Building STAMINA with the LITTLES

How do you build stamina with your emergent and early readers? It's a challenge, right?  And right about now you may be looking for something to HELP! 

Research says these readers (K-2) should be reading each day for up to twenty minutes, but HOW does that happen when these readers are five, six, and seven years old?

Not to mention once you get them reading, it looks like the Bookfair threw up all over your classroom with their books spread out all over the place! 

Making a plan for reading and sticking to that plan is critical for all readers- but especially readers at these early levels! 

A great tool to teach stamina and organization of books with your primary readers is a reading mat! 

I introduce this after we've had a few days to practice our independent reading- you know- when I notice that we're only ready for 3 minutes on our own! This tool will help your readers stay on track with reading and YES even help them read for 20 minutes (someday!). 

Materials you will need:

-one file folder per reader

-front cover directions page

-inside pages or red/green marker

-one paperclip per reader

Here is what a completed reading mat looks like!  The only thing I still need to do is laminate the mat for durability!

We talk a lot about building stamina in the early days of independent reading time.  As a class, we set goals for how long we can read.  We graph our reading minutes.  We practice reading the right way over and over again to build our muscle memory. 

It makes sense to have an individualized tool readers can use to help them become independent. 

I teach my students that readers make a plan.  This means we have to choose which books we want to read first, second, third, etc.  We make a stack of our books.  Our stack becomes our plan for reading! 

I teach readers to place their stack on the side of the folder with the green dot.  Now it’s GO TIME!

Readers read one book.  When they finish, they place the book on the red dot side, signaling they have completed the read.  Right away, readers pick up the next book in their stack and keep reading. 

Eventually, all books will be on the red dot side!  But we know in our classroom that once we think we’re done, the work has just begun! 

So I teach readers to pick up the top book on the red side and read it again!  Moving it over to green.  Readers repeat this process for as long as their reading time allows for. 

Once my readers get the hang of making a stack and reading, reading, reading, I add an extension to the reading mat. 

Next, we are ready to track how many times we have read our stack!  We know that rereading makes us better readers, so keeping track of how many times we have read our stack is a great way to celebrate becoming a better reader! 

I simply give students a paperclip and they place it on zero, moving the paperclip as they read their stack one, two, three, or more times!  Are you catching how LONG IT WILL TAKE KIDDOS TO READ ON A READING MAT? They may NOT make it to 8- ever! Don't tell them that of course! :) 

Click HERE to download the freebie! HAPPY READING- FOR A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME! 

Writing Workshop: Writing Partner Conference Form

Hey y'all! Many of the schools and teachers I work with are safe- but trapped in their homes. This will give you something to read! Prayers to everyone in the Houston area and all those affected by Hurricane Harvey!

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If you are anything like me, when trapped inside, you might find yourself snuggled up on the couch listening to the sound of the rain and browsing the world wide web for lesson plan ideas.

Look no further!  You’ve come to the right place.

Today I want to talk about how I incorporate partners in my Writing Workshop classroom.

Have you ever used writing partners?

There are so many different ways to incorporate writing partners into your routines and procedures.  And now is a great time to set up those expectations.

I always start by assigning writing partners and teaching them to turn and talk to that partner during the Mini-Lesson portion of the workshop time.

I teach my students when it is appropriate to talk with your writing partner.  We model, model, model talking with our writing partners.  

Once students are comfortable during the workshop with partners, I introduce the writing conferring tables.   Around the classroom, I have paired desks or tables (usually two) that are set aside for partner conferences.  During writing time, these spots are ‘off limits’ unless you need to confer with your partner.

My students learn that good writing doesn’t happen in isolation, but rather in collaboration with others.  

I teach my students how to respectfully ask their partner if they will conference with them (and what to do if their partner says no...sometimes you just need to keep your own pencil moving because you have that writer’s flow!)

If both partners agree they are at a stopping point and would like to conference, they bring their writing and a pencil to the conference table.  

I have copies of this conference checklist to help guide my young writers through the conference.  

Here’s how it looks:

One writer decides to share first (or sometimes only one writer needs to conference and the other student is only the listener).

The writer reads the piece of writing.  

The listener then gives the writer a compliment.  Students are encouraged to use the sentence stems to guide them.

Next, the listener gives a comment or suggestion.

The writer then asks the listener for help.  

The conference ends when the students sign the form and return back to their own writing.

I’ve provided the conference form as a freebie HERE!

Snag it while you can and comment below with your plans for incorporating writing partners.

Friday Freebie: Substitute Response Form

Happy Friday and congrats on making it through a week of in-service PD or possibly your first few days of the 2017-2018 school year!

I wanted to pop in and give you a few tips on staying afloat at the beginning of the year.

One of the first things I always create at the start of every year is my Substitute Binder/Basket.

As teachers, we usually have a rock solid immune system and yet once things start to pile on, we get stressed, overwhelmed, and inevitably SICK!  The last thing we need to worry about as teachers is writing sub plans while we are lying next to the toilet, you know what I mean?

It never fails that some sort of ‘bug’ will hit you at the worst possible time!  And we want to be prepared in case that happens (because it WILL!)

Here’s what you need to do:

Once you know this year’s schedule, write up a day’s worth of generic lesson plans.  Plug in review lessons (think TEKS from the previous grade level) that any sub can deliver at the drop of a hat.

Spend a few minutes prepping any materials for that day's lessons (I always keep all of the materials and lesson plans in a 3 ring binder with clear sheet protectors. I include everything the sub might need right there in that binder or a basket.)

Here’s a list of things I always include in the sub binder:

-class lists

-daily schedule

-seating chart

-lesson plans for the sick day

-materials/copies for the sick day

-extra read aloud books

-how we get home chart

-school map

-other helpful things to know page

Chances are, you already have most of these things and just need to print an extra copy for the sub. Print a second copy and throw it into a binder!  You will thank yourself later.  I promise!

Since you are just getting back into the swing of things this school year, I’ve provided a freebie Substitute Reflection Form.  Chances are when you need to call in sick, you will get a last minute substitute who is not as familiar with your students as you would like.  It is always helpful to have them reflect on their day so that you know what happened, what went well, and if any problems occurred.   

It’s very helpful to have this to read when you return to work in good health. My students also loved hearing what the sub had to say!  Because-of course- my kiddos always got GLOWING REVIEWS!

Happy teaching and here’s to great HEALTH this school year! Click HERE to get your FREE copy!

It's AUGUST... BREATHE!

Twas the night before school starts and all through the halls,

the teachers were scurrying to attach things to walls.

August is here and with that school is starting!  

Many of you readers are hustling and bustling to work your magic to prepare your classrooms for your new batch of students.

This busy season can be stressful for teachers, students, and parents alike.  

Stocking the fridge with lunches, making that fifteenth trip to Walmart today because you forgot to buy tape for that bulletin board, and staring at the jammed copier wondering how in the world you will tell the secretary you broke it…. AGAIN…..stress-FULL!

As you prepare for the school year, let’s keep what truly matters in mind:

You are here to TEACH your students.  

Your room doesn’t have to look like a Lakeshore catalogue, or better yet a pinned Pinterest picture.  

Let’s not compare ourselves to others-, but rather be okay with the fact that we are doing what’s best for OUR students.

I asked my consultant, Noelle, to snap a few photos around her school so that we can talk about STUDENT centered classrooms vs. Pinterest inspired classrooms.  (By the way, Noelle’s first day with students was August TENTH, y’all!)

Let’s take a peek inside her school, shall we?

Notice this teacher’s bulletin boards?  They are empty.  That’s right.  It’s meet the teacher night and there is nothing on them but the content subject.  Why? you might ask. Because her students have yet to learn in her classroom!  We want our walls to anchor student learning and remind them of the things we have taught them.  

In my classroom, I always like to put a sign up that says “Coming soon” and “help wanted” on all the bulletin boards as to say “We will get to this ASAP!”

Now, some teachers theme their classrooms each year and spend hundreds of dollars on decorations.  That’s really incredible but not NECESSARY!  You can put your own personal flare in your classroom and inspire your students without draining your bank account.  Take a look at these two classrooms with growth mindset language already plastered to the walls!

When you are setting up your classrooms-spending time stapling bulletin border- I would encourage you to think about the necessities for learning!  

At the foundation of a Balanced Literacy classroom, you need a carpet to gather students together, a place to display an anchor chart, desks (either in pairs or table groups for collaborating), space around the room for independent work, a classroom library, and a space/table for teaching a small group of students.  

Typically, in our classroom libraries we have baskets of books labeled by genres (THINK: Just like at Barnes and Noble) for students to browse.  

In my classroom, I always like to have my students sort and organize my books on the first day of school, making this a student-centered classroom library.  During meet the teacher night, I always put ‘caution’ tape around my library and the sign “library under construction- help needed!” This sends the message that my new students’ opinions matter.

On the second day of school in this third grade classroom, the teacher introduced the parts and pieces of writing workshop.  The mini lesson was spent teaching students what to expect each day during the workshop and expectations were set for third grade writers.  Then writing workshop was launched and students went off to their desks to build their stamina!  I love this visual for students (and teachers/admin as well!) to see the majority of their time will be spent putting words down on paper!  

You’ll notice this teacher doesn’t have a fancy Lakeshore learning easel in her classroom.  Instead, she was creative and used pins tacks to hold up her anchor chart pad.  

You guys, it does not need to be fancy!  It just needs to BE in order for your to TEACH!

As you are preparing for your students, ask yourself “Will this add to the quality of teaching and learning?” if so GO FOR IT.  But if the answer is ‘no, this is just a cute idea I saw online’ then please please please do not waste your time.  

Your students deserve a learning space that is tailored to them.  Can it look cute? Sure.  But it doesn’t have to at the expense of draining all of your precious time and energy (and money!) before school starts.

And let’s be honest, as soon as the students step into your classroom with school supplies, all that cuteness will fly out the window.  

Get in the trenches this year without feeling burnt out before it even starts.  

Spend time making your classroom student centered, where every inch of the room reflect their learning! Wait for the kids to get there before you have everything on the walls!

I wish you a fabulous 2017-2018 school year! YOU'VE GOT THIS!

Cheers!