It has been awhile

It has been too long since I have had time to even think about what I want to think about. My first night of conferences is behind me. Interims (our first report card) have gone home and my assessment folders are off to a good start. I can breathe a little more again. I am anxious to get back to writing.

Here's what I have been thinking about:
Word Study: It is a hot topic at our literacy meetings as many of our tricky kids aren't really transferring what they are learning and noticing about words to their writing. I am thinking about how word study happens all day and trying to document ways it is supported in ww, shared writing, shared reading and through anchor charts.

Writing Workshop: Turning standards into " I can..." statements for kids
This month my team and I looked at the big ideas we practiced during writing workshop (these first 6 weeks) and the kids took ownership and evaluated themselves according to these " I can" statements. Here is what we saw kids needing:
I can think and write about ideas I have on my own (writer identity)
I can stretch and write words (word study/spelling strategies)
I can read my writing (revision strategy)
I can use spaces (organization)

Of course each of these targets are just tidbits of all the discussion we had about how and where writers get ideas, are brave about writing and stretching words, reread and fix when writing doesn't look right, sound right or make sense, and how writers organize writing on pages.
I also know that these "I can's" are practice and will be built upon throughout the entire year.
I am liking how the kids are understanding and responding to these "I can statements." I am anxious to see how they will unfold into our punctuation, nonfiction, poetry and small moment studies.

Reading Workshop: My kids love to read and have books they love. One kiddo goes back to Bad Kitty everyday for our initial read anything time. Another is addicted to a hot wheels book he chose and purchased through scholastic. Today we read Charlie Chick and it was a hit. (the kids love this is a noise making pop up book but what loved that they noticed was that is has repetition and just a few words on a page). I also copied the cover of this book and it became one of the anchor charts I use for the diagraphs. I will model how to refer to it during writing workshop when they stretch words with the "ch" sound. I know I need more time with interactive read alouds and comprehension talk but Sept/October has really been about tools for reading new words and noticing everything we can about books (from I wonder's to what basket can sort this book).