Literacy time: What does it look like?

Literacy is a big part of a kindergartener's day. We start off the day with community breakfast, followed by brief morning work and then Morning Meeting. Then we launch into Literacy time. On Mondays, we do writing during this time, usually focused on "Weekend News" (more about that on another day!). For the rest of the week, we do Shared Reading (where I teach about reading strategies and read aloud a big book or poem, often chorally with the kids) and Read to Self time, followed by Literacy Workstations. This is one of the kids' favorite times of day! There are ten total workstations, each centered around an aspect of literacy (reading, writing, listening, speaking, phonics and problem solving).

Children visit two stations a day with their partner; by the end of the week, they'll have visited most or all the stations. The kindergarteners are slowly becoming independent during this time, which allows me to meet with small groups of students to work on reading, writing and phonics skills at my teacher table. The activities at the workstations change frequently, so it's an engaging and fun way for the kids to grow their reading and writing skills. Below is an explanation of some of the stations, as well as photos of the kids in action!

1. Read to Someone
Partners find a cozy chair (or stuffed animal) and pull out books from their book boxes to read together.

2. Art Station
Kids use paper, colored pencils, scissors, staplers, and glue sticks to create books and other pieces of artwork, as well as dry erase markers and boards.

3. Loose Parts

"Loose parts" are materials that can be moved, combined, and designed in multiple ways, to enhance creativity and imaginative thinking. Right now our Loose Parts stations has wooden blocks and sticks, small plastic animals, and kinetic sand. This will change throughout the year.

4. iPad Station

Our classroom iPad is filled with learning games related to reading, writing, spelling, math and science. This station is also great for learning to take turns, since there is only one tablet and two people. :)

5. Explore Tables

These tables provide hands-on experiences for kids to try various skills, everything from fine motor practice to letter identification to scientific observations. Last week our theme was apples, so these partners are pulling letters out of a box and tracing the letter they select. The month before, we had rocks and magnifying glasses for kids to look closely.

6. Lexia

Lexia is an online literacy program that students do every week for up to an hour. The program adapts to their current skill level/knowledge, providing them with a "just-right" literacy game or skill practice.

7. Teacher Table

At this station, students work in small groups with me to practice reading, writing and phonics strategies. Below, the students are learning to stretch out the sounds in words as they read and write. 

Not pictured are several more stations that I haven't introduced to the class yet, including Word Work, Handwriting, and Writing. This time is a lot of fun to watch and participate in - if you'd ever like to come for a visit during this time, let me know!