Does anybody else use the treasures language curriculum? OMG ... I'm DYING with the smart start ... it's so dry and boring and I'm struggling to come up with ways to supplement. ANY IDEAS? HELP! I'm hoping when we get into the units it won't be as bad.
I use the Treasures curriculum as well. Do you have to follow it verbatim? The units aren't horrible.
Thanks for your response. No, I don't have to follow it verbatum ... but I'm struggling coming up with ideas to supplement it.
I just finished one year with treasures. YES, Smart Start is soooo boring but you can spice it up. This is where your Dr. Jean and Jack Hartmann songs are your best friend. Get those kids singing and moving! There are several rhymes on the CDs that come with the Treasures curriculum, but it would be a great idea to write the words on chart paper and let the kids find letters/sight words they do know. This is a great assessment tool to start seeing what the kids' strengths are. I speed up the pace of learning sight words...I mean, to only cover 2 sight words for 3 weeks, that's just rediculous. In addition to the words (I, can) we cover (a, the, my, we, see) because most of those words can create sentences that explain procedures or rules for the classroom. One of the first books we make as a class is, "We See." The kids trace the words "We see" on their paper. Then they finish the sentence with their name. I add a digital photo to each student's page. We read it several times to practice pointing to each word with our fingers...then we put it in the library. Even if the kids can't master all these words by the 3rd week, at least they've had more exposure. We also do lots of name activities. Those are the first words that go on the word wall. Teach them how to use a pointer to read the word wall. Count the syllables in the names by clapping for each syllable. Use tape to create squares on the floor so the kids can hop out the syllables. Incorporate environmental print. Let the kids sort them by category, like/dislike, etc. You can also do some class books for writing. Besides the "We See," book, I also make a book to explain what the kids can do at the playground. We brainstorm as a class all the activities we can do at recess. Then I take pictures of the kids at play. The next day we create a simple "We can ___. " sentence to go with each picture. We bind the pages together for another class book. Use the extra time for the kids to try out some learning games that you'll later out in the centers. One day, give each child some playdough and let them build a few sight words. When they are all finished with the activity, then you can put the materials in the word work center. You can do this with a variety of materials. You can also print out the Fun Fonts sorting game from Hubbard's Cupboard. http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/fun_fonts.html
