Making Connections (& A Freebie!)

Next week we are going to do a lesson on making connections.  We briefly talked about it at the beginning of the year when we started our Reader Response Journals, but I think we need a more in-depth lesson because I'm still not seeing the connections to text that I would like to see in their journals.  I found a great printable at Scholastic called "Read, Relate, Respond."  I thought to myself how great would that be if these were on sticky notes and I remembered one of my favorite bloggers, Kristen, at Ladybug's Teacher Files posted some time ago about printing on sticky notes.  I used her awesome template to create my own making connection sticky notes.  

(click image to download)

It will definitely not be fun to arrange and print 60 copies for each one of my students, but I think they turned out so well that I will!  Once they use the pre-printed sticky notes, hopefully that will get them in the habit of using them for making connections and they will create their own from now on.  Of course, they don't have to write on the sticky notes and just use them to mark the page where they made the specific connection.  (I'm thinking out loud right now....)


I also created a Making Connections thinking stems notes page for students to keep in their literacy binders.  I hope these stems will improve their journal writing.  

(click image to download)

Enjoy the freebies!  How do you teach students to make connections?

Word Work Activities

When I launched Word Work a few weeks ago, my wonderful coteacher encouraged me to only launch a few word work activities, so the students wouldn't feel so overwhelmed with the possibilities.  This was a great idea, especially since I have some inclusion students.  Right now all of my word work activities revolve around the students' spelling patterns.  As the year goes on, I will introduce some vocabulary activities as well.  Here is a word work poster that I created. This hangs above my word work materials.  

(Click to download)

One of the favorite activities is "Value Words."  I like this activity because it encourages some math work as well.  Students are to spell a word that fits their spelling pattern, then add up the value of the word.  To make it a game, it is directed to find the highest value word that fits their spelling pattern. You can download your own Value Words copy here.  


Words in the Read World is an activity where students find words or pictures that fit their spelling pattern in magazines. The stamps include letter stamps and bingo daubers.  Each week, students must also complete a given word sort that will fit their spelling pattern.  


I hope you can find some use for these activities!  Sorry again for the long absence.  I'm going to make it a priority to post at least once a week from now on!

Teaching Context Clues

Context clues are always so tough for me to teach!  Anyone else?  I have always been a reader and I think learning vocabulary has always been automatic for me, that sometimes I have a hard time slowing it down and teaching how to learn new vocabulary through context.  I also think using context clues are very tough for students to learn, which oftentimes make it difficult to teach as well.  Context clues are a HUGE part on the OAA.  I can't remember the exact number, but it is the second most frequently tested indicator in the fourth grade.  For all of these reasons, I'm getting a jump start on context clues this year!  

This year, I have decided to slow-it-down.  I'm going to break it down into at least four mini-lessons.  Each mini-lesson will focus on the different context clues strategies.  As each strategy is introduced, students will record notes on this sheet.  

Students will keep these notes in the "Notes" section of their Literacy Binders.  Each lesson will be taught on the Smart Board.  About three example sentences will be given, and students will first be shown, then guided on how to use each type of context clue.  Each mini-lesson is followed up with a quick assessment.  My co-teacher and I will use the assessments to determine who needs additional instruction and form strategy groups if needed.  My absolutely wonderful literacy coach (who I talk about often on here!) has also volunteered to help plan additional instruction/enrichment if needed.  I'm really hopeful that teaching context clues in this manner will help my students understand it better.  

What strategies or fool-proof lesson plans do you use to teach context clues?  

My Apologies and an Update!

My apologies to all my faithful readers and followers.  I know I have let you all down with my lack of posting.  I've really have missed blogging (and reading...I'm behind 200 posts on my google reader) and a little bit of me hopes you've missed me too!  I never imagined how busy I would be now that school is back in session.  My faithful followers know that I am my building's new technology coordinator.  When I applied for this position back in May, I honestly had no idea what I was in for.  If I was just dealing with computer, printer, and Smart Board problems I would be ok.  No, I had to take the position right before a major district-wide launch of ProgressBook.  So on top of the computer, printer, and Smart Board problems, I'm working with teachers on ProgressBook and the ridiculous roster issues we're having!  All of this on my free time.  Um...what is that anyways?!  And, did I mention I'm on the district Reading committee?  This committee is making the selection for our district wide reading curriculum, and I feel VERY strongly about this so I'm not going to complain about the 8 days I will be out of the classroom over the next two months while this committee meets.  Did I mention 8 days?  And two days in a row next week?  Nope, you hear no complaining here.  

By the way, did I mention I'm also a teacher?  Wait.  No, my first priority is being a teacher.   I'm so happy that I have such a wonderful class this year!  We are going into our fourth week of school already.  I cannot believe it!  Our Daily 5 & CAFE is well under way and we are launching our new Word Study program and Word Work this week.  The fifth grade teachers are joining us in the Word Study program and we decided to take some time to really get everything together before launching.  Plus, it takes quite a bit of time to get the students assessed.  Our FAB-U-LOUS Literacy Coach is also helping, and we are all so excited to see the progress the students will make this year in spelling.  

I hope you accept my long-winded apology and will stick with me throughout this madness I call the 2011-2012 school year!  I promise there will be many more classroom ideas and freebies to come!

A Letter From A Student

Because we had some scheduling issues during this first week of school, I ended up with a lot more time in my afternoon class than my morning.  Not wanting to get one class ahead of the other, I decided to have my afternoon class write me letters about the first three days of school.  I wanted them to tell me what they liked and didn't like, and what they would change, if anything.  I got the usual letters:  "I love everything!" and "I would ask for more recess!" and "I would have no homework."  (Which, by the way, they haven't had any!)  But I also got this letter.  I thought all you Daily 5/CAFE and Book Whisperer believers would appreciate it.  


Dear Mrs. Owens, 


You really have changed my mind a lot about reading.  I used to not like to read but now I love to read and I hope that does not change ever.  Thank you for being my reading teacher.  I love when we get to read to self and I do thank you.  You are a good 4th grade teacher!!


How absolutely sweet is that?  The first three days of school!  This student, by the way, has already read two chapter books this week.  I am just so thrilled with how this school year has started.  I am LOVING teaching reading this year.  Without the interruptions of AR and Study Island, I have never had so much time before!  And my students are reading-A LOT!  If you didn't do The Book Whisperer read along this summer, I highly suggest you check it out!  It really will revitalize the way you think about teaching reading!  

Book Talk Thursday!

This is another new-to-me book, but I'm sure not new to some of you.  My friend/co-worker brought And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss into me this morning when she saw that I was going to be launching Work on Writing today for Daily 5.  Always looking for a new read aloud, I peeked at it and used it immediately!  This is a book about a boy whose father always asks him what he saw on his way to and from school.  The boy is quite the storyteller, who comes up with some outlandish tales.  The boy was determined to find something true to tell his father about, but just couldn't help letting his imagination run away from him.  What he really saw on Mulberry Street was a horse pulling a wagon, which he thought was too boring.  He changed it to a zebra pulling a wagon.  Then the wagon becomes a chariot.  Throughout the story, the boy changes the story of what he saw in order to make his story more interesting.  This is a great book for introducing Work on Writing, or when discussing the ideas trait.  It can also be used when you're teaching how to add more descriptive details to stories.  I hope that some of you are able to use this book in your classrooms as well!

First Day Success!

As I walked down the hall after lunch duty today, I overheard a first grade teacher saying, "I hate the first day of school!"  No doubt, first grade is definitely harder than fourth.  By the time I get them, they already know the rules and how to walk in the hall (they just forget after the second week...)  But, I honestly had the best first day of school that I can recall!  I have one of the brightest (if not THE brightest) class I've ever had.  If you're a frequent reader, then you know that I am teaching reading & writing all day this year to two classes. By the end of the day, I had seen both classes, gone over procedures, did our getting-to-know-you activities, and -I kid you not- my students were asking, "Can we read now?"  


O-M-G!  


Some facts about this group of kids, and you can make a judgment about whether or not things are correlated:  
1.  This class was our district's first group of all-day kindergarteners.  
2.  Last year, our entire building taught Daily 5/CAFE.  
3.  All but one of my students attended our school last year.  


I am just so excited about where things are going to head this year!  My hubby reminded me tonight when we were talking that I say this every year, but I am not only saying it, I am feeling it this year!  


And in case you are wondering, I did allow my students to pick out books and read, even though we ran out of time to talk about good-fit books and the 5-finger rule.  That will come tomorrow, along with the official launch of Daily 5.