Literacy Centers
A literacy framework that instills behaviors of independence creating a classroom of highly engaged readers, writers, and learners!
10 Steps to Teaching Learning & Independence
Identify what is to be taught
Set a purpose and create a sense of urgency
Record desired behaviors on chart
Model most-desirable behaviors
Model least-desirable behaviors, then most-desirable behaviors
Place students around the room
Practice and build stamina
Stay out of the way
Use a quiet signal to bring students back to gathering place
Conduct a group check-in, ask "How did it go?"
Independent Reading & Literacy Centers - On Demand.mp4On-Demand Training
Read to Self
When students have the stamina to read on their own they are actively engaged in the reading process! Students need foundation lessons on how to choose books and where to sit. Students should be in charge of WHAT they read!
Did you know that independent reading is NOT for practicing reading? It is actually for creating lifelong readers who have the power of choice!
Listen to Reading
Not everyone does Listen to Reading or needs to. Listen to Reading benefits older students whose listening comprehension exceeds their reading level. Assign technician jobs to students to assist with technological difficulties as they arise and include troubleshooting ideas during Foundation Lessons to eliminate interruptions at Guided Reading.
Read to Someone
Partners read using different books following I Read, You Read & Checking for Understanding. Students CHOOSE their partner and the book they want to read.
Foundation Lessons include Sitting EEKK (Elbow, Elbow, Knee, Knee), Checking for Understanding, Coaching or Time, & How to Choose a Partner.
Work on Writing
Students CHOOSE which piece of writing to work on as a continuation from Writer's Workshop. Introduce work on writing after students demonstrate 12-14 minutes of stamina during Read to Self and Foundation Lessons have been taught including underlining words for spelling, setting up a notebook, and how to choose what to write about.
Word Work
Word Work provides essential practice time for students to experiment with patterns, play with word patterns, word families, prefixes, or suffixes using whiteboards, magnets, colored pencils, stamps, or markers! Words should come from guided reading lessons, phonics continuation, grade-level appropriate skills.
After 10 minutes, students can choose between work on writing or read-to-self.
