BALANCED LITERACY IN FIRST GRADE!
I can’t believe this is year 30!
MY own twins were in first grade
My first year of teaching!
( NOT in my class…TG…)
Each year things CHANGE!
Literacy has changed!
It is SO very important!
CHANGE is NOT a BAD thing!
It can make you rethink, reevaluate, redo, remake, and revitalize!
After 30 years…I can HONESTLY say…
I will NOT throw out the BABY with the BATHWATER!
WHAT????
OK…We have a new curriculum. AGAIN!
EVERY 7 YEARS.
Whether you want it …or NOT!
And so, here we go again.
It really doesn’t matter what “program” you give me.
BALANCED Literacy
is
BALANCED Literacy
My “STRESS” level rises when I try to plan.
Reality check…
Some days I can…some days I can’t.
It’s ok.
Life won’t end if you don’t do it ALL!
BUT…
TRY!
Let’s start with :
#1.. READ ALOUDS for Literacy Mentor Texts
READ ALOUDS!
I start my day with READ ALOUD.
AND
I end my day with a READ ALOUD!
( I try to make ONE of those Read Alouds
a SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, or HOLIDAY story)
INTEGRATE whenever YOU can!
After EVERY story…We Discuss.
Characters.
Setting.
Problem.
Solution.
EVERY Read Aloud.
Discuss for 10 minutes …MAX!
Highly Effective!
When students THINK about a story,
“turn & talk”
about it,
use the “academic language”
from the story, they are engaged!
They might NOT take it on
for themselves the first time…
but…over time, they will!
This week I heard some “reading partners”
discussing our anthology
story.
I heard “MAIN CHARACTER”,
“Beginning, Middle, END”,
“How did they SOLVE that Problem?”
WOWZA!
Teacher Happy DANCE!
If you need suggestions for Read Alouds…
PINTEREST!
Next on my BALANCED LITERACY plan…
#2 INTERACTIVE WRITING
So, how? Where? WHEN?
I LOVE interactive writing!
Interactive Writing is when the KIDS do the writing.
We use chart paper. We discuss a story PLAN.
We start with MAIN IDEA. Then we add 3 detail ideas.
We add a conclusion.
VOILA! A class story!
They help each other spell.
We sound out words together.
We discuss grammar.
And we write..and read…
and edit..and rewrite!
What a wonderful cycle!
I am using my interactive writing skills to
incorporate our
#3 Word Work
NEW long vowel phonics concepts.
We made a chart.
Together we thought up words
that use our long vowel
word families.
We made a vocabulary box
on the chart
to remind us of words
we want to use in our story.
And…THEY WRITE!
Smelly markers are a must!
And we read…
This happens during our morning
meeting time.
We spend about 5-10 minutes writing
each day for 5 days.
Mondays..we begin a new story.
THEY LOVE THIS!
We started with Kate.
Long a with silent e.
Then Irene.
Long e with silent e.
Next week…
Long o with silent e.
Check out ..
Next we preview…
WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Stop on by and let us know,
HOW do you incorporate
Balanced Literacy into your day?
Wendy
