Reading Centers Checklist & Rubrics

We've been making some changes to our guided reading stations recently and I wanted to share some of our ideas with you.  Our guided reading time is currently one hour.  Caitlin and I meet with groups for 20 minutes each during this time, which leaves our students with 2 center activities each day.  We created a schedule of what station groups would do each day.  This helps keep me organized!  The center schedule is listed on the board for the students to see.  (One of my next projects is to create new pictures to put up on the board for each station. I'm not happy with the ones I have right now.)  The centers that the students are currently using are - writing, word work, read with a partner, listening center, and classroom library (reading independently).

At the beginning of the year, we created a "writing board" for the students to use.  This idea came from the book Literacy Work Stations by Debbie Diller. 

The students really like using this writing board, especially when they have a hard time coming up with ideas to write about.  

We also created writing journals at the beginning of the year.  I found composition notebooks on clearance at Target.  Students brought in pictures from home.  We glued them to the outside of the notebooks and I covered each with contact paper so they would last all year.  Students use these notebooks during their writing station.  They use the pictures on the outside to get ideas for their writing.  They have a real sense of pride about their "picture journal."  Here is the example of the one I created.  It includes a lot of my favorites - St. Louis Cardinals,  cupcakes, New York City, M&Ms, my family, our dog Jax, the beach, apples, fall, Christmas time, and superheroes!

As the year has progressed, I noticed that some of our students were doing the same activity in each station instead of making different choices each day.  There was also no accountability for their choices.  So, we came up with some changes that we've implemented.  The students have a "Reading Center Checklist" that they fill out at the end of center time each day.  They keep this checklist in their Centers folder.

 Students check off the activities that they work on that day.  The next time they are in that station, the checklist helps them see what activity they already did this week and reminds them to choose something different to work on.  At the end of the week, this goes home to the parents to see what their child has been working on.  There is a spot for them to sign it and return on Monday.  Keeps the students accountable.

We also created a rubric for students to complete during their read to a partner and independent reading stations.  I have the students use a timer to keep track of how much time they spend reading during their station.  You can use an inexpensive kitchen timer from the dollar store or Walmart.

Students rate themselves on their fluency and using reading strategies.  They also rate themselves on the time they spent reading (or talking), taking breaks, and walking around the room.  Students then turn the rubric in so I can see how they did.  Surprisingly, they are pretty honest and it's a great way to keep them accountable.  It's a great tool to use when conferencing with students about their reading.

You can find my Reading Centers Checklist & Rubric packet in  My TPT Store or click on the pictures above.  

Hope you find these ideas helpful!!

~ Carrie

"How To" Writing Center Activity

Carrie and I had our weekly "table talk" collaboration time this week and our main focus was literacy centers.  We worked together to figure out new engaging activities to help students continue to stay motivated and engaged while we are teaching guided reading. We strategized and came up with several new things for each of our centers and we wanted to share our first new writing activity with you.  Students have been given various writing choices during their writing centers and have been practicing writing for real purposes.  Some writing activities that the students already do are:

*Make lists (shopping, birthdays, holidays, etc)
*Writing a letter to a friend/family member/teacher
*Writing poetry
*Writing narratives (special occasions, pets, vacations, weekends, etc)
*Writing make believe stories with B-M-E

We are now adding a choice of writing "How To" books.  This type of writing experience provides students with a certain structure and format and uses transition words in a natural writing setting.  Some of your more struggling writers might benefit from this type of writing practice because of the sequential steps needed to elaborate on the topic.

This Freebee includes 3 pages of "How To" writing ideas along with a graphic organizer page for students to draw a picture of their "How To" topic, a word bank with transition words, and a space to write down the steps. At the bottom of the page there is a writing checklist for students to check their work before they turn it in. You can cut out all of the different HOW TO topics and put them on a ring, put them in a box, or post them on chart paper.  Students can then choose which "How To" Book idea best relates to them! 

Click here! to get a copy of your own "How To" writing ideas for your centers!