Reading Resort Pet Hotel

I don't know if any of you "get" to participate in DIBELS.  I (reluctantly) have to have the whole class DIBEL'd three times a year.  For those of you who may not know what DIBELS is, it is supposed to be a quick assessment of student reading fluency. (Just fluency...no comprehension...no other reading info.) Three times a year a group of testers come listen to kids read and record the score.  In case you can't read between the lines I can not stand this whole process....but there is really nothing I can do about it.  But I can help my kids with the stress of testing and make it as fun as possible.  All year long we have read to these friends......they each have a name and my chickadees love scooping them up and reading to them.

Reading Resort for Pets...read all day....My kind of place!

So my thinking began to work around re-creating this during DIBELS Blitz Day (yes that what they call it!)  If my kids could just focus on reading to their friends then the person listening to them read and the timer might just be easily ignored.  We have been practicing in class.  I sent home a letter telling families that the Reading Resort Pet Hotel finally had vacancies and could check in as soon as they were ready to drop in.  During the massive TPT Appreciation Sale, I saw this unit, thought it was adorable and would easily fit my thinking about DIBELS Read to Pet Day (my new title for the day).   The unit allows for the teacher to find their own puppies and then kids choose pre-named collars for the puppies.  I just made a blank collar that says, "Name of Pet _________ Loved By __________" and then had students bring a pet from home.

Making a pet collar.

Showing off their recently collared pets.  How many people do you know have pet Dragons!!!

Any time we choose "read to self" we can "read to pet."

Finish reading...return pet to their hotel room.

and now for some "Read to Pet" Pictures:

bunny sits on her shoulder

Love the graphic novel nod.

tucked into the desk

more graphic novels

Little pat on the head for encouragement.

I have put out poetry as well, for the extra fluency practice.  Next we will take our pets to the library for Dibels Day.


Happy Tuesday,