Literacy
Workstations

Workstation Information

I keep my station assginments in little plastic 5x7 frames. If there are no assignments under a heading, that means I change the assignment each week by attaching a large sticky note with assignments that correlate with what we are doing during reading mini-lessons.

We do workstations 4 days a week. Each student will visit each center once for 20 minutes each week. Poetry, Handwriting, and Speciality are rotating station based on our needs. Speciality Station is working with skills like using dictionaries, phone books, atlases, etc.

The chart markers are what I put in a pocket chart to label each station. The work station schedule is what I give each student to help them stay on track with where they are going. After 2 weeks, they know where to go each day even without the personal schedule or chart.

 

Buddy Reading Station

The students can choose books or magazines to read with a buddy. They can choose how they want to read - choral read, you read, I read, or echo reading. This station is where small groups can also practice Reader's Theater.

 

Computer Station

I like to use computers and of course the kids do too. Before I let the students start choosing activities, I use our document presenter to do a demonstration of the various programs and web site that are available for this workstation. See the link to see what activities they can do at this station.

 

Handwriting Station

We start this station when we have started learning cursive. They can use the dry erase boards and mats to copy letters, write names, or whatever. As long as they are practicing good cursive, I'm happy with their work.

 

Listening Station

We have a headphone hook up that allows three people to listen at one radio. Students can listen to stories from the Reading, Science, or Social Studies tasks. I also have a few trade books on CD that they can listen and follow along with. Ideally, it would be cool to have iPods that had all the tracks so I wouldn't have to worry about all the CDs. Plus the kids would find it super cool to use an iPod at school!

 

Overhead Station

This station seems to be the favorite! Probably because they can become the teacher themselves. I have a binder of overheads that they can choose from. Sometimes I choose the overheads I want them to work on (if we have been working on specific skills). Most time, they can choose their own activities. They can also work with their partners to create a story on an overhead.

 

Poetry Station

This station goes along with reading responses. Students can browse poetry books looking for favorites to analyze and respond to. They can also leave poem recommendations on sticky notes for other groups to look at. Sometimes I have specific things I want them to look for in poems - it all depends what we are studying.

 

Speciality Station

This station is rotated with the Handwriting Station. This station is for special projects or short term stations. Some ideas for this station are using newspapers, phone books, or other types of print media, research methods, or just some extra time working with me.

 

Vocabulary Station

In this station, we use games to practice our vocabulary words from the various subjects. The kids can also play some of the games that have to do with making and playing with words and language.

 

Word Study Station

This station is housed with the Vocabulary Station. The kids can do the same making and playing with words games. They can also sort their spelling words, give each other spelling tests, and work on any spelling work they may have for the week.

 

Station Chart Markers

I use a pocket chart to organize my stations. I use each of these markers on a row and then use name cards with the kids' pictures on them. I made the first rotation's cards yellow and the second rotation's cards orange. You can use whatever works best for you.

 

Work Station Schedule

This is the schedule I made for each student so they knew where they were going at all times. After a few weeks, the kids learned where they were going to be each day so the schedules were not needed. These are set up to print on 5x8 notecards. It saves you some time from cutting and the notecards last longer.

 

These two books by Debbie Diller were very helpful in planning my workstations. I also attended one of her workshops which made her words from her books come alive. One of the books focuses more on K-2 and the other 3-6, but both offer great ideas that can be modified to meet your students' individual needs. Check them out!