Thursday, August 18, 2011

Pre-Birthday Freebie! Morning Routine

Friday is my birthday!!!

Yesterday I read an amazing post on Clutter- Free Classroom about a great idea for a morning routine. A similar idea had been growing in the back of my mind ever since The Book Whisperer read along and an earlier post about using music in the morning from Clutter-Free Classroom. Thank goodness for Clutter-Free Classroom!

As Donalyn outlined in The Book Whisperer that any time that the students can steal for reading is good! Practicing with your students to know to pick up their books whenever there is an interruption in the day, while they are waiting for an assembly, and in the morning when they enter the classroom allows for there to be all sorts of extra reading time in the school day. I can identify with everything that Clutter-Free Classroom wrote about the varying types of "bell work" they have used in their rooms...nothing ever really works the way you want it to. I am super excited to try this new method of having my students read their books as soon as they enter the room and sit in their desks.

The basic idea is this:
- when students enter the room they will put away their belongings and sit down
- I will play a new song each morning (I will probably choose 5 songs- one for each day, and perhaps will let students suggest songs or make a soundtrack as a reward)
- students are responsible to be seated and reading their book before the music ends

In order to promote this system I have created a "poster" along the same idea as Clutter-Free Classroom, however I will project mine on the LCD every morning when the students enter the room. I am not going to have my students read for a full 20 minutes though, just until the morning announcements start. I also hope to tie this into my behaviour clip chart as well (more on that on Friday...my birthday!!!) I will be on the look out for students who are settled in and reading right away and have them move up the behaviour chart one level from "Ready to Learn".

Only two and half weeks left of my mat leave and until school starts!!

7 Brilliant Teaching Thoughts:

Marisa said...

Love this idea!

Marisa
iDream.iPlan.iTeach

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this idea. I am going to use it too. Thank you so much for posting. I am going to check out Clutter-Free Classroom as well.

Kimberly
1st in Maine

Beth said...

Thanks, but I can't really take any credit! Make sure you check out Clutter-Free Classrooms!
Beth

Miss Hutson said...

Love the poster! It's just what I needed!

Anonymous said...

Hi!
It's what we have done but with all the transition at that time and level of our first graders, we had a hard time implementing just reading so we do correct a sentence, journal entry, graphing activity for morning work. I am also doing the clip up behavior plan so I like the idea of having those doing what they are suppose to, clip up and start the trend to get busy right away.

Primary Connections

Amanda said...

Like you I was totally inspired to try this after reading Clutter-Free blog! I love that kids are reading, quiet, independent, and I don't have to grade anything!! Thanks for sharing your poster!

Ann Marie said...

Happy Early Birthday!!!

❃ Ann Marie
ABCs and 123s 4 me

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Beth

 
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