How To Prepare Your Classroom for Literacy Achievement Series: Keeping Track

Paperwork, organization, binders, and assessments! Oh my!

There are so many components to keeping track of reading and writing strategies, best practices, interventions, and data that it can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan. Organization is crucial to success in keeping track of the happenings in a literacy rich classroom. In this post, I will talk about setting up the teacher's binder and creating student binders.

We've all used binders to store information for our own use, but student binders sometimes go unimplemented. We need to ask ourselves why. My mission as an educator is to prepare students by giving them the tools they need to be independent, critical thinkers who are career and college ready. To help them reach that goal, teachers have to be willing to teach organizational skills, and how to use the information they are learning in other contexts.

Teacher's Binder

I have found that it is easier to create my own binder using a variety of resources from different sources. I am always in search of a form or strategy list that is simple to use, yet efficient. If you are just getting started, or don't have a lot of time, you might find it's easier to download a free resource or purchase a product designed especially for teacher's binders. You have to be honest with yourself and what works best for you.

Contents

1.  Standards
2.  Curriculum Guide
3.  Mini-Lesson List
4.  Conference Calendar
5.  Conference Sheets 
6.  Coaching Questions
7.  List of books covering the range of abilities in your class
8.  Read Aloud Books
9.  Assessments (by quarters or semesters)

1. Standards - Having these handy helps guide your planning and instruction.

2. Curriculum Guide - Preparing this in advance will give you an overall vision of where you are leading your students.

3. Mini-Lesson List - This is helpful when you need a lesson that fits your students' current needs. If you have found the previous days lesson did not go well because you realized they are lacking a key strategy or skill, choose a mini-lesson that will support them. You can also choose lessons that provide extensions or challenges for students that are ready to move to higher-order thinking.

4. Conference Calendar - Keep track of which students you are supposed to meet with throughout the week.

5. Conference Sheets - It is always useful to have your own notes of student conferences. However, you might opt to let students keep these forms in their own binders so they know their goals.

6. Coaching Questions - As teachers, we sometimes think we know how to ask questions during a conference. However, my first time immersed in Daily 5 conferences with Read to Self and Work on Writing, I struggled. I went in search of questions that will help me prod students deeper. Instead of asking surface level questions, I can quickly glance at my cheat sheet and choose questions that are more meaningful in helping me and the student understand what they know and what they need to work on.

7. List of books covering the wide range of abilities in your class - This can help you support students in choosing "just right" books. There are some students who say "I don't like anything," or "I don't like to read," or "I don't know what to choose." For those indecisive students, this is a great way to break that barrier and get some books in their hands.

8. Read Aloud Books - Keeping this list on hand will help you choose books that are meaningful when teaching mini-lessons. Teacher read alouds are a great way for students to listen to a fluent reader and hear reading strategies being used.

9. Assessments - They can be organized by quarters or semesters (or any other way that you are used to). It is important that we are able to make connections between current abilities and assessment data. Use the assessments to help you plan for instruction, provide interventions, and challenge students.

Student's Binder 

Binders for students are a great way to sharpen (or teach them) organizational skills, responsibility, and accountability. Make sure you invest time in teaching them how to care for and use their binders, otherwise, they will end up at the bottom of their desks. 

You might be thinking..."Oh, no! Something else I have to keep track of!" Well, if you put the power in the hands of your students, then you should not have to do much "keeping track" because they will be responsible for their binders. This can work at both primary and intermediate levels, but teachers have to take the time to show them how to use it, and give them time to fill it out. In my experience teaching 4th and 5th grades, this is a great way to prepare them for the expectations of middle school.

Contents

1.  "I can" Standards
2.   Reading Log
3. Writing Log
4. Reading Response
5. Writing Response   

1.  "I can" Standards - Give students a guide of objectives, learning targets, and essential questions so they know what is expected of them. This also helps them understand what they are learning in more concrete terms. Before each lesson, have them write the date next to the standard they are learning that day.

2.  Reading Log - This form should have a place for students to write the book title, author, genre, and if they finished or abandoned the book. It should be simple so students don't get overwhelmed, but it will give them an idea of their likes and dislikes regarding certain genres and authors.

3. Writing Log - Have a form that students can use to track what they are writing. Some teachers might choose to use a Writer's Notebook to keep track of their writing.

4 & 5. Reading & Writing Response - Give students a variety of forms or use lined paper they can use to respond to their reading and writing. Again, this should be simple so that it allows students to freely write their responses.

If you have the space, I have seen many teachers collect and store student binders on a shelf or in a bin so they are out of their desks, but easily accessible. Teach the procedure for getting their notebook and taking it to their "spot" or desk to fill it out.

I hope that some of this information is useful for you if you are preparing for how you will organize teacher and student materials for your literacy block. There are many ways you can do this, but I strive for simple and effective methods. You may find that when experimenting with these ideas, you will be inspired to try other methods that work best for you and your students. Pay attention to the ebb and flow of your class!

What are your tried and true literacy organization strategies?

How To Prepare Your Classroom for Literacy Achievement Series: Creating a Literacy Rich Environment

To set up a successful literacy classroom, the teacher and students need to have an organizational plan in place. They should also maintain that plan. Of course, each group of kids may require some fine-tuning that fit their individual needs.

This post will cover simple ways to ensure a solid foundation for a literacy rich environment. Veteran teachers have a large amount of information; however, for teachers entering the profession or early career teachers, the amount of information can be overwhelming. The information here is to help you get started. As a professional, it is up to you to continue your research and see what fits your students' needs best.

A great design is the foundation for creating a literacy rich classroom. Throughout this post, you will discover ideas to help you set up your room for success. There are a lot of websites and blogs that feature inspiring pictures to help you figure out a great design. Design your room so that all elements complement each other.

Creating a Classroom Library

The following list includes a list of ideas and tips that will serve you well:

1.  Shelves - The library shelves should be low to mid-level so all of your students can reach the books with ease. Use the empty space on your window sills for more space. Scour garage sales, bargain stores, teacher supply magazines, and talk to other teachers to find display racks and magazine holders for your books.

2.  Book Boxes & Bins - Students need places to store the books they are reading. Whether you decide to let students keep them near their desk or if you have a special place in your room, set them up for success by acquiring books boxes, bins, chair pockets, gallon storage bags, or plastic planters. Storing books in a container will protect the books. It also relieves the stress of books getting lost or damaged in those messy desks!

3.  Label - An efficient library is labeled. How it is labeled depends on the teacher, school, or district. You may be required to label your library a specific way, so make sure you are doing your due diligence. If you have the freedom to label any way you wish, take the time to organize your books in the beginning, before school starts. By doing this, you and your students will reap the rewards of an organized library. Books will be easy to find and put away, students can interact with the library in a more meaningful way, and it encourages students to practice responsibility. You might choose to include adding Accelerated Reader labels and/or reading levels. The downside to labeling your books with a reading level is that it might discourage or limit certain students from challenging themselves. A book still needs to be a good fit, but I believe students should have the option to think critically about whether or not a book is good for them, rather than letting a reading level decide for them.

A great way to organize your library is sorting your books by genre. It is important for students to see the variety of choices they have. You might consider including sub-genres if you have a lot of books. Creating special bins that include chapter books, authors, favorites, and new books will engage students in choosing just right books they are interested in.

4.  Design - The classroom library should have a welcoming atmosphere that draws students in. Look at Pinterest to get ideas on how to arrange your library. The space you have will dictate how your library can be set up, but keep in mind the flow of the room and liven it up with small touches that make a big impact. Provide students with bean bags, pillows, special chairs, and a big carpet or carpet squares so they can get comfy and lose themselves in their books. Think about where you like to read and the things you like to have around you while you read. Then, transfer those ideas to the classroom.

5.  Books - If you are a new or early career teacher, you may not have a lot of books yet. It will take some time to acquire a vast library, but there are places you can look that will help you build your library at a low cost. Of course, building a classroom library is an investment, so you have to be willing to absorb the expense. Giving students access to a variety of titles and genres will guide your students to become lifelong learners and independent readers.

The titles in your library should include fiction, non-fiction, fun fact books, newspapers, magazines, poetry, student and teacher publications. Some great resources that I have used to build my library are library book sales, yard sales, colleagues, Scholastic Book Clubs (look for their 50 book packs for $50 and free book offers), online auction websites, friends and family, and online printouts.

6.  Engage & Excite - Engaging students and leading them into the world of reading is paramount in a literacy-rich classroom. You must be willing to let students explore the library (as they would in a community or school library), so they can find what interests them. As their teacher, you can ramp up the excitement by featuring new or new to the library books. Give quick reviews of the book, read the back, or read the first chapter to ignite interest. If there are a lot of students interested, hold a book raffle to see who gets first dibs. Create buzz for books by holding teacher or student led book reviews or talks. Give students a place to write peer recommendations and book awards. Let them talk about their favorite authors and suggest additional titles for them to check out. Also include student authored books to create community among the kids, and give them a chance to read their classmates' work.

Interactive Bulletin Boards

Put the power in the hands of the students. They love to get up and move around, and they love to share with each other, so give them an outlet. Bulletin boards can be student and teacher created. The ideas I gave above about engaging and exciting kids are a great starting point when thinking about types of interactive bulletin boards. You and/or the students can create a peer review or recommendation board that gives the students a chance to write post-its or use a template to share their reading experiences. Design a Facebook or Twitter board where students can "post" their thinking. This past year, I created a "Poet Tree" where students could add their poems. You could also let students create an art display using colorful post-it notes, teasers, book reviews, and recommendations. Another idea is to let students create 3-D shadow boxes that give them a chance to extend their thinking. There are numerous ideas out there, so let your creativity lead you where it may.

Writing Centers

My idea of a writing center does not necessarily include a specific place in which students can only do writing in that place. Writing should be done anywhere students can get comfortable and work without being disturbed. However, it is important to create a centralized space where writing tools and materials are available.

Create a place in the room where your students can access pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, highlighters, hole punches, staplers, and a variety of paper. Include clipboards for them to take their writing to a special place in the room. Add inspirational posters, writing guide posters, editing, revising, and publishing checklists, examples of finished pieces, and writing prompts.

Sharing Opportunities

As adults, we like to share our writing with our peers, family, and friends. Give students the same opportunity to share. Designate certain days or times where they can share their writing and experiences. Some ideas to get you started are author's chair, presentations, poetry slams, writer's celebrations, author signing days, and reading/writing buddies for those who are too shy to share in front of a big group.

These are just a few ideas to help get you started. There is so much you can do, so don't feel like you have to do everything. Don't feel like you have to keep the same ideas throughout the year. Teaching is learning from your students too, so if something loses it's excitement, move on to something else.

What are your favorite go-to ideas for creating a literacy rich environment?