SPIRALS:
A balance between explicit & embedded literacy in the daily
routine
Sign-In
Teachers
provide a variety of Sign-In opportunities keyed to children's developmental
levels. Strategies include velcro boards with picture symbols, clothespins
with children's names to match to name boards, notebooks with space
for children to mark, scribble and/or write names. Some classrooms
also use child journals for Sign-In
Breakfast/Snack/Lunch
Family style
meals begin with a familiar song, rhyme or chant and include natural
conversations with teachers and friends. During mealtime teachers
refer children to posted menus and ingredients, cereal boxes, recipe
charts, build on specific speech & language goals and increase
vocabulary. Meals encourage passing, pouring and self-help.
Greeting
Time & Message Board
Promoting
warmth and a sense of belonging, Greeting Time finds children and
teachers gathering to play interactive language games, read a story,
and review the message board. Messages progress from pictures to
letters and words. Teachers reference print flow, sight words, new
vocabulary, literary devices, punctuation, familiar phrases, symbol
patterns and shape/letter/word patterns. Teachers use Song
Charts and Poetry Posters to connect oral language with notated
music and print. Children also enjoy creating messages in pictures,
letters or words for their friends to decode.
Planning
Time
Planning Time
offers children an opportunity to choose interest areas and materials
they will use during Work Time. Planning time incorporates rhyme,
alphabet and alliteration games and strategies.
Work
Time
During Work
Time children manage their own play with peers, explore materials,
solve problems and practice conflict resolution language. Art, music,
dramatic play, movement, math and logic materials are provided and
linked to current learning themes. Writing materials are plentiful,
supporting ample opportunities to make lists, invitations, labels,
signs, tickets, etc. Children access computers, stencils, write
stories and experiment with charts. Teachers mediate socio-dramatic
play, promote oral language development and take anecdotal notes
throughout Work Time. Thematic materials, activities and strategies
are incorporated into play areas to support learning.
Transitions/Clean-Up
Time
Transitions
provide opportunities for teachers and children to sing, do finger
plays, laugh and tell stories together. Teachers use motor movement,
rhyme, alliteration, syllabic and initial-consonant games to guide
children efficiently and safely through transitions. Diverse classroom
labeling systems promote children's independence and ownership of
the classroom as children categorize, decode, cooperate and solve
social problems at Clean-Up Time.
Outside
Time
Outside Time
finds children engaged in voluntary play, rolling down hills, running,
climbing and bike riding. Children play rhyming games, re-enact
stories, and investigate natural materials. Teachers use the natural
environment as well as gardening experiences as rich opportunities
to stimulate vocabulary acquisition and development.
Recall
Time
Children
reflect, discuss and act out daily experiences using props and active
learning strategies. Teachers guide children to practice and extend
oral language skills, drawing, modeling and representing their classroom
experiences to others.
Small
Group Time
Small Group
Time is a formal, teacher-directed language and literacy session
for groups of six to eight children for 20-30 minutes each day.
It may be conducted at a table, on the rug or outdoors. Explicit
instruction during Small Group Time is guided by child interests
and SPIRALS Scope and Sequence literacy levels. Small Group Time
supports and extends literacy through active learning and hands-on
engagement.
Large
Group Time
Large Group
Time engages children in active music and movement experiences.
Teachers present phonological awareness games and activities intentionally
linked to motor movement with children's ideas and choices sought
and supported throughout.
Book
Sharing
During Book
Sharing, teachers read and re-read stories aloud, encourage retelling,
predicting and "reading." Book Sharing occurs formally
and intentionally at both Greeting and Small Group Time and less
formally during transitions.
Rest
Time
Children
rest, interact with books, nap or play quietly with puzzles or toys.
Rest time ends with snack and conversation.
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