Literacy Block

I am working on posting a blog entry about each of the major sections of our day to help parents and other family members to get a sense of what our schedule is like.  So, this post will be about literacy.

Our literacy block is two hours in length.  It is broken down into three rotations with three mini-lessons (short whole group lessons) in between each rotation.  The basic schedule is:

• mini-lesson 1
• rotation 1
• mini-lesson 2
• rotation 2
• mini-lesson 3
• rotation 3

The mini-lessons are generally 15 minutes in length and each rotation is 25 minutes in length. 

That may sound rather confusing, but it actually works quite well.  The students follow the board in the picture (see left) to figure out where they are headed for each rotation.  Each student is in a group and follows a specific schedule.  The blue columns show where mini-lessons take place.

The mini-lessons focus on teaching strategies that make students better readers.  Our lessons fall into 4 categories: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary.  These make up our CAFE menu.  Each time we learn a new strategy we add it to the board.

During the roations students have specific jobs depending on what group they are in.  During a week each student will do each job at least once, usually twice.  The jobs are: reading group with Mrs. Kahler, Word Work, Daily Choices, and Classroom Library.  A brief explanation of each follows:

Reading Group with Mrs. Kahler

These groups are based on student need and ability.  Students are working on developing reading skills to advance reading level, improve comprehension, fluency and vocabulary.  Groups are small, no more that six students.  Each group meets with Mrs. Kahler at least twice a week.  At this time we have six different groups.

Word Work

This is time for students to practice writing and spelling specific words that we are working on.  Ways to practice these words include: writing the words on white boards, spelling the words with stamps, making the words with magnetic letters, and creating a "crossword" with the words using Scabble tiles.

Daily Choices
At this point Daily Choices involves three things that students may choose from.  These three things are: read to self, read to someone, and listen to reading. 

For Read to Self, students may choose to read independently, but they must choose a book from the book box (books in book box have been read in reading group or have been selected because they are "good fit" books - at students independent reading level). 

As for Read to Someone, students may buddy read with another student, again selecting books from his/her book box.  Students take turns reading books.

And finally, Listen to Reading, involves listening to a book on tape.  This choice was just introduced today and the students did a great job with it!

For each of these choices students select a quiet space to work where they will not be distracted by others or distract others.  Students may sit at a table or sit on the floor.

Classroom Library

This job is as simple as it sounds.  Students choose a book from the classroom library and read it to themselves during this time.  Classroom Library is an independent job and does not involve buddy reading.  Students may also choose to read books they have checked out from the library at this time.

That is our literacy block in a nutshell.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or set up a time to come and see it in action.