I have been using a system of clouds, hung from my classroom ceiling, to track student reading data for the last 8 years. My system is simple and engaging for students. Each student has their own cloud on the ceiling. As they read, they keep a bookmark to track their progress, pace, pages, and questions specific to that reading genre. Each bookmark represents one book that was read. I keep a shoe keeper on my classroom wall that holds all of the different colored bookmarks - so students can match the book genre they are reading to the properly colored bookmark. (I color code each bookmark to match the unit or genre we are studying).
When a bookmark is completed, after conferring with the student about the book, the bookmark is hung on the ceiling, attached to that students' cloud.
This allows me to see (at a glance) which genres a student is reading the most, who has the most clouds (or the least). I also offer “rare” bookmarks that are only available for a limited time; Winter Break Bookmarks, Spring Break, Seasonal Themes and Reading Challenges. Students enjoy participating in acquiring different bookmarks as they read through different genres and units of study. It takes 25 books to create a whole circle of bookmarks.
My classroom cloud system not only tracks student reading data in a visually engaging way, but it also incentivizes students to read across various genres and units of study. The use of color coding and special "rare" bookmarks adds an extra layer of excitement and motivation for the students. Plus, having the bookmarks displayed on clouds hanging from the ceiling must create a really dynamic and visually stimulating environment in my classroom.
You can see this in action by watching my video here: https://tinyurl.com/4b2thz3w
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Materials cost
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Total project cost
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Oelke and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.