Workstation Wednesday: Main Idea Station

Well, I decided to RE-post an OLD, OLD blog post.

Fun fact: I first started my blog (under a different name) it was one of my graduate classes. We had to create a blog and post different teaching ideas that had to do with what we were learning and using in our classroom! The original blog was only viewed by my professor and my classmates. It was blocked from everyone else!! Here is one of my first posts and when I was looking at my "stats" the other day, it has the most views! By far!!

So here you go, an oldie...but goodie. :)



From way back in 2010:

As I mentioned in my Compare and Contrast Workstation Entry, I use the passages that are used there the following week in this Main Idea Workstation.  I use a card to cover up the questions that go along with the passage, partially because they have already answered them in the previous week, and partially because they happen to be "compare and contrast" questions, not main idea and detail questions. Students are to reread this "familiar" passage twice to themselves or to a partner, then complete the Main Idea and Details graphic organizer. As you can see below, students have the opportunity to underline and cross out certain things in the passage while they work. Often students underline the parts that they want to include in their graphic organizer (the most important details to support the main idea.) Then, once they record that detail, they cross it off. Students seem to work well with these short, to the point passages. 

Although students need practice with longer passages for standardized tests, I have decided that this is sufficient practice for 2nd graders at this stage, due to them just beginning to learn the concept of "Main Idea and Details." I am pleased with the progress that students are making with this workstation and I have to admit that it's a pretty easy workstation to keep up with week after week. I simply rotate the three passages from my "Compare and Contrast Workstation" to this one. There is no wasted paper and the graphic organizer can easily be checked by my assistant as an accountability piece, then simply erased with a paper towel or tissue by the student.

Additional Resources:

FCRR Narrative Text Structure Activities Scroll through these activities to find not only additional main idea and details resources, but also activities for story elements, story retell, and compare and contrast.

 

Workstation Wednesday: Fluency Phrase Rings

Hello! I'm trying to continue with my Workstation Wednesday posts, as long as I have enough ideas to show you! I'll start showing some of my math workstations too! 

Anyway, this is sometimes a workstation, but usually used in my small groups. I have had these fluency rings for about 4 years. I actually remember cutting them out and adding the rings on a road trip that my husband and I took down to Nashville. I had a list of Fry's Phrases that someone gave me. I have tried looking for an electronic version before and never found it. Then, I copied each level on a different color of card stock . So, the color signifies the level quickly! 

If not using these in a workstation (easy differentiated workstation!), I use them with each small group. Each group, depending on their level, has a color they are working on. I put these in middle of table to start and warm up the small group. They grab one, read through the phrases using fluency, then when they finish, they can throw back in the middle for another set. We do this for 5 min or so, depending on the day to get warmed up! The group that I took pictures of below, I have working on two levels. When they seem fluent in these fluency phrases, I move onto the next. 

Like I said, I have had these fluency phrase rings for over 4 years, and they aren't even laminated! Crazy! But, I have resorted to some other "fluency phrase" games to peak the kids interest a little more. Also great for workstations. They are the SAME PHRASES but with cute graphics and with them made into more of a game, it's way more fun, right?!

If you are interested in my Fluency Phrase games, I'll link them to the pictures below. They are available in my TPT store! They can be printed and put on rings, too! So many options! You could have the games and then print again and put them on rings.

Click here

Click here

Click here

Workstation Wednesday: Non-Fiction News Workstation

Last spring, I purchased a few products from Journey of a Substitute Teacher to create an on-going literacy workstation with nonfiction text. 

Here are the four that I am using for this station (although you could easily start by making it with just one of her products!)

Click on the picture above to go directly to her store & her nonfiction packs!

Her nonfiction packs have a lot in them! I sorted through them and placed all items about the same animal/dinosaur/insect, etc. together. Then, I made a folder for each item with two plastic sleeves in it. The actual reading passage is just copied once and stays in the plastic sleeves, along with pictures, and graphic organizer type things. Then, the pieces that students actually need to write on and turn in are copied onto paper and put into the pockets. Students can choose a folder for this station, complete the activities inside, then turn in the one sheet of paper. I call this station NON-FICTION NEWS.

This is what a call a FOREVER workstation. After I took the time to make it once, all I have to do is add copies (hopefully only once a year!) into the pockets. The informational/reading parts always stay in the folder. To be safe, I put 30 copies of the student writing part in and then I encourage students to ONLY choose that folder once throughout the year. My students would usually visit this workstation once a week. It's kind of an honor system on whether they have done that folder before or not. Hopefully, all of the topics will be interesting enough to them that they will be anxious to try all of them! 

Please see the pictures below for a more detailed picture of what I have described!!!

 

Workstation Wednesday: Read and Retell

Welcome back for out Workstation Wednesday! The year is starting to wind down, but the workstations keep going and of course the kids keep loving them. Today's workstation that I'd like to share is one that we do all year long and all of my students participate in this station because it's easy to differentiate.

I have an old set of leveled readers from an old reading series that are all in leveled baskets and these books are used ONLY for this workstation, my read and retell station. You could use any books that you have leveled to easily differentiate this station though. 

Here is how the station looks: 

On each student work plan, it tells the student which level I'd like them to use that week. After 5-6 weeks, I just change the level on their work plan by going up one. Also, they know if they read every book in that basket, they just move up to the next level basket. Again, a station that doesn't require a ton of work on my part. Are you seeing a pattern in my posts? Lol 

Here is their work plan with their read and retell center assigned:

Students choose a book from their assigned basket, read it, then complete the read and retell graphic organizer. Download it free from my TPT store.

Read and Retell accountability sheet (please follow my TPT store and leave me some feedback if you download this, I appreciate it!) 

Also, here are my basket labels: Read and Retell Center Labels FREEBIE

Hope this station can be useful for you in your classroom! I'd love to see you using it! Feel free to post pictures to my Facebook page of you using any of my ideas or tag me on Instagram! @stuckeyinsecond

Head over to see what Abbie is up to!!
 

Workstation Wednesday: Response to Literature using RAPP

I hope you are enjoying our Workstation Wednesday posts so far. This is #4 already! Just in writing and sharing these, I've been motivated to come up with even more ideas for my kids. I can't wait to share more and the new things I've come up with just in these last few weeks!

Today I'm going to share my Response to Literature workstation, which isn't too complicated or involved, but I'd like to share the work I've done with my kids throughout the year (in and out of workstations) to practice Response to Literature using RAPP.

The station that my students do every week includes a question about our weekly story from Reading Wonders. They have to use their book to go back and use text evidence to answer.

You could write any question from your own stories that your students have read and include "use two details from the text," for example. My students have been trained (conditioned!?) to use RAPP....well, most of them anyway. If you haven't seen RAPP before, just wait, I have lots of pictures to show you below! :)

In order for you to understand how much I teach and RE-teach RAPP and how students should use it when answering a question, let me show you all of the places that students find RAPP in the classroom:

Anchor chart at the back corner of the room
(near my small group table for me to refer to anytime I'm there)

Randomly posted around the room, in case they need a reminder!

Across this long bulletin board on the other side of the room:

And, last but not least...ON EACH OF THEIR DESKS!!!

Yes, I may be crazy...but guess what? Some of them still forget.

Here are some of the tools that I have used to help me along the way. I use these tools on whole group type assignments first, before I let them try them on their own in workstations.

Graphic organizers:

If you'd like to purchase my RAPP Detective Packet, which includes the posters (color and black/white), bookmarks, desk tags, and graphic organizers, click below:

More next Wednesday!

Check out what Abbie is doing with workstations over on her page!