Building Literacy Success: Nurturing Kinder Minds Through Literacy Stations

When I first began teaching Kindergarten, the expectation in literacy was to implement the “Daily 5,” which are five independent activities students were tasked to do:

1. Read to Self

2. Work on Writing

3. Read to Someone

4. Listen to Reading 

5. Word Work. 

At first it seemed promising, as kids were interacting with literacy, but soon the progress in my students’ reading and writing skills came to a plateau, and they were not growing in their skills. I needed to reevaluate the “Daily 5” and its methods to make our literacy time meaningful, engaging and supportive for each of my unique Kindergartners. 

After independently researching the “Daily 5,” I learned that skills were not being challenged and not supporting the learning aligned or intentionally. So, the Daily 5 turned into Literacy Stations, which are grounded in the Science of Reading. The Literacy Stations would give my students the opportunity to work on the skills taught in whole group instruction independently while challenging and supporting their independent needs. In this blog, I will explain how Literacy Stations work in my classroom. 

In my classroom, Literacy Stations take place for 35 minutes daily and include the stations:

1. Writing

2. Library

3. Word Build

4. Sound Sort

5. Space (Double dosage of Fundations) 

Students are in groups of 3-5 in each station while I am meeting with 2 groups a day for 15 minutes for intervention and enrichment. Students are physically monitored every 8 minutes to ensure they are on task while I scan the classroom frequently when working with a small group. During the 35 minutes, scholars are engaging in activities that reinforce whole group learning independently. 

Student using fundations letter cards to help with labeling the images (BOY)

In writing, scholars begin the year by labeling given images relevant to our whole group learning. By the end of the year, they are writing their own stories based off a given photograph using story elements, which aligns to the writing instruction in our Wit and Wisdom Curriculum. 

In library, students explore the classroom library, which contains texts from the curriculum, decodable texts and a selection of relevant texts which rotate. Here, they have the opportunity to grow their love for reading. 

Student doing word build with CVC words independently (MOY)

In Word Build, students begin the year by matching letters to the keywords in a puzzle from our Fundations Curriculum. By the end of the year, they are building words with digraphs and blends. 

In Sound Sort, students begin the year sorting pictures to the beginning sounds of letters that are taught that week in Fundations. As the curriculum continues, students sort digraphs, blends, final sounds, and long and short vowels. 

Students independently working on second dosage of Fundations (whole year) 

In Space, scholars independently practice the skills that are taught during the Fundations block and get to work on their handwriting and reading skills at the same time. 

For all stations, the activities placed in the stations are intentionally picked and aligned to whole group instruction. Reinforcing the skills independently amplifies student ownership in their learning. 

When educators first hear about five year olds working independently during Literacy Stations, they always want to know HOW this is possible. It all comes down to the teacher’s mindset and its role in fostering a positive learning environment. When an educator understands that each student is capable of anything, especially when given the opportunity and tools to do so, it changes the environment of the classroom and instruction. When you reflect on your own life, if you do not believe you can do something, it will be challenging for you to do so, which can be transferred into the classroom. If you believe your students can do something, they will achieve it! 

However, educators can’t only believe, they also need to provide the support, structures and tools for that to happen. This begins by knowing each of your students on a personal level, knowing their interests, dislikes, behaviors, strengths and needs and knowing the student academically and socially. This way, educators are able to differentiate the literacy stations to keep engagement at 100% and change out the stations as students’ needs change. 

When creating groups for the literacy stations, it is important to group students with a mix of academic levels. This way students are able to support one another and build relationships in the classroom independently. Then, when the teacher pulls out a small group to the table to work on specific skills, no group has only one student left but still has a teammate to collaborate with. 

During the small group, I meet with students who are below grade level daily. I meet with other students at least twice a week. The daily group gets the whole group fundations instructions again and support in the specific skills they have not yet mastered. In the at or above grade level groups, students read Geodes, which are aligned with Fundations and Wit and Wisdom Curriculum. This way, scholars are able to transfer their skills into reading independently while practicing blending and reviewing trick words. Typically this is a great time to have writing conferences with the groups and work on their grammar, handwriting and responding to prompts and other gaps in literacy skills can be filled in. 

Literacy Stations have transformed my kindergarten classroom. Recognizing the need for a more intentional and personalized approach to literacy instruction has challenged and supported my students’ individual needs and pushed them to grade level and above. My students have thrived in an environment where independence is nurtured and expected and skills are continuously reinforced and engagement is at its prime. Intentionally aligning activities with the whole group instruction and curriculum has empowered my students to take ownership of their learning and foster a sense of pride and accomplishment in their literacy skills. Key to the success of my literacy stations is my belief in the limitless potential of each student and the necessary support and tools for all. Strategic grouping of students during stations and small groups ensures that the support and collaboration not only fosters academic growth but also builds community in the classroom. I urge my fellow literacy educators to embrace the power of Literacy Stations and begin their own journey in laying the foundation of literacy and independent success of our students.