SQ3R

Have you used this strategy?  I use it with my 4th and 5th graders every year but 3rd graders could use it too.  For those of you who aren't familiar with SQ3R, it is a great strategy to use with non-fiction, especially textbooks.  It keeps students actively engaged while writing.

To use it, have each student fold a piece of paper in half hot dog style and give them a non-fiction text.

S - Survey - Students should survey the text.  Read headers, bold words, titles, captions etc...

Q - Question - Ask questions about the text.  I have students turn the headings and titles into questions.  These are written on the left side of the paper.  

R- Read - I have my students read one section at a time.

R - wRite - (I know, it doesn't really start with an R) Students write the answers to their questions on the right side of their paper.

R - Review - Students use their notes to review the information in the chapters.  

I made a quick template to use with your students - although you can just use lined paper too.  Click on the picture to grab your copy!  

Introducing New Reading Strategies

I was writing a post about how I am using my readers's notebooks and I started to explain how I introduce strategies but I think this deserves it's own post!

I stick to the Modeling, Guided practice, Independent practice layout.  First, I tell the students the name of the strategy and a 1 or 2 sentence definition of it.  Next, I model how to use the strategy with a picture book & a think-aloud.  I select places to stop & use the strategy in each book.  The first few stopping points I model how to use the strategy with them.  The next few, I let them try and I guide them.  The last 1 or 2 stopping points I have the students write down how they would use the strategy (Independent practice).  If we have time, I let them free read and practice the strategy more.

I realize that may have sounded confusing so here is my lesson for Checking for Understanding:

Intro: "Today, you are going to learn a new reading strategy called Check for Understanding.  When you check for understanding you simply make sure you understand what you are reading as you read.  After you read a few pages, stop and retell the story to yourself.  If you can do that, keep reading.  If you can't go back and reread.  I think this is one of the most important but simple strategies you will learn.  I'm going to read The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers and show you how I check for understanding while I read."

Modeling: I will read 2-3 pages and then stop and re-tell what I have just read.  If I can retell the important parts, I keep reading.  If I can't, I stop and re-read that section again.  

Guided Practice: I will continue reading and stopping but instead of retelling the section myself, a student will.  

Independent Practice: The last 2 stopping points, I have the students write down their simple retelling.  We go over the first one together and I assess the second one.  

Closure: I have the students share their final retelling and explain what checking for understanding is or how to do it.  

The next day, I introduce the strategy card and sentence frames for that strategy.  The students practice using the strategy independently & writing think-marks for that strategy.  I don't have them write think-marks for checking for understanding so they would read and I would stop everyone a few times and have them check for understanding by writing their retelling - just so I know they are using the strategy.  

This isn't the most creative way to introduce strategies but my students need structure and consistency so it works for me! 

Reader's Notebooks

A week or so ago, I posted about my new reader's notebooks.  I wanted to share with you how my students are using them.  

First, I am introducing the notebooks slowly.  The first day we created Do's and Don'ts, took a tour of the notebook, and decorated the covers.  The next day, we read the Cafe menu and created reading goals.  Since I only have 5 students at a time, one worked with me on choose a goal or two while the others filled in their reading interests.  

     

For the next few days, we practiced using think-marks.  The students reviewed a strategy a day (5 minutes) and I showed them the sentence frame(s) for that strategy.  They independently read and filled in a practice stop & jot page (not one in their notebook, I wanted to give them time to practice and make mistakes).  We went over their use of the strategy and their writing until I knew they understood the strategy and how to write about that strategy.  

Now that my students have a few different strategies to write about, they read a book and used their notebooks to document their thinking.    We will continue to do this until Christmas break.  In January, I plan on introducing the reading response journal section.  

I am using paperclips as bookmarks for the response section and the stop & jot section.  The paper clip goes on the page the students are working on so they can quickly find the correct page.  

I might add ribbons to the paperclips to make them a little more fun.  

You can purchase the Reader's Notebook at my Teachers Notebook store.

Assessment Recording Sheets (Freebie)

 I was grading a bunch of assessments and realized that I never made my recording sheets!  I had some from other places but I wanted to use cute fonts so I whipped some up and thought I'd share them with you.

I am required to assess my students on a regular basis.  I like to have a recording sheet that I can quickly look at and see a students progress throughout the year.  For the reading progress sheet, I start with the lowest reading level on the bottom so when I add the students scores, it graphs their progress.  I made a bunch of different reading sheets starting and ending at different levels so there should be one that would work for everyone.  As always, if you want something customized, leave a comment or email me and I will do my best to grant your request! 

I put these on my Teachers Notebook store for you to grab for free!  Click on the pictures to get yours!  

Also - most of the other items in my store are 50% off from now until Thanksgiving.  

Summarizing & a Freebie

I have spent the last two weeks working on summarizing with my students.  Many of them struggle to write complete sentences so the thought of reading a book, understanding it, picking out the most important details, re-writing them in new words, and writing in complete sentences was more than a little overwhelming for them.  

I started by reading a book together and discussing what a summary is.  Then I asked them to verbally summarize the story for me.  As they spoke, I typed.  As expected, the first attempt lacked details.  That was labeled as a level 1 summary.  I questioned the group to add some more details.  With a little tweaking, the level 1 summary became a level 2 summary.  We continued this until we also had a level 3 and 4 example.  I printed out each summary with room for a picture above it.  We added pictures to match the level of the summary.  

After this activity, the students really had a clear idea of what a level 4 summary looks like, how to write it, and what to include in it.  To help them even further, I gave them a copy of my Somebody wanted...but...so...then organizer (which you can grab for free by clicking on the picture of the organizer below).  I gave the students another book in the same series (a Reading a to z book - The Hoppers) and had them try a summary on their own.  Kids referenced the example summaries while writing.  

Their summaries turned out great!  They were not missing any major details (thanks to the organizer) and they added a few extra details because they really wanted to have a 4 star summary.  

A students independent summary.

Our summary board with the 4 examples and some of the kids finished work.

Phonics Comics

I recently found a series of comic books called Phonics Comics.  The books are grouped into 3 levels - 1, 2 and 3.  They are also Fountas and Pinnell leveled.  I ordered 16 books from Amazon (I think I got a little carried away).  The level 1 books I ordered are level F and G.  My level 2 books range from H to J and the level 3 books range from K to M.  Each book has 3 stories in it.  The books are designed to give students phonics and sight word practice.  There is a list of non-decodable or challenging words in the back of each book as well as a list of sight words used in the book.  You can learn more about these books here! 

 Level 3 Books

 Level 2 Books

 Level 1 Books

 Sorry for the sideways pictures - A picture of the inside of a level 1 book

Story words and Sight words page in a level 1 book

I can't wait to use these in my classroom.  My students who are reading at an F in 3rd grade really need books that don't look like "baby books".  

-Becky

Literature Circles

As of right now, I have 35 students!  I have a group of fifth grade boys who need to work on comprehension so I immediately thought of doing literature circles.  I had no packets that were appropriate for them so I decided to make my own.  My rules and behavior chart are in a space theme so I made the packet in a space theme as well.

I chose roles that require students to write summaries, make predictions, infer character traits, determine important ideas, and ask open-ended questions.  The packet includes question starters to help students with questions and a list of character traits, two versions of the cover page, and role descriptions.  I have added the packet to my Teachers Notebook store.  If you want a literature circle in a different theme, please let me know and I'll do my best to make one!  

Enjoy your Friday night, 

Becky

PS - I'm working on a literature circle scoring rubric this weekend.

Parent Teacher Nights & Freebie!

There's nothing like 2 parent teacher nights in a row!  Overall, everything went well.  One parent asked me to assign her child nightly reading.  Both of her kids are perfect angels in school but they really resist doing any extra work for their parents.  When I got home I quickly made a reading log so I thought I'd share it with all of you! It is supposed to be landscape and I'm not sure if it uploaded correctly.  If not, email me and I'll send it to you.

I'm off to bed...TGIF!

-Becky