Why flexible seating?
Hello My friends!
This is Wendy from 1stgradefireworks.
I use flexible seating in my first grade classroom.
You will LOVE it!
I hope this post helps YOU!
When I was in elementary school
( Way back in the DINOSAUR days )
1970’s
We sat in rows.
Many rows.
All of us looking straight ahead.
At the teacher, at all times!
No flexible seating, here.
Classroom Seating in the 1950’s
We kept our hands & feet to ourselves.
We kept our books in our desks.
And we read QUIETLY to ourselves.
Shhh…whisper!
We read.
Some people enjoyed it.
Some people just pretended.
Most did what we were told.
We didn’t ask…WHY?
or
Is there ANOTHER WAY?
How to bring flexible seating options into my classroom?
WHY?
Because at home…
I would lay on my bed and read for HOURS!
I would lay on my bed and READ for HOURS!
(picture by Dreamstime.com)
And that is how I LOVE TO READ!
I want my students to LOVE to read!
So I have “changed it up!”
I have added flexible seating options in my classroom for kids to
read in a comfortable, relaxed, enjoyable experience.
Every day after lunch my first graders do
READ TO SELF.
If you have not read the book
The Daily 5
from “The 2 SISTERS”
YOU NEED TO!
My first graders read to themselves.
Not to me,
Not to a partner,
JUST TO THEMSELVES!
Therefore…READ TO SELF!
I set the BIG TIMER!
Online Countdown Timer
We start the year at 6 minutes. Read.
We work on increasing our reading STAMINA.
Read longer.
Today, we are at 18 minutes!
18 minutes of uninterrupted reading
of books THEY choose!
BUT there is MORE!
They don’t sit in rows.
They don’t sit at their desk.
We have flexible seating choices for reading.
Reading Rockers for Read to Self
READING ROCKERS
Tall Stools for Read to Self
TALL STOOLS
Short Stools for Read to Self
SHORT STOOLS
Short chairs for Read to Self
SHORT STOOLS at SHORT TABLES
Short chairs for independent Reading
CHAIRS by themselves
Reading rugs for Read to Self
READING RUGS
Corner Nooks for Independent Reading
CORNER NOOKS
Student laying on the floor for Independent Reading
FLAT OUT ON THE FLOOR
And when we are done?
Stools under the tables.
Rockers stacked in baskets.
Rugs in the tub.
And chairs stacked.
Stools under the table
Tall stools under the table
Guided Reading stools under the table
Reading Rockers stacked in laundry basket
Short chairs stacked
They MOAN when the timer goes off.
They ask during other times of the day
to Read in the Rockers.
THEY WANT TO READ!
I have taught them to LOVE to READ..
ANY HOW…ANY WHERE!
Flexible seating choices have made a HUGE difference
in the reading choices my students make.
They want harder books.
They want to read MORE!
It’s hard to walk into a first grade classroom
and hear…SILENCE.
But the “whispers” of reading are heard, daily!
UPDATE
More flexible seating CHOICES!
I won ..yes…won these
4 AMAZING Stools at our recent
NorCAL Teachers Meet UP
in Pleasanton,CA!
Check out the fun at:
Instagram
Ottomans for reading stacked up
I was the BIG..WINNER WINNER! 🙂
Yes…I won ALL 4
WHOOP! WHOOP!
Reading Rocking Chairs
And these Bad boys…
They are wooden rocking chairs,, and they SQUEAK!
I love to hear the squeak, squeak as they rock & READ!
Thank You Donor’s Choose!
My “flexible seating” is complete!
Now to “arrange” it into
WORKSTATIONS!
I absolutely LOVE IT!
( SO DO THE KIDDOS!)
Some of my “bloggy friends”
have also posted about
their experiences
with flexible seating.
Check them out.
How to fund and implement flexible seating
10 things to know about flexible seating
flexible seating
If you want to learn MORE about reading
check out these blog posts:
