Bird is a verb, did you know? It was an exciting week as students across our district paired up with their nature trail buddies! My 1st grade class invited Mr. Quindlen’s 4th grade class to visit us on our nature trail for a morning of learning and fun. Once the students paired up with their buddies, they ventured onto the nature trail to see what they could find!
Both classes studied and explored the habitats of the Concord Nature Trail! In these habitats, the students observed some very exciting wildlife such as Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black Vulture, Praying Mantis, and even a Common Garter Snake! Many of these species were photographed by the students for further study and to upload to iNaturalist, a citizen science app that identifies and catalogues wildlife in our area. A fantastic time was had by all on the nature trail, and the buddies will be reunited this spring when we head to the trail our our buddies' school to experience a different season together on their Nature Trail!
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Shared reading is an open invitation for all students to read one book at the same time. In first grade this means: I select a text, use a document camera to air play one book, I read with fluency and expression, and students are invited to read the text with the teacher. On average this takes 10-12 minutes and we incorporate it into our morning meeting (not attached to our reading block). We read one book four to five times over the course of the week. The book selection should be short so it is able to be read in entirety in the time window each day. Select a book that is within the guideline benchmark for where students should be at that point in the year. Students that are currently below benchmark will be able to access the text and grade level material because of the supportive nature of shared reading. It is AMAZING opportunity for higher order thinking skills for all students, but especially those students whose books cannot offer that skill at their independent level yet. Use a book that is slightly above the reading level of most of your students. Ideally this a grade level text at the benchmark for that point in the year. Some students will read it with ease, others will take a bit of work, and some wouldn't be successful independently, but in a shared reading opportunity are exposed to grade level text and scaffolded within the system. StructureTeacher truth: we don't do this EVERYday. Our goal is 5 days a week, but some weeks are jam packed with events and special circumstances. On average I'd say we do shared reading 4 days a week. While each day we read the same thing, my planned teaching points vary slightly. Down below you will see how I plan for shared reading. With that being said, my students often make their own lesson plans for shared reading. Their observations and questions while reading are teachable moments of meaning and I take each one I can get from them! Day 1: Introduction and the Need to Know Give a small preview to start (title, author, main characters). Cover 3-5 words throughout the the book that are solve-able for your students. I cut a post-it note leaving the sticky piece attached to cover just the middle and the end. I model strategies to solve the word aloud. Day 2: Retell Rockstars The second read aloud builds further comprehension naturally. Use this session to focus on meaning, syntax, and visual clues from words as you read aloud. Have students cross check your word strategies with a turn and talk to ask if you got it right and how they know. Day 3: Word Study Transfer Work Reinforce word study concepts like phonics, concept of print, phonics principles, or vocabulary within the text. Hunt for those sight words, digraphs, or more within the text. Day 4: Fluency Read with great expression and prosody. Focus on dialogue and punctuation. Day 5: Comprehension You have had 5 days reading and rereading this same book. All students should have access to comprehension and text even if the book was above their independent reading level. Take this chance to extend the book and conversation around the characters, plot, or author's craft. Recommendations:
Lesson Planning TemplateI don't know that 'lesson planning' or even 'template' is the right word choice for what this process is, but this is how I do it! I use one post it note for each day of shared reading. Each post-it has the day and area of focus. I print the structure directly on the post-it notes, write the specific words on each one, and place them inside the back of the book. This allows me to reuse the books from year to year without revealing the next lesson to students in advance. Our Favorite Shared Reading BooksOne book a week is a great way to dive into an author study. It keeps certain elements the same but changes just a bit. Our favorite series this fall has been Gossie & Friends by Olivier Dunrea. My students naturally picked up the pattern of opposites, repetition at start/end, and verb choice (Dunrae never says runs instead opts to scamper, dash, scurry...). Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers
It Is Elementary My Dear with Michele *This blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This does not add any cost to your items, but does support my classroom with a small percentage of your purchase. Thank you for supporting teachers! |
AuthorCurrent 1st grade teacher and former middle school educator trying to be techy, Reading Specialist, life long learner, and avid reader Categories
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