Lower Elementary Seminar by

Maria Mijac

mmijac — 2025-10-26 23:46:07 UTC

The thing I would most want a fellow teacher to know about doing Centers (small group instruction) is that there is no single way to do this. Rather it is a great chance to experiment and try new things until you find the combination of activities and groupings that are right for your students.

Casey McKenzie

2025-11-13 19:24:45 UTC

I'd say don't skimp in the pre-teaching/reteaching of expectations so students can be successful.

I also thought I needed to fit all 28 students into 3 rotations every day but I don't need to see every student every day. This makes the groups smaller and more effective when I have groups of 4-6. Some I can see every day but some I only need to see twice a week. This is my teacher table rotation schedule. Other groups are working on Waggle, math fluency games, math cards from the curriculum (Math Expressions) etc.

Denise Dalphond

dalphond — 2025-11-17 03:10:50 UTC

Small group instruction really helps my low readers to boost their reading fluency and comprehension. We use leveled readers and worksheets with phonics, reading, writing, and grammar. Students work on these materials independently, and we work on them together in my small groups.

Becky Hovatter

2025-11-17 13:14:56 UTC

One thing that has helped grow my fluency and comprehension scores has been to cross cut fluency and comprehension into other areas of instruction. For example, when we teach various science units e.g. space, I will use reading passages that we choral and independently read and then we work to answer those questions independently and discuss as a group. This helps us discover information on the topic, and to practice our reading and comprehension skills in other blocks of study, not just ELA.

Morgan French

2025-11-17 21:45:38 UTC

One Thing I would share with fellow new teachers would be to start small with small groups. Last year I really tried to jump in, and my students weren't ready and it was a mess. This year I started very small with two centers per day. I rotate who is with me, and I see each group twice a week. The rest of the class are on programs they know well, or independent reading. This has worked really well, and my students are doing amazing with it. They know the routine and for the most part get right on and don't need much help from me. This lets me focus on my small group.

Kassie Sheffer

2025-11-17 21:45:54 UTC

Small group instruction is a work in progress for me. I haven't found a way to successfully implement them in my classroom yet. I have an overall lower academic level class as well as some behavior issues. I am hoping to find some inspiration/ideas from this assignment to help me be more successful with small groups. Right now I walk around during centers and support my students as needed.

Megha Puvvala

2025-11-17 22:18:48 UTC

My small groups has evolved since I started teaching and I feel after each week, it keeps getting better. One thing which I have been doing this year is to reward Dojo points to my students after each station has finished to keep my students motivated throughout the centers time. My small group work at each station is a review of all the learning and my each group is differentiated at the teacher station. Scaffolding and differentiated instruction at the teacher station has been helping in improving their skills. Having a consistent routine and using similar materials has been working. Before introducing a new center station, I always have my students work together in whole group until they are independent enough to work in small groups.

Kaitlin Vanlangevelde

2025-11-17 22:22:46 UTC

The best advice I have for small groups is to keep the activities sweet and simple. You don't want to have to teach you students how to do the activity while trying to conduct small group. In teaching 1st grade I have learned that even if you give the kids the same worksheet layout over and over, if it's not 100% clear they will be confused.

Teagan Lewis

2025-11-17 22:30:23 UTC

The way my class does small groups now is a school-wide effort. I screen my students every three weeks, and they are placed in a group with other third grade scholars in other classes based on what their reading level is. We use UFLI with these groups and try to have each teacher (including interventionists and specials teachers) switch up the skill they teach every time as well.

Jeneen Castleberry

2025-11-17 23:52:48 UTC

During my Math Intervention block I set the class up in station that consists of a teacher station, math center, tech station (independent), worksheet etc. I have an active timer set for 10-15 min. I do the same for my ELA MTSS Intervention block as well. In order for this to work it has to be prepared, organized and you have to have expectations spelled out, talked through and modeled.

Ainslie Spearn

2025-11-24 18:17:25 UTC

I've found it helpful to have a clear visual of where students need to be and when during literacy rotations. I have a timer running to ensure students know how much time they have left in each rotation. I'm lucky to have two other adults supporting my rotations, and know that this helps support my kiddos. Finally, I try to keep it as simple as possible, and to clarify expectations at the beginning of each literacy rotation block.

YaMayia Sobush

2025-11-24 19:48:12 UTC

My question:

How do you manage centers when some students have challenging behaviors and won't stay in their own center and will start to move around the room, making it hard to interact with the small group you have, because then you are spending your time redirecting?

Reply to YaMayia

allissam1 — 2025-11-25 02:02:46 UTC

Depending on which grade you teach, I would encourage you to make your centers as play based as educationally possible. Making letters in sand is way more engaging than a worksheet and it might keep your challenging student more engaged. That said, I previously had a student for whom no amount of play would keep him from being disruptive and sometimes aggressive when not directly supervised. The ultimate solution was one of two things depending on the day. One was he stayed with me at the table and had his own seperate tasks. The other was that he went to the other K class while we did centers. He enjoyed this and it made him feel special. As much as I would have liked to have had him in class all the time, we eventually had to make the choice that his needs (attention mainly) could not outweigh the educational and safety needs of the other students. I hope you are not facing a situation this intense but even a milder situation is still challenging. Praying things get better for you!

April Kasza reply to YaMayia

2025-11-27 23:03:45 UTC

I'm not sure that student distractions from other groups that I am not currently meeting with will ever be 100% eliminated. A few things that have helped reduced that behavior in my classroom are 1. Review expectations every. single. time. before we go into centers. 2. I've started using hand signals. For example, if a student needs to use the restroom or get a drink during center time, they now know there is no need to interrupt me and the group I'm working with. The student simply displays the hand signal, I nod approval and we go on about our business. 3. A visual timer that all students can see at all times. 4. A digital display of who should be at which center when. 5. I use something call "wise owl ticket" reward system. I teach kinder so students are very prize motivated. Students can claim a prize from the prize box, be my special helper, sit in the teacher chair, etc... once they collect a certain amount of tickets. Students know that my policy is one warning to reduce volume or change behavior. The second time students know I will start taking their wise owl tickets away. The difference between me last year as a first-year teacher and me now, as a second-year teacher is that I follow through! Following through with natural consequences has been the biggest game changer for me.

Angela Villet

2025-12-02 04:14:55 UTC

As a Pre-K teacher, my small groups are typically play based and hands-on learning experiences. I have an assistant teacher who leads a small group with 1 half of the class and I lead another small group with the other half. So far our groups have been mixed with students at varying levels of development but in January I plan to place the students in 2 separate groups based on their level of need. Our curriculum/program requires we do small group instruction this way vs "centers". I find it difficult to do small groups this way because this leaves me with 9 students in a small group of all different developmental levels. I struggle to give students the attention they deserve at times. The pre-k students have a very short attention span and my goal has been to create engaging small group experiences for all of the students to increase their ability to focus on a task. I have one student who always wants to be the first done so that she can be the first person to move on to the next thing on the schedule. Recently, I've begun asking her to help the other students at the table who need help. Since doing this, she has discovered she will not be the first to move on to the next event on the schedule and that she will still need to stay in the small group as a helper.

YOUR FAVOURITE CLASSROOM READ ALOUDS

mmijac — 2026-01-04 01:50:51 UTC

Please share a favourite classroom read aloud with a brief description of how you use it with students.

Ish by Peter Reynolds (Maria Mijac)

mmijac — 2026-01-04 01:55:26 UTC

Sweet story that I love for its sweet underlying message to keep doing what you love, even if you're not perfect and to persevere despite your critics. SYNOPSIS: story of Ramon, a boy who loves to draw until his older brother mocks his work, making him self-conscious and focused on perfection, which stifles his creativity until his little sister, Marisol, shows him the beauty in his "ish-ly" (imperfect) drawings, helping him embrace the joy of the creative process over precise replication.

Becky Hovatter - Read Aloud

2026-01-05 23:44:50 UTC

One of my very favorite read aloud stories is the Gruffalo. I enjoy modeling fluency and the fun ways in which you can modify a story to make it exciting and engaging for your audience with my students. The underlying messages in the story highlight how you can use wit, logic, and being clever to outsmart even the biggest and scariest foe. It's a wonderful opportunity to share imagery as an author as well and to help students engage in sharing illustrative language in their own writing.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud (YaMayia Sobush)

2026-01-05 23:45:00 UTC

I enjoy this story because it is a great way to teach students about how they treat someone and how it can impact them. It is a great visual representation to help them understand what is dipping into a bucket versus what is filling a bucket. There are also great activities to go with it, such as making a bucket for the whole class and working together to fill it.

2026-01-05 23:45:06 UTC

This book is quite important for students to see the importance of their identity and their names. A lot of aspects of cultural respect and uplifting others is shared within this book.

Teagan L - Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

2026-01-05 23:45:11 UTC

I use this book to emphasize the importance of having a class charter and feeling cared for in the classroom. I actually read it again today to reinforce the class charter after break!

The Very Impatient Caterpillar (Erica Traylor)

2026-01-05 23:45:35 UTC

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach is a humorous children's book about a caterpillar who struggles with the slow process of metamorphosis, constantly asking if he's a butterfly yet and getting annoyed by the waiting. The book uses speech bubbles and bright illustrations to teach about the science of transformation, while also exploring themes of patience and self-love in a relatable, STEM-friendly way. It's the first in a series that includes The Little Butterfly That Could and Goodnight, Butterfly.

I read this book as an SEL lesson to teach and discuss patience. As it is a challenge for students to wait their turn. We talk about ways to wait our turn and appropriate and safe ways to calm down when we feel overwhelmed waiting.

Oliver: The Second Largest Living Thing on Earth by Josh Crute (Ainslie Spearn)

2026-01-05 23:45:53 UTC

I like using this book as a SEL lesson early in the year. I also use it to introduce the kids to where I lived for 10 years (California). The book encourages children to see their worth, find community and consider how they can empathize with others.

Kaitlin Vanlangevelde

2026-01-05 23:47:25 UTC

I use this story on the first day of school to begin helping my students become more confident in themselves and more comfortable around their new peers.

When Marian Sang by Brian Selznick and Pam Muñoz Ryan (Denise Dalphond)

dalphond — 2026-01-05 23:47:59 UTC

This is a powerful story that I read to my own children when they were little. Now it is in my classroom, and it is a read aloud in our curriculum for third grade. The art is gorgeous, the history is important, and the writing is so good.

The Magical Yet

2026-01-05 23:48:10 UTC

This is a very beautifully illustrated story. I love it because it teaches a growth mindset. I read it at the beginning of the year, and I read it before we go into testing season. It validates frustration and teaches that it is okay to not know how to do something yet, giving up is not how you grow.

2026-01-05 23:49:36 UTC

A book I love to read to my scholars was actually a gift from my field instructor, Hilary. Its significant to me and culturally relevant to my students because it encourages them to embrace their coils and love the unique things about them that make them beautiful.

2026-01-05 23:50:09 UTC

I love to read this book at the end of the school year so that my students know that no matter what we are always connected. It can be a little bit of a tear jerker but it gives me one last connection to my students!- Kassie Sheffer

So Many Read Alouds! (Casey McKenzie)

2026-01-05 23:53:45 UTC

A few of my favorites are Quick as a Cricket (How we can be so many things even when they contradict), Paper bag Princess (good to bring out when there's talk of girls cant/boys cant), The Beach is Loud (great inclusion book featuring a kiddo with sensory sensitivity), My Father's Dragon (My favorite read aloud chapter book), Brambley Hedge (good seasonal books. gentle and cozy)

darrylra — 2026-01-06 00:40:35 UTC

My daughter has a couple of Elephant and Piggie books on her bookshelf. At the beginning of the year, I borrowed one to read to the class. This is one of my favorites to read with my mini, as it is so silly...yet shows that asking a question can bring results. My students enjoyed this book also; this story helped to bring togetherness and give students a chance to further warm up to our classroom and our peers.

In a sense, it mirrors Green Eggs and Ham--there is a character who is frustrated, and another who is optimistic that serves as their foil...In the end, there is unity that stems from communicating through obstacles.

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (April Kasza)

2026-01-10 21:54:41 UTC

I remember reading these as a child. I still enjoy the because the message is about the importance of friendship. Sometimes we give support. Sometimes we need it. Life can be a lot of things. It can be both more meaningful and easier when shared with others.

Megha Puvvala- The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

2026-01-12 01:59:43 UTC

Choosing just one book is difficult, but The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn has always been a favorite of mine to read both to my own children and to my students. It is an ideal read-aloud for the beginning of the kindergarten year, as many students are adjusting from the home environment to a new classroom setting. This story gently opens conversations about feelings, worries, and separation anxiety, supporting students’ emotional development and helping build strong classroom connections.

The Fire Cat by Esther Averill - Jeneen Castleberry

2026-01-12 21:43:45 UTC

This is an oldie but goodie book. This was my favorite book to read as a child. It was actually my first chapter book in the 1st grade. I read this book as a starter chapter book with my students during our closing circle. After the first few weeks of school I ask for volunteers to read on as we read through this book. After we are done reading the book we take a community trip to the closets Fire Department and have Pickles! Just because. This is also a book that I read to have a conversation about homelessness and adoption. This is a level 1 I Can Read Book.

Pickles to the rescue!

Living at Hook & Ladder Co.7 is hard work. But when Pickles is adopted by the people at the firehouse, this little cat makes big plans: to be the best fire cat ever.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Angela Villet)

2026-01-12 23:14:50 UTC

I love reading this classic book to my preschool students. It is a fun story that invites many different topics of conversation. The students enjoy the repetition and the counting as the caterpillar eats through the different foods. At the end, we see the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly which is a very fascinating process. The students seem to be very engaged with this story.

March is Reading Month by Maria M.

mmijac — 2026-02-23 23:34:58 UTC

BRIEF description and please include a photo/image to go with your post if possible.

March is Reading Month - Ainslie Spearn

2026-02-23 23:52:03 UTC

For March is reading month, we have a day where we dress up as our favorite fictional character. This year I will dress as Dogman. Last year, we had a door decorating contest that showed each classroom's favorite book - we did The Wild Robot.

March is Reading Month - Morgan French

2026-02-23 23:52:46 UTC

Last year, our school all read the same book (pictured above). There were trivia questions the students could answer and be entered into a drawing. It was really hard to keep up with the book, and my class barely got to it with lack of time. I do not have any ideas for this year. Our school has nothing planned at the moment.

March Reading

2026-02-23 23:58:25 UTC

Our school doesn't have a reading initiative in March. I'd love to do a reading challenge where a certain number of minutes of reading yield a big silly experiential surprise.

March is Reading Month

2026-02-24 00:05:34 UTC

I had this idea to decorate the Lower El floor with Dr. Seuss book titles. I made balloons cut-outs and asked my class to fill in their individual balloons with the Places They'll go in Life. They listed other countries and states and careers they'll have. It was so fun. We aren't finished yet but this is part 1 of our bulletin.

March is Reading Month by YaMayia Sobush

2026-02-24 00:09:41 UTC

Our school creates sign up list for both staff members and community members/ parents to come read to our scholars. They are able to bring their favorite childhood book, or we can provide some.

March is Reading month- Kassie Sheffer

2026-02-24 13:55:06 UTC

For March is reading month our school hosts a book bingo for the entire school. Families come and play bingo and when you win you get a book! The books that we give away are donated by the community.

March is Reading Month - Denise Dalphond

dalphond — 2026-03-02 01:59:23 UTC

This is my school's calendar for March is Reading Month. There is a heavy focus on Dr. Seuss. I read Dr. Seuss books to my kids, my youngest is 18 now. Dr. Seuss's published bigotry is becoming common knowledge. The Lorax is in our curriculum. Our lead teacher plans ELA; she gave us one day to read the book. Last year, we read it over two or three days, following the lesson plan for that text. Rhyming isn't the best way to teach reading. Maybe we can choose a different reading mascot: Elephant and Piggie! Dave Pilkey! Reading Rainbow!