Tag Archives: Reading

Book Clubs Reading Groups

BOOK CLUBS

We have grouped our BOOK CLUB kids into groups of six.

Each has the same book.

They have worked with the packet with me first during guided reading.
Model, model, model.

Then …

RELEASE THE KRACKEN!

I mean …release the firsties!

Book Clubs work as a team
to help each other read the story,

have a “LITERATURE” discussion ( the hard part),

and then they complete the packet TOGETHER.

Do they copy…yeah ( get over it) .

They ARE Learning from each other.

I have heard the BEST discussions ever
( and I wasn’t involved in it!).

They really CAN do it.

They enjoy the new packet.

I give them a “reward certificate”
&
LUNCH with the teacher
when the TEAM completes their packets
AND
give a
GROUP ORAL REPORT
on their book!

They want MORE!
( I try to switch the Book CLub groups , depending on the book level).

It takes them about 1-2 weeks to complete it.

We have a “core” reading series
we HAVE TO DO are highly, most decidedly will, are

encouraged to do, first.

SO… Book Club is their UA (small group) time.

So here it is! Check it out! Good for ANY story or book.

BOOK CLUB

“Book Club” Book Reports

Tips & Tricks

When students are independent readers, begin BOOK CLUBS
Hold students accountable
“Chunk” their work time ( I have them work for 15-20 minutes)
If needed…choose a LEADER to begin the discussions.
All club members need the same book.
Have booklets ready ahead of time. When they finish one…start another!

Check out these resources to help with reading & writing in YOUR classroom! 🙂

If you like it..PIN IT! 🙂

Book Clubs for Reading Comprehension!

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In a Balanced Literacy Classroom, the Guided Reading table is THE COMMAND Center.

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What is YOUR favorite time of the day?

Before lunch?

Recess?

Mine is…

GUIDED READING!

The MAGIC happens at the Guided Reading Table

In a BALANCED LITERACY classroom,

this is the place where “MAGIC” happens!

The “AHA!”..the lightbulb…whatever you want to call it.

Last year I got rid of my

TEACHER DESK.

This is my

Guided Reading

CENTRAL COMMAND.

Guided Reading Table

Then I added stools from IKEA.

My kiddos LOVE IT!

I use flexible seating stools at the guided reading table.

The central area of any Balanced Literacy classroom…the guided reading table!

My next favorite

Guided Reading”accessory”

from by

BFF…

AMAZON!

Brewster Wall Pops

WPE99065 Peel & Stick Calypso Dry-Erase Dots

with Marker

Vinyl clings make seating areas The guided reading table where I do small group reading as part of balanced literacy.

Dry erase dots!

I put BIG teal dots on my table!

We write on our dry erase dots during guided reading,

My kids write on them!

Vinyl clings make seating areas where I do small group reading as part of balanced literacy.

Using dry erase dots on our guided reading table for word work, comprehension, and vocabulary.

After we read… then

we write questions on them

and then change seats to answer them!

Musical Chairs!

Students are highly engaged during guided reading.

They LOVE it!

Write & WIPE!

The BEST!

I use my

BALANCED LITERACY BINDER

for Guided Reading Resources.

ALL of the elements needed for a Balanced Literacy classroom in one resource.

Balanced Literacy Resource Binder. ALL of YOUR Guided Reading resources in ONE BINDER

The components of Balanced Literacy.

I use it

to assess kids reading levels,

to group them with like skills,

and to teach them AT THEIR LEVEL.

Guided Reading 101

Now a couple of things I have learned “on the way”…

The reading strategy element needed for a Balanced Literacy classroom.

Teaching reading strategies is vital to a Balanced Literacy reading program.

1. Guided Reading is NOT independent reading time!

They read to themselves (READ TO SELF) at a different time of the day.. we do it after lunch.

2. Guided Reading is NOT a time for a LONG teacher LESSON!

I only have them for 15-20 min.

Always give them a skill or strategy they can use NOW!

Your goal is to create INDEPENDENT READERS… do not enable them to wait for YOU to do the reading.

3. You DO NOT have to read a BOOK every day!

This is not the time for HOW MANY BOOKS have you read?

My lowest reading group needs PHONEMIC AWARENESS. If you don’t know your letter sounds…it’s really HARD to read.

My “bubble” kids ( those that have some skills, but need support and practice to move over the “BUBBLE” into INDEPENDENT READERS) need phonics support to be able to solve reading problems, independently!

So Guided reading should be called

GUIDED LITERACY

Meet them at their level.

Give them a “take away” that they can use TODAY.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I also use FRIDAYS for assessments ONLY.

NO GROUPS!

Student assessment recording sheet needed for a Balanced Literacy classroom.

Assessment drives the guided reading groups.

Teacher “HOW TO” pages for guided reading assessment.

Assessing skills for guided reading groups.

I do one-to-one RUNNING RECORDS.

I do fluency assessments.

I do letter, spelling, word family, & phonics assessments.

BUT…

Don’t “DAWDLE”…

Turtle and rabbit running FAST!

Make it quick. Not a “story” time.

Try to get the most BANG for your buck.

Suggestion:

Start with your middle groups.

The “BUBBLE” kids.

They will be moving the fastest.

Next.

Alternate assessments between your highs & lows.

Your highs probably will make continued growth with “less” support…they came in with strong foundations or they wouldn’t be HIGH!

Don’t forget about them. Keep them connected with BOOK CLUBS, Writing, and LOTS of COMPREHENSION.

My low babies. You can’t practice TOO MUCH.

When they become “done”…distracted, unable to focus, etc.

CHANGE IT UP.

Interactive writing, phonics games, reading with “finger pointers”, etc. etc.

Change the game…not the content.

Here is a Sight Word FREEBIE for YOU to get started !

FREE Sight Word game to practice reading

FREE sight word game for guided reading.

Remember…

1. Assess your students. Check data frequently.

2. Sort students into groups ( 4-6 student per group is perfect!)

3. Reteach skills and Strategies.

4. LET them READ! They need PRACTICE!

So I LOVE the guided reading table.

LOTS of learning goes on there.

BUT ALWAYS, ALWAYS, remember…

IT STARTS WITH

BALANCED LITERACY!

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Those CRAZY Word Walls!

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WORD WALLS

I can honestly say, in my 27 years in first grade,

I have “redone” my word wall…

probably 26 times!

My dilemma is always the same…

How to put them on the wall so kids can

access them ( at ANY reading level!)?

At first, I thought “A..B..C” order.

Then, I thought “by curriculum unit..week 1..week 2, etc”.

Next, I thought ” phonics sounds ..short a..short e…etc”.

Last, I thought “they don’t even LOOK at IT!”

and so…

I WAS FRUSTRATED!

via GIPHY

What to do? What to do?

ASK THE KIDS!!!

So what do THEY want?

What will THEY use?

What do THEY want it to look like?

And they TOLD ME!!

They helped me “SOLVE” our Word Wall “PROBLEM”!

WHAT? You want ME to help SOLVE our WORD WALL PROBLEM???

My Word Wall

Now our word wall has sight words we use for 6 weeks

( 1 unit of our curriculum).

These words will be in our stories

AND

on our TESTS!

We study them EVERY day ( at Morning Meeting )

AND

we play I SPY with the words wall DAILY!

The kids practice with each other, too!

Partner Practice…yippee!

We use our chromebooks, write on our desks with whiteboard markers, flash cards to take home, and we play LOTS of word games!

My WORD WALL focus’ on sight words.

I teach vocabulary words, but those go on our focus wall for weekly connections.

This year…I am adding personal word walls to their writer’s workshop folders.

They will add words THEY need to use in THEIR writing.

This was last year when we did WAY TOO many

words at one time!

Now…LESS IS MORE

Word Wall by ABC order

Large Word Wall by ABC order

Sight Word games from the Word Wall

Lots of games to practice our “words”.

I have some games and products

to help with WORD WALLS.

Check them out!

So to Conclude…

When putting up word walls, fewer WORDS at one time is BEST!

Teach to MASTERY! Review! Practice! Be consistent!

PINTEREST HAS A MULTITUDE of resources to help.

I found these:

Especially Education

All Students Can Shine

A Sunny Day in First Grade

222 SIGHT WORDS from 1stgradefireworks

Here are MORE ways to help your students learn to READ

I hope this helps your students become BETTER readers and writers!

Leave me a comment. How are things going? Anything I can do to help? 🙂

Wendy 1stgradefireworks

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Close Reading 101

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CLOSE READING

What exactly is CLOSE READING??

You mean I need to “scoot forward” and put my glasses ON?

You mean I should put my glasses ON?

NO, silly! It’s a reading strategy for gaining information from a reading source.

Here are some helpful resources:

Some blogger friends have great information, also.

We Are Teachers has a great blog post

“What Exactly Do We Mean By CLOSE READING Anyway?

My friend, Susan Jones, explains how to do

Close Reading on First Grade

And, 1stgradefireworks can help with

Reading is the 1 Predictor of Academic Success

When doing research…

when I need more reading information,

just ask PINTEREST!

From HANNAH @ The Classroom Key

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430164201886627298/

https://www.theclassroomkey.com/2014/12/taking-the-rocket-science-out-of-close-reading.html

From Jen @ Teacher Karma

http://www.teacherkarma.com/2015/01/close-reading-free-resources.html

and from

Kristine @ Young Teacher Love

She has a GREAT blog post about

CLOSE READING!

Gotta know YOUR standards!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/275212227205716679/

Susan Jones SAYS…

What is Close Reading? by Susan Jones

It’s a chance for students to ask/answer questions by returning to the text for answers.

We want them to INTERACT with the text.

Reread, highlight, use sticky notes, etc.

and then use the text for answers.

Close Reading is not about the PHYSICAL PROXIMITY to the text!

It’s about diving INTO the text for answers to prominent questions ABOUT the text!

WOW! Finding out their own answers to questions AND being able to “PROVE IT?”

NOVEL IDEA!

Just imagine the writing that can be created from a CLOSE READING lesson?

Writer’s Workshop in…FIRST GRADE???? Breathe…YES, YOU CAN!

What a prominent strategy to use in a BALANCED LITERACY CLASSROOM!

What is a BALANCED LITERACY Classroom? This resource will show YOU!

BALANCED LITERACY

Balanced Literacy in First Grade! Let’s start with READ ALOUDS!

Here is a little FREEBIE

from ME to YOU!

Enjoy!

Have YOU tried CLOSE READING? Leave me a comment and let me know how it went! 🙂

Wendy 1stgradefireworks

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DO you Garden? A little or a LOT?

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What does YOUR garden look like?

Do YOU garden?

My hubby is a gardener.

I mean HE LOVES TO GARDEN!

We have raised garden beds.

A few of them.

And we have PRODUCE!

One week’s harvest!

Check out these posts for more about MY

FARMER – Without – A- Farm!

Get Your Hands Dirty

It’s Garden Time

Secret of Life

Meet the “Little Ones”

I need to APOLOGIZE…

Me? Not “love” to garden.

I “like” to garden.

I love to HARVEST.

I love to eat.

I don’t like to WEED.

I don’t like to sweat.

Fingers dirty? It’s OK.

As long as I can WASH THEM…SOON!

Love my new GLOVES!

Amazon.

So we plan our garden.

We grow seeds on our kitchen table.

We start them indoors,

so we can move them

OUTDOORS!

He reads OLD FARMERS ALMANAC.

As a teacher,

I want MY students

to learn to grow their own food.

I want my students to LOVE to garden!
We planted a GARDEN!

We will plant tomatoes, pumpkins, Swiss chard,

& lettuce in our raised garden.

The garden flowers will go on either side of the planter.

Now to help you in the classroom…

Sunflower Seeds

Robby Rabbit’s Garden

Check out my

Learn All about Plants

Pinterest Board.

1stgradefireworks Robby Rabbit's Garden Orange

Robby Rabbit’s Garden. Complete CCSS Grade One unit for Reading, Writing, and Math.

More Fun ideas for

Planting and Learning About a Garden.

How do YOU garden?

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How to get kids to Read At Home?

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1. How do I get kids to Read at Home?

I am a BLOG STALKER!

I admit it.

This year I am trying to get my kids to

Read at HOME.

I am ALWAYS trying to find the BEST,

FASTEST, & EASIEST ways

to make my classroom run smoother

& more effective while being

academically successful.

Aren’t we ALL?

So each year I try to “change”

a few things for the better.

NO THROWING THE BABY OUT

WITH THE BATH WATER!

So here is something “NEW”

( or New to ME )

that I am doing this year!

2. Who chooses the students Read at Home Books?

I am NOT ( Ugh…), NOT

choosing the Student’s

TAKE HOME BOOKS

each week.

( Let it go! Let it go!)

I LET THEM!

The power is in the CHOICE.

I thought if I chose reading books that were

ON their reading level

THEY would MAGICALLY

fall in LOVE with READING!

NOT!

3. How Do Their Books get HOME?

I have RAH ( Read AT Home ) envelopes…

Purchased at

REALLY GREAT STUFF

BUT ANY envelope will do!

Each WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY

they bring their RAH folder back.

I have them choose 2 books…

YES…2 books to put in their folder.

( I place a pile 20 or so, of books at each level …

*disclaimer…right now I have 5 Guided Reading groups…

I group their PILES of books

at the Guided Reading group level…

So they really are taking home books

at THEIR reading level.

Just a little teacher

“nudge”

in the right direction!

They choose two books,

put them in their envelopes,

and put them in their cubbies.

They keep them for 2 nights…

hence bringing them back WED. & FRI.

We change them for two NEW books …

and here we go again!

4. How do I know if they REALLY read their Read at Home Books?

Some nights I add a

READING RESPONSE

page to their homework.

USE ONE OF YOUR RAH BOOKS!

( Your choice!)

You can get my READING RESPONSE Packet HERE

Reading Response forms for ANY Book. Read and Write.

Accountability?

I do have a paper…lined…for parents to sign each night.

DO ALL OF THEM SIGN IT?

NO!

If YOU take a horse to water…

Can you FORCE it to drink it?

NO!

Let it go! Let it go!

5. What happens if a parent doesn’t read at home

with a student?

If you have a parent

who doesn’t support reading at home…

READ, READ, READ at school.

YOU may be

the ONLY adult

who reads with

“THAT CHILD”…

We ALL have “that child”.

Don’t fight it!

Don’t PUNISH the child.

IF he/she could read it BY THEMSELVES…

THEY WOULD!

They can’t.

Let it go! Let it go!

6. How do You REWARD students who do Read At Home?

I do REWARD

those who make the continued effort

to read at home

EVERY NIGHT!

When they bring their envelopes back,

I check the paper.

IF the parent HAS NOT SIGNED…

I highlight in RED that date.

At the end of the MONTH..

I give a reward

(and a SPECIAL BRAG TAG )

to those who have read

EVERY NIGHT!

I know…NOT fair for “that child”.

Fair is NOT Always EQUAL!

I want my kiddos who

DO THE WORK

to know

I NOTICE!

And so my friends…

I keep stalking.

LOTS of great ideas out there in

BLOGGY LAND.

And PINTEREST LAND.

AND INSTAGRAM LAND.

If you need some ideas…

Check out MY PINTEREST BOARDS.

Happy Reading my Friends

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Can reading be the #1 predictor of academic success?

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First and Foremost,

Reading is the #1 predictor of academic success.

Consider this my DISCLAIMER…

I am NOT A College Professor.

I do NOT have a MASTERS ( or above )

in ANYTHING!

I am just a teacher.

A first-grade teacher.

A first-grade reading teacher.

A Veteran (27yrs ), a first-grade teacher,

in a TITLE 1 SCHOOL!

I have seen a LOT! Done a LOT!

Hear me ROAR!!!!!

So, I repeat.

I am a teacher. I teach reading.

(Aren’t they cute????)

I have been through:

Whole Language

Environmental Print

Interactive Writing

Phonemic Awareness

Leveled Readers ( DRA, GSP, AR, Lexile)

Phonics

Words Their Way

HFW

Sight Words

High-Interest Reading Books

SIPPS

Read Naturally

Daily 5

And

A MULTITUDE OF PUBLISHER’S CURRICULUM!

New sets every 7 years!

Next, having said this…

1 thing most curriculum’s have in common :

READ!

READ A LOT!

And then…READ SOME MORE!

So …

My little sisters…

YES…both of my LITTLE SISTER’S are

PRIMARY TEACHERS!

We were discussing school.

Yes… we do that!

We are trying to WRAP our minds around the

“READ…READ…READ more”

and they will

“GET IT!” (way of thinking.)

Well, maybe…

I LOVE reading with kiddos!

See my post here about the

GUIDED READING TABLE!

But then my concern is…

When I “release” them to read,

When I want them to become INDEPENDENT readers,

Where do they “learn” the skills to use when they “get stuck”?

Will they use strategies, when they don’t know what’s happening?

When a story isn’t making sense…do they keep reading?

If they keep reading…

Will all the skills and strategies come TOGETHER?

At a recent PD, my little sis said she understood the

READ, READ, READ philosophy.

Integrate science, social studies, math, technology

INTO literacy!

YES!

Writing and Reading

COMPLIMENT and Coexist

WITH each other!

You can’t have one without the other!

THEY NEED EACH OTHER!

BUT…

-Me SPEAKING-

There needs to be a BALANCE of:

Skills & Strategies

in conjunction with independent reading & writing!

THERE!

I said IT!

Reading & Writing SKILLS:

Letter Sounds

Blends

Vowels

Word Families

Chunks

Grammar

Punctuation

High-Frequency Words

Capitalization

Handwriting

and MORE!

Comprehension

Questioning

Summarizing

etc, etc, etc…

(I sound like my Education College Professors!)

I was listening!

ALL of these “lessons” MUST be taught

IN CONJUNCTION with

Reading & Writing!

Yes…To be a better reader…

YOU MUST READ!

BUT…to be a better reader who UNDERSTANDS…

You must have skills and strategies to use

WHEN you read and write!

NOW…CAUTION!!!

Unless you are teaching ADULTS in a COLLEGE CLASS…

A 40-minute LECTURE on diagramming sentences

IS NOT…I REPEAT…

NOT

the way to do it!

If you WANT to spend 40 minutes discussing grammar…

CHUNK IT!

Read a little.

Discuss it.

Let it soak in.

And do it again. And again. and again!

READ!

Do 2-3 MINILESSONS over a few days…

Let it SINK IN!

Show kiddos:

What it looks like.

Where to find it.

How to use it.

Why we use it.

When to ask for help.

Kinder-Grade 1-Grade 2 teachers…

UNITE!

Mini-Lessons with a WORKSHOP!

Use SMALL Groups for STRATEGY & Skill Groups!

Let kiddos have a chance to PRACTICE

what YOU have taught them!

Let it SINK IN!

And Then…

LET THEM READ!

and

READ!

and

READ!

and then

WRITE…and write, some more!

Skills, Strategies, Reading, Writing

They will become “BETTER”…

and isn’t that what we ALL want to be?

BETTER!

Need some HELP?

My friend, Alison, at

Learning at The Primary Pond

learningattheprimarypond.com

has a great post about

What Does Reading Workshop Look Like In The Primary Grades?

Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!

Click HERE for more reading & writing products!

1stgradefireworks

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How to Prepare for a Successful Reading Workshop in First Grade

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Reading Workshop

“Creating a Community of Readers”

via…LUCY CAULKINS!

This is my newest FAVORITE thing!

I LOVE Lucy Caulkin’s

READING, WRITING,

COMPREHENSION LESSONS

If you get a chance to hear her, see her, and/or youtube her…

DO IT!

When I teach reading, I don’t want my students to stop and ask for help.

I want them to have skills to be independent readers.

I want them to be problem-solvers.

So, I am…

How to create a community of readers

How?

What do you do BEFORE reading?

Take a picture walk.Cover the words.

Make them use the visual cues in the story.

Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking,

distort comprehension, or unfamiliar to them.

Have them make predictions PRIOR to reading.

After reading, check their predictions.

When you finish reading, do something!

I LOVE this!

After reading..then what? DO SOMETHING!

Reread it for NEW information. Retell it to yourself or a friend. We use our 3 fingers retell. I love this part…DIGEST IT! Just as a good meal…when you are finished, appreciate it. Think about it.

ENJOY IT!

You are NEVER done!

When you finish…read more! My kiddos love to stack ALL of their books on the left..as

they finish reading a book…place it in a pile on their right. Keep reading! Their goal is to

read more every day! STAMINA! Reading MATS are used to make goals.

Our goals are to read MORE!

Read with your eyes. No need for fingers.

Use your eyes to read…not your fingers.

We want kids to quit using their fingers to read.

Good readers use their EYES!

“SCOOP” up words (phrases) with your eyes. When reading, put 3-4 words together

and read the phrases! GREAT time to teach prepositions & prepositional phrases!

When reading, always reread the text for comprehension.

Always reread text

Always, always…reread!

You will see more, read more, and understand more when you reread a story. Read it to a partner, a

parent, a friend. The same book can sound new when you are reading it the second or third time!

Lucy Caulkins Thank You

A HUGE THANK YOU to Lucy Caulkins!

So there you are..

GET READING!

Remember….

When in doubt…

ALWAYS make it

BALANCED LITERACY

For more early literacy reading and writing resources

Check out

1stgradefireworks

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I Needed a KICK IN THE PANTS!

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I can tell it’s SPRING…

I’m getting

LAZY!

Now ..I work 3 jobs…

I get up at 5:00AM and go to bed at 9:00PM.

I think I deserve some DOWN time!

BUT…

Then…I..get…really….complacent…

procrastinate…LAZY!

So every once in a while,

I need someone to give me a little

PUSH SHOVE

KICK IN THE PANTS!

Time to git ‘er DONE!

This has been one of those weeks!

So…

I have a packet I made that I use in my classroom

A LOT!

If any of you already have this…

DO NOT FEAR!

Help is on its way!

Now,

MY KIDS LOVE THIS!

The packet is full of independent activities, comprehension questions, word work, etc

ALL related to the BOOK OF THEIR CHOICE!

I can use it with ANY book.

My independent readers can read a book

and as a GROUP

( can we say COLLABORATE )

they can DISCUSS & complete the pack TOGETHER!

Now I don’t use it daily…maybe once every two weeks or so.

It takes them awhile &

I really want them to “get into it”.

Lots of rewards, positive notes, specials when completed.

It’s a GOOD THING!

BUT…

It’s OLD. Really OLD.

It was in need of “A LIFT” ( in all the right places ).

Sounds like me!

I DID IT!

I GOT ‘ER DONE!

And here she is.

ALL gussied up and purdy!

She has grown from 14 pages to 44!

She is ALL GROWED UP NOW!

I added a booklet style because

PAPER & INK ARE AT A PREMIUM!

So now…less paper… less ink… more productive teacher & students!

My Little LOVE…

Book Club

is available

at my TPT store

1stgradefireworks

You will LOVE this!

Reading Workshop

“Creating a Community of Readers”

via…LUCY CAULKINS!

This is my newest FAVORITE thing!

I LOVE Lucy Caulkin’s

READING, WRITING,

COMPREHENSION LESSONS

If you get a chance to hear her, see her, and/or youtube her…

DO IT!

When I teach reading, I don’t want my students to stop and ask for help.

I want them to have skills to be independent readers.

I want them to be problem-solvers.

So, I am…

How to create a community of readers

How?

What do you do BEFORE reading?

Take a picture walk. Cover the words. Make them use the visual cues in the story. Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking, distort comprehension, or unfamiliar to them.

Have them make predictions PRIOR to reading.

After reading, check their predictions.

When you finish reading, do something!

I LOVE this!

After reading..then what? DO SOMETHING!