My New and Improved Daily 5!

I finally finished my first round of the new Ohio Teacher Evaluation Assessments.  WHEW!  I chose the first round to be focused on math.  I wasn't nervous because my students LOVE math and it is something that we do every day.  The electricity in my school ended up being off for 3 hours that day of my observation but I am lucky enough to have a classroom that gets good afternoon sun.  I love using technology and student fact rotation and my whole group items were all on the computer.  I decided to make a go at the lesson anyway- without lights or power!  :)  My students did a fantastic job and I was so proud of them for making good choices especially with the excitement of no power!

I had my post conference and have already started to think about my next observation in January.  I will be teaching reading.  I have built in differentiation already but while looking at the rubric- I started to get nervous that I don't have enough differentiation!  At a professional development meeting a couple of weeks ago my team and I sat down and started to think of a tic/tac/toe board to allow more Gardner/ Bloom's choices.  I went from these and created boards for read to self (fiction and non-fiction), work on writing. vocabulary (well-the more difficult board is adapted by my lovely 3rd grade friend), and word work.

So I just slightly adapted my schedule and added the boards to my reading block.  For the next couple of weeks I am going to have our 3rd grade buddies come and practice using the boards with us.  Most of these are choices that students already know how to do- they just may not have seen it in this format.

Here is an overview of my block:

Reading Block

8:55-9:10 Guided Reading Group and Work on Writing

*Students use Work on Writing choice boards in page protector sleeves and mark off when they write the story.  Often students take 2-3 days to finish their writing.  So each writing choice board lasts 2-4 weeks.

All choices have been taught and practiced individually before they are given the choice boards.

9:10-9:30 Whole Group Comprehension

*We have a focus text of the week from our reading series.  On Monday we listen to the story and use stop and talking points with partners.  Next we either introduce or review our Reading Power comprehension skill song and discuss how to use the strategy.  (Make connections, ask questions, retell, make inferences etc.)

*On Tuesday we listen to the story again but stop and retell after every two pages using motions with a partner.  Next we review the song and ask for volunteers to tell how they used the specific comprehension skill.

*On Wednesday we have partners discuss how they use the comprehension skill before reading the book.  Then we read the book and I stop halfway through and ask partners to share how they used the comprehension skill.  Finally we finish the book and I have partners discuss how they used the comprehension skill again/ fill out an organizer together.

*On Thursday students take our reading series multiple choice comprehension assessment.  Students are also asked to read a book and fill out an organizer using the target comprehension skill.

*On Friday students are asked to share their organizer from the day before with a partner.

9:30-9:45 Guided Reading and Fiction Read to Self

*Students read a fiction book and complete activities off of one of the fiction read to self charts.

9:45-10:00 Guided Reading and Non-Fiction Read to Self

* Students read a non-fiction book and complete activities off of one of the non-fiction read to self charts.

***I have 2 back to back rotations because intervention students are pulled out and cannot miss whole group instruction.  This is also why the more difficult rotations are planned for when struggling students are pulled out.

10:00-10:20 Word Study

*Monday- students are given a spelling pre-assessment using words from our reading series.  If students pass all words- they are given 2 challenge word lists (1 list for home and the other the student glues into their cheap spiral word study notebook.)  Then students are introduced to the 2 new common core vocabulary words for the week.  If they don’t pass all words- they are given 1 list to glue into their word work notebook.

*Tuesday-Thursday there are 2- ten minute group rotations

First Grade List Group

	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
1st Rotation	Introduce new sort cards, model sort and ask students to discuss in partners how the words were sorted.  Give students new cards- have them cut out the cards and repeat the same sort.  They will keep their cards in a baggie and write the words for the sort in their word work notebook.  Review one of the vocabulary words with students.	Students share what they did the day before for vocabulary and word work.  Students complete the same sort from yesterday but as a speed sort.  Students suggest new ways to sort the words and then students complete the sort suggested.	Students share what they did the day before for vocabulary and word work.  Students are given a pre-assessment for their spelling words that they will take tomorrow.  The missed words are assigned as words to focus on during word work.  If no words are missed- students are encouraged to practice words for next week.
2nd Rotation	Student practices 1 new vocabulary words.  If finish early/ get stuck- they move on to word work (where they practice their spelling words.)	Student practices 1 new vocabulary words.  If finish early/ get stuck- they move on to word work (where they practice their spelling words.)	Students start word work or practice more ways to review the new vocabulary words.

 

Challenge Word Group

	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
1st Rotation	Student practices 1 new vocabulary words.  If finish early/ get stuck- they move on to word work (where they practice their spelling words.)	Student practices 1 new vocabulary words.  If finish early/ get stuck- they move on to word work (where they practice their spelling words.)	Students start word work or practice more ways to review the new vocabulary words.
2nd Rotation	Ask students to share what they worked on for one of the vocabulary words.  Introduce new sort cards, model sort and ask students to discuss in partners how the words were sorted.  Give students new cards- have them cut out the cards and repeat the same sort.  They will keep their cards in a baggie and write the words for the sort in their word work notebook.	Students share what they did the day before for vocabulary and word work.  Students complete the same sort from yesterday but as a speed sort.  Students suggest new ways to sort the words and then students complete the sort suggested.	Students share what they did the day before for vocabulary and word work.  Students are given a pre-assessment for their spelling words that they will take tomorrow.  The missed words are assigned as words to focus on during word work.  If no words are missed- students are encouraged to practice words for next week.

10:20-10:35 Guided Reading and Word Work

*Students complete word work by practicing their spelling words in their word work notebook and a choice board.  If they feel that they have mastered their list anytime during the week- they are encouraged to use a dictionary and write their own list of words that they do not know.

 

 

 

***I Use some of these vocabulary words/ cards:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Vocabulary-770313

 

*Read to self takes place throughout the rotations.  Students use Raz-Kids and are scheduled accordingly to miss a rotation that is either too difficult, which often results in behavior problems.  I also make sure that students are not scheduled during a rotation that they really need to practice. 

Here is a peak at what I uploaded to TPT Daily 5 Choice Boards (It is on sale now!)

 

 

 

 

Accountability needed?- pin it to win it

I absolutely adore my class. 
They have character, spunk, and are not afraid to get loose!  :)
During the past few weeks we have had a lot of fun activity days including: Candy Corn Bandit, Fall party, 50th day, voting day (which was SUPER fun- I'll have to write a post about it soon!), Literacy Luau etc.  This has helped attribute to the full on personalities surfacing in my 17 boy and 5 girl class.  :)

That being said- sometimes some of them need a bit of accountability!

The times where most choice is during reading and math.  So I created choice boards that will be inserted into a page protector in the front of their reading folder and front of their math folder.  They will use a dry erase marker to cross off their choices that they have made during the week.  I have many kiddos that ALWAYS choose measurement for review center.  Which this is beside the point of a review math center.  I also have kiddos that appear to be reading a book during read to self- but they may not actually be doing it.  Therefore this should help!

Here is a peak of the reading and math choice boards:

If you pin it and comment below- I'll email a copy to you for free.  :)
(Hopefully I'll all caught up on who I owe- if not- email me and demand it!)  :)

Interactive Math Fact Books

I taught using an awesome graphing interactive whole group book last week and it made me want to make them for my future math units.

I created one for sums of ten facts and one for doubles plus 1 facts.

Here is a peak of the doubles plus 1 fact book:

 

 

 

 

We will complete these pages together whole group before we rotate to our math stations.  The last 4 pages are some of the math on my own pages that my students will complete independently.

Here is a peak at the sums of ten book:
 

 

 

 

 

I still need to write about my graphing week.  I used some incredible resources that I found on TPT.  :) 

 

Have a great week!  :)

Hilarious P/T Conference video!

My principal sent this to the entire staff today.  I laughed so hard that I started crying.  I seriously have had a million conferences like this.  It was a great way to start out the day before my P/T conferences.  That way I am not too tough on myself if a conference happened like this. 

Great thing is that not a single one happened like any of these scenarios today! 

Enjoy!  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr5kWOdkHYA&feature=related

Monday Math- counting on

This year my team and I are "creating" our own math lessons.  By creating- I mean that we are pulling from as many resources as possible.  :) We try to use as much as EDM as we can because we have the student journals/ home links books.  However, EDM poorly aligns with common core so we are pulling from many other places.

I always start with warming up earlier in the day with one of these fantastic daily math sheets projected:

• http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Math-Common-Core-Grade-1-Term-2-322398

This week our focus is on addition strategies- counting on.

These are some resources that we have compiled together to create a week worth of lessons:

• http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CAPTIVATING-Counting-On-Addition-Strategy-Resources-650191
• http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-Fact-Strategies-and-Practice-412488
• http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-Properties-Practice-Sheets-and-Simple-Assessments-245636 

For whole group teaching- I just drag the pdf files into a Smart notebook and delete the pages that I don't want.  (MAC) For PC's you have to select "print" and choose the Smart writer printer option and it will convert the pdf's into a smart notebook for you. 

For homework this is what my class has for math:

This is our exit slip this week:

We have a binder that the sheets that we use for "math on my own", homework, whole group work etc. are included in separate binder sheets so that we can have them easily copied for all of us by a parent. 

red guided math group- we are practicing counting on with number lines, and number charts
yellow group- I am showing flash cards and they are writing the answer on dry erase boards
green group- they are working on doubles facts

What I would use if I taught 2nd Grade :)

One of my favorite student teachers contacted me 2 days ago.  She was such a sweetheart and was hired for her first teaching job this year.  :)  She called me and said that he needed help.  She said that her school district didn't have any type of literacy program and she is being told to differentiate but didn't know what to do etc.

So- I told her that I would help her out.  I remember being a first year teacher- it wasn't all that long ago!  It is REALLY over whelming!  Then I think of professional development that I attend.  I am a little dorky and am excited about learning new things to apply to my classroom.  Then I go and they tell me the same thing as always and never have good examples and tell you to go apply what you have learned.  :(  Well- I don't know about you but that is the tough part for me!  I think that great professional development should give you the background but also specific examples that apply directly to you!  Not a 4th grade math example for k-8 classroom teachers AND specialist.  I want a first grade example filled in for me and then give me a blank copy and GUIDE me into filling in one for another subject with my teammates during the meeting.  :)  That way when I can leave- I can APPLY what we did together and start planning and teaching right away!  :)

I spent MANY hours scouring my favorite place- TPT to come up with this plan for her.  I own very few of these products so I don't know for sure if they are the best fit for her.  I just read comments and mostly looked at the span of grade levels.  If they said it is appropriate for k- then I doubt there is enough to truly differentiate for 2nd grade.  However this is a complete assumption.  :)

Math

Daily Math

These are AWESOME for a math warm up.  I use her first grade version in the morning and project it.  We just complete it together as a class.  I will say the problem “2+3…. Now which number is larger…(3) now count on to get the answer… now whisper the answer into your hand, hold it up high.  When I count down- you will shout out the answer.”  “3-2-1!”  I go through the entire paper it takes only about 3-5 minutes. 

These may not line up with your math series but if I haven’t taught the skill- I just teach a quick on the spot mini lesson about the skill.  The great thing with her daily math sheets is that he sticks to the same review skills for 10 days.  So by the 3^rd-4^th day I don’t have to have to “guide” their answers.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Math-Common-Core-Grade-2-Term-1-250616

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Math-Common-Core-Grade-2-Term-2-263857

Formative Skill Based Math Assessments

You can use these even if your math teaches a spiral curriculum.  I teach skill based so it makes it easier but you can still use it with a spiral curriculum. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Standards-Math-Quick-Assessments-196933

Here are different options of how to incorporate these skill checks:

·        You can still teach the whole group lesson that your math curriculum gives you.  Then teach using guided math after the whole group lesson.  Give the skill pre-assessment on Monday so that you can divide students into groups. (I would teach a 5 minute mini-skill lesson on Monday before giving the assessment)  If you teach your whole group math curriculum PLUS the guided math- you might have a really long math time.  You might just want to teach 1 round of guided math on Tuesday, the second round on Wednesday and the third round on Thursday if you don’t have time to have 3 rounds of guided math each day.  You can even consider having your Tuesday low skill group joining your Wednesday "on" group since they had some extra support the day before.

o   About Guided Math and Rotation Charts: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Math-Rotation-Charts-818614

·        You can dissect some practice sheets from your math curriculum for the skills that it is teaching for a 2 week period.  Create a pre-assessment using 2 weeks worth of skills and give it to your students.  Use the results to know what skills you can skip over teaching whole group because the majority of your class knew how to do it already.  You can choose those skills to teach as your skill groups.  That way the students that didn’t get the skill will be your low group, the “kinda” group will be your medium group, and the students that knew all of it will be your advanced group that you teach more difficult or deeper understanding of the skill.

Fact Skill Practice:

These are fantastic for teaching math facts by strategy.  It breaks each skill down.

·        Addition and Subtraction: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Addition-and-Subtraction-Fact-Strategies-Combo-Pack-580132

 

Reading

Daily Comprehension

·       These are AWESOME for a 5 minute comprehension review.  I use the first grade version.  I printed out all pages for the entire year and stapled it into a packet.  My students keep it in their desk and we complete these together.  During days 1-2 I would read the passage to the students.  During days 3-5 you could have students read the passage in partners first and then complete the activity.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comprehension-Notebook-2nd-Grade-Edition-931893

Whole Group Comprehension

·       You can choose a skill of the week like making inferences/ sequencing etc.  Choose a mentor text to use for the week.

o  Day 1: Teach about the skill of the week and tell students that you are going to read a book tomorrow that contains a lot of that skill. 

o  Day 2:  Review the skill and have students “teach” each other what they know.  Read the mentor text.  After reading- model filling out an organizer.

§  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Standards-Reading-Graphic-Organizers-193125

o  Day 3: Review days 1-2.  Read the story again and have them stop after every 2-3 pages and retell to a partner from the beginning what happened.  (I make mine retell with motions etc-  this is a whole brain teaching technique.)  Then have students fill out the same organizer from yesterday in partners.  I would recommend pairing a higher student with a lower student especially for writing. 

o  Day 4:  Review days 1-3.  Read the story 1 more time.  Then have students complete the organizer independently.  Allow students the option to “draw” their answer for lower level students. 

o  Day 5: Have students choose a book on their own level, read it, and then fill in the organizer on their own.  This should assess if they “get” the skill.  It might be helpful to hand out and choose books for students on their own level so you can ensure that the skill is present in the book.  Many lower level books do not have much content.  You can even consider reading aloud a book to lower levels (Or making it a choice to anyone) and then making them fill out the organizer after.

§  Great comprehension website: http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/comprehension_strategies.html

§  Mentor Book List by Strategy:

§  http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/StrategyBooklistfromJackie.pdf

Spelling/ word work:

I like spelling as a way to assess if students know or need to practice a specific word part.  Here are some spellings lists that you can use:

·       http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Differentiated-Research-Based-Second-Grade-Spelling-CardsLists-328130

·       http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/2nd-Grade-Harcourt-Journeys-Spelling-Lists-1-30-363486

This is a blog post that I made to describe how I run spelling/ word work time:

http://lasotaslittlelearners.blogspot.com/2013/10/word-work.html

*If students pass the pre-test- you can give them the words to practice of a more difficult list or give them words that have the same chunk but are much longer.  For example for the chunk being ‘or.’  If they pass the easy list (or, for)- then give them words like orange and corander to work on for the week.

 

 

 

Writing

Here are options for writing lessons for all year: (I would recommend the 3^rd choice because it doesn’t have a range from k- on.  K writing would be too easy.)

·       http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Writing-Workshop-Bundle-425932

·       http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Through-the-Year-Bundle-Complete-Set-1-8-Aligned-with-Common-Core-727254

·       This one you will need to buy all three:

o   http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Narratives-A-Complete-Writing-Unit-730674

o   http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Informational-Writing-A-Complete-Writing-Unit-884986

o   My guess is that she is coming out with an Opinion writing soon.

*This is a resource you might want to have your students have access to when they write: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/My-Writing-Words-887459

Grammar/ punctuation:

I would focus on a skill a week.

·       Monday- Teach the skill

o   Here are teaching posters: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grammar-Poster-Pack-304174

·       Tuesday- Insert the skill for practice into a morning message that the students read when they come into school.  You can in the message assign a student to fix the mistakes.  (Forgot to put the capitals etc.) or underline the grammar parts (underline the plural nouns)  You can do this on chart paper or if you have a projector- project it and have the students fix the mistakes with a dry erase marker.  Then at morning meeting go over the message.

·       Wednesday- Go around and check student writing for the skill of the week.  This only needs to take about 5 minutes.  Just a quick glance.  Grade the students on how they did with the skill.

o   http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Grade-Reading-Writing-and-Math-Observation-Notes-Word-Document-877094 Change these to second grade skills at the top.

o   If it isn’t a writing skill- just ask students to point out the skill in their writing as you walk around.

·       Thursday- During writing- pull students with their current writing to the carpet to go over and help them fix their writing for the target skill.  I pull the students that I mark with a 1 together and then later pull the students with a 2 together.

I ended with telling her this is what I would do and told her to use it as a guiding point.  Think about what her students need, her teaching style etc.  I also gave her my daily Monday-Thursday schedule and told her that it works for me and she needs to think about her pull out schedule, lunch etc and think about what would work.  We have discussed D5 multiple times before so it isn't highlighted in my email as well as the phonics dance.

8:15-8:30 Morning Work
8:30-8:40 Announcements
8:40-8:50 Morning Meeting
8:50-8:55 Daily Math Review
8:55-9:10 Guided Reading (2/3s of my class leaves for a sight word intervention), daily 5- work on writing (I don't allow my students to choose D5 rotations)
9:10-9:30 Whole Group Reading Comprehension
9:30-9:45 Guided Reading (2/3s of my class leaves tier 2 reading intervention), daily 5- reading response/ sharing (my version of read to someone since there are very few kids in my class at this time.)
9:45-10:00 Guided Reading (2/3s of my class leaves tier 2 reading intervention), daily 5- read to self  (Some pull out kids transition back early so read to self is something that they can do quickly and know what to do.)
10:00-10:20 Whole group Word Study (M-intro new sight words and highlight them in writing words book and give spelling pre-test, T- teach new phonics dance chunks, W-Complete sorts for spelling words, R-use spellingcity, F-spelling test.
10:20-10:35 Guided Reading and daily 5- word work
10:35-10:45 Whole group writing (M-read mentor text and model pre-writing organizer T-model drafting  W-model revising   R-Model editing   F-Review of week)
10:45-11:15 Students write and I (M- assist lower students with filling in pre-writing organizer   T- assist students with the teacher edit or writers block cards up   W- check on skill of the week and repeat Tuesday's job  R-pull skill groups  F-choose students to share for author's chair and also during read aloud time.)
11:15-12:05 lunch and recess
12:05-12:40 read aloud, handwriting/ daily comprehension, phonics dance chant of learned chunks
12:40-1:20 Special
1:20-2:35 Math (whole group, 3 rotations and closing)
2:35-2:45 Day review/ peace meeting (we sit in a circle and review everything that we learned, give compliments to students for helping us, discuss problems that we might have had)
2:45-2:55 Pack up
2:55-3:00 Dismissal

AND..... since I spent many hours putting this together- I thought that I'd share it here just in case it can help someone else too.  :)