5 for Friday: Power Hour Freebies!

Happy 5 for Friday!

Thank you Doodle Bugs Teaching for hosting!

Fridays are taking on a whole new meaning for me this year - this year's firsties are helping me truly understand the term "TGIF!"

I'm sharing about my week and also linking up with 

The Daily Alphabet for

It's going to be stretch this week - October did not start off on the right foot with my little crew :( The bright side - it can only get better!!! This year will also push me to step out of my comfort zone and explore new options to support safe and positive behavior (because the "old ways" aren't cutting it!). 

We are starting Power Hour next week! Power Hour is our Guided Reading model where all 150 first graders switch classrooms to be grouped with students at their same reading level. We used to rely on Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment to determine levels, but this year we switched to STEP (Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress). Has anyone else used this? Our first assessment felt extremely cumbersome, but the data it yielded was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!!

I'll be working with 14 students below grade level (STEP Pre-Reading - equivalent to F&P Guided Reading Level AA-B). From the STEP assessment data, I could see that 5 of my students scored 3/5 on their name assessment and 7/14 scored below their target for Concepts of Print. While that's not great news, it gives me a clear picture on what to focus on first!

5. Handwriting Generator

First graders need to write their first and last name! I already printed out plenty of pages using this site and inserted them into plastic sleeves (in the picture below). We will be using these every single day (yikes!). 

4. Independent Reading

Stations are not always the most effective with my non-readers working independently. I find that they tend to be either confused (not working) or playing (still not working). I have had a lot of success with providing these materials for our 15 minute independent stations:

I tuck the following materials into individual student bags: 

5-6 books including sight word readers and high-interest 

(Step Into Reading, National Geographic Kids) books. 

Also included: a little reading buddy :)

3. Reading A-Z 

My students will be using Scholastic and Leveled Literacy for their Guided Reading Lessons (i.e.: 2 days with GR Scholastic book and 2 days with LLI). In addition to those materials, 1-2 printable books from Reading A-Z will be sent home weekly. This is in addition to the decodables we use in Phonics, Close Reading in Comprehension, and our lending library books. 

I love how our students are surrounded with a variety of literature throughout the school day - increasing their volume of reading!

Here's a throwback freebie for Guided Reading Level A:

If you click this link to my throwback post from last October, you'll also find some freebies for Leveled Literacy Instruction :)

2. Best Management Tool

Most days, my reading intervention groups feel like an emergency room. Now that I know we have first graders practicing their name, "emergency" feels like an understatement! I want to maximize every available minute of learning time. In order to do this, I'm extremely explicit with our classroom expectations. Enter an effective visual management tool: zebra duct tape.

The long tape is pretty obvious - this is where we will line up at the start and finish of Power Hour. Can you see the tiny little square of tape? There are 15 squares spread out across the room (my version of Sit Spots!). I guide my students to find their own square for independent reading stations. It works like a charm! I'm no longer interrupting my small group to say "Kyon, scoot away from Tavon. No..scoot away - move over here. Farther. A little bit more. No. Okay, that's perfect. Now Tavon, scoot closer to the door. The door. Where is the door? There you go! Thank you!"

1. On a personal note...

This year's students are also helping me focus on taking care of myself! I've always worked out because I love the way it makes me feel. But this year? I feel like a first-year teacher all over again and running in the morning has become a "need" versus a "want." I haven't felt stress like this in a long time! Luckily, my new kicks are easing the pain:

Thank you Brooks for supporting my feet in such a cute way!

This post is also linked up with Teaching Blog Addict :)

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!