Words Their Way, OUR way Part 4: Motivation & Goal Setting

Now that you have prepped your resources, you are ready to forge ahead with your differentiated Word Study groups. But before you do, I have some tips to help you motivate your students to achieve with goal setting!

Motivate Your Students with a Theme and Goal Setting

Our Word Work differentiated groups are organized by “rock bands” because we are “Rockin’ Readers & Super Star Spellers” (students will be able to transfer the spelling patterns they learn in their Word Work to their Writing and Reading)!

Each Word Study group’s goal is displayed under their rock band’s name. Each student’s name is clipped to the phonics goal beneath. The students truly love being part of a rock band and celebrate when each band meets their goal with a cheer: “Rock on!” because EVERYONE is a star.

If you would like to download a copy of the bulletin board graphics, planning bin labels and related resources to help make planning your differentiated Words Their Way groups a breeze, visit my TpT store: Differentiating Words Their Way: Organization & Routines BUNDLE

The Phonics Goals Poster Set with “I can” statements provide the students with a visual reminder as to what their Word Study focus is. All the goals are displayed in the classroom on a clothesline. When the students are ready for a new goal we take the goal poster down and display it under their rock band’s name on our Word Study bulletin board. Their previous goal is then returned to the clothesline as a visual reminder as to what they have already accomplished. The students refer to them as they are reading and writing. The goal posters encourage students to take accountability for their learning!

 

If you would like to download a copy of The Phonics Goal Poster Set please click HERE.

Now that you have motivated your students and set goals, you are ready to introduce your Word Study routines. I have some tips to help you introduce these routines whole group so that later on, your students will have clear expectations as to what they are to accomplish as they work independently in the Word Study center.  To learn more, read on:

Words Their Way, OUR way Part 5: Routine & Differentiated Mini-lessons

If you would like to download a copy of the planning bin labels and related resources to help make planning your differentiated Words Their Way groups a breeze, visit my TpT store:

Differentiating Words Their Way: Organization & Routines BUNDLE

This is what is included:

This is a seven-part blog series.

Click below to jump right to what you need to know:

Words Their Way-- OUR Way PART 1: Getting Started

Words Their Way-- OUR Way PART 2: Getting Organized

Words Their Way-- OUR Way Part 3: Planning and Prep

Words Their Way-- OUR Way Part 4: Motivation & Goal Setting

Words Their Way-- OUR Way Part 5: Routine & Mini-lessons
Words Their Way-- OUR Way Part 6: Word Study Assessment
Words Their Way-- OUR Way Part 7: Read to Self as Word Study

Phonics Reading Goals for Emergent Readers

Assign these "I can" statements as individual reading goals 

to hold students accountable for their reading achievement. 

AND IT WORKS!

I purchased the beanie babies to match the reading strategy posters.  The kids love them!

Included are a set of phonics based reading goals. Here is a sampling:

 Whenever I conference with a student, and during our guided reading groups we revisit their reading goal and determine if they are ready set a new goal.  I move their star accordingly!  If they have met their goal, I print out a copy of the strategy poster as a reward for them to take home.

And... there are more to come!

I will continue to update the product as I create more goals!

Printing Tips:

Print one per page in color for classroom display
and clip students names according to their personal reading goal. 

Print 2-4 on a page and send home for parent awareness/involvement. 

Print 2-4 on a page and document student growth in a data portfolio. 

You can purchase a complete set at my TPT store:

Foundational Skills Reading Goals

Enjoy!