Listening station: Students will listen to a story on tape and follow along in the accompanying book. They know that the green button is for play, the red button is for stop, and the yellow button is for rewind. They should always rewind the story when they are finished listening. If the story is over before we switch stations, students can look through the pictures in the book and talk about their favorite parts. They may, but should not, need help operating the tape recorder. ABC games: The red tub by the bookshelf contains a number of different ABC games. I switch the games frequently and may even put individual students’ names on the games if I want students to get extra practice in a certain area. Students in our class range greatly in ability levels. Some students are working on strengthening letter identification and letter/sound recognition while others are working on decoding new words and constructing sentences. If a particular activity seems too easy or too difficult for a student, you may want to direct them to a new activity. The ABC games station is a great place for helpers to work one on one with the students. Pocket charts: We have a number of different pocket chart activities. I will usually assign a specific pocket chart for the students to use. ABC pocket chart: Students match pictures to the correct letter pocket. You can work with small groups at this station by holding up a picture and asking them what letter it starts with. For an even more challenging activity you can ask students what sound they hear at the end of a word. Number pocket chart: Helpers can hold up picture cards for the students to count and students place the cards in the appropriate pocket. Colors pocket chart: Students can create sentences using pictures and words. Ask students to read the sentences to you. Sentence making pocket chart: Students can arrange sight words to make sentences. Helpers can also ask students to identify the words. Sound sorting pocket chart: Students need to match pictures with the appropriate beginning sound. Word family pocket chart: Students need to arrange the letters to create as many words as they can in the word family. Read around the room: Students work in small groups with the long wrapping paper rolls. They can take turns pointing to words or numbers on the wall while their partner reads the word to them. Students may need help staying on task. Write around the room: Similar to read around the room, except one student has a clipboard and can write the word that their partner points to. Students need to take turns pointing and writing. Shaving cream: Spread a small amount of shaving cream on the table in front of each student. Challenge them to write words from the word wall or give them letter challenges. For a letter challenge say a simple word such as sun and ask them to write the letter they hear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. Make sure students only use one finger in the shaving cream. When it is cleanup time have students dip their hands in a bucket of water and give them a paper towel to wipe their hands. Book Nook: The book nook is a great time for students to explore the books we have already read. Students can look at big and little books for letters, words, shapes, pictures, colors, spaghetti and meatball spaces (the spaces between letters are spaghetti, the spaces between words are meatball), and a number of other things. There are books that students can read to you and books that you can read to them. Star of the week books: Each week we make a book for our star of the week. Each child in the group receives a paper that says " is a special friend because". Their job is to complete the page by writing the child's name and a way that child is a special friend. At the beginning of the year students will need an adult to do the writing for them, but as the year progresses they will be able to do the writing themselves. Encourage students to write down letters that they hear in the words they are trying to write. If the kidwriting on these pages is hard to understand you can put adult writing beneath it. Students can also draw a picture of the star of the week and color on the back if they finish early.
Word slides: We make a new word slide for each new word family. Students cut out the pieces and a helper puts them together. Students can then write down the words that they make or use them in sentences if they seem to need more of a challenge.
Kidwriting: Students get their kidwriting books and markers out. See attached paper for more information on kidwriting. Play dough: This is primarily a beginning of the year station. Students use laminated workmats to make letters. Advanced students can make words from our word wall or names from our name wall. Please make sure students clean up after themselves and close the lids on the play dough. Handwriting: Students may be working on a handwriting page or in their veryveryvery best handwriting books. I encourage students to show me their "superstar" writing and ask them to circle their two very best letters - one upper case and one lower case. If you notice a student has a difficult time staying in the lines, you can use a highlighter to make tracing samples. Usually one or two of these puts them back on track. Highlighters can be found in the pen cup on my desk or by the printer.
Alphabet books:Students will look through alphabet books and identify the things that begin with each letter.You can encourage them to come up with other things that could be on the pages.
ABC magnets: Students can arrange the magnets to create words, names, and sentences.
Let's share those great station ideas!!!
Ruthie's ideas:Listening station: Students will listen to a story on tape and follow along in the accompanying book. They know that the green button is for play, the red button is for stop, and the yellow button is for rewind. They should always rewind the story when they are finished listening. If the story is over before we switch stations, students can look through the pictures in the book and talk about their favorite parts. They may, but should not, need help operating the tape recorder.
ABC games: The red tub by the bookshelf contains a number of different ABC games. I switch the games frequently and may even put individual students’ names on the games if I want students to get extra practice in a certain area. Students in our class range greatly in ability levels. Some students are working on strengthening letter identification and letter/sound recognition while others are working on decoding new words and constructing sentences. If a particular activity seems too easy or too difficult for a student, you may want to direct them to a new activity. The ABC games station is a great place for helpers to work one on one with the students.
Pocket charts: We have a number of different pocket chart activities. I will usually assign a specific pocket chart for the students to use.
ABC pocket chart: Students match pictures to the correct letter pocket. You can work with small groups at this station by holding up a picture and asking them what letter it starts with. For an even more challenging activity you can ask students what sound they hear at the end of a word.
Number pocket chart: Helpers can hold up picture cards for the students to count and students place the cards in the appropriate pocket.
Colors pocket chart: Students can create sentences using pictures and words. Ask students to read the sentences to you.
Sentence making pocket chart: Students can arrange sight words to make sentences. Helpers can also ask students to identify the words.
Sound sorting pocket chart: Students need to match pictures with the appropriate beginning sound.
Word family pocket chart: Students need to arrange the letters to create as many words as they can in the word family.
Read around the room: Students work in small groups with the long wrapping paper rolls. They can take turns pointing to words or numbers on the wall while their partner reads the word to them. Students may need help staying on task.
Write around the room: Similar to read around the room, except one student has a clipboard and can write the word that their partner points to. Students need to take turns pointing and writing.
Shaving cream: Spread a small amount of shaving cream on the table in front of each student. Challenge them to write words from the word wall or give them letter challenges. For a letter challenge say a simple word such as sun and ask them to write the letter they hear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. Make sure students only use one finger in the shaving cream. When it is cleanup time have students dip their hands in a bucket of water and give them a paper towel to wipe their hands.
Book Nook: The book nook is a great time for students to explore the books we have already read. Students can look at big and little books for letters, words, shapes, pictures, colors, spaghetti and meatball spaces (the spaces between letters are spaghetti, the spaces between words are meatball), and a number of other things. There are books that students can read to you and books that you can read to them.
Star of the week books: Each week we make a book for our star of the week. Each child in the group receives a paper that says " is a special friend because". Their job is to complete the page by writing the child's name and a way that child is a special friend. At the beginning of the year students will need an adult to do the writing for them, but as the year progresses they will be able to do the writing themselves. Encourage students to write down letters that they hear in the words they are trying to write. If the kidwriting on these pages is hard to understand you can put adult writing beneath it. Students can also draw a picture of the star of the week and color on the back if they finish early.
Word slides: We make a new word slide for each new word family. Students cut out the pieces and a helper puts them together. Students can then write down the words that they make or use them in sentences if they seem to need more of a challenge.
Kidwriting: Students get their kidwriting books and markers out. See attached paper for more information on kidwriting.
Play dough: This is primarily a beginning of the year station. Students use laminated workmats to make letters. Advanced students can make words from our word wall or names from our name wall. Please make sure students clean up after themselves and close the lids on the play dough.
Handwriting: Students may be working on a handwriting page or in their veryveryvery best handwriting books. I encourage students to show me their "superstar" writing and ask them to circle their two very best letters - one upper case and one lower case. If you notice a student has a difficult time staying in the lines, you can use a highlighter to make tracing samples. Usually one or two of these puts them back on track. Highlighters can be found in the pen cup on my desk or by the printer.
Alphabet books: Students will look through alphabet books and identify the things that begin with each letter. You can encourage them to come up with other things that could be on the pages.
ABC magnets: Students can arrange the magnets to create words, names, and sentences.