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Reading Aloud to Children: Introducing a Love for Poetry
Literacy is a Family Affair: Introducing a Love for Poetry
William Kearns and Betty Porter Walls
William Kerns and Betty Porter Wall
Celebrate what they know, what they can do, and what they want to learn about. Give them opportunities to work beside and with each other. Have them pursue inquiry about topics of interest and share skills they may have developed during their time being at home. Instead of looking at them as “second-graders” or “kids who missed a year of learning,” think of them as learners along a continuum. Build upon what they know, establish routines and be consistent, and help them continue to grow as children. They are resilient and want to learn.
Revisit literacy stations as a valuable part of your day. I’ve written about each station in depth in my new Simply Stations series. Start with one station and get to know it well. Build your stations with your students, one at a time. You might begin with the partner reading station to give children support in reading. It is fun to read with another person, and you can work together to help each other. After students know how to do partner reading, teach them how to do independent reading. Then have half the class do partner reading while the other half does independent reading. After they can do that well, layer on a listening and speaking station. Have students listen to the same text and then respond to it together.
Work with your colleagues. Do a book study together. Plan and begin to build anew. Use literacy stations as part of your day to grow oral language, enhance learning, and motivate students as they learn to work together again.
Debbie Diller has been an educator since 1976. Debbie has taught PreK through 10th grade in public schools in Pennsylvania and Texas. Her experience ranges from being a classroom teacher to a Title I reading specialist to a migrant education teacher to a literacy coach, as well as a national consultant and author. She is the author of many books from Corwin and Stenhouse Publishers, including Math Work Stations, Spaces & Places, Making the Most of Small Groups, Literacy Work Stations, and Practice with Purpose. She has several videos on literacy work stations and small group instruction. Debbie's most recent endeavor is the creation of the new Simply Stations series from Corwin. She has written individual guides to how to set up and teach with each literacy station, including listening and speaking, independent reading, partner reading, and writing stations. Her newest book, Simply Small Groups: Differentiating Literacy Instruction in Any Setting will be published this summer by Corwin. Visit Debbie’s website at https://debbiediller.com/
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