Series Reading Club Charts

Hello Readers!

Are you and your students involved a big book club study this year?  If you are in a series book club unit in your classroom, you may be wondering how you can get all of your clubs reading and jotting on post-its with independence.  Some teachers at I at PS 309 in Brooklyn made some charts to help the kids work with partners and club members with independence.  I wanted to share them with you.  You can see that these are just my small handwritten versions.  You can make them bright and colorful.

Happy Reading!

Supprting Kindergarten Readers: Move Up Levels from A to B to C

Hello Everyone,

I have been collecting lots of great things to share with you on the blog this winter and spring.  Look for updates this month!

Last week I studied with 28 fabulous literacy coaches from across the globe.  We worked in several classrooms coaching and teaching together.  We assessed kindergarten readers who have been reading level A and B books for the past four weeks to find out if they are ready to read level C books.  We noticed that some kids were definitely ready to read C books and we got them shopping for books in new baskets.  It was so exciting to quickly assess kids and congratulate them on all they can do and then support them to shop for new books!

Here is how you can do it in your own classroom. 
1.  Sit next to a child during reading workshop and listen to her read her level A or B books.  Look to see if she can do the following:

• One to one matching
• Reads high frequency words
• Uses the pictures to make attempts and guesses at unknown words
• Uses initial and/or final consonants

Here is an example of a recording sheet you can use:

Conferring Notes About Each Reader (from their independent reading)

Name of the Reader	One to one matching	Can read high frequency words in text	Uses the picture to make attempts	Uses initial and or final consonant to make attempts

2.  Read the writing folder of the student and assess the writing and the reading of the writing to be find out if she can do the same things in independent workshop.

 Conferring Notes About Each Reader (from their writing folders)

Name of the Reader	One to one matching	Writes high frequency words	Consistent spaces in between words	Writes initial and final consonant sounds

 

Remember.... If kids are using initial and final consonant sounds to read some tricky words in their A and B books, they are ready for level C!  Hooray!  Time to celebrate.

And, remember that we will want to support kids as they shop in a new leveled book basket.  We can do two things:

• Small group shared reading with level C and D big books.  Then give kids the small copies of the big books to the kids in the group or invite them to have some time with the big books at the easel during reading workshop.
• Guided reading in small groups.  This is especially crucial as kids move into a new level.  

Best wishes with your quick assessments!  Happy reading!