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September 15, 2015

Yummy Reading Strategies!


This yummy book is a great resource for reading strategies! It is worth every penny to have in your reading toolbox.  I will show you some of its yumminess! 

The author, Jennifer Serravallo, has collected 300 reading strategies to fit every reading level. She has set them up into thirteen goals starting at pre-emergent to improving writing about reading. She has color-coded each goal.


 For each reading strategy she offers you different ways to understand the strategy so that you can implement it right away.  She gives you a teaching tip to help you understand how to use the strategy or a lesson language to show you how she might explain or demonstrate it to students. Serravallo provides prompts to help you scaffold during student practice.  There is a section she devotes to who the strategy is for. I love this part! In the beginning of the book she teaches you how to use your running records to determine your students goals and strategies to use. I love how she lets you know what reading levels the strategies will work for best. 


Now, for the yummy part of this book! The visuals in this book are to die for! They are both colorful and aspiring! Aspiring because I CAN DO THIS! I can teach the strategy and create anchor charts and tools using the examples. I am a better reading teacher because of this! 


You can't go wrong with this book!  Purchase one for yourself on Amazon or perhaps your school can purchase a copy to share. 

There is a great book study from a group of teacher bloggers who call themselves the Reading Strategies Crew. Each teacher blogger did one goal for their book study. I have linked the first book study by literacylovinggals. She begins with a  more detail description of the first goal. You will then follow the links to the next goal. 

The Reading Strategies Book works well with my Reading Workshop and Daily 5.  I love this book and all its yumminess! 

Enjoy! 


September 6, 2015

Crushin' on my Classroom Theme







When I was a Pinterest Newbie, my first boards were all about teaching. Then, I stumbled upon a blog about classroom themes, Schoolgirl Style. I never thought of decorating my classroom with an actual theme. I just sticky taped cute posters all over the room as my "decor". Alas, I ran into Melanie's site and found the cutest classrooom decor, a bird theme, her original one. I loved how she told me exactly where to go to get the items I needed to create my theme. I purchased her birds (and couple years later- her new birds). But I still love her original blue birds. There is such a sweetness to them. They greet me every morning and tweet me adieu every afternoon. My bestie created a whimsical tree for my hallway last school year.  I didn't do alot of changes this year but change the letters to more colorful ones. I am so crushin' my hallway decor!
Last year

This year!

I will hang my students' work here.


The other side of the hallway.

Added a writing table.

Added a few chandeliers...