Throwback Thursday ~Literacy Stations

Hi, Friends! How are ya?  I’m linking up with the awesome Cara Caroll for this week’s installment of Throwback Thursday!

This post was originally shared on April 23, 2013 and quickly became my most popular post!  Enjoy!

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Just recently, I shared how we conduct math stations in our classroom….NOW its time for the biggie! Literacy stations! Our absolute favorite time of the day! Math is fun. Science and Social Studies, very informative….BUT literacy, reading, word work {ahhhh}…OUR FAVORITEs!

Now, before we proceed, I should probably tell you that I sneak as much literacy into EVERYTHING that we do throughout the day as possible! This post however, outlines how we conduct our specific literacy block of time. It begins around mid-day, just after lunch and runs until we leave for the end of the day.

We begin this time with a quick transition to the carpet that focuses on some phonemic awareness skill done orally.  After settling in at the carpet, we move through a mini-lesson that is focused on phonics, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, or word usage. We use the concepts outlined in The Daily 5 in our classroom. For us, its more like the Daily 6 because we use our computers as part of the rotation, but still call it The Daily 5.



On a normal day, we visit 3 rounds of stations. We check in by sitting at the carpet quietly and waiting for the stylus to be passed from one friend to the next. Students conduct this activity independently as I’m already off and running with my small group at the teacher table. This chart has student numbers on it from the beginning of the year. We have since changed it to names. You can also see the names of each of the areas students have a choice of visiting. They check in and off they go…

Do I tell students which area to visit?  Nope! That’s the great part of it all. They get to have a say so in their learning by making the choice themselves. They get to be in control and decide how they will work on becoming a better reader, a more literate little being!

Do YOU like to be told what and how to do things all day lonnnng? Probably not.

Well, guess what…neither do your students! Ha! Choice is very important and besides, I control what they’re learning through the materials and activities that are prepared for them, so its ok to give them a little control. =)



While they are working independently throughout the room, I am at the teacher table (most days) working with a small group of students on comprehension and word attack skills. If you look closely, you’ll also notice that not all of the books are exactly the same. Initially, we begin the year with just guided reading groups…BUT as the year progresses and as students progress as readers, we move from just guided reading groups (where we’re learning how to read) to guided reading AND strategy groups (where we’re learning how to comprehend what we read).

Soooo, there are some weeks where our books are different, BUT the skill we’re focused on is the same. That way we get a bit of a mix to our groups and students aren’t so easily identified by their level of expertise.

What are my OTHER kids doing while I’m at the table? Wellll, I’m glad you asked!



As they go to stations, they have a choice of activities on each shelf. On each shelf is a choice of bins. In each bin is a supply bucket and  ‘I Can’ statement for them to read that provides a simple explanation of the activity underneath. (This also helps to keep our shelves looking neat and tidy. I HATE DESPISE LOATH CLUTTER!) Everything needed to complete the activity is in the bin to minimize movement in the room. Only 2 students are allowed to share any 1 activity.



Students work to review and practice previously taught skills that will help build literate little peeps! Stations help to extend skills over a length of time (that I determine) to gain a greater level of mastery. I do not change station materials each week. I change them as I notice students losing interest or having gained a great understanding of the concept they’re practicing. This allows for extended practice and a little less work for me. =)



There is generally a manipulative of some sort to organize, sort, or put together and a reflection sheet to record thinking, reflect on reading, or demonstrate understanding.  These little guys were used to practice understanding multiple meaning words.  Here’s a close-up!



Students are encouraged to do their best work by possibly having it used as a model for others.





We incorporate a little art that is connected to shared reading or writing.



….and do lots of word work!



Interactive writing is always connected to literature. We tackled this BIG guy in small group AND as part of our mini-lessons on comparing and contrasting in order to get it completed! It’s HUGE!

Each round of stations is timed for about 30 minutes. As I complete a small group, I leave the table or area where we’ve been working and rotate around the room to monitor students and join in for a little “chit chat” in order to provide some individualized attention.  In order to get students attention to change stations, a rain stick is turned quietly.

When they hear it, they know they have 2 minutes to clean up and move to the carpet for the next mini-lesson. Sometimes, we need gentle reminders…but most days, move pretty quickly because we want to get back to stations as soon as we can! Reading is fun!

Friends that have added a new poem to their poetry journal get to bring it to the carpet to read aloud to help build their fluency at this time as well, so you’d best believe they’re the first to get to the carpet as fast as they can!



Most importantly, we read to each other and work together to become better readers! After recess, we move from reading to writing. Writing is often a reflection on our unit of study in reading or a connection to a science or social studies topic.

AND that my friends is how we conduct our literacy block! …our absolute favorite time of the day! Whew! That was a mouthful! Thanks for sticking around!

You definitely deserve a treat! Click the pic below to grab the fab freebie we used to practice multiple meaning words {pictured above}! It’ll give you an idea of what our station activities are like. Hope your firsties like them as much as we did! Enjoy!