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In kindergarten this week we're heading into the woods to learn all about forest habitats!
We wrapped up our Spring theme last week (you can check out those lessons here: Weather, Seeds & Plants, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Snails) and now we're ready to extend our learning right into learning about the forest and forest animals. Within this unit we'll be using the forest as a backdrop for our ELA skill building.
In reading, we're working on a few different skills. This week in particular, I'm introducing them to inferring. This is the natural next step for them as we practiced making text-to-self connections. Much of their inferring will rely on their own connections, what they already know, and details from the story in order to understand what is happening, going to happen, and what characters might be thinking or feeling.
In order to best help my students during distance learning, I've begun to make little read aloud videos where they not only get to see and hear me, but I record little intro clips explaining the story and the skill we're working on. I'm no YouTuber, but I did create a YouTube channel where I upload all of my videos. Feel free to take a peek around and use any videos you may find helpful for your own students!
If you're interested, see how I create these informational and read aloud videos using iMovie here.
In the forest mini-reader (freebie)
I love finding free resources that I can include in my distance learning packages each week. This mini-reader (among other great readers!) is one of those finds. Twisty Noodle offers up this In the Forest min-reader that is great for sight word practice (I, see, number words), reading 1:1, and using pictures to decode words. At least, that's what I used this for.
In the Forest Mini-Reader | Twisty Noodle
Making inferences
During week 1 of our forest unit we'll be exploring inferences in our reading. The stories I'm using for this particular skill (and that relate to the forest) are:
Little Fox in the Forest
This is a great story to use for introducing inferencing because it has no words! The beautiful illustrations allow students to track the story by relying on what they already know and what clues they're given in the pictures.
After reading and discussing the inferences they made, I am having them cut and assemble their In the Forest mini-reader. I created this video that helps guide them to reading 1:1 and I ask them to upload themselves reading on our Seesaw. That way I can monitor their reading and know they completed the task.
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| Photo | Golden Hare Books |
At this point in the story Bear realizes that Rabbit stole his hat (and previously lied about it). They have this sort of glare-off where the reader has to infer what each character is thinking. I love that this is such an intentional part of the story and a great pausing place for the next activity...
I found this idea from Jayne of Smart Kids blog where she has her students think about and share what they believe Bear and Rabbit are thinking in this moment. I changed the concept up a bit for my kinders and created this worksheet that they could complete while distance learning. I also placed a Seesaw logo at the top because I use this indicator on my work/lesson plans to let students know which work they need to snap a photo of and upload to share.
Feel free to snag this freebie for yourself to use with your inferring lessons!
