Read and click on the linked Monthly Writing Prompt Menu Picture below to get my latest TPT creation for FREE!!! It's a flash freebie, so you never know how long it will be free before I remember to go back on TPT and slap a price on it.
I am starting to work on school "stuff" now that we are in mid-July. My school doesn't begin officially until the end of August, but after teaching summer school last week, I can't stop thinking about this upcoming school year. I just finished rereading Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Caulkins. It's a little dry for my taste, but filled with some excellent information about CCSS!
I am impatiently waiting these two books to arrive:
and
I love, love, love Daily 5 and CAFE-they are great approaches to literacy and classroom management backed by such great research and they make such sense. As one of the Daily 5 activities, my students work on writing daily (once routines are up and running). This past year, I created some writing prompt menus to help provide some support when they wrote independently. After teaching my students what they were, the importance of them, why we are using them, how to use them and modeled/practiced with them until I was using them in my sleep, these writing prompt menus were utilized by them daily.
This is how I used them:
1. I used gradual release of responsibility model to teach my students how to use them ("I Do", "We Do", "You Do").
2. I laminated a set of monthly writing prompt menus and placed them in the writing station. Later on in the year, I copied one for everyone, and they put them in their writing folders so they would always have one (didn't have to walk to get one if need be).
3. At the conclusion of each round of Daily 5, we'd have our check-in. Any student who worked on their writing lined up with their writing. As soon as one other student was ready to listen, the first author read what he/she wrote. The class gave immediate positive feedback, and I helped each student set goals for the next time they are working on writing. We didn't wait for everyone to get cleaned up before the sharing began. Wow...such motivation to get everyone cleaned up, though! No one wanted to miss this-it was really quite adorable.
Of course, you could use them in any way you want too :)! Now, go on and click below to go to my store and get this packet for FREE!
Now, onto other news...
My friend, Wendy, from Read With Me ABC just got to the 100 follower mark, and she is having an awesome giveaway. Just click on the image to check out her cute and informative blog and to enter this amazing giveaway. I'm giving away my Nonfiction Text Features Notebook.
I am also super excited to be nominated for the Leibster Blog Award by Jess and Kheila at Two Friends in First. I'm running out of time now...my kids are asking me to go to the pool. I will be back tomorrow with my Leibster info.
Wow! I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post! Time sure does fly.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my online Daily 5/CAFE class that was about to begin. The fourth week is about to begin, and it's going by so quickly. We just finished a study on The Daily Five book, and The CAFE Book will be the focus for the remaining weeks. I first got interested in The Daily Five when the book was first published (2006). It was during the summer, and I was starting to think about the next school year. Centers/stations (whatever you want to call them) always held value for me, but I could just never quite get them to work the way I envisioned them to. Well, after reading a little book blurb about The Daily Five, from an Amazon email of recommended books, I knew I had to get this book! I ordered it immediately, and when it came, I read it cover to cover in no time.
Throughout the years, I implemented The Daily 5 the way I thought it should be implemented. I even ran a book club on this book with colleagues. But, something just never clicked. It wasn't until the latest read through this book, along with numerous discussions and assignments for my current course, that I had the "Ah-ha" moment.
I finally relinquished control and gave my students choice over what Daily 5 tasks they wanted to do. Up until a few weeks ago, I still held control over what literacy task they did (and the order that they did them in). After reading current research that backs up the importance of student choice (within structure), I finally decided to give the choice over to my students. After explaining the new way of doing things, they were super excited.
Students look forward to doing their "dailies", they are much more motivated and they are tying their work to their individual reading/ writing goals. I believe this time is much more productive, as I can meet with a few reading groups a day and not be interrupted or have students off-task.
In the near future, I plan to post more of what I learn from this course, along with tips on how to implement both of these structures in any classroom.
It's that time again to do Farley's Currently for January. I love reading other people's "Currently" lists.
I just opened up my TPT store with a little freebie to use in a writing station. Since my goal is to simplify, I did just that with my writing station. I put away all of the little writing activities I had out because I was getting frustrated...frustrated that my kids weren't doing "real" writing. The only things I have out are their Writing Station Journals and the January Writing Prompt Menu I created (my freebie). I explained more about the menu in my store, on the 2nd page of the menu. My students' writing has much improved, and so has their motivation since they know they will have the opportunity to read their writing during our "check-ins"
Monday begins the Daily 5/CAFE grad class I am in. Some of you contacted me to find out how to get into the class/to find out more information. If you look at uiuonline.edu (University of Iowa), you should be able to find information. There will be a new session opening up soon. You can also go onto the Daily 5/CAFE site-that's where I first found out about it. And, the cost was so reasonable...$400-something!!! You can't beat that for a grad class!!! I am super excited.
If you do check out, and download, my freebie, please leave some feedback. I'd like to know if anyone used it/liked it.
