Anchor Chart Parts & Independent Reading Mats

-Anchor Charts- It's a love hate relationship for me...I love the value they add to my lessons and I hate making them!

Sometimes I use these anchor charts, which I love.

They are great because they are already prepared and they are bright and colorful with illustrations for the students. However, sometimes I need my anchor charts to be just a bit larger, and unfortunately I don't have a poster maker available to me.

For a while I tried to write out my anchor charts, but I can't lie- that just became a hassle and a major waste! Maybe this sounds familiar...there you are at the end of your reading mini lesson, the lesson was fantastic and you are creating an amazing anchor chart. It's the home stretch, all you have to do is write the word "independently". That's when it happens. You spell "indepdently". You attempt to squeeze in the missing "en" but of all times that is just not an option. Ahhhhhhh! You finish the lesson and know that during your planning period you will use another piece of your precious chart paper and create the chart ONE.MORE.TIME! :( If that has never happened to you, then you are just amazing...and I'm jealous.

On the days that I wasn't spelling words incorrectly on my anchor charts, my carpet looked like a circus by the end of my lesson. Ineffective.

After wasting too much of my precious time and chart paper, I started creating “Chart Parts” for my anchor charts. Here’s what I do…I print out the chart parts and laminate them. This way I can reuse the chart pieces each year. Next, I lay out the anchor chart and assemble (with tape) the “skeleton” of the anchor chart. I leave a space for the few important parts  of the anchor chart off, so that those pieces can be added in front of the students. To create my anchor charts, I like to use large (24x18 inch) construction paper or chart paper. *You can use and assemble however works best for you!* With everything laid out, I am able to finish the anchor chart with the students present in a snap! Sometimes I build the anchor charts piece by piece for multiple days.

If you are interested you can check out the first set of anchor chart parts {everything you need to create 8 anchor charts} and independent reading mats HERE!

Five Flashback for Friday!...Or Saturday?!?!

I'm linking up with Kacey for Five for Friday and Amanda for a Friday Flashback!

I know it is Saturday, but yesterday I was exhausted!! I mean so tired that I couldn't even keep my eyes open! This past week has been filled with conferences, data chats, meetings, the 100th day of school and lots of fun activities! I am ready for a lazy Saturday...maybe some cleaning, shopping and then just laying on the couch and catching up on the real housewives of BH and ATL! :) I know you can't believe I watch that- I won't lie, I'm hooked!!

Here is all the good stuff that has been going on this week...

This week we finished up our nonfiction unit of study in both reading and writing. My students amaze me at how they really hear and listen to what I'm saying. When I say things like "Good readers read to learn new things." or "Good readers ask questions while they are reading." Sometimes I wonder if they "get it"...but then I am always excited when we have our sharing time and they say "I was a good reader when..." Ahhh! I just love it! Here is an anchor chart that I used continuously throughout our nonfiction unit of study. 

The mini posters come from here.

On Wednesday was our 100th day of school. The kids had a blast! It was a jam packed day...I had parents tell me their kids were pooped after school! :) (So was I!!) 

Many activities came from here.

On Wednesday one of my students brought in the book The Elf on the Shelf to read with the class. Since we were so busy with the 100th day activities we didn't get to read it that day. So as I was prepping for Thursday/ decorating for Valentine's Day an idea popped into my head. So I wrote this note to my class

and spread little hearts all over the room and floor. On Thursday morning when the kids came in and saw the hearts, they met our little cupid. We read Elf on the Shelf and I told them that this cupid was the  elf's cousin. You know they all went crazy! :) We named him Jack Sparrow!

We started our Valentine's Day Centers. Fun times! :) I love seeing how the students have become so independent!! 

These centers come from  here.

Falling in Love with Learning {ELA & Math Activities Aligned to Common Core}

During science and social studies we have started our dental health study. This will be sprinkled in throughout the BUSY month. My kids made these fun toothbrushes on Friday after watching a Brainpop Jr., reading nonfiction dental health readers and brainstorming.

This activity and craftivity are part of  Sparkly & Shiny {A Dental Health Mini-Unit} here.

I hope you enjoy your Saturday! I know I will! Check back tomorrow to see what I plan to do this coming week!

Anchor Charts for Friday Flashback

Every year I struggle with anchor charts. I think anchor charts are AMAZING and really help students. BUT I am such a perfectionist that the creation of an anchor chart is well...out of control! :) I would always make an anchor chart to hang up- we shall call that one "The Pretty One". I can't tell you how many times I have used several pieces of chart paper before I got the anchor chart to look the way I wanted it to. Can we say expensive and wasteful!!!!  Then there was the anchor chart that I would create during class. That was the "Quick, Hurry Up Before My Little Friends Stop Paying Attention Version"- which was not so pretty. The other thing that I struggled with was the amount of anchor charts I would create, and the limited amount of space that I had to display them. For many lessons in reading, writing and math I would create an anchor chart almost daily. That is almost 15 anchor charts a week! I just don't have wall space to hang/ display the anchor charts.

 

So what I have started to do this year is to create many of my anchor charts electronically. These anchor charts are much smaller, printed usually on regular letter size paper. I struggled with the idea that not all students would be able to see the anchor charts from all parts of the room, so I came up with a plan...

Anchor Charts Galore

 

 

First, all anchor charts are displayed in a way that they are easily moved. None of the anchor charts that I am using are up for the whole year (taped to the wall). They are either hung up with clothespins or magnets. This way I can easy go get an anchor chart and take it any where in the room at any time to reference it. Also, this makes it easy to switch out anchor charts as I am starting new units of study or new concepts. 

 

During lessons I reference the anchor chart that I will display. I also display the anchor chart on my large screen at the front of the room. This way while students are working independently on the new skill taught they can look at the anchor chart on the large screen.

 

Next, as I am teaching a unit of study I think about the anchor charts that I would want my students to have. Then I create a page for their journal/folder. This eliminates the problem of all students not being able to see the anchor chart from anywhere in the room. Each of them will have their own copy to reference in their journal/folder.  

 

Last, after I am done with an anchor chart I place them in a binder with plastic sleeve protectors. This way if later in the year I am teaching a lesson that I need an old anchor chart, I can just go get the binder and ta-da I'm ready!

 

What I have noticed...

1. Probably the first thing that I have noticed is that before the lesson the students see the anchor chart and "guess" what we are going to learn about that day by the illustrations and words that they see on the anchor chart...it gets them thinking.
2. The students remember each anchor chart better because of the colorful clipart and fonts.
3. I see students referencing their anchor charts in their own folders/journals.
4. I am not using my teaching time to create anchor charts, rather I am really teaching and allowing students to apply the skills being taught. 
5. The time spent preparing anchor charts is eliminated and I have more time to prepare meaningful lessons and hands-on lessons.

I have created a set of anchor charts for the beginning of the year and small moments unit of writing. Included are 22 anchor charts to get you started. Click here to check them out! The first 2 people who comment on this post can have a set for FREE! :)

 

I know I am a day late...but I wanted to participate in this linky party because I am really excited about how this is working in my classroom!  Go check out what is working in other teachers classrooms!!