Reader's Workshop

One of the parts of balanced literacy that I LOVE (besides Writer's Workshop) is Reader's Workshop. And, my students know that writing and reading are my favorite subjects to teach! 
This is the block of time where I can teach my first graders strategies to become fluent readers and deep thinkers. This is how I structure my Reader's Workshop
Mini-Lesson 10-15 min.
Independent Reading and Responding 30 min.
(Guided Reading during this time)
Buddy Reading 5 min.
Reading Rainbow 5 min.

I always use two things when I'm teaching a mini-lesson: A Great Mentor Text and a colorful Anchor Chart! I have created a packet of Reader's Workshop mini-lessons that include: Genres, Reading Strategies, Skills, Comprehension, Predicting, Inferencing and Synthesizing just to name a few. You can check out my Mini-Lessons with suggested genres here:
Are You A Bookworm? Reader's Workshop Mini-Lessons Grades 1-3

I use those colored chart paper tablets to keep my anchor charts in and I have a table of contents in the front so I can refer to the anchor chart lickety-split. Here are some of my favorite anchor charts that I've made: 

Author's Purpose

Cause and Effect

Making Inferences

When the students have independent reading time, I always ask them to use the strategy or skill that day in their schema notebook.  The students know which reading level they are on so that's the leveled tub of books to pick from. They cannot move to the next level until I test them. Here is a picture of my classroom library:

Leveled Tubs A-O


Here are some examples of my schema notebooks:

Author's Purpose

Text to World Connection

Text to Media Connection

If you notice, on the bottom of each picture, the students write a caption. I'm very big on captions and they write either "I drew... or I illustrated" depending on the time of year. 
I'm also really picky with their illustrations and handwriting. I want them to write with pencil first, and then outline with marker. For their picture, they have to outline with marker and color with crayon. I also want them to shade the background. At the beginning of the year I do a whole mini-lesson on how to color, use borders, shade and outline. This really pays off when you are asking them to illustrate and do a great job.
I have a peer facilitator who walks around during my guided reading time to answer questions. He/she wears a hat that I made that says: "Ask Me". They LOVE this job! And... I love it too because it frees me to really focus on my reading groups and not get interrupted. 





After my guided reading time is over, I walk around and give feedback to all my students about their schema notebook. If they are fast finishers, they know to read their browsing box, finish work, read poetry, or write in the diary.  This helps eliminate the question of "What do I do now?".

After this, we do buddy reading, and the students sit knee to knee with their partner and take turns reading their stories. I also have a question wheel that they use to ask each other questions.
Last, we sit for reading rainbow. This is where I choose a girl and a boy to advertise their book to the class and tell us about what they wrote in schema notebook that day. I have a class list that I refer to daily to see who has shared and who hasn't. The students also read questions from a poster asking about their books.
Reader's Workshop takes about 1 hour from beginning to end. I do it daily and my students LOVE it! They leave my classroom loving to read and show that they have the strategies and skills to become excellent readers for the future.
Love,
Kara 

Graphics Courtesy Of: 
Scrappin Doodles

                                Writer's Workshop: Just Write From the Heart

I truly believe in teaching Balanced Literacy. Within balanced literacy there is a framework that drives your teaching. This way of teaching has truly changed my students' way of thinking in helping them become more independent and self driven students. It is amazing to watch them blossom and mature through the year especially in writing and reading. I owe it all to balanced literacy. 
Within balanced literacy are these components:

                                                 Writer's Workshop
                                                  Reader's Workshop
                                                  Guided Reading
                                                  Focus Poetry
                                                  Word Work

I have created a packet of mini-lessons for writer's workshop for grades 1-3. This takes you from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. In this packet are min-lessons for: what do writers write, write from the heart, genres of writing, tiny moment stories, grammar, parts of speech, expanding sentences, and much much more. My students leave first grade LOVING to write. That's all that they want to do! It makes my heart swell every time they ask me, "Can we write all day?"
or "Can we continue writer's workshop during the summer?" I cannot tell you how excited and proud I am of my students when they leave my classroom. 

Here are some of my writing templates that I have created and use on a daily basis: 

Writing Process Steps

When my students start writer's workshop, I show them this poster. It goes through all the steps to publish a book. They each have a popcycle stick with their magic number on it. They know they cannot move their stick down to the next step until I ask them too. This helps them and me keep track of how they are progressing on their story. 

 Genres for Writer's Workshop
The students have this genre page inside their writing folder. Each time they start a new story, I encourage them to write a different genre. Sometimes students will publish 6 stories in one year! It depends on how fast they work. I color in the squares next to the genre to help me keep track of what they have written. 

Brainstorming Page 
Students have their own personal student dictionary in their writing folder. While they are filling out their brainstorming page, I encourage them to use their dictionary as much as possible. If the word isn't in their dictionary, they ask me to write it for them. 

These are the publishing templates that I use for the student's stories. After the student has published their book, they get to ring a bell and the whole class applauds for them. Then they get a golden sticker on the front of their cover. Last, they get to read their story to the class and the class gives them a compliment and a suggestion. The student gets to take their story home in a fancy writing folder to read to their parents and they can write them a compliment. The next day, the story comes back and gets displayed on our publishing wall. It really impacts the students to want to write. I hope this will inspire you to try writer's workshop in your classroom. 

These are the story pockets that I use to display the students stories. Everyone who comes in my classroom can see their published stories and it makes the students feel so proud.  Always remember to Write From Your Heart! 
If you would like to see more of my writer's workshop templates click here:
Just Write From Your Heart: Writer's Workshop Mini-Lessons


Love, Kara 



Graphics Courtesy of: 
Scrappin Doodles

  Fairy Tale Ball! 

Every May I have a Fairy Tale Ball in my classroom. Each student decides which fairy tale they want to take through the writing process and publish to read to the parents. They also get to dress up as a character in their story, whether it be Cinderella, Prince Charming, Puss in Boots, The Fairy Godmother or whatever. I try and encourage them to pick a character or costume that they have in their wardrobe at home so mom and dad do not have to go out and buy a new one!  At the Fairy Tale Ball, each student brings a special food that goes along with their Fairy Tale. For example if they are writing Snow White, then they would bring apple cookies, or apple slices. If they are writing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, then they would bring oatmeal cookies. If they are writing The Snow Queen, they can bring Iced Cookies. Get the idea? I also have one of my parents make us a 3-D Castle Cake to eat. 

Castle Cake for Fairy Tale Ball 

The students retell their fairy tale during writer's workshop and go through the whole writing process. This may seem like a complicated deal, but by now in May, the students know how to do each step of the writing process. They practically do it on their own! It's so magical to watch them go from Brainstorming all the way to Publishing in a matter of about 4 weeks. Here's a sneak peak at my fairy tale writing templates: 

Fairy Tale Cover Page

Fairy Tale Brainstorming Page

Fairy Tale Sequence of Events 

Fairy Tale First Draft 

Fairy Tale Student Conference

There are many more...
Proofreading
Teacher Conference
Editing and Revision
Final Draft
Title Page
Dedication Page
Author's Bio
Compliment Page
If you would like to see the whole Fairy Packet click here. 
Fairy Tale Writing Unit



Here are some pics from the students dressed up as their character: 

                                                                     
                                             Puss in Boots

                                         Hansel and Gretal

Peter Pan

                                             Cinderella

                                           Puss in Boots

                                       The Snow Queen

We had such a great time! After the students all read their fairy tales, the parents each wrote them a compliment at the back of their story. If they got to read their fairy tale 5 times, then they received 5 compliments! This will surely end your school year on a magical note so you can live Happily Ever After! 

Love,

Kara 

                      Graphics Courtesy of:

                            Scrappin Doodles