This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is the most important part of literacy stations! I always tell my students that literacy stations are "working stations" and that we don't play during literacy stations. I make sure they know that they will have fun, but they have to be working the whole time. We also talk about using "secret telling" voices and staying in our station. A great book to read for voice levels is the book "Decibella and Her 6-Inch Voice," by Julia Cook. I love all of Julia's books!
2. Keep student work groups small.
I put two students in a group, because I have found that when students are grouped with more than one other person, they are much more apt to play, argue, and be noisy. In other words, it is an absolute circus! I create my groups with one high and one low student, that way they can help one another. If I have an odd number of students, like I do this year, I will have one group with three.
3. Monitor stations for 2-3 weeks before starting reading groups, to make sure students are meeting expectations.
Even when they seem like they might have it down, give it a little longer. Just like other procedures, the more time you spend making sure your students have it down pat, the smoother your classroom will run. "I wish I had only spent a week setting up my station procedures," said NO TEACHER EVER! ;)
4. Have a plan for what students will do when they finish their work.
This might include early finisher tubs, book tubs (like what you might use in Daily 5), journaling, or other activity. In my room I have used book tubs in the past. While it worked okay, students were bored quickly. This year I am trying two different methods. In our district, we are fortunate enough to have iPads in our classroom. I have created an abcmouse.com account (free for teachers!), and profiles for each student. When my students finish their station work, they may work only in the ABC Mouse app under their profile. I am also going to try using an All Done Station that I purchased from Miss Kindergarten. I can't wait to try it out!
5. Have a behavior management system in place.
I think it is a great idea to have a separate behavior management system just for literacy stations. For instance, in my classroom, I use a clip chart, but I also have a system in place that is separate from the clip chart for literacy stations. For stations, I use a punch card that I created. Students get their cards punched at the end of stations when I check their work. They do not get cards punched if they were too loud, were out of their station, or were playing instead of working. This system has worked WONDERS for me! When they get 10 punches, they get a piece of candy, and 20 punches is a trip to treasure box. Again, this is totally separate from my regular behavior management system. Students are motivated to do high quality work and to work quietly! It doesn't get any better than that!
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