When a student’s talent or ‘gift’ is identified, it should always be encouraged and developed. Although some students are placed into classrooms with students of similar adeptness, others are kept in inclusive classrooms. It is important, though, to promote the student’s gifts while not neglecting the other students.
Enhance the curriculum
Full-inclusion classrooms allow teachers the freedom to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of the students on an individual level. Choose activities for gifted students so they are challenged and don’t get bored. A student who isn’t challenged is more likely to be disruptive, after all, and this should be avoided for the sake of a well-managed classroom.
Celebrate the gifts, but don’t pressure them
Children want to fit in. Being singled out makes them a target for other students who might make fun of them or call them names. It is important that the student sees the gift as the positive thing it is, while not making the other students feel less for not being able to do the same. However, be careful not to expect too much of them in areas where they are not so gifted.
Encourage positive interactions with classmates
Encourage your students, ‘gifted’ or otherwise, to play, laugh, and interact with each other. This will decrease the chance of the gifted students being labeled ‘nerds’ and seeing themselves as better than the other students. Every student has their strengths and weaknesses, and it is important that both the teacher and the students respect those individual abilities, no matter the gift, level, or disability.
Help them with contests
Encourage the gifted students to enter contests. This provides a challenge and chance to exercise their abilities that the classroom may not provide.
Don’t play favorites
No matter how tempting it is, don’t be biased towards gifted and talented students. Doing so may result in not providing a challenging school experience for the gifted students or even in unfair treatment of students who are not gifted. This is not doing anyone any favors. Be aware of each individual students’ abilities, but don’t let that affect your treatment of them.
Keep in touch with parents
Parents often worry that their gifted children are not being challenged enough at school. Giving them regular updates would help put these fears at ease. Contact them early in the school year and keep in contact. This is a good practice for all parents, not just the gifted ones, and it allows parents to give well-needed feedback and information that may help with the teaching process.
Teachers are responsible for providing the best possible environment for students to develop. Having a class with a gifted student is a great privilege, and, although it may seem daunting, it is all worth it in the end. Please share your experiences with gifted children in an inclusive classroom with us to make this article better.
Introducing Place Value to Kindergarteners Printable Lesson Plan
Lesson Title:Introducing Place Value to Kindergarteners
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to identify and understand the concept of place value in whole numbers up to the tens place.
Materials:
Introduction (10 minutes):
Direct Instruction (15 minutes):
Guided Practice (15 minutes):
Independent Practice (10 minutes):
Closure (5 minutes):
Assessment:
Note: This lesson plan can be adapted and modified to accommodate the specific needs and abilities of your students. You may also want to include additional activities or games for extra practice.
Lesson Plan on Numbers and Counting up to 20
Lesson Title: “Numbers and Counting up to 20”
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to count from 1 to 20, write the numerals for each number, and understand the concept of quantity.
Materials: Number cards (1-20), whiteboard, markers, worksheets
Introduction (5 minutes):
Direct Instruction (15 minutes):
Guided Practice (15 minutes):
Independent Practice (15 minutes):
Closure (5 minutes):
Assessment:
Note:
Numbers and Counting up to 10 lesson plan for teachers
Lesson Title: “Numbers and Counting up to 10”
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to count from 1 to 10, write the numerals for each number, and understand the concept of quantity.
Materials: Number cards (1-10), whiteboard, markers, worksheets
Introduction (5 minutes):
Direct Instruction (15 minutes):
Guided Practice (15 minutes):
Independent Practice (15 minutes):
Closure (5 minutes):
Assessment:
Note:
Numbers and counting up to 5 printable lesson plan
Lesson Title:Numbers and counting up to 5
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to count up to 5, recognize numbers 1-5, and understand the concept of “one-to-one correspondence.”
Materials needed: Number cards (1-5), counting bears or other manipulatives, number line (1-5)
Introduction (10 minutes): Begin by reviewing the numbers and counting sequence learned in the previous lesson (1, 2, 3). Ask students if they know what comes next in the counting sequence. Introduce the numbers 4 and 5 and show the corresponding number cards. Have students say the numbers aloud with you.
Direct Instruction (15 minutes): Using the counting bears or other manipulatives, model counting up to 5 by placing one bear on the table, saying “one,” placing a second bear on the table, saying “two,” and so on, until you have placed five bears on the table and said “five.” Repeat this process several times, encouraging students to count along with you. Introduce a number line (1-5) and point to the numbers as you count.
Guided Practice (20 minutes): Provide students with their own set of counting bears or manipulatives. Have them count the bears with you, starting at 1 and ending at 5. As they count, have them place the bears on a table or other surface to demonstrate one-to-one correspondence (the understanding that each object being counted corresponds to one number). Use the number line to point to the numbers as they count.
Independent Practice (20 minutes): Give each student a number card (1-5) and have them place the corresponding number of manipulatives on a table or other surface. Have them count the manipulatives as they place them and point to the corresponding number on the number line. Walk around the room to observe and assist as needed.
Closure (10 minutes): Have students share how many manipulatives they used for each number card and what number it represents. Review the numbers and counting sequence (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Assessment: Observe students during independent practice and informal conversation, take note of students being able to count up to 5, recognize numbers 1-5, and understand the concept of “one-to-one correspondence.” Use the number line to check their understanding of number sequence.
Lesson Plan for Teachers on Numbers and counting up to 3
Lesson Title: Numbers and counting up to 3
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to count up to 3, recognize numbers 1-3, and understand the concept of “one-to-one correspondence.”
Materials needed: Number cards (1-3), counting bears or other manipulatives
Introduction (10 minutes): Begin by asking students if they know what numbers are. Allow them to share their understanding and provide examples of numbers they know. Introduce the numbers 1-3 and show the corresponding number cards. Have students say the numbers aloud with you.
Direct Instruction (15 minutes): Using the counting bears or other manipulatives, model counting up to 3 by placing one bear on the table, saying “one,” placing a second bear on the table, saying “two,” and placing a third bear on the table, saying “three.” Repeat this process several times, encouraging students to count along with you.
Guided Practice (20 minutes): Provide students with their own set of counting bears or manipulatives. Have them count the bears with you, starting at 1 and ending at 3. As they count, have them place the bears on a table or other surface to demonstrate one-to-one correspondence (the understanding that each object being counted corresponds to one number).
Independent Practice (20 minutes): Give each student a number card (1-3) and have them place the corresponding number of manipulatives on a table or other surface. Walk around the room to observe and assist as needed.
Closure (10 minutes): Have students share how many manipulatives they used for each number card and what number it represents. Review the numbers and counting sequence (1, 2, 3).
Assessment: Observe students during independent practice and informal conversation, take note of students being able to count up to 3, recognize numbers 1-3, and understand the concept of “one-to-one correspondence.”
Note: This is a basic lesson plan for counting up to 3 and recognizing numbers 1-3, it can be extended or modified as per the need and level of the students.
Reasons why changing to 4-Day School weeks in a good idea
The idea of shortening the school week to four days is a new trend that is becoming popular across the U.S. About 500 school districts have been granted permission to experiment the idea and many more are catching on. Colorado is leading the charge; over one third of their school districts have adopted the four-day school week. While no student will complain about enjoying a long weekend, some parents are unhappy about the choice for obvious reasons like not knowing how to manage their job and the extra day kids have to stay at home coupled with the belief that kids are not getting sufficient education. However, if the saying that ‘All work no playing makes Jack a dull boy’ is not satisfactory enough, there are several reasons why studying for four days a week is beneficial.
Financial Benefits
This aspect dates as far back as the 1930’s when economic hardship in America triggered the idea of reducing school days to cut back on spending. It is estimated that eliminating a day per week accounts for 20% less spending on items like buses, food, transportation of all sort, utilities, snacks and extra bonuses.
Teachers have enough time to plan their lessons
Teaching in itself is stressful and overbearing for teachers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2015), an overwhelming one million teachers in the U.S. left their jobs for a new job. Several factors account for this; one reason that stands out is the lack of time and the pressure imposed by the job. Getting an extra day to relax and prepare lessons will increase the efficiency of teachers in planning their lessons.
Long weekends are great for teachers and children
Long weekends are like a short vacation. This is enough time to visit friends and family, have fun and reduce the pressure from a hectic week. Children also have enough time to spend with their parents, having fun and reviewing lessons they studied during the week. Having enough rest during a long weekend increases student’s ability to perform in school.
Increased performance in school
A recent study published in the journal of Education, Finance and Policy found out that Colorado schools that switched to a four-day week actually saw increased math scores amongst 5th graders. A study by researchers in the University of McGill in Montreal showed that students who had enough rest and slept adequately performed well in the languages and math. Therefore, having a long weekend and enough rest is key to boosting performance at school.
Children have time to learn other skills
Having enough time over the weekend is a great opportunity for children to visit parks, the zoo, museums, cultural events etc. They can also partake in competitions and games that their school environment cannot provide. During this process, meeting different people also goes a long way to improve their social skills.
So far, we have seen that there are several benefits to a shorter school week. However, the following questions still keep bugging parents as follows: does the four day week impact academic performance negatively? Is the four day week benefiting the school authorities more than parents and the kids themselves? Share this article and give us your thoughts on the issue.
The No-Zero Grading Policy: Is It Hurting or Helping Students?
The no-zero grading policy is a law that sets the lowest possible grade for any test or assignment at 50%. For an old school parent, this sounds so out of the blue. Based on the no-zero grading policy, a student could still get a 50% score even if they turned in a blank test paper. This policy has opened up a can of worms, yet there is a rationale behind it. To dig deeper into the debate, let’s examine two scenarios as follows:
Cira Haveson (2014) in a vivid response on Quora paints a picture of the pros and cons of the no-zero grading policy through two examples of students she observed in her math class. Jake a quintessential slacker who never did his homework, always spent his time doodling in class, never participated in projects and always ended up with D’s in his report card. In addition, he never participated in extra-curricular activities and cared less about everyone. The other student was Emily; she was the complete opposite of Jake. She worked very hard, was very cheerful, did her homework, participated actively in class and took down notes during lectures. She was the kind of student who owned up to her mistakes.
In all, Jake had failed to do all his assignments during the semester. One day, there was a graded homework assignment on which Emily worked very hard. It was an assignment that was tracked through a LMS and the teacher noticed that she failed with 49%. She was very furious, not at Emily, but at Jake. Why? Because in spite making no effort, they both ended up with 50%.
What we can learn from this story is congruent with the opinion pool curated from 300 members of edutopia.com who opine that ‘A no-zero grading policy allows students to do minimal work and still pass, pushes students forward who haven’t mastered the content, and doesn’t teach students the real-life consequences of not meeting their responsibilities’.
This trend seems to be unleashing a young generation of entitled individuals ill-equipped to cope with the challenges that lie ahead in college. Proponents argue though that giving kids zero grades in tests could affect and destroy their self-confidence. They opine that coming back from 50 is easier than from zero. The counter argument though is that giving a zero grade is a reminder for kids to work even harder.
This policy could make sense to policy makers but could send confusing signals to children who are not sophisticated enough to understand it’s breathe and depth. Emily in the example above could stop trying, while Jake could become the new role model. After all kids love it the easy way.
The debate is still ongoing and we appreciate your thoughts.
Teaching gifted students in an inclusive classroom
When a student’s talent or ‘gift’ is identified, it should always be encouraged and developed. Although some students are placed into classrooms with students of similar adeptness, others are kept in inclusive classrooms. It is important, though, to promote the student’s gifts while not neglecting the other students.
Enhance the curriculum
Full-inclusion classrooms allow teachers the freedom to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of the students on an individual level. Choose activities for gifted students so they are challenged and don’t get bored. A student who isn’t challenged is more likely to be disruptive, after all, and this should be avoided for the sake of a well-managed classroom.
Celebrate the gifts, but don’t pressure them
Children want to fit in. Being singled out makes them a target for other students who might make fun of them or call them names. It is important that the student sees the gift as the positive thing it is, while not making the other students feel less for not being able to do the same. However, be careful not to expect too much of them in areas where they are not so gifted.
Encourage positive interactions with classmates
Encourage your students, ‘gifted’ or otherwise, to play, laugh, and interact with each other. This will decrease the chance of the gifted students being labeled ‘nerds’ and seeing themselves as better than the other students. Every student has their strengths and weaknesses, and it is important that both the teacher and the students respect those individual abilities, no matter the gift, level, or disability.
Help them with contests
Encourage the gifted students to enter contests. This provides a challenge and chance to exercise their abilities that the classroom may not provide.
Don’t play favorites
No matter how tempting it is, don’t be biased towards gifted and talented students. Doing so may result in not providing a challenging school experience for the gifted students or even in unfair treatment of students who are not gifted. This is not doing anyone any favors. Be aware of each individual students’ abilities, but don’t let that affect your treatment of them.
Keep in touch with parents
Parents often worry that their gifted children are not being challenged enough at school. Giving them regular updates would help put these fears at ease. Contact them early in the school year and keep in contact. This is a good practice for all parents, not just the gifted ones, and it allows parents to give well-needed feedback and information that may help with the teaching process.
Teachers are responsible for providing the best possible environment for students to develop. Having a class with a gifted student is a great privilege, and, although it may seem daunting, it is all worth it in the end. Please share your experiences with gifted children in an inclusive classroom with us to make this article better.
Using Play dough to Teach the Alphabet
Playdough is fun for kids. It stimulates their creativity and stimulates their brains. Here are some ways to incorporate it into their alphabet learning.
For this, you’ll need little alphabet cards. Have your child roll sticks of playdough and stick them onto the shapes of the different letters. You might even want to choose a color that starts with the same letter as the one they’re forming out.
Again, have your child roll long sticks of playdough. This time, have them form out words on a flat surface like a table or on the floor. It could be their name or a word of the day. You can have them distinguish between capital and common letters, too.
For this one, either you or your child (kids love doing this part!) can roll the playdough as flat as you can with a rolling pin. Then, use a pencil or stick and carve letter or words into the playdough. Once you’re done, you can use pebbles, beans, or beads to trace the indented shape of the letters in the playdough.
If you have magnetic letters or any wooden or plastic toy shaped like letters, you can stamp the letters into the flattened playdough. Name the letters as you stamp or have your child do it. You can even encourage your child to trace the shape of the letters with their fingers.
With these fun, creative ways, you’ll help your preschooler learn the alphabet! We are sure there are other fun ways of using playdough to teach the alphabet we haven’t mentioned here. Feel free to contact us with your ideas.
How to Teach Your Kindergartner to Read
We all know how important reading is. Kindergarten is foundational for precisely this reason. Here are some tips to help your kindergartner learn to read.
There are lots of fun books for kids around. Find some that reflect your child’s interests and even some that don’t, so they can learn something new. Have them sit in your lap or somewhere they can see the book as you read and encourage them to read, too.
Reading is more than just sounding out words. Having discussions about what you’re reading can help you make sure that your child actually understands what they are reading. Ask questions before, during and after reading the book, and allow your child to ask questions, too. Helping them to identify the genre (maybe the word “type” would be more age-appropriate) is also good for developing their thought processes. Reading comes alive when a child can tell the difference between alphabet books, song books, nonfiction, fantasy and realistic fiction.
If a child sees those around them reading regularly, they are more likely to develop a love for reading themselves. Even if you are not an avid reader, pick up a magazine, newspaper, or anything for just a few minutes a day and let your child see you.
When you’re with your child at the supermarket or on the road, identify letters and words. Whether it’s traffic signs, billboards, even graffiti, words are everywhere, and helping your child to associate reading with everyday life rather than just the classroom will help them develop the skill. Remember that learning letter names isn’t as important as learning how to sound them out.
Teach children words that rhyme. Mop, top, stop, hop… Grouping words together helps children memorize them more easily, it teaches them how to rhyme.
Learning spelling rules will help children to pronounce and identify words. This can be hard, but make it fun. For teaching the pronunciation of the vowels in words like ‘name,’ for example, use little rhymes like, “When A and E go walking, long A does the talking.”
Above all, don’t make learning to read feel like a chore for your child. Use creative ways to make it fun! If you have any tips on teaching kids how to read, feel free to contact us.
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