Looking Ahead

I could start off with excuses for why I haven't blogged in more than a month, but all I'll say is that, until this school year is over and I am relaxing poolside, I will most probably be a "once-in-awhile" blogger.  It's just been one of those years, folks!
Anyway, because it's been kind of a rough year, I find myself looking ahead to next year.  I like to have a focus for the summer to guide my professional learning.  For the past couple of summers I have worked hard to get math workshop and guided math up and running in my classroom, and I have to say I am really happy with the way it is working in my room right now.
Reflecting on my teaching so far this year, I realize that for whatever reason, Daily 5 hasn't worked as well for me as it has in the past.  So this summer I want to read the revised version of the book and explore some variations of the format.  It is definitely time to spruce up some of the reading materials and supplies I use as well!  I did buy this really great caddy to organize some of my small group supplies:

I bought this at my husband's favorite store- Harbor Freight!  He was thrilled when I said I wanted to go with him on his last visit!

The other subject area I want to focus on is science.  I feel like science gets overlooked sometimes in my classroom.  Scheduling usually puts science instruction time at the end of the day, and I will confess there are many days when I use that time to catch up on language arts or math work.  We read a lot of science related books or watch videos, but I need to give my kids more time to explore and "do" science.  Science classes were never my favorites in school, and I've always said I just don't like science.  But thinking back to my childhood days, I realize that wasn't always true.  I loved going on hikes and exploring the woods near my home.  I had a rock collection.  On our annual trip to the shore (the beach to most of you!) I gathered seashells.  I pressed leaves and flowers and made scrapbooks identifying them.  It wasn't until science turned into reading chapters in textbooks and memorizing facts and formulas that I lost interest.  I just finished reading this wonderful book, A Place for Wonder by Georgia Heard, and I am super excited to start letting my kids do what they do best, wonder and discover!  (And with perfect timing, my school will be setting up a primary science lab for next year!)

Oh yeah, as I say EVERY summer, I'm going to work on being super-organized next yearl!   I probably just need to face the fact that I am never going to be one of those teachers who has everything laid out for the week in wonderfully color-coordinated folders and tubs.  But a girl can dream, can't she?

Daily Five: Chapter 1

Lory's Page

 I love Daily 5!  I have been using it since I returned to first grade 2 years ago.  Previously I had used a system of center rotations very similar to what Fountas and Pinnell outlined in Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children.  Although it wasn't a bad system, I did lose a lot of my group time putting out fires.  The listening center group was arguing over who was going to push the buttons, the kids at the ABC center were playing and not building words or the independent reading group was doing everything BUT reading independently.  I found myself resorting to worksheets some days just to keep them quiet.  To me, the biggest plus of the Daily 5 structure is the way you teach and practice the routines. Once those routines are established the teacher is free to focus on working with small groups or conferencing with individual readers.  I plan on using this same routine of building independence and stamina for math stations this year.
I had the opportunity to attend one of The Sisters' workshops 2 years ago.  They really are amazing!  I was particularly impressed with some of their strategies for working with what they call "barometer" children.
I am looking forward to hearing what other think about Daily 5 and sharing what I have learned!

Switching gears for a moment, I need some organizational advice!  One of my goals for this next year is to improve my teaching in small groups.  I am looking for a good way to organize word work and sight word activities for use in guided reading. How can I organize all of the wonderful games,activities and sorts that I have found on blogs and TPT so I can easily pull them out for use in small group when needed when I notice a group or individual needs practice with certain phonics patterns or other word attack strategies?  I was thinking of binders; one for short vowel patterns, one for long vowels and vowel pairs, etc.  How do you organize your guided reading materials?