Developing Friendship, Responsibility, Self-Regulation, and Collaboration Skills
“Settling-in” time is that transition from home to school when children are saying good-bye to their Mom or Dad, returning their School-to-Home book bags, and taking care of important community life. They are greeting their teacher with important news, fingerspelling and doing name writing practice, watering their vegetable sprouts, checking on the turtle, making birthday cards, greeting their friends, responding to name graph questions, and feeling a part of a unique community of learners and friends. This is a disciplined and structured time for social learning and building life skills: speaking, listening, friendship, and collaboration.
For Katie Nelson, settling-in time is for warm greetings, sharing important news, and finishing morning work jobs
There is a personal welcome for each child, a time to “get a hug if you need one,” share important family news, and gently ease into kindergarten life. The prolific writer on the right shares: “I wrote two more books last night!”
Once you get the community right, the levels of learning soar. –Ralph Peterson
Good time management means more time for choosing activities.
- Once children have finished their morning settling-in “responsibilities” they are free to choose from activities on the tables or easel painting.
- Children help each other in kindergarten. Teacher always says, “Ask a friend…” Children learn to give high-fives and say, “Good game! Let’s play again…”
- Kindergartners can always read with a buddy or continue working on a writing project.
Kindergartners learn how to be book lovers: The class library is always open!
- These boys know they can always choose a favorite book from the class library and help each other read the pictures and words. They have learned how to put books away.
- Having just one iPad creates challenges and opportunities. Children are responsible for checking off their names and sharing this learning tool!
As the year progresses, students become even more independent and self-directed in taking care of meaningful community life.
- One girl brings back her Nellie Edge Read & Sing Book from the Reading-at-Home Book Club envelope. She reads each book to two different adults and gets their initials before selecting another book.
- These boys are watering sprouts for the McKinley community/school vegetable garden.
Nellie Edge Online Seminars
Grow Your Kindergarten Writers Build Stamina for the Writing Workshop
• ABC Phonics
• Kindergarten Handwriting
• Authentic Sight Word Work
Nellie Edge teaches you essential skills designed from 30 years of experience in step-by-step videos:
Seminar #1: Multisensory ABC and Phonics Immersion
Seminar #2: Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting Matters!
Seminar #3: Authentic Sight Word Work
WITH EACH SEMINAR YOU'll RECEIVE:
- Unlimited Access to Online Video Tutorials
- Companion Teacher's Guide
- Coordinating Classroom Resources - ready to use!
