Good Morning! I will be starting my first teaching job this fall. My school does not supply Readers Notebooks for the students, so I am trying to create my own. Does anyone have any ideas of forms to put in them? I have a reading log, a weekly form for "What Kind of Reader Was I?", a genre list, a how to choose books, a list of possible topics for reading responses. I also need to set up some type of notebook for writing, math, science and social studies. I was thinking of using foldables for science and social studies. I would like more structure for writing and math. Any ideas? Let's see...also ideas on what to send home in a letter prior to school starting. I want the kids to kind of brainstorm the rules themselves the first day. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks - Lara
Readers' Notebook - Do you mean a response journal? If so, I wouldn't add more forms because my kids don't generally use them very well. I had them write their reflections after reading - I would establish a purpose before we read (I usually did this with read-aloud novels). One day it would be for them to focus on how the author introduced a character, or for the words that helped establish a mood, etc. They were also to write about anything that captured their interest, questions about how events would unfold, connections they made to something in their own lives. They loved to share their reflections. I love foldables - we had a workshop on them this year. They are great for specific topic areas. In fact, I got the Big Book of Math Foldables (not sure of the exact title), as well as the one for social studies, at the end of the year and plan to use both as guides for this coming year. Great ideas in them. Otherwise, 5th graders don't take many notes, per se, though I have them keep notebooks with different sections for each subject. Also, one folder per subject. Letter home - Will you have to send home the letter about what supplies are needed for next year? My school does that for us. If you do your own, you could attach a list to the welcome letter. If you want them to save stuff like old cards or anything, list those items, too. You don't have to explain your whole philosophy of education or anything in the welcome letter, but introduce yourself and the new grade for your incoming students. Mention the date for the open house or back-to-school night if you have one. If you plan to incorporate parent volunteers, mention that. Let them know the times you are available to meet with parents and how to get ahold of you (see you in the morning, call the main office, write a note in child's assignment book, etc.). Good luck!
I am looking at a readers notebook similar to what is in Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3 and Up. When I student taught they had the books from Heineman, but much was not used. I have taken some of those ideas and modified them. I want to use a three ring binder and make it more meaningful and useful to the students. I have the foldable book for social studies. Does the math one show enough examples to warrant the purchase? I looked at the science one and it was all the identical folds, just for the varied used in science. I can not really picture how to use them for math off the top of my head. I do not send home the supply list, my letter I am thinking will just be an introductory letter. I just was not sure how much to really include. Should I put policies and procedures in it? Thanks for any information.
Could someone please post more information on the foldables you are mentioning. I'm not sure I know what you are talking about, and they sound interesting. Thanks!
Sure, they are foldables by Dinah Zike. They make me think of a graphic organizer that is moveable. They are pieces of paper that are folded and cut to be useful by the students. If you search on her name you will find multiple sites that have information on them. I have the social studies book, and have looked at the science book. They both seem to be the same foldables just addressing different subjects. I am trying to decide if I want to purchase the math one because I can not get my mind around how to use them there.
Loneil - the first project I did after our workshop was for math. It was the type of foldable that had the page folded withe the opening down the front middle and flaps that opened up on either side. It was for operations with decimals. Each different section was for a description which the students wrote. Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals were the four major tabs. Underneath and beside the titles were examples and the student description with rules to follow. It is very hard to describe how this looked and I'm not doing a very good job of it .... Anyway, I found that it was better if they wrote on small pieces of paper and glued them in the appropriate spaces. I like the examples in the book for fractions lessons.
Thanks! I can picture that. I will have to go to the local teacher store and take a look at it. Or better yet, just sit down and play with them.
I'm not all that 'handy' myself, LOL. We also did nice ones in red, white, and blue for the branches of government.
I keep thinking of them as graphic organizers. Using them as a way to reinforce basic concepts, rules, vocabulary, etc. I like the idea of using them for Venn's, just wish I could figure out how to do it with a three circle Venn!
In the Reader's Notebooks that my students keep we have handouts that I give them over certain skill lessons I have taught as well as notes the students have taken. I got most of these ideas from Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6 by Fountas and Pinnell. Here are some of the things in my notebooks: Reading list (to track books they've read, this form comes in the book I mentioned above) Genre page - lists and explains the genres of literature How to pick a book that is "just right" for you What Good Readers Do Main Idea - hand with 5 W's Graphic Organizers for Cause/Effect, summary, Character analysis, etc.
They use them throughout the Reader's Workshop block. If I am teaching a whole group lesson, they will add on or refer to these papers in their notebooks. There are times when I allow the notebooks to be open during an assignment or during an "open note" test. One of my learning centers is independent reading and they use them then. They also bring them to their guided reading group and we may add to them or refer to them during that time.
Do you include the graphic organizers in the notebooks when you set them up, or let them add them as needed? This is exactly what I am trying to set up. I was going to do one section for their reading logs, one for notes during mini-lessons, one for read alouds, one for reader's letters, one for the what kind of reader was I, and any others that make since. I was going to use the reading logs to act as the reading list, is that a bad idea?
