A Listening Center (Students listen to a story and create a thinking map to go with it. This week, students are doing a listen and sketch. They listen to the story and sketch what they “visualize”. Then, students listen to the story again and summarize. When they are done with this activity, they choose a few of our academic vocabulary words (Manzo) and illustrate it or use clay to show the meaning.

E Students use their word study words in a sentence. Then, they may explore new books in the classlibrary that is labeled by genre.

I Students write to their Big Buddies in a special journal.

O Students work on their Writing Process piece that always ties into the OC theme.

U Students will play a phonics game (http://www.carlscorner.us.com/Games.htm Just print out the gameboard on cardstock and put in a protective sleeve. I write words with the weeks’ spelling on the gameboard in order to reinforce the new skill)

Students rotate to each center throughout the week. I have Literacy boxes (clear boxes with materials inside) for the “may dos”. They include interactive journals, Handwriting Without Tears manipulatives, stamp or sticker story materials, etc. Students love reading the room. In that box, I may put bunny ears or a santa hat (depending on the month) that students wear as they read the room. Students also record themselves reading decodables.

I have a million more ideas if you need them. All in all, I want my workshop to be meaningful and make it relate to Open Court and other units of study for that specific time.

Great ideas. Worksheets are good for passive work as a filler or to reinforce a concept. I try and use them sparingly. The trees will also be happy.

The point is to find activities that really engage the students. A worksheet can be used for individualization as part of differentiated instruction as some students prefer to work independently.

Just to be clear, the reading and writing workbook and comprehension language arts workbooks are intended to be direct instruction and highly structured guided practice i.e. whole group activities. They’re not meant for independent work time since they teach new skills…if students do them wrong they learn the new skills incorrectly.

- Spelling:
quiz a partner with a white board, markers, and a old sock (from word wall)
thirty-seven spelling pattern wheels (Write the families)
techno: use OC Resources – online games
Write the voc of the week with marker (eyes closed, left hand, backward, disappearing, pyramid, story, alternate colors)
Tic Tac Toe Spelling
Rubber Stamps
Rhyming Words Sort & Match

- Vocabulary:
techno: OC Resources – online games
make flash cards and quiz a partner
Tic Tac Toe voc
Spinner wheel for word wall

- Must: R. W. Workbook,
Editing cards
TicTacToe Grammar
Magnetic sentences
Sentences game
OC Resources – grammar (Check if Online games exist for this unit)
Create a CST booklet/homepage
Create a lesson to reteach the class

Most of these supplies came from Lakeshore through DonorChoose.