Practice, Play and Read!

The Daily 5 is going so well in my class!  I'm loving the flexibility it gives me to work with individual students! I've started introducing lots of games and activities to my class that will help them learn their sight words!  These games and activities range from individual, group and partner play!  My students are asking to play these games and I love it!  They play which means they practice which means they are reading!!!!  They are once again the inspiration for another product.

I've included everything I use to run my Star Readers Program in this Practice, Play and Read Packet!

Each week I give my students 5 new words to work on at Word Work Tubs.  My kiddos add the 5 new words to their word rings, which stay in their reading baskets.

I simply cut off one column each week and the kids cut these apart, punch a hole (little fine motor workout :) ) and add them to the binder ring.

 During the week they will play Roll, Read and Write, several group and partner games, and at the end of the week, I'll assess them on the 5 words of the week.  After 4 lists, my kiddos will have practiced and played with 20 words! 

 After I assess them for fluency, they earn a star on one point of their Reading Star!  After filling up the Star, they move to the next 100 sight words and a second Reading Star.

I've used this method for several years now.  It is working!  I remember, years ago, I expected (the district/school expectations) my first graders to read the 1st 100 Dolch words by the end of First Grade! I've increased my expectations, and guess what?  The kids are meeting them!  Of course!  That's what children do, right?  They meet our expectations!  My students, varying classes over the past several years, are meeting my expectations and are reading 200 Dolch words by the end of First Grade.



If you want to have your students Practice, Play and Read, check it out here!

What are the expectations in your district? at your school? in your classroom?  

I'd love to read your comments!

I'm Back!

Wow!  It's been a while.  I looked at the date of my last post and can't believe it has been so long.

It has been a busy first few weeks of school for sure.  I have a very "lively" group this year with a few "special" kiddos that are going to need lots of my attention.  I'm also working with my teaching partners to fully implement the Daily 5 in our classrooms.

So far, we are LOVING the Daily 5!  We call it STAR time which goes with our yearlong theme, Reaching for the Stars.  Each point of the star is one of the Daily 5.  It actually works out well.  We are on Day 17 of implementing.  I am super excited about how well my kiddos are doing with it!  I love being able to pull kids one at a time or a few at a time to assess, read with, talk with, WHATEVER!  It's awesome.  I am also appreciating my time!  I don't feel like I have to teach the same lesson four times like I did before.  I teach mini-lessons to the whole class.  This way of teaching is SO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE!  I feel like I'm getting to know my students in a much more personal way!

I've been busy working on some Word Work activities for my students, too.  I'll share those with you as soon as there ready!  Have a great weekend!

Week 3 and the Daily 5

I'm looking at week 3 of the new school year and wow!  I'm exhausted already!  

Exhaustion doesn't have to be bad, right?

I've been working hard to get my students ready for the Daily 5.  My first grade team has decided to implement the Daily 5 with our group of firsties.  We have run "traditional" centers in the past, so this will be a change to our management and instruction.  We have all read the book by "the sisters" and have done lots of reading on the internet, but I still feel very overwhelmed by it all.  I re-read the book this weekend and realized that I am moving way to fast!

That is the biggest thing that seems to be stressed, is move slowly and make sure the kiddos have the routines.  I KNOW this, but every year I feel an urgency to TEACH and rush my kiddos through procedures and routines.

So, tomorrow is my 10th day of school and I'm putting on the brakes!  We will review "Read to Self" with some more attention to the anchor charts and modeling.  Then I might introduce "Read to Someone", but I may have to wait for Wednesday.

I have tried to implement the Daily 5 in the past, and gave up.  I really want to be successful this year.  I think it will be so good for my students and ME.

Any suggestions are welcome!  Please?!

Have a great week!