Reader's Workshop

Exploring Our Reading "SuperPowers"!
Today we read just right books.  Just right books are books that we can read independently and use our reading strategies.  We are exploring reading "Super Powers"!
Here are some of our strategies/"powers" we are exploring:
1. Finger Pointing Power
2.  Rereading Power
3. Looking at the picture
4. Thinking about word power
5. Beginning sounds of words
Our Smartboard and document camera help us share and reflect on what reading 'SuperPowers" we are using.

Reading Spaces

Today we found lots of different reading spaces where we could practice independent and partner reading.  We used a variety of "Super Powers" to help us become independent and strong readers.

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Reading Strategies

Today was so exciting.  We started exploring reading strategies.  We brainstormed ideas at the beginning of Reader's Workshop.  These are some of the ideas/strategies we think that reader's do...

1. Readers look at words and illustrations

2. Readers point to words

3. Readers read the words from the left to the right

4. Readers focus

5. Readers concentrate 

6. Readers turn pages carefully

7. Readers notice familiar words; sight words

8. Readers use the illustrations to help decode words.

9. Readers reread the text to figure out unknown words.

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Locating Words and Letters!

Today we tried to create the letters we are exploring during "Echo" time with play dough.  We will also be creating sight words too.  Making connections with different materials helps us internalize what we are learning.  

Reader's Workshop

We have created 2 anchor charts to help remind us about what it looks like when we read to self and partner read in Kindergarten.

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A Visit From Robert Schwartz

This morning  Robert Schwartz, an amazing reading specialist who is serving as a research consultant for the Reading Recovery Council of North America visited our classroom to show us how we can use text and pictures as clues to make sense of print.  We were so grateful to meet him.

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Sight Word Play!

Today we explored many sight words using magnetic letters and trays.  This was fun.  We made connections and even noticed words inside words!  We are becoming amazing readers.

Creating Opportunities To Read

We are all reading in guided reading groups.  Our groups give us opportunities to read together, alone and to rethink about the elements and events of the stories we read.  Sometimes we have puppets that help us retell the story too.  This is another way we can explore the reading strategies we are learning about and use our oral language to share what we understand about the story.  

Exploring Independent Reading!

We have been exploring lots of different reading strategies that help us become independent readers.  We also made a connection yesterday that we can use books to help us spell words when we are creating posts on our Kidblogs!

Exploring The Echo Alphabet!

In Kindergarten we explore letters and sounds throughout the day!  The "Echo" alphabet is a fun and easy way to learn sound/symbol relationship.  We are becoming very confident!

Reading to self is a wonderful way to build stamina when reading.  It is also a wonderful way for young children to use their oral language to explore text as they begin to comprehend stories.

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Beginning To Read To Self

In the beginning we practice looking and reading books by exploring the illustrations and also retell the stories we know.  This is important for us to become confident readers. Oral language gives us lots of opportunities to talk and speak about what we understand and give us confidence! 




Readers Workshop!

Today we explored the different features of a book and then we were able to read with a friend.  Reading alongside someone is fun!  We are able to make connections and share what we notice!

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Becoming An Independent Reader!

We each have a book bin that we keep books in.   We read by ourselves and with a friend.  Sometimes we retell a story to that we have read!

Poems About The Sun!

Today we practiced reading nursery rhymes out loud.  It was fun to give each other compliments about our oral reading.  We also created poems about the sun!

Creating Poetry!

We are exploring the wonderful, creative world of poetry.  Today we created symbols for poems that come from the heart, our memory, what we wonder and what we question.  Tomorrow we will be creating name poems!

We will be bringing poems home to read on Friday!

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Wacky Wednesday In Kindergarten!
We had a wonderful day making different types of connections with one of our favorite Dr. Seuss books;"Wacky Wednesday".  What do you notice in our slideshow?

Read Across America!

We are participating in the NEA Read Across America celebration!  This morning we used Skype to connect with a Kindergarten classroom in Wisconsin.  We shared facts about Vermont and we learned some facts about Wisconsin.  We then had book talks about a couple of Dr. Seuss.

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Reading "Just Right" Books!


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Today was very exciting during our reader's workshop time!  We explored and practiced reading "Just Right" books!  Just right books are important because they help us become strong readers and they are "just right" for us!  We explored lots of reading strategies too!

Here are some strategies that we noticed we were exploring!

1. Using our finger to point to the words

2. Using the pictures to help us understand the story and unknown words

3. reread words to help us understand the story.

Readers Workshop is AWESOME!

We are working on reading with a partner!  When we read in a partnership we sit next to our partner, look at the text and pictures together, tell the story, give compliments and ask questions.

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Creating Connections Inside Texts!

Today we explored many of the sight words we have been learning in Kindergarten.  We identified some in our morning message and then we found many of them in books we are familiar with! 

 Some of our words are; I, A the, day, is, it and to!

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CREATING READER'S AND WRITER'S!

This morning we had an amazing reading and writing time!  The children explored a variety of texts written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons because she uses lots of labels in her text.  Then we created our own labels for our Monarch Butterflies that we created.  The children did a great job.  

Some of the strategies we used were:

1. sounding out the words, writing letters we hear

2. looking for print in the classroom to hop us

3. looking in books for the words we need

4. asking friends to help us

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Literacy Activities

Here is a collection of snapshots of some of the independent literacy activities we explore in Kindergarten!

Our First Voicethread! Today we created our 1st voicethread of the Very Hungry Caterpillar! We collaborated together and made a mural of caterpillars.  This is one of our familiar stories! Reading Partners!  Reading Partners In Kindergarten! We learned "how to" read with a friend.  When we read with a friend, we sit quietly, take turns and read out loud. Today we experienced what reading partners do!  We read a familiar story and shared a book.

This is what it looked like and sounded like!

Sight Word Fun In Kindergarten! We are learning many new words in Kindergarten that help us with our reading.  Sight words are words that appear in many of the books we read and can not always be sounded out!  We are learning many fun games with Ms. Caitlin to help us learn them.

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Books Written By Bill Martin, Jr. and Illustrated By Eric Carle

Ms. Megan and Ms. Jessica have been reading us some great books during our Reader's workshop time.  The books have lots of animals and predictable text!  We have been making connections and working on story retelling too!

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 Reader's and Writer's In Action!

We have been looking at many different books during our reader's workshop time.  We have noticed lots of features about books!  

We noticed that books have;

1. a title
2.  illustrations
3.  text
4.  dedication page
5.  an author and an illustrator!

We are creating our own books about the metamorphosis of a Monarch Butterfly!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

After reading one of our favorite stories, The Very Hungry Caterpillar we created our own caterpillar!  We used colored clay and googly eyes!  On Tuesday we create a habitat for our new friends.

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Exploring and Discovering The Value of Reading Strategies A young child discoveries how by using his finger to point to words as he reads, helps him understand what he is reading. Another child discoveries how using her finger helps her to match words to what they say.  What Are Just Right Books? This morning 2 former Kindergarten students, from Mrs. Rodliff's class visit our class to talk to us about what it means to read a "Just Right" book.  We learned that Just right books help us become stronger readers.  If we read books that are too hard, we get frustrated.  If we read books that are too easy, it is hard to learn new things.  Just Right books help us become strong, independent readers.  The Very Busy Spider! Look At These Wonderful Spiders! This morning during our Reader's Workshop time Ms. Kea read another story written by Eric Carle.  We made text to text connections and we shared what we noticed about the spider.  We had fun creating our own spider out of clay.  Then we created a habitat for our spider. Afterwards we learned a song called; "Itsy, Bitsy, Spider." Creating and Exploring Our Names! A child makes a connection with his name with the story, "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom". Making a Text To Text Connection A Wonderful Story!  "Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?"   We read a wonderful story on Friday about how to keep your "bucket full."  The idea is if you are kind and do and say nice things to others, you then feel great inside and your "bucket is full."  We enjoyed getting our own buckets after the story and then we "filled our own buckets" before we went home on the bus.

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 The Very Busy Caterpillar!

Today while we were rereading the story;"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" a couple of the students noticed things and made connections!


Nursery Rhymes!

We are reading a variety of nursery rhymes and poetry in Kindergarten.  We are noticing that many rhymes and poems have rhythm which helps us remember what we hear and read.

 Reader's Workshop

During our Reader's Workshop time the children spend lots of time reading Just Right Books.  These are books that are right for them to read.  if we read books that are too easy or too hard we are not reading what is "just right" for us to become a better reader.  Sometimes readers make connections too!  In the photograph you see a child making a text to text connection!  He is re creating his own non-fiction book about bears.  He is making a text to text connection because he found another book about bears.

Interacting With Tools To Help Develop Reading Strategies

Reader's In Action!

This morning we used our SMARTboard to help us create CVC words.  When you watch the video you will be able to see and listen to how we tap out sounds to create words.  We are working on strategies to help us become strong, independent readers.

 








The children get daily opportunities to practice the strategies that they learn daily during our reader's workshop time.  The children sit side by side, listen, look at the words and pictures as well as make connections and ask questions.  Amazing!

 Tag Pens

 

The children really enjoy using a tag pen when reading a children's story.  One of the neat features of the pens is that children can play literacy games with the book, read the book or listen to the story being read to them.




 Echo Time!

Below you will see a couple of great photographs of children using their "Echo Tool" kits.  The kits are great because it gives us an opportunity to interact with the reading strategies we are learning in Kindergarten.

 

 Comprehension Strategies That Help Us Understand What We Read

 

During our reader's workshop time the children have been learning about different comprehension strategies that help us understand what we read.  The strategies are making connections, asking questions and visualizing.  
When we make connections we will sometimes make 'tracks" using post it notes to remind us of the connection we made and/or the type of comprehension strategy we were using.





 A Great Connection!

We use the Fundations reading program in Kindergarten.  The child in the video is making a connection with a reading skill she recently learned during our "Echo Time."

Making Connections!

Identifying familiar words

 

During our morning meeting time we have lots of opportunities to practice what we know about words.  We call this word play!  We identify words we know, we scoop sentences to help us read with fluency(which is like we talk!) and then we practice writing the words and sounds we explore during part 1 of our reader's workshop time.
The children make connections by interacting with our SMARTboard by identifying words we know and letters and sounds.  Through this interactive experience the children can then write the letters and sounds in their special dictation booklet we use during our "Echo Time". 





Pumpkin Heads!

Look at our pumpkin heads!

 We enjoyed a wonderful story called;"Pumpkin Heads" during our reader's workshop time.  The story gave the children an opportunity to practice using one of our comprehension strategies, called;"visualization".  Visualization is when you listen carefully to what is being read and you try to visualize/imagine what it would look like.  When we read the words give us many clues about the meaning of a story.  The children each created and designed their own pumpkin head.  They are on display in our classroom for you to see.

 

Echo Time!

Everyday we have Echo Time in Kindergarten.  It is part of our reader's workshop time.  We are learning how to form lower case letters.  Today some of the children made some interesting comments about their work.  Listen to what 1 of the children had to say. 

Reader's Workshop in Kindergarten!

Sight Words!

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Reader's Think and Talk About Books With Others

Children are given lots of opportunities to read with their reading partner, independently and with a small group.  The children know they are successful when they are sitting side by side and placing the book in the middle, taking turns, sharing ideas and connections as well as giving their partner an "I'm interested message."

 Children need lots of opportunities to engage with a variety of texts.  Through practice and modeling children learn the parts of a book, the different features and begin to develop reading habits that promote the love and interest of literacy.