word sorts on the iPad- with the Essential Word Sorts app

Using Bear's Primary Spelling Inventory and analysis of student reading and writing...
I identify the instructional needs of each Butterfly.

Word sorts provide an active opportunity for learners to explore, analyze, discover, compare, and... sounds, spelling patterns, and word features.  Word sorts promote word analysis that encourages flexible and fluent decoding and encoding as readers and writers.

The First Grade Butterflies access and complete word sorts, individualized to their developmental needs as a reader, writer, and speller, in the Essential Word Sorts for the Primary Grades Student iPad app.

I utilize the Essential Word Sorts for the Primary Grades Teacher iPad app to manage and monitor student sorts and progress.

Essential Word Sorts for the Primary Grades iPad app
-mirrored on the SMART Board 

a first grader sorts words by short vowel sound

Move and Match- word sorts

One way we use the Move and Match iPad app in the First Grade Butterfly classroom is for sound and word sorts.

I create custom sound and word sorts within the Move and Match iPad app on my personal iPad and then "export" and "share" the sorts with the Butterflies.  (The Butterflies "import" the sort into the Move and Match app installed on each of the student iPads).

The Move and Match app is a great app for creating customized activities for instruction, guided application, and/or independent application across the curriculum.

word sort "mirrored" on the SMARTBoard

Butterflies complete a word sort on the Move and Match iPad app

a first grader completes a sound sort
-on the Move and Match iPad app

individualized word study- on the iPad

Using Bear's Primary Spelling Inventory- the stage of spelling development for each First Grade Butterfly is identified.

Knowing their individual stage for development (for example- "short vowels" or "long vowel patterns"), the first graders reference the word work app choices chart to identify and select apps supportive of their stage for learning and development.

     -word work app choices are organized within folders on the iPad "Word Work" page
     -the word work app choices chart lists app choices specific to each stage of spelling development
     -the chart is created with app choice "cards" that include printed and visual text for the app, folder location of the app, and specific "options" and/or "activities" within the app

1st graders select and engage with iPad apps supportive of their
individualized stage of spelling development

leveled books on the iPad... K-2 Mobile Reading

Access to a variety of text types and genres that are "just right" for a reader is an essential component in a child's learning and development as a reader.

The K-2 Mobile Reading iPad app

• provides readers access to a variety of 100 Reading Recovery leveled books
• promotes readers' independent selection of "just right" books with simple app navigation and organization
• encourages active engagement throughout the reading process with supportive introductions, post-reading comprehension questions, and...
• includes in-app teacher management tools 
• monitors student reading and comprehension
• provides options of narrated reading, silent-self reading, or recording of reading for each book 

The First Grade Butterfly Readers log-in with individual passwords and access books at his/her "just right" reading level in the K-2 Mobile Reading app.

the K-2 Mobile Reading iPad app promotes and motivates
independent reading

first grade readers actively engage in the reading process
-reading digital books on the K-2 Mobile Reading iPad app

the K-2 Mobile Reading iPad app provides readers access to leveled texts

a first grade reader reads "just right" books on the iPad
-using the K-2 Mobile Reading iPad app

celebrating Butterfly Writers... My Storybook Maker iPad app

After "publishing" a small moment personal narrative story using the My Storybook Maker iPad app... the Butterflies celebrated themselves and each other as writers!

The First Graders accessed peer publications through the My Storybook Reader iPad app on the iPads and collaboratively viewed and discussed the author's purpose, the story structure and organization, elaboration strategies applied in spoken text and visual text, craft strategies, and... with a writing partner.

The First Graders generated and recorded specific motivational feedback for each writer... complimenting the writer's use (or attempt) of a strategy, skill, and/or behavior with purpose to convey meaning.

The compliments were collected, sorted, and organized into "WOW!  YOU should feel so proud of yourself as a writer because..." books and were given to each writer.

first grade writing partners collaboratively use critical literacy skills
and provide written feedback to peers as writers

first graders cooperatively "read" (visual and audio texts)
a small moment personal narrative story published by a peer

first graders celebrate one another as small moment writers
...recording and sharing compliments

publishing narratives with the My Storybook Maker iPad app

To celebrate our learning and accomplishments as "small moment personal narrative writers"...
the First Grade Butterfly Writers became "published Writers"!

The First Grade Writers

• evaluated and analyzed personal narrative compositions written throughout our genre study
• selected one personal narrative story to publish
• used the drawing capabilities in the My Storybook Maker iPad app to create illustrations for each page of his/her story that conveyed meaning and supported the reader's understanding 
• used the audio recording capability of the My Storybook Maker iPad app to record audio of the text for each page of his/her story... using his/her best "storyteller's voice"
• "published" his/her personal narrative story using the save and share capabilities in the My Storybook Maker iPad app

a first grade writer uses the My Storybook Maker iPad app
to publish a personal narrative story

first grade writers create visual images using the My Storybook Maker iPad app
...creating visual images that convey meaning and support the "readers" understanding

a first grade writer uses a Logitech headset
to record audio and to check for clarity, accuracy, and meaning of the written and spoken texts

informed citizens... learning about our world with the News-O-Matic iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies LOVE the News-O-Matic iPad app!

Five new articles are posted each day with kid-friendly language and supportive features (for example- capability to have text read aloud, access to a map indicating the location of the "news", ideas to "act" and become involved, additional "facts", and...)!

News-O-Matic 

• provides readers access to informational text that is meaningful, authentic, and relevant to their lives-world
• facilitates readers' application of reading skills, strategies, and behaviors to construct meaning in a variety of "text" types
• promotes development of knowledgeable, global, and informed citizens 
• incites critical literacy skills
• inspires intentional discourse and problem-solving
• and... 

News-O-Matic is a Butterfly "BEST" iPad app (a "definite-must have" app) for iPads in the classroom and for iPads at home!

a first grader learns about current events
with the News-O-Matic iPad app

first graders become informed citizens
...learning about our world through the News-O-Matic iPad app

first graders record reactions to current events
...learning about our world through the News-O-Matic iPad app