Literacy (reading) Stations in Kindergarten!

Literacy stations are a daily routine in our classroom schedule. This is the time of day that I am pulling kids during small group reading, while the remainder of my class is working in stations. I have about 2 hours for my reading block. 30 minutes is spent teaching whole group. And, the other 1 1/2 hours is spent during small groups. Typically, I have 3 groups...sometimes 4 depending on class numbers. I have a brief description in this post of how my stations are organized and a few snapshots of what is in my stations. My original workboard cards came from Mrs. Pohlmeyers kindergarten website many moons ago. Since then, I have also bought a set from www.kindergartenkit.com

*Literacy Station Chart*

Basically, my reading (literacy) stations and math workstations use same charts and rotation. They just use different cards and stations. Each star on the chart represents a table. Each table (after they complete a "must do" page) will go to the first station at the top of the chart under their table color (example: red table will got to the stations under the red star). I have a two kid limit at each station. This is a Debbie Diller strategy that works for me....two is a party...three's a crowd. The fewer the kids at a station, the fewer discipline issues. They are 5-6...I still have kids who aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing....this just helps keep things in check a little more. After the first station has reached it's two kid limit, the rest of the kids at that table move on to the open stations that are listed under their table color.  Once there, they open tub, place lid under tub, and get to work. We practice this a lot at the beginning of the year.

*Station Tubs-12 Qt sterilite tubs*

I have some stations that are stationary (computers,  iPads, pocket chart, big books, reading, writing,
write the room,etc) and some stations (in tubs) that require students to take them to an assigned area.
I have colored stars located around the room on the floor (with clear contact paper). If a student sits at
yellow table, they will take their station tub to a yellow star located on the floor. 

Once kids are at a station, they continue to work in that station until I change reading groups (about 20 minutes per group). That way....everyone is transitioning at the same time. I have a song I'll put on (Dr. Jean's ABC backwards/forwards) to signal the transition.  They have their station cleaned up and transitioned by the end of the song.

At the end of groups/stations, I play Dr. Jean's clean up song to signal that everyone needs to put everything away and prepare for next part of our day.

Here are a few stations that we have in our classroom:

Pocket Chart Station-This varies throughout the year. In the beginning, the kids use the chart above to match letters and pictures with same initial sounds

Later in the year, the kids use pocket chart to put poems in order, sequence story cards, or match words to pictures.

Writing Station: This is a work in progress. Currently, the students will use seasonal words on the board, and a portable word wall to write in their composition notebooks that are in the buckets. I use 

Deedee Wills Monthly Writing Centers Packs. The "Write" banner was a freebie I scored off of Pinterest.

Reading: Students have freedom at this station to leisurely read books. I try to keep seasonal books on the big red display shelf. They love reading in the shell! 

Word Building Station: This station is (mostly) just like it sounds. the kids build words using different activities and games. LOVE this Lakeshore build a word houses that just arrived today! My kids are so excited to use this! We also just received a Lakeshore "learning locks." The kids have to take a lock and find it's matching key with word. The lock will only open if the word (key) and picture (lock) match.

Rhyme time: The top left station is a freebie clip rhyming set. I'll post a link for you to get your copy soon. The top right is just a commercial rhyming puzzle set that I bought ages ago. On the bottom, I have a set of Lakeshore rhyming cards/cubes. The kids have to match the rhyming pictures on the cubes to the pictures on the cards.

Beginning sounds: This station has beginning sound matches, clip cards, etc. We have just started  beginning blends this week, so I added beginning blends clip cards to this station.

ABC station: This station changes throughout the year. At the beginning, students do letter matching activities like the Lakeshore activity above.

Letter matching: I change this station out with letter matching games and puzzles throughout the year.

I-pads: Our school has 1-to-1 ipads, and this fella is working on a letter tracing app. My ALL time favorite app that we began using this year is Seesaw. The kids will take pictures and videos of their stations and work, and submit it to me via their ipad. Love the accountability it gives the kids working at stations while I am in small groups. After submitting their seesaw entry, I'll approve it to be viewed by them and their parents via their newsfeed. It gives parents a "day in the life" of their child's learning. LOVE!

Word stamping: This station is changed out every time we introduce a new letter (typically weekly). The students stamp out a word and draw a picture to go along with it. My word stamping cards came from www.kindergartenkit.com but they would not be difficult to replicate.

ABC Puzzles: This station has a giant ABC puzzle, smaller ABC puzzles, as well as a letter puzzle for the letter we are currently studying. The small letter puzzles came from Lakeshore, the small abc puzzles came from the Dollar Tree.

Sight Word Station:This station has various puzzles and games to help with sight word recognition.This is one of the activities that I have for the kiddos to work with. It came from Lakeshore.

This is just a fun FREEBIE idea to share. During my small group reading time, my students earn a "star" for being "star readers." This basically means they were reading, paying attention, tracking, and following directions. They can earn and lose a star while at the table. The kiddos that earn a star get a "smelly marker" happy face on their hand at the conclusion of our group. If the WHOLE group earns a star, then we all get to read the story again in a SPECIAL way. This is one of they many special ways we read....my very favorite....."reading like a boss!"