[LM_NET] HIT: Ideas for large kinder group (long)

[Kaline Goodrich <kaline369@YAHOO.COM>]

Last week I requested ideas for a super-large group of Kindergarteners I have this 
year (45).  You all came through with flying colors and I really appreciate all of 
the suggestions and help you offered.  Below are the responses for those that asked 
for a hit.
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Wow, what a schedule! I would use puppets and dramatics, although with
limited space, I'm not sure how dramatics would be possible.  Maybe
modified readers theatre, with them repeating lines? Do you have access
to an LCD projector to project the words?  I've had great success with
choral readings of some readers theatre that I have adapted myself, but
never with such a large group. 

Some review of the lesson they've had previously would work, depending
on what you'd covered.  I have centers for my kinders, but again, never
with such a large group.   Good luck, if you need more information I'd
be happy to share.
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I do lots of finger plays and nursery rhymes with me K and PreK group.  I also just 
have them stand and "Reach up High and Touch the Sky, Way down low and touch your 
toes, Way up high and touch the sky, Way down low and touch your toes, Way up High 
and touch the sky and put your fingers on your nose.  Then I have the sit down and 
that gives them a little stretch inbetween.
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I'm a new librarian and have a different 30-35 kindergarten class
every day of the week.  I read Muncha, Muncha, Muncha!  and
Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide! by Candace Fleming this week.  I made
different colored signs for each of the phrases that are repeated, ex.
Muncha, Muncha, Muncha on a green sheet and Tippy-Tippy-Tippy Pat on a
blue sheet.  When I held up the green sheet, the girls said Muncha,
Muncha, Muncha.  When I held up the blue sheet the boys had to say
Tippy-Tippy-Tippy Pat.  They got really into the story and paid
attention because they didn't want to miss their part.
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Fingerplays. Google that and books etc will come up.
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45 kindergarteners is a lot of little people!  I find that I can do movement 
exercises even in close quarters with my small ones when we observe the rule that 
both feeet always stay on the ground. One of my favorites is Freeze. Start standing 
still, hands over head. Start with "wiggle your fingers." Then we add hands, then 
arms, then head, then "everything" (feet planted to keep us in place.) It looks 
like a 70s disco with bodies bouncing and weaving in place. After about five 
seconds, I call "Freeze" and we're stuck in odd positions. About three times 
through with this one shakes the wiggles out. We also like to do Simon Says, always 
ending with "Simon Says Sit Down Very Quietly." Two or three short stories with a 
movement period and maybe a short singing time fill up a 30 minute kindergarten 
time. I like to use the singing nursery rhymes--which way too many children don't 
know these days.
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I might try letting them listen to books on tape. . . if you have enough
"listening centers" that that would work with.  Or they could have
several centers: A listening center, a Coloring center, a story center,
a movement center, etc.  They hear a story with you, and then get to do
one or two centers a week with the rest of their time?
Blugh for that scheduling choice.  (sorry, 3 K classes at a time just
sounds like my own personal idea of heck!)
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Also just having them organized into columns instead of traditional rows
may make it easier.  Takes a few times to teach them how to sit down
this way, but worth the effort, especially if you have to make it over
to a little body easily. 
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flannel board stories, puppets, SMART Board interactive, document camera
and data projector, cute carpet to sit on (my PreK-2 sit on mine), I had
almost 60 on it last year with two of our rather large Kinder classes
last year, but I also have teachers who come with every class.  Get
creative and find some of those great titles.  Check out
http://txla.org/groups/crt/2x2intro.htm for suggested reads and tips. 
There is also a great book talk interactive website link.  Have fun!!!
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Do you have unitedstreaming to show short videos of items that tie in with whatever 
you read aloud?
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who is doing this to you??!! 45 Kinders is way too many for 1 person to be working 
with.  Does your Administrator know?  Your union rep?  I think you are being abused 
terribly.  Shame on whomever had this grand idea.  Anyway, I think I would show 
them a video version of a book.  Scholastic makes some great tapes (about 30 min 
long) and each one has thematically related stories being read.  With 45 children, 
you can't be expected to do much more than babysit, in my opinion.  Goodluck dear
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Recently someone posted sites of interactive storybooks to go with a 
projector. If I can find it I will try to send it to you.  (I had forgotten about 
this, but she was right.  The main website posted was http://www.icdlbooks.org/ but 
there were many others in the same post if you all want to look them up.  The post 
was entitled:  HIT:  online picture books for use with digital projectors)
Do you have access to Tumble books? It is about 50.00 a year but you need an aboove 
set up.
I have used clip boards for those who can't sit at tables. You could have a picture 
response to your story. Kids love to draw.
You could guide them thru retelling the story with a storyboard type of 
framework. Later in the year, they can use the pictures to retell the story to a 
partner etc.
Cut the storyboard apart and ask the students to put the pictures in order.
I am sure you will get lots more ideas. That is a big group for a long time.  I 
hope you are going to have help.
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Songs, puppets, finger movements (like those to "Itsy Bitsy Spider").
Call your public library and see how they handle story times in the
summer-or observe one if you can.  The trick is to change activities
often.  Have an introductory song, read a short story, do a song with
movement, read another short story, conclude with a closing song.
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I feel for you.  I've taught 25 Kinders at a time and they wore me out. I
cannot imagine 45 at once.

One suggestion I have used in the past is to read The Button Box by
Margarette S. Reid and give each child a small pile of assorted buttons.
This is a great intro lesson about classification.  Have them sort them by
size, then color, then create a picture with them, etc.  This could work
even for your kids on the floor.  

Another idea is to read I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly but allow the
CD to sing it for you.  If you can find a puppet to go with it, you will
have them enthralled. Also, Scholastic makes a caterpillar/butterfly puppet
for The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

This is an oldy but they loved it.  Read Mother Goose rhymes and allow
students to bring the flannel pieces that go with the rhyme to the flannel
board and arrange them on it.  You should be able to find Mother Goose
flannel characters in the teacher store. If you can find a well-done CD, it
will add interest. When students could memorize and repeat a rhyme back to
me, they received a King's Man cut-out, which they decorated and put on the
Humpty Dumpty display on the wall outside our library.

Read/sing Miss Mary Mack (1993)by Mary Anne Hoberman. There is an
inspirational video entitled Families Are Special (1995) with Ella Jenkins
singing it with her guitar.  It was actually done for a Barney video with
the same name and year.

Read stories and watch the video/DVD that goes along with them like The
Snowy Day by Ezra Keats. DVD by Weston Woods (2003).

If you have a display screen, show short Discovery Education clips that go
along with your story.  Combine nonfiction with fiction.

Ask the music teacher for songs with limited movement that she won't have
time to get to this year.
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Refuse?
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No to be unhelpful - but, It sounds like a babysitting assignment - do  
you have a union rep?  If not, do the kindergarten teachers have  
teacher assistants who can stay with the classes?  If you at least  
have a second set of hands (or more) perhaps you could break them into  
groups (table and floor) and alternate activities?
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Could you maybe do centers (listening, reading, computer, drawing, puzzles/games) 
and have them rotate? I know this would probably make more work for you, but it 
might help with crowd control and at the same time, give them a meaningful learning 
experience. This way you could also utilize your floor space.
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Flannel board stories and puppet shows would be good for a group that size.
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Thank you again for all your help.

Kaline Goodrich, LMS
HES & HMS
Hermon, ME
kaline369@yahoo.com


      

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