The Brown Bag Teacher

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January 5th Grade Reading Centers

Happy Sunday, friends! This is the week. The week I have been dreading. DRA Week. Yep, I kind of want to cry thinking of it. I really hate losing a week of instruction, but DRAs makes this a perfect week to review many of the skills we’ve practice this year. Normally, students go to 1 literacy center a day and they last me 2 full weeks. Since students will be visiting 4 centers each day this week, this set will only last us a week.

We’ll be reviewing main idea, inferring, prefixes, comprehension, figurative language, reading nonfiction texts, synonyms/antonyms, editing, and vocabulary! So, here’s what it will look like. 🙂
Using Amelia’s  centers, we’ll be
practicing main idea and editing. In “Main Idea Mittens,” students are matching
a paragraph with a photo, and then, they determine the main idea of a
nonfiction paragraph! The playing board was a precious freebie from Meredith Avren! 
In our December centers, my kids LOVED Amelia’s editing station, so I was thrilled to see a Winter editing game. Students take
turns using dry erase markers to edit sentences. Their partner checks their edits,
and if they answered correctly, they move ahead! Simple idea, but my kids love
writing on the laminated cards…. 😉

 Using our iPads, students will be
reading different nonfiction articles from News ELA. Students are expected to
read and test over 1 article during the station {from the 5-6 I have assigned},
and then, they have free-choice for the rest of the time {as long as they are
in News ELA}. FANTASTIC practice.

 I am really excited to introduce my figurative language puzzles. If you haven’t downloaded them yet, you can grab
them here for free! Students will read the story, “Grandma’s Garden” and circle
any figurative devices they find. Then, they’ll lay out the
figurative language puzzle pieces and make the 8 puzzles! Fun, interactive, and
wonderful for my kinesthetic learners.

Since entering 5th grade, it’s
quite possible that I own all of Rachel Lynette’s task cards. From homophones
to theme, the cards always contain great passages for my kids. I use her task
cards and pair it with a game board, and voila – a board game! I use paper clips as playing pieces {i.e. I do not own real playing
pieces}. This round of centers we are playing with Rachel’s inference and main idea task cards!
The next two of our centers are from Lakeshore.
My kids love the ‘game’ aspect of the center, and I love the skill-based
learning. This week, students will play Synonym/Antonym Gold Rush and
Comprehension Capture the Flag. Gold Rush is from the Word Work games {a
Christmas gift to myself} and Capture the Flag is from the skills games {the
set my school already had}! 

 We also use Lakeshore’s Daily Comprehension
notebooks as a center. Students complete one week’s reading during a 12-15
minute center. Each ‘week’ contains a 2-3 paragraph article {alternating
between fiction and nonfiction} with five sections of questions – vocabulary,
comprehension, short answer, a Common Core skill, and a connection to the text.
 These wouldn’t work for my grade-level
students, but they are a solid resource for my below-grade level kiddos who can
work independently.

 One of our staple centers {that is easy
to put together and requires NO printing} is STACKS. This week, we are playing prefix stacks. I write a prefix on the bottom of each cup and its meaning on
the inside of the cup. I place the cups in a large Ziploc bag and students
works in pairs. One partner grabs a cup. He/she defines the prefix and then,
gives an example of a word that uses the prefix. The partner checks their work
(mentally or using the answer I have written on the inside of the cup). If the
partner answers correctly, they can add it to their cup pyramid. If incorrect,
the cup goes back into the bag. Students work together to build the tallest
possible pyramid in our 12 minute work period! Super fun, low maintenance, and
great practice!

Every week, I add our vocabulary words
to Spelling City {for free}, and students practice spelling and using the words
with our iPads.

Well friends, this is what our week
looks like. *Fingers crossed* I’ll be able to finish DRAs this week. I can
do it. I can do it. I can do it.Do you have any favorite literacy
centers {paid or a freebie}? If so, please let me know. I’ll be making a whole
new set this weekend! *yay*

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Comments

  1. Miss Hill says

    January 12, 2014 at 11:29 pm

    Hi! I just discovered your blog and I am in LOVE! I also teach fifth grade and have struggled trying to find a system that works for ELA stations and your blog has been a God send! I look forward to implementing your ideas! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Kate says

      January 13, 2014 at 2:36 am

      DRAs are ridiculously time consuming. I believe I am definitely overestimating how quickly I can get them done. 40 in 4 days…we'll see! 🙂 Have a great week, friend.

      Reply

    • Kate says

      January 13, 2014 at 2:35 am

      Hi Ursula, I would be happy to share! I have the game on a different computer, so I'll send them your way tomorrow. 🙂 Happy Sunday!

      Reply

  4. Kay says

    January 13, 2014 at 2:20 am

    Your prefix stack game is terrific! I'd love to know if you'd be willing to share the directions.
    I completely understand the loss of instructional time for testing…I have to start mine this week. 🙁 Looks like your kids won't mind so much as you have a lot of great learning activities planned for them.
    ♬Kay
    On the Trail of Learning

    Reply

    • Kate says

      January 13, 2014 at 2:34 am

      Hi Kay! Thanks so much. I would be happy to share. 🙂 I'm on a different computer right now, so I'll send them you way tomorrow evening. Have a great week!

      Reply

  9. Laura Henderson says

    January 14, 2014 at 2:10 am

    You are a force to be reckoned with! Hope those DRAs go well. I hate having to give up teaching time for testing too, one of those necessary evils of teaching. I am sure you will feel proud of their growth. Have a great week.

    Reply

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