Work Station Pros!

We are into our fourth week of school. My little first graders are getting VERY good a work stations since we spend time during our reading and math block working in them. Here are few snapshots from our literacy stations this week. 

Writing Station: So far students have enjoyed writing back to school cards to each other, lists, stories and labeled pictures. This writing unit is from Mrs. Will's kindergarten. Check it out here.

Work Work: We are currently reviewing beginning sounds and short vowels. On Monday and Tuesday students sort and write their sort. Then on their second visit to this station they may stamp their sort or work on sight words.

Pocket Chart Station: Students work together to sort our whole group sort, and then they practice segmenting the pictures and writing the word on whiteboards.

Read to Self: I love how the Daily 5 teaches reading stamina. I have noticed a big difference in the classroom library, as well as during our D.E.A.R time and warm up read during reading groups. I looked over from my teaching table on two separate occasions and snapped these priceless pictures. They were SO into their books.

Read to Someone: Checking out the morning messages and using a pointer to reread them

These girls are doing a great job in Read to Someone station. Poems are a big part of my Read to Someone station. Students can practice pointing to the poem, put the poem back together (from cut up sentence strips), or read big books.

What's Working!

 

It is so nice to see things working like they are supposed to! That is how today felt. I looked up from my reading group and saw EVERYONE working in their stations. I attribute this to a few things; first, during this time of day there is a tutor working with 4 kids in the back of the room while I have a small group at the reading table...aka fewer students left to their own devices in stations. Also, I was feeling as though I needed to hold my students more accountable for their work during stations. I often use recording sheets which students turn into a colored bin according to their reading group. But it's hard to keep up with all the paper work. This week I started having students hold up their work when the timer goes off so I can glance around and spot check for productivity. If work isn't completed then they will do it at recess. This has helped keep my kids on task during their station time. Easy fix!

 

Here is my ABC station in action! This week's focus was ish/ash/ush. Here students are working on sorting their words. On Thursday/Friday they have the option of building their words either with beads and pipe cleaners, stamps, or magnetic letters. I just loved the focus I saw. They were actually reading the words while they were sorting them!!! The little guy in green was using his pencil to blend the sounds.

Below is a new activity to practice sight words that one of my team members made. There are several things students can do with these cards. As you can see from the lower picture, each set of colored words has a sight word and then a version of that sight word with some letters missing. This will help them pay attention to those sight word letters! Students can simply match the words or play memory. It kept them busy and quiet today!