READING and WRITING OPTIONS: Anchor Charts
If you haven't been introduced to Anchor Charts, yet, you are in for a real treat! Anchor Charts are created with students. They provide students with an "anchor" for times that they need help or reminders about expectations, routines, or concepts/skills. We create Anchor Charts to help us remember the expectations and routines for Reading and Writing Options.
When and how are the Anchor Charts made? What do we put on them? That all depends on what your class' needs are. Anchor Charts help archive discussions, decisions, and learning. Whatever you want students to know and remember, should be put onto the Anchor Chart. Whatever will help students in the future should be put onto the Anchor Chart.
For our Reading and Writing Options Anchor Charts, as we go through the First Few Weeks minilessons, we create many Anchor Charts. To do this, I take lots of pictures from each step of the way. We then create various Anchor Charts that help us remember the expectations and routines of Reading and Writing Options time.
The types of Anchor Charts that we create are charts that will be useful to us on a day to day basis for the entire year. Below you will find several charts that we create and use throughout the day and year. Many of the charts are not only used for Reading and Writing Options but also for Reader's Workshop, Writer's Workshop, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
The chart to the left was created to show the routines and expectations that I had for Literacy Corners. It was made several years ago. We now call "Literacy Corners" (as the chart above refers to) "Reading and Writing Options" instead. The chart was very useful, as it showed students doing each routine/expectation. We referred to it often. It was hanging in our classroom the entire year. Since this chart, I've continued creating charts similar to it. See the charts below labeled "Looks/Feels/Sounds Like" for what the chart above has evolved into.
This
Anchor Chart idea comes straight from the books of Linda Dorn. She's a
great presenter and author. I urge everyone to read her books and/or
attend her classes/workshops. Anyway, the Anchor Chart is a rubric.
I created a 3-point rubric chart, but it can be a 4-point rubric, or whatever
point value you wish to have. The purpose of this rubric Anchor Chart is
to give students a visual with key words as to behavior that is often
demonstrated during Reading and Writing Options time. Students can rate
themselves on a day to day basis during share time, on their own, or during a
teacher/student conference. I mostly used the rubric in group situations.
If we had a great Reading and Writing Options time, I'd point out the rubric down and
we'd rate ourselves as a class. If we had a not-so-great Reading and
Writing Options time, the rubric was used to discuss what happened, why, and
what would be changed behavior-wise. We used the rubric in correlation
with the above Anchor Chart (charting routines and expectations).
To make the rubric Anchor Chart, I bring in mini-cupcakes for the class, and set aside three of them for the rubric. The cupcakes are prepared for the minilesson ahead of time. To do this I (1) scrape the frosting off of the 1st cupcake, (2) take the sprinkles off of the 2nd cupcake, and (3) leave the cupcake as it is for 3d cupcake. I cover the three cupcakes and reveal each one to the class one at a time. We talk about the differences that we see. I then ask the class to rank (judge, grade, rate, etc) each cupcake as great, good, and not so good. We then parallel the cupcakes to how we work and learn. We decide on learning behaviors for each cupcake and create the Anchor Chart. The cupcakes are attached to the Anchor Chart and covered with plastic wrap to keep away the critters (I've never had a problem though!). The Anchor Chart is kept up all year long.
This
is a fun Anchor Chart to create. It doesn't take a long time either.
And...it can also be used cross-curricular...it comes in handy throughout the
day! To create the Voice Levels Anchor Chart, I bring out a ruler and
yardstick and show them to the class. We quickly discuss the purpose of
these measuring tools. As a class we use the yardstick to measure
appropriate voice levels for various parts/times in our day. We include
"hallway voices" and "recess voices" as they are at opposite ends of the
spectrum as far as voice levels go! The chart is a great way for children
to visually see that voice levels can be controlled and should be!
"What
can I do here?" or "I'm done!" are all too familiar words spoken by students
during Reading and Writing Options. To avoid the issue of students not
knowing what they can do, or to avoid the problem of students making up their
own tasks, I create "I Can..." posters.
To make the posters, I printed out "I Can..." titles using WORD. I glued them to 12x18 pieces of construction paper and then laminated the posters. I then attached self-adhesive business card pockets [or pouches] to the posters. These pockets [or pouches] allow me to slide in the picture and to remove it easily when that task is not an option anymore. I then create cards for each activity by taking a digital photo or by finding pictures of the actual puzzle/book. The cards are business card sheets. They are perforated. I cut them down to the correct size after printing - - to make sure that they fit into the business card pouch - - usually trimming 1/4 of an inch off of each end (not the top and bottom though). I then laminate, and trim again. Below you will find business card print outs that match many of the activities found on this web site (for Reading and Writing Options).
| Reading Options | Writing Options |
| Pocket Chart | Work on Writing |
| Reading | Magnet Board |
| Felt Board | Fine Motor |
| Listening | Names |
| ABC | Words |
| Handwriting |
The Anchor Charts below are very similar to the first Anchor Chart featured on this page. They help students remember the expectations and routines for Reading and Writing Options. Again, these charts are created with students as we go through the First Few Weeks minilessons. We decide, as a class, on four simple descriptors (student expectations) and one simple teacher expectation. They are then added to our chart. These descriptors help students to remember what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like to be working in ANY area during Literacy Corners (reading/writing options, centers, work stations, etc). As activities are introduced and practiced, we chart how long we are able to work for, with a goal of 20-minute long work sessions. I decided on 20 minutes as my class' goal because that allows me to get in one Guided Reading Group, possibly two if we do a shortened Guided Reading Lesson. :) As we build up our ability to work for longer periods of time, we graph our progress. Students must all be working in order for our "practice" time to continue. If they are not, we stop and talk about what happened, review the expectations, and challenge ourselves to do even better next time we practice. Once the class is comfortably working for longer periods of time, I start pulling Guided Reading groups, or begin working with students one on one. The big difference between these Anchor Charts and the first one on this page is the "Looks/Feels/Sounds Like" part. Mrs. B......, the reading specialist at our school, gets full credit for the idea and inspiration behind the addition of the "Looks/Feels/Sounds Like" part. Thanks Mrs. B......! It works! :) Check out the downloads/printables below the pictures!
Looks/Feels/Sounds Like Chart Printables
(8.5 x 14)
How Long are we Able to Work for Graphs
(8.5 x 14)
Practice Makes Perfect Links to Literature...I read
these to students to help them understand the reason for practicing!
We reference other charts during Reading and Writing Options, too. These charts are created during our Writing Workshop and Reading Workshop minilessons. They directly relate to Reading and Writing Options because students practice or apply what they've learned during Writing and Reading Workshop times during Reading and Writing Options time! Check out the Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop pages for additional Anchor Chart ideas.