Nellie, thank you for creating these online video seminars! What a great way to connect throughout the school year. It is always powerful and motivating to be a seminar participant, but the availability of your videos will be an amazing resource for teachers. Below are a few things I am taking away from Seminar 1:
1. I really enjoyed hearing you introduce the ABC Phonics book to children. Hearing how you would do it step-by-step in the classroom was very helpful for me.
2. The idea of incorporating the letter/sound connection into my classroom management plan is brilliant! Something I would like to begin using right away is signing letters / practicing letter sounds we learned that day while we are lined up, as well as holding one of the letters up in the air as we silently walk to our destination.
3. I attended Katie Nelson’s classroom seminar (2015?), but I had totally forgotten about her name chant for the helper of the day. I already have a helper of the day song, and spell-chanting the student’s name will add a deeper level of community building into the classroom, as well as strengthening spelling and signing skills. Thanks for the reminder. (Katie is too cool for school.)
4. All of the specific examples of how incorporating signing into English language arts for English language learners, children with developmental delays, and children who missed out on prior learning opportunities was a wonderful addition to the presentation. You’re so correct with your statement of this style of learning being developmentally appropriate AND engaging – no matter what curriculum districts have adopted.
5. As a pre-k teacher of 22 years, I appreciate your mention of preschool and Head Start teachers throughout the video! I strive to make sure I am aware of kindergarten standards so I can prepare my students in the best way possible. Your ABC Phonics has been a favorite for both my students AND their parents /care givers for many years. Families rave about easy transitions from pre-k to kindergarten because of the knowledge base children gain from the ABC Phonics method. Once graduate school has wrapped up in December, I will make the move to teaching kindergarten. I am excited to bring my Nellie Edge background with me into the public school system.
I look forward to watching the next two videos!
Bright Blessings,
Heather