Thursday's Cooperative Learning #4 & Giveaway

 

Thanks to Amanda for hosting this week! I love sharing and learning about how to do cooperative learning activities with young children. So I may date myself by saying that in the late 90s... I took one of my first cooperative learning workshops. One strategy shared was the Inside Outside Circle. At the time, I was a first grade teacher, and thought to myself no way, that strategy is for the BIG kids. So I stuck to RallyRobin, small groups of 3-4 students or pairs. When I worked with high school students, I used Inside Outside circle for community building activities. Such a fun way to meet and greet different faces!

 

Well a couple of summers ago, I took a SIOP workshop, and learned about the Circle of Friends. It is very similar to the Inside Outside Circle. I saw that Inside Outside Circle could be done with my kinders! What changed my mind, was that the first grade teacher had her children sitting in circles, while she stood in the middle of these circles. This was the management tool I needed to try this with my kinderkids.

 

Here's a video of a teacher explaining and doing the structure with her students: ESOL SIOP Inside/Outside Circle

Here's one in progress:

 

One activity that I like to do this with is my kinderkids is making a sight word book using their pictures and names in it. It is a great way to learn their new friends' names. I will need to adjust it this year, as my school district will be using Reading Street. Instead of writing I see..., my kinders will write I am... (student name is under the picture of each child). This activity is one included in my Start School: Using Brain-Based Research packet.

 

 

I use this structure for my kinderkids to practice math problems, as well as sharing their student author books.

 

 

How would you use this cooperative learning structure in your classroom? Link up or comment to tell about your favorite cooperative learning structure or activity. I would love to read what you are planning or have done with cooperative learning! Link up over at Mrs. Pauley's Kindergarten!

 

 

 

I noticed that many of my fellow blogger friends are throwing a BlogLovin Giveaway! Thanks to Amanda & Stacia at Collaboration Cutie's for this idea and button!

 

 

If you are following me on BlogLovin- thank you! If you are not, you may want to try it out. For my BlogLovin followers, I am giving away 2 items from my TPT store. I will randomly pick a winner sometime Sunday evening (June 30th). Just comment to this post, telling me you are a BlogLovin follower! Remember to check back Sunday evening, as I will announce the winner and will need to contact you via email. :0) Congratulations Markisha!!