- Subjects:Literacy
Exciting lesson ideas, classroom strategies, book lists, videos, and reproducibles in a daily blog by teachers
Alycia
Alycia
I live in New York
I teach 3rd grade
I am an almost-digital-native and Ms. Frizzle wannabe
Rhonda
Rhonda
I live in New Jersey
I teach sixth grade literacy
I am passionate about my students becoming lifelong readers and writers
Christy
Christy
I live in New York
I teach K-5
I am a proud supporter of American public education and a tech integrationist
Erin
Erin
I live in Michigan
I teach second grade
I am a Tweet loving, technology integrating, mom of two with a passion for classroom design!
Allie
Allie
I live in Las Vegas NV
I teach PreK-K
I am a loving, enthusiastic teacher whose goal is to make learning exciting for every child
Genia
Genia
I live in Michigan
I teach 3rd grade
I am seriously addicted to all things technology in my teaching
Kriscia
Kriscia
I live in California
I teach fourth and fifth grades
I am an eager educator, on the hunt to find the brilliance in all
Brian
Brian
I live in North Carolina
I teach kindergarten
I am a kindergarten teacher who takes creating a fun, engaging classroom seriously
Meghan
Meghan
I live in Alabama
I teach 4th grade
I am an obsessive personality with a creative flair
Lindsey
Lindsey
I live in Illinois
I teach fourth grade
I am a theme-weaving, bargain-hunting, creative public educator
Creating a Reader's/Writer's Toolkit
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8
My interest in a reader's/writer's toolkit began about three years ago. I had already, in my own way, created a toolkit but had not given it a name. (I am sure that I am not alone in having done this!) As a teacher, I often find solutions to dilemmas that occur within my teaching. Once I find a solution, I keep note of it and tuck it away until a moment arises when I need to use it.
About three years ago, I worked with a great team of district literacy coaches. We were assigned the task of providing staff development to strengthen the understanding of the workshop model for our colleagues. We each took a topic to present, but one really piqued my interest — creating a reader's toolkit. And my journey began...
What is a Toolkit?
If I had to define the word, I would say that a toolkit is a collection of resources used to aid in completing a task efficiently. In a nutshell, it's a lifesaver!
Have you ever conferenced with a student and get stuck on how to move that student forward? I have, and it is humbling when you are struggling to find a strategy to help a student while he or she is working independently. Having a toolkit helps to alleviate that stress by having a variety of solutions ready at your fingertips.
Okay, so what is a toolkit? My reader's/writer's toolkit is a collection of materials I use during a reading and/or writing student conference. This collection includes tip sheets to help guide the conferencing process, mentor texts, and strategies to focus on.
Creating A Toolkit
In creating my toolkit, I had to assess my needs as well as those of my students. I know from looking into their reading and writing notebooks that I will have some idea on how to guide the conference. However, I also know that often the unanticipated issues surface.
I decided to combine my tools for reading and writing. This is a personal choice and you can create separate ones for each subject if that will work better for you.
Here is my list of non-negotiables:
- An accordion file folder (I prefer plastic — it's more durable). I label the sections in my toolkit for easy access. Remember, you need to quickly get to the information to address the needs of your students.
- Post-its
- Highlighters
- Mentor text (a text that you know well and can use to demonstrate strategies)
- Reference text (a favorite of mine is Revisiting the Reading Workshop by Barbara Orehovec and Marybeth Alley)
- Tip sheets — Here are some that I use that my colleagues have shared with me. They include:
Pearls of Wisdom — This one may seem obvious, but when selecting a mentor text, you want to be sure that you are able to pull multiple strategies to demonstrate to your students. Also, tab it (using post-its), and label the text by strategy so that you can quickly access it. This will make your life simpler in the long run. 
Moving Forward
I continue to build upon the idea of keeping it simple and not reinventing the wheel. The reader's/writer's toolkit is not a new idea. It's been around for awhile and just as I have done, I encourage you to experiment, create and define your version of the toolkit to fit your needs.
Stay tuned — next week I will demonstrate how to use the toolkit during a conference.
Comments (3)
September 15, 2013 at 10:32 p.m.
Thanks for sharing these ideas! I look forward to reading your next post.
September 15, 2013 at 6:43 p.m.
Awesome. Work smarter and not harder!
September 13, 2013 at 4:45 p.m.
I loved all your posts but this is my favorite. What a great resource this tool kit is--fabulous! Thanks for being willing to share your wisdom and expertise!
Post a Comment
Rhonda's Most Recent Posts
Blogger Profile
I live in
New Jersey
I teach sixth grade literacy
I am passionate about my students becoming lifelong readers and writers
