S is for Show and Explain

In the past show and tell was a popularity test of who had what spectacular toy. Inevitably, the toy would become a distraction, break, or get lost. I liked that show and tell gave students an opportunity to speak in front of the class and use language to describe their object, but I wondered what else could be done. I joined the kindergarten team after teaching 5 years of special education and found out that they had modified show and tell into show and explain.

Show and Explain is a variation of show and tell. It helps children to develop a strong foundation in writing by teaching them the structure of expository writing. Children verbally follow a structured format to "explain" ideas about a certain assigned topic. Topics are assigned weekly and everyone participates once a week. Preparation for show and explain is done at home as homework. A rubric is also sent home once a week with a score so the parents can review for progress. Topics usually reflect a Core Knowledge unit we are studying. Students are not required to write words, just memorize the format. They can use pictures to remind themselves of the details and they can bring in something to SHOW!

Show and Explain started this week and I am AMAZED and PROUD of how well everyone is doing for the first week! Kudos to parents for practicing at home! Look for the rubric in the Thursday Folder.

Here is more information:

Show and explain09 (2)

View more documents from LuanneVirginiaLewis.

Show and explain topics 2010

View more documents from LuanneVirginiaLewis.