National Hispanic Heritage Month and Your ESL Students

 

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for recognizing and celebrating your Hispanic students. Honoring and allowing them to take pride in the histories, cultures, and language of those students whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America is a great way to build up these kids. 

Many of us have students that are or had been ESL students. Even if they never receive this label, many students have a different language in their home from the one at school. I will begin by sharing my own experience.

This is some history of how Hispanic Heritage Month came about. ‘The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.’ The United States Census Bureau

I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Through my grandmothers, I am a second-generation American. Through my grandfathers, I am a third-generation American.

While growing up and attending school, I was referred to as a Hispanic, which I resented because “Hispanic” implied that I was from a Spanish-speaking country. So, I called myself an American of Mexican descent or Mexican American.

Even though my parents and grandparents taught us to love and appreciate our bi-culturalism and our bi-linguicism. It was difficult to maintain that when at school we were expected to perform academically in English like the monolingual English speakers.

All of this swayed my siblings and me to relinquish our first language, Spanish. My parents didn’t fight it because they expected us to excel in school.

All our students learning English as a second language have all gone through some degree of this language loss. It is our job as their teacher to recognize this and help them appreciate who they are, encourage them to maintain their home language, and encourage their parents to speak to them in their first language. Parents speaking to their children in the first language will not hurt your students. Instead, it will make them stronger language learners because they will be getting the basic foundations in the language they already know. This will help them expand their first language and learn the second language.

Please just keep in mind that part of the value that our Latin students bring to our classrooms is who they are.

I will continue this subject that is near to my heart. Thank you for continuing to follow me on this journey.

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching

Return to School Covid Safe

 

Return to School Covid Safe

Covid 19 is a pandemic that has affected every single one of us. The approaches to this disease have changed as time has passed. Our schools, our classrooms, and our students have been affected by how we have dealt with this disease. There have been significant disruptions to school due to the Coronavirus. We went from schools being closed to teaching virtually, going back to in-person teaching, quarantining because of our students being exposed, more cancelations, more virtual teaching, wearing masks, not requiring masks, and so on. Such confusing times!

New Norm

Because the Pandemic is now a part of our everyday life, teachers and students alike need to take precautions in order to not spread this virus.

Students need to learn how to Be Safe and Stay Safe while they are at school.

I have created a PowerPoint Slide Show-video to help your students understand the new “norm” that has come about because of the Covid 19 virus, as well as giving a basic explanation of its history.

Available on Amped Up Learning

Available on TPT

This is a teaching resource that can be used with primary students.

It is divided into four sections.

• A description of the illness.

Different ways Covid makes us sick.

• Ways to keep from getting the Covid germs.

  

  What we can do to avoid Covid germs.

• 
  
• Ways to greet school friends and stay Covid Safe.

• 

  Greeting school friends safely.

  
  
  
• Basic history of Covid.

• 

  Covid history.

  
  

There are questions at the end that can be used with your student to review the information that is presented, and it is the opportunity to discuss the why and how of all the changes that have come about due to the Pandemic.

The Pandemic is now a part of our reality, and this PowerPoint presentation is an opportunity to review and discuss it.

I have put the slide show and the video into a zip file. You have the choices to use the slide show, narrate and guide your students through each frame yourself, or you can use the narrated video and show it to your students. You will need to use a speaker.

This teaching resource has been updated to reflect 2022 CDC recommendations. If you would like to see their recommendations, go to CDC Covid 19.

I hope you and your students stay Covid Safe!

Debbie-Froggy About Teaching

#covid19 #covidsafestudents 

Topic-Based Journal Writing

                 
I am in the process of creating a set of topic-based Daily Journal Writing resources for Kindergarten and 1st-grade students. I’ve just completed one about Car Wash.

On Amped Up Learning

On Teachers Pay Teachers

Do you use daily writing journals with your students? How can writing in a journal format help your kids become writers? Should journal writing be evaluated? If I let them write using a journal, do I need to formally teach Writing? The answer to that last question is a definite “Yes”!

Now that I have set that straight, let’s move back to talking about journal writing. Journal writing is a great way to supplement your writing lessons.

This resource has been created with the standards in mind.

Common Core Standards-based.

Writing a label

Write about a picture

Stating an opinion

Make a list

Daily Writing Journal resources by Froggy About Teaching have the teacher in mind with a topic information page for each writing page the teacher can use to build the background.

topic info for each writing page

Daily Writing Journal resources by Froggy About Teaching have certain goals for your students.

• use sight words in each sentence

• refer to the alphabet strip to sound out words

• vowels and consonants are separated to visually see the difference

• label the picture

• use the picture to write about it

• word bank with nouns and vowels that can be used in their writing response

• independent prompt response

• writing checklist

These details are geared towards making this a safe writing space for your students to expand their writing, making this a quick assignment, strengthening their writing skills by making this a daily writing activity, and saving you time by making this resource a "printable."  To see more about this resource take a look at this video.

I hope your school year is one of making connections with your students and having students eager to learn!

If you would like to receive my newsletter - click on, The Froggy Newsletter. I send it out 2-3 times a month with teaching ideas, information on new and updated resources, and freebies.

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching

Getting Young Learners Writing Daily

Themed Journal Writing

 Tips for Effective Daily Writing

Writing is one of the most important skills that teachers tackle with their students. Writing is something we do every day. It becomes an automatic skill. We don’t give it a thought. Our young writers are not at this stage. There are so many things they are trying to understand and make sense of. Such as using sight words and inventive spelling. We want them to use sight words that have words that are not decodable and yet we want them spelled correctly. We want them to sound out CVC words and spell them by sound.

So, as educators, we want to provide the time that our students need to gain mastery of their writing. They need both structured writing and informal writing time. Both types of writing can be provided by using journals. Read these tips to help you do this effectively!

When Can We Find the Time to Write?

Students are fortunate if they are given a daily writing time where they can practice what they are learning and apply the skills they have been learning. There are so many aspects to writing especially for young writers such as directionality, punctuation, spacing, writing complete sentences, etc.

Then there is the question of when to provide the time.

First thing in the school day, it can be part of the morning work. This is a great way to get them going and into school mode.

After lunch, they come into the classroom all energized from their lunch recess. They can pull their writing journals out, settle down and spend some quiet time writing.

At the end of the day, can also be a good choice. Students know that the day is at an end, and many of them get fussy not wanting to do more schoolwork. This is a perfect way to bring the school day to a close.

After a special occasion, event, or a speaker, can also be a time to write down their thoughts.

 

Providing Writing Journals

So, what do I give to my students to use for this daily writing time? You will need to provide these for your students. There are so many ways to make journals, Easy Handmade Journals for Kids, gives some great ideas on how to make these.

Journal Writing

Journal writing is one of the best ways to get kids writing!

Earlier I referred to formal and informal writing. The same applies to writing daily in a journal.

Informal Journal Writing - the purpose for this type of writing is different. It does not need to be graded. This is a time for stress-free writing and getting into the routine of writing. They can share what they have written with a buddy. The teacher/homeschool mom can randomly look at what they have written and make positive comments on that page.

Formal Journal Writing – the purpose of this type of writing is to provide structured writing. The kids can be given writing guidelines, a checklist, and a focus. Teachers can provide students with a prompt to respond to, or a writing practice sheet.

Any opportunity that young learners get to write is going to benefit them. Journal writing is an ideal way to give that opportunity! Even if they are not writing words or complete sentences, this journal writing time will give them the chance to attempt to write without the pressure of having to write perfectly. As time goes on, you will begin to see their random letters forming into words and the early formation of sentences.

If you are looking for a way to accomplish this structured writing daily, I have several types of writing resources that can be used as a daily writing journal for our young writers.

Themed Daily Writing Journal

These themed writing journals provide structure for your students. These practice sheets provide picture cues, prompts, the alphabet for inventive spelling, keywords for labeling the picture, a sentence starter, and open writing space. The goal of these activities is to strengthen their sentence writing.

Froggy About Teaching on AUL

Froggy About Teaching on TPT

Froggy About Teaching on AUL

Froggy About Teaching on TPT

It is so important for our students to get the opportunity to strengthen their writing skills. I hope I have provided you with some valuable ways to do just that.

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching on Amped Up Learning

        Froggy About Teaching on Teachers Pay Teachers

Writing Sentences with Sight Words

 

Our students need to learn sight words and improve their writing. Why not have them work on both skills?

Combining Sight Words with Sentence Writing

What do you think? This sounds like a good idea! If there were a teaching resource that did just this, would you use it? Our young learners need to learn to write complete sentences. At the same time, they need to learn sight words. Students need to regularly practice writing to get better at it. We also need them to know how to use a sight word in a sentence.

Color by Sight Word Sentences Bundle

I have created a teaching resource that combines these skills. Your students will get the opportunity to practice writing a sentence on a regular basis while using the Fry’s First 100 sight words. I have made 4 sets with 25 sight words on each set. There is one sight word used on each practice sheet. I have bundled up the four sets together and am offering them to you at a 20% discount year-round. You can read about the individual sets, Using Sight Words to Strengthen Sight Words.

Color by Sight Word Sentence Writing on Amped Up Learning

Color by Sight Word Sentences on Teachers Pay Teachers

There are fours parts to each practice sheet.

1. 1.  Color by Sight Word. Isolating the sight word. The students will be engaged in a 'color by sight word activity.' They will color the sight word in one color while coloring the space around in other colors. Several things will be happening with this activity. Students will see how many letters are in the sight word, as they color each letter, they will see the shape and size of the letters and identify what the letters are in that sight word.

1. 2.  Sight Word Sentence Trace. This sentence serves as a model of how the sight word can be used in a sentence. Since they will be tracing each word, they will be working on their penmanship.

Sentence Model Trace

1. 3.   Sight Word Unscramble. They will have a set of words that are placed out of order. Students will be solving the mystery sentence and placing the words in the correct order to write a complete sentence using the sight word.

1. 4.  Write Your Own Sight Word Sentence. After seeing the different aspects of that sight word, students will get to write their own sentences.

How to Use These Practice Sheets

You might be thinking there is no way some of my students can complete these worksheets.  Here is what you can do.

On the first day, using the first page, project it on the whiteboard. Go over each part of the practice sheet tell them what they will do, then model what they will need to do.

On the following day, pass out the same sheet from the day before (the one you used to model with). Project that same page on the whiteboard, point to each part, explain what they are to do, have them turn to a partner or neighbor to explain to each other what they will, do each part together (students-teacher).

I would continue to do the next few pages together until you think they are ready to complete the work independently. Some students may take a little longer completing this work independently, I would pair them up to work together.

Struggling Students

I know a concern we have with our K-1 students, especially at the beginning of the school year, is that they can barely write a word, much less a sentence. But if the kids don’t get the opportunity to practice writing and learning sight words, of course, they will not learn them. As they begin to attempt to write a sentence, it will not look like one. But as they continue to work on it, they do get better and soon you will recognize some of the words, and before you know it, they will be writing a complete sentence! It’s the same for the sight words, They need different opportunities to see the words, recognize them, and use them.

I am proud to be an educator creating teaching resources to share with you and hopefully ease some of your burdens. I create each teaching resource with love, experience, and knowledge.

Froggy About Teaching on Amped Up Learning

Froggy About Teaching on Teachers Pay Teachers

#sightwordactivities #teachingresource #teachingbundle #teacherlove @froggyaboutteaching

Using Sight Words to Strengthen Sentence Writing

Teaching Early Learners to Write

Teaching early learners to write is one of the most challenging tasks a teacher has. When you consider what these kids will have learned to do by the end of the school year, you know that the teacher has done an amazing job! 

We also need to teach them sight words as well. What? Sight words?? They are just now learning to sound out three-letter words. DO NOT LET THIS STOP YOU FROM TEACHING THEM! As you begin to teach them, give them time to practice, encourage them, and they will begin to master these skills. It takes time and patience but it will happen.

Sight Word Sentence Writing

I have created a teaching resource where I have combined both skills, Sight Word Sentence Writing. This activity gives your students the opportunity to practice writing while using the sight words you are teaching them every week.

 Amped Up Learning

Teachers Pay Teachers

I have taken Fry’s First 100 words and broken them into 4 sets with 25 words on each set. Set 1 has Fry's First 100 words 1-25.

There are 4 parts to each practice sheet.

• Ø In each practice sheet, students will have a color by sight word. Here they will isolate each sight word by coloring the entire word in one color. There should be no mistaking which sight word they would be working with for that day.

• Ø On each page, students will have a model sight word sentence to trace. This will provide them an example of what their sentence could look like. They will trace this model sentence because we know that the young learners are still needing to work on their letter formation.

My friend, Christy with Happy Hive Homeschool has created a very useful teaching resource, National Scribble Day Activities. She has the kids scribble, then they begin to control their scribbles to create a monster critter. To read more about this resource click on this link, Scribbles. What a clever approach to help kids improve their attempt at letter formation!

• Ø Then they get to have some challenging fun by unscrambling a set of words and correctly forming a sight word sentence.

• Ø Finally, they will write their own sight word sentence using the word on that sheet.

With this resource, students are seeing and ‘doing’ sentence writing in a variety of ways. 

Still Not Writing

    If students are not yet ready to independently write a complete sentence, I would still encourage them to write what they can. Even if they write a string of random letters, let them do this. As they attempt to do this, you will see how they progress. Soon you will see their string of letters looking like sets of letters that look like possible words, you will see them attempt to write the correct initial sounds. If you do not give them this opportunity on a regular basis, this process will take them longer to accomplish.

Sometimes it seems that it is impossible to teach these skills to our PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st-grade students. As teachers, we continue to find different ways to teach this to our students. This resource can be one of those approaches. It provides a regular chance to practice writing sentences and using sight words.

Set 2 Fry 26-50

Amped Up Learning

Teachers Pay Teachers

Set 3 Fry 51-75

Amped Up Learning

Teachers Pay Teachers

Set 4 Fry 76-100

Amped Up Learning

Amped Up Learning

If you want to get some information on the bundle, go to Combining Sight Words and Sentence Writing.

Teacher friends, it's my goal to provide useful resources to help you be the best you can be for our young learners!

Debbie - Froggy About Teaching on Amped Up Learning

Froggy About Teaching on Teachers Pay Teachers

#frysightwords #sightwordsentences #terrificteachingresources #colorbycodesightwords @froggyaboutteaching