Why flexible seating?
When I was in elementary school
( Way back in the DINOSAUR days )
1970’s
We sat in rows.
Many rows.
All of us looking straight ahead.
At the teacher, at all times!
No flexible seating, here.
We kept our hands & feet to ourselves.
We kept our books in our desks.
And we read QUIETLY to ourselves.
Shhh…whisper!
We read.
Some people enjoyed it.
Some people just pretended.
Most did what we were told.
We didn’t ask…WHY?
or
Is there ANOTHER WAY?
How to bring flexible seating options into my classroom?
Because at home…
I would lay on my bed and read for HOURS!
(picture by Dreamstime.com)
And that is how I LOVE TO READ!
I want my students to LOVE to read!
So I have “changed it up!”
I have added flexible seating options in my classroom for kids to
read in a comfortable, relaxed, enjoyable experience.
Every day after lunch my first graders do
READ TO SELF.
If you have not read the book
from “The 2 SISTERS” YOU NEED TO!
My first graders read to themselves.
Not to me,
Not to a partner,
JUST TO THEMSELVES!
Therefore…READ TO SELF!
I set the BIG TIMER!
I use THIS one.
We start the year at 6 minutes. Read.
We work on increasing our reading STAMINA.
Read longer.
Today, we are at 18 minutes!
18 minutes of uninterrupted reading of books
THEY choose!
BUT there is MORE!
They don’t sit in rows.
They don’t sit at their desk.
We have flexible seating choices for reading.
READING ROCKERS
TALL STOOLS
SHORT STOOLS
SHORT STOOLS at SHORT TABLES
CHAIRS by themselves
READING RUGS
CORNER NOOKS
FLAT OUT ON THE FLOOR
And when we are done?
Stools under the tables.
Rockers stacked in baskets.
Rugs in the tub.
And chairs stacked.
They MOAN when the timer goes off.
They ask during other times of the day
to Read in the Rockers.
THEY WANT TO READ!
I have taught them to LOVE to READ..
ANY HOW…ANY WHERE!
Flexible seating choices have made a HUGE difference
in the reading choices my students make.
They want harder books.
They want to read MORE!
It’s hard to walk into a first grade classroom
and hear…SILENCE.
But the “whispers” of reading are heard, daily!
UPDATE
More flexible seating CHOICES!
I won ..yes…won these
4 AMAZING Stools at our recent
NorCAL Teachers Meet UP
in Pleasanton, CA!
Check out the fun at:
I was the BIG..WINNER WINNER! 🙂
Yes…I won ALL 4
WHOOP! WHOOP!
And these Bad boys…
They are wooden rocking chairs,, and they SQUEAK!
I love to hear the squeak, squeak as they rock & READ!
Thank You Donor’s Choose!
My “flexible seating” is complete!
Now to “arrange” it into
WORKSTATIONS!
I absolutely LOVE IT!
( SO DO THE KIDDOS!)
Some of my “bloggy friends”
have also posted about
their experiences
with flexible seating.
Check them out.
If you want to learn MORE about reading
check out these blog posts:
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