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READING PROGRAM

FOR A 5TH GRADE CLASSROOM

+HOW THE CLASSROOM LOOKS

Between 200 and 1,000 books

Fiction, non-fiction, magazines, comics, newspapers

Multiple shelves (rain gutter, paperback trade shelves)

Class meeting area with projector

Student clipboards for notes

Easel chart for class discussions

Comfortable seating options in several locations

Incandescent lights

Soft music playing on one side of room (student choice)

Most wall art student created, discussion charts, revision marks

Illustrated quotes by students

Library books on current topics

+FIRST FOUR WEEKS

Establish guidelines (per Daily 5) Class meetings about I-PICK (just right books) Role-play correct, incorrect; call group back at first sign of

distraction (building stamina); feedback (teach) Thumbs up = got it, sideways = still trying (focused

reading)

Baseline assessments of all students Phonics Fluency Comprehension

+DAILY ZONE

End goal: 30 minutes of uninterrupted independent reading (read to self, read to someone, listen to reading)

Reading Record of every book finished or abandoned

Students work on Fluency, Comprehension, Vocabulary

Teaching Tools Use of dictionary, thesaurus Chart of affixes with examples (on-going, student-led) Chart of synonyms/antonyms for very common words

+WHOLE CLASS INSTRUCTION –

STANDARDS LESSONS

In meeting area: Cognitive and Metacognitive teaching

Shared reading (30-45 minute lessons)

OR

Strategy teaching (15 minute direct instruction), model, practice

Creating charts, posters for classroom: tell them WHY Synonyms, antonyms Affixes I-PICK Top 10 list weekly or quarterly, depending on interest When Meaning is Lost techniques (reread, visualize, question)

+WHOLE CLASS INSTRUCTION –

COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES

demonstration -> shared demonstration ->

guided practice -> independent practice

Make connections

Monitor reading for meaning

Determine what’s most important

Visualize

Ask questions

Make inferences

Synthesize

+WHOLE CLASS INSTRUCTION –

VOCABULARY

Ten words per week Not the spelling list Sophisticated and useful Student recommendations

Multiple examples (student help) Appropriate AND inappropriate

Situational usage (small groups) Dramatized if possible

Visibly posted in room and referenced daily

Include decoding skills: word parts, similarities

+GUIDED READING, ONE-ON-ONE

Teacher circulates ‘Questions to ask as I roam’ (What page are you on?) Checks in with students regularly, depending on reading

level Fills out ‘Informal Reading Conference’ two-three times

per quarter (more as needed) Keeps note of skills each student needs help with

Specific students who need more practice with skills During independent reading time Small group Meeting area or at a table

+ONE-ON-ONE

Research indicates that direct phonics instruction after second grade is ineffective

BUT – I can recognize, and help students recognize, word structures that they struggle with on an individual basis;

AND – as a Class we can work on morphology, affixes, and compound words

Research does not indicate the teaching of phonemic awareness to readers

BUT – students who do not read may benefit (adults do), on an individual basis

Helping students spell by sounding out, breaking into syllables, or using phonics labels, is appropriate

+SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Foster a strong classroom community Teach positive group interaction Teach effective feedback Teach ‘wait; help, or time’ (when reading together)

Consider the needs of individuals Provide quiet places Brighter or darker Headphones Bilingual books