Butterflies, Books,& Bears

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cool classrooms

Butterf lies, Books, & Bears 1. Reading Buddies

Our life-size reading buddies are my students’ favorite part of the classroom library. They love to read books to their reading buddies and to give them hugs throughout the day. Their favorite reading buddy is Georgie the Giraffe—they whisper their tattles in his ears (which means less tattles for me to hear!).

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I converted my storage closet into a leveledlibrary “Book Room,” where my students have constant access to highinterest, leveled books.

They love how the room is small and secluded; it creates a special place for them to find new books. The best part of the room is the neon rainbow color scheme. 3. Hello Dreamers Bulletin Board

I named this bulletin board “Hello Dreamers,” because in kindergarten, we are all dreamers. The board features our favorite art projects that we have created, and it is updated monthly. My students produce their best art when they know that it will be displayed here. I also love how the artwork really pops

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against the black fabric background. 4. Read Every Day Bookshelves

Hands down, this has always been my favorite spot in our classroom. The bookshelves are big enough for all of our top read-alouds, and it’s the place where my students learn the most. When they sit on their squares on the rug, they are attentive listeners, they have meaningful conversations with their neighbors, and they ask questions to gain understanding. We begin and end each day in this space.

Meredith Morgan teaches

PHOTOS: ERIC KAYNE/AP IMAGES FOR SCHOLASTIC, INC.

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kindergarten at Valley View Elementary in Pleasanton, California. She works “to create a cozy, studentcent centered, and well-organized classroom. It’s a la labor of love, but it’s worth it!” She shares hher journey on @missmskindergarten: “In “Instagram has become an invaluable tool fo for me to evolve as a teacher—there are so many creative teachers out there sharing great ideas!”

5. A to Z Teacher Toolbox

My A to Z toolbox houses many different materials throughout the school year. I created the labels to give my students easy access to whatever is inside. Currently, the toolbox

is filled with magnetic letters for kids to use during literacy workstations. Other times, it can be filled with flash cards or realia for each letter. 6. Word Wall

This is the anchor for reading and writing in

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our classroom. It’s big enough for students to clearly see words from all areas in the room. We add a star to the words we learn, making it easy to find words we know. My students love counting the stars at the end of the year!

SCHOLASTIC TEACHER BACK TO SCHOOL 2017

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