As I said in the blog several weeks ago, students have been busy learning routines and procedures. Now that these routines and procedures have become somewhat automatic, we have been able to devote more of our attention to the curriculum. Please read the sections below to see what we've been learning in the areas of reading, writing, and math.
Reading
Students have been hard at work learning the routines and procedures for Readers' Workshop. Once this workshop is fully up and running, students will be able to independently perform the following tasks: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing, Listen to Reading, and Word Work. Each day, students will have an opportunity to complete 2 of the 5 tasks while I work with small groups on targeted reading skills. Although it will take a few months for students to become independent with all of these tasks, it will pay off in the long run. As I've witnessed these past few years, students learn exponentially more throughout the year with the implementation of Daily 5 compared to a year without this structure. Already, my students have become independent with Read to Self and Word Work and are ready to learn Work on Writing, Listen to Reading, and Read to Someone.
To help students become independent with each of these components, I have created anchor charts with my students on the specific step-by-step instructions they are to do during each task. Pictures have also been added to these charts. They serve as visual reminders on what to do for each component of the Readers' Workshop (see procedures and pictures below for Read to Self). Once a chart has been created, students directly practice each item, and slowly, but surely, they build stamina. Our first day of Read to Self, my students were able to "read" independently for 3 minutes. The second day practicing Read to Self, students were able to read independently for 5 minutes. I am proud to say that we are now able to read independently for 13 minutes! It's really amazing, considering many of my students don't exactly know how to "read" just yet. In addition to Read to Self, my students have successfully added Word Work to our Readers' Workshop repertoire. Students are able to login to a computer program called I-Ready Reading, where students work with letters, sounds, and words to work on various skills to help them read.
Even though not all of my students can read words, ALL of my students can successfully read the pictures. Students have learned that there are two ways to read a book: through pictures and through words. This beginning skill of reading pictures will help students quickly develop the skills necessary to read the words. I have also done many lessons on how to read books: how to hold a book, how to point to the words as we read, how to use the pictures to help us read the words, which direction we read words, identifying the sight words we have learned, and how to get our mouths ready to say the first sound when we come to an unknown word. My students have also learned that you can cross-check when you come to a word you're not sure is correct. This simply means they ask themselves: Does it look right, sound right, and make sense? We've worked on phonological awareness skills as well: rhyming, counting syllables in words, and hearing and identifying beginning sounds in words.
"The Book Fairy" has also been extremely motivating in our reading adventure. She leaves books and materials in a book basket each day to help us become better readers. Oh, how my students LOVE The Book Fairy! They truly believe she is a magical creature who wants them to love reading as much as she does. My students have already received individual books from The Book Fairy to add to their reading boxes. These are the books that they know really well and can practice throughout the Readers' Workshop. Students have absolutely LOVED receiving these new books!
Here are the pictures and procedures from Read to Self:
Reading
Students have been hard at work learning the routines and procedures for Readers' Workshop. Once this workshop is fully up and running, students will be able to independently perform the following tasks: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing, Listen to Reading, and Word Work. Each day, students will have an opportunity to complete 2 of the 5 tasks while I work with small groups on targeted reading skills. Although it will take a few months for students to become independent with all of these tasks, it will pay off in the long run. As I've witnessed these past few years, students learn exponentially more throughout the year with the implementation of Daily 5 compared to a year without this structure. Already, my students have become independent with Read to Self and Word Work and are ready to learn Work on Writing, Listen to Reading, and Read to Someone.
To help students become independent with each of these components, I have created anchor charts with my students on the specific step-by-step instructions they are to do during each task. Pictures have also been added to these charts. They serve as visual reminders on what to do for each component of the Readers' Workshop (see procedures and pictures below for Read to Self). Once a chart has been created, students directly practice each item, and slowly, but surely, they build stamina. Our first day of Read to Self, my students were able to "read" independently for 3 minutes. The second day practicing Read to Self, students were able to read independently for 5 minutes. I am proud to say that we are now able to read independently for 13 minutes! It's really amazing, considering many of my students don't exactly know how to "read" just yet. In addition to Read to Self, my students have successfully added Word Work to our Readers' Workshop repertoire. Students are able to login to a computer program called I-Ready Reading, where students work with letters, sounds, and words to work on various skills to help them read.
Even though not all of my students can read words, ALL of my students can successfully read the pictures. Students have learned that there are two ways to read a book: through pictures and through words. This beginning skill of reading pictures will help students quickly develop the skills necessary to read the words. I have also done many lessons on how to read books: how to hold a book, how to point to the words as we read, how to use the pictures to help us read the words, which direction we read words, identifying the sight words we have learned, and how to get our mouths ready to say the first sound when we come to an unknown word. My students have also learned that you can cross-check when you come to a word you're not sure is correct. This simply means they ask themselves: Does it look right, sound right, and make sense? We've worked on phonological awareness skills as well: rhyming, counting syllables in words, and hearing and identifying beginning sounds in words.
"The Book Fairy" has also been extremely motivating in our reading adventure. She leaves books and materials in a book basket each day to help us become better readers. Oh, how my students LOVE The Book Fairy! They truly believe she is a magical creature who wants them to love reading as much as she does. My students have already received individual books from The Book Fairy to add to their reading boxes. These are the books that they know really well and can practice throughout the Readers' Workshop. Students have absolutely LOVED receiving these new books!
Here are the pictures and procedures from Read to Self:
Find Bubble Spot Get Started Right Away
Read the Whole Time Quiet...Shhh!!!
Also, here is a recent video of a Readers' Workshop session, which includes both Read to Self and Word Work (half of my class doing each). Watching this again, I seriously can't get over how well this group is doing! One of the things we have really worked on is pointing to the words as we read. So many of my students were doing just that in the video below. They have taken on the role of 'reader' very seriously. I can't wait to see them really take off when we begin reading groups within the next month.
Also, here is a recent video of a Readers' Workshop session, which includes both Read to Self and Word Work (half of my class doing each). Watching this again, I seriously can't get over how well this group is doing! One of the things we have really worked on is pointing to the words as we read. So many of my students were doing just that in the video below. They have taken on the role of 'reader' very seriously. I can't wait to see them really take off when we begin reading groups within the next month.
Writing
Similar to our Readers' Workshop, we also have a Writers' Workshop. Essentially, it's the same concept: students learn to write independently so that the teacher can work with students individually or in a small group. We started off slowly, creating an anchor chart to know exactly what to do during this time. We also took pictures to help us remember each of the procedures. We have also been building stamina. Students have gone from being able to write independently for 5 minutes to being able to write independently for 20 minutes.
I have also done many lessons on how to write. Students understand that there are three ways to write: drawing the pictures, writing the words, and adding details. They have learned that details can be added to both their pictures and their words to tell more of the story. They have also learned that leaving spaces between words makes writing easier to read. Students have worked on hearing and recording more sounds to their writing so that people can read their words. One way students have learned to help with this process is through touching and telling words as they write using the back of their pencil to reread writing over and over again, listening for the next sound to write.
All of my students feel successful at this point because they understand that even if they can't write yet, they can draw pictures to tell a story. I am truly amazed at my students' writing and illustrating thus far. After several lessons on how to stretch out words and write down sounds, nearly all of my students have attempted to incorporate some words into their writing.
Currently, I am keeping their writing pieces in individual files. At the end of each trimester, I will put the pieces into a file for you to keep. I will include some pictures of their amazing work in the next blog update.
Similar to our Readers' Workshop, we also have a Writers' Workshop. Essentially, it's the same concept: students learn to write independently so that the teacher can work with students individually or in a small group. We started off slowly, creating an anchor chart to know exactly what to do during this time. We also took pictures to help us remember each of the procedures. We have also been building stamina. Students have gone from being able to write independently for 5 minutes to being able to write independently for 20 minutes.
I have also done many lessons on how to write. Students understand that there are three ways to write: drawing the pictures, writing the words, and adding details. They have learned that details can be added to both their pictures and their words to tell more of the story. They have also learned that leaving spaces between words makes writing easier to read. Students have worked on hearing and recording more sounds to their writing so that people can read their words. One way students have learned to help with this process is through touching and telling words as they write using the back of their pencil to reread writing over and over again, listening for the next sound to write.
All of my students feel successful at this point because they understand that even if they can't write yet, they can draw pictures to tell a story. I am truly amazed at my students' writing and illustrating thus far. After several lessons on how to stretch out words and write down sounds, nearly all of my students have attempted to incorporate some words into their writing.
Currently, I am keeping their writing pieces in individual files. At the end of each trimester, I will put the pieces into a file for you to keep. I will include some pictures of their amazing work in the next blog update.
Below are two videos for you to watch. You can see how students have continued to build stamina by writing independently. Students are very successful at using the tools around them to help them write without help. The word wall, letter charts, spacemen, pencils, markers, and erasers are all tools that have helped them to be independent. Because students have gained this independence, I have been able to work with students one at a time. I call this conferring. Conferring looks different for each student as I give goals to students based on their individual needs. This is truly the time where I can differentiate my instruction to best meet the needs of each student.
Math
In math, we have been learning several routines and procedures as well. Very similar to the Readers' Workshop and the Writers' Workshop I just described, Math Workshop involves students working on tasks independently while the teacher works with small groups of students. These small groups of students consist of students who are working on similar math skills. Similar to conferring during writing, I truly believe this approach will allow me to meet the individual needs of my students. I can challenge them exactly where they are at. Currently, we are learning the procedures for Math By Myself. This time involves counting various collections of random objects and explaining their efficient counting strategy. I have included a video below where a student is sharing his/her counting with the class. I love to take pictures of their thinking so students can share with the class and learn from one another. These are the most powerful teaching moments! Math By Myself also involves math centers, which will change with each unit. Within these centers, students have worked with shapes, numbers, and have also played math games. Here are some procedure pictures from Math By Myself.
In math, we have been learning several routines and procedures as well. Very similar to the Readers' Workshop and the Writers' Workshop I just described, Math Workshop involves students working on tasks independently while the teacher works with small groups of students. These small groups of students consist of students who are working on similar math skills. Similar to conferring during writing, I truly believe this approach will allow me to meet the individual needs of my students. I can challenge them exactly where they are at. Currently, we are learning the procedures for Math By Myself. This time involves counting various collections of random objects and explaining their efficient counting strategy. I have included a video below where a student is sharing his/her counting with the class. I love to take pictures of their thinking so students can share with the class and learn from one another. These are the most powerful teaching moments! Math By Myself also involves math centers, which will change with each unit. Within these centers, students have worked with shapes, numbers, and have also played math games. Here are some procedure pictures from Math By Myself.
Find Bubble Spot Get Started Right Away
Work the Whole Time Quiet...Shhh!!!
Students have also learned how to do Math With Someone, which is essentially playing a math game with a partner. We will learn a lot of math games this year. These games will help students become fluent and will also help reinforce math concepts we are learning. You have played two of these games at home if you chose to do the homework. So far, we have learned how to play What Did I Roll? and Trash. Like the previous tasks, students have learned routines and procedures for Math With Someone.
Bubble Spot for 2 Get Started Right Away
Play the Whole Time Quiet
We are also learning about different ways to count. So far, we've learned about counting accurately and efficiently and have begun to use counting tools to help them with this task. Ten frames, counting mats, and number lines have helped students count accurately and efficiently. Students have learned that making groups of fives or tens using five frames and ten frames helps students count efficiently and accurately.
Another concept students are currently learning is comparing. Students have learned that you can compare how many objects are in two groups by using the words more than, fewer than, and equal to or the same as. Students have practiced making comparison statements and have also practiced making groups of objects that are more than, fewer than, and the same as or equal to a certain number.
Here are some pictures from various math activities we've done. I am truly amazed at the progress I have seen in their ability to count and record their thinking.
Another concept students are currently learning is comparing. Students have learned that you can compare how many objects are in two groups by using the words more than, fewer than, and equal to or the same as. Students have practiced making comparison statements and have also practiced making groups of objects that are more than, fewer than, and the same as or equal to a certain number.
Here are some pictures from various math activities we've done. I am truly amazed at the progress I have seen in their ability to count and record their thinking.
Aren't my students amazing? I am thoroughly impressed each and every day at all they have learned in just a month. If this is any indication of what they are going to accomplish, I think it's safe to say they will find a lot of success this year. I look forward to having a front row seat to these successes.