Aww…back to school…the smell of sharpened pencils, the excitement of new books, the smiling faces of your new classroom family…there is something very special about the start of a brand new school year. Although I truly love back to school season (despite mourning the loss of my summer break), it can also be somewhat stressful.
For those of you who have been following my blog for some time, you know that I feel very strongly about the first two weeks of school not including curriculum or grade level standards. However, this does not mean that students should not be learning. The first two weeks of school should focus on getting to know your students, SEL (social-emotional learning), routines and procedures, and setting up your classroom for success.
In this blog post, we will learn how to train your students in key literacy practices that you can use in both your whole-group and small-group instruction throughout the school year. The best part?! These literacy practices are manageable ways to target the science of reading in any subject area!
The Why
Over the years, I have had countless conversations with teachers, both primary and upper, regarding the schedule of the first two weeks of school. Several teachers often make the argument that curriculum must begin as soon as possible simply because there are way too many standards to teach. I completely understand!
Trying to fit every standard into a school year, or in the case of upper grades, before state testing, is next to impossible. However, this doesn’t take away from the fact that if your classroom runs like a well-oiled machine, you will get more “bang for your buck”. I put a lot of time and energy into training my class for every part of the day. I train them for group work, how to rotate through centers, how to take notes, how to actively listen during instruction, how to participate in class discussions, how to get out their supplies…the list goes on and on. The better the training, the more smoothly my future lessons will go. This has been true no matter what grade I’ve taught and no mater what the class dynamics have been.
Another question I have been asked in the past is why I don’t just teach these routines at the same time that I begin curriculum. The answer is simple…cognitive overload. Think back to when you learned how to drive a car…imagine trying to drive for the first time without knowing the rules of the road. Operating a car while simultaneously learning what the lights and signs mean is a recipe for disaster! The same goes for students in a new classroom. Asking kids to learn new skills and standards while also learning their new teacher’s expectations is overwhelming!!!
Therefore, new routines and procedures should be taught and practiced with skills the kids are already familiar with, such as character traits and how to be successful in school. SEL is ideal for practicing new routines and procedures.
The How
When planning for those first two weeks of school, I think about what routines would help my classroom run smoothly during lessons. Those are the routines I teach and practice before beginning curriculum. This process does not need to be stressful or daunting. First, I would separate the procedures into two categories: classroom routines and lesson routines. I would then spread out these routines amongst the first two weeks. I tend to emphasize classroom routines during the first week and lesson routines during the second.
Classroom routines consist of day-to-day routines, such as how to enter and exit the classroom, how to gather supplies, and how to keep the classroom organized. Check out this post to read about my go-to classroom routines to teach that first week of school. Make sure to allow time to practice!!! I would even have volunteers model examples and non-examples. This allows students to analyze both expected and unexpected behaviors. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!
Lesson routines are skills that are needed to be successful in various subjects. I tend to focus on literacy routines, as they can be incorporated into any subject. In my opinion, literacy instruction should be present in literally every part of the day. The skills I focus on are the Science of Reading warm-up, thinking maps, note-taking, listening and speaking activities, Depth and Complexity icons, and how to rotate during small group learning.
Before getting into the science of reading specifics, let’s look at a sample schedule for the first two weeks of school.
The What
When planning for those first two weeks of school, I think about what routines would help my classroom run smoothly during lessons. Those are the routines I teach and practice before beginning curriculum.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 8:00-8:30 | Morning Work: Classroom Walk-Through | Morning Work: Coloring Sheet | Morning Work: All About Me | Morning Work: Job Application | Morning Work: Book Interest Form |
| 8:30-9:00 Vocabulary | Intro Word of the Day: Friendship TPR Read Aloud: “All Are Welcome” | Intro Word of the Day: Community TPR Read Aloud: “Our Class is a Family” | Intro Word of the Day: Unique TPR Read Aloud: “The Day You Begin” | Intro Word of the Day: Learning TPR Read Aloud: “The Dot” | Intro Word of the Day: Gratitude TPR Read Aloud: “Finding Beauty” |
| 9:00-9:30 | Teach and Practice Routine: Morning Routine and Restroom Procedure | Teach and Practice Routine: Extra Time (E.T.) Chart | Teach and Practice Routine: “Beat the Music” Transitions | Teach and Practice Routine: Afternoon Routine | Practice E.T. Chart |
| RECESS | RECESS | RECESS | RECESS | RECESS | RECESS |
| 9:45-10:45 | Ice Breaker: Student Bingo | Ice Breaker: Fun Friday Games | Ice Breaker: 3…2…1 | Ice Breaker: The Meme Game | Ice Breaker: Student Guess Who |
| 10:45-11:45 Fluency Comprehension | First Day of School Pictures Thinking Map: Model Circle Map Discussion Prompt: How can I be a good friend at school? | Intro Google Classroom and Other Online Program Thinking Map: Group Circle Map Discussion Prompt: How can we use technology safely and effectively? | Intro Class Jobs Thinking Map: Model Tree Map Discussion Prompt: What qualities would help make us successful for each job? | Intro Classroom Library and Science of Reading Warm-Up Thinking Map: Group Tree Map Discussion Prompt: Describe the different book genres in the library. | Intro Another Online Program Thinking Map: Model Bubble Map Discussion Prompt: How can we get the most out of online learning? |
| LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH |
| 12:30-1:30 | Quiet Activity: Artist Helper | Quiet Activity: Online Practice (Freckle, Zearn, IXL, etc.) | Quiet Activity: Artist Helper | Quiet Activity: Online Practice (Freckle, Zearn, IXL, etc.) | Quiet Activity: Artist Helper |
| 1:30-2:30 | School Tour | Morning Work: Stained Glass Art Project | Morning Work: Stained Glass Art Project Part 2 | Online Game (i.e. Gimkit) | Fun Friday |
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| 8:00-8:30 | Morning Work: My Goals | Morning Work: I Wish My Teacher Knew | Morning Work: E.T. Chart | Morning Work: E.T. Chart | Morning Work: E.T. Chart |
| 8:30-9:00 Vocabulary | Intro Word of the Day: Teamwork TPR Read Aloud: “After the Fall” | Intro Word of the Day: Compassion TPR Read Aloud: “I Am Love” | Intro Word of the Day: On Task TPR Read Aloud: “The Magical Yet” | Intro Word of the Day: Respect TPR Read Aloud: “Because You Matter” | Intro Word of the Day: Effort TPR Read Aloud: “Songbird” |
| 9:00-9:30 Phonics Fluency Vocabulary | Depth and Complexity Icon: Big Idea Science of Reading Warm-Up Writing Prompt: What makes a strong team? | Depth and Complexity Icon: Details Science of Reading Warm-Up Writing Prompt: How can we show compassion at school? | Depth and Complexity Icon: Language of the Discipline Science of Reading Warm-Up Writing Prompt: Why is it important to be on task? | Depth and Complexity Icon: Multiple Perspectives Science of Reading Warm-Up Writing Prompt: Describe respectful behavior. | Depth and Complexity Icon: Review Science of Reading Warm-Up Writing Prompt: How can effort impact success? |
| RECESS | RECESS | RECESS | RECESS | RECESS | RECESS |
| 9:45-10:45 Comprehension | Thinking Map: Circle Map Teach Routine: Mix and Mingle | Thinking Map: Tree Map Practice Routine: Mix and Mingle | Thinking Map: Multi-Flow Map Teach Routine: Gallery Walk | Thinking Map: Bubble Map Practice Routine: Gallery Walk | Review Thinking Maps Practice Any Routine |
| 10:45-11:45 Vocabulary | Math Mini-Lesson: Intro Small Group Learning / Practice Working in Groups Science of Reading Warm-Up Teach Routine: Task Board | Math Mini-Lesson: Learn Math Game Science of Reading Warm-Up Practice Routine: Task Board | Math Mini-Lesson: Math Expectations / Practice Note-Taking Science of Reading Warm-Up Teach Routine: Math Games & Exit Tickets | Math Mini-Lesson: What makes a strong mathematician? Science of Reading Warm-Up Practice Routine: Math Games & Exit Tickets | Math Mini-Lesson: How can we be successful during math? Science of Reading Warm-Up Practice Math Routines |
| LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH | LUNCH |
| 12:30-2:30 | Team Challenge: Team Name and Pennant | Team Challenge: School Supplies | Team Challenge: Classroom | Team Challenge: School | Team Challenge: Video Ad or Catch-Up |
In order to better understand these plans, I would like to take a moment and describe some of the jargon in them. As always, if you would like to know more or have specific questions, email me (melody@learning-n-progress.com). I am more than happy to help!
- Morning Routine: Upon entering the classroom, students unpack and begin their Morning Work, which is listed on the schedule. This Morning Work should be something that students can do independently. For the first time we do our Morning Routine, I usually try to have a coloring sheet or something low-key so that students can focus on practicing the routine rather than on the task itself. I usually then dismiss one table at a time to check-in on the attendance board and put away their backpacks. (You can have a student do this. Perhaps you have a teacher’s assistant, class president, or attendance monitor be in charge of this routine.) Students will complete their Class Jobs if needed (once jobs have been assigned). Our rule is that students may use a whisper voice to greet their tablemates until they hear the classical music start. At that time, voices are off. If students finish their Morning Work, they work on the E.T. (Extra Time) Chart, which is sometimes called Must Do/May Do.
- TPR (Total Physical Response) Read Aloud: I love using picture books to teach vocabulary! New words are introduced before the read aloud, and motions are assigned to those new words. When students hear those words during the read aloud, they repeat the word and do the motion. I suggest having a signal that tells the class to repeat the vocab word. For me, I put one hand to my ear to signal that I expect the class to say the word out loud.
- Science of Reading Warm-Up: I could go on and on about this warm-up, but I actually wrote an entire blog post about it! The idea is that we can squeeze several components (phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) of the science of reading into a quick warm-up for any subject at any grade level. Learn how!
- Depth and Complexity Icons: Depth and Complexity Icons are meant to help students organize their thinking while encouraging them to critically think about the topic at hand. Originally, there were 11 icons. Although they were created with advanced learners in mind, I have found them to be beneficial for all learners in all grades. In this post, we dive into those original icons and discuss ways to incorporate them into book clubs.
- Mix and Mingle: This is a speaking and listening strategy that is both fast and easy to manage! It includes two parts: transitions and sharing. I like to use music with this sharing activity. I use a 30-second song for the transition and a 1-minute song for the sharing portion. When the 30-second song plays, students walk around the room and find a different student to have a quick 1-minute discussion with. Once the 1-minute song plays, they discuss a discussion question or topic until the music stops, making sure each student has a turn to share. (Make sure to go over the sharing question before starting the music.) The 30-second song then plays again while the students find a different partner. This can continue for as long as desired. I recommend having some kind of signal, such as a bell, to inform students when to return to their seats rather than getting a new partner. You may also consider having a completely separate song to signal it is time to return to their seats. Discover other ways to use music to help with transitions and classroom management!
- Gallery Walk: A gallery walk is a strategy that can be used for any subject! It allows students to walk around the room and either participate in small group discussions or add to class graphic organizers. This fosters collaboration and engagement. I recommend using music to aid with transitions. When I introduce thinking maps, I use large anchor charts for each type of thinking map and place them around the room. When the music starts, students walk to one of those charts to add their own notes to it. (I have found that it helps if each student carries his/her own marker with them.) The beauty of this strategy is that students are able to both share their own thoughts and read the ideas of others without having to volunteer ideas in front of the entire class. This is helpful for language learners and students who are a bit timid.
- Math Games: I am a strong advocate for learning games, particularly math games. It is easier and more engaging to learn through play rather than rote memorization. Therefore, I believe that math fluency comes from playing dice games and card games rather than solely with flash cards. Plus, by including math games into your math block, the student engagement in your classroom will increase exponentially! Having said this, getting students to set-up and clean-up math games on their own requires training, no matter what grade level you teach. In my classroom, I set-up a bin per grade level and make sure to include instructions for how-to play, how-to set-up, and how-to clean-up. Every time I teach the class a new game, I teach them in small groups so that I can have them practice in front of me. This way, when I am with a different group, I can count on students to play these math games on their own.
- Task Board: This is my bread-and-butter for small group learning. Students are placed into differentiated groups based on level, skill, or learning modality. Each group has assigned tasks for the day. This is not the same as the station rotation model. Although there is nothing wrong with rotating through centers, I have found more success with using task boards because it allows me the wiggle room to meet more often with the students who need me the most. Discover how I meet the needs of every learner during my math centers.
Tip: Write common tasks on dry erase magnets for easy differentiation! For me, I write the following tasks on magnets at the start of the school year because I use them so often: Lesson, Exit Ticket, ST Math, IReady, Zearn, and Math Games.
I am hoping that you are now feeling more confident and prepared as you go into your first two weeks of the school year. If you are looking for more ways to include literacy instruction, build classroom community, incorporate SEL, and use ice breakers in your classroom, make sure to check out our other blog posts and podcast.
Next time, we will continue our journey into the Science of Reading as we dive into how to pre-assess our students and place them into differentiated small groups. The blog post will be available on August 24, and the podcast episode will air on August 25. Until then, make sure to check out our other Science of Reading posts. I can’t wait to continue our literacy journey together!
