Sara Frater’s Flipped First Grade

The following is a guest blog post by ISD 728 first grade teacher, Sara Frater.  Sara lives in St. Michael, MN with her 3 kids, husband and 3 legged cat. They have a lot of fun being outside, traveling, and spending time with friends.  She loves to learn new things, and works to share her love with her students!

Using Buncee to flip my first grade classroom has been a powerful way to integrate technology into the curriculum. Buncee allows me to meet my students’ individual needs. I can be in two places at once, and my kids LOVE it!

This powerful tool has transformed my Daily Five Reading Block. My students are on task and engaged the entire time I am pulling small groups. I use Buncee for many different aspects of Daily Five: word work, work on writing, read to self, read to someone, and listen to reading. Using Buncee to create independence and differentiate has been transformational in my classroom.

When I am pulling small groups, I have students doing different activities based on their level. Each week, the students scan a QR code and do a phonetic sort focused on the skill we are working on. They write the words in their notebook and then watch the phonetic videos when they are finished.  I included a slide for them to check their work at the end.

I also use Buncee to integrate the close reading passages I got from “Teachers Pay Teachers.” These are differentiated passages.

I added a task for the students to do once they’ve finished reading the passage and watching the short video.  Finally, they respond in some way on SeeSaw.  This is their ‘Read To Self Time’ on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I recorded my voice giving directions to prevent any confusion.

I’ve also used Buncee for reading interventions. First, I took the list of sight words my students needed to know for the second trimester. Then, I assessed the students to see which words they didn’t know and created a Buncee to help them master these words.  

I embedded videos into the Buncees for the words that had sight word songs. Then, I sat with them one-on-one and recorded their voices reading the sight words. The student then had fun decorating the Buncee!

I gave the QR codes out at conferences to the parents so the students can scan and listen to the videos and their own voices reading the sight words.  Now, the students have a QR code on their desk and at home!  

In first grade we assess their ability to read nonsense words. This can be confusing for students, so I used Buncee to create nonsense word fluency sorts to practice reading real vs. nonsense words. This is done during word work time as well.  We also read as a group from the Buncee I make each week to  review nonsense words.

Buncee can also be used for test practice. My students need to know how to spell 40 sight words. I have pre-recorded myself teaching them how to write the word two times in the sand and then pick up a red crayon or marker to write it on paper. This is the Orton-Gillingham method of learning sight words.  This is done during the Daily Five word work.  

For word work, we use a sight word progression program from “Teachers Pay Teachers.” I noticed that my students were practicing the words incorrectly, so I created a Buncee that has the word, along with audio of me reading the word and a video from YouTube to help students remember the word.  

I printed the Buncees out, and tape the appropriate level list on their desk with the words and a QR code so they can access this during down time or during word work time. I then have them go onto SeeSaw to record themselves reading these words.  

Thank you to Sarah Frater for sharing her fabulous flipped Buncee lessons! To see more lesson examples, check out the Buncee Gallery and follow Buncee on Twitter.