Winter Writing, Reading, Fluency, and Art

I have been working feverishly on my curriculum to bring you only the best. That is what I have brought you with Winter Fluency! Like Spring fluency every week has:

• A reading passage that is with and without numbers for use as fluency or simply repeated readings
• A writing unit that includes a prompt and thinking maps to go with it.
• Also included is an adorable art project.
• All art masters are able to be photocopied and there is no tracing.
• Directions are provided in words and pictures for the art.

  My trainings in Thinking Maps have revolutionized my writing program and how I meet the needs of my second language learners. In April, I will be releasing “Fall”. Additionally I will be adding 4 weeks into Spring. I have had June passages requested from many teachers. So I am adding them  as soon as I get home from speaking at the Northern California PreK-1st grade conference! The creation of this curriculum has brought me measurable and fast reading and writing growth. It is an added bonus that now my entire year is planned out for writing and informational reading!

This is has been a joyful road.  I love creating art, so for me that was the easy part. I have been diligent to make the reading appropriate for first grade. They grow and change so quickly this year, but they can only do that if they feel confident and motivated by the content.

It takes some serious restraint to write passages that are readable. This is especially true when writing Science and Social Studies material. ANYONE can write "Pam can run." fluency. But to write informational text for kids who can barely read. Now that takes some thought!
In August I start with we go to bed. It is perfect for those fresh out of kinder babies! Each morning we read it out of the pocket chart for 2-5 minutes, then buddies come and we do it again using our paper passage.
By December we are off the pocket chart and onto paper only. Then by spring, we are rocking and rolling. Busy Honeybees is by far the hardest passage that they read daily.
The power words are essential in this process all year. We read them every time we read the passage. This builds up their operational vocabulary too! It’s a powerful thing guiding the kids through a daily shared reading of this passage! On Monday they get the general idea and reading the majority of the words right along with me, and by Friday they can read the whole thing independently! What happens is that they build such confidence and stamina that when they are reading library books independently they BELIEVE they can do it, so they do.
I have taught with every single passage and writing prompt. That is why it has taken me so long to get these units to you. Most of this curriculum was written last year and perfected in the editing process.  If it did not work with my students I made it better or scrapped it. I just finished the fall trimester and am now editing and rewriting the Fall Unit. Every time I sit down I find a way to simplify the text for our most beginning readers. New readers who were just in kindergarten are fragile little creatures. I will wet your appetite with some of what my students used this fall for our daily 2 minute quick reads and buddy reads. I love having buddies come and it really makes a difference in the lives and reading skills of my students.  

 

All units are available now on TpT. Please click the pictures above to head over to TpT if you are interested in having your writing and informational reading planned for the year! I know it’s a huge relief for me having it ready to go! Blessing to you sweet friends!