First Official Post

I am going to start off my first post by sharing some professional books and resources that have helped me tremendously while teaching 2nd grade for the past six years.  The following are books that I have used to help me in Reader's Workshop be able to teach the various different levels of students that I teach.  They are all fabulous resources that have helped me in more ways that you can imagine!

The book is terrific for teaching you how to teach guided reading groups.  It gives step by step templates on what you should do with each level reader.   If you don't have the book, you can always use the author's website to get a preview of lesson plan templates, etc. that are used for each level reader (pre-readers, Level A-C, Level D-I, Level J-P), which is listed below:

http://www.janrichardsonguidedreading.com/

Growing Readers displays the units of study that we follow in 2nd grade.  Suggested mini-lessons are in each unit.  This was my main resource when I began teaching 2nd grade.

I have my Reading mini-lesson at a different time of day than when I complete The Daily Five.  The Daily Five in my classroom has been "revamped" to the Daily 4.  I think this book is a terrific way to help you organize time during Reader's Workshop so that you can instruct your guided reading groups.  This book also has a correlating website: http://www.dailyfive.com/

I use the above programs and books to help me teach my Word Work/Phonics to my studemts.  We have certain word patterns that we study each week, and depending on the pattern depends on the book that the supplemental activities come out of.  The Words Their Way book has many activities to make and use for each word pattern.  I have also purchased the Words Their Way Word Sorts to use.  The Fountas and Pinnel Phonics book gives you specific lessons to use according to the word parts or families that you are teaching or focusing on that week.