Workstations

In my classroom, I teach using the workstations approach based on 4 Blocks of Reading theory. I have several times during the day that workstations are used to teach and reinforce the Standards. Below are a few of the ways that workstations are used in my class.

Literacy Workstations: I teach reading, and language arts in a literacy block format called Literacy Stations. The block lasts approximately an hour and 20 minutes and during this time the class has 4 stations to rotate between. During the Literacy Stations, students are required to carry their Student Portfolios. Teachers and students determine what work should be placed in the portfolio. Some projects are displayed on the "Wall of fame" area of the room. Some projects are placed in the students' mailboxes to take home.

Station 1: My assistant usually runs our Phonics/phonemic awareness station where Saxon Phonics is reviewed.

(Pictured is Mrs. Wood using worksheets to name letters, review sounds, discuss beginning sounds, blending to read words, etc.)

Station 2: I work at the reading station where sight words, reading strategies, and comprehension skills are taught.

(Pictured are students in my group drawing and phonetically writing about their favorite story read during the week)

Station 3: There is a computer station where the students navigate through our class website "kids corner" and their assigned websites are based on individual standards that are of in need.

(Pictured is a group navigating through our class website "kids corner" tab)

Station 4: The final station is the independent work where standards are reviewed and put to practice using worksheets, games, and art projects independently.

(Pictured is the independent group drawing their favorite character from a story read aloud in large group. The students were asked to use the popcorn words on the board displayed next to the station to help in their writing)

Math Workstations: Math is taught using the stations approach. Each station is based on either a new Standard being addressed or a review of ones that the students are progressing toward. My assistant usually runs a station that is based on a Standard that the students in each group are progressing toward and is a review. My math station is a new math Standard that we are addressing for the week. The independent station requires students to work independently and put to practice math Standards that they have shown mastery/progression on. The final station is the computer station where students are required to navigate through the "kids zone-math games" tab on our class website.

Math should be a time where hands-on, fun-filled exploration is occuring. Students learn best when they are manipulating, exploring, and putting to practice what is learned. Below are just a few pictures of math activities that we complete in our math station

Writers' Workshop: Groups will meet with me during writers' workshop to learn writing strategies, steps to publishing a book, and creating class/individual books. Below is our writers' workshop board and a few pictures of the workshop occuring:

Large Class Projects

We do many projects during the school year (See Parent Corner for a list). However, there are a few large class projects that we are proud of. Below you will see a list of some.

Author's Tea Party: Our class spends all year working on the Writing Standards. From the very first week of school, our class creates books that are displayed in our Reading area. This is building up to the large project near the end of the school year-Author's Tea Party. For two months we discuss the writing strategies and the steps to publishing a book. Once, our books are publised we invite our parents to an Author's Tea Party to show off our published books. Below a slide show that shows the preparation and the event itself.

Documents that I have parents sign for Open House:

(Click the picture)

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