Happy Summer, friends!
This year, we have a full 10 weeks of summer. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen that I’ve spent the first two weeks of my summer painting and preparing for Vacation Bible. My Mom is the Children’s Pastor at our church and it’s our yearly tradition. Throughout the summer I have several trips planned, I’m hoping to start taking Jazzersize classes, and really want to set-up my apartment. In the classroom, our 1st grade team is looking to map-out our writing plan for the year and I want to nail down my math centers for the first couple of months.
Staying in 1st grade for a second year (woohooo) I have so many parts of my classroom that I want to bump-up for the new school year, and will be focusing my attention on these reads. I’ve included Amazon affiliate links so you can easily snag these books for your own summer learning!
Two of the quickest reads are Learning by Choice (the blue book with no title on the spine) and The Core Six: Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core. Both of these books are reminiscent of The 10 Minute In-Service (which was phenomenal) that I read last summer as they’re split into very small, manageable chapters. They offer quick ideas for making things work in the classroom. I’m excited to share more as I make headway!
Making Thinking Visible is actually a book I picked-up a year when teaching 5th grade but I never felt a push to read it. After teaching math this year (which I love), I really feel like this is a just-right book for me now. I already use Number Talks but really want to work on ‘Academic Talk’ with students this year all throughout the day. I’m really excited to see what strategies and ideas this book will have!
I don’t know much about The Unstoppable Writing Teacher, but a friend recommended it. Plus, writing is something we receive so little professional development on, and from 5th grade to 1st grade – it’s an area where our kids lack confidence.
I’m also a silent, book-study participant in Greg Smedley’s Teaching with Intention Book Study. Debbie Miller is AWESOME and I’ve never said so many ‘Amens’ while reading a book. Thank goodness I don’t read in public. 😉 I’m hoping to share my overall reactions and ideas at some point in the summer, but until then, I’ll be the creepy book-study blog stalker. 😉
Two of the books pictured above I’ll be re-reading this summer: The CAFE Book and The Daily 5. CAFE is the comprehension/fluency/accuracy side of the Daily 5. After a year of very successful Daily 5, I want to integrate more goal-setting in our reading block with specific reading strategies. With the Daily 5 Book, it will be the 4th time I’ve read it through, and every.single.time it helps me ‘tweak’ our procedures. I’ll be joining up with some awesome blogging friends to host an online book study.
So, friends, are you in? We’d love for you to join us in reading The Daily 5 and sharing your ideas. Even if your not a blogger, PLEASE join us. You can comment and share what’s working in your classroom and ideas for the upcoming year. Together, we’ll make this the best year yet!
Summer 2015 Update – Read along with us and join the conversation here:
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My friends think I'm crazy but I LOVE reading "teacher books" whenever I get the chance!! (Of course I read others, too, but. . .) Thanks for the great list; I added a couple more into my Amazon cart!! They make it just too easy. . . I look forward to hearing/reading your thoughts on the various books!! (And I laughed as I read you're a silent participant; so am I!!)
I need to reread Daily 5 this year & am excited for your book study! I'm also doing a summer book study on Making Thinking Visible (every Wednesday); stop on by!! http://triedandtrueteachingtools@gmail.com
I use Visible Thinking Routines in my classroom almost every day! You will love Making Thinking Visible! 🙂
I'm absolutely loving seeing all the books that teachers are reading this summer! I am having trouble not purchasing all of them right away!
Kristin
Teaching In A Nutshell
I want to join your Daily 5 Book Club!!
I have read Daily 5 twice, but need to read it again since this will be the first year I am actually implementing into my classroom. I need to read CAFE!
Yay! That is so exciting! Glad you'll be joining. 🙂
I'd love to join in! I'm switching from 3rd to 2nd and think integrating readers workshop next year is perfect! Where do I go to check in with everyone?
Hi Amy! Each week there will a link-up where you can hop blog post to blog post. 🙂 So glad you'll be joining!