Book Talks
I would like to give my students time after read to self for
them to talk about the books they have read.
This can be done in a whole group, small groups, or with partners. I believe that by giving students time to
talk about the books they are reading, other students may become excited to
read that specific book. This will also
help to build comprehension as students are asking questions and sharing about
their books.
Read Alouds
Next year, I want to make sure to read aloud to my students
daily from a chapter book. I want to
choose books that will lead to class discussions. I know how important it is to read aloud to
students daily so I want to make sure that I am intentional about the books I
am choosing.
Model Reading
I model to my students what a good reader does, but next year I
would like to work on using more “think-alouds.” I want to make sure that I stop during read
alouds to share what I am thinking. This
will allow students to hear what I am thinking and demonstrate the process of
what readers do when they read.
Time to Write
Next year, I would like to incorporate more write to self
time. This is something that I do in my
class about 3-4 times a week, but next year I would like to incorporate this
daily into my classroom. Along with
giving students time to write to self, I would also like to include time for students
to share their writing with their peers.
Time to Read and Choice
Although this is something I do this year, I want to make sure
that I am giving my students enough time to just read. Not only do I want to make sure that I am
giving students enough time to read to self, but I also want to incorporate
more time for reading to someone. I also
want to offer more of a choice to my students about the books they want to
read. Currently, I tell my students
their reading level and offer choices from that level. Maybe next year, I can find a way to offer
more of a choice from a variety of levels.
Hi Lori,
ReplyDeleteI would also like provide more time for my kids to write to themselves. We do not have any set time for that this year. When you have your kids write, do they have a specific journal that they use? Do you respond to their writing? Do you use writing prompts? Lots of questions for you! Thanks for helping me out!
Hi Nikki,
DeleteWe also do not have a set time for write to self. I try to have my students do this as morning work. I write the journal prompt on the board and students respond to it in their journal. I also try to include write to self as a center as more of a free write time. All my students use a composition notebook that they decorate at the beginning of the year for their journal. It is fun to look back at their writing throughout the year. They can also go back throughout the year and add more to earlier writings if they choose. I do not respond to their writing, but try to have a few students read their journal aloud or share with a partner. This is something I would like to do more of next year. I hope this helps. :)
I agree that I want to look more closely at writing too. I don't have a set schedule but would love to have writer's workshop. I went to two spring conferences on writing and they inspired me so much! A big idea in the research is to give kids choice with writing and reading. As I look at my writing curriculum, I see how the majority of it is writing prompts. I'm excited to have them keep a writing journal with ideas and topics to write about. I'm curious as to what you do Lori with your kiddos? One thing that both presenters noted was that their lower kids tended to like and do better with a prompt while the higher students excelled when given the choice about what to write about.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing simple key ideas like sharing after read to self and getting me to think about more ways I too can offer choice with my reading books:)
Hello,
DeleteI would love to hear more about the writing conferences you attended. I give my students both choice and writing prompts. I have seen many ideas on Pinterest about having students create writing ideas/topics. This might be something I try next year. What is your plan with this for next year?
My students decorate a composition notebook at the beginning of the year. This allows them and me to look back at their writing throughout the year. I try to have my students write in their journal for morning work or center time. Next year, I would like to look at trying a writer's workshop. I am not sure how to implement this though. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks for your help!
Check, check, check I'm adding this to my "next year" list. Thanks for breaking it down to simply and clearly. My brain loves that. I also need to do more "write to self". I don't know why that is an area I neglect. Do you think it is just so hard to monitor and attend to during the day?
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
Hello Carolyn,
DeleteFor me, I think write to self is one of the first things to get cut when there is a time crunch. There is so much to do in a day. I have been trying to incorporate write to self as morning work so I can make sure to fit it in. What do you do for writing in your class?
Lori- I LOVE the idea of giving my students the time to talk after read to self time! I try almost daily to give my students the read to self time, but I think discussing their books afterwards with their peers is a fabulous idea. I want to incorporate that into my Daily 5 time next year. I agree with you that the children can share their love of a book and pass on the excitement to others. I always read a read aloud after lunch to my kids before rest time. I used to grab any book to read at this time. This year was different for me…I decided to choose my read aloud books with more intention. I even had the books to read listed in my planner. It felt good to be more organized and have true intention during this time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to write the books in your planner! I need to work on this!
Delete