Ugh Oh

How is that you look up one day and it's April and you are counting down the days until school is out?  Well that is what has happened here.  I thought I had blogged some stuff that is happening but I log in and low and behold The Elf on the Shelf is the last time.  So Ugh oh.  There goes my promise to myself to blog more often.  In my defense I have written new blogs at least once a week (in my head while trying to go to sleep) we all know that feeling.

I feel like a lot has changed in the library since December.  So let's see.  We started skill tubs for Kinder and 1st to use when they come to the library for "free time."  I hate to call it free time but each teacher does things differently so for some it is Daily 5 time and some it is Center time and some it might just be free time.  We noticed the little ones were kinda lost with too many choices when they came alone so we came up with that schedule that I talked about in a previous post about Flex Scheduling.

That has gone so well with the kids kinda of having a daily schedule and the skill tubs were a hit.  I still kinda of think of them as a "table tub" or "morning work tub" from the classroom.  We started with a few for Kinder and 1st and we dreamed them up based on what they were learning in the classroom.  They have now tripled and we keep adding more and taking some away.

The kids quickly figured out what they liked the best.  Cup stacking and Legos are always a hit.  We have cup stacking with sight words and contractions and Lego's with math problems that are well used.

Skill tubs go with the TEKS and have a K for Kinder or a 1st for First Grade or both

Cup Stacking and Duplos to add to the sum of 10 or 20

Sudoku and Cup stacking with contractions using NOT

building CVC words and counters

Since we all have favorites we wanted to find a way to have the kids use them all.  What better way that to use popsicle sticks and have them pull for the tub they will use that day.  We made them red and blue to match the box labels.  They just draw a stick and that is the skill tub they work on that entire time.  This seems to have solved our problem and I'm sorry we didn't do it sooner.  Live and learn right.  

Each tub has a stick and when we remove the tub we take the stick out.

Until next time.  I promise it won't be 4 months and instead of writing this in my head I might actually get it down here.

Happy Reading

Kathy

Welcome to Flex Scheduling........

Well not totally flex but almost.  I was thrilled to learn that because of the numbers at school I am only in rotation for 3rd and 5th grade.  It has open a world of possibilities for my school.  Before I came to Donald I had been in a flex schedule for 13 years. So I was ready for the challenge.

Stress always comes with something new.  I think teachers were sad to think their kids wouldn't be coming to library every week.  So it was my job to dispel that myth.  Let me tell you my circulation numbers are on the rise..

My Kindergarten and First grade teachers were all for sending a small group of students to the library during their Daily 5/Literacy station time but we realized we needed a little direction for them.  If you recall from a post last year we read Marley Goes to School by John Grogan to Kinder at the start of every year.  We talk about Marley causing mischief in the school.  We then use little brown dogs and tape them to all the Cozy Corners (this is our name for centers) that they can use.  This is their visual where they don't have to ask us if they can play or use something.  We had to come up with the way for the kids to know what they should be doing.  The teachers send them down in groups of 3-5 with a timer, usually an ipad and they have 30 minutes.  Well you know it doesn't take but about 2 minutes for the little ones to check out a book.  So after checking out they have some choices.  Our Kindergarteners can check out, read, do a skill tub and then a cozy corner and 30 minutes is plenty of time for them.

We made these little passes for them.  We have one hanging so we can remember what they are suppose to do as well. 

Each of our Kindergarten classes has a name like the bunnies or the puppies so their pass uses that picture so we can tell where they came from quickly. 

The First Grade teachers had a few different ideas.  They actually have two times during the day where the teacher pulls small groups and the other students have station time.  So what they want their kids in the library to do looks like this.  Even though they have "check out a new book" only on Monday the kids can check out any day they need to return their books.

Next weeks post will be about our Challenge Lab and Skill Tubs

Can't wait to share all the cool things that go on there.