Connections

They matter a lot.

One of my most important responsibilities.

“….that students will see meaning, relevancy, or emotional connections to their own lives,” and that I “actively work at helping students make these connections.” (Whitman & Kelleher, p. 89)
Neuro Teach: Brain Science and the Future of Education

The Color Monster

The Color Monster by Anna Llenas, recommended to me by our school psychologist

My students and I needed a reboot. We needed a pause. The end of the school year is approaching. Lots of assessments. Lots of urgency. Lots of noise.

So I ordered The Color Monster. I wanted them to know that their feelings matter.

Each of my five groups sat down at the guided reading table, but this time, instead of listening to them read, I told them to just sit back. Relax. Because I was going to read aloud to them.

“…the children who are most at risk for reading failure enter kindergarten and the elementary grades without these early experiences. Frequently, many poor readers have not consistently engaged in the language play that develops an awareness of sound structure and language patterns. They have limited exposure to bedtime and laptime reading.”

I grabbed sentence strips and a black Sharpie. They watched me write and they read with me. No pressure. No expectations.