1. Shared Reading
1.1. Morning Message
1.1.1. Overall: The morning message is a daily introduction to the language block. Depending on grade level keep the message the same, similar or different. Have a series of activities that follow the morning message. Ex. have students find words, find sounds, find letters/numbers.
1.1.2. Professional Materials: White Board Sticky Notes Pointer
1.1.3. Student Materials: White Board Markers
1.1.4. Physical Space: Using a carpet in the quiet sport in the room. Keeping this area relatively free from distractions such as busy walls, toys in the area, away from doors. Students may have a defined spot or not. Have fidget tools or items like bitty bottoms for those students who need them.
1.1.5. Classroom Atmosphere: Try to do this at the beginning of each day or after a quiet transition. Establish behaviour expectations for this period of time for students and be consistent with enforcing these expectations. Ensure that all other routines or tasks are done before starting to ensure students are focused and that each student is ready and at the carpet.
1.1.6. Time/Structure: Try to keep to 10-20 minutes. This time may start shorter in September, but grow towards June. Keep the routine as consistent as possible.
1.2. Weekly Poems
1.2.1. Overall: A weekly poem that emphasizes a sound (ex. a, b), sound combination (ex. th, or aught) or grammar skill (ex. contractions, commas). The poem is read through on the first day by the teacher and there is a discussion on the sound or grammar item. Throughout the week the class begins to read it as a class. Quick activities such as hiding words and having discussions on what the missing word is, or having students identify the sound or grammar item in the poem.
1.2.2. Professional Materials: Poem ELMO or Computer
1.2.3. Physical Space: Using and ELMO or Projector, leave students in their own spaces (desks, tables, etc) and have them watch the screen. You may need to have specific students sit in specific spots. Keep the lights dim to off and have the door closed to your room. You may also bring the class to the carpet for this activity if that is your preference.
1.2.4. Classroom Atmosphere: Ensure students who require fidget tools or other focusing tools have them available. Best done after a quiet transition or earlier in the morning when student attention levels are usually stronger. Establish behaviour expectations for this period of time for students and be consistent with enforcing these expectations. Ensure that all other routines or tasks are done before starting to ensure students are no distracted.
1.2.5. Time/Structure: 10 - 20 minutes depending on the group. Best done if part of a routine. This may be done each day or on the first, middle and last day of the week. Poem becomes part of the language block routine and should be predictable by students each day.
2. Guided Reading
2.1. Guided Reading Groups
2.1.1. Overall: Using books from a guided reading set, use a three part lesson (before, during after) ensuring that you don't spend too much time on one part in order to address all three parts of the lesson. Introduce the text, have students read the text on their own and then follow up with the questions provided with texts. It is recommended that you record notes or use checklists as a method of formative assessments. Thought this was a good quick article on guided reading groups: 4 Power Strategies to Launch Your Guided Reading Groups | Scholastic
2.1.2. Professional Materials: Guided reading questions Anecdotal or checklist recording forms
2.1.3. Student Materials: Guided reading books
2.1.4. Physical Space: Try to conduct guided reading groups in the same space each day. Best is a teachers table or a horseshoe table. As part of the routine, the other students should know where they are allowed to be during this time.
2.1.5. Classroom Atmosphere: Noise level should be minimal to moderate. If this is a centre rotation then noise level may depend on what the other centre activities ares. If this is done during independent reading, the noise level should be less. The classroom should be settled in terms of movement, meaning there shouldn't be other students out and about in the classroom because they are focused on their own activity.
2.1.6. Time/Structure: Set aside 20 minutes per guided reading group. Create expectations around classroom behaviour (noise levels, reasons to interrupt, what students not with the teacher are doing, etc) and develop these routines before beginning guided reading groups. Having a routine put in place before you begin groups will ensure that your time spent doing guided reading is effective and not full of interruptions.
2.2. Jolly Phonics
2.2.1. Overall: Kindergarten Reviewing the Jolly Phonics program about 10 sounds each group session. Review the sound and action before the song, sing the song with actions and lastly have the students brainstorm some words with the sound. This is similar to a three part lesson (before, during and after). This can be done during centres or play time depending on how the Kindergarten class operates.
2.2.2. Professional Materials: Jolly Phonics cd/songs Large Jolly Phonics book with lyrics and actions Device to play songs
2.2.3. Physical Space: Try to conduct Jolly Phonics groups in the same space each day. Best is a teachers table or a horseshoe table. As part of the routine, the other students should know where they are allowed to be during this time. Try to have the students facing a wall that is not distracting to help keep focus on the task.
2.2.4. Classroom Atmosphere: Since this big idea involves singing and music, the classroom will be louder than normal.
2.3. Time/Structure: 10 - 15 minutes. Conduct groups on a weekly basis on the same day each week Try to keep the sounds to around 10 each day and keep he before and after steps the same each time.
3. Read Aloud
3.1. Three Part Lesson: Act Out a Scene
3.1.1. Overall: Before the read aloud give a brief introduction to the book as well as discuss how the students will be acting out a scene after the read aloud. Discuss what important information they will need to know in order to act out the scene (plot points, characters, setting). After a read aloud have the students act out a scene from the story. Divide the students into small groups and provide each group with a scene from the read aloud (each group can have the same scene or a different scene). Give the students time to rehearse and have some or all groups present. Encourage students to find props from around the classroom.
3.1.2. Professional Materials: Scene papers Text
3.1.3. Student Materials: Any props they may want to use
3.1.4. Physical Space: Divide the room into distinct areas and assign each group a space. A common space in the school may be a good option if supervised to spread out the bodies. Move desks as necessary to ensure there is enough room for the students to develop their scenes.
3.1.5. Classroom Atmosphere: Create a high energy atmosphere by encouraging volume and dramatic gestures.
3.1.6. Time/Structure: 2 - 30 - 40 minute blocks Read the book and discuss what acting out a scene might look like. Show a video of students acting out a scene. At the beginning of the second block review what acting out a scene may look like and the important information from the text. Present the scene in the second blokc.
3.2. Skill Development: Prediction
3.2.1. Overall: Using a three part lesson format, explicitly teach and model different reading skills. If working on prediction, have the students make predictions (as well as stating their reasons for predictions) about the text before reading. They will base these predictions on the text descriptions, images or titles as clues. Record these predictions on a white board or chart paper. While reading, have the students make predictions during plot developments or before turning to the next page. After reading the text, review the predictions made as a class. Before reading and sharing predictions, activities such as elbow partners or think, pair, share could be used to make the task more engaging.
3.2.2. Professional Materials: White board or chart paper Text
3.2.3. Physical Space: Have the students sit at a classroom carpet or in their desks (depending on age and space available).
3.2.4. Classroom Atmosphere: Encourage conversation while make predictions and assessing predictions. During the read aloud, it is best if the students are focused on the text and quiet. Use fidget tools or other activities such as colouring to allow students to focus.
3.2.5. Time/Structure: 15 - 25 minutes Having clear read aloud expectations and routines will help students focus on the task. Having read alouds occur at consistent times in a day will helps students prepare for the activity ahead of time.
4. Independent Reading
4.1. Book Convention:
4.1.1. Overall: Junior Level Students Have students choose and read a book (probably a novel or graphic novel). Have the students create a poster to hang in a store to help promote the book. This poster would include a brief description of the book as well as reviewers comments to help sell the book. Set up your classroom as a convention centre and have another class visit. Have your students try to sell the other students on their book using their poster as a sales tool. As the visiting class leaves, have them pick three books they would like to read based on the sales pitches delivered. Review the results with your class.
4.1.2. Professional Materials: Exemplars Classroom
4.1.3. Student Materials: Book Poster Board Markers/Drawing materials Success Criteria and Assignment page
4.1.4. Physical Space: The physical space won't really factor in until you hold the convention. For the convention, move the desks to the edge of the classroom and line some up the middle to create a track like setting. Encourage conversations and discussions between students sot the space may get pretty loud.
4.1.5. Classroom Atmosphere: During the convention, encourage conversations and discussions between students sot the space may get pretty loud. It may make sense to play some quiet music to help the atmosphere seem more festive.
4.1.6. Time/Structure: The project may take several weeks give or take, to complete depending the the students and time committed to the task. Independent reading for the duration of this task should focus on reading the assigned novel. Dedicate class time to write the reviews, the book description and develop the poster. The convention should only take 10 minutes to set up and 20 minutes for classroom visits. Take another 30 minutes to review the experience and voting results with students.
4.2. Reading Journal
4.2.1. Overall: Have students take five minutes after their personal reading each day and write about what they read. This may be a simple summary task or could tie into a broader theme such as making connections, predicting or another classroom focus at the time. Another option is to have students focus on a reading skill they need to improve In other words, some students may be focusing on summarizing and some on predictions. Writing prompts or questions for students to answer may help students begin the writing process.
4.2.2. Professional Materials: Examplars
4.2.3. Student Materials: Reading material Journal/tech for writing Writing Prompts/Questions
4.2.4. Physical Space: Creating flexible or comfortable seating arrangements may help students focus on reading and writing their journals. Keep the journals in the same location so a routine is developed to get the journals each day after reading. Students who struggle with keeping focus for longer periods of time may require accommodated reading and writing arrangements to help them.
4.2.5. Classroom Atmosphere: The classroom should be kept at a quiet noise level. This is an independent activity. Lighting may vary on the amount of sunlight, but having bright lights may be distracting for some students to remain focused for periods of time. Through routine, these expectations should become apparent and automatic for students.
4.2.6. Time/Structure: The reading portion may build as the school year goes on. Somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes. The writing portion should stay consistent at 5 minutes. Going back to a reading journal should be an allowable task for students with free time. Keeping the routine for this activity is critical. This should become an established routine for your language block each day.