Read to Self time

For the past 2 weeks we have been learning about 1 of our Daily 5 components, Read to Self. We created an anchor chart (a chart that goes on our wall to remind us of what we talked about) with our 5 expectations which are: 

1. Get started quickly (swing arms like you're walking fast) 
2. Stay in 1 spot (use super glue) 
3. Read quietly (shhhh...) 
4. Read the whole time (stretch arms out while saying "whole time")
5. Build stamina (stack hands alternately) Think sit ups 

You'll have to ask your child what sit ups are all about. Then ask them what stamina has to do with them and reading. :-) Ask your child to show you our actions to go with each expectation (see orange above) 

 We've also talked about finding a just right spot to read. We talked about how just right spots are comfortable and let you be a reader. We then tried out different spots in our room to see where we were most comfortable. We tried out Mrs. Malchow's wheelie chair, laying on the floor, using the paw print stools, sitting by the fish tank, and more. We then talked about how the coolest looking spots aren't always the best spots. While we were trying out spots, we also worked to build our stamina for reading. Our first few attempts didn't take us far, we were able to read for about a minute. By the end of the week, we had built our stamina up to be able to read for 3 minutes. This may not seem like much, but for little minds, this is a wonderful jump. Currently, we are reading independently for 7 minutes!! Having a comfie spot usually makes a BIG difference for little learners! 

After trying several spots we wrote about our favorite spots as well. (Click on the slideshow below to see our writing.) Click on the image to advance the slides. Enjoy!! 

We'd love it if you left us a comment and told us where YOUR favorite spot to read is!