Organizing My Mentor Texts

I kind of wish my one little word (OLW) for 2012 would have been organize. It was really "faith", but that's another post and a half that I'm not ready to talk about in cyberspace. Not that you would know by looking at my desk, my office/craft room, kitchen counter or classroom countertops...but I really do love the feeling of organizing specific things. 

I've been working on organizing my mentor texts for specific lessons that I do each year. I decided that it would be easier to put books that I use for reader's workshop lessons, writer's workshop lessons and math lessons in one place, rather than sticking them back in the "cupboard full of books".   

So, I've been using these bins (not very pretty or exciting yet) to help me collect the books that I use each year for specific lessons. The card in front of each book is labeled with the title/author/focus for the lesson. After trying alphabetical order last year, I decided to put them in order of how I would teach each lesson throughout the year. For example, the books that I would use for reader's workshop at the beginning of the year are in the front of the reader's workshop section. It's still a work in progress, but I love the fact that it's easy for me to find the books I need for specific lessons.

Last year, I hosted a linky party about mentor texts for writer's workshop.  You can find the linky party post here.  You can also find the list of mentor texts for writer's workshop that I made from the linky party here.  

Do you organize your mentor texts in a specific spot or leave them with the rest of your books?

Mini-Lesson Planning Forms to Share

I made these blank mini-lesson planning forms for my student teacher. There is one for reader's workshop and one for writer's workshop. My student teacher will be using these forms to record information about the lessons I teach and to help her plan her own lessons.

I use a similar form for my own planning. By the end of the year, I have a complete list of all the mini-lessons I taught and the mentor texts that I used with each lesson. Feel free to click on the picture to download them if you would like to use them.  They are not exactly fancy, but they help me stay organized.

Don't forget, I am having a sale at my Teachers Notebook shop this weekend. Everything in my shop is 10% off until Monday, 9/5. You can click on the image below if you'd like to visit my shop.

Happy Friday!

Just Right Books

Spending enough time practicing with "just right" books is closely related to the amount of progress students make. During the first two weeks of school, I start my reader's workshop lessons (and add my first strategies to the CAFE menu). Here are two of my favorite books to use during my mini-lessons about "just right" books.  Love Goldie Socks!  She tries really hard to find a book that is "not too easy, not too hard, but JUST RIGHT".  You can click on the image to check it out on Amazon.

I use this book during mini-lessons for two strategies. First, I use it during my mini-lessons about just right books.  The bears in this story are also in search of a "just right" book.  Again, you can click on the image below to check it out at Amazon.

Then after I finish my mini-lessons on just right books... I use this book again.  I reread it with the book below to introduce text-to-text connections. 

Later this week, I'll be hosting a linky party about helping struggling readers.  I'd love to hear about your ideas for helping struggling readers.  So organize your ideas and get ready to link up later this week!

Our CAFE Menu

I use lots of ideas in my classroom from The Daily Five and The Daily Cafe by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. We have a CAFE menu in our room. Strategies are added to the menu each week. We refer to the menu (and review strategies) daily. I also expect my students to be able to tell me which strategies they used from the menu when they read independently. I think this picture is from December. We've added lots of strategies since this photo.