The Read to Self THINKmark: A FREEBIE for you!

Are you looking for more opportunities to encourage your students to apply what they have learned from your phonics instruction while they read?
Let me share this strategy with you!

We all know that children LOVE to read and be read to! The method described below gives them an opportunity to do both.

When your students are reading independently, have them hunt for spelling patterns that they are currently studying and prepare a THINKmark to share with the class.

This will give each child in your class an opportunity to “teach” their peers, read to the class and learn from each other!

This is especially powerful if you are managing differentiated Word Study groups such as Words Their Way. Your students will be exposed to a variety of phonics rules as they listen for spelling patterns presented by their peers!

Right here, and now, I will share with you my tried and true method of how to disguise Read to Self as a little more: Word Study! Using what kids love:

You can find The Read to Self THINKmark FREEBIE at the shop by clicking HERE!

My Word Study Goal Is…

I have found it extremely beneficial to provide my students with a Word Study goal that changes each time we study a new spelling pattern. I assign these "I can" statements as individual reading goals to hold students accountable for their reading achievement. This set of 47 Phonics and Reading Goals Posters with “I can” statements provide the students with a visual reminder as to what their Word Study focus is. It works! I promise.

My Gumball Is...

I use this Interactive Phonics Notebook as a supplement to our Read to Self, Guided Reading and Reader’s Workshop routines.

While reading, my students hunt for the spelling patterns that they are currently studying. They add each word to their collection of “gumballs”. After they have met the desired number of words on each page they earn a gumball for their gumball machine! The kids LOVE going on a word hunt!

What are “Gumballs”?

Students enjoy this color-coded strategy to help them identify the various spelling patterns in the words they read and write. 

What do you do with the Sticky Notes?

After each child shares their “gumball” we display our sticky notes on our True Interactive Word Wall. Students and teacher interact with the Word Wall houses by writing words on a post-it and display it on the word family house. The windows measure to fit a 3x3 post-it!

This interactive Word Wall includes word family houses for all phonograms appropriate for the primary grades. This method aligns with Words Their Way, any Spelling program AND differentiated spelling lists.

You will no longer worry that your Word Wall is just taking up valuable space in your classroom. I have included a 6-page guide to help you EASILY facilitate and manage your Interactive Word Wall. Simply, display these Word Wall houses and let your students do all the work.

44 Word Family Houses are included that feature graphics to reinforce each phonogram:

Short Vowel Rd.

Blends Blvd.

Long Vowel Lane

Bossy R Way

Digraphs St.

Diphthongs Dr.

To read a full description of how it is utilized in the primary classroom visit: A True Interactive Word Wall.

What is a Smart Cookie?

Our smart cookie jar is filled with "smart cookies"...yes, Cookie Crisp cereal!  It's that simple.  My students will go out of their way to earn ONE "smart cookie" during Share Time.  It is truly a tasty incentive.

You can find three options for the Smart Cookie Jar label HERE at the shop.

I do hope you find the Gumballs Phonics strategy useful in your classroom!  

It has worked wonders in mine!

Disguise Read to Self As Word Study

Are you looking for more opportunities to encourage your students to apply what they have learned from your phonics instruction while they read? Let me share this success story with you!

We all know that first graders LOVE to read and be read to! The method described below gives them an opportunity to do both.  They read independently hunting for spelling patterns AND are read to by their classmates while they listen for spelling patterns!

Right here, on this page, I will share with you my tried and true method of how to disguise Read to Self as a little more: Word Study! Using what kids love:

sticky notes
color coded "gumballs"

decodable "just right" readers

peer teaching

Share Time (they all LOVE Share Time)

(multi-sensory strategies)

BEFORE:
I begin our day (prior to the Daily 5) with a phonics/spelling mini lesson. For example, if we are studying digraphs we might complete a spelling sort or a short fluency passage. To read more about how I manage DiFfErEnTiAtEd Word Study groups using Words Their Way click HERE.

We close our mini lesson by taking a "sneak peak" at their assigned story for Read to Self. The story would include words with digraphs.

I provide my students with Read To Self bookmarks to mark the page in our decodable readers to help them quickly find their assigned story and to remind them of what is expected of them:

If you would like to download a copy of the Read to Self bookmarks click HERE.

DURING:
During the Daily 5 centers, students spend time at the Read to Self center where they first complete their assigned reading and move on to their self selected reading. As they read the assigned decodable story, they hunt for words that contain a digraph and jot them down on a post-it to share with the class after the Daily 5. My students benefit from using a color coded system for our spelling patterns that we like to call "gumballs":

Once my firsties have completed their assigned reading, they may move on to their own self-selected books. I encourage them to look for these spelling patterns in these books as well. It is important for them to use those stickies as a bookmark on the page where they found the word in the book. They will need to find that page quickly during Share Time.

AFTER:
Once all students have had an opportunity to learn at each Daily 5 station, we meet at the carpet for a Share. This is when my first graders take the lead as "teacher" and TEACH their classmates their current Word Study focus.

Share Time is a favorite part of our day! By mid-year, my first graders have the routine down pat and run the show themselves. This leaves me the time to review their work from the Daily 5.

Student script for share time:

• "My Word Study goal is I can read digraphs.  Today I read ________________, and my gumball is /sh/."
• This is the moment when they read the sentence from their book that contains a word with their gumball. The rest of the students listen for the gumball and raise their hand to contribute their answer.
• The "teacher" calls on no more than 3 students to contribute their answer. Once a classmate shares the correct answer, the teacher says, "You're a smart cookie" and both the "teacher" and the student who answered correctly takes a cookie from the cookie jar (Cookie Crisp cereal).
• The "teacher" calls on another student, "_______ would you like to share?" and the new "teacher" responds with "Yes, please."
• The sticky note gets placed on our Interactive Word Study Bulletin Board:

If you would like to learn more about how I manage differentiated Word Study groups as pictured above visit HERE.

Including a Word Study Share as part of your Daily 5 routine is an excellent way to help motivate your students to apply their Word Study focus and to celebrate what they have accomplished.

It is also a great opportunity for children to learn from their peers, especially if you are differentiating your Word Study groups. Children in advanced Word Study groups can introduce new spelling patterns to children who are not yet at that stage. And on the flip-side, children who have already learned a spelling pattern will have an opportunity to review those patterns they have previously learned!

Share Time also allows you to informally assess your students' ability to apply what they have learned.

In the last decade, I have been using the Daily 5 Management for Centers and Small Group instruction. In those years, I have morphed the Daily 5 into a system that combines MANY best practices (differentiation, Daily 5, Words Their Way, Lucy Calkins, Orton Gillingham... the list goes on).

Teaching is an art. If we go about our instruction utilizing the best programs and resources we can get our hands on, we find amazing results! This story is a testimonial!

Time to Share

Isn't this just adorable?

I have been teaching Reader's Workshop for 12 years and this is the first time I have had buddy readers raise their hand TOGETHER to share. I sat down to facilitate Share Time and one set of buddies sat right up front and raised their hands together and the rest of the class followed suit.  

These are the moments teachers cherish.

  

The innocence of youth, 

the excitement of collaboration, 

and the beauty of engagement.  

BIG SMILE.