Letters and Sounds Assessments

Do you hate doing one-on-one assessments like I do?  I mean, I love being with just that one kid and seeing EXACTLY what he or she can do, but let's be honest--the other 25 kids running around make it a headache.  I made this kit, because I wanted the testing process to be simple, effective and quick.  I wanted to look at a piece of paper and be able to see very clearly which students did and did not understand a concept.  I started with letters and sounds.  This seems to be the very first concept that we teach and test in Kindergarten.  I included flash cards, Class Tracking Sheet, Student Tracking Sheet, and awards for each concept.  All you need to do is make copies, and start assessing!

I tried my best to make the Student Tracking Sheet simple, but comprehensive at the same time.  I like stickers, so I will use stickers on my sheet.  However, you could totally put x's or checkmarks in the boxes too.  What might be even more fun is to have the students color in the box next to the letter that has been passed off.  There are a few possibilities here that will fit any teaching style.

One thing I love to do is recognize hard work.  Two years ago I started giving my students awards when they passed off their letters and sounds.  The awards were small, simple and cute.  The students LOVED them.  Every Friday I would call out some names, pass out some awards, and we would cheer those kids on with all we had.  It didn't hurt that a free pick from the treasure box accompanied those awards!  I found that my students wanted that little slip of paper that deemed them a master of sounds, and they were willing to work for it.  I am not a fan of giving kids an award "just because" or so they don't feel "left out".  I believe we need to do a better job of teaching work ethic.  Life isn't fair, and it never will be, but you can always work your way to where you want to be.  I think this is a great starting point for teaching that concept.  My students loved cheering each other on, and they loved being the center of attention for a minute or two when they were being acknowledged.

You can find the Letter and Sound Assessment Kit HERE.

Teach a kid, give someone a hug, and have a wonderful day!
~Leslee

There, Their, They're Anchor Posters

I have a confession.  I can't stand when people misuse there, their, and they're.  Your and you're give me the same row of goosebumps down my arm when they are not used correctly.  When grown adults misuse those words, I seriously wonder if they missed that day in class.  How could you NOT know the difference?  But you know what?  A lot of people don't know the difference.  It is a common enough thing that I find myself cringing a few times a week it seems.

I remember when I was young, I struggled with the < and > symbols.  Which one meant greater than?  I hated those stupid little marks.  It wasn't until a teacher pointed out that the one that looks like a capital L would always mean less than.  DING!  The lightbulb clicked on, and I haven't looked back since.  This made me think about those kids that struggle with which word to use.  Then it came to me--anchor charts!  Not just anchor charts, but anchor charts that would help them make a permanent connection in their brain so they would remember which word to use in each situation.

Do you want these for yourself?  I hope that they will help some students out there understand that they're capable of using the right words in their writing.  See what I did there?  You can go HERE to get your cards.

Teach a kid, give someone hug, and have a wonderful day!

~Leslee