Literacy Resource

This is a picture of a literacy resource that the students in my classroom use everyday. They are known as literacy boots. This is a great resource that my students have to help them in increasing their literacy abilities. My students use their literacy boots during an everyday activity known as "daily 5." During their daily 5 time they are assigned to either read to self, read to someone (which is only reading to one partner) or write. Inside each literacy boot, are several books that are "just right books." These books are specifically selected by my mentor teacher and are switched out every other week. Each boot has 5 books in them that are at the students’ specific literacy level. My teacher determines my students' literacy levels through ongoing assessments like running records, and reading street assessments, which is the reading program that the school utilizes. The reading street assessments are done each week based on the words that were learned that week, where they have to read about 10 words and then read 4 sentences. Then based on those assessments and the running records my MT determines what level each of my students are at and what books go into their literacy boots. There also is usually one slightly higher book in their boot to challenge their reading abilities. Each boot also has a composition notebook, which they keep in their boots to practice writing. The students can draw and write. This is a great way for my teacher to see their writing progression and each day during daily 5 she usually meets with 1-2 students to have them show her their writing so that she can see and gauge the progress they're making.

This enhances my students' reading skills both because they have books that are appropriately picked for their level and because they have at least one book that challenges their reading levels. This can help my students because it ensures that they are actually reading rather than just flipping through the book because they can’t read it, and it also allows them to move up in reading when they are ready. It also helps my teacher gauge their writing abilities and helps them to practice writing and expressing themselves, and telling stories.

I definitely would utilize this method in my own class if I had young readers and would recommend this system to a teacher to use. I think that it is a great way to help kids read through choosing level appropriate books, and maintaining that they are actually reading. I would make a few changes to the program to strengthen it however. For one thing, I think that it is important that you allow your students to have a voice in what they read. So every two weeks instead of me choosing the books, I would have my students chose their own books to go in their boots that are from a pile of books that are pre-determined and level appropriate. This way I am still in control of maintaining that they chose the right books but they get to have some freedom in choosing what they want to read. I also would have my students not only bring me their writing each week, but also their challenging book and have them read it to me to see where they are at in regards to being ready to move up a level or not. That way I can ensure that they are enhancing in their reading through a third check. I also would have my students at any time of the day that they finish their work early or don’t have something to do, to grab their boots and read from it. That way they are constantly practicing. I definitely will use this system in my class someday and really see the value in this resource.