July Currently

Good Golly Miss Molly! Is it really July already?!?!

 My own kids just finished school on June 14. Michigan schools are not allowed to start until the Tuesday after Labor Day (state law to increase travel and tourism over Labor Day weekend). Our Target already has their back to school aisle set up. That's wrong. Just sayin'. I'm thinking about writing an email...maybe something like this?

 Dear Target,
I love you! I am faithful customer. However, I think you should let us have our summer. It's not time for school supplies in Michigan yet. How about a sale on cute glasses for frozen fruity drinks?
A Concerned Customer,
Kimberly

Ok...maybe not.

 Now, on to the good stuff. I look forward to Farley's (Oh' Boy 4th Grade) Currently linky each month! It's so much fun to read about what everyone is doing, right after I enjoy the hilarious post by Farley herself.

Here is what I'm doing currently.

Now head on over and check out Farley's post and the other links.

 

Don't forget... 

 

 

Classroom Newspaper Writing

My students write their own newspapers in the classroom! I love to read their newspapers! It's an easy way for me to learn about each student, keep in touch with how they are feeling and even stay informed about what is happening with their families.

 My students write their first few newspapers during our writer's workshop time. That allows me to do lots of modeling and helps to set the standard for my expectations. After those first few lessons, my little writers complete their newspapers at the writing center (during my literacy center/Daily 5/guided reading group time).

I polished up and posted a set of my classroom newspapers in my Tpt store and in my Teachers Notebook shop.

If you stop by to visit either my Tpt store or my Teachers Notebook shop, please consider following my store or making my shop one of your favorites if you haven't already. I appreciate your support for my shops!

I'm off to do a little more work on my extreme kitchen makeover. I am soooooo tired of painting and super excited about how things are turning out. My handy hubby rocks!

Simply a Sale

A simple post today. I'm having a sale at my Tpt store and my Teachers Notebook shop. You can click above or on the buttons in my sidebar if you'd like to look around. If you stop by to visit, please consider following my shop or making it one of your favorites if it's not already. Thank you for supporting my shops!

The Reading Fairy

I've been waiting to make this post...and I just can't wait any longer. My students get frequent visits from the Tooth Fairy and the Desk Fairy (Deskerina) throughout the year. At the end of each year, I have a Reading Celebration with my students. It is an opportunity for my students to sing a few songs, showcase some of their work and read to small groups of special visitors (parents, grandparents, siblings).

This year something incredibly exciting happened to me at our Reading Celebration! Right before my celebration started, my principal asked me if he could have a few minutes to speak during the celebration.  Since he is the boss, I decided that handing over the microphone was a good idea. He also said he wanted to give me something. Fishy. I agreed, but reminded him that it would be completely inappropriate to give me one of those pink slip things in front of all the students/guests. He laughed (thank goodness - oy me and my big mouth). 

The Reading Fairy (yep, the real one) visited my principal with a special delivery for ME! 

The delivery was a letter from the Reading Fairy, which my principal read in front of all of my students and the 74 visitors. My principal read the letter, while I cried.  I could barely concentrate on the oh so super nice words he was saying because the letter was covered in sparkly fairy dust (and I was crying).  My students stared at him as he read with big eyes and their mouths dropped open.   I'm pretty sure they were just as excited as me about the letter.  What other proof could we need that there are really fairies watching over us? 

When my principal finished reading the letter, he handed me a check (a BIG one) and the microphone.  I was just about speechless (and still crying) from the letter.  I honestly felt a little overwhelmed by the check at first.  My first thought was that the Reading Fairy must be the result of a group gift kind of collection, so I thanked the "Reading Fairy" at least 7 times and then just stood there crying with my hand on my heart before I handed the microphone back to my student presenters.  Such a thoughtful, generous, incredibly sweet, unforgettable surprise. Honestly, it was definitely one of the highlights of my teaching career. 

I walked around wondering who could be responsible for the lucky Reading Fairy visit (and begging my principal to tell me) for a few days.  But, he wouldn't budge.  He would only tell me that it was a special surprise from one of my current families.  I will always remember their kindness and how excited my students were to discovery yet another fairy. :) 

I've been waiting to make this post, until I had a chance to do some shopping.  The letter suggested that I should use the money to buy some books and supplies for my classroom.  Hmmmm...shopping and books...turns out the Reading Fairy is my kind of girl!

In the past two weeks, I started carefully selecting books for my classroom.  Some of the books I selected were mentor texts for reader's workshop, writer's workshop and math mini lessons.  I also bought some chapter books that I will use for read aloud time and a variety of leveled books to add to my community bins.  I also ordered several character education books and some books for the fairytale unit that I am working on.

My fairytale books and some of the character education books are still on the way.  And...I'm not finished shopping yet.  What an amazing surprise!  I am so grateful for this thoughtful gift.  For me, the Reading Fairy is another reminder that I should have faith (my olw).  Most families really do recognize and appreciate all that we do as teachers.

 

Daily 5 Book Study - Chapter 3

 Chapter 3 

What's The Difference? 

Key Materials, Concepts and Routines for Launching the Daily Five

 Establishing a Gathering Place
The gathering place in my room is called the meeting area.  I call it the meeting area starting on the very first day.  My class has rules for discussions in the meeting area. You can read a post about the rules for discussions in my room here.

I believe that teaching kids (and their parents) how to choose just right books is directly related to the amount of progress (and the rate of that progress) for our youngest readers. Last year, I did a post about my favorite books for the minilessons I do about just right books. The books I wrote about in my "Just Right Book" post are below. You can read that post here.  I also added Shoes for Me to my collection of mentor texts to use for teaching about just right books.

I also have a Literacy Information Night for the parents in my class about a month into the school year.  When I worked as the Literacy Intervention Specialist, all of the parents from my building were invited. Now that I'm back to my normal (1st grade - thank goodness!) teaching life, I just do the presentation for my own parents.  During my presentation, I share about the importance of choosing "just right" books and give parents resources for finding just right books for their child.  I also remind them (in my super friendly voice) how much it slows down progress when kids practice reading books that are way too difficult for them.  I encourage parents to read those more difficult books to their child and let their child practice books that are truly at their independent reading level (just right).


Short Intervals of Repeated Practice
I've done a lot of work with struggling readers during my career.  One of the most important things I've learned is how important it is to provide repetition, repetition, repetition.   One of the reasons I really liked the Daily Five right from the start is the fact that the Sisters stress the importance of repeated practice and modeling.  It's easy to rush through the teaching of routines, but it's always better to be slow, thorough and patient.  I'm good at being thorough and I think I do a good job modeling for the most part.  But, I'm definitely not slow or patient.

Figure 3 - 8  Ten Steps to Improve Muscle Memory
 This list is so important if you want the Daily 5 to be successful in your room.  I also used the same steps when I introduced my Math Stations (which I need to work on next year - oy - another post for another day).  I do these steps in the very beginning of the year to introduce the Daily Five.  Then I continue to use each step (with the exception of #5 - the incorrect model) for the rest of the year.  I just go through them quickly each day before my literacy center time.  The part that I'm sometimes tempted to skip, but that I think is the most beneficial, is the check in step.  I ALWAYS check in before my students start their next center/rotation.

Signals - In my classroom I use 2 signals.  I always use a set of bells to signal checking in time/changing center time during my literacy centers.  I also use the lights (like an old lady according to one of my volunteers).  My reasons for choosing those two is simple - one is auditory and one is visual.  I don't always use the lights with the bells.  But sometimes shutting down the light source is necessary for some of my dumplings.  In the summer I call those few students dumplings.  I think most of you call them "special friends" during the school year.  The picture below is the assortment of "signals" that I've used over the years. I used the green bells last year.  I get bored easily, so some years I switch the signal (but I always keep the same signal for the whole year - even though it feels poke my eyes out boring to do it that way). :)

 Book Bins
The confession of the day... I don't use book boxes for each student.  I trust (that's what they want me to do, right?) my students to visit the correct leveled bin and choose their own books from their "just right level" and put them back (nicely).  Last year, I wrote a post about how it works in my room.  You can find it here and see a picture of my community book bins.  The post shows one of my shelves full of community book bins.  I have two identical shelves full of those community book bins.  Each bins is leveled on the front.  I have a crazy amount of leveled books.  Some people collect gnomes (I think - ha) and I collect leveled books.  I love how it works for me and it gives my kids lots of choices.

Looking forward to chapter 4 - The Daily Five in Action!  I'm also working ahead on chapter 7, because I'm hosting that chapter.

Melissa from Mrs. Freshwater's Class and Jana from Reading and Thinking Out Loud are hosting  chapter 3 this week.  Please head over to her blog to read their fabulous posts and the other link ups for chapter 3.













 

Daily 5 Book Study Chapter 2

This chapter outlines that foundations of the Daily 5. Since I love lists, here is a list of the important foundational highlights.
 1. trust
2. choice
3. community
4. sense of urgency
5. stamina
6. stay out of the way

 I first tried the Daily 5 (straight up) a few years ago. I'm not sure why, but I felt a lot of pressure to make it work like the Sisters are able to magically make it work. Then I decided...yoohoo...hello Kimberly...what do the very best teachers you know do? Oh yeah, they take the best parts of things and make make them work in a way that fits each specific group of students. Now, I am happy to report that I still use the Daily Five (but I've Kimberlyized it to fit my students each year). I do love the Daily Five and recommend it to others whenever I'm asked for recommendations. At the same time, I think it is important to give yourself permission to be the expert on what works for your students in your own classroom.  

Trust
Hmmmm...not a strength of mine. I feel like I make a huge effort each year to encourage the children to trust me as their teacher. I really want my students to feel like they can take risks, make predictions, guess, try new things and explore. According to the sisters, "trusting children is the underpinning of what makes the Daily Five work". Let me just say...oy vey. Can I disagree with the sisters? Yes, I can. I disagree. There, I said it. I do believe that with enough time spent to put the Daily Five into motion, MOST children are able to work independently. Saying that I completely trust all of my students to work independently would not be honest. I'll talk more about that during Chapter 7 (which I'm hosting).  

Choice
Another confession...I do not let my students choose the order in which they'll participate in Daily 5 type activities. That is what the sisters recommend. I actually have 8 rotations each week, which we call Literacy Centers (5 of those are Daily 5 and then I have 3 other rotations each week). I introduce the Daily 5 components to literacy center time first. I do build choices into each center the students visit. For example, the students might listen to one story at Listening to Reading (but they may choose which way to respond to the story). 

Community
  I think building a sense of community among students in the classroom is extremely important. The sisters say they spend at least 20 days building community. I often feel pressured by the weight of the curriculum and do less community building than I should. I do a lot, but I'd like to do more. I made this planning sheet to help me keep track and stay organized in terms of community building next year.

 

  Several of the community building activities I do are in my Activity Pack for Back to School.

 

I will also be doing a linky party in July about books that teachers use to build community in their classrooms. Start thinking about your favorite community building books now, so you can link up in July or just stop back to visit to check out the list.  

Sense of Urgency
I love that developing a sense of urgency is such a big part of the Daily Five. Kids feel empowered when they know why they are doing something. As a result, they are more motivated learners.  

Stamina
My heart felt happy this year when my son, who is in Kindergarten, announced that his class was building stamina during read to self! I seriously had tears in my eyes at the dinner table. My husband gave me the "now what are you crying about look". My little guy is doing the Daily Five! I already loved his teacher (my daughter had her a couple years ago) and now I love her even more!

Stay Out of the Way
This part is easy for me when things are going well and hard for me when things are not going well. When I host chapter 7, I will share how I change things up when things are not going so well. It is a technique that allows me to still stay "out of the way", but helps keep the kids on track.

I'm linking this post to Nicole's post from Teaching With Style.  She is hosting this chapter of our Book Study.  I can't wait to read all of the other posts about Chapter 2!  Next week, please visit Mrs. Freshwater's Class and Thinking Out Loud for Chapter 3!

That's all folks...this girl is headin' out to get some exercise.

Michigan Blogger Meet Up

Michigan Teacher Bloggers...there is going to be a Michigan Teacher Blogger Meet Up this summer! A few weeks ago, a few of us started talkin' about how we would love to have a Michigan Teacher Blogger Meet Up. So, we (Maria from Be The Difference, Erin from Kleinspiration and little old me) picked a date and a place. Wow, that was easy.Here's the plan!

Mark your calendars!  Leave a comment or send me an email if you think you'll be able to come.  We hope to see you there!