Kindergartners Adapt To All-Day Class

Six kindergarten teachers at Maynardville Elementary School have shaken up both their schedule and teaching approach this year. There’s considerable excitement as they explain their new ideas.

The teachers (along with their years of experience at MES) are: Kim Goforth (8), Pat Walker (17), Jessica Grigsby (2), Sarah Huff (2), Pam Hampton (24) and Christy Smith (16).

First, their students are getting a head start on reading. Goforth explains one project: The students draw a self-portrait and identify their feelings on the first day of school. The teacher writes the child’s name under the picture along with the words, “I was happy (scared, excited).” The pages are then collated and bound into a book. “When the students flip through the pages and say the words, we say, ‘You’re a reader!’ You build on that.”

Teachers have developed a class letter which is posted and read to students daily. In the picture on this page, Christy Smith holds a letter from Pat Walker’s class. “Dear Class, Today is special. We have Open House tonight. Our parents can visit our classroom. Love, Mrs. Pat.”

Smith said the letter gives the children ownership of what they are learning. It’s their letter about their class. Yet the words are selected to illustrate sounds and words which are reinforced in other ways.

As Walker’s class left for special areas, each child gave a high five on the door frame, pronouncing the word as they slapped a hand with the word “dear” or “today” – words from that day’s letter.

The teachers meet daily to discuss lessons. Jessica Grigsby explained the “name” activity. Each class names a special student of the day. Kids learn to spell that child’s name, count the letters in their name and then cheer the name.

Sarah Huff said, “Last year we had trouble getting Valentines addressed correctly.” This year the students are already learning each other’s name.

“We’re not starting with A-B-C,” explained Pam Hampton. “We’re teaching whole-part-whole. The students see the words in the morning message.”

Smith picked up the topic: “They are exposed to all the alphabet. They know the purpose of the letters. They can see the usefulness. The messages vary, but the words are the same.”

The kindergarten classes at Maynardville Elementary are smaller this year. It wasn’t planned that way, classes are usually 20-22 students, but this year they range from 16-17. They are located in a wing together, most in portable buildings.

Principal Marilyn Toppins said the kindergarten wing is a source of energy for her. She tries to stop by once a day to absorb some of the vibes from the kids and their teachers.

Christy Smith said it wasn’t hard to move to all-day instruction. The students were staying at school anyway, but in previous years the teachers put them down to nap from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. They used the final 30 minutes to get them ready for a 3 p.m. bus.

“We have information to get across and felt it would be beneficial to the children (to eliminate the nap time). Most didn’t need the naps. And we space out our activities so they don’t get tired, moving from work to play to songs to play.”

Pam Hampton said the teachers collaborated on the new schedule and share information on curriculum. They use the Building Blocks curriculum schoolwide. It was introduced last year and fully implemented this year.

Its main benefit is its effectiveness in teaching at multi-levels, Hampton said. “We can cope easily with students at different levels. We are not teaching to the middle ground. All of our kids are touched by each lesson.”

She said parents can best prepare their children for school by reading to them and discussing the story. Take a few minutes each day.

Pat Walker said the teachers have limited assistance from a paid teacher assistant (about one and a half hours per week per teacher), but are blessed with an array of parent volunteers. “If it hadn’t been for our volunteers, we’d all be grouchy.”

Volunteers work to organize and bind student-written books. They work on copying and lamination. Additional volunteers are welcomed. Anyone interested should call the school office at 992-8391.
– S. Clark