Reading Response

This is my new favorite thing!  Everyday my kids follow the same routine for our one hour Reading Block.  It goes like this:

• Mini-lesson (read-aloud/think-aloud)  15 min
• Read to Self   15 min
• Buddy Reading  15 min
• Choice Time    15 min

I’ve tried Daily 5, Four Blocks model, literacy centers, rotations, etc, but this is what I’ve found works best for me and my kids.  No wasted time, super focused, and allows me to meet with 3-4 small groups each day.  As long as I have great books for the kids to choose from, they never get bored with it.  (Shockingly.)

So back to my new favorite thing.  Each week I offer the kids from 3-5 choices for the last block of time.  I change one or two choices each week but they generally stay the same.  I started offering “Mini-Projects” for choice time, and not only do the kids love it, they are actually producing some really cool stuff!

One is the Research Made Easy Booklets.  I’ve got tubs of books on all different topics (Space, Mummies, Dinosaurs, etc.) available for the kids.  To do the Mini-Research Project they simply choose a topic and use the booklet to guide their inquiry.  They can work alone or with a partner.  They have taken off with these!

Two of my reluctant writers got so into their topic that they seemed to forget about all the writing they were doing!!  The booklet is self-guided so that they can work independently.  You can see the first page to the right.  The kids start by brainstorming what they know and wonder about their topic and then select 3 questions for their research.  Below, one of my girls began research about Deer.

The other booklet that I love comes from my Character Study Pack!  The kids can choose a character from a book they are reading or create their own character to use for fiction writing later.  They love it and they get so creative.  I like this booklet because it reinforces character traits and relationships which is always a weak spot for us.