Guest Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 Yesterday I found out my head is going to observe me teaching my year 1 class literacy next Friday (as part of my NQT year). With it being so near Christmas I'm in even more of a panic than usual! We have come to the end of our literacy unit (they will be finishing off their assessed piece of writing on wednesday) and there is no point starting a new one. Every other day next week apart from Friday we will be rehearsing for our nativity play! The only option I can see is a one off literacy lesson, but I have no ideas about how to approach this since I haven't done a 'one off' in literacy for years, possibly ever! I have about 12 children who still work at FSP level and we have continous provision set up so they will need to be doing some directed work in that (this is what the head wants to see - free play will not be acceptable!) Last time I was observed I got told I needed to make my continous provision more relevant to the lesson. I would also need an activity for those children working at a year 1 level. I'm completely stuck for ideas! I wanted to do something based around a book that we could read in the lesson and then develop a skill out of (like using descriptive language or something) but I'm at a loss so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 Not sure about this Kariana as I am pre-school, but could it be a Christmas poem such as Twas the night before Christmas they could find some descriptive language in that, Jolly Christmas Postman as another thread has suggested with letters etc. to fairy story characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 Yesterday I found out my head is going to observe me teaching my year 1 class literacy next Friday (as part of my NQT year). With it being so near Christmas I'm in even more of a panic than usual! We have come to the end of our literacy unit (they will be finishing off their assessed piece of writing on wednesday) and there is no point starting a new one. Every other day next week apart from Friday we will be rehearsing for our nativity play! The only option I can see is a one off literacy lesson, but I have no ideas about how to approach this since I haven't done a 'one off' in literacy for years, possibly ever! I have about 12 children who still work at FSP level and we have continous provision set up so they will need to be doing some directed work in that (this is what the head wants to see - free play will not be acceptable!) Last time I was observed I got told I needed to make my continous provision more relevant to the lesson. I would also need an activity for those children working at a year 1 level. I'm completely stuck for ideas! I wanted to do something based around a book that we could read in the lesson and then develop a skill out of (like using descriptive language or something) but I'm at a loss so far! What about "Harvey Slumfenberger's Christsmas Present" - lovely pictures and repetetive phrases, yet enough in it for Year 1s and 2s. You could read it during the week and then do follow up work on in for your observation - the book has so much to talk about that it may take too long to read it for the first time for your obs lesson. The book can cover PSE theme of giving and feelings; lots of maths positional and direction language - you could use positional words to make it more literacy based; kuw in the weather and types of scene in the pictures and ways of travelling, physical - ways of moving over apparatus in the manner of the story. With literacy you could get the children to think of different ways of travelling for Father Christmas or different places for him to have to navigate during his journey - make models, draw pictures and write captions - ending up with a book or display. I have often got the children to act this story out with great success and think up alternative versions. I have also used small world characters to act out the story and construction and bricks to make the scenery and transport, concentrating on language and talk during play, so this could be part of your continuous provision. You could let them take photos of the role play or small world play to base writing on. Or the children could write direcctions for Father Christmas from the "Harvey's House" role play area , or a list of things Harvey wants for Christmas in the writing area or you could use the Pixie.... Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 What about "Harvey Slumfenberger's Christsmas Present" - lovely pictures and repetetive phrases, yet enough in it for Year 1s and 2s. You could read it during the week and then do follow up work on in for your observation - the book has so much to talk about that it may take too long to read it for the first time for your obs lesson. The book can cover PSE theme of giving and feelings; lots of maths positional and direction language - you could use positional words to make it more literacy based; kuw in the weather and types of scene in the pictures and ways of travelling, physical - ways of moving over apparatus in the manner of the story. With literacy you could get the children to think of different ways of travelling for Father Christmas or different places for him to have to navigate during his journey - make models, draw pictures and write captions - ending up with a book or display. I have often got the children to act this story out with great success and think up alternative versions. I have also used small world characters to act out the story and construction and bricks to make the scenery and transport, concentrating on language and talk during play, so this could be part of your continuous provision. You could let them take photos of the role play or small world play to base writing on. Or the children could write direcctions for Father Christmas from the "Harvey's House" role play area , or a list of things Harvey wants for Christmas in the writing area or you could use the Pixie.... Hope this helps. I agree. Do this book. Get some wrapping paper and some toys to wrap. Cut pieces of paper different sizes and in my Santa's work shop the children wrap presents using celotape on a reel. I have Santa hats for the children who are wrapping. This limits the number of children who are wrapping so that they aren't all choosing to do this Continuous Provision activity. Once they have wrapped they could get others to guess what is inside. Another activity is putting 3-d shapes in a Christmas socking and then play pass the parcel. If the children a capable then the children could work the cd play and stop the music and guess the shape. Also the childrencan draw or describe what present they think Harvey got in his stocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 That all sounds good. I need some easy planning after Ofsted this week, shame I didnt know to shop for this when I was out earlier so guess Im off out again tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 That book sounds really nice, but sadly due to my circumstances I wouldn't be able to get hold of it in time. I'll try to get hold of it to use another time though, all those activities sound lovely! Also my week next week is all nativity rehearsals right up until the lesson observation I have no chance to expand on the lesson or do any 'prior learning' to do with the book. The lesson has to be a straight literacy lesson, my school hasn't moved on to creative curriculum and I don't actually believe my head has quite got on board with it yet either. Sad as it is I need to please her in this lesson rather than the children (or indeed myself)! Having thought about it some more I did consider using The Gruffalo (I know it's not Christmas based for the time of year, but at least it's a book I already own) and focusing on the description of the creature. Then afterwards FSP children could create a junk model of a monster in pairs or a collage of a monster by themselves and verbally describe and discuss it with the TA. Year 1 based children could write a list to describe their own made up monster and then swap with a partner to see if their partner can draw it (getting in the writing activity I will be expected to have). I don't know if this seems a little flat and boring though. Does anyone have any more creative ideas? We have sand and small world play as well and the head will be looking to see if I have linked them to my lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennim Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 why don't you do something to do with the Christmas story - there are some good images on sparklebox. you could do sequencing, retelling, sentence level and caption work plus word level work for those chidlren still on FSP - a Christmas abc book for them? what was the theme/content of the unit just completed? you could do instructions instead - use of bossy verbs at the start - how to make a card / cracker for christmas? Good luck Jenni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 why don't you do something to do with the Christmas story - there are some good images on sparklebox. you could do sequencing, retelling, sentence level and caption work plus word level work for those chidlren still on FSP - a Christmas abc book for them? what was the theme/content of the unit just completed? you could do instructions instead - use of bossy verbs at the start - how to make a card / cracker for christmas? Good luck Jenni Those sound like good ideas for the situation you describe karina> If you had some black and white images the children could all have ago at labelling the pictures and writing captions for your yr1s. Use a nice Christmas story book that really does retell the story to make sure they really understand the story. Your small world could be a retelling and you could hide things in the sand for the children to describe---maybe little things to indicate present contents that they might like? RE and literacy! Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LornaW Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 What is your christmas play Kariana? if possible can you not build on this as it will be very familiar to the children and we know that when children work on a familiar story it helps. Do you know the Pie Corbett story telling stuff? You could do all that you intend with The Gruffalo but with your class play instead and then the children will not be 'off kilter' with a new theme! Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catma Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 What skills are your children still developing in relation to their CLLD/Literacy - that's what you need to clarify before you develop a lesson whether it's part of a sequence or a one off!! Otherwise it's not going to demonstrate teaching or progress, just doing for doings sake. Sorry to sound a little harsh but I observe so many "all singing all dancing lessons" with no real teaching substance that is relevant to needs and trust me, it does show when that is the case! Using the context of the Christmas story might be a sensible vehicle - the children will be familiar with it. Cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 I too have an observation by my head and deputy and am in a very similar position although I am a Reception class teacher and the focus is writing. I am now considering doing the 12 days of xmas and linking this to Numeracy. There is a book called 12 days of xmas (my partner has just gone out to the shops to get it for me while I'm frantically planning!). I thought perhaps my more able could do their own veriosn perhaps shortening to 6 days of xmas and thinking of their own presents and the more able thinking of decriptive words to add to it. For example, on the 3rd day of xmas by true love gave to me .. 3 sparkly baubles. The middle ability perhaps just thinking of the objects i.e. 3 baubles. Then the less able perhaps sequencing pictures from the song (up to 6) and labelling with initial sound. Still thinking it through in my head but can let you knwo what I decide to do if you're interested. Good luck and all the best!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 The Book Dear Santa by Rod Campbell would also be a good one - just like dear Zoo but using xmas presents - we did this last week with foundation and year 1 as a lift the flap piece of writing, it went down very well with the children xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 TES site have Jolly Postman and Jolly Christmas Postman on power point to use on IWB - could read this as whole class then write letter to Santa (to take home for mums or dads to post) or link it with their own Christmas cards for mums/dads etc. - I'm being observed this week too and toying with this idea or numeracy where children pretend to be postman and post numbered cards into correct numbered doors. Hope this is a little help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Good luck with obs --- what a mean trick having to be observed at this end of term! Can't you get the children to write to father christmas ? - something every child wants to do! I was a bit mean last week and told my class that Father Christmas was poorly and wasn't sure if he would be ready by christmas eve with all the presents. Lots of children chose to write to wish him better and ask how they could help. Some suggested making toys and helping deliver them. We have now got a work shop for making/wrapping all presents. For an observed lesson couldn't you direct children to write? less able could make him a card perhaps? - there are lots of christmas words and pictures on sparkle box too. Good luck! (ps the good news is that father christmas is feelin a bit better thanks to all the lovely letters he has had!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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