Reading Centers Update

An update of my Reading Center Fiasco in photos.

To read about my journey of Reading Centers this year click here, here, here, here, or here.

I am currently working out a few kinks in the system, but have settled for something in between Literacy Centers and the Daily Five.

After Spring Break, we reviewed the student expectations.

I also introduced Roam Dip Sit- this is the teacher's expectations during centers.

The purple tag in the corner of the photo moves from Roam to Dip to Sit during centers, this way students know when it is an acceptable time to get help and when they need to ask their neighbors for help.

This is my pocket chart that tells each student where to go.  We have three rotations of centers each day.  They last no longer than 15 minutes.  The blurry part is a picture of the students.  They know that their partner is the person above or below them.  The partners go to the same center and are usually doing the same thing.  This chart helps my students gain independence when we get started quickly.

Here is a close up of two students rotations for that day.

Here is another example.

A rundown of the center choices:

Partner Reading

Students must sit on the lily pad rug during this time.  

They have a choice: they may choose a book off of the shelf to read with their partner or they may choose a book from their book bags to read. 

We use the same guidelines that the Daily 5 uses- sit in EEKK, whisper voices, ask your partner Coaching or Timing.

Word Work

Here is the shelf that we keep our word work on.  (I already have big plans to change this next year.  I hate that the papers don't actually fit in the green baskets, neither do white boards or anything taller than five inches.)  

The first few weeks, I told students EXACTLY what word work to do.  We had rainbow spelling, build a silly sentence, call me maybe, write stamp decorate. 

I had a recording sheet for all of these.  I was noticing that students were not finishing their work.  Not because they were off task, but because 15 minutes goes by way too quick!

This week, instead of telling them exactly which word work to visit each day, I let them choose.  I *think* I like this option better because students are able to work on the same work work for multiple days.

Listen to Reading

We have the CD player.  I only let 2 students listen to our weekly readers at a time.  We use the Imagine It curriculum.  Anyone else out there use this?  I would love to know your thoughts on how you incorporate this into your Daily 5!

Computers! 

Listen to Ipod!

I recorded myself reading a bunch of our favorite books.  

(Read all about it here)

My students love this center!  

And I do too!

I am pretty content with my reading centers after two weeks! 

I think I have finally found the blend of Daily 5 and Reading Centers!

 Keep your fingers crossed that it continues to work :)

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Happy *almost* Friday!