Workshops {Literacy Centers}

I often get questions about how I do guided reading and literacy centers in my classroom. I thought I would share a little today about how we do "workshops" in my room.

As most of you who have read this blog before know, I use Beverly Tyner's small group model and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I think it is super important to find a guided reading/small group model that fits not only your class' needs, but your teaching style as well. We have an hour and a half for small groups, which is wonderful! I have 3 groups of 6 kiddos and I meet with every group every day {I hope to post more details about what we do tomorrow}.

While I am meeting with a group, the other 2 groups are split into 4 groups of 3 kiddos each that are practicing skills that their small group is working on with me. So, each group comes to me and does 2 workshops every day.Some groups are working on word families, some are working on blends and digraphs, some are still working on letter naming, etc. so our workshop time is a huge differentitation time. It does take some time and work to have so many different workshops, but I've found it really helps my class and I finally like the way I'm doing it. I don't have specific "named" centers like word work, alphabet, etc. All of my workshops are in numbered tubs except for writing and reading corner, so the groups just pulls out the tub they are working in.  I really like to have some type of paper/pencil at each workshop to hold them accountable and so they get some type of writing practice. When they finish the workshop they are at, they are able to get a game from our game bucket, which is usually some type of word/picture match, sound/picture match, or sentence/picture match. Here are some of the workshops we are doing right now:

Short a word families

Letter Matching...you can find this game here

Groundhog Day Blends...this is in my groundhog pack here {which is on sale right now for $5}

Finding beginning digraphs sounds

Groundhog spelling: Working on CVC words...this is also in my groundhog pack here

Beginning sound matching {this is in the game bucket}...from my sound match pack here

Matching pictures to medial sounds...this can be found here

These are CVC puzzles from Lori Rosenberg's Ultimate CVC pack {click here}...the kids love them!!

Reading corner

Clipping beginning sounds

Building our sight words...this is from a sight word freebie pack I posted here

The kids are also loving these...matching pictures to sentences. I am hoping to get a pack of these made soon

Tomorrow I hope to get some pictures of what I do in small group with the group I'm working with. Happy Monday!