Reading/Language Arts

In our classroom, we use the Daily 5 Structure for Balanced Literacy. During our distance learning days, we will continue the structure that the kids know. Students who cannot access Reading Wonders online should email me or call and I will get text books and materials to them. Each day, students work in 5 stations:

Read alone - sometimes I assign reading and sometimes their reading is self-selected,

Shared Read - students work with a partner to improve reading fluency, practice new vocab, and share leveled readers,

Word Study - we learn new spelling patterns, literary terms, Greek and Latin roots, suffixes and prefixes and play with words,

Work on Writing - students use a process for writing each week and do lots of free writing practice. We write persuasive, opinion, and informative pieces.

Listen to Reading - I will be reading six or more books aloud. When I read, we discuss all the comprehension and vocabulary strategies that we're learning in our weekly lessons. During our distance learning time, I encourage parents to read aloud with their kids.

The timing structure we use is similar to THIS. At the beginning of the year, the students learn my expectations for the work to be done in each station. Eventually, they will be offered the opportunity to make choices about partners and station order.

We use McGraw Hill's Wonders Reading materials along with other supplemental materials and self-selected reading.

Look below for the weekly strategies, readings, Spelling practice, and vocabulary. On our calendar (linked above), you can see which Unit and Week we're on. I teach many study skills during our Reading block. Students make vocabulary cards, write sentences and paragraphs, and work together to learn new words. We have whole group lessons and work in small groups and individually every single day. Our notebooks are chalk full of skills for improving comprehension, learning new vocabulary, and using a workable writing process. The students slowly work toward independence.

Students are assigned a Day #. On their day, they will record a video on SeeSaw. These will continue during our distance learning time.

During the 2013-14 school year, my Professional Learning Community read the book by Donalyn Miller called The Book Whisperer. We adopted this Reader Response approach. We see our students becoming wild readers. I have also studied the companion book, Reading in the Wild. Donalyn Miller knows a lot about reading! I like to think it has something to do with her last name. :)

You will find each week's lessons here: