There’s so much uncertainty about the upcoming fall. Will most be kids in the classroom, or at home? What will classrooms look like? How will we keep kids and teachers safe? All of this makes the already hectic back-to-school rush even more difficult. For my part, I’ve been updating TpT resources so they can be used in the classroom or at home. My main goal (and hope!) is to provide digital resources that structure meaningful reading in the classroom and at home. As I update products I’ll include them here on this running list. The resource fall into these categories: Reading Workshop Routines Reading Instruction/Genre Study Repeated Practice/Test Prep Social…
-
-
How Genre Study Saved My Reading Workshop from “Grab Bag” Teaching
During my first year of teaching I had one crowning achievement—my students read independently each day and responded to a reading prompt while I led guided reading groups. This sounds simple, but it was a huge feat for me. I remember the first time I looked up from a guided reading group to see all my students reading—really, really reading. Like chuckling along with Diary of a Wimpy Kid, eyes wide over The Westing Game reading. It was a good moment. But once our workshop routines were established I felt a bit…lost. I’d been so focused on establishing routines during the first 20 days that when day 21 rolled around…
-
Use This Hand Drawn Chart to Make Distance Learning Easier
In elementary school, the first six weeks of school are all about building routines. In reading class, this means teaching students to read a book each day, for a sustained period of time. Over the last couple months, all of our routines have been upended. Students have lost the reliable reading routines their teachers worked hard to build, and parents have seen their own routines turned upside down. How can parents manage their child’s schooling while juggling everything else? Here’s a teacher trick… The “I Can” chart. An “I Can” chart lists things students CAN DO during a given part of the day. Kids respond well to positive commands (“read…
-
Reading In Quarantine- Free Resources for Students & Parents
Wow, what a month it’s been. Whether you’re a teacher or parent, you’re likely trying to wrap your head around distance learning (among other things). One difficult thing about distance learning is that some classroom routines aren’t easily replicated at home. Reading instruction is going to look different for a while—-parents won’t be able to provide what a teacher, curriculum, classroom community, and other helpers provided on a daily basis at school. BUT, there’s some good news. A daily reading practice is the cornerstone of a thriving reading workshop, and parents can definitely help their kids read at home. There’s no need to overcomplicate things—any reading is better than no…
