Author: Kimberly

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It’s Campfire Time!

Happy FIRST Day of 2024!

For those of you who are new to Blackbird & Company, and those who are seasoned users, pull up a log, and gather round the campfire!

We humans possess an enormous capacity to enjoy and enact language.

During the month of January we will offer tips to help YOU, the teacher, guide your students on the path to becoming exceptional readers and writers. Becoming literate is a lifelong journey—we must inspire children to delight in this important endeavor.

Tip Number 1.

Track the journey!

Take a moment to look back on the academic milestones your students achieved in 2023. You will likely be amazed! We’ve created checklists of benchmark skills to help you create a record of progress.

The following are BIG picture checklists to help you assess annual student growth as a reader, writer, thinker, and creator. Over time, following our methodology, your student will become confident in the following ELA (English Language Arts) benchmarks. As you assess your student’s work, you will be pleased to discover mastery in these areas. Keep in mind, mastery does not ever mean these benchmarks are a thing of the past, but rather, part of the active heart and mind of the student. There will be considerable overlap year after year, and you will observe maturity within a given skill over time. Use check marks to indicate the skill is being utilized by the student.

ELA Benchmarks: K–2

ELA Benchmarks: 3–5

ELA Benchmarks: 6–8

ELA Benchmarks: 9–12

Catching a glimpse of the tremendous growth that happens as we engage our students in the act of reading and the art of writing is just the encouragement we teachers need at the start of a brand new year!

Happy New Year indeed!

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Shakespeare + Haiku

Bravo for Shakespeare + Haiku!

Thank you Hadleigh R. for submitting these amazing haiku highlighting our Shakespeare words: watchdog, moonbeams, yelping, and clangor!

We’re so glad our December Giveaway inspired your poetic voice.

And, Congratulations, we are sure Shakespeare would be proud that you carried on his appreciation of the singular specificity of words!

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Haiku Day 12

Chilly white blanket atop the city streets is an invitation to play.

 

Chilly white blanket

atop the city streets is an

invitation to play.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—invitation—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 11

Stars in the sky, your multitudinous lights twinkle a wintery song.

 

Stars in the sky, your

multitudinous lights twinkle

a wintery song.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—multitudunous—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 10

I stick out my tongue and let the ice cold snowflakes leapfrog across it.

 

I stick out my tongue

and let the ice cold snowflakes

leapfrog across it.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—leapfrog—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 9

The temperature outside dwindles as I read by the cozy fire.

 

The temperature

outside dwindles as I read

by the cozy fire.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—dwindle—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 8

A vulnerable river pleads with the clouds to  dry their wintry tears.

 

A vulnerable

river pleads with the clouds to

dry their wintry tears.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—vulnerable—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 7

Bells clangor a loud song to remind me of the time, cold weather says, “Shush.”

 

Bells clangor aloud

song to remind me of the time,

cold weather says, “Shush.”

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—clangor—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 6

Yelping for joy, snowflakes drifting are interrupted by my sparkling smile.

 

Yelping for joy, snowflakes

drifting are interrupted

by my sparkling smile.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—yelping—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

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Haiku Day 5

Zany snowflakes, you cling to the branches of tall trees avoiding the ground.

 

Zany snowflakes, you cling

to the branches of tall trees

avoiding the ground.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—zany—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!