Take Home Readers

Greetings friends! Crystal here. I am knee deep in sheep getting ready for SDE's Texas Kindergarten Conference this week and well, I just can't stand not having anything to share with you.  I asked my favorite blogging buddy to help a sistah out and Tammy came to my rescue. I hope you love her post as much as I do. Make sure you stop by her cutie patootie blog and check out her makeover. Adorbs. If you are in TEXAS, I hope to see ya in a few days!! Love and virtual hugs, Crystal

Hello Kreative in Kinder friends! I am Tammy and I blog over at Live Love Laugh Everyday In Kindergarten. I am guest posting for my BBF (best bloggin friend) Crystal. Crystal and I met a couple of years ago. We have never actually met in person, but we chat online and on the phone (even though I hate talking on the phone, she still makes me lol) often. We will meet in Vegas for the first time this summer at I Teach K. She is presenting!! I am so excited for her!

I wasn't sure what I was going to blog about. I asked myself...what do I want to know most from other teachers?! Well, I want to know how they manage doing the "have to's" and squeeze in the "can do's" I am so fortunate to work with some pretty amazing teachers...in my school, in my district, and through the blogging community. I see so many different things and I think...I wanna do that! Do I try to do too much sometimes. Maybe?! Here are my thoughts...you will never know that something great if you don't try new things!!

This year, I wanted to make sure I provided my students with books that were on their level to take home and read. I wanted parents to have a resource to be able to use with their child. I found it!! One of the very first blogs that I followed was What The Teacher Wants. I think that they are amazing!

I found her Take Home Reading Bags! I thought why not give them a try. One of my favorite purchases on TpT! You can buy your own here!

I will be honest...my kids were so excited about taking books home. They were bringing them back EVERYDAY. Whew! I could hardly keep up! I loved it. They loved it. Parents loved it. However, I was ready to pull my hair out trying to manage this. So, I came up with a system. :-) 

First, I split my kids into 4 groups. It has nothing to do at all with their reading group, their ability...NOTHING. I merely went through my roster in number order. My student numbers  1-4, were each the first of one group. I continued through my roster until everyone was in a group. I then gave each group a cute little DJ Inkers cutout! I assigned each group a day. I used Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Here is a closer look at the posters. I also gave each student the same cut out, laminated it and wrote their day on it, and then put magnetic tape on the back. Now, families can hang it on their fridge and remember what day to return their books. 

They need to bring back their take home folders back on their assigned day. I give them 2 books that are on their level to take home again, for another week. My Kinders simply bring their folders and put them in this basket when they are ready to check out again. Do you like my fan?! LOL! I get HOT people. Yes, it has been 25 below 0, but this teacher is on the M.O.V.E! I need air circulating! Let's get back on track peeps.

The blue tote is where they put their folders when they are ready. The pink one is where I keep my log. I have tabs set up by student number. 

Now, I will be the first to say....my classroom library (of leveled books) is quite lacking. I am slowly building it up!! I am very fortunate that my school has an amazing book room!! I am able to check out books from there also. 

These are my leveled bins. Students can use these during "Read To Self" time, in addition to their own book bags. 

It is working really well for me! If take home bags/folders are something that you are thinking of...this is easy to set up! 

Thank you for reading and I hope you will hop on over to my blog and follow me there too. I just bought these fabulous little bags at Wal-Mart! I hope you will come by and see me later this week to see what I am going to do with them (hint word work)

Stay warm friends!! :-)