Reading Boot Camp: "Sample Daily Schedule"
Reading Boot Camp Philosophy: Awaken or reawaken the desire for learning, let the light of wisdom and reason shine in. Solemnity and literacy are distant visions for some teachers on day one, yet the seed is planted rigorously, feed constantly, and blossoms over the 20 plus days.
KEEP STUDENTS BUSY WITH FAST PACED LITERACY ACTIVITIES ALL DAY!
The Schedule is not set in stone!
8:35 Morning Motivational “Can I get an Hazzah ”: We start every day by ”brain washing” the kids using the old fashion method of classic fairy tales. I share the epic stories of courage, virtue, honor, perseverance, responsibility, duty, fortitude, chivalry, civility, empathy, sacrifice, and most importantly, an exemplary work ethic.
GIVE A BIG HAZZAH FOR ALL STUDENTS MEETING GOALS!
MONDAY IS A BIG DAY FOR GOALS!
KEEP THE GOALS CHALLENGING, SHORT, AND FUN EXCEPT MONDAYS!
8:45 Morning goals and preview: We set daily, weekly, and monthly goals, with active charting of all data for a strong visual cue of each student's progress. Class and student goals are always set at or above grade level, even for students who are four years below grade level. All class goals are posted in the class and updated regularly as students meet and surpass goals. Daily goals include tasks completed for homework and class work. For intermediate students, we list at least seven daily goals: 1) I will read, analyze, and diagram four poems, and select one to memorize for daily recitation; 2) I will read two short stories and complete vocabulary comprehension exercises; 3) I will read two chapters from a grade-level text and write a story map for each; 4) I will write fifteen, kid-friendly sentences with at least six to eight words each using the review vocabulary; 5) I will write one poem in student-selected cursive in my Book of Memories ( a collection of students best work and cherished knowledge); 6) I will learn twenty five new words, ideas, facts, jokes, stanzas, phrases, limericks, rhymes, riddles, antonyms, synonyms, quotes, parables, folktales, myths, fables, and or fairy tales; and 7) I will learn and have fun! “Try to learn 25 new things everyday at school or at home!” Goals: Students who meet their daily, weekly, and monthly goals can earn time for art lessons, hot cocoa with the teacher, Chinese noodles for lunch, homework passes, and the kids favorite a ten-minute dance party. Students who do nothing to meet their goals are dressed down and read the riot act using kid logic and parables to re-teach the work ethic and responsibility. I eat lunch with my students most days, so they can share what’s going on in their lives. I invite students who seem to be lost and have no desire to participate in school to join me for lunch. I let them know I am going to do everything in my power to teach them how to read and to keep them on task. I am a tough, no-nonsense teacher, and letting the kids talk and laugh with me at lunch lets them see me as someone other than the reading drill sergeant. It helps kids relate and feel more comfortable in the classroom.
Grade Level Fluency Goals
1st Grade 80 Words Correct Per Minute
2nd 140 WCPM
3rd 160
4th 180
5th 195
6th 205
7th 210
8th 215
8:54 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy: Vocabulary Building Activities
Graded word list used daily to build phonemic awareness, word attack skills, articulation, power, and fluency. Students read the words are read up to ten times per day, as needed, at the start of Reading Boot Camp to reinforce fluency and word attack skills. The drills are quick, one-time read-through that take about a minute to read the twenty to forty words. ALL VOCABULARY (WORD WALLS) I USE DURING READING BOOT CAMP ARE CONTAINED IN A SPELLER! THE SPELLER CONTAINS ALL GRADED VOCABULARY, ACADEMIC WORDS, FLUENCY DRILLS, POETRY, SHORT STORIES, And ACADEMIC GLOSSARIES. Ask students to keep an efficient pace and use timers to guide the class. Students with attention problems do well with this task. After reading the vocabulary list for fluency have students share kid friendly sentences, antonyms, synonyms and definitions. Students that are learning English are asked to repeat the sentences or definition they just heard. Activities can be done with a partner or in small groups.
9:10 Fluency drill: Students use a collection of teacher-made fluency drills to quickly read a passage and assess a reading fluency rate. Students are trained to complete the Running Record and monitor, record and prepare a simple miscue analysis for their peers. Students then switch roles and repeat the Running Record process. The students calculate, or get help calculating, their own words-per-minute fluency rate. Extensions: The student then read and reread the fluency drill to practice inflection, articulation, and expression with peer and teacher modeling. The first time a passage is introduced, I read the passage with power and inflection as it would be performed as a recitation for an audience. We discuss vocabulary and background knowledge to insure full understanding of the literature.
9:15 Poetry and Prose: Students can read a quick poems with a reading buddy or come together for formal poetry readings and student recitation. Formal poetry readings start with soft jazz music and students sitting with their poetry books in hand, reading along as a student reads or I perform a selected poem. Students who have mastered a poem are invited to recite for the class. We critique the poem for articulation, emotions, and our thoughts and impressions. Extensions: Jazz and poetry can run longer than the five to ten minutes that I give it during Reading Boot Camp. Reading collections of poems from the same author and doing a more thorough analysis is time well spent and makes life-long readers of poetry. There are many "aah . . ." and "Wow!" teachable moments in poetry. Digging deeper into poetry helps teach the hardest concepts in reading, such as inference, author's view point, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and allusion.
9:25 Guided Reading: Students participate in an Oprah-style book club during Reading Boot Camp and throughout the year. All students (and the teacher) read the same award-winning chapter book. I usually start with a book that is one grade above the level I teach to insure a very steep learning curve. Harry Potter books are favorites. Whenever a student or I read to the class, the students always have the text in front of them. The students read along silently with the reader, their fingers following word-forword. To begin, I read the first few pages (no more than half of the chapter). I stop frequently to do a 'think aloud' to show my thoughts and opinions. Any passage that has a teachable moment is seized to help students understand complex concepts. Background knowledge and challenging vocabulary are explained and simplified with synonyms and examples. Students have a short breakout reading session with their peers and reread what I read to them. Students are grouped in many ways, from picking groups randomly using popsicle sticks, to forming groups using student data. Students take turns reading two pages and then actively monitoring for understanding and decoding. The student who monitors the reader must ask three questions that show a deep understanding of what was just read. The impressions of characters feelings, motivations, author's viewpoint, and vocabulary are discussed and analyzed for meaning. Students who cannot decode a word or don’t know its meaning get assistance from their peers, or, if needed, from the teacher.
9:50 Music and Lyrics: Students learn to sing 10-20 songs during RBC. We usually start with the Beatles or classics from the great singer songwriters.
9:55 Quick Fluency drill: Students retake the previous fluency drill to improve their wpm scores.
10:00 Music and Movement: After sustained, focused reading and concentration, students take a music and movement break in the form of a high-energy tune and kung fu exercises. The kids do deep knee bends, push ups, and other stretching exercises -- think Tie Chi and New Wave Rave music. Extensions: I will turn the music and movement break into a longer lesson by having the students listen to a song with great poetic lyrics. The goal for the students is to listen and write down all the lyrics. The students' focus quickly turns to mania to get all the lyrics written down. Active listening is very easy to teach with this method, especially if you use a song from Kidz Bop or Hannah Montana.
10:05 Story Maps and Journaling: Students write a story map or journal entry to strengthen reading concepts. Students work together with their reading partners or with the teacher together for the second part of the guided reading instruction. We review important concepts to look for and discuss the main idea of the chapter. I model a proper story map on the chalk board and show students my thought processes on selecting important detail. Students break out into groups and revisit the chapter they just readearlier with their peers. They review the chapter again, stopping to write challenging and interesting vocabulary. Then they sequence important details as they happen in the chapter. Students can use the author’s words and phrases or put them into their own words, depending on their ability. Students take turns reading and helping with selecting important content and discussing what is actually important. Students usually have fifteen to twenty vocabulary words and ten to twenty sentences in sequential order.
10:45 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy
10:55 Quick Fluency drills: Five minutes: Students reread the fluency drill read earlier to build automaticity of the content.
11:00 Music and Lyrics:
11:05 Vocabulary Instruction: Three tiers of vocabulary are used during vocabulary instruction. Grade level
reading/spelling, above level challenge, and below for review. Six words from each level are selected and explicitly taught. We read, write, define, categorize, and use in a sentence even making odd sentences to help students remember. Vocabulary is also, alphabetized, syllabified, categorized (noun, verb, adjective etc.) and root, suffix, prefix is examined. Students then write one kid-friendly sentence per word, with at least six to eight words, to show understanding. I give students examples of strong sentences and weak sentences to model competent writing. Students can use my sentences to help with the process at the beginning. Most sentences are given orally to help students with active listening skills. Extensions: Students who are reading at grade level are instructed to choose harder words and analyze and write more complex sentences.
11:30 SMARTBoard Read Aloud: Alice in Wonderland, Chapter One: Students gather around the SMARTBoard to read and listen to Alice in Wonderland. I load the PDF ebook to display on the SMARTBoard, select the Librivox audio book, and start the presentation. I ask for a volunteer to use the pointer to help students follow the text as its being read by the Librivox narrator. The students relax and listen to Alice and I have time to work with a student or put my feet up and take a breather. I am lucky to have a SMARTBoard to help with reading instruction and lesson planning. Before the SMARTBoard, I was stuck using my Aver key and my TV.
11:30 Short Stories: Many teachers do not have a SMARTBoard, so this type of read aloud is not possible in
that format. Teachers can use their computer and/or an Aver key to do a modified read aloud. Teachers, who do not have access to technology, can use a student-led reading group to read a short story. Students select a short story from their anthologies and round-robin read with their groups. The teacher can join a group, or work one-on-one with a student who is struggling. Groups should be formed using student data to insure each group has one strong reader. They read the story, and if they have time, read a second story, taking turns
reading and discussing important details and interesting concepts.
12:00 Morning Wrap: Quick discussions of morning goals, learning, and methods are critiqued to improve the learning environment. Exemplary students who demonstrate excellent manners and etiquette are praised and celebrated.
12:05: Music and Lyrics:
12:10 Recess and Lunch: Students who are not on task, who play or goof around, lack manners or good schooletiquette are kept in during recess to re-teach those skills that are needed to succeed. I use
an old-school method of positive behavior modification in the form of writing sentences. Positive affirmations are used to help modify attitude and behavior. Intermediate students, who are chronically off the mark, write twenty five affirmations to start the reprogramming and they lose their lunch recess.
12:40 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy: Vocabulary Building Activities
12:50 Quick Fluency drill: Students retake the previous fluency drill to improve their wpm scores.
12:55 Poetry and Prose: Students buddy read a poem or come together for student recitation or performance. We start the soft jazz music and sit with our poetry books in hand, reading along as the students recite or perform a selected poem.
1:00 Academic Vocabulary Instruction: Six challenging words are selected, usually at a grade above what is taught. I use a fifth grade vocabulary list for some, and sixth grade for a few students. Vocabulary is reviewed, categorized (noun, verb, adjective etc.) and synonyms and antonyms are diagrammed on the SMARTBoard or chalk board. I give three examples of each word in a sentence to help students understand the meaning. Students then write one kid-friendly sentence per word, with at least six words, to show understanding. Students are allowed to use my sentences or write their own. Extensions: Students above grade level can assist with writing and editing of peers' work and reading if they are competent and good role models. Students can also assist with analyzing new poems and literature for challenging vocabulary and suggested lessons.
1:15 Fluency Drills
1:20 Vocabulary Instruction:
1:30 Music and Movement: After sustained focus and concentration, students take a music and movement break in the form of a super-high-energy tune and Kung Fu exercises. The kids do deep-knee bends, push ups, and other stretching exercises think Tie Chi and new-wave, rave music.
1:35 Poetry and Prose: Student volunteers read a favorite poem as the class reads along.
Cracker Barrel Philosophy: Reading great poetry is bubble gum for the imagination. It’s very hard when you start but the more you chew the softer it gets. Sean
1:44 Word Wall Fluency Drills
1:45 Quick Fluency drill: Students retake the previous fluency drill to improve their wpm scores.
1:50 Poetry Recitation: Students write, read, and memorize a poem to recite. The students read and reread the entire poem, practicing articulation and enunciation for public performance. They must memorize at least one stanza, and students with more skill can memorize up to four. We start with a simple poem like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that most kids know.
2:15 Music and Lyrics:
2:20 Short Stories: Students select a short story from their anthologies, peer read with their partners, and take
notes in their reading journals. Try to incorporate the classics, e.g. The Brothers Grimm and Aesop’s Fables to give students a foundation in classic literature.
2:30 Guided Reading: Students bring their Harry Potter book and join in as I read the first few pages of the next chapter that was read earlier in the morning. We read chorally, practicing speed and fluency, with me as the model. I stop often, explaining my Metacognition, to help student take deeper meaning from the material. I ask for volunteers to reread a paragraph or a passage, as the class silently reads along. Background knowledge and challenging vocabulary is explained in detail, and we try to make connections to books, movies, or other teachable concepts. The students then break out into their groups and reread what we read chorally. Each student may read or monitor for understanding, and all students are encouraged to read. During transitions to the next reader, they pause for inquiry and dialogue on important impressions. Students who
cannot decode a word, or don’t know its meaning, get assistance first from their peers then the teacher.
2:45 Music and Lyrics:
2:50 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy: Vocabulary Building Activities
3:00 Short Music and Movement Cleanup: Always leave the student on a high point, if possible, with great music and lots of smiles and praise.
HOMEWORKStudents reread chapter two of Harry Potter and write a story map or a journal entry. Students review, study the National Reading Vocabulary spelling/vocabulary words and write kid-friendly sentences to show understanding.Reading Boot Camp Philosophy: Awaken or reawaken the desire for learning, let the light of wisdom and reason shine in. Solemnity and literacy are distant visions for some teachers on day one, yet the seed is planted rigorously, feed constantly, and blossoms over the 20 plus days.
KEEP THE GOALS CHALLENGING, SHORT, AND FUN EXCEPT MONDAYS!
Grade Level Fluency Goals
1st Grade 80 Words Correct Per Minute
2nd 140 WCPM
3rd 160
4th 180
5th 195
6th 205
7th 210
8th 215
8:50 VOCABULARY SPARKLE
Have your children stand or sit on their desk so they are facing the teacher. Start at either end of room and give the first child a vocabulary word or definition. They say the definition or kid friendly sentence if given the vocabulary word or they must give the word when a definition is given. The child that cannot give an answer says SPARKLE and must sit down. Continue the game until you are down to one child! The last child that has answered all the vocabulary gets a small bag of popcorn. Every child that answers a hard vocabulary question correctly gets a pretzel, stamp, or a sticker. They love this and it is great review for challenging academic vocabulary! Start with a mix of easy and hard words to get the kids excited and ready to study the challenging academic words.
8:54 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy: Vocabulary Building Activities
Graded word list used daily to build phonemic awareness, word attack skills, articulation, power, and fluency. Students read the words are read up to ten times per day, as needed, at the start of Reading Boot Camp to reinforce fluency and word attack skills. The drills are quick, one-time read-through that take about a minute to read the twenty to forty words. ALL VOCABULARY (WORD WALLS) I USE DURING READING BOOT CAMP ARE CONTAINED IN A SPELLER! THE SPELLER CONTAINS ALL GRADED VOCABULARY, ACADEMIC WORDS, FLUENCY DRILLS, POETRY, SHORT STORIES, And ACADEMIC GLOSSARIES. Ask students to keep an efficient pace and use timers to guide the class. Students with attention problems do well with this task. After reading the vocabulary list for fluency have students share kid friendly sentences, antonyms, synonyms and definitions. Students that are learning English are asked to repeat the sentences or definition they just heard. Activities can be done with a partner or in small groups.
9:15 Poetry and Prose: Students can read a quick poems with a reading buddy or come together for formal poetry readings and student recitation. Formal poetry readings start with soft jazz music and students sitting with their poetry books in hand, reading along as a student reads or I perform a selected poem. Students who have mastered a poem are invited to recite for the class. We critique the poem for articulation, emotions, and our thoughts and impressions. Extensions: Jazz and poetry can run longer than the five to ten minutes that I give it during Reading Boot Camp. Reading collections of poems from the same author and doing a more thorough analysis is time well spent and makes life-long readers of poetry. There are many "aah . . ." and "Wow!" teachable moments in poetry. Digging deeper into poetry helps teach the hardest concepts in reading, such as inference, author's view point, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and allusion.
9:50 Music and Lyrics: Students learn to sing 10-20 songs during RBC. We usually start with the Beatles or classics from the great singer songwriters.
9:55 Quick Fluency drill: Students retake the previous fluency drill to improve their wpm scores.
10:00 Music and Movement: After sustained, focused reading and concentration, students take a music and movement break in the form of a high-energy tune and kung fu exercises. The kids do deep knee bends, push ups, and other stretching exercises -- think Tie Chi and New Wave Rave music. Extensions: I will turn the music and movement break into a longer lesson by having the students listen to a song with great poetic lyrics. The goal for the students is to listen and write down all the lyrics. The students' focus quickly turns to mania to get all the lyrics written down. Active listening is very easy to teach with this method, especially if you use a song from Kidz Bop or Hannah Montana.
10:05 Story Maps and Journaling: Students write a story map or journal entry to strengthen reading concepts. Students work together with their reading partners or with the teacher together for the second part of the guided reading instruction. We review important concepts to look for and discuss the main idea of the chapter. I model a proper story map on the chalk board and show students my thought processes on selecting important detail. Students break out into groups and revisit the chapter they just readearlier with their peers. They review the chapter again, stopping to write challenging and interesting vocabulary. Then they sequence important details as they happen in the chapter. Students can use the author’s words and phrases or put them into their own words, depending on their ability. Students take turns reading and helping with selecting important content and discussing what is actually important. Students usually have fifteen to twenty vocabulary words and ten to twenty sentences in sequential order.
10:45 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy
10:55 Quick Fluency drills: Five minutes: Students reread the fluency drill read earlier to build automaticity of the content.
11:00 Music and Lyrics:
11:05 Vocabulary Instruction: Three tiers of vocabulary are used during vocabulary instruction. Grade level
reading/spelling, above level challenge, and below for review. Six words from each level are selected and explicitly taught. We read, write, define, categorize, and use in a sentence even making odd sentences to help students remember. Vocabulary is also, alphabetized, syllabified, categorized (noun, verb, adjective etc.) and root, suffix, prefix is examined. Students then write one kid-friendly sentence per word, with at least six to eight words, to show understanding. I give students examples of strong sentences and weak sentences to model competent writing. Students can use my sentences to help with the process at the beginning. Most sentences are given orally to help students with active listening skills. Extensions: Students who are reading at grade level are instructed to choose harder words and analyze and write more complex sentences.
11:25 VOCABULARY SPARKLE
Have your children stand or sit on their desk so they are facing the teacher. Start at either end of room and give the first child a vocabulary word or definition. They say the definition or kid friendly sentence if given the vocabulary word or they must give the word when a definition is given. The child that cannot give an answer says SPARKLE and must sit down. Continue the game until you are down to one child! The last child that has answered all the vocabulary gets a small bag of popcorn. Every child that answers a hard vocabulary question correctly gets a pretzel, stamp, or a sticker. They love this and it is great review for challenging academic vocabulary! Start with a mix of easy and hard words to get the kids excited and ready to study the challenging academic words.
11:30 SMARTBoard Read Aloud: Alice in Wonderland, Chapter One: Students gather around the SMARTBoard to read and listen to Alice in Wonderland. I load the PDF ebook to display on the SMARTBoard, select the Librivox audio book, and start the presentation. I ask for a volunteer to use the pointer to help students follow the text as its being read by the Librivox narrator. The students relax and listen to Alice and I have time to work with a student or put my feet up and take a breather. I am lucky to have a SMARTBoard to help with reading instruction and lesson planning. Before the SMARTBoard, I was stuck using my Aver key and my TV.
11:30 Short Stories: Many teachers do not have a SMARTBoard, so this type of read aloud is not possible in
that format. Teachers can use their computer and/or an Aver key to do a modified read aloud. Teachers, who do not have access to technology, can use a student-led reading group to read a short story. Students select a short story from their anthologies and round-robin read with their groups. The teacher can join a group, or work one-on-one with a student who is struggling. Groups should be formed using student data to insure each group has one strong reader. They read the story, and if they have time, read a second story, taking turns
reading and discussing important details and interesting concepts.
12:00 Morning Wrap: Quick discussions of morning goals, learning, and methods are critiqued to improve the learning environment. Exemplary students who demonstrate excellent manners and etiquette are praised and celebrated.
12:05: Music and Lyrics:
12:10 Recess and Lunch: Students who are not on task, who play or goof around, lack manners or good schooletiquette are kept in during recess to re-teach those skills that are needed to succeed. I use
an old-school method of positive behavior modification in the form of writing sentences. Positive affirmations are used to help modify attitude and behavior. Intermediate students, who are chronically off the mark, write twenty five affirmations to start the reprogramming and they lose their lunch recess.
12:40 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy: Vocabulary Building Activities
12:50 Quick Fluency drill: Students retake the previous fluency drill to improve their wpm scores.
12:55 Poetry and Prose: Students buddy read a poem or come together for student recitation or performance. We start the soft jazz music and sit with our poetry books in hand, reading along as the students recite or perform a selected poem.
1:00 Academic Vocabulary Instruction: Six challenging words are selected, usually at a grade above what is taught. I use a fifth grade vocabulary list for some, and sixth grade for a few students. Vocabulary is reviewed, categorized (noun, verb, adjective etc.) and synonyms and antonyms are diagrammed on the SMARTBoard or chalk board. I give three examples of each word in a sentence to help students understand the meaning. Students then write one kid-friendly sentence per word, with at least six words, to show understanding. Students are allowed to use my sentences or write their own. Extensions: Students above grade level can assist with writing and editing of peers' work and reading if they are competent and good role models. Students can also assist with analyzing new poems and literature for challenging vocabulary and suggested lessons.
1:10 VOCABULARY SPARKLE
Have your children stand or sit on their desk so they are facing the teacher. Start at either end of room and give the first child a vocabulary word or definition. They say the definition or kid friendly sentence if given the vocabulary word or they must give the word when a definition is given. The child that cannot give an answer says SPARKLE and must sit down. Continue the game until you are down to one child! The last child that has answered all the vocabulary gets a small bag of popcorn. Every child that answers a hard vocabulary question correctly gets a pretzel, stamp, or a sticker. They love this and it is great review for challenging academic vocabulary! Start with a mix of easy and hard words to get the kids excited and ready to study the challenging academic words.
1:15 Fluency Drills
1:20 Vocabulary Instruction:
1:30 Music and Movement: After sustained focus and concentration, students take a music and movement break in the form of a super-high-energy tune and Kung Fu exercises. The kids do deep-knee bends, push ups, and other stretching exercises think Tie Chi and new-wave, rave music.
1:35 Poetry and Prose: Student volunteers read a favorite poem as the class reads along.
Cracker Barrel Philosophy: Reading great poetry is bubble gum for the imagination. It’s very hard when you start but the more you chew the softer it gets. Sean
1:44 Word Wall Fluency Drills
1:45 Quick Fluency drill: Students retake the previous fluency drill to improve their wpm scores.
1:50 Poetry Recitation: Students write, read, and memorize a poem to recite. The students read and reread the entire poem, practicing articulation and enunciation for public performance. They must memorize at least one stanza, and students with more skill can memorize up to four. We start with a simple poem like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that most kids know.
2:15 Music and Lyrics:
2:20 Short Stories: Students select a short story from their anthologies, peer read with their partners, and take
notes in their reading journals. Try to incorporate the classics, e.g. The Brothers Grimm and Aesop’s Fables to give students a foundation in classic literature.
cannot decode a word, or don’t know its meaning, get assistance first from their peers then the teacher.
2:45 Music and Lyrics:
2:50 Vocabulary Practice With Buddy: Vocabulary Building Activities
3:00 Short Music and Movement Cleanup: Always leave the student on a high point, if possible, with great music and lots of smiles and praise.
HOMEWORKStudents reread chapter two of Harry Potter and write a story map or a journal entry. Students review, study the National Reading Vocabulary spelling/vocabulary words and write kid-friendly sentences to show understanding.Reading Boot Camp Philosophy: Awaken or reawaken the desire for learning, let the light of wisdom and reason shine in. Solemnity and literacy are distant visions for some teachers on day one, yet the seed is planted rigorously, feed constantly, and blossoms over the 20 plus days.
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