Ms. Wilcox's Class Page

Writing in Action

Children write everyday.  That is motto of our classroom.  We use Writer's Workshop which is also a program for America's Choice.  Students interact with the teacher in a large group lesson that generates ideas about the topic for the day.  We also discuss specific standards to focus on during the writing work period.  As children produce work the students participate in conferences with the teacher to edit and revise what was previously written.  When the child feels confident or at the request of the instructor, the child sits in the Author's Throne and shares the skill that has been mastered.  So children become teachers, as well as, learners.

Reader's Workshop

Daily instruction in reading takes place in our America's Choice format known as Reader's Workshop.  We begin with a mini-lesson focusing on a specific skill.  Next, the children split into three groups.  One group is reading independently and completing tasks that demonstrate what each child has acquired.  Another group works directly with a teacher in guided reading.  In guided instruction, the children and teacher read and discuss the selected text.  Each group is created based on the needs of the children for that group.  This allows for the children to mastery various strategies at a pace that is functional for the indidvidual child.  The final group rotates between a listening center and a word building station.  Each child will rotate through this process weekly.