I want to shout it from the roof tops! We all work really hard teaching reading, but I believe I have done 3 things differently this year that together have made a difference.
ONE
I have leveled my classroom library with AR levels. I have pulled and sorted books with K-2 grade AR levels and put them in baskets on a separate book shelf. I do use the Daily 5 framework and know that the "Sisters" discourage this, but I believe it has truly helped my kids this year. In addition to the ease, they waste less time looking for a book on their reading level as they are grouped together. (Note: This picture is from preplanning and all baskets weren't out and labeled...)
TWO
I have consistently been assigning fluency passages EVERY week. I have used Jody Southard's Monthly Fluency Passages along with her Monthly Songs and Poems. My kids take home the fluency passage and practice it for homework for 3 nights. There is even a sign off on the bottom of the page for parents. We work on the same poem in class and add it to our poetry notebooks. The kids then practice their poems during the "Read to Partner" portion of Daily 5. The units can be purchased monthly, seasonally or a Year of Fluency all at once!
Another new resource that is HOT of the presses is Tamara Russell's Differentiated Fluency for First Grade. It was 18th today in TpT's newsletter today from K-2 products! It is AMAZING!! Each month includes differentiated passages that are LEVELED! Did I mention that the AR level is even included? This is the FIRST time I have seen a unit like this on Teacher's Pay Teacher's.
THREE
I have focused on sight words this year in a BIG way. I have used our reading curriculum's words (Wonders) and then introduced additional FRY Sight Words. The key here is differentiation again. Each child receives EXTRA words ON HIS/HER LEVEL to practice at home and during Daily 5. I have made assessment sheets, themed flash cards and take home lists. The first 1-500 FRY Words have been bundled into FRY WORD MEGA BUNDLE {Fry Words 1-500}. This is the perfect resource to remediate, teach and challenge all students! I will be working on Fry Words 501-1000 in the upcoming months!
By leveling our classroom library, practicing fluency daily and differentiating our sight words, my class has become better readers. When children are confident in their reading, they are more apt to enjoy reading.
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