Literacy Work Stations

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Literacy Work Stations
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What is a Literacy Work Station?

• A literacy workstation is an area within the
  classroom where students work alone or interact
  with one another, using instructional materials
  to explore and expand their literacy (Diller,
  2003)

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Literacy Work Stations verses Traditional
Learning CentersSource Diller, D.(2003)
Literacy Work Stations
Literacy Work Stations -Materials are taught and
use for instruction first. Then they are placed
in the work station for independent
use. -Stations remain set up all year long.
Materials are changed to reflect childrens
reading levels, strategies, being taught, and
topics being studied. -Stations are used for
students meaningful independent work and are an
integral part of each childs instruction. All
students go to work stations daily. -Materials
are differentiated for students with different
needs and reading level. -The teacher meets with
small flexible groups for guided reading or
skills instruction during literacy workstations.
Traditional Learning Centers -New materials were
often placed in the center with out being used in
teaching. The teacher may have shown how to use
the materials once but they were often introduced
with all the other new center materials at
once. -Centers were often changed weekly with
units of study or upon completion. -Centers were
often used by students when they finished their
work. Centers were used for fun and motivation or
something extra -All students did the same
activities at centers. There was not usually much
differentiation. -If the teacher met with small
groups, each group often did the same task.
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Grow your Work Stations from your Whole group
Instruction
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Gradual Release of Responsibility

• Modeling through the use of read alouds,
  modeled writing, shared reading, guided writing
  and mini-lessons
• Hand Holding Students practice with teacher in
  guided reading, writing groups or mini-lessons
• Independence Students work independently at
  work stations with materials and strategies
  previously taught.

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Principles for Teaching with Literacy Work
Stations

• Focus on practice and purpose, not the stuff
• Link to your teaching
• Slow down to speed up
• Balance process and product
• Less is more. Dont put out too much at once
• Use Novelty
• Simplify

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Literacy Workstationsin Action
While teachers are working with small guided
reading and skills groups, students work
independently at workstations that provide
meaningful literacy activities.
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Benefits of Literacy Work Stations

• Provides students with meaningful literacy
  practice activities.
• Meets the individual instructional needs of all
  students.
• Provides students with opportunity to work
  independently to practice using previously
  learned skills.
• It is fun and engaging for students.
• Source Diller, D.(2003) Literacy Work Stations

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Mini Lessons

• Short and Focused (5 to 10 minutes)
• Explicit
• Types of Mini Lessons - Beginning of the year
  how tos - Introducing a work station -
  After adding something new - Reviewing work
  station activities - Anchor charts - I Can
  Lists

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I Can List
What is an I Can list? A list if activities
generated by the class that they could do at a
work station.

• Why use I can lists?
• Helps build student ownership and buy in.
• They provide students with choice.
• Provides opportunity for differentiation.

Pictures from Mrs. Santillans 1st Grade
Class Niños
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Management Boards

• - Pocket Charts
• - Rotation Wheel
• Planning Sheets
• - Work Station Check List

Pictures from Mrs. Laidleys Kindergarten
Class Niños
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Together in your group discuss

• Ways to use the I Can list
• or
• Management Boards
• and Planning Sheets

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Work Stations
Writing Pocket Chart Creation Math Handwriting Sci
ence/ Social Studies Drama/Poetry
Word Study ABC Computer Listening Buddy
Reading Puzzles Games Library Overhead
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Math Work Stations

• Fluency Practice
• (addition/subtraction)
• (multiplication/division)
• Investigations
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Computer
• Promethean
• Place Value

• Money
• Telling Time
• Vocabulary
• Estimation
• Manipulatives
• Pattern blocks
• Cuisenaire rods
• Base 10
• Patterns

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Grouping
H A
A LL
HA AL
AH LL
HA AL
AH LL
HH A
A AL
H A
LL AH
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Small Group Instruction

• Group A HH, HH, H, H, HA
• Group B AH, AH, A, A, A
• Group C A, A, AL, AL, AL
• Group D L, L, L, LL, LL

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Guided ReadingSmall Group Instruction20 25
minutes each

• Monday Groups A, D
• Tuesday - Groups B, C
• Wednesday Groups A, D
• Thursday Groups B, C
• Friday Groups D

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Minimum Time Requirements for Kindergarten

• Teacher directed activities (whole or small
  group) 40
• Student initiated activities (learning center)
  35

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English Language Arts Grades T-1, 1, 2, 3

• 180 minutes
• 2 groups each day - 20 25 minutes each 50
  minutes
• 180 50 130
• 130 minutes remaining for
• Whole group reading
• Language
• Spelling
• Phonics
• Penmanship

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English Language Arts Grades 4, 5, 6

• 135 minutes
• 1 group each day - 20 25 minutes each
• 135 25 110
• 110 minutes remaining for
• Whole group reading
• Language
• Spelling
• Penmanship

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MathGrades T-1 - 6

• 86 minutes
• EDC 15 minutes
• Daily 10 minutes
• Whole group instruction 20 minutes
• Work Station 20 minutes
• Independent Practice on specific skill 16
  minutes