WEBVTT

00:00:02.045 --> 00:00:05.876
[Music] Welcome to Preparing 
Kindergarteners for Text Talk.

00:00:07.426 --> 00:00:08.566
My name is Kim Hastings.

00:00:08.566 --> 00:00:11.426
I am a kindergarten teacher
at Woodbridge Elementary School

00:00:11.426 --> 00:00:12.926
in Greenwood, Delaware.

00:00:13.466 --> 00:00:16.556
It's important to engage 
kindergarteners in text discussion.

00:00:16.766 --> 00:00:19.296
First off, I want them
to be excited about books.

00:00:19.896 --> 00:00:23.086
And so, I think by engaging them
in a text discussion,

00:00:23.086 --> 00:00:25.726
that gives them more ownership
of the book and kind

00:00:25.726 --> 00:00:30.446
of motivates them a little more
to be excited about reading and also,

00:00:30.696 --> 00:00:34.116
thinking long term of what types
of things they will be asked to do

00:00:34.696 --> 00:00:39.186
with text, setting the stage for that
and helping them be prepared for that

00:00:39.186 --> 00:00:41.006
when the time comes.

00:00:41.276 --> 00:00:45.076
Student collaboration is just a main
focus at Woodbridge Elementary School

00:00:45.076 --> 00:00:46.076
at this time.

00:00:46.076 --> 00:00:48.866
It just puts participation
in a whole different level.

00:00:48.866 --> 00:00:52.136
I think back to times,
the way I would have read stories

00:00:52.136 --> 00:00:55.656
in the past, and I might have asked
those good questions,

00:00:55.656 --> 00:00:59.156
but I would have called on maybe one
or two students to give me the answer.

00:00:59.626 --> 00:01:02.186
And so over time, I've 
realized how the number

00:01:02.186 --> 00:01:05.016
of times students get to 
respond is so important.

00:01:05.016 --> 00:01:08.236
And so by partnering them up,
even if I can only call on one or two

00:01:08.236 --> 00:01:11.526
to share out with the class,
the collaboration gives me a chance

00:01:11.906 --> 00:01:13.786
to let everybody have a turn to talk.

00:01:14.806 --> 00:01:16.986
This way, I remind them,
"We talked with a partner.

00:01:16.986 --> 00:01:18.456
We had a great discussion
with our partner.

00:01:18.456 --> 00:01:20.926
So everybody got to share."

00:01:20.926 --> 00:01:25.586
And also hearing things from your 
friends tends to be much more convincing.

00:01:25.586 --> 00:01:26.796
It seems to stick with them.

00:01:26.796 --> 00:01:29.136
Their comprehension of the 
story is better by talking

00:01:29.136 --> 00:01:31.576
about it with a partner instead
of just sitting and listening.

00:01:32.676 --> 00:01:36.656
The routine that I've established is,
each morning, as they're doing a

00:01:36.656 --> 00:01:39.976
warm-up, I pass out a card,
and each card has a picture on it.

00:01:39.976 --> 00:01:43.326
And there is a set of two, so everybody 
has a match somewhere in the room.

00:01:43.606 --> 00:01:46.836
And then on each card, each set has 
a number one and a number two.

00:01:47.286 --> 00:01:49.976
So when we're ready, I tell them,
"It's time to find your partners."

00:01:51.056 --> 00:01:53.856
They find each other, and then 
they come and sit down together--

00:01:54.226 --> 00:01:57.386
lots of preparation about "We don't sit
down until we've found our partner.

00:01:57.386 --> 00:02:01.306
And we sit close; Mrs. Hastings needs
to be able to tell who your partner is

00:02:01.306 --> 00:02:04.796
when I look out at the class
from my seat"; things like that.

00:02:05.406 --> 00:02:09.006
For the number one and number two,
that was strictly a way to determine

00:02:09.006 --> 00:02:11.606
who goes first, so that that 
was out of the way.

00:02:11.636 --> 00:02:14.156
So if you are number one
that you talk first today.

00:02:14.546 --> 00:02:17.436
If you are number two on your 
card, then you go second.

00:02:17.436 --> 00:02:19.516
And that's how we take turns.

00:02:19.876 --> 00:02:23.966
Some challenges of that are,
lots of times, they just want to lean

00:02:23.966 --> 00:02:27.576
over and like have words come
out of their mouth, but they continue

00:02:27.576 --> 00:02:30.616
to just look at me, which is 
tough because I do always say,

00:02:30.836 --> 00:02:32.636
"Eyes on me, that's how I know 
you are listening."

00:02:32.766 --> 00:02:35.136
So we've worked a lot with 
"Turn to your partner

00:02:35.136 --> 00:02:38.386
and give them good eye contact,"
what a good partner does,

00:02:38.386 --> 00:02:41.386
a good partner knows
that their partner is listening.

00:02:41.956 --> 00:02:44.796
Sometimes we would just play some games,
like you would tell your partner your

00:02:44.796 --> 00:02:49.076
favorite color, and then they would have
to share what their partner said.

00:02:50.146 --> 00:02:54.806
So I keep it easy and simple at first,
so I can establish that routine.

00:02:54.806 --> 00:02:56.146
So that part is out of the way.

00:02:56.146 --> 00:02:59.976
So when we're ready to have a more in-depth 
partner discussion, they're ready to do it.

00:03:00.566 --> 00:03:03.156
And just lots of practice;
if it doesn't look good,

00:03:03.156 --> 00:03:06.586
if I don't like what I saw
or like what I heard, then we just stop,

00:03:06.586 --> 00:03:08.276
and we'll talk about it,
and we'll do it again.

00:03:08.646 --> 00:03:12.096
I'll bring a student up and model,
"So-and-so is going to be my partner.

00:03:12.416 --> 00:03:14.936
Let's practice what we would do,
how we would have a good discussion

00:03:14.936 --> 00:03:16.506
about this."

00:03:16.636 --> 00:03:19.586
I'm really impressed
with what they can do already

00:03:19.586 --> 00:03:20.806
with the partner.

00:03:20.896 --> 00:03:26.066
It's a large class, and so I think
that it just really shows what you are

00:03:26.066 --> 00:03:29.366
able to do with, number one,
a large number of students, and,

00:03:29.366 --> 00:03:34.796
number two, little children
who might not even own any books.

00:03:34.956 --> 00:03:36.066
That's what amazes me.

00:03:36.066 --> 00:03:39.756
I think of the conversations that I set
up for them and the conversations they

00:03:39.756 --> 00:03:42.006
have with their friend about this 
story that we've read,

00:03:42.006 --> 00:03:44.626
and they might rarely have 
anyone read to them.

00:03:44.766 --> 00:03:47.826
You know, that part excites me,
that I know that they can do it,

00:03:47.826 --> 00:03:49.886
and everyone can do it.

00:03:49.886 --> 00:03:53.756
I do assess informally through observation
that they're having appropriate

00:03:53.756 --> 00:03:56.966
conversations and that the conversations
I've asked them to have are going

00:03:56.966 --> 00:03:58.686
to extend their learning.

00:03:58.766 --> 00:04:04.056
When I go around to them, I want to 
hear some conversations about the story.

00:04:04.056 --> 00:04:07.886
And so, for some kids, I can look out,
and I can watch them from afar,

00:04:07.886 --> 00:04:08.836
and I know they have it.

00:04:08.836 --> 00:04:12.046
And for others, my assessment has
to be a little closer.

00:04:12.046 --> 00:04:15.386
I have to be down there with them;
I have to listen to the words

00:04:15.386 --> 00:04:18.076
that they use to see if they 
understood today's story.

00:04:19.086 --> 00:04:23.026
I know that at the end of a story
that they remember it

00:04:23.026 --> 00:04:25.886
so much better based on the 
conversations that they had

00:04:25.976 --> 00:04:30.076
with a friend than had I done all
of the talking through that lesson

00:04:30.076 --> 00:04:32.976
or if just a few children have been 
able to participate.

00:04:34.046 --> 00:04:37.716
[Music] To learn more about Preparing 
Kindergarteners for Text Talk,

00:04:37.716 --> 00:04:40.976
please explore the additional resources
on the Doing What Works website.