Daily 5 Book Study Begins!

If you have done Daily 5 {D5} or will be doing D5, you know the feeling that I have from within!  I am so excited to start this that I could burst!  lol  I have read about D5 for a couple of years now, but have never implemented it, or even read the book for that matter.  However, with making a move to 2nd grade next year, I thought this would be the perfect time to start.  So, I bought the book and began reading...only to find a wonderful book study here in Blogland! 
Mel, from Seustastic, and Nicole at Teaching With Style, are hosting a Daily 5 Book Study...WITH SOME AWESOME FREEBIES!!!  I am soooooo beyond excited!
So our challenge is to answer the questions that are posed in Chapter 1. So here goes...1.  On pages 4-6, the authors present two different pictures of their classrooms.  In thinking about an dreflecting on your own practice, how would you characterize your literacy block?  Does it look more like the first or second scenario, or is it somewhere in between?  How will you change it?I've been teaching for 14 years in elementary {I taught preschool for 9 years before that, but I'll just focus on my years in elementary in this post.}  When I first started teaching third grade, 14 years ago, I implemented centers in my classroom {and still do}.  My first year, I was the only teacher that did centers, to my knowledge.  When I think back, my kids were pretty much always on task, but what they were doing might just be "busy work".  In my 6th year, our school received the Reading First grant, so came the 90 min. block.  I have to say that it was a great thing for our school, and my students were no longer engaged in meaningless but when the grant was over, there were resources that were no longer available to us.  Also, students were grouped homogeneously, and center were set for them.  I truly believe in my heart of hearts that students will be more involved and enthusiastic if they have ownership in something.  I have heard so many positive comments about Daily 5 that address these issues.  
2.  The typical teacher is very busy having students do lots of different activities.  How is what you are having students do now in your classroom creating quality readers and writers?I feel that I really did well at creating quality readers...but writing?  Not so much!
3.  What sets the Daily 5 structure apart from what you are doing in your classroom?As I mentioned previously, my students have been homogeneously grouped by me with with very little input on what THEY want to do.  Also, I really want to create quality writers, which I don't feel that I have adequately done.
Thanks for Mel and Nicole for providing this awesome book study and great freebies for us!
My teammates and I are really hoping we will be able to attend the Atlanta workshop by the 2 sisters in August.  Anyone else going to that one?
Now, check out what others are saying about Daily 5 Chapter 1.
Waving from The Teacher's Chatterbox, 

Christmas Alphabet

Here's a Christmas center that's easily put together.

Provide this Christmas Alphabet sheet and add lots of Christmas books...
Students search for Christmas words A-Z.

Instant center!
Enjoy!

Alphabet Center

When you think of Alphabet Centers, do you think of "younger students only"? If so, have I got a center for you!  I have an alphabet center in my third grade classroom called Alphabet Topics!  My students love it!

In a notebook, I have created divider pages A-Z.  Behind each letter, I have placed pages for topics beginning with each letter.  From time to time, we brainstorm topics that we have covered, and label a page for that topic under the appropriate letter.  Sometimes, I just add topics that we've covered. 

When students visit that center, they can flip through the pages and choose a topic to write about.  Once that topic has been chosen by a student, it can not be chosen again.  However, if a student writes only a small amount of info, and there's space left, another student can add more information to fill that topic up, but can't repeat anything that has already been written.  

As the book fills up, there are lots of topics that students can revisit and read about. 

If I notice some inaccurate info under a topic, I will hold a brief discussion with the class so we can figure out the appropriate info for that topic.  A new blank page is created for that topic, and a student can then choose to write about it.  

Reading, writing, and reinforcing info is addressed in this center...plus my kiddos LOVE IT!

It you'd like the pages to get you started, just download below.  I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine do!

Chatterbox Blessings,

Author's Study FREEBIES

When we are doing an "Author Study", I add an Author Study Center.  Here students get a chance to revisit some of their favorite books by the author, as well as, engage in fun activities focusing about the author.  Some of my favorite authors are:

Jan Brett

Patricia Polacco

Lester Laminack

Tomie dePaola

Kevin Henkes

Here are a couple of FREEBIES for you to use.

Chatterbox Blessings,

Simply Learning Centers

I am sooooo excited and honored to be an author at Simply Learning Centers.  {Thanks, Jennifer!!!}

Head on over to check out all the great info that has been shared so far on centers!  You'll be glad you did!

And check out my very first post on "Centers for the Beginner!"

Chatterbox Blessings,