Super Reader Capes Recap & Download

Well. Didn't go exactly as planned (cause the fourth grade class I had right before them ... the sub for the afternoon didn't show so we had their activity and checkout and then I had to get the kiddos to their specials before my assistant came back from her lunch duty) but what does?

Other than a couple of things? I think it went pretty well. They loved the capes and could tell me what we'd discussed. In theory, anyway. We'll see about putting it into practice. ;]
I had to leave them as they were cleaning up and go get that fourth grade class from specials and delivered to other fourth grade rooms ... while my assistant checked out a kinder class ... yeah, it was that kind of afternoon :/).

We read the first 5-7 pages of SuperDog, Heart of a Hero (Thank you, S.P. for the book suggestion!) . It talks about a dog who wants to be stronger so he works hard and practices and exercises to build his muscles. I didn't read the whole thing cause it's kind of long. Then we filled out a note page and talked about how a super reader has to practice and the things to look at when choosing a book.

So. Lessons learned. One ... they can sit at the tables long enough for what we actually got to read of SuperDog. We often avoid the tables because they are so not made for smaller people. Barely made for fourth and fifth grade. But it would have been better because we wasted time and attention handing out pencils and clipboards.

And at the tables we have a board where I could have projected a word list ... or show it on the document camera (though its so far back ... I'm fifteen feet behind the kids when I'm positioning the paper or writing on it under the doc camera). After 10 years I still forget that I will get asked how to spell "cover" or "Do I write the number or the word five?" twenty-seven times. #ridiculousofme

Then I had some books for them to look at and "sort" into too easy, just right, and too hard. But they got distracted by cool pics in the "hard" ones. Oops. Lesson learned for me. Don't "TEST" this lesson so quickly. Let them color and design their capes! "Lost" (was it really lost?) time looking at too hard books.

Choosing a just right book always requires repetition, no?

I freehand cut the capes out of butcher paper. It took longer to pull it off of the roll and fold it than it did to cut. I won't lie, though ... it did take longer than I wanted it to. If you can get a parent or volunteer's help YAY!

Download my version (so not necessarily the best wording but oh well!) here.

This idea was totally adapted for the library from here. SERENDIPITY. I love Goldilocks and the Three Libearians but ... let's also be honest ... was getting a little tired of it. Plus A. J.U.S.T. R.I.G.H.T. B.O.O.K. is just too complicated.