A Reader Asks...Lesson Framing in Kindergarten Classrooms

A LYS Assistant Superintendent asks the following:

SC,

The training that you provided this past summer was great and our staff has worked all semester implementing the Fundamental 5.  With that implementation, we some have questions.

  

What about Kindergarten where students may not be able to read the Lesson Frames that would be written on the board? Should we still do it?

I look forward to your answer.

SC Response

That is a good question. When it comes to kindergarten classrooms, there are some adjustments to typical lesson framing practices. Adjustments, not abandonment.

First, if I were to embrace the “Students can’t read yet” argument, then anything written and posted in a Kindergarten classroom would be a waste of time and board/wall space. And we know that is not true.  

Second, the teacher is going to frame the big concepts.  That might entail “The Morning” concept and “The Afternoon” concept, or it may be content driven.  Think, “When the students are pulled to the floor for a whole group lesson,” that is likely a frameable concept. 

Third, the Lesson Frame will be written in very concrete language and may (or often) include pictures and icons.

Fourth, the closing questions will have a higher percentage of demonstration activities than the upper grade levels.  For example, “Does my letter look like the letter on the board?”

Fifth, the teacher will still write the Lesson Frame on the board. She will still point it out to the students and she will still talk about it and read it to her students.  In this way the Lesson Frame still serves to prime the learners brain, explain the expectation of the lesson and provides a text-rich, literacy supporting learning environment.

Finally, just because the student can’t read, doesn’t mean that we don’t model reading.  The lesson frame is an authentic way to embed reading instruction and practice throughout the day, every day.

I hope this helps and I look forward to working with your team again.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook