The Secret to School Readiness:Early literacy strategies that promote school readiness and self regulation

Message of the Day

Freeze Game

Question of the Week

Linear Calendar

Graphic Practice

Buddy Reading

Self-regulation/Executive Functions predicts academic performance in first grade, over and above cognitive skills and family backgrounds

(e.g., Raver & Knitzer, 2002 Blair, 2002)

Self-Control

• Controlling anxiety when you make mistakes• Controlling your temper when you don’t get your way or

what you want• Being able to stop and think before you act.• Acting appropriately when tempted to do otherwise.• Paying attention despite distractions• Staying on task even when bored or delaying gratification• Stopping yourself from using the first strategy that comes

to mind in favor of a second

As children develop self-regulation…

• They gain control over their physical actions• They gain control over their emotional

reactions• They become able to plan, monitor, and

evaluate their behaviors• They prepare to become thoughtful learners

ready to take responsibility for their learning

If self-regulation does not develop early, it seems to be less amenable to later intervention resulting in– academic problems – anti-social behavior – eventual school drop out

(Snyder, 2001, Tremblay, Mass, Pagani, & Vitaro 1996)

Self-Regulation is a Problem in Today’s Classrooms

• Growing levels of aggression and oppositional behavior have been found in day care and Head Start (up to 1/3 of the class).

• Preschool teachers report that behavioral problems are their greatest challenge in the classroom.

• Kindergarten teachers report less than 50% of their children start school with self-regulation

There is growing evidence that self-regulation is learned

• It does not develop naturally.• It is not a personality characteristic that cannot be changed• Convergence of evidence pointing to the fact that early

childhood is the period when practicing self-regulated behavior has the most profound impact on the developing brain

• There is growing evidence that early interventions can affect children’s levels of self-regulation

(Blair, 2001)

Three types of experience lead to the development of self-regulation

• Being regulated by another person• Regulating other people• Self-regulating

Graphic Practice

Concepts taught with Graphic Practice:

• Fine motor development• Symbolic thinking• Spatial concepts• Shape recognition• Prerequisites for handwriting

Graphic Practice Overview

• Children draw on dry-erase boards

• Each session begins with a story of a pretend scenario

• The teacher turns the music on and off

• Children start to draw when the music starts and stop when the music stops

Materials needed for Implementation of Graphic Practice

• White boards, shower board, chalkboards paper – (clipboards, table if using paper)

• Dry erase markers, chalk, crayons, markers• Erasers if using a dry erase markers• CD with instrumental music• CD player

Introducing Graphic Practice to Students

• The first time you do Graphic Practice you should practice making the figure without music

• As you demonstrate, make sure you model:– Vertical lines are drawn from

top to bottom– Horizontal lines are drawn

from left to right– Circles start at the top and

are drawn counter-clockwise

Implementing Graphic Practice• The teacher should

practice drawing along with the children

• Stop and start the music at least 3 times before you erase

• The first time, you should repeat the process 3 times before you move to the next activity

School readiness and self-regulation skills promoted through Graphic Practice

• Private Speech to regulate thinking/thought process

• Hold two strategies in mind at the same time• Development of self-discipline• Follow directions

Message of the Day

Concepts taught with Message of the Day

• Concepts of print• Phonological Awareness• Letter knowledge• Letter-sound correspondence• Sight word recognition• Planning Skills• Recall skills

Message of the Day Overview

• Teacher draws a picture• Students predict message based on the

drawing • Teacher leads the group in saying the message• Together the teacher and students compose

the message (teacher writes while children recite the message)

Materials needed for implementation of Message of the Day

• Chart paper, white board, or chalk board• Writing utensil for teacher • Large alphabet chart nearby to reference

while writing message of the day

Implementation of Message of the Day• Pick the message out ahead of time, using the stem “We are

going to…….” and add only one or two words at the beginning of the school year

• Picture clue is drawn • Children predict the message • Teacher leads the whole group in saying message• Teacher says message while making lines for each word• Teacher says the message while pointing to blank lines• Teacher says the message while writing words on the lines

referring to alphabet chart as appropriate • Teacher and students reread message aloud while pointing to the

words. • Revisit message later in the day

School readiness and self-regulation skills promoted through Message of the Day

• One to one correspondence• Pictures have meaning• Planning ahead and following through with a

plan• Concepts of print• Team work• Literacy Concepts

Linear Calendar

Concepts taught through Linear Calendar:

• Time– Yesterday, today, tomorrow – You look to the right to go ahead in time, you

look left to look back in time• Counting– Rote and meaningful counting– Numeral recognition– Counting on

Linear Calendar Overview• Current month’s linear calendar is displayed at the children’s level. • Past months are display in the room up high, forming a timeline.• Icons are posted for the entire month indicating home/school

days.• Days on the calendar are X’ed out up until today.• Weekdays with no school are represented with the “no” symbol

(circle with line through it).• Teacher points out “yesterday” and “today”.• Teacher starts with 1 and has class clap out each number as they

count to the number representing “today”.• Teacher states the entire date.

Materials

• Icons indicate home days

• Icons to indicate school days

• Icons to indicate non school weekdays (Wednesdays, breaks, etc)

• Icons to indicate special days (Birthdays, PACT time, Rosie, etc)

• A different color linear calendar for each month• Velcro/tape/sticky tack to adhere icons to calendar• Name of the month is displayed• Dry erase marker/sharpie

Implementation

• Point out that the last x’ed out number was yesterday and the next number represents today.

• Point out today’s number before you begin counting• Have the children count and clap to that number

with you. With one hand you point to the number and with your other hand you tap your leg to show them to clap with you.

Implementation• Stop on today’s date (after a few days children will

learn to stop with you)• Finish by saying today’s entire date• Discuss concepts of time and/or number• At the end of the month move calendar to timeline

display

School readiness and self-regulation skills promoted through Linear Calendar

• Regulating themselves while counting and clapping

• One to one correspondence• Planning ahead• Learning life patterns• Math Concepts• Literacy Concepts

Question of the Week (Day)

Concepts taught through Question of the Week:

• Decision making• Name recognition (self and others)• Oral language skills• Recognition of Yes and No• Math concepts• Literacy concepts• Attendance• Self Regulation

Question of the Week (Day) overview

• As the children enter the classroom, they• Pick up their name card• Read the question• Answer yes or no by

placing their name tag in the appropriate column

• Review question in a large group

Materials needed for Implementation of Question of the Week (Day)

• T-Chart with enough space for children’s names

• Questions must be observed and verified on the spot by the child

• Picture icon to go with questions• Yes and No word cards• Name card for each child with a photo

Implementation• Part of the daily routine• Teacher has question posed

with picture clues• Children pick up their name

card• Question is read by teacher,

children or other adult• Children answer yes/no by

placing their name card in the appropriate column

• Teacher summarizes Question of the Week with large group

School readiness and self-regulation skills promoted through Question of the Week (Day)

• Turn taking• Thinking skills• Regulating themselves and others through

discussion • Ability to prove an answer• Math Concepts• Literacy Concepts

Buddy Reading

Concepts taught with Buddy Reading• Expressive and receptive oral language

skills.• Concepts of print• To “pretend” read, recall elements from the

story and practice listening skills• Conversing with peers• To engage in positive social interactions

with peers

Buddy Reading Overview

• Children explore familiar books • Children use mediator cards to identify the

reader and the listener• Each child gets a turn to be the reader and the

listener

Materials needed for implementation of Buddy Reading

• 4 tubs of books, each with 8-10 familiar books, that are labeled with icons the children can interpret ( for example a tub with animal books, truck books, Eric Carle books).

• Lips and ears mediator cards

Implementation of Buddy Reading

• Children are paired up and given a set of mediator cards (lip and ear)

• Children pick books• Child with the lips “reads” the story to the child

holding the ears and then switch when book is finished-allowing enough time for each child

• Children are encouraged to share their favorite part of the book

• Children put books away in proper tubs by using the labeling system

School readiness and self-regulation skills promoted through Buddy Reading

• Concepts of print• Turn taking• Story recall• Self-control• Active listening• Staying on task

Freeze Game

Freeze Game overview• The teacher holds up a

position card while the music is playing.

• Children reference the position card, so they can plan ahead for their pose when they freeze, and dance to the Freeze Game song.

• When the music stops, children stop dancing and “freeze” in the position on the card.

Concepts taught with Freeze Game

• Planning ahead• Understands symbolic representation• Self-regulation• Cooperation• Spatial relationship • Body awareness

Materials needed for implementing the Freeze Game

• Cards with simple stick figure drawings • Music

Introducing Freeze Game

• Practice positions without music

• Explain – When the music plays,

you dance– when the music stops,

you stop like this

Implementing Freeze Game

• Begin the music and hold up the first card– Make sure you hold up the card the entire time

– While the music plays, you may need to encourage them to ‘dance, dance, dance’

– Remind the children to look at the card while they are dancing to help them remember how they will stop

School readiness and self-regulation skills promoted through Freeze Game

• Being able to stop and think before you act• Plan ahead• Body control• Symbolic representation• Listening skills

Thank you for attending our session!

If you have any questions please feel free tocontact us:Jennifer Slipka

jennifer.slipka@dmps.k12.ia.usDebbie Gibson deborah.gibson@dmps.k12.ia.usJessica Parsons jessica.parsons@dmps.k12.ia.usKristin Allen kristin.allen@dmps.k12.ia.us Melissa Sambu

melissa.sambu@dmps.k12.ia.us