Literacy Stations: A Love/Hate Relationship

Hi All! 

 I don't know about you, but I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with literacy stations. 

(Disclosure...  Not all of my stations are "Literacy" stations.  Some of my stations are math and content stations.  I call them "Literacy Stations" because that is what I find easiest...  I guess just 'stations' would be even easier... oh well!) 

Cool old picture! Stations... stations...  there is a connection here somewhere.  

I love the small group interactions, the ability to have small groups of students practice skills learned in class,  the time to work with individuals or small groups while the rest of the class is working independently (fingers crossed), and the chance to let my students develop their independence and problem solving skills.

I hate the initial time consuming organization and planning.  I especially hate the first couple of days when I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to make sure everyone understands what they are suppose to be doing. It seems that, even though I have very clear directions on each station folder and have given, what I think, are very clear instructions, some students still struggle with figuring it all out.  I find myself parroting, "Did you read the directions?" a million times.

Its like looking in a mirror!

Luckily, the dependence and insecurity, for most students, only lasts the first several days of literacy stations.  Soon the kiddos get the hang of it.  Students who have been at that station step in and explain if needed, and when I walk around and check in on each group I usually get the thumbs-up and a "We've got this, Mrs. D." and that make me feel so proud of them!

I've been doing literacy stations for years now.  You'd think I would have it all under control, but I am just not that kind of person.  I started Literacy stations when I was teaching 5th grade and came across this book:

For those of you who are new to literacy station or are just curious, I'll share with you how I run literacy stations in my class.  I usually don't start literacy stations until mid-year.  I don't believe my 4th graders are ready for it until then, and I have a lot of group teaching I need to do to prepare them for what they will be practicing.

I start by figuring out how many groups I'll need.  I have 33 students this year, so I have 11 stations with 3 kiddos in each station.

Forgive the EAR...  It is for a speaking lesson...  Speak to the ear!  

I make each student a name magnet with colorful card stock and labels.  I don't laminate them... they don't get moved much.  Instead, when I am switching literacy stations, I rotate the magnet with the name of the station.  This save me a bunch of shuffling!

For each station I have a folder with a clear pocket on the front.  I insert the station objectives/goals and instructions into the clear pocket so that students can easily see and read what the expectations are and I put all of the materials inside.   I originally started with just ordinary file folders stapled at the side, but recently just purchased folder pockets that I will be using instead.  These will help keep each station's materials all in one place!

In the morning, when students come into the room, they take their attendance using Class Dojo, check in homework, sharpen pencils, etc.  and then they get their station folders and get to work.
Here are some of the stations that I have going this round:

Homophone Practice

Figurative Language Sort

Adjective Order Activity

Science Film - Volcanoes

Great use for old technology.  I have some wonderful Eyewitness VCR tapes and I had an old tv/vcr combo gathering dust in my attic.  The kiddos think it is "vintage".  

Raz-Kids Reading

The Private Eye - Science Investigation

Proof It!  Editing Game

Buddy Post Card Writing - Practicing Letter Form

Content Reading - Using Think Marks to code the text

Reading Comprehension

IXL Math

After about 25 minutes at stations, students are given time to fill out their Literacy Station Reflections.  I "randomly" collect 10 a day to look over and at the end of the rotation of all 11 stations I collect them.  

Click HERE to download this FREE Literacy Station Reflection Form  

When planning for the next rotation, I keep several of the same stations, but add in new ones.  My next round I plan on trading the Figurative Language sort for another activity I found on TpT, changing out the grammar stations for different ones, and adding in some practice activities for the upcoming state testing (ugh!).

Now that my class and I are almost finished with the first rotation of Literacy Stations my HATE toward them is waning and I am hoping that on this next round I will fall in LOVE again.  Students will be more familiar with the routine and several of the stations and I will be able to spend less time getting everyone going and more time meeting with individual kiddos.

How do you feel about stations in your classroom?  Do you use them?  If so, I'd love to get some ideas from you about what kind of things you are doing or some great resource ideas!  If you have a wonderful TpT product that would work well for 3rd - 5th graders, feel free to add it to your comment below!

Thanks for visiting!

Integrating Art in the Science Classroom

Kids love art.  Kids love science...  Kids REALLY love when they get to use ART in the science classroom!

One of the ways I have integrated art into my science curriculum is to give "mini microscopes" to my students in the form of jeweler's loupes!  It is a fun, inexpensive way to bring the magnified world into view!

Currently, my students are involved in a study of rocks and fossils as part of a larger Earth science unit.  

Students were asked to bring a rock from home for their first rock investigation.  There were a lot of different rocks on display!

My students thought this one looked like a "butt".  Great simile!  Gotta love 4th graders!

Students then used their jewelers loupes to look closely for evidence of what type of rock they had: igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary.  They started out by just writing their observations and analogies.

 On the second day, they started sketching their rocks while still adding to their analogy list.

The second sketch was a "magnified" view of a section of their rock.

At the end of the second day, they wrote which type of rock they thought they had and their "evidence" for coming to that conclusion.

This lesson could branch into a language arts lesson, possibly a poem about their rock or a descriptive paragraph.

If you have never thought about using jeweler's loupes in your classroom you can get more information here:  The Private Eye.

I'm always on the look out for great ideas that will motive my students and integrate the arts into my science curriculum.  Using loupes for close observation has been a true winner!  The possibilities are endless!  I'll be sharing more ideas as the year progresses.  Be sure to subscribe so that I can share these ideas with you!

Do you have a great idea for integrating the arts into your science curriculum?  If so, I'd love to hear it!  Please leave a comment below!

Top 10 Reasons I'm Glad Winter Vacation is Over

Today is Sunday....  That means tomorrow is Monday and my two week winter vacation is over.  I'm a bit sad and, I don't know about you, but I'm scrambling to get ready for school tomorrow.  So, in an effort to think on the positive side, I'm doing a top 10 list of why I'm actually happy that winter break is over...

1.  Smiles and Hugs - I've missed my kiddos.

2.  New Books - My class is in the middle of their Lewis and Clark/Sacajawea biography unit where I've integrated one of our history topics, The Corps of Discovery, and ELA.

 When we have finished with that unit, we are starting literature circles for Newbery Award winning books.  I was lucky enough to get a Donor's Choose project funded by my friends and family and I have 40 new books on their way!  So excited.  I love new books!

3.  Roller Coasters - Donor's Choose and Chevron were very good to me this year.  They funded a project for science materials for my class.  Not just any science materials...  a whole unit on motion, alternative energy kits, and knex roller coaster sets to study motion.  WOW!  My kids are going to have so much fun with science this spring and I'm going to have fun teaching it!

4. Book Battles- our school is participating in Oregon Battle of the Books.  It is a great way for kids to interact with new books.

5.  Scrabble Club - I run a small Scrabble club at my school.  Last year was my first year and it was a lot of fun.

Halfway to 10 and I'm really having to think here!

6.  Routine - I have enjoyed this time off...  I've set up this new blog, added product to my TpT (Teacher's Pay Teachers) store, and started TBTS (Teaching Blog Traffic School), but I am looking forward to getting back into my weekday routine.

7.  The Private Eye  - If you have never heard of The Private Eye, you should check it out.  It is a great program that gets kids looking closely at things around them.  They use Jewelers Loops to get magnified views everyday objects.  It is fascinating and a great way to integrate art and science in the classroom!   I'll be sharing more as my class starts their Fossil investigation.

View through a jewelers loop.

Resulting sketch

Frame used so students can focus on more detail.  

8.  Fresh Starts - One of the things I love about teaching is there are so many "fresh starts".  Each year we start fresh with a new class of students, we start fresh after each break, we get to start fresh with each new unit, we can even start fresh each Monday morning.

9.  Art for Art's Sake - I love integrating art into other content areas, but I also feel it is so important to teach art elements and principals on their own.  It is hard to carve out time each week for an art lesson, but it is so valuable!

10.  Spring Break is only 3 months away!  

I wish I was going here for Spring Break!

Phew!  I made it!  Instead of dwelling on the ending of vacation, it feels good to think about what I am looking forward to!  I hope this inspired you to think about fresh starts!

What is your top reason for being glad winter vacation (or just the weekend) is over?

Thanks for visiting!