• Reader's workshop

    Throughout our day, much of our teaching is conducted using the "workshop" model. (reading, writing and math.)
    The concept is that children are taught a specific concept in a very explicit manner through a "mini lesson".
    After the lesson, children are given the opportunity to practice what they have learned,
    either in a "talk and turn" situation (see below) or in a more hands-on manner.
    The students then go off to practice the presented skills independently.
     
     
     
     
     

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  • ELA Centers
     
    After our Reader's workshop mini lesson and practice sessions, we break into groups.
    The groups are set up according to skill levels. In this way, we can offer differentiated instuction to meet the needs of all our students.
     
    The activities that we engage in are carefully designed to help us learn and practice skills that will help us be better readers and writers.
    Center's change throughout the year, as our students needs and skill levels develop.
     
    The children travel between 3-4 centers a day. Most centers have an adult in attendance. The adults role varies: they can help scaffold the lesson to meet individual needs within the group, they can modify work as needed (more or less challanging), they can simply be a cheerleader, encouraging children to do their best!
     
    The following are some of the centers that are offered throughout the year:
     
    ABC: we work on letter matching and letter identification
    Buddy Reading: exploring books in the library or book boxes with a peer
    Sounds: engage in a wide variety of activities that help students solidify their letter/sounds skills
    Writing: this starts as correct letter formation and moves into more advanced forms of writing (labeling, sentences, stories, etc) as their skills increase
    Explore: this open center allows children to explore science concepts (i.e. magnets)
    Gift words: These high frequency words from our science/social study units are clearly displayed. Children discuss the words and their meanings. They then create pictures and sentences to show their learning.
    Move and groove: This center does just what it says...children engage in phonemic awareness and phonic lessons in a fun and active format (i.e. bean bag sight word toss)
    Listening center and follow-up activity: the audio books connect with the theme and the follow-up activity connect to the reader's workshop mini lesson
    Reading groups with the teacher: we work on decoding and comprehending emergent readers.