I am so excited about the next chapter in this great book study! I can’t wait to implement the Daily 5 with my new group of kinders! But before I get to the good stuff…I am seriously freaking out that I have exactly 10 week days until our first in-service day. School starts August 1. And guess what folks, Mr. Smedley is so far behind, it’s not funny. GRRR! How does the idea of a Pinterest party sound? Everyone makes and brings a dish that they found on Pinterest and you bring supplies to make at least one of your Pinterest projects! Seriously, my house, August 11th! Who’s in?!
Alrighty…now to the Daily 5!
Listen To Reading
I have always found that my students love to listen to reading! I think this will be an easier part of the Daily 5 to implement because it’s something I already to in my classroom! I have 6 personal CD players that are each kept in a small crate that I purchased from the Dollar Tree (DUH!). Each crate holds the CD player and headphones with the CD already in it and the book. They CD players are stuck to the bottom of the crate with Velcro to help keep them from falling out or being taken out by tiny hands. Each crate is a different story that I try to tie to the theme of the week or the season or holiday. However, sometimes they’re just fun books. I also have a ton of books on CD and I always try to order the $20 book and CD set from Scholastic each month! Then I use my bonus points to get more books on CD.
The most difficult part of listen to reading is working the CD players. This is something I am going to work a lot more on this year. I am going to model how to push play and stop until my fingers bleed. I am also going to paint the play button green and the stop button red so hopefully that will help. And I am also “hiring” a CD player guru so no one will have to ask me. Now, if only I could get Duracell to donate some batteries! hmm
I don’t plan to use recording sheets. I personally feel that it’s ok if they’re just enjoying the story without any “work” to do later. However, I’m not opposed to something if I find something cool, hip and cute and mind blowing.
AHA MOMENTS!
I did have two aha moments reading this section of Chapter 5. I had never really thought to tie in listening skills with listen to reading. DUH, big red truck! It’s a perfect tie in and great way to work on those all important listening skills. The other was just talking about ways we listen each day as a great way to introduce listen to reading. If you click the freebies at the end of my very long winded blog, you’ll find labels for a “Ways We Listen Each Day” chart!
Read To Someone
I will be honest. This one makes me a bit nervous. I am hopeful that with lots of modeling and practice my kiddos will do well with this center. I agree with the Sisters that reading to someone is great at building confidence, fluency and makes for better readers. And, hey, it’s fun to read with your friends. I already use a variation of read to someone in my classroom already. One way is that we have a bazillion puppets and stuffed animals that the kids read to in the library. This is actually a literacy center in our room. You look back on the pink carpet and see kids reading to a monkey, an otter, a macaw, a skunk and all kinds of other creatures. I also am very very fortunate to have a therapy dog come visit my class every week. Bear The Reading Dog sits in the library with his owner and each child get to read 1 book to bear. They choose a book from their book bag and read to bear. Research shows that kids who read to dogs are more fluent readers and have higher reading levels becuase the dogs are non judgmental and the young reader’s confidence is boosted. I give Bear a lot of credit for my students being such amazing readers! If you want to see a news story about my class and Bear, click here!
As we introduce read to someone, I will introduce one way at a time and model and practice it until I feel my students are ready for the next step. We will start with EEKK! I will use model of correct and incorrect ways to do it, we will create anchor charts and we will PRACTICE! i will start with I Read, You Read so my students can practice taking turns, practice listening and help each other as they read. I have created a set of 12 beginning readers that will be perfect to use as we learn how to EEKK and I Read You Read!
AHA MOMENT!
My aha moment for this section was the research that says the loudest voice in the room dictates the noise level. Um, I have a big, loud mouth. I know this. And guess what I am going to work on? Yep. Being more soft spoken. I was so floored when I read this. Now I know why my classroom is so loud. It’s because my voice is setting the noise level. Huge learning day for Mr. Smedley!
As we have well established, I am a boy and boys do not do well in the handwriting department. So, to compensate for my shortcomings (of which there are MANY!) I am creating labels for my anchor charts. I have decided to do them all with the same alphabet from Lettering Delights so it will match my monster theme. I read a blog today (don’t remember which one, sorry!) but it talked about the anchor charts being the same color scheme and how it had a calming effect on the classroom. I am including these labels as freebies! Just click on the picture if you would like them!
Be sure to link with Mary and Marsha!
