Category: Literacy

Belly Up Breakout Edu

2/2/2018

I've been creating Breakout Edu's over different novels and this one is tied to the book Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs. Let me know if you would like a copy of this Breakout, or any of the other ones I've created.

Literacy Breakout Edu over Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs.

Game Name: Will Henry Jr. go Belly Up?

Game Designer: Stephanie Laird @LairdLearning, LairdLearning.com

Content Areas: Reading

Recommended Ages: 3rd-6th grade

Ideal Group Size: Whole Class

Suggested Time: 45 minutes

Story:
Henry Hippo Junior is the new star of FunJungle and Teddy Fitzroy promised Summer he would keep an eye on Hippo River. Last night, Teddy received a text from Summer telling him she overheard her dad talking to Large Marge on the phone, discussing how the new koala is missing and they're worried the baby hippo may be next! Teddy needs your help to track down Doc, solve the mystery, and prevent anything from happening to Henry Jr.! You have 45 minutes to solve the clues, so work together. Your time starts now!

Lock Combinations:

3-Digit Lock 346
4-Digit Lock 0816
ABC Lock Water
Directional Lock ←↑→↓↓
Key Lock Taped to trash can
Color clock Brown, Black, Yellow, Grey, Pink

Setup Instructions:

Print out all clue cards
Tape the key to the trash can.
Place red decoder lens near the box.
Hide all clue cards around the room
Using the hasp, lock the Breakout Box with the directional lock, word lock, 3 digit lock, 4 digit lock, color lock, and key lock on the hasp.

Reflection Questions:

How did your group utilize each individual’s strengths?
How did you contribute to your team?
Did everyone in your group have an opportunity to contribute?
Describe a moment in the game when your team worked well together.
How could your group have been more effective?

Additional Requirements:

Decoder Lens

CCSS: RL.1, RL.2, RL.3

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Crenshaw Breakout Edu

1/2/2018

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I've been creating Breakout Edu's over different novels and this one is tied to the book Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. Let me know if you would like a copy of this Breakout, or any of the other ones I've created.

Literacy Breakout Edu over Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate.

Game Name: Crenshaw's Jelly Beans

Game Designer: Stephanie Laird @LairdLearning, LairdLearning.com

Content Areas: Reading

Recommended Ages: 3rd-6th grade

Ideal Group Size: Whole Class

Suggested Time: 45 minutes

Story:
Crenshaw needs your help! To keep Marisol from eating his purple jelly beans, he locked them in the Breakout Edu box in Jackson’s keepsake bag. The problem is, Crenshaw has been busy helping Jackson and forgot the lock combinations! Thankfully, Crenshaw left clues in order to figure out the combination and needs you to help solve the clues and unlock the box. You have 45 minutes to solve the clues, so work together, problem solve, and breakout the Jelly Beans. Your time starts now!

Lock Combinations:

3-Digit Lock 132
4-Digit Lock 2015
ABC Lock TRUTH
Directional Lock ￬￬￪￪￩
Key Lock Hidden Inside The House on East 88th Street
Color clock Yellow, Green, Blue, Red, White

Setup Instructions:

Print out all clue cards
Cut out the cardboard sign clues (I’d Rather Be Fishing) and on the back of each clue, write one number for the answer 2015 in invisible ink.
Tape the key in the book The House on East 88th Street by Bernard Waber. Place book somewhere in the room.
Place red decoder lens near the box.
Cut the “Enjoy the magic around you” clue into six pieces (or into a puzzle)
Hide all clue cards around the room
Hide the flashlight around the room.
Using the hasp, lock the Breakout Box with the directional lock, word lock, 3 digit lock, 4 digit lock, color lock, and key lock on the hasp.

Reflection Questions:

How did your group utilize each individual’s strengths?
How did you contribute to your team?
Did everyone in your group have an opportunity to contribute?
Describe a moment in the game when your team worked well together.
How could your group have been more effective?

Additional Requirements:

Borrow a copy of The House on East 88th Street from your library
Decoder Lens

CCSS: RL.1, RL.2, RL.3

Crenshaw Clues

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Wonder Breakout Edu

11/13/2017

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Several years ago, while I was co-teaching fifth grade, I used Wonder as a read aloud companion to one of our district's English Language Arts unit. Although I have since moved into an Instructional Coaching role, Wonder is still used in fifth grade. Recently, the movie was released, and I decided to create a Breakout Edu game, "We're All Wonders," students could use after reading the book. In this game, students solve a series of clues to unlock six locks and breakout. I enjoyed creating this game, and even had our fifth grade students test out the game before

We're All Wonders!

Game Name: We're All Wonders

Game Designer: Stephanie Laird @LairdLearning, LairdLearning.com

Content Areas: Reading

Recommended Ages: 3rd-6th grade

Ideal Group Size: Whole Class

Suggested Time: 45 minutes

Story:
This morning, Mr. Browne dropped off a box containing messages from Auggie. Don’t worry, unlike the notes Julian left for Auggie and Jack, these are Wonderful. To open the box, you will need to work together and use lessons you have learned from Auggie’s life. Remember, we’re all wonders! You have 45 minutes to problem solve and Breakout. Your time starts now!

Lock Combinations:

3-Digit Lock 301
4-Digit Lock 1010
ABC Multi-Lock KIND!
Directional Lock →↓←↑←
Key Lock Taped to On that day’s precept in 365 Days of Wonder
Color clock White, Yellow, Red, White, Blue

Setup Instructions:

Print out all clue cards
On the back of each precepts card, use invisible ink to write one letter to spell out: CHOOSE KIND!) Hide precept cards around the room.
Tape the key on the 365 Days of Wonder page that corresponds to the date the Breakout will be played. Place book somewhere in the room
Cut the arrows apart and place around the room.
Cut the color images apart and place around the room. (These will unlock the color lock)
Hide the Birthday and Halloween party invitations around the room.
Hide the flashlight around the room.
Using the hasp, lock the Breakout Box with the directional lock, 3 digit lock, 4 digit lock, word lock, color lock, and key lock on the hasp.

Reflection Questions:

How did your group utilize each individual’s strengths?
How did you contribute to your team?
Did everyone in your group have an opportunity to contribute?
Describe a moment in the game when your team worked well together.
How could your group have been more effective?

Additional Requirements:
Checkout a copy of 365 Days of Wonder from your school library.
Optional: Wonder bookmarks or Choose Kind pledge to be placed inside the Breakout Box

CCSS: RL.1, RL.2, RL.3

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Building a Culture of Literacy

8/9/2017

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I was recently interviewed for a Literacy Today article focused on building a culture of literacy. The article can be found in the July/August 2017 edition of Literacy Today. Below you will find my responses to the interview questions:

In your mind, what does it mean to have a culture of literacy in a school?
A culture of literacy is when students, teachers, administrators, and support staff have a shared vision of what literacy is and why it is important. In addition, teachers and administrators rely on research-based instructional practices and data to make decisions and support students in their literacy journey. Finally, literacy is not something that occurs during a specific time of day or content area, but rather is infused throughout a student’s daily learning experience.

What is the coach's role in this process and are there strategies that can help to get teachers on board in creating that culture?
Coaches are there to support, model, and facilitate literacy instruction and data informed decisions. Although a coach is a literacy leader, it is important that the coach isn’t the only literacy leader, and that they are not viewed as the expert. If the coach is to be effective and the culture of literacy to be the norm, the coach must build the capacity of the teachers they support.

What practices have worked in your school? And what hasn't worked?
  What has worked: Cultivating a shared vision, developing shared leadership, meeting teachers where they’re at in their understanding of literacy instruction, professional needs, etc., having a building or site-based coach, high functioning PLCs, using data to problem solve and inform instruction

What doesn’t work: Drive PD with no follow through or application time, forgetting to share the “why” behind a PD or research-based instructional practice

What is the role of a principal or district-level official in encouraging this approach in schools? Is it something that is more likely to develop if it isn't mandated, or district-led?
A principal or district-level official is there to support the establishment of the literacy culture. They are co-learners in this process, and because the culture of literacy is important, they will make sure that time (instructional and professional development wise), funds, and resources are allocated.

  I think it could be developed if it isn’t mandated, but if it is done in such a way that it’s the way we do business, all stakeholders will recognize the need and rather than it being viewed as an initiative being done to the teachers, it will be seen as a collective effort to better the lives of our students.

What a culture of literacy looks like:
   Throughout the day, you would see students reading, writing, speaking, listening, and creating. Teachers, no matter the content area, are engaging students in literacy.

When you enter a classroom, there's a buzz! Students are co-constructing knowledge by using available resources (books, websites, videos, experts, etc.), they are immersed in a print-rich environment, the classroom library has high interest and developmentally appropriate books, and the teacher is meeting with students individually, in small groups, and as a whole class.

Our students have access to books throughout the building, whether it's in their book boxes, the classroom or school library, or the bins of books located in the halls, office and common areas.

Students are publishing writing to authentic audiences (outside the classroom or school walls)

Teachers, principal, and all support staff model being readers and writers. I made "What is _____ (insert staff member's name) Reading. What are you reading?" posters for everyone to post outside their classroom doors. This allowed students to see the adults in their lives as readers too. Also, when students are writing/reading, the teachers are doing the same.

As a coach, what strategies have you used to build a culture of literacy:
   This year I added P.O.P. teams (Peer Observation Partnerships) to our building. They're partnerships between two teachers where they informally observe one another throughout the year, noting evidence of our district's literacy framework and literacy strategies we've introduced in PD, and they reflect on what's working and discuss areas for growth.

   Last year, after reading Read, Write, Lead, I had our staff write down their top 3 literacy beliefs and then we came to a collective agreement about what our building's top 3 beliefs were. Recognizing your beliefs shape your actions, we were able to further cement our culture of literacy by identifying action steps we will take to ensure our beliefs come true for our students. These actions included: read alouds at least once every day, daily providing students time to read a book of their choice, publishing writing to an authentic audience, using mentor texts and holding reading and writing conferences with each student, incorporating writing to learn and accountable talk in all subject areas, and that every teacher is a literacy teacher.

   I serve one elementary building, so I am easily accessible to every teacher in the building to facilitate coaching cycles, model, co-teach, co-plan, and analyze data. I also strive to be visible throughout the day, and visit classrooms on a daily basis. During these informal visits, I am able to take note of areas of implementation, and what needs to be focused on either in a one-on-one conversation, grade level PLC meeting, or whole staff PD.

   I wrote a grant to send home monthly literacy bags that contain a new book and a reading activity parents can use with their child at home. These books are kept by the families with the goal of building up their home libraries.

 I also added a Little Free Library in front of our building, and love seeing children and their parents borrowing books.

I'd love to hear, what have you done in your building or district to nurture a culture of literacy?

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Power of Technology in Literacy Instruction

6/28/2016

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I had the privilege of presenting at the Iowa Reading Association's 2016 conference. Rather than doing a typical sit and get presentation, I had stations set up for participants to rotate through. Below you will find the handout I had available for participants.

If you would like information on any of these technology tools, including how I implement them with our K-5 students and teachers, let me know!

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Inspire - Teach - Grow

Belly Up Breakout Edu

Literacy Breakout Edu over Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs.

Crenshaw Breakout Edu

Crenshaw Clues

Wonder Breakout Edu

Building a Culture of Literacy

Power of Technology in Literacy Instruction

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