FREEBIE: Reading Strategy Headers & Strategy Cards

I wanted to revamp my reading strategy board so I made some new headers and strategy cards. I hope someone else can use them!



Click here to download the chevron reading strategy HEADERS.

Click here to download the STRATEGY CARDS with "reading buddy" clipart.

Click here to download the plain STRATEGY CARDS.

You can also download all of them for FREE right here at my Teachers Pay Teachers store!




You can adjust the size of each header and each strategy card a bit by cutting more/less of the background off to fit on your board.  I will post a picture of my finished reading strategy board using these cards as soon as I get back in my classroom!

**These are NOT the exact strategies you will find in The Cafe Book or any other reading program. These are just the reading strategies I find most useful in my first grade classroom. I adapted them to fit the things we concentrate on.So if you're looking for something to match up exactly, this won't work for you!** 

Would love to know if there are any good strategies I'm missing!?!?!

I also like to make an extra set of these to laminate and use in small group.  It's a great visual of the strategies we've learned and I like to ask the kids to articulate which strategy they are using and which ones they've tried, etc.  My small group table is not near a bulletin board so we can't see the strategy board (CAFE board) very well from there.

 I read the Daily 5 & Cafe book several years ago and LOVE so many of the ideas in there.  I have adjusted it a lot to fit with my schedule and needs of my little ones so I don't necessarily like to say that I "do the Daily 5." 

Ya know...in case the Daily 5 police ever observed in my room. Yikes.

I do a "modified version of Daily 5."  There.  Much better. 

The things that I liked so much about the book when I read it were...first of all,  the kids were reading ALL THE TIME.  I know for a fact that a lot of my students do not read a lot at home because they don't have books, or they are just super duper busy, etc.  Plus, it is hard to find books for really early readers at a book store, even if families do have the resources to buy books. 

We are a Title One school so we have had funds in the past to build up a really nice leveled bookroom so being able to put "just right" books in the hands of my kiddos is very doable.  Another thing I loved about the Daily 5 was the expectation of independence.  I am BIG on teaching self-reliance and working through problems on your own.  Helplessness just isn't really my thing.  (Truthfully, It kinda bugs me).

One of my most used phrases in class is "How could you solve that problem?" 

And I'm not talking math problems.

It usually goes something like this...

Student: Hand waving wildly in the air, "ooh" "ooh", "Ms. Journell!!!", (insert more monkey noises and urgent wiggling in seat)

Me: "Yes, dear?"

Student: "My pencil broke."

Me:  (wanting to say something sarcastic but trying hard to refrain...) 

Insert favorite phrase: "How could you solve that problem?"

Student: (a little shocked at first because I didn't fall in the floor and gasp at the news of the broken pencil...I mean, major catastrophe, right??) 

"Umm...I could go get another one?"

Me: "Good idea."

See how easy that is? :)

I like for them to use scissors to open a bag of fruit snacks if they can't open it, get a paper towel if something spills, grab their jacket if they are cold...ya know...basically just develop some life skills without running everything by me. 

It's hard because kids are so conditioned to ask for permission for everything.  It's a fine line between control and independence. 

And a fine line between teaching that independence and just being a big ol' meanie.  I assure you I am not!

I WILL open those darn fruit snacks if they can't...I promise. (As long as they let me have a red one...I'm kidding.  Kind of.)

One of the other main things that I LOVED about the Daily 5 is that it didn't require me to set up a ton of different centers every day and it allows me to meet in small groups with my readers.

There are a few things I didn't like about the Daily 5 though.  One of them being I have to teach math, science, social studies, and writing too!  Umm...I think if I did the Daily 5 as described in the book it would take me from 7:30-2:30.  So I have definitely modified it to suit our needs (and schedule).  I will make another post explaining how the "modified version of the Daily 5" looks in my room in case anyone is interested.

For now...please enjoy the reading strategy cards.  One set has the "reading buddies" I use to introduce each strategy.  I pull out a beanie baby to match each one when we learn a new one and the kids GO BANANAS when they get to meet a new "reading buddy." Sometimes I will let them hold one of them if they do a good job using a strategy, etc.  I like having the tactile object to relate to the strategies but you certainly wouldn't have to.

The other set is without the cutesy animals, if cutesy animals aren't really your thing.

Anyways....help yourself. :)

Even if you do not use Daily 5/Cafe...these would be great to use in whole group/small group or to display in your room as a visual for good reading strategies.

Am I missing any strategies?? Do the links work?? I would love some feedback.

And some followers...just sayin'.  ;)

 

You can find some other awesome freebies here!