June 20, 2023
Boho Minimalist Schedule Cards
It's summer which naturally it means I'm also doing the very thing I shouldn't....and that's thinking ahead to next year.
It's hard for me to sit still and not use this time to think about how I'd like to setup my classroom, add or change things up, or create some new resources. My time is so valuable - don't get me wrong, our family has PLENTY planned for July - but it's even more valuable during the school year when I don't have much of it to dedicate to these things. So, I personally enjoy using this slower-paced time in my life to reflect and gear up for the year ahead.
So, as I'm looking around teacher Instagrams I'm noticing this boho naturals trend and I have to say that I'm not mad at it. I love that classrooms are beginning to get away from a lot of those distracting and overwhelming classroom decor and somewhat getting student-centered again. However, I do find a lot that is more style than substance...at least for me and what I would like to do for my kinders. Thus, I set out to create my own resources and here I am sharing what all I've been up to.
Student-Centered
This is by-far the most important thing I keep in mind when setting up my classroom. My son, who has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), has taught me a lot over the years about overstimulation and how that may affect different kids. Overstimulation can trigger all sorts of behaviors in students and therefore I try to keep the sensory levels pretty minimal when it comes to how I decorate and organize my classroom. Calm students = focused, engaged, and happy learners!
Daily Schedule Cards
As you can see my schedule cards this year are going to be black and white with little pops of color. The clipart I've intentionally kept black and white as to pop a little bit but not be overwhelming to the eye. The other important thing I keep an eye out is the use of fonts in products. So many times do I see something I'd love to download from TpT, but the font is completely wrong for my students here in kindergarten. Often they're a funky script or even the all caps fonts can be challenging to read...so cute for us adults scrolling social media, but not very student-friendly. Especially students who are just learning to read and write.
In my own products I always keep to simple fonts that reinforce the types of letter formation that I am teaching my students and what I expect for them to reproduce for me in their own writing. It also makes it easy-to-read and the B&W clipart is simple and doesn't overwhelm the eyes. Who knew so much thought goes into something as simple as this!
June 8, 2023
Simplifying Science of Reading in Kindergarten
When I first started teaching in 2011 the district I worked for used Jan Richardson's text Next Steps in Guided Reading. It was like our Bible for small group reading instruction and for years I used that as a means to organize my groups and lessons. However, over the years and working in multiple counties, and even states, I've learned a number of things along the way that helped me simplify the daunting task of guided reading.
Guided Reading is a small group instructional practice where students are grouped based on need in their reading. It allows teachers to target specific learning goals and work with students towards mastery of those goals with a scaffolded instructional format. As a new teacher it seemed simple enough, but I remember feeling so overwhelmed since a lot of the planning had to be done by me...someone who didn't know much at the time about what guided reading should look like.
Now, ten years later, and most of which in kindergarten, I'm happy to be in a place where I feel like I can help other teachers out by simplifying what this small group time should look like in kindergarten.
Small Group Organization
Much like anything, the first step of guided reading is getting yourself organized. This means creating a space in your classroom where students meet with you and stocking that space with the items you'd need for your lessons. Keeping them within reach is vital to utilizing your small group time effectively.
In my own small group space I have:
- Stick-on Whiteboard Table Stickers (perfect for ready-to-use whiteboards that stick right to the table).
- A caddy filled with: whiteboard markers/erasers, pencils, scissors, glue sticks (having these tools on the ready allow students to not worry about bringing their own pencil boxes/supplies).
- Fun items: finger googly-eyes, festive fingers, etc. for making tracking fun
- Flashcards with ABCs, magnetic letters, sand boxes, etc.
Binders are also a great way to organize the lessons you'll teach - whether you purchase teacher-made resources for guided reading or are writing your own lesson plans with books provided by your school. Either way, binders are a great way to keep you organized all year long.
Assess Your Students
Before you meet with any groups you'll need to assess students and record their skill-sets. From these assessments you'll be able to find areas of need and group students by similar need. Formal assessments like the DRA or IRIs will give you a more informed understanding of your students' actual reading levels.
In kindergarten I always begin with students who are pre-readers and need help with letter identification and matching letters to their sound. That will be their first learning target in guided reading!
Planning Guided Reading Lessons
There are two things you can do when it comes to planning the lessons you'll teach:
- purchase pre-made lessons via teacher-authors on TpT and other marketplaces
- or write the plans yourself using a template and guided reading books provided by your school.
Both are great options!
Pre-Reader Lesson Plans
In kindergarten, many of my students are pre-readers at the beginning of the year. This means their learning targets in guided reading will be letter identification and matching letter sounds. For this, I've created a comprehensive level AA (pre-readers) resource with pre-made lesson plans! Yes! I walk you through each letter and sound step-by-step, which saves you a ton of time!
Each letter has its own scripted lesson plan and I've made sure to make it such a breeze to follow. It covers a variety of skills and keeps the lesson within a 10-15 minute timeframe - making it perfect for small group instruction. Each letter has a plan, printable letter cards with proper mouth formation, and a sound sort for students to complete. I also provide ABC charts and a guided writing template.
Emergent Readers (A-D) Lesson Plans
As students continue to grow in their letter ID/sounds they're ready for decodable readers! As your students move into this next stage of their reading I have a brand new resource for you!
As emergent readers your students are beginning to acquire reading skills such as tracking, decoding, and metacognitive skills like thinking about their reading (i.e. becoming aware of their mistakes and learning to self-correct or check the picture for understanding). This is such an exciting time in kindergarten and my next resources helps make planning for these levels so simple! Let's take a peek!
Lesson Plan Templates:
Each level from A-D I have simplified the lesson plan template to make it easy to follow along and target level-appropriate goals. I have outlined a quick warm-up, sight word review, and teaching points (which vary depending on level).
Simply select a decodable reader or guided reading leveled book and follow the step-by-step sections! That's truly it!
An easy warm-up for your emergent readers are segmenting and blending! This gives your students a chance to practice a key skill that they'll be using in their reading as they begin to decode.
Segmenting & Blending
I've included work mats for vowels: a, e, i, o , and u where students track each letter sound and using a dry erase marker write the letter. Then, they'll blend it altogether to say the word.
Reading Skill Posters
Lastly, I've included these easy-to-use posters where you can display in your reading area for daily practice. These skills will be the main skills students will be practicing all year long in their small groups and eventually on their own!
Happy Reading!
I hope you've found this to be a little helpful as you begin to plan your reading groups this upcoming school year in kindergarten (or even first grade!). I wish you the best of luck!!
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