Reading and Writing

Creating an environment that fosters the love of reading and writing is the goal of our entire day in the Diner.  It is essential to learn the skills and strategies in language, writing, and reading authentically and apply them.  I know this is an elementary classroom, but stay with me.  Imagine the power of simply loving to both read and write.  If we give children the tools to find success and confidence, they won't shy away from these pieces.  Yes, the goal is to develop lifelong learners.  Reading and writing are both valuable parts of my free time.  I want that for my entire class.

Throughout literacy time, mini-lessons are used to learn the craft of reading, writing, and language skills. This process does not involve worksheets your child will bring home but is incorporated into their authentic reading and writing daily.  

I am confident you are wondering exactly how that is done authentically.  The main difference between a worksheet and doing something authentic is the literature used.  Instead of using a piece of random writing a student needs to be invested in, I use something your child is reading or writing in class in addition to class novels, book clubs, and mentor texts.  For example, if we are learning about cause and effect, we know what these terms mean during mini-lessons and then find examples of cause and effect relationships in a book we read as a class or in small groups.  Then, as the week progresses, they will see examples of cause and effect in something they are writing and in a chapter book they are reading.  The whole goal is to take learning to the next level.

Vocabulary development is another important aspect of literacy. Learning how to make word connections is the heart of vocabulary building.  Again, this will be done authentically with words in the literature they read and write.  Class novels, book clubs, writing clubs, mentor texts, Muddy Boots writing journals, and Nonfiction Time will be used to craft lessons centered on vocabulary understanding and building.   

Reading Units of Study

Reading Units of Study by 9 Weeks:

• • • • • 1st 9 Weeks:   Building a Reading Life

        • 2nd 9 Weeks:  Reading to Learn

        • 3rd 9 Weeks:   Reading for Life

        • 4th 9 Weeks:   Literacy Studio

Students also "Read in the Wild."  The love of reading occurs when students read widely and choose their own path.  This time provides the practice field for this.  The goal is for every child to read chapter books.  The goal is to build a love of reading.  Yes, we will celebrate the chapter books read, but there is no longer a magic number.  The goal is to read and learn the value of the love of reading.  In class, we will read class novels and nonfiction with partners and then come together to discuss those books. We will then choose chapter books from the Diner Library, the BCE school library, and any public library to enjoy at home and during reading time at school.  Let's see where this year takes us.

Writing Units of Study

Students write throughout the day in the Diner.  We start by learning to write informational writings via nonfiction research with biographies and social studies.  The focus is on learning to research and synthesize nonfiction information. Then, the process of writing about this newfound knowledge follows. The ultimate goal is for the kids to understand nonfiction and create nonfiction writing in their world.

Then we move on to the art of writing and storytelling, which I love, so I bring that passion forward to the kids.  I use many hooks (props and treasures) to enhance their understanding of writing.  The goal is to learn and experiment with writing in some fashion each day during writing time.  We learn to write various genres, and students utilize a Writer's Notebook:  their Muddy Boots for rough draft writing and trying their hand at what they are learning.  The goal at all times is to become a writer who is comfortable with a variety of genres.  

• • • • • 1st 9 Weeks: Narrative Writing and Informational Nonfiction Writing (Biographies and Social Studies)

        • 2nd 9 Weeks:  Personal Passion Writing

        • 3rd 9 Weeks:  Opinion Writing

        • 4th 9 Weeks:  Literacy Studio: Hybrid Nonfiction Picture Book  (Combining Fiction and Nonfiction Writing)

FedEx Days and Pop-up Days

FedEx Days and Pop-up Days are extra special days in my classroom.  They are the days when we research a fun topic as a class and apply what we have learned in reading and writing.  

• FedEx Days are usually one to two days in length.  We researched the topic, and at the end of two days, just like FedEx, we finished a project to share our new information with the class.  

• Pop-up Days are similar but smaller. They might be only part of a day. These smaller topics often complement something else we are studying in one of our content areas.

Everyone loves learning about things we don't have a chance to cover in our content areas.  These days, we have the opportunity to hit the pause button and learn about those things. Second graders in a high-ability classroom are also motivated to enjoy research and share information with each other in a fun way.