Online Read Alouds

Below are some sites that offer free read aloud stories. Read alouds are a great way for children to hear fluent reading. If you have the books that go along with the stories, they can also practice reading along.

Just Books Read Aloud
Online Storytime by Barnes and Noble
PBS Kids
Read to Me Las Vegas
Reading is Fundamental
Speakaboos
Storyline Online
Storynory
Storytime for Me

Listen to Our Poems: Set 2

Throughout the year the students have been using the IPad app Hokusai to record themselves reading their weekly poems. We use poems in the class each week to  introduce our phonics focus but to also help with fluency. Below are QR codes to some of the poems they recorded. You can use your smart phone or IPad to scan the codes. I recommend using the app "I-nigma." I like this one because the students do not have to line up the scanner closely on the code. They can get anywhere close to the code and it will work.

It Began with a Frog

 It Must Be a Whale

 Jack and Jill

Miss Mary Mack 

 Money

 My Cat

 My Dog, Tag

 Spinning Spider

 Ted

Listen to Our Poems: Set 1

Throughout the year the students have been using the IPad app Hokusai to record themselves reading their weekly poems. We use poems in the class each week to  introduce our phonics focus but to also help with fluency. Below are QR codes to some of the poems they recorded. You can use your smart phone or IPad to scan the codes. I recommend using the app "I-nigma." I like this one because the students do not have to line up the scanner closely on the code. They can get anywhere close to the code and it will work.

A Hunting We Will Go

 Bugs on My Rug

 Crayons

 Drip Drop

 Friends

 Hills, Chills, and Ills

 Hot Dogs

 I Like Jam

I'm a Little Teapot

Spinning Spiders

As a part of our fluency and phonics practice focusing in s-blends, the students learned the poem "Spinning Spiders" which we recorded today. I use the iPad app Hokusai to record the students. You can hear them reading their poem here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e9r4hgdrefx7ail/Spinning%20Spider.m4a. 

I'm a Little Teapot

In reading we have been working on s-blends. We practiced identifying them in text by reading and singing "I'm a Little Teapot." You can listen to a recording of the students singing here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h5i6jbdwdk7j19i/I%27m%20A%20Little%20Teapot.m4a. I typically record the students on our class iPad each week so they can hear themselves. Recording gives them a sense of purpose knowing they will have an audience and helps them identify ways they can read more fluently.

Poetry: My Dog, Tag

The students recorded their weekly poem "My Dog, Tag" on the class IPad. We learned this poem to practice the sounds for short /a/ and short /o/. Each week in addition to reading the poems for fluency, we highlight the phonics features we are working on. Recording the poems lets the students hear themselves and lets them know what areas to work on for oral fluency. You can listen to their recording here.

Poetry: My Cat

Click here to listen to the students read one of their weekly poems "My Cat." The students learned this poem as we studied the sound for short /a/. Our weekly poems are typically tied to our weekly phonics focus.

Poetry: I Like Jam

To listen to the students reading one of their weekly poems, "I Like Jam", click here. They love recording their poems each week and listening to themselves. They often rerecord because they want to get better. This helps them understand that fluency, or reading like we talk, is important.

Poetry: Friends

Each week the students learn one or two new poems. The poems are typically based on our phonics focus of the week. At the end of the week, the students record themselves reading. Knowing that they have an audience sets a purpose for their reading and encourages them to be more fluent. To listen to them read "Friends" click here.

Crayons

We have been learning the poem "Crayons" to practice reading color words. We have also been working on our fluency. To hear the students reading, click this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9lnesyw8sb0yw95/Crayons.m4a. I have found that when the students know I am recording them and that they will have an audience besides their friends and teachers, they tend to worker harder on reading goals.

A Hunting We Will Go

We have been learning to read and sing "A Hunting We Will Go" as a way to practice fluency and identifying rhyming words. To hear a recording of the students singing, check out this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g5fnn94gyhr4dcp/A%20Hunting%20We%20Will%20Go.m4a

Literacy Cafe

Last Thursday night some of the students participated in our 2nd annual Literacy Cafe! Some of the students were hosts and hosstesses. They took the guests to their tables where they were greeted by student waiters and waitresses. They then took the guests orders which they took to the "kitchen" where the orders were filled. The guests could choose one appetizer, one entree, or one dessert. These were actually student readers. For our grade, the appetizers were riddles, the entrees were short books, and the desserts were tongue twisters. The good news is that there were so many guests and the "kitchen" was so busy, I did not get a chance to take many pictures at the cafe. But, I did manage to snap this cute shot of two of our readers!

Five Fat Turkeys Podcast

This week we are learning more about poetry. In particular, we are learning about the use of rhyming, alliterations, and sensory details. The students practiced reading "Five Fat Turkeys" to identify rhyming words. To help them increase their self-awareness when reading and to increase their fluency, we used Audacity to record their readings. The students would give themselves a rating, a part of our Capturing Kids' Hearts process, and decide if they should record it again. Once they were satisfied with  their reading, we saved the recording. I later uploaded the recording to our podcasting site hosted by PodBean. You can also download Audacity for FREE to use at home. All you need is some kind of microphone input device which can be found at most electronics stores or Walmart/Target for cheap.

You can listen to their podcast of Five Fat Turkeys here. You can download the podcast to any MP3 enabled device.

Miss Mary Mack Podcast

This week we are learning about the different elements of poetry. Yesterday we read "Miss Mary Mack" to identify examples of alliterations and rhymes in a poem. You can listen to a recording of their reading visiting our podcasting site. The students recorded their reading using Audacity software which can be downloaded for FREE.

How To: Podcasting

Fellow teachers, several of you have asked how we do the podcasting in our class. At first I wasn't sure I could do this either, but Moseley's technology facilitator, Sharon Thornton, showed me that it wasn't as hard as I thought. Mrs. Thornton can explain it better than I ever could and has already done so at her technology integration site. She has examples of how to use podcasting in your classroom, steps to think about before you start, and step-by-step directions on how to create and implement your podcasts. She also has directions for how to download and use the recording software Audacity. She also has several options listed of sites that can host your podcasts. The podcasting host that I use is PodBean. While you are at her site, check out all of the other great resources and downloadable directions that she has shared - she's amazing!

Short Vowel Poetry

Over the last few weeks we have been focusing on short vowel sounds. To help practice reading the sounds fluently, the students practiced the poem "Ted." You can listen to their poetry reading below. The poems were recorded using Audacity software. A link to Audacity is at the side of the page along with many other helpful links. For fluency practice, a highly recommend Dr. Tim Rasinski's poems which can be found in his books Poems for Word Study. There are several different versions of this book for different grade levels.





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You can also hear other examples of their reading at our class podcasting site.

Fluency Podcasting

As guided reading today, the students practiced recording their favorite poems using Audacity software. They recorded again and again until they were happy with their recording. The poems that we typically use are from Dr. Timothy Rasinski's book Poems for Word Study. You can hear all of their recordings at my podcasting site on Podbean. You can download the podcasts to your computer, IPhone, IPod, or IPad. Below is an example of today's recordings:

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Storyline Online

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation has a great website, Storyline Online, where actors read their favorite children's books. The site is a great way for your child to hear engaging and fluent reading as well as practice their comprehension skills. As additional practice at home, have your child listen to one of the stories online and then have them tell you the events of the story in order. You can extend the learning by having them write the beginning, middle, and end of the story in a Flow Map.

Christmas Cheer

This week to practice our fluency the students practiced the poem and song, "Christmas Cheer." The song is to the tune of "The Bear Went Over the Mountain." Click below to hear the students practicing using Audacity software. Parents, you can download the song through my podcasting site at Podbean.

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Phonics and Fluency Focus

Last week we practiced reading and spelling the "dr" sound. To help us read the sounds fluently, we learned two new poems: "Drip Drop" and "I Know a Green Dragon." Each Friday the students pretend to go into the recording studio like the superstars that they are and record their weekly poems. We use the free online program Audacity to record. You can download it at home as well. Click play below to hear their weekly recording of "I Know a Green Dragon". You can also download this poem and others to your IPOD by visiting my podcasting site at Podbean.




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