A Character's Journey

In most stories your character takes some sort of journey.  It might be a literal journey or trip.  It might be a journey into new experiences, circumstances or feelings.  Help students take the journey with the characters they read about.  And as writers, invite students to take their readers on a journey!  The following idea was snagged from the Summer Writer's Institute at Teacher's College in New York.  I've used the example of Little Red Riding Hood, but you could apply this exercise to another story or demonstrate how a student might use this to assist with their own narrative writing.  Can you think of ways to use this?

Nonfiction Visuals

Chart Idea Inspired by The Comprehension Toolkit

Text Features

Nonfiction Readers

Student Nonfiction Features Journal

Journal Construction.

Hands-On and FUN!

Five Finger Rule

It is very important for students to learn how to choose their own books. As I've mentioned in a previous post, the best way for kids to raise their reading level is to read MORE on a level that is fairly EASY for them.  This would be their INDEPENDENT level.  The Five Finger Rule or Five Finger Test, is one of the easiest ways for kids to determine if a book they've selected, will be a match. If you haven't heard of the Five Finger Rule, I'll let the sample graphics that I've collected from the Internet explain it for you!

Find a Favorite.

Thanks to the following websites for the good ideas!!

http://krazyaboutkiddos.blogspot.com

www.oboyorganic.com

www.rivervaleschools.com

www.pabooklibraries.psu.edu

www.ayearofmanyfirsts.com

Writing Do's and Don'ts Flipbook

In Texas we took the 4th grade Writing STAAR test this week.
Teachers found a clever way to review with their students in the weeks leading up to the test.

Hints were cut and pasted inside. 

And the Don'ts...

Beginning Middle End

The ability to find the BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END of a story can help your students in more than one way. They can use it when SEQUENCING a story.  They can use it when writing a SUMMARY.  They can use it when RETELLING a story.  They can use it as a model when WRITING a story.  I'm sure there are more ways to use beginning, middle and end.  What do you think? 

Take a look at this fun visual for teaching it!

Can you tell these photos are authentic?  Complete with glue-smudged student desk!

Anchor Charts in Spanish

Anchor posters from a 1st grade bilingual classroom

Word Wall

Reading Logs (English and Spanish Samples)

Why reading logs? A reading log is simply a tool to keep track of student reading.  They can be used in a variety of ways. Students can keep track of reading they've done at home, at school, or both. A variety of information can be kept on the log. Logs can be as simple or comprehensive as preferred.

As I was gathering information about reading logs I noticed several online posts from those who disagree with the use of reading logs. The general feeling is that reading logs take the fun of reading away, or take too long, or they are just put in place to cause parents to sign one more piece of school work. The last thing we want to do is remove the joy of reading!!  Teaching the enjoyment of reading is job #1 ! Teachers must present the log and make use of it in such a way that it is not a chore, merely a tool. Keep it simple, and make it fun!

Here's how I think of reading logs.  I think they are primarily for the use of the STUDENT not the teacher.  I believe in student ownership of school performance and I see a log as a method for students to keep track of how much they are reading!  But that's not all.  Logs can help students track the variety of genres they are reading, the number of minutes read per day, their reading speed and more.  I compare it to a food journal used when I'm dieting.  I don't particulary LIKE to write down everything I eat in a day, but it DOES force me to FACE or admit to what I've actually consumed.  It can be quite enlightening!  I think the reading log can do the same for a young reader, especially if they are working toward a particular reading goal.

I've been in several classrooms that make great use of logs.  It takes students just a minute at the MOST to fill in their pages/minutes read.  It should not take a significant chunk of time to fill out.

Take a look and see if any of these work for you!

Sample of a 2nd Grade Log

Sample of another 2nd Grade Log

A Kinder Log Sample from Pinterest

A First Grade take-home log in Spanish

A 3rd Grade log in Spanish

The next three logs came from www.countryclipart.com

The first one is the simplest

This one asks for a bit more information

This log calls for more.  It might be most helpful in

the upper grades.

An alternative for upper grades might be items such as these, found

in a 5th grade Reader's Response log:

Just a simple spiral

Written Response By Student to Teacher (full page)

Steps of Reading Response

Very Authentic Reading Log  :)