There's not a Kindergartener out there that doesn't love a great story! In our class, we are creating a wonderful adventure story featuring our class "pet", a plush, stuffed toy Manta Ray named Taco. Each weekend Taco gets to go home with a student, and that student and their family will record in our book, Taco's Travels, all the places Taco went and people Taco met. Think of it as The Odyssey, only starring a cuddly Manta Ray instead of a boozy old Greek man! Families will chronicle Taco's time with them, helping their student write out sentences telling about Taco's weekend. They can also read previous entries in the book written by other students.
Using the instant camera pictures is a great way to generate interest and enthusiasm in the students (and their parents!) Many of our families are low income and don't own the latest electronics and smart phones. An instant camera is simple to use and fairly durable. It also has the important benefit of making the activity accessible to families in our class who don't know how to read and write themselves. Even parents who don't have basic literacy skills can still help their child take fun pictures of Taco, and they can look through the book and discuss the previous pictures. Then when that child returns to class, we can help them write about the pictures they took. It's a terrific way to build a connection between school and home, and the kids will love seeing their contributions to Tacos Travels, and reading about Taco's latest capers. Don't look for Tacos Travels on the NYT Bestseller list, but it will definitely be the top pick in our class! Thank you!
About my class
There's not a Kindergartener out there that doesn't love a great story! In our class, we are creating a wonderful adventure story featuring our class "pet", a plush, stuffed toy Manta Ray named Taco. Each weekend Taco gets to go home with a student, and that student and their family will record in our book, Taco's Travels, all the places Taco went and people Taco met. Think of it as The Odyssey, only starring a cuddly Manta Ray instead of a boozy old Greek man! Families will chronicle Taco's time with them, helping their student write out sentences telling about Taco's weekend. They can also read previous entries in the book written by other students.
Using the instant camera pictures is a great way to generate interest and enthusiasm in the students (and their parents!) Many of our families are low income and don't own the latest electronics and smart phones. An instant camera is simple to use and fairly durable. It also has the important benefit of making the activity accessible to families in our class who don't know how to read and write themselves. Even parents who don't have basic literacy skills can still help their child take fun pictures of Taco, and they can look through the book and discuss the previous pictures. Then when that child returns to class, we can help them write about the pictures they took. It's a terrific way to build a connection between school and home, and the kids will love seeing their contributions to Tacos Travels, and reading about Taco's latest capers. Don't look for Tacos Travels on the NYT Bestseller list, but it will definitely be the top pick in our class! Thank you!
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