1. Ok, so one way that I could really tell that it was summer this week: I had plans every single night this week! Let me tell you, this NEVER happens during the school year mainly because I just love my couch too much after a long school day and don’t want to do anything besides workout and make dinner…so needless to say, plans during my school week, do not happen. But, because it’s summer, I’m happy to have plans each night of the week! I had good times all week long catching up with friends and family…I love summer! 🙂
2. My freebie for this week is a fun set of reading posters for your classroom. I am so excited about these posters because they are just daily reminders to my little friends that we are ‘learning to read’ and ‘reading to learn’ all at the same time! This is such an important piece of both Common Core and any daily classroom activity because we need to make sure all our little readers are understanding what they are learning and really thinking about what they are reading. Combining ‘learning to read’ and ‘reading to learn’ into my daily lessons is a major goal/must for me. While some of my activities concentrate more on ‘learning to read’ and others are more about ‘reading to learn’, I try to incorporate the two often.
I personally hang the ‘learning to read’ and ‘we are readers’ together with my reading fix up strategies posters (check # 3 for more on that!). Then I hang my ‘reading is thinking’ ‘we are thinkers’ and ‘reading to learn’ posters above our other reading strategy posters (visualizing, building vocabulary, questioning, etc.). You could also just hang all of these posters together on a reading themed bulletin board- the options are endless based on your classroom! I think these posters can work for any classroom, K-5, because really all those friends should be ‘reading to learn’ and still maybe ‘learning to read’ a little too. You can grab them by clicking the pic below or right here!
3. As a reading specialist, everyday I am teaching my little friends how to apply various fix up strategies to help them figure out how to read new, tricky words. We spend a whole lot of time on learning these fix up strategies and applying these strategies to words, sentences, books, etc. I decided to create my own fix up strategies pack and try it out with my students after Spring Break this year. I know, why would I begin a whole new fix up strategies plan in April?? Well, I did this because I found that my students and I were growing very tired of our old fix up strategies and we needed something fresh and exciting to get them to really understand these fix up strategies. And let me tell you, even in April, it worked! I finally saw my little friends applying the fix up strategies to the reading which made me SO happy! Basically, the pack includes posters, mini posters, and then differentiated pages for each fix up strategy and more. Here are a few pics from my little friends hard at work, learning and applying the fix up strategies.
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| My little friend moving her hand as she “slides” through the word! |
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| Identifying which fix up strategies her partner used while reading! |
If you are looking for some new ways to teach fix up strategies for your whole class or just your intervention groups/struggling readers, you can check out this pack by clicking the pic below or right here!
4. One other thing I am loving so far this summer is Instagram! It seriously is just so fun to see quick pics of what other people are up to whether they are still in school or enjoying summer as well. If you are not on there, trust me, you need to sign up for a free account and I’m sure you will enjoy it too! You can find me @learningtothecore- there are SO many fun teachers posting pics on there each day and it really is a fun way to get to know all those teachers a little better!
5. I love love love the Target Dollar Bin and of course I had to make a trip there on my first week of summer. My most favorite items from there so far are these little file organizers. How fun are the bright colors?? (To say I love bright fun colors is a total understatement- I just love bright, cheery things so very much- as you can tell from my reading posters freebie too!) I also already bought several of these exact same ones a week or two before school got out…haha…but I promise I use them all!
One of these days I’ll do a whole post on how I use them, but for now, let’s just say they help keep me super organized in my classroom and help me find my center cards and other materials very quickly as opposed to searching in every little corner of my classroom for my random materials.
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| These are my Phonemic Awareness organizers! |
Have a great day!
Aylin
15 Responses
I included instagram as one of my Five today, too! I just followed you 🙂 (Sounds kind of creepy doesn't it!) I'm your newest blog follower, too! I ended up here from the five for Friday link up!
Lisa
Always an Adventure in Kindergarten
I guess we are all hooked on Instagram! I mentioned it as we'll. I have been avoiding Target. I don't want to spend my summer allowance all in one place, lol!
Aloha,
Corinna
I can't wait to see how you use them! They are so bright and cheerful. I LOVE Instagram also!
I am hooked on Instagram also. I will find you! You can find me at @eshepherd.
Erica
Shepherd's Shining Stars
Super fun posters! They look cute!
(Is something wrong with me that I don't know what fix-up strategies are????)
I really like Instagram as well! It's another way to stay connected!
I use those coupon organizers for my centers and task cards too! It's such an easy way to stay organized!
Sounds like you had a fun start to your summer!
Amanda
Collaboration Cuties
Ditto on instagram. I'm not a facebook fan (gasp). So I actually feel pretty with it knowing about and using instagram.
Thanks for the poster set.
School Is a Happy Place
Oh no! You have given me another must have on my Target shopping list! LOL! I love the idea of using those organizers to hold center supplies!
Your We Are Readers and Reading Fixup Strategies look great! I agree, Instagram is fun!
Lori
Conversations in Literacy
Looks like you stay very organized! Love the reading posters; thank you!
Tamra and Sarah
First Grade Buddies
I'm so out of it! I've read som many posts tonight that mention Instagram. I better hop to! What a wonderful post, so informative.
Hi Kelly,
Trust me- its totally worth the trip to Target! Although, I'm not sure I've ever found a trip to Target not worth it…:)
Aylin
Hi Sandy,
You should definitely get on Instagram- it's just so fun! Find me when you join! 🙂
Aylin
Love the dollar section at Target!! 🙂 Instagram is my new addiction! 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend!!
I have yet to set up instagram but I am hoping to do so soon. I want to know about how you use those things though! You have me curious.
Misty
Think, Wonder, & Teach
Your reading posters are really cute- love your blog!
Laura
Read-Write-Create