Have you read Debbie Diller's book on literacy stations. Rather than centers, students are in pairs and work in stations. The stations are self-sustaining and last for the whole year--poetry, drama, etc. Teachers in my district atttended a workshop presented by her and came back to the district very excited. They feel they can manage these stations rather than creating "stations" that always seem to last for only a week. Carol > I have always preferred to do a combined reading/writing workshop, > which I call "Independent Reading and Writing." During this time, there > is a structured order of activity (i.e., sometimes I use a checklist > that they keep in a folder with their work) and basically it goes > something like this: > > 1. Read a book. > 2. Tell another student about the book (plus, the other student asks > three questions about the book). > 3. Write about the book. This can be a synopsis, or I have "literature > response cards" in a basket which have an assortment of writing ideas > for responding to literature, including some that have drawing > involved. > 4. Share your writing with another student and revise as needed. > 5. Make a reading activity choice (i.e., read the wall, read poems > from the poetry basket, sort letter/picture cards, alphabetizing words, > read words in the "nifty word basket" etc.) > 6. Make a writing choice (write a letter, sticker story, stamp story, > poem, whatever) > 7. Read your writing to another student and revise as needed. > 8. Sign up to meet with the teacher. > > While students are working, I do one or two guided reading groups > and/or meet with students individually to go over their work. > > The reading activity choices and writing activity choices might be the > same kinds of activities some use in centers, but I never had "centers" > set up in my classroom. Instead, I had these activities on shelves in > baskets. There was always a writing center, though, with lots of > different writing instruments, a variety of paper, rubber stamps and > stamp pads, a basket of assorted stickers, a few magazines, and a > rotating set of laminated pictures, as well as some "story starter" > cards. > > Renee > > > On Oct 20, 2006, at 6:01 AM, GRISTINA, KRISTIN wrote: > >> Many teachers in my building have students participating in writing >> experiences during this time, but it's not considered independent >> reading time. Teachers are usually seeing guided reading groups during >> this time. While students are in guided reading groups, the others are >> doing story extension activities after a read aloud or a shared >> reading. This can be compared to responding to literature in the upper >> grades, it's just that the teacher has read the text to or with the >> students before they write/respond to it in some way. Also, it's a >> great time for students to be doing picture sorts, and search the room >> activities for either beginning sounds, ending sounds or whatever they >> are working on. >> >> I think that centers CAN be productive if they are based in good >> literacy instruction and they are challenging enough for students at >> all levels. The problem with centers is that in many classrooms, >> centers unfortunately become coloring activities or non-reading >> activities that students lose interest in rather quickly. The problem >> is that the teachers in these rooms don't really understand the >> purpose of literacy centers and how to create effective centers. >> >> Kristin >> NJ >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________________________________ >> ____________ >> I am not in favor of centers for independent reading. They take time >> away >> from reading and are not often checked or monitored by the teacher. >> They >> become busy work. However, in first grade, particularly the beginning >> of first >> grade, the children often have difficulty sustaining independent >> reading. >> What are teachers doing using the workshop model for independent >> reading in >> first grade? >> >> Thank you, >> Maxine >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> > Deep down we must have real affection for each other, a clear > realization or recognition of our shared human status. At the same > time, we must openly accept all ideologies and systems as a means of > solving humanity's problems. One country, one nation, one ideology, > one system is not sufficient. > ~ The Dalai Lama > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > >
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