Welcome Kent State Students and Southwest Iowa Teachers!

A very cool idea. This week at a state level meeting we discussed the importance of family involvement with literacy in preschool. Each statewide program is required to conduct a home visit and a family fun night. One innovative program is modeling shared reading or interactive read alouds as part of their home visit. What an amazing connection and opportunity to connect with families and share one simple strategy that will have positive outcomes for their child! My new quest is to find a grant so that the book can be left in the home. Imagine if this would be followed up by a language and literacy focused family fun night! Two positive opportunities to share an important experience with all families prior ot the first parent conferences!

Social Stories for Back to School

Two new teachers worked to create a short social story that will be shared at home visits prior to school starting. The short story features 4 pages with 2 pictures per page that depicts photos the journey from the drop off point/bus stop into the building, past the secretary, down the hall, into the classroom, to the coat hooks and then two interest areas (blocks and group time). Each picture features a friendly person that will be there on the first day to help. So picture of entrance with Principal, picture of crosswalk/stop sign with Principal, entrance to building with secretary, down the hall with the teacher, to the door of the classroom with both teachers, etc... We made a colored "permanent" book to stay in the library area and then photo copied one for each child in black/white. The teachers will share the story at the home visit and then leave the book for the family. Way to go early educators!!!!

Authentic Assessment: Please Define!

I find myself in an unexpected and interesting collaboration. I am contributing to a revision of an authentic developmental assessment for B-6. What do you need from your assessment system? How does it enable you to make instructional decisions. What are the problems? Which areas do you feel need to be represented? strengthened? omitted? How can you manage tier one assessment with a group of children in a classroom setting? I look forward to your thoughts!

Perfect Early Childhood Assessment

So I find myself on this amazing but unexpected journey. I am contributing to a comprehensive B-6 developmental assessment. So I ask you...what does a good assessment (classroom based) look like? What do you need it to do/inform? What areas of development do you rely on the assessment to guide the instruction (if any). I truly am in need of your input. I have some ideas, but it has been awhile since I managed a classroom of 20 or more preschoolers and used a comprehensive tier 1 assessment. If you could list your top 10 things an authentic (feel free to define authentic) assessment must do...what would they be?

Irresistible Ideas for Play based Learning

This might be my favorite creative link to date.
Love the ideas, the message and the process.
Check out their facebook page
and make sure and take a look
at the photo's and blog!

Welcome Kent Students

Feel free to browse through posts or check out some of the blogs that I recommend. Blogspot of the day is from TED
There are many TED talks and TEDxchange discussions related to early childhood.
enjoy

Language Castle Blog

March is post a creative and exceptional blog a day month....for me!

Here is the first Language Castle


 enjoy...