Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wednesday, February 19


It is Wednesday once again. I apologize for not having a post for last week, but with snow days, I have really struggled with keep track of time. As I type this, I am coming off another snow day. I have even lost track of how many snow days we have had! It is over two weeks, twelve or thirteen days I think. We don't know how many days we will make up, or if only teachers will make them up to fulfill our contractual agreement. 

For this week's What Works Wednesdays installment, I have something that is working well for me and my students. I have been using more close reads. The students have enjoyed them so much more than our anthology. 

The first set of close reads we used recently were from Hello Mrs. Sykes' Winter Sports Practicing Fluency and Comprehension. This was the perfect introduction to discussion about the Winter Olympics. I was able to fit it in on a couple of days we were in school just before the Winter Games began. Since reading them, my students have discussed events as they occur, and even mention things they read. The close read we completed last week were from Elements of Elementary's The History of Basketball. This tied in with a story we previously read with a basketball theme, and a biography on James Naismith. The students loved creating their own sport, which was their final step. I bought both sets when they were on sale, making them very affordable. I am adding things to my cart in anticipation of another sale.

Do you use close reads? If so, which ones should I check out? 
I would love to hear from you.

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