Christina Sauchak
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NOTE:
Click on the photos or move your cursor over them to see the captions!
At the beginning of the school year, I outline my expectations for Daily 5 procedures through modeling and anchor charts. This is my Read to Self anchor chart.
To build up students' reading stamina at the beginning of the year, I motivate them to earn "Stamina Scoops."
I utilize the Literacy Cafe System to help students understand and master the four key components of successful reading: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. I post strategies as they are introduced as a visual reminder for my students.
I utilize the Literacy Cafe System to help students understand and master the four key components of successful reading: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. I post strategies as they are introduced as a visual reminder for my students.
During Daily 5, students travel in groups. This visual is displayed on the SMART Board so that students are reminded of which center they are to be at and how much time remains before their next rotation.
I provide my students with a variety of flexible seating options during Daily 5. These students are using a cushioned bench, reclining chair, and pillows.
I provide my students with a variety of flexible seating options during Daily 5. These scoop rockers are a class favorite!
I provide my students with a variety of flexible seating options during Daily 5. This student is using a stool (sometimes sitting on top of the stool, and sometimes using it as a tale).
I provide my students with a variety of flexible seating options during Daily 5. This student is reading in a tent!
I provide my students with a variety of flexible seating options during Daily 5. These students are using Hooki Stools, which I had donated through a DonorsChoose project I created!
I provide my students with a variety of flexible seating options during Daily 5. These students are using plastic chairs.
Whisper phones are available for students to help them monitor their fluency.
Whisper phones are available for students to help them monitor their fluency.
During Read to Someone, my students are expected to be reading coaches! Rather than simply giving their partners unknown words, they help them strategize and problem solve!
We act as reading coaches during Read to Someone!
We act as reading coaches during Read to Someone!
We act as reading coaches during Read to Someone!
During Read to Someone, we don't just close our books when we're finished. We pause and THINK about our reading, using these bookmarks to guide our discussion!
During Read to Someone, we don't just close our books when we're finished. We pause and THINK about our reading, using these bookmarks to guide our discussion!
Sentence stems provide scaffolding to help students get started in speaking or writing without the added pressure of thinking about how to correctly formulate a response.
My guided reading groups are flexible and change based on students' needs! Therefore, my binder has students' names on sticky notes so they can be easily manipulated.
Each of my guided reading groups has a designated folder, which contains lesson plans and anecdotal records for each individual student in the group.
Every student has an individualized reading goal. Guided reading is a time for my students to practice, reflect on, and modify their goals with teacher support.
Every student has an individualized reading goal. Guided reading is a time for my students to practice, reflect on, and modify their goals with teacher support.
Every student has an individualized reading goal. Guided reading is a time for my students to practice, reflect on, and modify their goals with teacher support.
Every student has an individualized reading goal. Guided reading is a time for my students to practice, reflect on, and modify their goals with teacher support.
I push my students to think about their reading through a variety of written responses.
I push my students to think about their reading through a variety of written responses.
I push my students to think about their reading through a variety of written responses.
I integrate technology into my Daily 5 routine. These students are reading leveled texts and completing comprehension quizzes on Raz-Kids.
I integrate technology into my Daily 5 routine. These students are reading leveled texts and completing comprehension quizzes on Raz-Kids.
Word Work is an important component of Daily 5. Students complete individualized word work based on their reading goals and the Words Their Way spelling inventory. I allow students to practice word patterns and sight words in various ways. These students are using Play-Doh.
Word Work is an important component of Daily 5. Students complete individualized word work based on their reading goals and the Words Their Way spelling inventory. I allow students to practice word patterns and sight words in various ways. This student is using magnetic letters. Each student has their own set of magnetic letters to use during Daily 5!
Word Work is an important component of Daily 5. Students complete individualized word work based on their reading goals and the Words Their Way spelling inventory. I allow students to practice word patterns and sight words in various ways. This student is building words with magnetic letters during guided reading.
Word Work is an important component of Daily 5. Students complete individualized word work based on their reading goals and the Words Their Way spelling inventory. I allow students to practice word patterns and sight words in various ways. These students are completing a word sort.
Word Work is an important component of Daily 5. Students complete individualized word work based on their reading goals and the Words Their Way spelling inventory. I allow students to practice word patterns and sight words in various ways. These students are completing a word sort.
Students engage with sight words and vocabulary while practicing coding and sequencing skills with Bee-Bot. I received my Bee-Bot through a Donors Choose project!
Students engage with sight words and vocabulary while practicing coding and sequencing skills with Bee-Bot. I received my Bee-Bot through a Donors Choose project!
The "Headlines" Thinking Routine helps us summarize and capture the heart of the message of stories! These are the Headlines we created after reading "It's Mine" by Leo Lionni.
The "Headlines" Thinking Routine helps us summarize and capture the heart of the message of stories! These are the Headlines we created after reading "The Little Linebacker" by Maria Dismondy and Stephen Tulloch.
The "Headlines" Thinking Routine helps us summarize and capture the heart of the message of stories! These are the Headlines we created after reading "The Little Linebacker" by Maria Dismondy and Stephen Tulloch.
I teach my students the concept of schema, and how we can use our prior knowledge to help us understand new texts and ideas.
I teach my students the concept of schema, and how we can use our prior knowledge to help us understand new texts and ideas.
I like to use the analogy of schema as a lint roller to introduce the concept to children. I lay a bunch of words and phrases from my prior knowledge on the floor, and pick them up with my lint roller. The knowledge sticks to the roller, just as information sticks to our brains!
The students took the ideas they wrote down and stuck them on our classroom schema poster.
We went from having no idea what schema was to successfully activating the schemas of 23 brains!
Students made text-to-self and text-to-text connections and shared them through a Turn & Talk.
Students' write their text-to-self connections on pink strips of paper, which I continually add to our chain. This chain serves as a visual reminder to make connections to the text!
Students' write their text-to-text connections on green strips of paper, which I continually add to our chain. This chain serves as a visual reminder to make connections to the text!
The "Think Puzzle Explore" Thinking Routine sets the stage for deeper inquiry. This is a sample from when we launched our nonfiction reading unit. We thought about what we already know about the topic, what questions or puzzles we have, and brainstormed ways in which we can explore this topic.
Students compared/contrasted fiction and nonfiction with an interactive Venn diagram.
Students compared/contrasted fiction and nonfiction with an interactive Venn diagram.
Students used Scholastic News to help them identify nonfiction text features.
Students use "Stop & Stick" to think about their nonfiction reading.
Students use "Stop & Stick" to think about their nonfiction reading.
Students use "Stop & Stick" to think about their nonfiction reading.
Students worked together to identify nonfiction text features.
This is an anchor chart from our character study reading unit.
The "Step Inside" Thinking Routine allows us to better understand another perspective. In this example, we stepped inside Chrysanthemum the mouse from "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes. We thought about what Chrysanthemum saw, thought, wondered, and felt during the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
The "Step Inside" Thinking Routine allows us to better understand another perspective. In this example, we stepped inside Grace from "Amazing Grace" by Mary Hoffman. We thought about what Grace saw, thought, wondered, and felt during the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
The "Step Inside" Thinking Routine allows us to better understand another perspective. In this example, we stepped inside Lucy from "Spaghetti in a Hotdog Bun" by Maria Dismondy. We thought about what Lucy saw, thought, wondered, and felt throughout the story.
The "Peel the Fruit" Thinking Routine allowed students to identify inside and outside character traits and the heart of the story "More Chocolate Milk, Por Favor!" by Maria Dismondy.
The "Peel the Fruit" Thinking Routine allowed students to identify inside and outside character traits and the heart of the story "More Chocolate Milk, Por Favor!" by Maria Dismondy.
During our character study unit, students practiced reading with expression. They selected a character and emotion and practiced reading passages in the voice/emotion of that character.
Students enhance their comprehension skills through close reading practice on the SMART Board.
Students practice revisiting the text to find evidence that supports their answers.
We explored the -ar sound with our friend M(ar)k the Pirate!
We explored the -ar sound with our friend M(ar)k the Pirate!
We explored the -ar sound with our friend M(ar)k the Pirate! We helped him complete his treasure map by finding -ar words around the room.
We explored the -ar sound with our friend M(ar)k the Pirate! We helped him complete his treasure map by finding -ar words around the room.
Learning the long "oo" sound by building SpOOky bOO words!
Students practiced making inferences after reading "This Is Not My Hat" by Jon Klassen. The book has three wordless spreads, and the students assumed the role of the author to add text based on their inferences.
Students practiced making inferences after reading "This Is Not My Hat" by Jon Klassen. The book has three wordless spreads, and the students assumed the role of the author to add text based on their inferences.
Students practiced making inferences after reading "This Is Not My Hat" by Jon Klassen. The book has three wordless spreads, and the students assumed the role of the author to add text based on their inferences.
Students practiced fluency through a Thanksgiving reader's theatre, which we performed for other classes!
Students practice reading with fluency and expression as they rehearse their Reader's Theatre!
After reading and practicing visualizing with "The Polar Express," I transformed our classroom!
After reading and practicing visualizing with "The Polar Express," I transformed our classroom! We all wore our pajamas as we boarded the train!
After reading and practicing visualizing with "The Polar Express," I transformed our classroom! We all wore our pajamas as we boarded the train and had our tickets punched!
After reading and practicing visualizing with "The Polar Express," I transformed our classroom! We all wore our pajamas as we boarded the train. We watched the movie to practice comparing/contrasting and making text-to-media connections!
For March is Reading Month, students decorated book jackets to represent their favorite books for our classroom door display!
For March is Reading Month, students decorated book jackets to represent their favorite books for our classroom door display!
During March is Reading Month, students had the opportunity to earn hole punches on their "Super Reader" cards. Students could earn punches for demonstrating outstanding stamina, word solving strategies, storytelling voices, retelling, connections, and more! Once they earned all ten punches, they received a special prize.
During March is Reading Month, students had the opportunity to earn hole punches on their "Super Reader" cards. Students could earn punches for demonstrating outstanding stamina, word solving strategies, storytelling voices, retelling, connections, and more! Once they earned all ten punches, they received a special prize.
Students identified inside and outside character traits of their teacher and each other during our character study unit.
Students identified inside and outside character traits of their teacher and each other during our character study unit.
Students identified inside and outside character traits of their teacher and each other during our character study unit.
Students identified inside and outside character traits of their teacher and each other during our character study unit.
To celebrate the end of our character study unit and March is Reading Month, I dressed up as The Rainbow Fish for all five sections of first grade!
Students practiced reasoning with evidence by making a claim (Ms. Sauchak was dressed as The Rainbow Fish) and answering the question, "What makes you say that?"
Students' nightly homework is to read to an adult. Students complete a nightly reading log and answer comprehension questions about their guided reading books or books from their book boxes. Parents also communicate students' strengths/struggles on these logs.
Students' nightly homework is to read to an adult. Students complete a nightly reading log and answer comprehension questions about their guided reading books or books from their book boxes. Parents also communicate students' strengths/struggles on these logs.
During March is Reading Month, students participated in a variety of literacy-based activities, including Dr. Seuss Day!
On St. Patrick's Day, students practiced their inferencing skills as Sparty the Leprechaun visited our classroom!
On St. Patrick's Day, students practiced their inferencing skills as Sparty the Leprechaun visited our classroom!
On St. Patrick's Day, students practiced their inferencing skills as Sparty the Leprechaun visited our classroom!
On St. Patrick's Day, students practiced their inferencing skills as Sparty the Leprechaun visited our classroom!
"Read Nonfiction" (Written by Ms. Sauchak)
The Rainbow Fish (Ms. Sauchak)
Word Study: -ar
Home
About Me
Meet Ms. Sauchak
Resume
Teaching Philosophy
First Year
Academic Instruction
>
Reader's Workshop
Writer's Workshop
Math Workshop
Science
Social Studies
Classroom Management & Setup
Cultures of Thinking
Formative Assessment
Parent Communication
Social Emotional Learning
Internship Year
Academic Instruction
>
Literacy
Math
Science
Social Studies
Classroom Management
Contact Me