Wanna hear my #1 tip for how to rely on the same literacy centers every day….yet still easily differentiate at each center?
You don't have to search…find…purchase…print….copy….laminate…cut….sort….for every day's lesson for the rest of your life! Watch the above video discover an easy-peasey way of keeping those kiddos engaged.
We're in Week #3 of the What to Do with the Rest of the Class series. This is the series that YOU asked for: A coherent plan for the other kids–and one that engages them–while you try teach a guided reading group.
Did you miss one of the weeks? Here's how to catch up:
Week #1 Kids Aren't Widgets
Week #2 3 Measures that Matter Most When Managing Groups
Please comment below with how YOU are managing the craziness that is literacy centers. I LOVE to hear from you!
Jo–eager to learn
It’s showing on my feed.
Love the Candyland idea!
Thank you Melody!! ?
Yes picture match!
Like it!
Love all your ideas.Must do!
Super, Genevieve. I’d love that.
I want to upload a picture for you of my son working with bottle caps and plastic painting pallets…(from dollar tree) and I coded them in different colors
Yess indeed lovely ideas
Awwww, shucks. Thanks Kerlene! Let us know if try one of therm!
Word families …. colors of word families stayed the same on painting pallets … initial phonemes were on bottle caps from hobby lobby and you could switch them out
I’m not sure if the other one posted …
On a whim I thought of this… 4 weeks ago i picked up the painting pallets from dollar tree and a long time ago I picked up the bottle caps from hobby lobby in the loose parts section. They fit perfectly on the palette. I wrote initial phonemes and blends on the bottle caps and my son switches them around to get more trials.. we have learned 4 word families already.. it is motivating..
This looks so fun, Katie! I love how you’re tying in the visual of left-to-right blending with the arrow. I’m sure your son felt like this was just a fun game! You could even push his phonemic processing more by moving the bottle caps in every position, not just the initial.
Thanks so much for sharing! I also am glad to see the “wh” on one bottle cap. 😉
Reading Simplified yes I have /sh/ /ch/ , some s-blends. Voiced and unvoiced /th/ and some other consonant blends … and then I ran out of bottle caps.. hahha..
Katie, haha! The realities of creative supply uses!
Consider separating those s blends since they’re separate sounds, or phonemes. I find kids who are taught blends can get tripped up in 2nd grade and beyond bc they don’t really understand the phonemic structure as deeply as good readers.
Kids I work with will see a “b” and read it “bl” or “br”. Or, they’ll see “b” and guess “bl” etc. Of course not everyone develops that problem. But most everyone who will struggle later, will make this error.
Reading Simplified thank you!!!!!! I appreciate it!!! Thank you!
Katie, thanks for being open.
Great ideas!!
Hi Maria! 🙂
Can’t read it
Sorry about that Shimmy! Here’s a link where you can find a good copy of the Streamlined Pathway that I was referencing:
ReadingSimplified.com/start-here
Round
Round Robin Re-Reading – If you have a group of 6 students, each has 5 cards with their name on it. When a child reads the text to them, they give them a card. The aim is for all the children to collect a card from each group member.
Sounds like a good game element. I’m not sure I understand though. Does a reader go from one child to the next or one group to the next? Is there a winner?
Reading Simplified one child to the next within their group and no winners, we don’t do winners at our school. PS the children would read to each other and get a name card each. This builds in motivation and lets the teacher know how many re-reads the children got done in the session (accountability).
Kerri, ahh! That makes sense. Smart
Where is the video for Same Literacy Centers Daily ?
Stephanie, I think it may take awhile to load, but it should be right under the main picture under the title. Hope it’s there for you now!
When I try to get my son interested to read I try to come up with games but I find I spend hours upon hours just trying to find suitable pictures, and formatting pictures and text. In the above video you demonstrated a match the word with picture and I loved the whole thing. What font did you use and do you have any recommendations on where find appropriate pictures quickly and how not to spend so many hours on making this game? Thank you in advance.
Jackolynn, yes, try the easy-creation route! A game can be fun for most kids even if the materials don’t look beautiful. For instance, you can write simple phrases or just words on index cards. Hide them in different places in such a way that each clue directs the child to the next one. For the last clue, he could get a small prize. I also like Act It Out where I put words on cards and the child draws one at a time. He reads it; then acts it out. The parent tries to guess what the word is. Basically charades. Finally, you might search “Montessori Pink series” for free downloadable games/activities with words at the CVC or short vowel level. (Later try Blue for 4 or 5 sound words and Green for advanced phonics.)