Our schedules have
become more and more packed each year. According to the schedule, given to me
at the beginning of the year, I have only three twenty minute blocks that are
not already planned for me. We have 130 minutes of reading, 45 minutes of math,
20 minutes of science and social studies, and 20 minutes of writing. I teach
kindergarteners they need breaks and time to stretch and get their wiggles out.
The best way to make room is to integrate different content areas. Through my
current graduate course I have learned that it is easy to integrate reading and
writing into other content areas.
One way to do this
is through a text set. Text sets are a collection of books that are subject
specific and used to supplement traditional text books. According to Tovani
(2004), “the secret to creating a text set is to have several texts about a
topic that vary in length, format, and genre” (p.44). Text sets offer a variety
of texts for students to choose from based on their interests and reading
level. Text sets can be easily differentiated for a wide range of learners. I
created a text set for a kindergarten unit called, “Where I Live.” I included
examples of the following:
- Picture Book (Fiction)
- Picture Book (Non-Fiction)
- Counting Book/ABC Book
- Lists
- Atlas
- Website
- YouTube
Tovani, C. (2004). Text Sets: A Supplemental
Alternative. In Do I really have to teach reading?: content comprehension,
grades 6-12. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.
