So, you’ve been seeing these new Literacy Contracts coming home from school – and you’re probably wondering what they are all about. I decided to try them out for a couple months, so I could work out the kinks before writing all about them. Each student receives a contract at the beginning of a new Reading Street week. Depending on their learning objectives, their contract may be individualized, but they all have many things in common.
The CAFÉ goal is the over-arching goal and strategy for that particular student, and they should be practicing daily.
Each day, students should find time to read independently (Read to Self). They should keep an eye on the clock and log their time (10-minutes, minimum) as well as listing the name of the book they are reading. By now, students should be choosing Just-Right books which advance them on their reading journey. On test days, they are allowed to choose Fun Reads – and those should be logged, as well.
Read to Others is usually offered 3 days during a 5-day contract. Students can read in pairs for 15 minutes to practice fluency or other reading skills and strategies.
The Word Work block is where we track the work students are doing with spelling, phonics and vocabulary. The contracted amount is sometimes adjusted to reflect schedules and goals.
Students are assigned one block per week on the computer, and should choose from our ELA options. After 15 minutes, students should log the activity.
If students are absent, I ask them to mark the date on the contract, as I am old and forgetful ;). I am noticing students learning to manage time, work independently, and ask for help when it comes to prioritizing. They are also learning, that the sharper their focus, the easier it is to complete their contractual obligations. Our Literacy block is currently running 100 minutes per day, so students should be able to squeeze in quite a bit of learning! As always, feel free to contact me with questions.
What’s to Come:
🙂 Fitness Challenge forms and payment are due by Friday – thank you for your support!
🙂 Valentine’s Day is Tuesday. Bring in some kind of box or bag to hold your valentines, and be sure to include all of your classmates if you are handing out cards. We’ll exchange in the afternoon.
🙂 There are no projects or homework required over February vacation. Enjoy the downtime with your family, and we’ll see you refreshed and ready to wrap up the term when you return!!
Smile Wide,
Mrs. Brooks
To make you smile — did you know Justin Bieber showed up during Fun Friday Free Time??? HEE!
This little monkey has been showing up in our classroom over and over and over…. It has a cute little poem to cheer us up and remind us to have fun. We have “drawn the conclusion” that there are at least 3 monkeys, based on the color of the necklaces and where we’ve seen them. After the monkey visits us for an hour or so, we go off and hide him in a place where another class of students can enjoy him (or her??). Ask your child about the Silly Monkey!!
Finally! Our Schoolhouse Rock video this week is one of my all-time faves. It is arriving just in time, as we begin our Road to the Revolution in Social Studies: