How to shop for 25 children...

It's that time of year again. Christmas! In my school, all the teachers give each child in their class a little present. I've spent ages trying to find cute, meaningful and affordable presents for my class. I always end up spending more than I set out, to so this year I used the credit crunch as an excuse and limited myself to spending about 60p per child! (Scrooge!)

In my first year, I was a new and very excited teacher. I love giving gifts and so went to town and ended up spending over a £1 on each child (doesn't sound like much but it all adds up and when you have several adults to buy for too - it isn't cheap). I shopped online at Baker Ross.
http://www.bakerross.co.uk/
They have a great selection of gifts all reasonably priced.

The next year I couldn't be bothered buying several little things for each child and settled for a lovely book. It worked out to be really cheap as I bought a collection of books from The Book People who often do fantastic deals. I wonder why people go to normal bookshops on the high street when you can buy from the Book People at less than half price.
http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=100

This year, neither site was working out to be cheap enough for Scroogie old me so I ended up going in search of a Poundstretcher only to discover that the Poundstretchers in my area had all shut down! It was the last Sunday before the end of term and I began to panic...

I found myself in a random discount store trying hard to find something, anything that would do. I stumbled across a set of tumblers - four for a £1.00!!! They were really cute....blue with a picture of Santa with the words Merry Christmas. There were also red tumblers with a picture of a reindeer. Perfect. I could fill the tumblers with a few christmas chocs bought from Sainsbury's or Tescos and there I had it...a lovely gift for less than 60p!

Packaged in delightful christmassy cellophane bags from America (courtesy of my sister) I'm now sorted. :)

Capital Letters Finger Spaces & full stops.

Well, the children did well...They wrote lots - but most forgot to use capital letters and full stops. Those that remembered full stops, forgot to start new sentences with capital letters. Every Year 2 teacher's nightmare. When I was an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) I got to the end of Year 2 without realising that my children hadn't been using capital letters and full stops consistently in their writing. I was so pleased they were able to 'write' stories using adjectives, adverbs & similes that I hadn't noticed that there weren't any full stops or capital letters. So in my 2nd year as a teacher I knew exactly what to look out for and I was on the case from quite early on in the year.

I used to get the class to stand to attention like solidiers while saying "Capital Letters!" in a military sounding voice. We then moved our fingers a long as if we were playing the piano and said "finger spaces..." and finally the children's favourite action was making a fist and punching out with both arms like in Karate while saying FULL STOP.

At the tables, I had a picture of a laminated hand with a an index finger pointing out, as a visual reminder to children to use finger spaces.

However, what worked really well for my class last year was this. As I marked children's work I made a note of those who had remembered to use capital letters and and full stops accurately and consistently. I would also make a note of those who missed out on one or two. The following morning I would praise the children for trying hard then read out the names of those who had acheieved their target and hand them my "Well done for using capital letters" stickers. This really got everyone excited. I pointed out those that had very nearly achieved their targets but didn't give them a sticker (mean I know!) but it worked and soon all the children in my class were using capital letters and full stops consistently - unlike the children in the other Year 2 classes. I was over the moon! I sat back and relaxed while the other teachers panicked! :)

The stickers can be bought from Super Stickers.

http://www.superstickers.com/products.aspx?tier1=Stickers&tier2=Targets+and+Marking&tier3=Targets+%26+Objectives

Unfortunately they do not sell a "Full Stops" sticker. I have written to them asking them to produce one and they thanked me for my idea said they would try to have one soon. In the meantime I just use cheap small circles instead. :)

Independence

When 6 year old Malcolm (not his real name) first joined my class in September, he was unable to form sentences independently. He always had brilliant ideas during Literacy, seemed confident and always called out during the group writing activity. So I was quite disheartened and concerned when during our very first writing assessment, Malcolm sat at his table unable to write anything. He did nothing. He stared into space and as I was just getting to know the children, I couldn't work out why Malcolm could not put pen to paper, especially when every other child (even those who had special needs) wrote 'sentences' even if they did not make sense.

When the bell rang for playtime and all the children started going out to play, Malcolm frantically wrote a sentence and handed me his sheet of paper. In a desperate attempt to write something, anything, Malcolm copied the wording off a display board. "The Isle of Struay on the woll is nis" his sensentence read. In the weeks to come Malcolm's confidence grew and he was able to write more and more independently.

Last Monday as the children lined up for lunch, I sat down to mark a pile of 25 homework books. I was amazed when I got to Malcolm's work. He had written a whole page on the Great Fire of London! I knew it was his independent writing, as only a child who had sat in my class could have written the things Malcolm did. At the bottom of the page, his mum had written "Malcolm did this all by himself." I called him over and talked about his work and how amazing it was. He beamed and looked so proud. I praised him lots and he walked away cheering "YES!!!"

Today, he raced ahead of his group and said "Look! I've done it independently!" Tomorrow is our end of term writing assessment. We (the children and I) have worked so hard for the last 12 weeks and I can not wait to see what Malcolm and the other children can do...independently.