How to Incorporate ELA Skills in the K-1st Science Classroom

If you teach K-2nd, you know that you have a certain amount of minutes dedicated to each subject. Yet the increasing rigor in the standards require kinder teachers to have their class reading by the end of the year. So, we find ways to incorporate ELA skills into content areas while still teaching content area standards. How can we do this successfully?

1. Find grade level text that talks about what you're teaching. Some good resources are reading a to z. While most of their readers don't directly meet the standards, I have had luck finding books there that can be used for certain lessons. This, this, and this science predictable readers meet the Texas kinder TEKS. They include a predictable reader and a video that reads the book aloud to be used for a shared reading. These will soon be a part of a bundle.

Whichever resource you choose, you can have it available after your unit is complete. It can be put in your science center, or in children's book boxes, depending on what their independent reading level is.

2. Follow a 5E lesson plan. (Engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate). If you follow this format for math and science, you will more than likely have to find text to go with the "explain" portion of your lesson. Sometimes you'll be able to fit it in to the "elaborate" portion as well! In the "explain" or"elaborate" portion of your lesson you can also incorporate a written response, which brings me to my next point...

3. Incorporate a written response or reflection at some point in your lesson. If you're doing a science experiment that day, you could have them write their prediction right before you've told them the experiment and they're excited about it. If you've just explored hands on materials for a lesson you're teaching, take the time to have them reflect. First they tell their impressions to a buddy (as a pre-writing activity). Then have them go to their seat and quietly reflect in their science notebook about their findings.

This blog post was written by Teacherof20, TpT seller, blogger, and SAHM to two great kids!

Decoding Words with a Blending Snake

Decoding is the ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships to correctly pronounce written words.  It is described as the foundation of reading.

Successful decoders are able to read more fluently, have increased vocabulary, and are able to better comprehend what they read.

As students gain word attack skills, they should be given the opportunity to read text that reinforces the phoneme combinations they have learned, and also challenges them with new learning.

Several years ago, I created blending snakes from old ties.  My students enjoy using the snakes to help them decode words.

I also created blending snake cards which enable the students to work on decoding individual words independently.  We begin by decoding CVC words.  Then we move to words with initial and final blends.

Students say the individual sounds in the word and then blend them together to read the word.  Then they open up the blending snake card to check their answer.

You can try them out for FREE in your classroom!

{CLICK HERE} to grab a set of my blending snake cards!

How can we nurture young readers?

Hello Friends! 

It's Kimberly from Loving Kinders.  I am very excited to be the guest blogger this week.  

I wanted to talk about...

As a kinder-teacher, I find it difficult to find developmentally appropriate guided reading texts. I find that there are a plethora of “ A leveled readers” but do they nurture young readers? Do they offer interaction with print concepts? Can they keep the book and re-read it for fluency practice or sight word retention? In most cases, no. they. don’t. 

As another option, I wanted to share with you what I use and how I support developing readers in my classroom.

I LOVE using Interactive Emergent Readers with my kinders as part of their guided reading curriculum especially, as they develop into confident readers and writers.  By using these texts, kinders are able to develop into self-assured readers with valuable literacy tools that promote and assist them as growing readers.

I’ve found that kinder learners learn best with a GUIDED, Supportive and interactive approach to reading.  There is a reason that “with support” is within our standards!!    Everything we do as instructors is meant to guide and develop our young kinders into self-sustained, confident readers.

This is my simple approach.  I focus on three things.

#1  Identify Conventions

#2  Identify Sight Words

#3  Touch Read and Echoing

In a small group I use a booklet emergent reader.  I make sure that the reader does not have more than 4-5 words per page and that all words are appropriate for my reading group.  I am not too picky with the emergent reader, I just want to make sure that we can write on it and that they can take it home.  Many times I make my own booklet.  For this post, I am sharing my weather reader that I used during my weather week.

We begin with step #1- Identify Conventions. These are the RULES for writing.  I LOVE to color-code. (I REALLY DO!)  I thoroughly believe that color-coding assists students with skill retention and maintains consistency when working with standard specific skills.

I ask my kinders to use colored pencils or crayons to underline the capital letters green and circle the end marks red.  I don’t know where or why I thought of this?  I think it came to me on one of those AMAZING teacher waves that just hits you~ Smack in the face!  Utter teacher genius.  Well, at least for me. Also, I am not sure why it works…but it DOES WORK, and it looks great!  Lastly, I would have to agree that it helps my kinders 100% remember the WHY in the rules when writing and developing sentences.

#2 Identify Sight Words

I l-o-v-e to use color-coding! Did I tell you that already?  Well, in addition to the red and green, my students circle their sight words YELLOW with MARKERS.  First, please know, that I never EVER let my students use markers!!! Why?  Because I don’t like markers, that’s why.  They are fat, they don’t allow for detailed drawings, and lastly, because they bleed through the paper. YUCK!  So... I don't like markers.... So when I read with my kinders in guided reading and they can use a marker to circle their words, it’s like LIQUID GOLD. 

Literally, it is a piece of GOLD!!

It's GOLD I tell you!

 #3 Touch Read and Echoing

This is something that I am sure that you use when you are guiding and supporting young readers.  In our small group each student is required to touch each word and we either read it or tap it out.  After each of the words are read on the page, most likely from one of my readers, we ALL echo the entire sentences ONCE, or TWICE, or however many times we might need.  

This 3-Step Approach supports, guides, and assists readers in their quest and journey to become successful, confident, and sustainable readers and writers. 

I hope these ideas help you nurture our dearest and developing kinders.  Watching young readers and writers begin to read is a priceless gift that we are given as teachers.  There is nothing better than watching a kinder read for the first time. 

Enjoy your kinders.

If you are interested in my weather unit please visit my store and/or my blog.