Math Problem Solving Chart

K-W-P-L 

What do I KNOW?

What do I WANT to know/ find out? What is the question asking? What are the key words?

What do I PLAN to do?

What I LEARNED. 

My students were very familiar with those four letters.  They made one of these charts in their math journal every single day.  They would have to use it to solve the problem of the day.  Then selected students would come to the Elmo and share how they solved the problem.  The benefit of using the       K-W-P-L was that is showed students that there is more than one way to solve a problem.  It allows them to work through the problem instead of choosing (guessing) which multiple choice answer is correct.  

Reading Center Organization

Who knew dish drying racks would make the perfect organization for reading centers?!?

My students did centers twice a week, sometimes three times depending on the schedule.  Even though I had more guided reading groups (sometimes 5 levels), I have always had three levels of centers.  Students had a reading center menu that they would use to complete centers.  They would check them off as they would go and needed to complete a certain number of assignments per grading period.  I would collect ALL of the work at the end of each grading period and assign one grade for all the work.  This way I wasn't grading tons of center papers each week and was only planning centers 4 times a year.  Win, win.  

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data

I introduced my students to qualitative and quantitative date from the first week of school. Students would make their own qualitative and quantitative t-charts in their science journals for investigations.  Sometimes I would place random objects in from of them and they'd have to describe it on their t-chart. Other times, they would use it while doing their large science investigations to describe the results.  This anchor chart stayed up in my classroom the entire year as a guide during science.  

Good Writers

This anchor chart was made with my class.  Students shared what they thought a good writer was and I added their suggestions to the chart.  

Sports Bulletin Boards

Where will I read today?

It was important for me for my students to always know what was expected of them.  This included what they should be doing, when they should be doing it and where.  Over the years, something I struggled with was centers and independent reading time.  There was too much going on around the room during that time. Some students at guided reading, others at the computer, some working on a project together and so on.  So, a few years ago I decided to make this sign.  Not only did my students know where they were reading each day, it solved the "he read on that chair yesterday" problem.  I look a picture of all of the reading spaces in the room.  There were chairs, rockers, little pillows and big pillows.  There was a place for each and every student in my room.  I labeled each picture so that there was NO CONFUSION.  Each student had a clothespin with their name on it.  I would rotate the clothes pins every week.  That way students were in one spot for an entire week before they moved to another spot.  Learning where they would read for the week was part of our Monday schedule.  This worked very well in my classroom and my students enjoyed being able to lounge while enjoying their favorite books.