This may sound a bit daunting, but it is actual for any level of learning from Pre-K to Highschool and beyond with the right modifications. At the First Grade level we begin by taking turns telling a story vocally to the group. The teacher always begins with an example. Afterward, comprehension levels are checked with a discussion, question, and answer session. This is also a good way to implement Higher Order thought by asking for more background on the story. Being mostly in the Pre-operational stage and moving into Concrete Operations, a single page colored drawing with words describing a significant piece of the events depicted in the story is presented. Madeline Hunter, another educational theorist, uses a hook to get the student interested in the assignment. In this case that hook or anticipatory set would be the question, “How many of you would like to do something like this?” The initial assignment would be to think of a story to tell the class the next time it is met. Some student would also get a chance to tell theirs only to cement the idea into the other students heads that this was something they could all do.

At the next meeting the teacher retells the story adding a few details. Children are invited to tell their story with the same audience participation process the teacher went through. At roughly half time the teacher presents another drawing. This time it is a simple sketch of another piece of the action either before or after the previous. This is the beginning stages of teaching sequencing. That sketch is talked about briefly and the class is split into two groups – those who have told a story and those who have not. The storytellers begin working on their own rough sketch. Those who have not gone are put into pairs to share their stories with the other. They are encouraged to facilitate the same process of discussion. The following days this is repeated until all stories have been told to the class entire.

The lesson continues throughout the year always growing and building upon the last, which is the basis for scaffolding. Rather than exploring each lesson in depth, I will give a brief overview. The stories are told, the initial drawings are created, writing begins. They are asked, “What is happening here?” Sometimes the teacher will write a word for them or a sentence. Other times they will supply their own. Important elements of the drawing are discovered with text. Characters and objects are labeled. Verbs and adjectives are placed. Finally, sentences evolve with the addition of sight words to link them into sentences. None of the structures need complete accuracy at first. This will also evolve with constant guiding and assessment on the part of the teacher. When one drawing is finished, the next is begun with sequencing questions like, “What happened before / after / or in between?” Descriptive questions are asked to fill out the artwork and add more text like, “Who is this? What is this? Why are they doing this?” Cause and effect questions are also discovered, “Why did this happen?” These are repeatedly shared with the class, with pairs, and with the teacher constantly questioning the motives.

During the process it is also important to tie in other lessons that relate. Where can vocabulary words be included in the story? How can Math be applied to this situation? What is the Science behind a piece of your story? I am a firm believer in the integration of studies. The more we point out the mingling of all subjects in life, the better. Most of this project is an informal assessment of their literacy. It will give an idea of what stage of writing they are involved. A child might write “LFNT” next to the big gray blob at the zoo. We know the child recognizes the phonemic relationship between those letters and the word “elephant”. Another child might have included vowels in any variety of combination or left out the ‘n.’ This gives us their range and the ability to assist them into the next realm at their own pace.

The physical end result is a book of an undesignated amount of pages. It is bound with construction paper, has a title, author, and illustrator. They are presented to the parents in an open house and displayed lovingly around the classroom. The mental result is the knowledge of sequencing, cause and effect, description, the letter-word-sentence combinations, the types of words, the importance of words, the recognition and placement of site words, comprehension, memory, and personal association of words to their life. I believe personal life experience is the most valuable learning tool.

List of materials – unlined paper, construction paper, pencil, colored pencils, crayons, markers, hole puncher, ribbon. More supplies can be added or substituted as the instructor sees fit to modify the lesson into larger art projects – glue, fabric pieces, scissors, recycled materials, etc.

Before a single child arrives the stage should be properly set. According to Fred Jones, a published educator on classroom management, room design can play an integral part of classroom management and alleviating unnecessary teacher stress. The desks should be arranged to fit the teaching style, the lesson, and the class size. The teacher never wants to be too far from any child location in the room that they cannot take a few steps toward and potential social problems should be resituated. Another key ingredient to the Before stage is having clear information of the entire day planned visibly on the board. People respond to a certain amount of structure to let them know the lesson is not an off the cuff fly by night; however, they also appreciate a loose enough ability to move comfortably into other realms of learning within that structure.

When the children arrive they have a known routine performance to get them into the character of a student. My routine for them would consist of this : put your stuff down, get your materials ready, and begin quietly working on an assignment until class begins. Usually, I meet them at the door for a quick hello and to relay any amendments or additions to that routine. This routine is also clearly visible but separate from the day schedule. Any changes to that routine is notated in the Before stage. From the moment they walk into the classroom they are working. This establishes that it is a place of learning. The greeting at the door establishes that it is also a friendly and safe place. In the elementary school age of development children have the desire to please authority figures and emulate them. Obviously, on day one they would not be familiar with the routine, but it is still important to have the same expectations of them to designate this time for these things.

During class we practice our classroom norms. On the first day we discuss these norms and come to an agreement as a group what they would be. My most significant rule is “respect.” Any other guidelines usually fall into this category. The discussion for the first part of the day would be defining respect and refining ways that we can be respectful. The students would give examples of times they were respectful or times when they were respected. These would all be led by story examples from the teacher. To illustrate that it was a two way street and also to exercise higher order thinking skills, we would discuss how the teacher could be respectful to them. Finally, we would write down the five major ways to respect each other with a positive spin instead of a negative. For example – instead of “no hitting” we would say “we keep our hands to ourselves.” Before any lesson throughout the year we would point out a couple ways to be respectful during it. I do a 1:3:1 ratio with these. One from me as an example, three from them, and the last from me to catch anything they might have missed.

Upon exiting it is important to leave them with something to look forward to for next time, something to think about from today, and a final friendly goodbye. These are as important as anything else done throughout the day. I feel a teacher’s job is to make the students excited about learning. If they want to be there, they will get more out of the information presented.

Finally, the Between stage occurs when all of the kids leave. All work should be graded in a timely manner and returned to them with remarks that demonstrate it was considered. These should all be positive and constructive. They should be poignant and topical. “Good Job! I like how you . . .” Stickers are always a crowd pleaser. The lesson for the next week should be planned ahead of time. The classroom should be reset for the start of the day tomorrow. And the whole process starts all over again.