Reading Marathon

This is another idea taken from a 4th grade teacher at my previous school and I love it! It's called a "Reading Marathon" and the students love it!

Materials: (for each child)
-white paper, folded into 6 sections- plain printer paper or white construction paper will do
-leveled text
-crayons, colored pencils, pencil

Time: about 90 minutes

Pass out a book(should be the child's independent level) and a sheet of folded paper to each child. Students may use books that they are currently reading. Explain that they will be participating in a Reading Marathon. Students should  complete each section in the time alloted.

10 minutes: Section 1- Make a new cover for you book. Color the cover, be sure to include the title and author.

10 minutes: students reading silently.

10 minutes: Section 2- Write three important details about your favorite character. Draw and color a picture of the character.

10 minutes: students reading silently

10 minutes: Section 3- Write a quick summary of the book part you just read.

10 minutes: Section 4- Draw a visualization from the book. Write a sentence explaining your visualization.

10 minutes: students reading silently

10 minutes: Section 5- Write 3 questions you've had about the book so far.

10 minutes: Section 6- Draw a picture and write a sentence about your book's setting.

I've done this a couple of times and I've been impressed with the results. I will try and figure out a "nonfiction reading marathon."

Classroom Tour

Reading Strategies and Skills Posters- Hollywood Themed

Front of the room (student book boxes)

Birthday Poster and Bucket Filler reminders

Writing Materials

Reading Mini Lesson Area

F.A.C.E.S. of a Reader Strategy Board

Classroom Library

Pop Into a Good Book!

More books...

Books, bulletin boards and workstation storage.

Guided Reading and Strategy Group Materials

Christmas Ornaments

Have you ever made these acrylic paint glass ornaments? They are truly adorable!

Materials:

1 glass ball per child

assortment of acrylic paint (Plaid from Walmart)

assortment of matching ribbon

ornament hooks

Tilt ball and pour paint into top allowing it to run to the bottom of the ball.

I have the students choose two colors and then I always add white.

So for the ornament pictured I poured in pink, white, purple, pink, white, purple, white.

Then the student covers up the opening with a paper towel and shakes it until it is completely covered in the inside. 

I turn it upside down in the tray (writing their class # next to it).

I let it drain and dry for 2-3 days.

Affix topper, tie on coordinating ribbon, wrap in tissue paper and send home!

I hope you understood all that!

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun

I LOVE this book! I read this book during the first three weeks of school while I was using childrens books to build character. Best of all, the author, Maria Dismondy http://www.mariadismondy.com/ , has an activity packet full of ideas to go along with this book http://www.mariadismondy.com/uploads/docs/Spaghetti-Readers-Guide.pdf.
It's about having the courage to be who you are, and children nowadays need all the encouragment they need in this area. It would also be the perfect Christmas gift for the child in your life how has or needs the confidence to be themselves!

Now for the awesome giveaway... I'm giving away a SIGNED COPY(from the author) of this book. All you have to do is follow my blog, and leave a comment including your email address, telling me how you would use it in your classroom. I will be choosing a winner on Saturday.

Nonfiction File Folder Project

After I review nonfiction text features with my third graders they will each get a file folder (I have already premade 25 file folders and divided them into 8 sections) a sheet of directions and a nonfiction book. I love the Scholastic Vocabulary Readers! I have them for all the topics and they are perfect for my lower readers. After modeling the project the students will be left alone to complete it. Here's a sample of a completed folder.

Here are the directions along with a rubric Nonfiction File Folder Project. Do you think you'll use this project with your students? I'd love to hear your feedback!

September Books

Since my entire classroom library is sitting in my dining room waiting for me to wisk them away to school, I figured I do some more blogging about books to read. I've already blogged about books for launching reading and writing workshop, I've also blogged about mentor texts for reading skills and stratigies. Below are a list of my favorite September Books. Leave a comment with your favorite book!

Character Building
A Bad Case of the Tattle Tongue
Bully B.E.A.N.S.
My Mouth is a Volcano
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon
The Boy Who Wouldn't Share
Fill a Bucket
Have you Filled a Bucket Today?
HOw Full is your Bucket? For Kids
Do Unto Otters
Yes We Can!
The Recess Queen
Little Prickles
The Marshmallow Incident
Bullies Never Win
Jungle Bullies
Sweet Briar Goes to School
Sweet Briar Goes to Camp
Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully
Back to School
The Berestain Bears Go Back to School
Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books
Miss Malarkey Doesn't LIve in Room 10
Ready, Set, School!
A Fine, Fine School
What Teachers Can't Do
I Know an Old Teacher
Amelia Bedilia's First Day of School
My School's a Zoo
How do Dinosaurs Go to School?
Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale
Miss Nelson is Missing
Miss Nelson is Back
First Day Jitters
The Kissing Hand
A Pocketful of Kisses
A Kiss Goodbye
Marley Goes to School
Seasonal
Johnny Appleseed- Jane Kurtz
Johnny Appleseed- Alyse Sweeney
Johnny Appleseed- Jodie Shepherd
We All Fall for Apples- Emmi Herman
Fluffy's Goes Apple Picking- Kate McMullan
A Day at the Apple Orchard- Megan Faulkner & Adam Krawesky
How Do Apples Grow? Betsy Maestro
Apples for Everyone- Jill Esbaum
Apples- Gail Gibbons
The Apple Pie Tree- Zoe Hall
Clifford's First Autumn- Norman Bridwell
Leaves- David Ezra Stein
Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane- Victoria Sherrow
The Biggest Leaf Pile- Steve Metzger
The Falling Leaves- Steve Metzger
The Falling Leaves and the Scarecrow- Steve Metzger
Little Red's AUtumn Adventure- Sarah Ferguson
Wild Child- Lynn Plourde

Books to Teach Reading Strategies

So I have a list of books for reading strategies listed here, but I thought I'd share the books that I actually use each year. Do you have an Ollies Bargin Outlet in your area? Well that is where I buy 70% of my books I use to teaching reading strategies with, most of the time it's not popular literature but it's great literature and the students haven't heard the story before! Leave a comment with your favorite teaching book.

Clarify:
The Emperor's Egg- Martin Jenkins
Deep in the Swamp- Donna Bateman
Making Connections: there are literally tons of books that can be used for making connections to self, world and text. Here are my ones for text to text connections.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs/Pickles to Pittsburgh- Judi Barrett
Too Many Frogs/What a Party- Sandy Asher
Amazing Grace/Boundless Grace/Princess Grace- Mary Hoffman
Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash/ Jimmy's Boa Bungee Jump Slam Dunk- Trinka Nobel
Visualizing:
The Gruffalo- Julia Donaldson
Lily Brown's Paintings- Angela Johnson
The Salamander Room- Anne Mazer
Questioning: again there are literally tons of books that can be used for questioning but this is my favorite it!
Tuesday- David Weisner
Predicting:
The Black Snowman- Phil Mendez
The Story of Ruby Bridges- Robert Coles
Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate- Carly Sheilds
The Frog Prince Continued- Jon Scieszka
The Nutty Nut Chase- Kathryn White
Seven Blind Mice- Ed Young
My Lucky Day- Keiko Kasza
Inferring:
Where are you going Manyoni?- Catherine Stock
Tadpole's Promise- Jeanne Willis
Sequencing:
When the Leaf Blew In- Steve Metzger
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain- Arnold Lobel
There Was an Old Lady Series- Lucille Colandro
Fact/Opinion:
Dear Mr. Blueberry- Simon James
Fluency:
Wolf!-Becky Bloom
Other:
Testing Miss Malarkey- Judy Finchler