.ca

“KINDER CONFERENCE”

1. Kindergarten Professional Learning

2. Kindergarten Program and Growing success System Training

EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER

How to get involved?

This quarterly “Early Years Newsletter” might entail: pedagogical perspectives, ideas for programming, a connection to families and the Ministry of Education messaging. Your voice is important to us if you are interested in providing an article please contact Liz Tselepakis or Andrea Topic. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Shelley Kinzie, Deb Forster, Nicole Patzalek, Jacki Belisario, Liz Tselepakis, Andrea Topic

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

Documentation: A Voice From The Field

Why Every Kindergarten Class Should Use DocIt…We use DocIt in our class, and we love it! It has been a fantastic tool for documentation. It is very easy to use. The benefits are amazing. Here’s how DocIt has been beneficial in our classroom:

New to Kindergarten….

If you are new to kindergarten, in any role, DocIt is a must. Add photos, comments and then click on the expectations. You can even take a photos right from the program on your ipad. The curriculum expectations are right there, organized by the 4 frames, just a click away!

Team Work…

DocIt promotes communication and team work. All team members (including prep coverage) can contribute, analyses and plan based on the documentation.

From the documentation the needs of your classroom are evident. It helps in conversing with your team partner(s) to discuss children’s learning and build on their inquiries.

Child Development and Curriculum…

DocIt allows for each educator to share their thinking and provide valuable information for: communication of learning; classroom management strategies and providing high standards in each kindergarten classroom. It’s a great way to see a child’s growth in learning throughout the school year.

We would highly recommend DocIt to be used in every Kindergarten classroom. Give it a real try. Use it for a solid month and you will see the benefits of it, just as we do.

Iram Shah-Fyfe and Blaire Cornelius - Sir Issac Brock School

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To access DOCit, use this wed browser:

https://docit.hwdsb.on.ca

If you require log in information please put in an IIT Help Desk (ebase) request.

Go to myHWDSB, Staff Home Page, IIT Help Desk (ebase), located on the left. For more information contact you Early Years team.

We want to know how you document learning?

http://bit.ly/DocumentationSurvey

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

Environment

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“The physical environment is a direct image of the teacher’s planning and the student’s learning. It is where both teachers and students will spend most of their time and a place they can call their own and relate to. It should be well organized, comfortable, and personable and offer a variety of manipulates for cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development (Catron & Allen, 2007)”. [p.258)

https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/53567_ch_10.pdf

When setting up your environment, some areas to think about when allocating spaces are: • Blocks area (at a large carpet) • Dramatic play • Sensory (both wet and dry) • Art (table , easel, shelf ) • Quiet corner

Think about using areas for multi uses, for example: • The large carpet area can be used for blocks and a gathering carpet for large groups • Tables can be used for provocations and play experiences or an area to eat lunch or do guided instruction • Quiet corner can be somewhere children go to read a book and relax or can be an area where a teacher host a

read aloud for a small group of students. • Consider providing materials throughout the classroom for literacy, math and science • Organize materials so that children may use them in various areas of the room while also being successful in

tidying up Materials that should always be accessible to children include:

• Glue, scissors, paper, paint, writing materials, blocks, sand and water • All areas of the room should be easily accessible to children throughout the day

Wall Displays • When putting things up on the walls think about, “why?, What is the purpose/ intentionality?, How will we use

this to promote thinking and scaffold learning?” For Children:

• Materials posted at their eye level: their work, photos of them and their families and friends, documentation of their learning

• Student generate Items to support in their learning: number line, hundreds chart, alphabet, word wall, etc. • schedule

For educators/families: • At an adult level: pedagogical documentation available to promote conversation with families and other

educators ~ Early Years, Liz Tselepakis and Andrea Topic

Reflective Questions to help Support Environment Design 1. How well does each part of the environment invite investigation, lingering, conversation and collaboration?

2. To what extent are children able to discover and develop their capabilities through reasonable risk-taking?

3. What can we learn from how children respond to the life, materials and events in their environment?

The Environment Is a Teacher - http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/Callaghan.pdf

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

Literacy

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Intentional Interactions in Shared Storybook Reading

“Intentional interactions between educators and students, among students, and between students and their learning environment are perhaps the most powerful mechanism for boosting the development in oral language, literacy, numeracy, science, and indeed across the curriculum” (OSLA, 2014). Sharing a storybook together is a way to engage students in intentional interactions that will support oral language and literacy skills in a meaningful way.

In shared storybook reading, the educator reads a storybook using strategies that include the student in an authentic conversation. The educator is in “The Responsive Partner Role”, where educators encourage conversation and discussion while reading the story together (Weitzman, et. al., 2010).

Shared storybook reading becomes an intentional interaction when the educator includes the following:* Reading that is animated with expression; may use props such as objects, toys, puppets, etc. when appropriate* Explanation of new words as they occur in the story; explain new words using language that is easy to understand by all students* Pausing to provide students with time to make spontaneous comments* Expands on student comments to model vocabulary and language that supports an in-depth understanding of the narrative* Asking of authentic open-ended questions during the reading to develop inferencing skills, predicting skills, and recall of parts of/all of the story* Engaging in meaningful discussion about the story after the reading, to make connections to students’ own personal experience* Repeated readings of the same story (at least 3-4 or more!) to support development of vocabulary, oral language, and literacy skills.

Choosing Appropriate Books:* Developmentally appropriate* Topics of interest to students, determined through student inquiry* Books with engaging illustration

Basiliki Passaretti, M.A., Reg. CASLPO, SLP (C)HWDSB Communication Services, Learning Services

References:1. OSLA. (2014). Oral Language At Your Fingertips: Kindergarten and the Primary Grades. Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists. Toronto.2. Weitzman, J. & Greenberg, J. (2010). ABC & Beyond. Building Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Settings. Hanen Early Language Program. Toronto.

Using Read Alouds to Target Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Skills

Research says the largest predictor of early reading success is phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. Our Year 2 Phonological Awareness and Alphabetical Principles screening tool helps us identify areas of need for our students. This year we’ve worked hard to teach and practice these skills in specific isolated activities but let’s consider how we can also target and teach these skills using an Interactive Read Aloud.

Here’s How: • when reading out loud, point to words and

letters • clap out the syllables in longer words • discuss whether words are long or short • point out rhyming words and invite students to

generate more rhymes • use rhyming cues to help students label new

words. For example, say “the name of this animal rhymes with hole and starts with the sound mmmmm”

• use the ‘cloze’ technique for students to fill in rhyming words e.g. ‘the mouse is under the __’

• choose some 2 and 3 sound words from the book to segment and spell. For example, read “Edward the Emu lived in a zzzz ooooo”. Invite students to ‘sound out’ the word ‘zoo’ and then print or select the corresponding letters. Or, have 1 student be the ‘segmenter’ and ask another to print/choose each letter in the word.

• occasionally say short words, such as ‘bus, eat, soap’ sound by sound (e.g. b [pause] u [pause] s’) and encourage your students to blend the sounds to make a word

Suggested texts for teaching phonological and phonemic awareness skills: ‣ Edward the Emu ‣ Frog on a Log- ‣ Anything Dr. Seuss ‣ Bear Snores On ‣ The Gruffalo ‣ One Duck Stuck ‣ I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track

* HWDSB’s KLLIC program has many other ideas and rich read alouds for targeting phonological awareness skills. Check for these kits in your school’s book room

Sam Porterfield and Lynn Dupuis Reading Specialist, HWDSB

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

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Math - Connections to Spatial Reasoning in Kindergarten Spatial Reasoning

“Children who spend time building, drawing, modelling, doing jigsaw puzzles, doing origami, and playing video games where the player navigates through spaces, provide examples of just a few ways that spatial sense can be developed informally” (Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally, Van de Walle et al, p375, 2018).

Why is Spatial Reasoning Important?

Research stated in “Paying Attention to Spatial Reasoning” shows that spatial skills might be predictive of later mathematics achievement. For example, a recent longitudinal study with three-year-olds found evidence that spatial skills were even more important than early mathematics skills and vocabulary at predicting mathematics performance at the age of five (Farmer et al., 2013).

Students in kindergarten may naturally be playing with puzzles, involved in block play, designing creations using loose parts, navigating their bodies in different novel motions, using symmetry, mental

rotation and visualization skills just to name a few tasks related to spatial reasoning skills they may use on a daily basis.

What intentional invitations for spatial reasoning thinking might you create?

• Some ideas to promote spatial thinking:

• In outdoor play, invite students to use different objects and manipulate it in space

• Practice your visual memory - take a picture in your mind and build it!

• Can you fill it? Use different parts (cuisenaire rods, pentominoes, cubes, anything) to fill a picture frame or a taped off area on the carpet/table.

• Thinking symmetrically - invite students to use 1, 2, or many lines of symmetry to create a design

• Barrier games - using a barrier (ie. book, folder), invite students to play a game where one partner creates and communicates a design and the partner tries to recreate it - “put the green square on top of the red trapezoid, then put the yellow hexagon under the red trapezoid”.

Research notes from Paying Attention to Spatial Reasoning:

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2006) has recommended that at least half of mathematics teaching and learning in the early years be focused on geometry, measurement and spatial reasoning (see Sinclair & Bruce, 2014)

Special attention should be given to dynamic and transformational geometry (relating to objects in motion) rather than emphasizing static (non-moving) shapes and features of shapes (Sinclair and Bruce 2014).

A focus on dynamic geometry fosters three areas of spatial thinking connected to mathematics performance: spatial visualization, perspective taking and mental rotation (Mix & Cheng, 2012).

I hope these ideas have inspired you to rethink how spatial reasoning in the early years is important and that you may already be promoting these experiences in your students!

Moojean Seo, HWDSB Math Facilitator, mseo@hwdsb.on.ca, @moojean_seo

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

Community Connections

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Child Care and Schools Working Together in Shared Space

Ontario's Vision for the Early Years and Child Care is that "All children and families have access to a range of high quality; inclusive and affordable early years and child care programs and services that are child and family centred and contribute to children's learning, development and well-being" (Ontario Ministry of Education).

Below you will find the link to ‘Working Together in a Shared Space’ a document released by the Ministry of Education which is now posted on EduGAINS. It is the last pdf under ‘Principals Want to Know’. This resource is meant to support collaboration in creating a welcoming environment for children, families and our community partners who are providing 3rd party services on our behalf.

http://edugains.ca/newsite/Kindergarten/building_partnerships.html

Opportunity for Reflection:

This document asks us to consider the child's experience in full day learning and extended day programs. When arranging the environment, do we consider the needs of children attending before and after school programs in our rooms? Do we work collaboratively to share, prepare and care for the environment and materials so children can work on projects over an extended period of time? Do we build and foster relationships with our classroom teaching partners in our extended day programs?

If you have a successful partnership and want to share your tips and ideas, we would love to hear from you. ~ Jacki Belisario, Acting Early Years Manager

Summer Reading Books

It’s that time of year again, when teachers are putting together summer reading lists for their students, educators deserve to do some great reading over the summer too!

With that in mind, we have developed a list of books, that we think are great books, you will be excited about! These are books we have read lately or books we are looking forward to picking up this   summer.

Early Years Team

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

Intentional Planning for Purposeful Play

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“Play nourishes every aspect of children’s development. … Play develops the foundation of intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills necessary for success in school and in life. It “paves the way for learning”. (Canadian Council on Learning, 2006, p. 2)

“Educators provide opportunities for children to engage in individual and small-group learning during play (e.g., to address particular needs or interests; to review documentation; to co-construct a learning area) and use various learning and teaching strategies (e.g., shared reading, interactive writing, explicit instruction in mathematics) as opportunities arise from play.” (Ministry of Education, Kindergarten Program 2016, pg. 95)

Planning Template Why this learning for this child at this time and in this context?

This template was created collaboratively, in order to support intentional planning. It has been revised a few times based on the feedback and ideas of multiple educators. This tool is meant to be used as a planning tool driven by documentation of student learning (observations and assessments). This planning tool, is one of many, that encourages educators to intentional think about and plan for deeper conversations, and how to scaffold learning when engaged with children both in play and explicit instruction.

~ Early Years, Liz Tselepakis and Andrea Topic

Click on the link, you will need to make your own copy in order to fill it out: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S2NmC1Ud1m_6P7Iu5d7dMcPjmq7UnPGqCUSe05XH9zw OR http://bit.ly/KPlannerHWDSB

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

Parent Connection

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Enjoy a restful and relaxing summer! From all of us at HWDSB.

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

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When Stress Strikes: 10 Questions To Help You Take Better Care of Yourself

Self-care is the basis for our well-being. And when stress strikes, we especially need to attend to our emotional, physical and spiritual needs and practice nourishing, healthy habits.

In her excellent book The Art of Extreme Self-Care author Cheryl Richardson shares a valuable idea that can help: creating a “self-care first-aid kit.”

When you’re facing a difficult situation or any kind of stressor, it helps to know exactly what and who will bring you the most comfort and let you express your feelings healthfully and safely. To create your kit, Richardson suggests answering these 10 questions:

1. Who can I turn to for support and comfort?

2. Who should I avoid?

3. What does my body need to feel nourished, healthy and strong?

4. What responsibilities do I need to relinquish so I can attend to my needs and feeling my feelings?

5. What unhealthy or unhelpful strategies or activities do I need to avoid?

6. What spiritual practice connects me to God or another higher power I believe in?

7. What will bring me comfort right now?

8. How can I express my feelings healthfully?

9. What object can I use as a talisman to remind me to relax and be in the present moment?

10. What’s a healthy distraction for me when I need to take a break?

Adapted from: https://psychcentral.com/blog/when-stress-strikes-10-questions-to-help-you-take-better-care-of-yourself/

Nicole Patzalek and Shelley Kinzie Early Years, DECE

JUNE 2018 EARLY YEARS NEWSLETTER # 2

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The Art Alphabet from room 119 at Cootes Paradise. The children had the opportunity to:

‣explore a variety of materials;

‣create batiks, horizons and recycled art;

‣move their bodies, strike a pose and then using charcoal sketched their pose;

‣use pipe cleaners and tin foil figures they recreated their poses;

‣collaborate on projects

‣explore kinetic art, talk about and test placement for their moving parts;

‣work individually on still art painting. One of our year 2 students, when supported by an educator, was able to produce a stunning replica of the vase and flowers, overcoming poor fine motor skills and boosting his confidence;

‣Q is for Quilt, parent volunteers assisted while the children hand sewed the 30 hand painted squares to our class quilt.

As educators I think what amazed us most about our children’s work this year was during the wire sculpture project. Using real hammers, wire cutters and nails the children created unique sculptures. They returned daily over several weeks to continue working on their projects. After initial educator support we

stepped back as we watched the children assist and encourage each other in their work. Our documentation shows that we value children as curious, competent and capable learners and honour their work.

Educators at Cootes Paradise Stephani King Rankin and

Carla Patterson

ART ALPHABET