Reading and Math Toolkits are hands on resources that will meet the needs of all students in the classroom and at home! The toolkits contain resources that allow my students to work independently and confidentially. I love to use these reading and math toolkits during guided reading and guided math, during independent practice, and to send home with students.

Reading Toolkit

I first started using Reading Toolkits during guided reading. I wanted hands on reading tools that were ready to go for each student at my guided reading table. That’s when I put together these Reading Toolkits! They are colorful, engaging, yet simple enough for students to easily use independently.

What do I included in the Reading Toolkit?

1. Reading Toolkit Labels - I place the label on top of a supply box. I have used a variety of containers and I have found that student supply boxes work best.

2. Comprehension Bookmarks - I don’t place all the bookmarks in the Reading Toolkit at once. I feel like that would be very overwhelming for some students. Instead, I place the comprehension bookmark that we are currently focusing on in the Reading Toolkit. There are small square boxes on the comprehension bookmarks to guide students through the comprehension skill. Students enjoy clipping mini clothes pins as they move down the bookmark.

What Comprehension Bookmarks do I use in the Reading Toolkit?

-Retelling Bookmark: characters, setting, BME, problem, and solution

-Retelling Bookmark: characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end

-Main Idea and Details

-Cause and Effect

-Making Connections

-Theme

-Fact and Details

-Topic and Facts

3. Phonics Bookmarks - I do the same with the phonics bookmarks, except I keep the past phonics skills in the Reading Toolkit. I will add the phonics bookmarks to the Reading Toolkit as I introduce a skill. It is very helpful to attach the phonics bookmarks to a binder ring. This way, the bookmarks are all together in the Reading Toolkit.

What Phonics Bookmarks do I use in the Reading Toolkit?

-Alphabet

-Digraphs

-Vowel Teams

-R-Controlled Vowels

Reading Toolkit to use during guided reading, independent work, or at home.

There are a few other reading tools I also like to place in the Reading Toolkits as well. My students are constantly using dry erase markers, highlights, sticky notes, and pencils during guided reading. These things are also helpful to have in the Reading Toolkits.

A Reading Toolkit contains hands on resources for students.

The evidence cards are placed in the Reading Toolkit as soon as I introduce these to my students and they will stay in the kit the entire year. I hole punch and place the evidence cards on a binder ring. These cards are SO helpful for students when they are writing their written responses. They give the students a place to start and I find many students can then take off from there! Yay!

Evidence cards are place in the Reading Toolkits.

Math Toolkit

Math Toolkits are perfect to use during guided math, math workshop, independent work, or at home. Math Toolkits contain hands on, colorful, and engaging math tools for primary students.

What is included in the Math Toolkit?

1. Math Toolkit Labels - I place these labels on student supply boxes. The boxes are the same ones I use for the Reading Toolkits, but I like to select a different color. I have also used clear zipper pouches. These work great as well, but I found they can get bulky at times depending on what you have in them.

2. Math Bookmarks - I print the math bookmarks on cardstock and laminate for durability. Just like the comprehension bookmarks, I don’t like to add all the math bookmarks to the Math Toolkit at once. Instead, I add them as needed depending on the math skill we are currently working on.

-Number Line (0-10, 0-15, 0-20, 0-100)

-Open Number Line

-Five Frame

-Ten Frame

-Two Ten Frames

-Addition Frame

-Subtraction Frame

-Number Words

-Days of the Week and Months of the Year

-Coins

Student goals can be placed in Math Toolkits.

One of my favorite things I recently added to my students’ Math Toolkits is math goals! The goal I place in the Math Toolkit is the goal we are currently focusing on as a class. I place the goal in a clear adhesive pock square. I use the adhesive pockets from Target. We read this goal together before we begin our small group guided math time. We also place our math goal in our goal journals. You read and view more information about these math goals HERE.

Math Toolkits contain hands on math tools to use during guided math, independent practice, and at home.

I also like to place additional math resources in the Math Toolkits. These are resources we use constantly. Some of these resources included dry erase markers, sticky notes, pencils, connecting cubes, highlighters, etc.

I hope you were able to find new ways to use Reading Toolkits and Math Toolkits in your classroom or to send home with your students! Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information about anything I shared today.