Late last year, I attempted setting up reading and writing workshops,
following the Fountas & Pinnell model, as well as incorporating some of the
MOT ideas. I've read Deb Miller's RWM, found it to be as wonderful as the
recommendations it's received here. I was also able to see how much more
actively engaged my kids were when taught what to "do" while they were
reading. It really seemed to be the missing element in my reading program.

I intend to move to this model in the fall with my 4th graders, and wonder if
anyone can tell me what the initial pitfalls might be, so that I might avoid
them. What management tips can anyone give me? (That's usually my weakness,
and it drives me nuts that there always turns out to be an easier way to do
things than what I try!)

These postings have been very helpful. I'm a faithful reader.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Annette201@aol.com
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 23:59:29 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Question - Words for Upper Grades

also:if you go to the IRA website, there is a very good article about making
words for upper grades. The guy who wrote it also wrote a book about his
ideas > Here is a link to the article:
http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=/articles/rasinski/in

dex.html

I think there may be more on the online articles you may want to look at.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 09:41:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Thea W <wheewrites@yahoo.com>

Dollie, I am going it alone too in a second grade
classroom. If I didn't have these wonderful people to
collaborate with online, I would be sunk.

I loved the last digest! Ginger, I will check out the
archives when I get home and piece together your
lessons for some food for thought.

One itsy bitsy comment I hope no one will take offense
at... Since I am a digest reader, when Ginger writes
her long WONDERFUL posts that we all love so much,
they show up over and over when people respond to
them. Sometimes I miss a comment as I scroll through
the repeats. IT is a small thing, and I will continue
to do it rather than lose anyone OR offend anyone, but
for those of you who can latch on to this easily:
would you mind deleting the parts of the response that
you are NOT responding to...keeping only the part you
need for your response? The digest will be shorter
and easier to read that way.

I realize people who get individual emails don't have
a problem with this, so if I am the only one, I will
plug on, rather than miss out on anything!

Thank you ALL!
thea2pa, who will no doubt be the first to forget to
use the delete key...

=====
Thea/2/PA
http://www.vgsd.org/~twheeling

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] to digest members
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 13:55:43 -0500

Last night while doing the archives I was again struck at how many of you
must use the REPLY key when writing back to the listserve after reading a
digest entry. I imagine you all are aware of all the repetitive entries
that are then just added on to the bottom of your REPLY when you do that.
Because the next day, you get your message plus the original digest all over
again in THAT days digest. This is what Thea was talking about in her
message today. I get my email as they come in the standard mode, but I also
get the digest mode (just so I can archive them. Here are my thoughts.
Since we are not that active, (meaning: not that many daily emails
physically come through, NOT that we aren't all reading them because I KNOW
we are!!!!!) you do always have the option to switch from the digest mode to
the standard mode this is too annoying for you. You would get your emails
as they are posted throughout the day. I know for me, it hasn't ever seemed
like too much to read through, and I avoid the duplicate digests tacked back
on that way. To switch to standard mode just write to me at home:
elephant@foxvalley.net and I will do it that day for you. If you want to
continue to be a digest person, just getting it once a day, there is a
SIMPLE way to stop the digests from being tacked back on. Do NOT use the
REPLY button to write to us. If you have an address book function on your
email program you can simply go there and add the following address:
mosaic@u46teachers.org. Then when you want to write to the list, you just
start a NEW email page and enter that address. That way nothing will be
hooked on to YOUR message. And we might be able to improve how the digest
feels to be read. That's what I do when I write.

It's up to you guys of course. There are about 275 of you on digest mode.
That's a lot of rereading, skimming down through previously tacked on
messages. I personally don't enjoy doing it when I have to clean up the
archives. I have to delete all the old tacked on digests so all you read
there are the individual posts.

Using REPLY is quicker, but the few extra seconds it takes to either type in
our address or go through your address book function really could make
reading the digest more pleasant.

If you need more help on how to do this please contact me onlist or at home.
This is not a criticism, just a way to simplify all our lives. But no
matter what, continue to post your thoughts, questions, lessons, and
learnings. That is what is important!

Thanks!
Ginger
moderator

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] pitfalls, management
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 15:21:45 -0500

Patty, good to hear from you! I see you are asking for pitfalls and
management help. Could you first be more specific about how YOU see the
model looking in your classroom? I think if we listened to YOUR thinking
first, it might help us know what you might need to consider. So take a few
minutes and envision your reader's workshop. How will you organize it as
far as whole group/small group/partners/independent/whole group share back
or whatever. Talk to us about what you already feel sure about. And if you
really don't know for sure (like who ever does at times, right?) just think
outloud for us to see WHERE you are in your process. I know that would help
me know what to share with you.

For management do you mean what the kids will be doing while you are meeting
with guided reading groups? Or management of the strategy study?

I LOVED how you saw more engaged learners when they had been explicitly
TAUGHT what to "do" when off reading. I think that has been the KEY for me!
The more I take the time to model what it should LOOK LIKE and SOUND LIKE in
the room (in all content areas and for all activities) or have the kids come
up with the expectations with me so that they are clear, the better things
seem to go. I spend a LOT of time processing how we felt it went
afterwards. What we noticed working, what was frustrating (and how we can
improve it next time), and what saw ourselves doing. Always stressing the
purpose and what WE know it can look like.

Debbie Miller's room is amazing because of all the groundwork she has done
with them. If you read her book you will clearly see that in the first
several chapters. If we take the time to create the classroom climate that
supports this teaching, our children will be successful in this model. If
you have seen her video that is part of the Strategies Teaching in Action
video set by Steph Harvey and Ann Goodvis, you can imagine them almost being
able to run the room without her. And at FIRST GRADE! In her upcoming
videos you will see more of that, I imagine.

Write us back, Patty! And everyone else, chime in here, too!
Ginger

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Noahandlea@aol.com
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 20:23:54 EDT

I read Mosaic this summer and think it is just great. My one concern while
reading it was there was no mention of nonengaged students or behavioral
issues. I teach sixth grade in an urban middle school setting and have fairly
large classes of about 45 minutes in length. Last year I had 130 students to
work on reading with spread out over 5 classes. Behavioral management was a
problem for me as well as keeping students on task and engaged in the program
at hand. I tried several approaches which worked OK for some students but it
seemed there was always from 2-5 students who were not on task and disrupting
the learning of others. I would like to try this in the fall with at least a
few of the classes but wondered how others handled big classes with
disruptive students.

In the past the 5 groups have been based on reading scores. I have been
rethinking this and may consider having 3-4 developmental reading classes and
only 1-2 remedial classes keeping the numbers as small as possible and
trying to work on skills individually. Many of the remedial readers are ESL
students who are focused on learning to read and write English.

Any help, direction or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Susan

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Thomas Pawloski" <pawloskifam@idirect.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Using strategies with upper grades
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 20:58:10 -0400

It was great to find this listserve and Ginger's reports on the grad =
class. I have been using the strategies this past year in Gr. 4 in a =
very diverse classroom - nearly all ESL or ELD kids. They really =
enjoyed the connections and showed great growth in that area, but I =
think what we did wrong was expect too much, too soon with the other =
strategies. I did my First Steps tutor training this summer and one =
thing that was stressed over and over was the need to model. I can see =
that because the kids were older and had been exposed to some of the =
strategies, we thought they should be able to move faster. I wish I =
could live some of the lessons over again, knowing what I know now. My =
suggestion for anybody using MOT with the upper grades is to still give =
lots of modelling and practice time. =20

Next year I will be working with the ESL students in the school in a =
combination integration/withdrawal model. I'm interested in hearing =
from anybody who has used the strategies with groups like this. The =
children will be from many different cultures and languages (our school =
has at least 57 different languages and dialects represented). I'm =
concerned that I'll be pulled into doing follow-up work that the =
classroom teachers are doing - and many are not using MOT strategies. =
I'd like to offer help with modelling but I'd like some advice on the =
best way to approach this. Thanks

Sharon in Ontario, Canada

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] for upper grade teachers
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 20:58:10 -0500

Here are too excellent titles for upper grade teachers:

"I Read It But I Don't Get It" by Cris Tovani. Cris is a high school
teacher and shares great lessons and thinking about teaching the strategies
to older students.

A really practical book recently published is Laura Robb's book "Teaching
Reading in the Middle School" It is full of great ideas, and an easy read
for teachers.

Here is a previous post from Naomi who is a middle school teacher:

"Yes.....comprehension strategy teaching is alive and well in the middle
school. What I will describe here is what we did in the school I directed
up
until last year, when the building principal, due to ulterior political
motives, pushed me out. The setting is a large NYC middle school in
Washington Heights (top of Manhattan) that was divided into academies
(smaller learning communities as indicated by middle school philosophy).
Most
of the students are Dominican with some other Latino and a small percentage
of African-Americans.

Firstly, an experienced teacher who had implemented the reading workshop was
selected as our title I reading teachers. (She had been mentored by Cynthia
McCallister of NYU) She pushed into our 8th grade classes. During prep
periods she provided professional development to the classroom teachers,
which included preparation of mini-lessons based on on-going assessment.

We had reading workshop daily, as early in the day as possible. Our first
mini-lessons were on workshop procedures and selecting books. We put
together classroom libraries as best we could through school purchased
books,
flea markets, Salvation Army, etc. I purchased baskets for display. We did
not level the books, but put them in genres. We did have a "just for fun"
basket with easier reads. As we got to know the students, especially the
struggling readers, we purchased books with our own money from Barned and
Noble based on their particular interests and needs.

Within each classroom we divided the students (not physically) into 3
groups:
struggling readers who needed conferences every day, others who needed 2-3
times a week and a final group that just needed a touch base each week.
Each
group was divided among the adults (2 in the general ed classrooms, 3 in the
inclusion classroom) . This assured that conferencing needs of each student
would be met.

Students self selected books....mini lessons were given....students shared
at
the end. As the term progressed, as students were reading independently,
the
reading person pulled one group to start book groups. She taught them how
the book group worked. Then they were conference with as a group during
workshop. She then used these students as the book group experts. Students
chose to be in the groups. Walter Dean Myers was a favorite author among
8th
grade boys. Naomi"

Hope this helps.
Ginger

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Frer2@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 00:10:59 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] Terry's introduction

Welcome Terry! I feel the same way as you said in your introduction. I
always knew there must be so much more to comprehension than asking
questions. We were always testing comprehension and doing the same thing
over and over. They either got it or they didn't and we didn't seem to have
any way to help them if they didn't get it. I agree that the books are
wonderful and exciting. And I think--why didn't we figure this out before.
Thank goodness for the authors of these books who put the strategies into
such a workable format. Read on!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:46:07 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>

Hi Susan...see me post to Susan about "Brain-compatible" classrooms.
Hopefully something there might help. :)Also, try talking individually
over lunch with those students (or another off time) and try to get to
know them more personally and what might be causing them to act out in
this situation. It might just be that they feel threatened by the change
in routine and it's the brain's "Fight or flight" mode responding. :)
SHELLY

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 07:47:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Thea W <wheewrites@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Terry's introduction

Terry,

It's good to see you here, too! I am nervous about
getting started this year myself. I feel like I have
dabbled with a few things, and now it is time to put
my money where my mouth is. I am not having student
teachers this year so that I can try to put my reading
together. I will have no one to blame if it is less
than successful but myself, and that is a scary
thought!

thea2pa

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 08:26:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Thea W <wheewrites@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Susan-6th grade classes

Susan,
Maybe I am coming into this conversation late and you
have already explained this, but could you tell us
what type of format you use? Do you use mainly lit
groups, whole group instruction, or independent
reading?

I had 4 classes with 27 students in them when I had
6th grade. I read aloud to them for 10 minutes -
mentioning something about reading or writing as I
went. This was pre-MOT for me, so now I would make
that a mini lesson on a strategy. After the read
aloud, I had a reading workshop that consisted MAINLY
of self selected groups in self selected books. Some
chose to read on their own, but I didn't allow them to
do that the whole year long (I believe in the value of
discussion). Some I required to take a break from
reading with others (behavioral problems) and to read
on their own, discussing with me each day for the
duration of a book. I really feel I had few problems
with this method, but flexibility and breaking up
monotony were the keys I think.

I used Nancie Atwell's In the Middle as my Bible.
Also, because I was required to use the basal unit
tests on skills, I pretested the skills and called
small skill groups (based on who needed what skill) 2
times a week. IF almost the whole class needed a
skill, we had whole group time for 15 minutes a day
for the week. Once they were taught, I would
occasionally ask for students to show evidence of that
skill in their written journal that week (once a week
letter-style journal ala Nancie Atwell). AND I gave
the skill tests.

Most of the time it was free selection in reading of
hundreds of novels I bought over time from book clubs
and with "workbook" money each year. But, there were
6 books that were grade level class sets. The first
one, we read together practicing literary discussions.
Of the rest, they were required to read 3 of them
some time during the year. They had to tell me which
one they were working on next and when they planned to
read it so that it couldn't be the last 9 weeks and
none had been read. At interim time each time, I
asked each student which class book they
finished/started, but of course this showed up in the
daily status of the class anyway...the interim report
was just to show them I was serious!

We did one unit all together on Medieval times. This
was much more theme based: there were research
reports, projects, a huge grade level
student/teacher/parent planned feast, and several
novels to choose from that were set in medieval times.
There was one basal story we did together, and a
couple movies we watched together. This took a month
in January to complete.

I know that if I were teaching MOT now, I would make
sure I had mini lessons on the strategies before
sending the kids off to read. I know they would use
more stickies than what they did then (only vocab
words and Q's they had for me before) and write more
entries on specific strategies. But I still think the
reading workshop would be the best model for MOT and
for behavior.

This is MHO as I haven't taught 6th for 4 years, and I
don't even know if I answered any of your questions!
I'd like to hear more about how you structure your
classes.

thea,now2,pa

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 10:46:57 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: [mosaic] Management in brain-compatible classrooms

Hi Patty and all,
For classroom management I have some ideas that might help also! :) I
am a former coach for a grant called CLASS in Indiana. It's about
implementing brain-compatible classrooms (based on Susan Kovalik's ITI
training). Anyway, some of the most basic elements for creating a b-c
classroom are creating a non-threatening environment. Some ideas
include using Agendas and Procedures. Certainly as teachers we have
always used Agendas and Procedures but in this model they look
different. You put the agenda on the board everyday. I'll try to
attach a picture of a clever one. It's more than a list of subjects and
time. For example, my Friday during a Civil War Unit might be Freedom
Friday in a bubble in the middle. Then branching out all around the
bubble are magnets labeled with the non- negotiables like recess, lunch,
specials, etc. in order. Then I do have a math maget and under it I'll
write specifically what we will do like "Mult. by 3 digit" or a game.
For theme it might say, "Battle Jeopardy". For REading and Writing
Workshop, I might list 4 things - 1. IR - Independent Reading, 2.
Mini-Lesson - Test to TExt Connections, 3. Guided Reading groups. 4.
Sharing Circle. I am actually reading a book about R & W workshop that
gives example board magnets of how to chart out a R & W Workshop on your
board showing the different levels in one day. Anyway, when I started
using an agenda that changes daily based on specifics the students
really began relying on it. It is also helpful to know what is
happening. As adults we like to know what we are doing at workshops for
the day,right.
Then with procedures, again we have procedures for when to sharpen
pencils, when/how to go to the bathroom, how to work during independent
work time, how to work during group work time, how to walk in the
hallway, etc. Then they get it down for you and go to the next teacher
who changes it all to his/her routine. So in my classroom I may have a
vision for what the final procedure will be but we develop it as a class
so that the students have ownership in the process. Then we chart the
procedures and post the important ones and keep the others in a binder
for reference as needed. The first few days of school we refer to a
zillion procedures until the brain has developed the pattern for it. It
seems silly until you have tried it and see what a difference it makes.
The other thing I love about it is the responsibility that it places on
the students as well. For example if Sally comes in and leaves her
bookbag lying on the floor, rather than me telling her to hang it up I
just invite her to walk over and reread the Arrival procedure and let
her figure out what needs to change.
So you just develop procedures for independent reading and guided
reading time, etc. and I think you'll see a big difference in the
behavior of your students.
And finally, (sorry this is soooo long) you can try community circles
and class meetings. Have each student tell one thing that they can do
to contribute to a more successful R&W workshop time. Or have them
identify what is not working and discuss how to make it better.
All of these things take time and effort to get going but they make
such a difference in the long run. There is sooo much more time for
academics. Hope these ideas help. :) SHELLY

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] 4-5 rubrics
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 16:04:51 -0500

Here are the rubrics Melanie Perkins (MPerkins@parkmead.wcsd.k12.ca.us)
submitted to the listserve. You may have to cut and paste them into a word
document or retype them for better layout.

Grades 4-5
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rubric for Schema

4 Explains how schema enriches interpretation of text and begins to make
connections beyond life experience and immediate text

3 Relates background knowledge/experience to text and expands the
interpretations of text by using schema; may discuss schema related to
author, text structure; may identify apparent discrepancies between text
and background knowledge

2 Makes simple connections but cannot explain them, or the connections are
irrelevant to the text

1 Makes no connections between text and background knowledge

Rubric for Questioning

4 Uses questions to challenge the text (author's purpose, theme, or point of
view)

3 Asks questions to deepen the meaning of text; may explain how the
questions enhance comprehension (beginnings of metacognition)

2 Asks questions only to clarify meaning

1 Asks only literal questions

Rubric for Visualizing (Sensory Imagery)

4 Creates and describes multi-sensory images that extend and enrich the
text, and can explain how those images enhance comprehension

3 Describes own mental images, usually visual; images are somewhat
elaborated from the literal text or existing picture

2 Describes some visual or other sensory images; may be tied directly to
text or description of the picture in the text

1 Cannot describe sensory images

Rubric for Importance of Text

4 Identifies at least one key concept, idea, or theme as important in
overall text meaning and clearly explains why

3 Identifies words, characters, and/or events as more important to overall
meaning and makes some attempt to explain reasoning

2 Identifies some elements as more important to text meaning

1 Guesses randomly or inaccurately attempts to identify important elements

Rubric for Monitoring Comprehension

4 Uses more than one strategy to build meaning when comprehension breaks
down; can articulate which strategies are most appropriate for a given text

3 Identifies problems at word, sentence, or schema level; can articulate and
use a strategy to fix comprehension breakdown, usually at the word or
sentence level

2 Identifies difficulties, comprehension breakdown is often at word level,
little or no sense of the need to solve the problem; main strategy is to
sound it out

1 Little or no conscious awareness of reading process

Rubric for Inferring

4 Develops predictions, interpretations, and/or conclusions about the text
that include connections between the text and the reader’s background
knowledge or ideas and beliefs

3 Draws conclusions and/or makes predictions and can explain the source of
the conclusion or prediction

2 Draws conclusions or makes predictions that are consistent with the text
or schema

1 Attempts to make predictions or draw conclusions, without using the text
or by using the text inappropriately to defend the statement

Rubric for Synthesizing

4 Stops frequently to reflect on text meaning; relates to the story or genre
in a personal way; can identify key themes; may articulate how this process
has created new meaning upon completion of the text

3 Stops frequently to reflect on text meaning; uses own schema and story
elements to enhance meaning; may identify key themes

2 Stops periodically to identify text events and may incorporate schema into
interpretation

1 Stops occasionally or at the end of the text and identifies some text
elements

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] grade 1-2 rubrics
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 16:06:02 -0500
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Here are the 1-2 grade rubrics:

Rubric for Schema

4 Uses background knowledge to enhance comprehension and interpretation
makes text-to-text and text-to-self connections; uses author schema with
familiar text to make predictions

3 Relates background knowledge/experience to text

2 Talks about what text reminds them of, but cannot explain or relate
clearly to the text

1 Does not make connections with the text

Rubric for Questioning

4 Asks questions to enhance meaning; can easily answer questions; beginning
awareness of different types of questions

3 Asks questions relevant to the story; can answer questions

2 Asks questions about the story; may confuse questions/statements

1 Does not ask questions

Rubric for Visualizing (Sensory Imagery)

4 Describes own sensory images; images can be elaborated from the literal
text or existing picture; demonstrated using any modality or media

3 Describes some sensory images tied directly to the text or a description
of the picture in the text

2 Can describe some simple sensory images, mostly related to text or picture

1 Does not describe simple sensory images related to the text

Rubric for Determining Importance of Text

4 Identifies words, characters, and/or events as more important to overall
meaning; makes some attempt to explain reasoning

3 Identifies some concepts in text as more important to text meaning (i.e.,
characters, plot, main idea, or setting)

2 Inaccurate attempts to identify some concepts in text (i.e., characters,
plot, main idea, or setting)

1 Random guessing

Rubric for Monitoring Comprehension

4 Identifies location and type of difficulty and articulates the need to
solve the problem

3 Identifies difficulties and articulates need to solve problem; does not
articulate what the problem is

2 Has text difficulties, no need to solve the problem

1 No awareness of text difficulties

Rubric for Inferring

4 Draws conclusions and makes predictions using examples from the text

3 Draws conclusions and make predictions that are consistent with text or
background knowledge

2 Attempts a prediction or conclusion; inaccurate or unsubstantiated with
the text

1 Does not attempt a prediction or conclusion

Rubric for Synthesizing

4 Retells elements of the text in logical sequence; may include some
extension to overall theme, message, background knowledge

3 Retells most key elements in sequence

2 Randomly retells some elements of the text; events may not be in sequence

1 Does not ask retell

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] grade 2-3 rubrics
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 16:08:50 -0500
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Here are the 2-3 grade rubrics. The 1-2 rubrics I sent were actually K-1.
Sorry!
These are all from Melanie Perkins school district
(MPerkins@parkmead.wcsd.k12.ca.us)

Grade 2-3
Rubric for Schema

4 Links background knowledge and examples from the text to enhance
comprehension and/or interpretation

3 Relates background knowledge/experience to text

2 Talks about what text reminds them of, but cannot explain how it relates
to the text

1 Does not make connections to the text

Rubric for Questioning

4 Can ask different types of questions; can answer different types of
questions; can find evidence in the text to support questions and answers

3 Can ask and answer questions and begin to provide evidence from the text

2 Beginning to ask and answer questions; unable to support with evidence
from the text

1 Unable to ask or answer questions; gives inappropriate or off topic
responses

Rubric for Visualizing (Sensory Imagery)

4 Demonstrates multi-sensory images that extend and enrich the text;
demonstration may be through any modality or medium.

3 Demonstrates use of sensory images; images are somewhat elaborated from
literal text or existing picture

2 Demonstrates use of some sensory images

1 Does not demonstrate use of sensory images

Rubric for Determining Importance of Text

4 Identifies at least one key idea, theme, or concept linking it to the
overall meaning of the text; uses supporting details from the text to
clearly explain why it is important

3 Identifies some important concepts in text with some supporting
explanation (i.e., characters, plot, main idea, or setting)

2 Identifies some important concepts in text (i.e., characters, plot, main
idea, or setting)

1 Unable to identify important concepts in the text

Rubric for Monitoring Comprehension

4 Identifies difficulties, articulates need to solve the problem and
identifies the fix-up strategy to solve the problem (i.e., using meaning,
visual, or structural cues)

3 Identifies difficulties and articulates need to solve the problem, but
does not use fix-up strategies independently to solve the problem; may need
teacher guidance

2 Identifies difficulties, but does not articulate need to solve problem or
articulate the problem area

1 Does not identify difficulties or problem areas

Rubric for Inferring

4 Independently makes predictions, interpretations, and/or draws
conclusions; can clearly explain connections using evidence from the text
and personal knowledge, ideas, or beliefs

3 Makes predictions, interpretations and/or draws conclusions and can
justify response with information from the text; some teacher prompting may
be necessary

2 Makes predictions, interpretations, and/or draws conclusions, but does not
justify response with information from the text

1 Does not make predictions, interpretations, or draw conclusions

Rubric for Synthesizing

4 Retells elements of the text in logical sequence with some extension to
overall theme, message, or background knowledge

3 Retells all key elements of the text in logical sequence

2 Randomly retells some elements of the text

1 Unable to retell elements of the text

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Joycen1@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 17:40:21 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Management in brain-compatible classrooms

Hi Shelly,
I am very interested in Agendas and Procedures. Could you recommend readings
in this area. Thanks Joyce

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 21:43:50 -0500
From: motthebug <maps@resourceroom.net>
Subject: [mosaic] middle school comprehension

One of the most exciting parts of teaching at The New Community School
was learning how to teach comprehension. So many materials are practice
-- answer these questions. If you can't, well, try reading something
easier and answering questions. No, we're not going to tell you how to
do it!

Some of the things I did are on my website at
http://www.resourceroom.net/Comprehension/index.asp - it may be a little
more structured than most folks need (but these students really
benefited from lots of structure - knowing what to expect when *really*
helped with behavior, especially when they knew that they *were* going
to be able to do what they were asked to do. Proving that took some time
& effort, though.). Lots of the literature we read is listed in the
"book reviews" section.

Sue

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Patty526@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 22:54:46 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] Management

Ginger, I have a two hour block of time in the afternoon. I plan to have them
come in, get through the attendance paperwork, and either go right into
independent reading for a few minutes while all the little details like who-
didn't -come- back- from -recess-
because-they-fell-and-are-in-the-nurse's-office, etc OR just go right into a
whole group minilesson time (booktalks, management or strategy instruction).
I'm not sure which I would prefer. Any ideas here?

If I start with the whole group time, which I would prefer because I wouldn/t
want to interrupt independent reading time, then I would follow it with
independent reading. During this time, I'll do conferences and guided
reading, then bring them back together for sharing.

I need to do writing workshop also. I've read sample schedules where writing
workshop follows reading workshop, and have also read the suggestion
somewhere that they can be combined. This two-hour block goes sooooo fast.
Any ideas on a combined reading/writing workshop?

If I do a separate writing workshop, I think I'll pattern it the same way:
whole group mini-lesson, independent writing/guided writing, and then sharing
time.

I get hung up on the anal things: one large notebook? Separate reading
journals for response? How often do I get to these response journals to
respond to them? How do I have them set up these notebooks?
Spiral or three-ring binders? etc, etc, etc.

I appreciate any and all ideas, including the very detailed stuff. Thanks!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] grad class day 3 (long)
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 21:59:32 -0500

to Frer2@aol.com: the "grad class day one" thoughts are found in the
archives of 7/20/02 at http://www.u46teachers.org/mosaic/archive/archive.htm

Right now our grad courses are just offered to our district teachers. Yes,
we are in a northwest suburb of Chicago- Elgin, IL. I suppose I could
consider doing something for others but I would have to look in to the
graduate credit issue since our district does all of that with Aurora
University. Let me ponder that possibility! I would LOVE to work with an
entire staff who is raring to go on this.

Today was day 3. We left day 2 after reading the questioning chapter of
Mosaic. As we do throughout the course, after reading a chapter (the
teachers post it 3-5 times as they are off reading), we have the teachers
share their post its and their thinking about that chapter at their table
groups. Then we ask for one comment from each table group to be shared back
whole group. We find that if we put that out up front- that they need to be
prepared to share back something they found interesting/striking in their
conversations for the whole group, it goes better than just to ask if anyone
has anything to share whole group.

For our activities today we used pieces out of a GREAT book called, "Micro
Fiction" by Jerome Stern. It's a small book of award winning essays that
are 250 words or less. These could be used with high school and possibly
middle school if you select carefully. They fit nicely on a zerox page.
They are short and to the point and elicit great talk. We had the teachers
write "I wonders...." about the article individually, then share their post
its at their table groups. After they were done processing, we gave them a
3 column sheet with BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER as headings. They were to
stick their table post its to one sheet and discuss their findings. Of
course as is typical, there are more DURING post its. We discussed the
importance of modeling and teaching the value of BEFORE and AFTER
questioning as well as DURING.

Then Kelly and I shared how we teach our questioning study. There have been
a lot of posts about teaching questioning so go to the archives. I know
mine was written on Feb. 25. (To get to the archives go to:
http://www.u46teachers.org/mosaic/archive/archive.htm) The most important
beginning point is to model, model, model making "I wonders..." yourself.
(And don't get in a hurry to ANSWER the questions YET. That will come
later. Just model and then have your kids start to "wonder" about whatever
you can. In all content areas. During this time have your writing workshop
focus be writing what they are wondering about. You model that. My kids
LOVED writing "I wonders....." in their learning logs for DAYS!! Those
wonderings could be turned into stories at a later point in the year.

We talked about THICK and THIN questions, coding of A for answered in the
text, and Un for not answered (unanswered), and how teaching inferring is a
natural next step after the questioning study. Always remembering to take
the TIME to go slowly and deeply with each part. Save some of your
charts/post its from whole group stories so you can go back to them when you
are ready to teach inferring. We talked about how the upper grade levels
can code more specific kinds of questions. Kelly talked about doing "I
wonders....." with nonfiction books in a simple way: Have the kids each
choose a nonfiction book about an animal they are wondering about. Have
them write some "I wonders...." about that animal and "research" to find the
answers. One of our second grade teachers shared an idea of how to report
their learning with us. Make small matchbook like pieces of about 3 x 4
inches. That fold down like a matchbook. The students can write their "I
wonder...." on the cover and then flip it up to write their answer. These
little matchbook pieces can be glued on a larger piece of construction paper
that is folded in half so they end up inside. Make a cover and title and
you have a simple, fun to read, presentation of what they learned.

Next we read and processed the inference chapter.

Kelly has a file full of the greatest way to teach inferring. She takes
magazine ads and cuts out a crucial piece and then mounts a piece of
construction paper behind the hole that is left behind. So just color shows
through. The kids have to use the clues from the picture and their
background knowledge to INFER what the missing piece is. She has one of
Sammy Sosa sitting on a bench with his bat cut out. So they know of him and
that he plays baseball, and they see the shape of the bat so they can infer
it's a bat. Another one is a close up of a sink faucet with the HOT cut
out. They look at the COLD and know that it must be HOT that is cut out.
She had an ad for a camera showing three girls in Hawaiian tourist outfits.
One girl was holding the cut out camera shape up to her eyes. The clues
were they were dressed for a trip, etc. You could find ads to do this with
all age groups.

After that we talked about our own struggles with teaching this strategy.
It's been tossed around on this list this past January so read about it
there in the archives. I've had to finally make it very specific for my
students as well as for myself. I know there is more to making inferences
than what I understand but this is how I explain it now (Jan helped me
understand this). An inference is when you use the seen text (the words and
the pictures) along with the unseen text (your own schema/background
knowledge) to infer meaning. Another way to put it that was helpful for me
to hear is: the clues from the text + my background knowledge = inference.

I found myself standing in front of my class one day trying to model and
then validate their use of making inferences and I was totally inept!!!!!!
They were making predictions (which some will say ARE inferences) and I was
not able to tell them the difference. I TOTALLY admitted to my kids that I
was very confused myself and that I had to seek some help from teachers who
know more about this. So I wrote to the list and picked Jan's brain. So...
here again, I am making a judgment call out of my own discomfort. I needed
to have it be two different things in order to help my students REALLY
understand how to make inferences. So Jan, who I also co-teach the grad
classes with, said this: When you are reading and you get to a point where
there are clues from the text and your background knowledge (schema) pops
out at you, at THAT point using what you have ALREADY read, you can make an
inference. For example if I am reading about a boy who was on the phone
with a friend and as they were arguing he slams down the phone. I would
stop there and INFER that he is angry. I used the clues from the text (that
they were arguing and he slammed down the phone) and my schema (you usually
don't slam down the phone unless you are angry and I've wanted to do that at
times myself and also when people are arguing they are usually angry) to
infer the character is angry. The text did not read: "The boy was angry."
Every time I could I would model this process with my class. A PREDICTION
is when you are reading and come to a point where there are clues from the
text and your schema pops out at you, it is then you PREDICT WHAT IS GOING
TO COME NEXT. (that you haven't read about yet!!!) All I can say is once I
modeled these two separate actions, my third graders became experts at
inferring. It might be a lame way to teach it but for me it worked.

Do you know of the Chris Van Allsburg book, "The Mysteries of Harris
Burdick"?? It's a hard book to explain. Go on Amazon.com to read about it.
But we have poster size pages of each of the illustrations from the book.
(it's called the portfolio edition) That's all there is to the book. These
unrelated black and white drawings that have a title and a caption. We give
each table group one poster and we have them write "I wonders....." about
the picture and then come up with one group inference. Then they get up and
share their picture, their "I wonders...." , and their group inference in
front of the whole class. You have GOT to see these to appreciate the power
of this activity. It is perfect for practicing inferring.

We then did another Micro Fiction piece using inferring, discussed our
inferences and our thinking behind them. We read the Essence of Text
chapter for determining importance/theme, processed it as above. We then
gave them a short newspaper article and told them to read it and think of
two separate words to sum up the point of the article, and share at their
table group as to why they chose those two words. Then we discussed it
whole group. For fiction application we gave each partner group a different
Eve Bunting book (her serious books). They were to read it and be prepared
to share whole group about the story line as well as the over arching themes
they found in the text. This was very helpful as so many of us don't know
the books that are out there for this teaching. I loved hearing their
sharings about her books. I use her books a lot in my classroom. Many of
her books go along with the social studies curriculum at various grade
levels.

Last year was my first year to do an official determining importance study.
I'm not even going to write about here because it wasn't that good. Trust
me! I just skimmed the surface and that is my challenge for this fall. I am
going to combine my "how to read non-fiction" study with DI. Probably at
the beginning of the year. I'll write about it then.

We talked about accessible short text to be used in this teaching. Trying
to share our own movement away from whole group novels and full length basal
stories. Not that you can't use those, but for us, we have moved to picture
books, articles, poetry, SHORT texts. It was scary to give up the "fluff" as
I say in class (the cutesy art projects that we used to do after reading a
story, novel packets, whole theme units that go on and on) but once I did,
and I made the strategy studies my main focus (along with decoding work as
needed, retelling, and story elements) my life was SO MUCH SIMPLER! I can't
stress that enough. Anyone else experience the freedom this teaching
brings??? And I don't have tons of worksheets to grade anymore, and I LOVE
TO TEACH THIS WAY NOW!!!! But most importantly, my students LOVE learning
this way.

Last day is tomorrow! We are taking them to the computer lab and will have
our website already loaded and have them read some of the archives. They
are not required to sign up for this listserve but many do. So we'll have
more members joining us soon, I imagine.

Ginger
grade 3

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Donna Baker" <baker@sprint.ca>
Subject: [mosaic] Rubrics
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 03:24:29 -0400

I have done the rubrics in column form in word. If you are interested in
receiving them, e-mail me separately. I am going on vacation soon, but
will send them out as soon as possible.
Donna

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: MAMASWIRLZ@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 08:40:20 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] 6th grade reading

In a message dated 7/21/02 Susan writes:

<< In the past the 5 groups have been based on reading scores. I have been
rethinking this and may consider having 3-4 developmental reading classes and
only 1-2 remedial classes keeping the numbers as small as possible and
trying to work on skills individually. Many of the remedial readers are ESL
students who are focused on learning to read and write English.
>>

What I have found is that heterogeneosly grouped classes work best. It is
important for every class to have students who "get it" and can share as well
as having students who are independent readers.

Susan said <<I teach sixth grade in an urban middle school setting and have
fairly
large classes of about 45 minutes in length. Last year I had 130 students to
work on reading with spread out over 5 classes. >>

Does this mean that you get to create the classes???

Susan said <<may consider having 3-4 developmental reading classes and
only 1-2 remedial classes keeping the numbers as small as possible and
trying to work on skills individually>>

What do you mean by work on skills individually?

Naomi

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 07:13:14 -0700
From: Judy Mazur <jvmazur@attbi.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] grad class day 3 (long)

Ginger, thanks so much for your continuing chronicle. We spent a lot of =

time on inference last year in my third grade class, so this was very=20
interesting reading. I especially agree with your comment:

I LOVE TO TEACH THIS WAY NOW!!!! But most importantly, my students LOVE l=
earning this way.

I would add that I love teaching this way because it has added depth and =
excitement and authenticity to our day. When I see how many kids have tr=
ouble NOT participating on days when it's strictly my turn to model, I fe=
el we've been quite successful in this mighty endeavor. When my family t=
urns to me at the dinner table, after yet another story about my empowere=
d third graders, and comments, "Okay, your kids are ready for Senior Engl=
ish," I know we're onto something truly amazing. When my former students=
return to visit and the first words out of their mouths are "So, what ar=
e you reading?" or "Do you have any new books?" then I know we're making =
some serious progress. I could go on and on about how very much I love MO=
T, how it has changed my life, my classroom, and, most importantly, the l=
ives of my students as readers and thinkers--but I'll stop now and thank =
you again--for it's awfully nice to know there are others out there who s=
hare one's enthusiasm. I bow at the feet of Ellin Keene.
Sincerely,
judy3ca =20

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:12:05 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Management in brain-compatible classrooms

Debbie,
I am reading Fountas and Pinnell's Guiding Reading and Writing in
Grades 3-6. I have read about R & W workshop for years but found this
the most teacher friendly for implementation. It's huge but you can read
bits and pieces at a time. MOT strategies fit perfectly into the
mini-lesson time! :) SHELLY

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:23:59 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Management in brain-compatible classrooms
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
The most recent book title is
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS by Susan Kovalik. To find out more about the
model you may also visit the following websites:
www.indianaclass.com
or www.kovalik.com

THere is a link to Books for Educators which is a warehouse of
brain-compatible teaching resources.
:) Shelly

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 19:28:02 -0400
From: Carroll Hockman <johcar79@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Deb Miller's RWM publishing info request

Here's the Stenhouse link. The book is right there on the homepage.
http://www.stenhouse.com/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Noahandlea@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 20:52:53 EDT

Naomi

The down side of heterogeneous classes has been in the past that many
reluctant readers are reluctant to participate or take a risk with students
they perceived as more talented in reading. That is why this year I am
considering putting all but the remedial readers in heterogeneous reading
classes. I have found that parents all want their kid in the "top" group and
there are other issues like behavior and time of day that are more important
than levels with basic grade level readers. Do you really feel it will be
harmful for the remedial readers to have only an adult modeling the
necessary reading skills that they need to develop? CT now has a law that
students who do not do well on CMT and do not show significant growth during
the year as measured by standardized testing have to attend summer school.
This was the first year of the new law and I want to help parents and
students throughout the school year. There were a number of unhappy parents
and kids who had to attend summer school. One of the two remedial classes
will have another adult daily for the inclusion students. I wont know how
strong the incoming students are until they have arrived and started to
perform to know whether I will need one or two remedial classes.

I am very lucky that I get to create so to speak the classes. I have to work
around the Math groups and ESL/Bilingual classes but it usually works out
pretty well for me to schedule the students in the time period that is best.
In the past I have not paid particular attention to time of day and learning
but this fall I hope to have both remedial classes before lunch as it is very
challenging to gain attention of remedial readers later in the school day. I
am able to group students however I want as long as I can explain my rational
for grouping. I need to keep class size fairly consistent so my colleagues do
not have huge classes at certain times of the day.

It seems that many students have scatter skills and I was considering mapping
out missing skills and planning individual areas to work on. Do you think
this is too work intensive and something I wont be able to follow through on?
Would it be better to do readers workshop and work on same skill with the
class? Also I have classroom sets of nonfiction related books. In the past we
have done a lot of large group reading which some kids love and others hate.
I had trouble keeping everyone working when they broke into selected groups
and worked as a group on a book. Management tends to be a weakness. My top
group last year of 31 students did really well though with the small group
working on skills and comprehension questions. The only comment the kids had
was "Who made up these questions? We have to think to answer them." I guess
they were use to lots of literal questions in the past. They had a lot harder
time handling questions that required higher level think.

I am open to suggestions. I usually spend the first month reviewing for CMT
and getting to know the kids. After the CMT's the kids are broken into
leveled groups. Susan

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] grad class last day (long)
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 19:57:04 -0500

Well, here is my last "journal" entry. We started off with another Micro
Fiction piece and a reporting form that I had made up to "hold the tracks of
their thinking" of all the strategies we had "studied" so far.
(connections, questioning, inferring, sensory imagery, and essence of text)
Basically all I did was draw different handwritten borders around clumps of
blank space and head each one a different strategy. The backside of the
paper was divided into 6 equal boxes filling up the entire page. Each box
had the visual code for sensory imagery at the top along with the sentence
starter for THAT sense. (I can hear....)
The teachers had to read the text (it is often good to suggest they read the
text straight through the first time and then go back and do the strategy
work on a sheet like this, because of past feedback, they can have a
complete uninterrupted read FIRST) and then complete the form. This would
be a form (and you can create various forms like this) done ONLY AFTER you
have explicitly taught EACH strategy on the form. Something you might use
to monitor that they are integrating all of the strategies. I make
different reporting forms that range from one strategy to two strategies to
three strategies on a page, etc. Depending on where I am in my strategy
studies at that point in the year. I often have students who ask if they
can continue to use these compilation forms as they are independently
reading. So now I keep them out as a choice. The piece we picked from
Micro Fiction was about three kids who are suspected of eating berries (red
messy faces) in the wild and how their moms FREAK out. One kid tried to say
he/she (we weren't sure) said he/she didn't eat the berries, but his mom
(who we all agreed was not the model parent by any means) wouldn't hear him.
She forced that poison syrup in him anyway and they were all vomiting, etc.
(I guess you had to be there to appreciate this piece, sorry!) Trust me! It
leads to good use of all the above mentioned strategies and lots of good
discussion.

One thing I haven't mentioned at all is that when the teachers are sharing
their post it notes/thinking at their table groups we try to sit with
different tables and actually participate in the discussions. We didn't
always do that, but what I know is when I do that, I continue to learn and
grow MYSELF in these classes. After all, we are just facilitating their
opportunity to learn. Not standing up there as the experts. I think that
message was clear from our feedback sheet we had them do at the end of the
day today.

We then did some work on the gradual release of responsibility model. I
struggled this time as to why we did not have this part earlier in the
course. I alluded to it often and still am pondering if it needs to be
moved earlier. But I am still sitting with the idea that on this last day,
their might be more understanding of the model now than earlier in the
course. I have broken down the gradual release of responsibility (GRR)
stages into 9 different steps. (You probably can already tell I get a bit
anal about some of this, huh??) I wrote about that on June 15 in the
archives. It is just my take on it (along with lots of talk with Jan as we
were planning our first graduate course last year!) but I know it helped me
to be more specific. Here is the activity. We cut apart the 9 steps into
strips. (3 are in modeled, 2 are in shared, and 4 are independent including
guided reading/conferences done during independent reading) I thought today
of adding a 10th step: whole group share at the end of the reading workshop.
What do you think? We mix up the strips and put them in an envelope. We
use bright pink paper for this! (why I have no idea???) Each table group
gets one envelope and together they are to put the strips in the correct
order of the release model. Then we read them one at a time and further
talk about which ones are modeled, shared, independent and why. We do give
them their own full sheet of this to take back with them.

After that we passed out what Kelly and my building did last year as a 3-6
grade level group. We wanted to have common language/understanding of the
stages/terms (modeled, shared, guided reading, independent) so over several
weeks we brainstormed and refined a list until we were all basically
comfortable with it. (Can you get the feel for how we just share and share
and share what we ourselves have been going through in our own learning
process?? But hopefully it was not ever loaded with EXPERT/KNOW IT ALL
energy. Because that was not our INTENT!!!)

Then we tried something new this time. We had a wide span of grade levels
in this course. There are always the questions of management and where to
begin, etc. So we broke into three different groups: K-2, 3-6, MS/HS.
Kelly went with one group, I went with another group and we let the MS/HS
group fend for themselves (just kidding! They had some experienced members
to share their thinking). My group was very concerned about where they will
fit this teaching in. Especially they K-1 teachers. They have such a
responsibility to teach their kids TO READ (and don't we all APPRECIATE THAT
PRESSURE!!!!) that they are really struggling with how to do it all. If any
K-2 teachers are out there with insight/experience in this management issue
please write to the list with what has helped you. Another concern was how
to meet with all the guided reading groups and do this. We talked about
centers vs. independent reading. Marcia: I would LOVE to hear your
transition from centers to independent reading with your at risk kids!!!
Please share with us!

I guess for me if K-2 teachers would find time to do this work with their
kids by modeling the thinking and doing most of this during the shared
portion of their reading block it would be place to start. What do you all
think? At third, I still have kids that don't read well yet, but most of
mine don't need basic reading instruction. Laura K. could you check in on
this?

Next we talked to them about going to the computer lab. Kelly and I had
already loaded www.u46teachers.org/mosaic for them. We discussed how the
website started (at our very first grad course it was suggested to come up
with a way to list books to use and to get support from others!), the
listserve option (I didn't twist their arm to sign up I hope! I know I am
ga ga over the listserve, but they were not required to subscribe) I shared
readinglady.com information and the "teaching is a work of heart" site that
are linked to at the bottom of our website homepage. I posted the
www.readinga-z.com address and talked about that site. Especially for
teachers in building without guided reading books. So we went to the lab
and it appeared that they were very happy with the time to explore and
consider books off of the database, etc. Several teachers DID go to
readinga-z and printed a few of the FREE books and FREE lesson plans (GREAT
lesson plans for guided reading for those who are wanting more support on
what to do/say in a guided reading group! EXCELLENT!!!)

During lunch (remember we build in time to read during the day) they read
the synthesis chapter. Then met back at table groups and processed it as
best they could. That chapter continues to be the one (along with DI if I
am honest!) that I still don't have a clear interpretation/understanding of.
Kelly and I both freely admitted that. You sometimes feel like an idiot
standing in front of 26 teachers saying you don't get it at all, enough to
help them through it, but that is my reality. I think as a group we came up
with that when you synthesize, it's more than just a retelling/summary: you
use all the strategies you know to use, and bring YOURSELF to the text and
after reading/processing your thinking, you end up different than when you
began reading. You experience a change if you bring yourself deep into the
text. (Oh BROTHER!!! I should just shut up here!) Anyone want to share
THEIR thoughts on synthesis. Since I obviously haven't a clue!!!!

Our final activity was for the table groups to SYNTHESIZE their experience
of the entire course. It worked perfect to say, "Because of your reading of
Mosaic and all the work we did together, you are now a changed person.
Different than who showed up to class last Thursday." We gave them larger
pieces of bulletin board paper and they had to use drawings and words to
represent their experience. I LOVE this part! You should have heard the
chatter and laughing and brainstorming about what to draw and how to show
their learning. I wish I could show you their finished pieces. Seeing and
hearing about their creations always bring tears to my eyes. In four full
day the transformation is striking! Sure, there is much to integrate and
process and ponder. But I believe that is what good teachers do. I expect
most of these teachers have a lot to consider now.

For their final exam we have them write a letter to themselves and put it in
a sealed envelope addressed to their school. In their letter they were to
write where they predict they will be in their teaching of the comprehension
strategies by second semester. What their classroom will look like, sound
like, and feel like. Who they will seek out for support and collaboration.
They put their letters in a bin for us to keep in a safe place until
later..........

This was a fantastic group of educators! I am always in awe of the work
that gets done in this course. I feel blessed to have been a part of their
learning. For those 18 of you who signed up for the listserve from class
today, I am glad you are here! Write when you feel the need and keep the
flame burning inside!

Thanks for "listening in" on my thinking throughout this course. It means a
lot to me to know that our work might be reaching out to the listserve
members and trickling down to the children we are entrusted with in our
classrooms. It's powerful stuff.

Fondly,
Ginger
grade 3

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From: "Marcia Kellenberger" <mgk59@msn.com>
Subject: [mosaic] K- 2 Transition From Centers to Independent (LONG)
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 14:34:36 -0500

Ginger: I've referenced below your last grad class post -- I truly have =
enjoyed taking the class I was originally signed up to take IN PERSON in =
this alternate vicarious manner :) -- (still looking foward to the class =
in the upcoming school year!) --
=20
"If any K-2 teachers are out there with insight/experience in this manage=
ment issue
please write to the list with what has helped you. Another concern was ho=
w
to meet with all the guided reading groups and do this. We talked about
centers vs. independent reading. Marcia: I would LOVE to hear your
transition from centers to independent reading with your at risk kids!!!
Please share with us!"

What I think you are asking is the shift I made from having kids work in =
"centers" while I either pulled small groups or held individual conferenc=
es to "independent reading." We began our professional development in li=
teracy in our building in a VERY structured format -- 15 - 20 minute shar=
ed, followed by about 35 minutes for guided reading and centers, conclude=
d with about 5 minute share. At the beginning, I believe this was a good=
model and very beneficial for all of us -- gave us a clear cut picture o=
f our 2 hour literacy block (same format described above was followed for=
writing), all of us in the primary grades were on the same page, using t=
he same structure, and above all, caused us to really focus our teaching.=
Hard to ramble on too much in a 20 minute shared lesson! That had been=
a problem in the past -- we felt our kids needed so much that it was dif=
ficult to limit ourselves to a narrow focus! Likewise, using the traditi=
onal centers -- word work, writing, listening, readers theater, spelling,=
following directions, the list goes on and on, also gave us some very co=
ncrete, visual, manageable things for "the rest of the class" to be doing=
while we all struggled with getting consistent small group instruction (=
small group shared, guided reading, language experience, etc.) under cont=
rol. =20

Not long into the mission, however, I felt that uneasy feeling you get wh=
en you know things aren't quite "there." In most cases with the kids in =
my class, the only real consistent reading they would do was AT SCHOOL. =
However, if they were at the "word work center" during reading workshop, =
they weren't really doing all that much reading. I went back to my prima=
ry foundation (my lifeline when I moved from sixth to first grade!) -- On=
Solid Ground by Sharon Taberski. I still go back there often and am alw=
ays regrounded. To paraphrase -- she sends kids only to "reading centers=
" only when it's needed. The example I use with my students (it might ev=
en be from her book) is that when you go to a doctor and he suggests a me=
dication, you don't try to persuade him to give you a different one. I t=
old them I was kind of like the "reading doctor." I "send" you where you=
need to go to do what will make you a better reader during reading works=
hop. =20

No more consistent cycling through a list of centers. NO more centers th=
at were not directly connected to actual reading in a meaningful way. Th=
at left me with the listening center -- very important I feel for all of =
my second language learners, the shared reading center, sometimes readers=
theater, and sometimes buddy reading. Other than that, they were all re=
ading books out of their "bookshelves." (Each of my kids has a magazine =
holder that contains books that we select together (ala Sharon Taberski) =
that are at appropriate levels and assorted genre (eventually they were o=
ften totally self-selected). During this time students who were reading =
the same book often spontaeously paired up to work on a strategy sheet or=
response together. Many of the kids carried their reading over into wri=
ting -- used the non-fiction books from their bookshelf as they did resea=
rch in writing workshop. =20

At the shared reading center, two or three kids would work their way thro=
ugh 2-3 big books that I had put out for them, based on their needs. Gen=
erally tried to have a fiction, non-fiction and a poetry. Typically, the=
y were books we had previously read. The students for whom I generally =
"prescribed" that center were those who benefited from working through th=
e enlarged text with the support of peers. Sometimes, though, I would pu=
t more challenging, new big books out for the more advanced readers. Eit=
her way, the concept was the same. =20

For the last two years, I used an open-ended task board -- moved clips wi=
th the kids names to where they needed to be. Most of the kids would be =
at "book shelf reading" most days. This year I think I will let go a bit=
more and just use a white board where I can write student initials under=
a task that is appropriate for the day. =20

I have had no good method for keeping track of student responses to their=
reading, though they did do them. I always had strategy sheets (charact=
er maps, double entry journal pages, story maps, open non-fiction researc=
h pages, etc.) available for the students to use DURING reading. Many ch=
ose to do so. I'm working on some sort of "Thinking Tracks Portfolio" wh=
ere these sheets will be stored in a chronological way, along with post-i=
ts, etc. Still working on that . . . =20

Bottom line -- all said and done -- my students (majority very at risk) c=
onsistently spent anywhere from 30 - 40 minutes reading every day in book=
s that were appropriate and interesting (we had TONS of books available t=
o us in our building because our administrator was on board and made that=
a spending priority). Of course, there are always a couple of students =
who needed more redirecting for a variety of reasons, but even those stud=
ents knew that reading workshop was indeed WORK that they were responsibl=
e to do. Each student also tracked one of the books they read each day i=
n the Sharon Taberski Reading Journal. That helped them keep the type of=
reading they were doing "balanced" between fiction non-fiction and poetr=
y and also served as a time monitor -- too many days on one book meant th=
ere was a problem! =20

All of the K - 2 teachers, or any teachers for that matter, that say they=
cannont do ALL of this are exactly right. Referring back again to Sharo=
n Taberski, when you add something to your program, there is very good ch=
ance that something will have to eliminated or dramatically altered. Fur=
ther, rather than "trash" something that has been working, take the time =
to think it through and alter it. =20

What is obviously missing from the format I described above are all the s=
teps required for true gradual release of responsibility. (We'll have to=
haggle over that Ginger -- I came up with 11! ) That means I am rethink=
ing the flow of readers workshop. There will need to be some days where =
the WHOLE CLASS is working in small groups on the same task (i.e. Debbie =
MIller's groups working on the chart paper in response to Ira Sleeps OVer=
) -- which is something I have not done in the past. Seems very clear no=
w, but only after lots of reading and lots of discussion with others. =20

That also means there will be days where I am not doing any formal guided=
reading groups (gasp!), but will circulate between many small working pa=
rtnerships or having many individual conferences. And I now know that's =
okay. =20

One last quick reference -- Ginger, you mentioned that you were unsure wh=
ere to place the concept of gradual release of responsibility in the prof=
essional development model. From personal experience, I think it should =
be up front. My goal is to use that method of instruction in EVERYTHING =
I teach because it IS best practice. Our building had tons of support de=
fining what each of the literacy components mean, and that made all the d=
ifference as we planned and worked together. Getting those components de=
fined, then doing the PINK strip activity would be an excellent framework=
to fit everything into. I'm thinking that it would be most beneficial t=
o review the Strategies That Work videos again with that framework in fro=
nt of me so I can VISUALLY identify each stage. Now that I FINALLY am ge=
tting the concept of gradual release of responsibility everything is maki=
ng more sense. I am a visual learner -- watching the videos, reading Deb=
bie Miller -- full of great examples and pictures -- having discussions,=
etc., is making re-reading Strategies That Work and Mosaic again much mo=
re meaningful. Some of just work best backwards, I guess!

Thanks again for sharing your "journal!" Would love to hear how others w=
ork through the gradual release model and manage all the pieces in balanc=
ed literacy.

Marcia

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From: MAMASWIRLZ@aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 21:26:08 EDT

In a message dated 7/23/02 5:56:02 PM, Noahandlea@aol.com writes:

<< Do you really feel it will be
harmful for the remedial readers to have only an adult modeling the
necessary reading skills that they need to develop? >>

Susan,

I cannot say for sure, but I know that there is research that shows that top
students do well in heterogeneous or homogeneous classrooms, middle students
also do about the same in either, but struggling students do better in
heterogeneously grouped classrooms. At first, struggling readers may be
hesitant to participate, however, since the students are selecting their own
reading material, they are reading at their own level and will be able to
participate. I saw one boy struggle to read a Walter Dean Meyer book, which
was beyond his level, because he wanted to be in a literature group with his
friends.

Naomi

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 18:58:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Thea W <wheewrites@yahoo.com>

--- MAMASWIRLZ@aol.com wrote:
>
> In I saw one boy struggle to read a
> Walter Dean Meyer book, which
> was beyond his level, because he wanted to be in a
> literature group with his
> friends.
>
> Naomi

Naomi,

I had the same experience...it is one of my fondest
memories of 6th grade. A labeled (learning support)
boy wanted to read with a lit group and I let him with
reserved/mixed feelings. They were reading Haymeadow
by Paulsen and it was clearly over his level. My
memories: 1) the time I overheard him correcting the
rest of the group about something in the plot that
they had missed, and he GOT, and 2)the look of pride
on his face as he stretched out in his chair and said
to me, "That is be the first book I ever read cover to
cover; I love that Paulsen guy!"

He had already been reading for years in the special
reading class. I have to think that one book in one
year did more for his reading than a couple other
years put together!

thea, now 2, pa

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From: BilsCntsa@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 14:02:40 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] A Schema Song

I received permission from Lorraine to share this with all of you. SHe may be
a new member soon!

Remember, it was composed with first graders in mind. Kindergartners learned
it, too.

Shema (tune: Are you Sleeping?)
by Lorraine McCarthy ,San Diego, CA

Schema, schema, (Point to brain.)
Schema, schema...
Prior knowledge,
Prior knowledge.
When I read, I make connections; (Put fingers of both hands together.)
When I read, I make connections...
Text-to-text ,(Hold hands open as if holding a book.)
Text-to-self, (Point to self.)
Text-to-world. (Form a globe with both hands and trace around it.)

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From: BilsCntsa@aol.com
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 16:32:38 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] Another Song from Lorraine

Here is another song from Lorraine:

This a simple song , like "Schema," that both Kindergartners and First
graders can sing to help their comprehension of the terminology. I usually
sing both songs, one after the other. (I couldn't find the tune to play now,
but Beethoven will do as brain stimulation!)

Metacognition (Tune: Are You Sleeping?)
by
Lorraine McCarthy

Metacognition! Metacognition! (Spread both arms out to show long
word,beginning at chest
level!)
What does it mean? (Hold hands out, palms upward, and shrug shoulders.)
What does it mean?
It means I'm thinking about what I'm thinking, (Tap on brain.)
I'm thinking about what I'm thinking
When I'm reading. (Hold imaginary open book in both hands.)
When I'm reading.

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Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2002 11:39:11 -0400
Subject: Re: [mosaic] [PERIODIC mosaic DIGEST POSTING]
From: Mary Phillips <mpinga@ix.netcom.com>

I thought of a different version for younger kids:

Tune: Are You Sleeping?

When I'm reading, When I'm reading,
What do I do? What do I do?
I think about my thinking
I think about my thinking
That's what I do.
That's what I do.

Do y'all think the younger students could understand that? Later, they
could learn the other song that names the process as metacognition.

Just a thought.

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From: Joycen1@aol.com
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2002 16:02:57 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Keep me on, and thanks for creating it.

Hi I am new to the mailring. I am a former Sped Teacher enrolled in a
Reading Specialist Program in NJ. I wanted to take a few minutes to thank
you for the info regarding Reading for Meaning. I would like to know if
anyone is using the strategies with Learning Disabled kids. I would also
like to know if Reading Disabled children are included in your
reading/language arts elementary classes? Thank you again for all the
insight and suggestions that the mailring offers. Joyce

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