Reading and writing have always been my favorites! At the end of a school day I feel most successful when we have had focused time in flexible guided reading groups, quality core reading experiences, and productive writing sessions. With five years as a first grade teacher and five years as a reading intervention teacher under my belt I came amply prepared to teach Kindergarten reading. I quickly developed a daily schedule that involved guided reading groups with my assistant, skills-specific reading groups with myself, and time for word work and/or independent reading for my students. When my students' needs necessitate it, I have also found a way to provide independent or small group literature groups for my well above average readers. I felt confident in my abilities to plan for reading instruction, but I wasn't always successful at the execution.
It was with great anticipation that I participated in a book study over Boushay and Moser's (or the 2 Sisters') The Daily Five this summer. As a result of my study this old dog learned some new tricks.
I LOVE the "3 Ways to Read" concept and designed a well-coordinated poster set for my classroom and taught the concepts within the first two days of school. For the first time I do NOT hear students say that they cannot read, because they understand there are different ways to read and they BELIEVE they CAN!
Additionally, I designed a PowerPoint to help my time management and organization. Each slide shows which students participate in which activity during every rotation. These slides are set to change with a chime after twelve minutes. Alternating slides provide time for transition between activities and change with a drum roll after one minute. Playing the PowerPoint on the Smart Board helps me stay on track with time without posting a timer by which students could be distracted. It has been a wonderful addition to our daily reader's workshop!
If you want to know more about
The Daily Five visit the 2 Sisters' website at
http://www.thedailycafe.com/.
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