Reading Wands

The Teach Like a Pirate prop hook was a success again! I bought some glitter-covered leaves and pumpkins stuck on bamboo rods at Dollar Tree and I told the students they were reading wands. Yes, reading wands!

I used the wands during a Reading Workshop focus lesson. Students brought their Literacy Notebooks to the Meeting Area. They had four sticky notes prepared with the labels Tricky Words, Real Life, I Wonder, and Favorite Part. We had been practicing these types of jottings throughout the week.

 

As I shared a chapter from our read aloud novel, students would tap their reading wands onto the sticky note that matched their thinking. Students loved this because they were able to jot in their heads without writing a single word!

 

After the lesson, students used this same set of sticky notes to write their jottings during Independent Reading.

 

 

 

Just placing a simple prop in their hands motivated my students to improve their thinking and kept their minds and bodies engaged during reading. The lesson was taught over a week ago, but the students still use the reading wands every day. I guess I will need to look for new ones as the months and seasons change!

 

 

Know Your Students, Know Your Books

I scored a tremendous treasure at the used book store, The Last Word. I bought 68 books for my classroom library and paid $100.  I added up the original publisher's price and the books would've cost $478! So I am going to celebrate this incredible deal with you by explaining why I bought these specific books.

Teachers not only match their students to books using reading levels, we match them up by interest. My students love the funny Dan Gutman series, My Weird School.

I found 12 of them for only $1 each!

I was excited to find a book to use for teaching. I am familiar with Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, but I did not know that the author, Eleanor Coerr, had written a picture version of the story for younger readers. I look forward to developing a lesson incorporating these two books.

I bought this book because it was a lower level historical fiction book. These can be hard to find.

I have a few students in my class who have low self-esteem. They realize their reading levels are low and are sometimes embarrassed by it. I chose this book because it is about a boy who always strikes out in baseball and how he overcomes his embarrassment. I think books are a great way for students to connect with characters who have similar problems or obstacles.

I bought 10 of these books this summer and I was stoked to find they had 6 more in stock!

I have a VERY talkative class this year, so this book was an obvious choice!

This series is written by the same author as The Bailey School Kids. My students like the Goosebumps books in our classroom library, but those books have too high of a level for some of my readers. These ghostly books are a lower level and less scary (in my opinion).

Girls and science...

There are lots of football and baseball books in my classroom library, but the boys said they would like to read more basketball books.

I love this graphic novel series. I mentioned it in class one day and my students never heard of Babymouse...no excuse now!

A book about the Titanic AND a dog?! Perfect for my third graders. These two topics were at the top of several interest lists.

I was reorganizing the classroom library this year and I noticed that I was on the weak side of literature with male lead characters. I picked up these 3 books because they looked fun and exciting for boys.

More books for my boys.

Yes, I know there are girls that may enjoy reading them, too. 

More male lead characters. The Hank Zipzer books are written by Henry Winkler.

Dogs, penguins, and sharks are the top animals my students enjoy reading about. They were also yelling Marco Polo on the swings during recess the other day, so that was a bonus interest match.

I can never resist legends from other cultures. I found a Cuban, a Japanese, and two Native American books.

This book is stunning. I have never heard of it before, but now I cannot wait to use it in a lesson. It will be perfect for a genre discussion because students might think it is nonfiction, or realistic fiction, or even poetry. This book will be great to launch a genre discussion. The vocabulary is high level and colorful, so it can also be used in a writing lesson.

My current copy of this book is torn and taped. I HAD to buy a new one.

Who can resist Seymour Simon?

The Usborne Discovery books all contain internet links throughout the text so that students can do further research. I think this book will be a useful addition to our classroom since students can now bring their own technology devices to school. 

Fractured fairy tales are always a hit!

I have never read this historical fiction tale.

I consider this book to fall into the category of complex text due to the author's style of writing and organization. It also has some serious themes in it. I plan on using it for a lesson on point of view.

Reading is a Picnic

Dollar Tree inspires another original center! I was buying paper plates for a party when I saw some plates that were designed with red and white checks...like a picnic blanket. I bought them, put them in a basket with a tablecloth, and added some books.  I switch out the books in the basket to reflect what subjects we are studying in literacy and Social Studies.  I use fiction books for this center.

Students select a book to read from the basket. After reading the book, they select three plates and answer the question found on each plate. On the record sheet, students write the number found on the backs of the plates. Depending on the students that are assigned to this center, I let them know if I want the answers written out or if they can discuss the answers orally.  I make this decision based on the student's ability level.

Here are the questions/activities that are written on the plates:

• Would you want to be friends with the main character? Why or why not?
• What part of the story did you like the most? Why?
• How would this story be different if it happened in winter?
• Pretend that after the story is over the characters go to sleep. What happens when they wake up the next day?
• Add a new character to the story. What is his/her name? How will the story change?
• Describe the main idea in 20 words or less.
• What could be a new title for this book?
• What is one event you would change in this story? How would you change it?
• Would you want the main character in this story to be in your family? Why or why not?
• Which character do you think you are most like? Why?
• Write a new ending to this story.
• How would this story be different if it happened at the beach?

Reading at the Circus

This is an original center idea I came up with during a walk around Dollar Tree. I noticed someone in front of me buying clown noses, a huge tie, fancy gloves, and popcorn containers.  She also had circus invitations. As I stood there the idea for this center was created.

Students put on the clown gloves and glasses. They read a book of their choice. Then they complete an activity found on one of the popcorn bags.  They put the completed activity inside the popcorn bag. Finally they record which activity they did on the record sheet.

These are the activities I have listed on the popcorn bags.

• Create a Double Bubble Map comparing and contrasting yourself to a character in the book
• Write a poem or song about this book
• What do you think the character in this book likes to eat? Make a grocery list for the character.
• Draw a new cover for this book
• Create a Bubble Map describing one of the characters in the book
• Write four multiple choice questions about this book
• Design a Pokemon card using a character from the book
• Create a Circle Map showing important ideas from the book
• Create a Flow Map showing important events in the story
• Draw a picture of what you think the character's bedroom looks like
• Draw a comic strip of one of the events in the book
• Design a poster to make people want to read this book
• Draw a picture of the character as if they were 100 years old
• Make a list of five words in the book that you plan to use when writing or talkin this week
• Make a wanted poster of one of the characters
• Make a list of jobs you think the character would be good at
• Write a recipe for the main character's favorite food
• Draw a map of the story's setting
• Design a bookmark that shows the most important ideas in the book

Read Around the Room

This is another common, simple center that many teachers use.  It is useful for students that need environmental print practice, students who need to revisit words they have already learned, and it is an easy way to get unmotivated students up and out of their seats.  I like to use paint sample cards (because they are colorful) and write a special message on it.  Then I hide it somewhere in the room. Students who discover it while they are reading around the room will get a special suprise.  I don't ever tell the students I hid the card...I just let them discover it!

Students select a pointer from the container. Be creative with your pointers--wands, pinwheels, fancy rulers, Dollar Tree has very cool oversized ojects that work well! Then they take a walk around the room and point out important words as they go. They can practice reading the Word Wall. They practice reading the Social Studies vocabulary Word Wall. Students can enjoy reading their classmate's work that is hanging up. They record what they read on the record sheet.

Dinner Time!

This is an original center activity that I came up with during one of my walks through Dollar Tree. Someone left a pile of paper plates and plastic spoons on the floor in the middle of the aisle. I picked them up to put back on the shelf and this center idea sparked in my head.

Each plate contains a sentence with a missing word or phrase.  Students find a utensil that has a missing word or phrase to complete the sentence.  They put the utensil on the plate.  I use sentences that focus on new vocabulary being learned during Social Studies.  With each new chapter we read in Social Studies, I add in the new vocabulary to the center.  The center contains all of the words for the year so that students can have a spiral review.  I store the plates and utensils in a drying rack so the materials are easy to carry.

Shopping Center

When I share my centers with my teammates, they usually ask me, "how do you come up with your ideas? Where do you get the stuff for your centers?"  I do not use premade, commercial centers such as file folder games.  I think that children respond better to authentic and orginal activities.  The list for where I get my inspiration is long and varied:

• my mom--she has a way of finding the neatest things that I can put to use in my classroom. I love when she calls me and tells me she is sending me something that she thinks I can probably use.  Then she usually calls a couple weeks later to ask me what I used it for!
• yard sales and flea markets--an object will just catch my eye and I figure out a way to use it.
• Dollar Tree--this store is like a treasure hunt for me! I walk through every aisle and look at everything they have, but in the back of mind I am thinking about what kind of reading or writing activity I can do with it.
• Target--see Dollar Tree, but only when I have a gift card (or my mom is buying)!
• Walmart--especially look in the party supplies section.
• Lowes and Home Depot--grab paint sample cards! Walmart also has them. Get the strips with different color shades and also the solid ones.
• retiring teachers--they love to get rid of their junk.
• gallery walks---when I have to go to other schools for workshops I always write down centers that I see set up in other teachers' classrooms
• blogs--other teachers are so creative and we all love to share
• You Tube--this is a great place to see centers in action
• Pinterest--if you are not on this website, then wait until the weekend to check it out...you won't want to get off!