Getting started with literacy stations in fifth grade

In this classroom (filled with big kids and big desks), half the students work with pairs in buddy reading. They read fiction books and talk about characters and character traits. They work together using a graphic organizer to think about characters and their traits (which the teacher modeled in whole group prior to students using this independently).

The other half of the class goes to literacy stations with partners, including poetry, vocabulary, writing, computer, and classroom library.

Half the class does buddy reading using different books.

They use a graphic organizer to discuss and record character traits.

The other half of the class goes to stations with partners. This management board directs them to their station for the day. (Note that this teacher sees 3 classes each day. Each class has cards in a different color. Names from students in the teacher's first class of the day are on green cards, the second class's names are on pink, and the third are on blue.)