Hit: Block schedule for k - 4

[Diane Fight <Rynecat@AOL.COM>]

Thank you to everyone who answered my request for block scheduling. Several
people asked me to post a hit, so here it is!  Thanks again.

    Our grades 1-2-3 have a 2 hour reading block each morning and use ability
groups.  This seems to be working quite well.  How about just trying one
subject for the first year and working out math during the second semester
or the following year.  Remember that elementary students could get lost in
the shuffle.  Teachers can change classrooms more easily than the kids.
-----------
We tried this, and there just aren't enough hours in the day to schedule
the specials.  It was very difficult to come up with a Library schedule,
because everyone was busy during those hours, and couldn't come!
-----------
When I was teaching in an American school in Brazil, we had a 3 period
block (2 hours) for reading and language arts for grades K-5 and a 2 period
block (overlapping) for grades 6-8. It worked pretty good. Math across the
board was also the same period, perhaps period 4 (I can't remember). We did
not have a six-day cycle for the specials, however. We fit them in during
the 5-day week. I believe they had PE twice, art twice, and music twice.
They also had a library period once a week, but that could be scheduled
during the 3-period block if necessary. I think the PE and music schedule
for Kdgn. and maybe 1st grade were 1/2 periods. I don't remember for sure.
Hope this helps.
-----------
We have something similar in our school.  It is called "Core" and for
one-half day each grade has no more than 18 students for reading, math,
and language arts.  This half day is not to be interrupted for assemblies,
specials, etc.  the other half day the students are regrouped into larger
"home rooms" for social studies, science, specials, etc.      In order to
keep the specials schedules working out, primary has "core" in the morning
and intermediate has "core" in the afternoon.  We have done this for a
number of years, and it is very popular with the parents,  but we are
looking at changing it.        It is expensive - we have a number of core
and double-core teachers.  Because of budget constraints we may have to do
away with core.  Also, we are doing more thematic and integrated teaching
and it doesn't work well when the students are not necessarily with the
same teacher all day.
----------------
I read your message on the list serve.  We went from a 6 day toa 4 day
schedule in a K-5 school of app. 500 students.  It is awful.  It was
done in the name of collaboration.  WE do have large reading blocks.  If
your school is similar to mine please respond as to your schedule.
------------
    Our K-5 school has a 90 minute reading block and begins "specials"
(music, art, media, pe, hands on science and spanish) at 9:55 daily. Our 5th
graders, who are tested by the state in math, get 2 hours of math during the
time the rest of the school has the reading block, and then they do a reading
block which is somewhat shorter in the afternoon. they begin specials at
10:30.
     We have a 15 day block for the specials so I will see each class twice a
year for that length of time, getting new classes each 15 days.  I like the
block of media classes in some ways and dislike it in others.  The positive
is that I can do longer length projects and information skills instruction
with the older kids, and have time to read short chapter books too. Another
is that when you have a particularly disruptive class or students you know
that in 15 days you won't see them again until the second half of the year!
Negative is that the classes who don't have media right away don't get the
beginning book care lessons and there are likely to be more damaged books.
Some classes are so busy trying to cram for the state FCAT tests that the
teachers do not allow them to leave the classrooms to check out books when it
is not their media rotation!  We did not vote on this schedule, incidentally,
the principal decided it would be this way so that our Title1 school could
improve on our state tests in Fl. we get "graded" based on our school's
achievement/improvement in reading and math (or lack thereof) and we have
gone from a "D" to a "C" since this began.  good luck!


* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * *
Diane Fight, K-8 Media Specialist
Durant Community Schools
Durant IA
email: rynecat@aol.com (home)
         dfight@po-1.durant.k12.ia.us (work)
"Reading is having a dialogue with an author.  Who have you talked to lately?"

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