Each day, we come together at our classroom rug for our literacy block. As we gather for our literacy time, I tell the children that I have a new song for them to learn. It sounds a lot like a song they already know, but I have changed it a little bit. I have copied picture cards to give them a clue to the verses. We sing a modified version of the "Wheels on the Bus" :
*The seat on the bus goes bounce, bounce , bounce(3x's) as I ride to my school.
*The seat belt in my car goes click and snap(3x's) as I ride to my school.
*The door on my van goes slide and slam(3x's) as I ride to my school.
*The pedals on my bike go round and round(3x's) as I ride to my school.
*The shoes on my feet go pitter and pat (3x's) as I walk to my school.
Today, children that I have a new song to teach you. The song is about ways we get to school. It sounds a lot like a song you already know, "Wheels on the Bus", but I have changed it a little bit. I have picture cards to give you a clue so you know what the next verse is about. "The seat on the bus goes bounce, bounce , bounce as I ride to my school."
There is a story that I want to share with you. It is about a character named Froggy. He is worried about being late to school and has a bad dream because of his worries. Do you think he has tried any of your ways to get to school?
As I read the story, Froggy Goes to School, the children are given two index cards to flap the free ends of the cards against one another so that they can participate in the read aloud and keep them engaged. As I reread the story the children can use the cards to imitate the sound that Froggy makes when he walks.
Boys and girls, as I read the story, I am going to give you two cards to flap one against the other. This is to make the sound of Froggy walking. Your job is to make the sound effects , but only when Froggy is walking. To keep your cards, you need to follow that rule.
Now that we have finished the story, let's talk about the way that Froggy gets to school and compare it to the way that each of the you gets to school. On this piece of Chart paper, I wrote "I can ride in a car." (Mrs. Moran) I will call on you to tell me about the way you get to school using "I Can..." at the beginning of the sentence. Then I will have you touch read your sentence to me. Do you remember how we do this? You will take your finger and touch each word as you repeat your sentence back to me.
I have each of the children dictate to me how they get to school. Shared writing lessons allow me to both model and actively engage students in the writing processes that they most need in order to improve their writing.
I write their comments down and then have the child "touch read" his/her own sentence. I then produce a copy of Froggy that is attached to a popsicle stick, and tell the boys and girls a little rhyme: "Hop, hop, hop. Where will Reading Froggy stop, stop, stop?" When everyone has had a opportunity to share, I reread the whole chart using my Froggy Pointer. When Froggy stops, the children shout out the chosen word. The rhyme is repeated and then we continue through the chart. (You can make your own pointer from the Frog on the "How Froggy Gets to School" resource.)
Once everyone has had a chance to tell me their sentence, we are going to play a little game called, "Froggy Hop". I have a little Froggy pointer and he will "hop" along our chart to this rhyme: "Hop, hop, hop. Where will reading Froggy stop?" When I stop Froggy, you will shout out the word that I am pointing to. Are you ready?
You did a terrific job reading through our chart and singing our "Ways to School" song.
Now you have a sentence builder page to do to help me see what you have learned. The words from the sentence builder need to be put in the correct order. Read through the sentence word for word to make sure you have put them in order.
After you do that, there are stacks of Transportation pictures that show the different ways to get to school. Pick the picture that shows how you get to school and color that picture. The picture gets glued to your sentence builder page and you can illustrate the picture with more details.
The pages will be put together for a class book that can travel from one student's house to the next.