This chapter was all about Listen to Reading and Read to Someone. I love the idea of Listen to Reading, but am wondering how well it will work in the older grades. I have a vast collection of books sets with CD's (Thank you Scholastic!), but they are all on a younger level. I haven't seen any in Scholastic for the upper grades, so I am wondering how to run this. Thoughts? Suggestions?
I love the Read to Someone, we did this a lot this year in my class. However, I didn't really set guidelines down, which I really want to do this year. I love EEKK (Elbow, Elbow, Knee, Knee) as well as haven't the partners sit face to face.
This will take some modeling, but I think that it will be well worth it in the end. Hopefully I can find a way for these two to work for me in Grade 4!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
Showing posts with label Daily 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily 5. Show all posts
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
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Daily 5 Chapter 4 |
Chapter 4 on Daily 5 was all about Read to Self. I talked a little about children picking their books and what they should be reading here.
I like the idea of building stamina on reading to yourself. However, I teach 4th graders, so I feel that 3 minutes is too small a time to start with. Maybe 5 minutes? I also get why the Sisters want to add minutes each day, but I was also thinking (again, applied to the older grades) that maybe we could build stamina 2 or 3 times a day.
You know, start in the morning, teach Math, build more stamina, have lunch, build stamina. That way, the students can keep trying to top their time that day. We could also start with the middle time the next day. I think it would be a faster way of getting the students to the expectations, but again, it depends on the grade level and make-up of the class. Thoughts?
I also think that their should be a response piece in the older grades. Whether it be a creative piece, a letter to the teacher, filling out a Graphic Organizer, or just conferencing with the teacher, I feel that the older kids should be a little more responsible for their reading. This will also cut down on the 'pretending to read and turn pages, since I think my teacher won't notice' .
Those are my thoughts on Chapter 4!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
I like the idea of building stamina on reading to yourself. However, I teach 4th graders, so I feel that 3 minutes is too small a time to start with. Maybe 5 minutes? I also get why the Sisters want to add minutes each day, but I was also thinking (again, applied to the older grades) that maybe we could build stamina 2 or 3 times a day.
You know, start in the morning, teach Math, build more stamina, have lunch, build stamina. That way, the students can keep trying to top their time that day. We could also start with the middle time the next day. I think it would be a faster way of getting the students to the expectations, but again, it depends on the grade level and make-up of the class. Thoughts?
I also think that their should be a response piece in the older grades. Whether it be a creative piece, a letter to the teacher, filling out a Graphic Organizer, or just conferencing with the teacher, I feel that the older kids should be a little more responsible for their reading. This will also cut down on the 'pretending to read and turn pages, since I think my teacher won't notice' .
Those are my thoughts on Chapter 4!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
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Daily 5 Chapter 3 |
Hello Bloggy Friends! I'm a little late with posting this (ironically, I got sucked into reading a really good series, and couldn't put my Kindle down), but I hope to catch up with everything soon.
Chapter 3 was all about the routines, concepts and materials for doing the Daily 5 in the classroom.
One of the first things that the Sisters mentioned was to have a gathering place for mini-lessons (focus lessons). I try to always have a gathering place, I'm a big fan of Morning Meeting (which I'll post about it a few days), and think kids can learn a little better sitting on the rug in a whole group (less fidgets in their desks!).
The rest of the chapter was dedicated to picking good fit books, having a place to store the books, and important signals (which should be a put of any classroom routine).
Now, while I agree that children should be reading at their level, they are interested in and can understand what is going on, I also think that at times, children should not only be reading Just Right books, they should also be reading easier books and more challenging books.
Sometimes, our brains just want a break. We ask a lot of our students, and I feel, that sometimes it's okay to have the 4th grader read a picture book. It gives our brain a break, but allows us to keep practicing our skills (hence the reason I have almost 200 romance novels on my Kindle :).
I also think that students should challenge themselves. If they are really interested in a book or topic, but it is above their reading level, I think they should give it a try. I think it stretches their brain to maybe think outside the box, and they can learn from it.
Now, I do think children should be reading Just Right books most of the time. But sometimes, it's okay to read that really cool, but really easy picture book or the harder book about that really cool topic. But those are just my thoughts. :)
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
Chapter 3 was all about the routines, concepts and materials for doing the Daily 5 in the classroom.
One of the first things that the Sisters mentioned was to have a gathering place for mini-lessons (focus lessons). I try to always have a gathering place, I'm a big fan of Morning Meeting (which I'll post about it a few days), and think kids can learn a little better sitting on the rug in a whole group (less fidgets in their desks!).
The rest of the chapter was dedicated to picking good fit books, having a place to store the books, and important signals (which should be a put of any classroom routine).
Now, while I agree that children should be reading at their level, they are interested in and can understand what is going on, I also think that at times, children should not only be reading Just Right books, they should also be reading easier books and more challenging books.
Sometimes, our brains just want a break. We ask a lot of our students, and I feel, that sometimes it's okay to have the 4th grader read a picture book. It gives our brain a break, but allows us to keep practicing our skills (hence the reason I have almost 200 romance novels on my Kindle :).
I also think that students should challenge themselves. If they are really interested in a book or topic, but it is above their reading level, I think they should give it a try. I think it stretches their brain to maybe think outside the box, and they can learn from it.
Now, I do think children should be reading Just Right books most of the time. But sometimes, it's okay to read that really cool, but really easy picture book or the harder book about that really cool topic. But those are just my thoughts. :)
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
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Daily 5, Chapter 2 |
Happy 4th of July!!
I'm off to visit a friend for a few days...but I won't leave you behind! :) (She has to study for her Social Work Licensing Exam, so I told her I'd bring stuff to do...computer is coming with!) Hopefully I'll be spending some time on the beach with my Kindle! :)
Now onto the Daily 5!
Chapter 2 was about the management and the foundations of Daily 5.
One of the first thing the Sisters talked about was Trust. Trust is huge! The trust that a teacher builds with the class is one of the most important bonds that a teacher can have. Children need to trust that the teacher knows what she/he is doing, and the teacher needs to trust his/her students to do their best work and put an effort into their learning.
Sometimes, when my children came to me with something (minor), I would look at them and tell them "I trust you. I know that you'll do the right thing/your best work". They would just look at me, nod their heads and walk away. They usually walked away with their heads held higher, since they then had the confidence knowing that their teacher had trust in them.
Choice is also mentioned in this chapter. I am a big believer in having choice for the kids. I don't bug them about what books they are reading, as long as they are reading. I think that when I implement workshops/centers in my classrooms this year, I'll let the students choose what order they want to work on things. I'll still have the must-dos that will need to be completed by the end of the day, but they can decided what they are working on and when.
My students really liked it when I gave them an open-ended project (see here for an example), but let them choose who they did, or what book it was on. We did Literature Circles for the last two months of school, and they got really excited when I told them that they were going to have a choice on what books they read (they put down 3, so some of them did not get their first choice).
Stamina is one of the most important things that we can help our students with. I had one child, when I taught Kindergarten, who could not sit still for 5 minutes. By the end of the year, he was able to sit still for almost 15 minutes. We did it by gradually increasing the time I expected him to sit still, and any time I notice any squirming, I had him stand up and move a little.
We shouldn't expect children to be able to pay attention or attended to a task on the first day. We have to gradually increase the time that we expect them to work. I love to read, and can literally read all day without any breaks...but then, I've had almost 30 years of building my stamina in that area! :)
Building independence and routines is also talked about in this chapter. I'm a firm believer that the first 6 weeks of school are the most important, because that is when you build the routines and expectations for the class. You can introduce routines and expectations later on in the year...but I feel that it runs more smoothly if you start it off that way.
Have a wonderful 4th!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
I'm off to visit a friend for a few days...but I won't leave you behind! :) (She has to study for her Social Work Licensing Exam, so I told her I'd bring stuff to do...computer is coming with!) Hopefully I'll be spending some time on the beach with my Kindle! :)Now onto the Daily 5!
Chapter 2 was about the management and the foundations of Daily 5.
One of the first thing the Sisters talked about was Trust. Trust is huge! The trust that a teacher builds with the class is one of the most important bonds that a teacher can have. Children need to trust that the teacher knows what she/he is doing, and the teacher needs to trust his/her students to do their best work and put an effort into their learning.
Sometimes, when my children came to me with something (minor), I would look at them and tell them "I trust you. I know that you'll do the right thing/your best work". They would just look at me, nod their heads and walk away. They usually walked away with their heads held higher, since they then had the confidence knowing that their teacher had trust in them.
Choice is also mentioned in this chapter. I am a big believer in having choice for the kids. I don't bug them about what books they are reading, as long as they are reading. I think that when I implement workshops/centers in my classrooms this year, I'll let the students choose what order they want to work on things. I'll still have the must-dos that will need to be completed by the end of the day, but they can decided what they are working on and when.
My students really liked it when I gave them an open-ended project (see here for an example), but let them choose who they did, or what book it was on. We did Literature Circles for the last two months of school, and they got really excited when I told them that they were going to have a choice on what books they read (they put down 3, so some of them did not get their first choice).
Stamina is one of the most important things that we can help our students with. I had one child, when I taught Kindergarten, who could not sit still for 5 minutes. By the end of the year, he was able to sit still for almost 15 minutes. We did it by gradually increasing the time I expected him to sit still, and any time I notice any squirming, I had him stand up and move a little.
We shouldn't expect children to be able to pay attention or attended to a task on the first day. We have to gradually increase the time that we expect them to work. I love to read, and can literally read all day without any breaks...but then, I've had almost 30 years of building my stamina in that area! :)
Building independence and routines is also talked about in this chapter. I'm a firm believer that the first 6 weeks of school are the most important, because that is when you build the routines and expectations for the class. You can introduce routines and expectations later on in the year...but I feel that it runs more smoothly if you start it off that way.
Have a wonderful 4th!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
Sunday, July 1, 2012
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Daily 5 Chapter 1 |
Yay! The book study from 
has started! Chapter 1 in the Daily 5 was about how they changed their thinking throughout the years to find a system that works best for them.
When I first started teaching, I was teaching Kindergarten. When we did centers, there was always a lot of paperwork/busywork that my para or I had to correct. It certainly took a lot of time!
This year, I tried something a little different. The district I was in used the Four Blocks Framework (NOT my favorite...I think all the teachers had trouble with it!). The framework splits the "Guided Reading" block into three sections, Before Reading, During Reading, After Reading.
The mini-lesson occurred in the Before Reading, children practiced in During Reading and we were supposed to 'assess' in After Reading. One thing that I changed was that I had the kids do more of their thinking and writing on post-its!
I would demonstrate the skill, and the children would practice it and then we would talk about our thinking and post-its as closure.
I definitely think that this worked better than the center practice that I did when I taught Kindergarten, but I still felt that something was missing. I wasn't really conferencing with students, or having students read books at their independent/instructional level (actual guided reading groups are frowned upon in Four Blocks...everyone should be reading grade level text during "Guided Reading").
Next year, in my new district, we are using Literacy By Design. From what I have seen so far, it is very scripted...BUT, I have guided reading groups (the correct, Fountas and Pinnell way), so there will be time when I am working with small groups of students that the rest of the class will need something to do.
The Sister's said it perfectly on page 15 "it is about helping our students develop independent literacy habits, so that we are free to work with small groups or have individual conferences"
I think the Daily 5 is a good way to model indpendence and structure our blocks of time so we are able to work with those students who need it.
Wow! That turned out a lot longer than I thought it would! Go check out We Read We Blog We Teach for more insights!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
has started! Chapter 1 in the Daily 5 was about how they changed their thinking throughout the years to find a system that works best for them.When I first started teaching, I was teaching Kindergarten. When we did centers, there was always a lot of paperwork/busywork that my para or I had to correct. It certainly took a lot of time!
This year, I tried something a little different. The district I was in used the Four Blocks Framework (NOT my favorite...I think all the teachers had trouble with it!). The framework splits the "Guided Reading" block into three sections, Before Reading, During Reading, After Reading.
The mini-lesson occurred in the Before Reading, children practiced in During Reading and we were supposed to 'assess' in After Reading. One thing that I changed was that I had the kids do more of their thinking and writing on post-its!
I would demonstrate the skill, and the children would practice it and then we would talk about our thinking and post-its as closure.
I definitely think that this worked better than the center practice that I did when I taught Kindergarten, but I still felt that something was missing. I wasn't really conferencing with students, or having students read books at their independent/instructional level (actual guided reading groups are frowned upon in Four Blocks...everyone should be reading grade level text during "Guided Reading").
Next year, in my new district, we are using Literacy By Design. From what I have seen so far, it is very scripted...BUT, I have guided reading groups (the correct, Fountas and Pinnell way), so there will be time when I am working with small groups of students that the rest of the class will need something to do.
The Sister's said it perfectly on page 15 "it is about helping our students develop independent literacy habits, so that we are free to work with small groups or have individual conferences"
I think the Daily 5 is a good way to model indpendence and structure our blocks of time so we are able to work with those students who need it.
Wow! That turned out a lot longer than I thought it would! Go check out We Read We Blog We Teach for more insights!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
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I Saw It On Pinterest... |
A couple of giveaways to give a heads up on!
Thoughts of a Third Grade Teacher is giving away a HearAll assessment recorder. This would be great for fluency checks, taking running records and having them listen to themselves!
Lessons with Laughter is having a giveaway for the Daily 5 and Cafe books that is having. Go check it out!
I'm also linking up with Amber for her
linky.
Thoughts of a Third Grade Teacher is giving away a HearAll assessment recorder. This would be great for fluency checks, taking running records and having them listen to themselves!
Lessons with Laughter is having a giveaway for the Daily 5 and Cafe books that is having. Go check it out!I'm also linking up with Amber for her
linky.  | I want to make some peppermint foot scrub for at home pedis! | ||||
| Source: theidearoom.net |
 Source: http://artbywiley.blogspot.com/2012/03/button-tree-story.html Source: 3rd Grade Thoughts  
Go link up with Amber!
Smiles and Sunshine, Kaitlyn | |||||||
Sunday, June 3, 2012
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Summer Book Studies |
This summer a lot of upper grade teachers will be hosting a book study using Daily 5 & Cafe books. Katie from Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher is hosting a giveaway of the two books for the book study.
The awesome leaders of this group have set up a new blog to host the discussions We Read, We Blog, We Teach, which looks awesome.
I definitely plan on rereading the books and trying to implement it as much as possible in my class. It'll be fun to discuss and share thoughts will other teachers and I definitely plan on joining in! I was going to implement Cafe it next year anyway, but now I will have to try and fit it in a different framework (we'll be using Literacy By Design in my new district). The best part is that this is the first year that they are doing it, so there will be lots of training for everyone and we'll all start on the same page! :)
Head on over to Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher to join her giveaway!
I also found a book study hosted by Brenda at Primary Inspired and her friends using the book Guided Math. She is having a giveaway on her blog for the book as well. If you are interested in hosting a chapter, go on over and let her know!
I'm really looking forward to the summer with all of these book studies. :) Reading is one of my favorite things to do!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
The awesome leaders of this group have set up a new blog to host the discussions We Read, We Blog, We Teach, which looks awesome.
I definitely plan on rereading the books and trying to implement it as much as possible in my class. It'll be fun to discuss and share thoughts will other teachers and I definitely plan on joining in! I was going to implement Cafe it next year anyway, but now I will have to try and fit it in a different framework (we'll be using Literacy By Design in my new district). The best part is that this is the first year that they are doing it, so there will be lots of training for everyone and we'll all start on the same page! :)
Head on over to Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher to join her giveaway!
I also found a book study hosted by Brenda at Primary Inspired and her friends using the book Guided Math. She is having a giveaway on her blog for the book as well. If you are interested in hosting a chapter, go on over and let her know!
I'm really looking forward to the summer with all of these book studies. :) Reading is one of my favorite things to do!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
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