Literature Circles in Primary--Interactive Notebook Style!

Hi there!  I have finally finished a product for my classroom that I had been working on for MONTHS.  Many of you already have used my Literature Circles for Primary kids (both story and informational).  I LOVED doing this with my higher and average first graders.  Yes, FIRST graders!  It's amazing to watch them take charge of their reading and their group.  Read about it {HERE}

One thing I could not stand was the prep work.  Of course I love to make all my products easy to use and very minimal prep... because I make these packets for my classroom and me--first!  Time is precious.  Interactive notebooks are quite the buzz words right now, so I thought I would combine the 2, and came up with a new, easier way to run these groups!

I present to you:  Circle Up!  Primary Literature Circles---Interactive Notebook Style!

Prep work--each student will need a spiral notebook.  You will need a folder or a way to store worksheets for students to grab.  I prefer the folder option.  These will be stored in a magazine organizer/box thing.  On the front will be a laminated example of what their page will look like when they complete it in their notebooks.  If you want students to wear name tags of their jobs, I have that covered too!  This is a pic of my other packet's job names:

This is an updated version for these! {Sorry-tilt head sideways.... I couldn't get this to stay correct...}

That's it!  No creating packets for each book and group, and figuring out how many jobs everyone will have....

You will prepare by having groups made and select books.  But, you can change jobs as you want-and all the students will do is go to their folder and get the paper (or papers) they would need to complete their job!  ALL of the book groups they complete will be done in the SAME notebook!  What you decide to do with the books that are done are up to you.  I prefer to keep them all in there, so that at the end of the year, they will have a great keepsake of their READING.

Check out my packet in my Teachers Pay Teachers store now!  This will definitely be a pack that my second graders will EAT up!  CLICK HERE to see it!

Here are some pics of the inside pages:

**I will be completing a nonfiction companion pack as well as creating this for upper elementary, with more "mature" job role names---in the near future!  Keep an eye out!  Follow me on TPT to get notified (or I will also post on Facebook!).

Throwback Thursday----Book Groups!

 I'm joining the fabulous Cara from the First Grade Parade!  I went through my posts from the past year and am re-posting it again, for all the newbies that may have just stumbled upon my lil old blog!

 ******Original Post: Book Groups Posted on June 23, 2012******

I thought I would share how I ran my book groups this year.  Here's a few pictures to show you how I organized it.  I have the packet uploaded to my TPT store.  You can buy a complete set of Story and Informational books (I created an informational literature circle set to meet the Informational text standards---and well, they are much different than the roles that would occur in the usual book/literature circles!  Click on any picture to take you to my Literature Circle Packet on TPT.  (I do also have them listed separately)

 This is how I kept track of who was in each group.  (This is included in the packet)

 I made 5 sets (1 isn't shown because I didn't need it this year) of each job on a lanyard.  Each group is a color to help organize things.  I still haven't found the perfect home for these yet!

This is an example of a packet I put together for one of my groups.  Each group had a packet that was the same color as their lanyard.  It was then the name of their group.

This is an example of student work from one of the pages in their book journals (that's what we named them).  Each journal had a different rotation of jobs so that I didn't have to tell them what their next job was.  I wasn't always meeting with each group EVERY time.  I wanted them to have some responsibility to run their groups without having to rely on me all the time.  (Though, I did have an ear on the groups and could tell what was going on!!!)  

Here's one of my group of cuties discussing their book!  Wish I didn't have to blur out their faces so that you can see how intent they are on discussing their chapter!

Another group working together

I had been searching and differentiating so many different literature circle groups through the years to use with my kiddos.  I am a believer that these can be done at ANY level.  I modeled many times how they should be run and we also completed the worksheets that are their "jobs" in the groups many times in class as a whole group kind of work before setting them loose in their new "book groups."  I had ALL work done in class.  Nothing went home (we had strict homework policies this year and I have had bad luck with students remembering books in the past---and they NEEDED their books to run the groups!)  We met 2-3 times a week, depending on absences and making sure all had their work finished.  If needed, they could read/do their job during the Daily 5 time that I was running in class.

I don't really have a new freebie for you right now, but wanted to remind you of one that I have had in the past!  It is something that can be used throughout the year for book "reports." 

Click on the picture to grab yourself a copy!

Also---for those of you who have 4th and 5th grade teacher friends who would like a cute checklist like I have made for K-3, I am currently working on those!  I had a special request from a few people---so I wanted to let you know that it's in the works.  I'd actually like to try to finish it this week because next week.....  shhhh!  I'll be in Disney!!  (and my boys still have NO idea!!!)  We'll see if they catch on as I try to "sneak" pack this week!

If you missed out on seeing my checklists----here they are!  (I just realized that I don't have a cover page for 3rd.  Click here to see third grade!)  I was SUPER excited to see that my Kindergarten checklist had been pinned over 1,000 times off of TPT!!  I could not believe it!!!!!!!  {To see all of my checklists click HERE}

Book Groups

First-I'm sure you have noticed my new blog design!  I love the polka dots and colors.   We're still looking for an owl instead of a bird to match....  Any ideas or persons interested in making a cutesy one??  ;)  The blog design I had won from Sprinkle Teaching Magic and it was from The Cutest Blog on the Blog.

I thought I would share how I ran my book groups this year.  Here's a few pictures to show you how I organized it.  I have the packet uploaded to my TPT store.  You can buy a complete set of Story and Informational books (I created an informational literature circle set to meet the Informational text standards---and well, they are much different than the roles that would occur in the usual book/literature circles!  Click on any picture to take you to my Literature Circle Packet on TPT.  (I do also have them listed separately)

 This is how I kept track of who was in each group.  (This is included in the packet)

 I made 5 sets (1 isn't shown because I didn't need it this year) of each job on a lanyard.  Each group is a color to help organize things.  I still haven't found the perfect home for these yet!

This is an example of a packet I put together for one of my groups.  Each group had a packet that was the same color as their lanyard.  It was then the name of their group.

This is an example of student work from one of the pages in their book journals (that's what we named them).  Each journal had a different rotation of jobs so that I didn't have to tell them what their next job was.  I wasn't always meeting with each group EVERY time.  I wanted them to have some responsibility to run their groups without having to rely on me all the time.  (Though, I did have an ear on the groups and could tell what was going on!!!)  

I had been searching and differentiating so many different literature circle groups through the years to use with my kiddos.  I am a believer that these can be done at ANY level.  I modeled many times how they should be run and we also completed the worksheets that are their "jobs" in the groups many times in class as a whole group kind of work before setting them loose in their new "book groups."  I had ALL work done in class.  Nothing went home (we had strict homework policies this year and I have had bad luck with students remembering books in the past---and they NEEDED their books to run the groups!)  We met 2-3 times a week, depending on absences and making sure all had their work finished.  If needed, they could read/do their job during the Daily 5 time that I was running in class.

I don't really have a new freebie for you right now, but wanted to remind you of one that I have had in the past!  It is something that can be used throughout the year for book "reports." 

Click on the picture to grab yourself a copy!

Also---for those of you who have 4th and 5th grade teacher friends who would like a cute checklist like I have made for K-3, I am currently working on those!  I had a special request from a few people---so I wanted to let you know that it's in the works.  I'd actually like to try to finish it this week because next week.....  shhhh!  I'll be in Disney!!  (and my boys still have NO idea!!!)  We'll see if they catch on as I try to "sneak" pack this week!

If you missed out on seeing my checklists----here they are!  (I just realized that I don't have a cover page for 3rd.  Click here to see third grade!)  I was SUPER excited to see that my Kindergarten checklist had been pinned over 1,000 times off of TPT!!  I could not believe it!!!!!!!

ALSO-before I forget!!!  Head over to Katie's blog to enter her 250+ followers giveaway!  You could wins some fabulous prizes----not to mention my newest "Whack It!"  ;)