In my opinion spelling words should be organized into patterns, not
taught by frequency -- and should be taught at an "easy" level so
that
it's the pattern being discovered... spelling is so easy to be a
"short-term memory" exercise with that infamous quiz on Friday.
I do think a "No Excuses" list of the common words (that are most
likely
to defy patterns, of course) posted clearly so kids can refer to it is a
good idea. And for the older ones, at least make sure they can spell
America and believe (that's not an expression of nationalism... just two
words that my students so often embarrassed themselves with).
Oh, and there's more to practicing than copying :
http://www.resourceroom.net/myarticles/Jones_spelling.html
+++++++++++++++
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2003 21:00:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Denise Ross <deniseross4@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Question for Diane Sweeney
Diane,
I really like the idea of framing the discussions about day-to-day
instructional activities within the context of our belief system. By going
into a teacher' s classroom and suggesting changes to her instructional
choices, I am implicitly communicating a negative judgment about those
choices. It becomes personal. If, on the other hand, I frame it within the
context of our views about reading, then instructional change would be a
natural part of our evolving understandings and beliefs. The change would
not be construed as necessary because she is wrong, but because we are
changing our perspective. Of course, by doing it this way, it takes much
longer--so you're right--coaches need to be patient. Unfortunately, when
parents are paying $17,000 a year for tuition, I feel a sense of urgency
that is difficult to contain.
Thank you so much for helping me refocus on the big picture.
Denise
++++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] short text for adult practice
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 00:16:16 -0500
I just thought of something. For those of you doing teacher book studies on
the strategy teaching I wanted to pass on a great resource for short text to
be used with adults. We use the book Micro Fiction for our short texts in
the grad course I co-teach. It's a real small book with award winning
essays of 300 words or less. Almost all of them are good for some sort of
strategy practice with adults. A few particular stories we use for sure.
Here is the link in case you are interested:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393314324/qid=1064120574/sr=1
-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-0595396-6631229?v=glance&s=books
If my extra long link doesn't work, just look it up on amazon.com: Micro
Fiction by Jerome Stern. I bought mine for about five bucks on
www.abebooks.com but on amazon it is a
just under ten bucks.
We get great feedback from the teachers when we use these to practice the
strategies. Have you looked at my grad class journals on the TOOLS page in
the staff development section?
(http://www.u46teachers.org/mosaic/tools/tools.htm) Some of the activities
we do in class could be done in a book study group. At my last school we
read the book chapter and discussed it one week, then the next week we did a
short text piece applying the strategy work ourselves as adult readers and
then the next week we shared something we had tried in our classroom. Not
everyone was at the same place in the gradual release or focusing on the
same strategy but someone usually had something to share.
Just reading about how to teach the strategies is one thing. Being able to
"do" the strategy work ourselves explicitly and reflect on it with
peers is
VERY powerful. Short text pieces like those in Micro Fiction make it
possible to "do" the strategy work without being tied to a longer
chapter
book. Although I know of some schools who use a chapter book and work
through the strategies. However it works for the group.
Ginger
moderator
++++++++++++++
From: "btillman" <btillman@farmerstel.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Book Study ideas????
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 08:34:33 -0400
> And professional development without teacher "buy-in", and sometimes
underlying
> changes in belief systems or teaching philosophies can be just another
workshop.
I think change does take a lot of time, but one thing my trainer for REA
said that has really stuck in my head is, "Change practice first, the
changes in belief systems will come." She is absolutely right! With mandated
reform efforts in low-performing schools, we don't always have the luxury of
taking it slow. I struggled for a long time over those who were resistant,
and it bothered me that they were not happy about change. I had seen the
data from our kids, and so had they, and I thought they would feel the
urgency of helping these kids as I did; they just didn't see it that way.
So, I began to work to change practice, demonstrating all along the way how
the differences affected the performance of our kids. The scores began to go
up, and the teachers began to get excited. Those who were more resistant
began to see that those who were truly using the practices were getting
better results. They came on board because they knew the old way would not
get those same results.
Now, one year later, most everyone is on the same page. A year of systematic
staff development and systematic instruction and the teachers can't imagine
it any other way.
I think if someone in the building (in our case it is me, the literacy
coach) makes teachers aware of the data as things go along, it does alot to
change the ideas of the teachers. Without data, they say "I know what I
feel
in my heart is good for kids."
With the data, they see what is good or not good for kids. Teachers need to
base their instruction on what the kids need and data helps them do this.
Now everyone at my school calls me the 'data queen' :)
I don't mind, because it is validating to teachers to see that the work they
are doing is impacting the futures of those students in a positive way.
Cece/LC/GA
+++++++++++++++
Subject: [mosaic] Searching Archives
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 08:39:03 -0400
From: "Dudiak,Marisa L." <Marisa.Dudiak@fcps.org>
Hi,
I was wondering if I can search archieve messages from the listserv?
I need to find reference to something from a month ago. Just curious if
there are searching capabilities.
Marisa Dudiak
++++++++++++++++
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 07:56:22 -0700
From: Lori Jackson <ljackson@gwtc.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] short text for adult practice
Thanks, Gigner. I am planning now for tomorrow night's study group, and
this is so
timely!
Lori
+++++++++++++++
From: "Ted and Lee Johnson" <tlmkjohnson@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] poetry
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 10:34:24 -0700
I too was poetry phobic until a friend gave me Awakening the Heart :
Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia Heard. It
helped me overcome my phobia, my kids really had an opportunity to show
another side of themselves as writers, and we had fun together laughing and
sharing our work. Try it.
Lee/5
+++++++++++++++
From: RKCTEC5@aol.com
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 11:12:05 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Text to Text Connections for Primary Kids
Other good books are all of the different versions and different takes on
fairy tales, like Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Bears, The Three Little
Pigs.
Text-to-text connections abound.
Ruby
++++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] independent reading rubric
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 13:17:13 -0500
Two weeks ago I worked with my class to create an Independent Reading
rubric. I used the rubric shared by Juli Kendall from the MiddleWeb
listserve. Julie teaches older students and shares her great rubrics and
other PERFECT resources to download and print off. I have learned a lot
from reading her weekly reading and writing workshop journals. Here are two
links to find out more about MiddleWeb (for intermediate/middle school
teachers) and the link to print out the resources:
http://www.middleweb.com/ReadWrkshp/RWindex.html
(general information)
http://www.middleweb.com/ReadWrkshp/RWdownloads.html
(direct link to fabulous online resources that can be printed out)
First I gathered my students to our living room and we discussed together
what it should look like and sound like during our independent reading time.
(I do this before EVERY transition and I find it really helps with behavior)
I explained the idea of a rubric to them and told them we were going to
write one together and put it up on an anchor chart. So with Juli's rubric
on my lap to guide ME, I started with the level 1 which consists of the
behaviors none of us hope for during independent reading. I had the kids
brainstorm what someone does when they are not taking the opportunity to
enjoy a good book. They came up with most of the things Juli had on her
rubric. You know how they LOVE to point out how NOT to do it. I had my
steno notebook in hand and took notes, telling them I would chart it after
school. We called this a LEVEL 1 reader. Here is what we came up with:
LEVEL 1
*I was looking around the room or staring into space instead of reading.
*I was pretending to read most of the time.
*I did not pick any just right books.
*I didn't understand what I was reading.
*I didn't think as I was reading.
*I got up a lot for no reason.
*I did not respect the readers around me.
*I wasted my learning.
Of course when there was something I "wanted" on the rubric I posed
a
situation to them in hopes of getting back what I KNEW was a LEVEL 1 reader.
Then we moved to LEVEL 2 and talked about how a LEVEL 2 reader is a step up
from a LEVEL 1 reader but still a long way from the best example of how it
should look and sound. I found it a bit harder for them (and me) to
distinguish between LEVEL 2 and LEVEL 3 but with my shaping the talk (and
Juli's rubric), we came up with the following:
LEVEL 2
*I just read part of time.
*I read too fast.
*I was off-task about half the time.
*I wasn't careful when I selected my books. I wasn't honest.
*I wasn't paying attention to my thinking as I was reading.
*I skipped over the tricky words and didn't try to figure them out.
*I distracted the readers around me.
*I got up a couple times during independent reading time.
LEVEL 3
*I read most of the time.
*I mostly selected just right books.
*I respected the readers around me.
*I sometimes used tricky word strategies.
*I sometimes went back and reread when it didn't make sense.
*I sometimes caught myself thinking as I was reading.
*I moved around during independent reading.
As you can see these are pretty close. I feel o.k. about it though, because
my goal was for them to see the CONTRAST between a LEVEL 1 reader and a
LEVEL 4 reader.
I purposely did the desired behavior level last. So they would have had
time to shape their thoughts for the expected behaviors. It worked
perfectly!! Here is what we came up with:
LEVEL 4
*I read the whole time.
*I carefully selected just right books.
*I respected the readers around me.
*I knew when my reading was not making sense and I did something to fix it
up.
*I talked to myself in my head about the story a lot.
*I used tricky word strategies whenever I came to a word I couldn't
decode.
*I slowed my reading down when I was reading a confusing part and reread it.
*I stayed in my space the entire time.
*I enjoyed my learning.
*I felt great about myself as a reader!
When I sent them off to "practice" being a 4 reader I verbally reinforced
what I saw during independent reading. I said things like, "I see Mark
carefully checking to see if the books he is selecting are just right."
"Susan is finding a quiet spot in the room and getting down to business
without talking to anyone around her." "Mary has her eyes on the text
and
is making time as she reads to THINK about what she is reading." (Of course
I can't REALLY see that but I was hoping!!) "David is not getting up to
switch books. He chose enough to keep him busy the entire time." "I
see
Nancy using her finger to figure out a tricky word." "Tim has a puzzled
look on his face and that tells me that he "caught himself" being
confused.
He will probably go back and reread that part to figure out what it means."
BLAH BLAH BLAH.
Then about halfway through I ask them to hold up the number of fingers that
THEY feel tells what kind of a reader they are being. So they did and I
look around and comment that I see lots of 4 readers and a few 3 readers. I
thank them for being honest because good readers DO NOT PRETEND. They admit
when they are not being a level 4 reader and try to get back to it.
Then after independent reading was over I had them share how it went for
them. I asked them if having talked about our class rubric had helped them.
Many kids said it did. I asked for their EVIDENCE (I am trying to get that
word in WHENEVER I CAN!!) and they said things like: "I really worked hard
to choose just right books this time so I took the time to try the five
finger rule before I decided on a book." "I wanted to be a 4 so I
slowed
down when I was reading a confusing part." "I knew I could have done
better
when I got to a tricky word and didn't try and figure it out." Stuff like
that.
So I wrote up the rubric on chart paper and it hangs on our wall. Everyday
I remind them to strive for being a 4 reader. I quickly name the LEVEL 4
behaviors as they are milling around choosing their books. They LOVE IT. I
check in with them during independent reading and have them hold up the
finger for their score. This gives THEM the ownership for deciding how they
are as a reader for that day. I have seen them being more focused and
engaged since we started this. I think now that they KNOW what is expected
and were a part of the process, it makes sense to them and they try to reach
that goal. I hope to have them reflect individually and at their table
groups about their placement on the rubric just for a few minutes at the end
of each independent reading time. Sometimes I forget that part and move on.
But THAT is the step I MUST do. They need time to reflect and CONNECT
themselves to the rubric or it will become meaningless and ignored.
I want to thank Juli Kendall for sharing HER class rubric. Without it I
would have floundered and it would not have been as successful as it was.
Check out her stuff. You won't be sorry.
Ginger
moderator
+++++++++++++++
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 15:59:06 -0500
From: "Michelle Mooney" <mmoon.RI.WFB@wfbschools.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Text to Text Connections for Primary Kids
Last year, I had some very able decoders who thought that was all there =
was to reading. One thing I did was to read aloud a section from the =
bridge (card game) column that my newspaper carries. I read it easily =
with expression and then asked the class if they thought that sounded like =
good reading. They all agreed it did. Then I told them that I didn't =
understand a thing I had just read, because I don't play bridge and have =
almost no schema for the game. I asked them again if they thought that =
that was good reading, and most of them agreed that it wasn't. =20
While that single lesson didn't totally solve the problem, it provided an =
anchor lesson to which I could refer. Over time, it made a difference.
Michelle
+++++++++++++++
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 17:03:06 -0700
From: Lori Jackson <ljackson@gwtc.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Text to Text Connections for Primary Kids
My problem is my guy just thinks he knows it all because regurgitation has
worked
so well. I gave an independent math assignment to several of my really with
it
mathematicians this week of writing numbers from 4 to 100 skip counting by
4's.
They were also supposed to tell me what they noticed. Most wrote about
patterns
they noticed in the numbers but this little kiddo worte "I noticed you
told
me to
skip count by 4's". I know he did not do so to be willfully sassy (but
should he
decide to, he has the makings of a smart A.), but he is just befuddled
everytime I
say, "Tell me how you figured that out..."
That's my problem. As to your little guy, how about art? When I pick up my
firsties, they come from an art starved room and I can win them over with
paintbrushes every time!
Lori
++++++++++++++++
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 18:43:30 -0400
From: Seawink3@aol.com
Subject: Re: [mosaic] poetry
A really gentle road to teaching poety that gives amazing results for
students and teacher learners is Geordia Heard's Awakening Heart. She also
wrote For the Good of the Earth a numberof years ago. I am amazed at her
willingness to show her growth in teaching poety from then to now. I'd love
to do a workshop in person with her. I took her web class from Heinemann
several years ago.
Cathy Winkler
+++++++++++++++++
From: Patty526@aol.com
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 22:04:25 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] student difficulty with strategies
Hi.
This is my second year teaching the strategies, and I've noticed that those
children who come to me from 3rd grade with glowing report cards and teacher
recommendations, those children who previously got all A's in reading, the
ones
who get everything right.....are also children who seem to have the most
difficulty understanding what I am modeling when I model my connections and
write
about them. They keep telling me that they don't know what I want.
On the other hand, many children who, in previous years, did poorly in
reading make some of the deepest connections, the kind that truly help them
understand the story events, or the character's feelings, or that help them
predict.
Has anyone else seen this? Can anyone explain it to me?
Patty
++++++++++++++++
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:32:16 -0700
From: Carol Lau <cllc@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Spanish speaking parents
Here's a good resource for Spanish speaking parents.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/homepage.php
++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] digest version
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 06:11:54 -050
I no longer offer the digest version as an option for new members. And
haven't for quite some time. The server we use is unable to read HTML,
color, pictures, special fonts, and attachments. Whenever a member writes
in HTML or uses color backgrounds or different fonts (which happens often)
the text of the digest becomes ENCODED and it is a REAL MESS to wade through
and read. Messages are often repeated in TOTAL CODE. Causing the digest to
become VERY cumbersome and lengthy. There is nothing I can do about this
situation and that really frustrates me.
I suppose if you are that bothered by the number of emails (and there were
NOT 94 from Mosaic in ONE day!!) then you can write me at home and I will
switch you over to the digest. I can tell you, as can the original members
who receive the digest, that it isn't pleasant! You have to weed through
the encoding to find the messages. It's up to you.
PLEASE do NOT write to the list asking to be switched to the digest. Use the
subscription form at www.u46teachers.org/mosaic or write me at HOME.
Ginger
moderator
elephant@foxvalley.net
+++++++++++++++
From: Abcde1142@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 07:50:47 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] student difficulty with strategies
Good Morning,
Usually the students who have difficulty with the strategies and have
had
A's previously are the ones who would love to do workbooks because they
understand the pattern of workbooks. They are the ones who have knowledge
and
comprehension down pat and can't deviate from them. The other students are
the
ones who can see other ways of looking at a topic. If you look at Bloom's
Taxonomy or Multiple Intelligences, it might help you figure out the
differences
in your students.
Thank heavens your students are being exposed to the strategies to
broaden those students that are into the pattern and for those who now can
succeed.
Alexa
++++++++++++++
From: "Chris Preston" <Christine.Preston@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] student difficulty with strategies
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 05:22:39 -0700
I have noticed this. I think it is because the kids who have done well
in the past (quite a generalization) have been good at worksheets and
paper/pencil, sit in your seat packets. That is not the way we teach!
I used the lesson last week that someone mentioned about Metacognition.
I couldn't find When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor, so I used The Table
Where Rich People Sit,also by Byrd Baylor.. I read them the story and
handed out sentence strips. They copied the prompt, When I hear The
Table Where Rich People Sit, I _____________________________. All the
thoughts were very insightful. It is a powerful book and a powerful
lesson. Thank you so much to whoever gave me the idea. My students are
so lucky to benefit from the all the ideas on this list serve! Chris
++++++++++++++
From: CNJPALMER@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 08:48:06 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] student difficulty with strategies
Patty
I have seen this too. As a reading specialist who works with all grades, the
struggling readers are often the most metacognitive because they have to
WORK
at reading. They have always worked hard to learn to read. In the primary
grades in many schools (mine included, though I am working on this!) the
focus is
on decoding. Decoding skills often come easy for these 'bright' students and
they haven't had to work at their reading. They may also not understand that
reading is about making meaning. If comprehension lessons in their past
always
meant answering questions about their reading, then they may not understand
WHY
you are trying to get them to make connections.
I have had teachers who are working with 'gifted' students tell me how
incredibly hard it is to get some students to be metacognitive. One way to
do this
is to give them something that is challenging for them to read or
understand,
yet highly interesting. This can motivate them to find ways to
understand.That
can open the door to strategy teaching...the child needs a tool to get where
he wants to go! Keep modeling...keep sharing the idea that reading is more
than
saying the words...that even you as an adult have difficulty understanding
at
times.This has worked for me with many tough cases, though it takes
persistence.
The flip side of all this is the struggling student. Some of my staff have
been amazed at the level of thinking I get from my struggling readers. I
keep
saying to my staff that just because kids are learning disabled does NOT
mean
that they cannot think! These comprehension lessons are motivating...they
get my
strugglers interested, engaged and feeling in control of their own learning.
Those 'gifted' students have felt in control from the start...but now that
you are asking something new of them, they feel lost and out of control.
They
thought they knew what it took to be successful in school and now you are
asking
them to THINK and this is really new! They haven't had to do this before!
They come around, most of them, with time.
I would suggest sharing your methods with this student's parents if you
haven't already. Share that you know how bright (s)he is and want to take
him/her
to the 'next level' and ask for their support. If your school is like mine,
sometimes a parent can be your biggest asset or your worst nightmare. If
this
child goes home and says he is 'bored' (when really he just doesn't get it
yet)
you could have a long term problem with this parent.
Jennifer (Maryland)
++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 10:29:14 -0500
From: Elisa Waingort <elisawi@fcaq.k12.ec>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Book Study ideas????
Hi Lori!
Anytime of the year is going to be too hectic for a book study! I think
though, that one about professional growth would be very timely
at the beginning of the year. I'm up for a book study. I plan to order
the book and if I don't get it in time for the book study I will read it
online
until I do!
Take care!
Elisa
++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 10:55:04 -0500
From: "cking" <cking@mail.d300.kane.k12.il.us>
Subject: [mosaic] Idea for coaching teachers
This is a suggestion for Denise, and anyone else looking for ideas a teacher
can use when a few of her kids are working well above grade level in reading
and do not need the benefit on phonics instruction. I had this situation
last year in my 1st grade class with three boys reading at Levels L and M
who certainly did not need phonics. I let them have a daily book club during
that time. I have a great book on literature circles-something about voice
and choice in book clubs (The book is at school) and I let them choose a
book together and then we decided together on a schedule for their
reading-in class and at home. They were required to jot notes on Post-Its
and be prepared for the group, which met at phonics time. After phonics
instruction, the class spent 10 minutes working indpendently on phonics
practice activities and I used the time to meet with them. Perhaps Diane you
could model such an activity for this teacher as an idea for her. It really
required no prep time on my part except to read the book. The first few
times I gav
e the boys a selection of books I was familiar with to choose from.
Colleen
+++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 09:14:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Heather Wall <heather_wall_2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] poetry
How did you like the Heinneman web class? Did you
think you got more out of it than if you'd just read
the book yourself? I've considered doing those, and
wondered how you felt about it...
Thanks,
Heather
+++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] Idea for coaching teachers
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 13:20:36 -0500
From: "Zuffante, Dawn" <dzuffante@cassd63.org>
This is a great idea. As a former teacher of the gifted, I learned that
in any given school year, GIFTED CHILDREN WILL LEARN THE LEAST, if not
appropriately challenged. This is not to say that all children that
read above grade level are gifted. However, no children should have to
sit through lessons they already know, as it is a waste of their time,
and the teacher's. Allowing them to be partially responsible for new
learning is wonderful and helps them to feel empowered and motivated to
learn in greater depth about familiar subjects and to learn more about
the unfamiliar.
Keep in mind that BOREDOM is as TOXIC to the BODY as STRESS.
Differentiation of the curriculum should be taking place as much as
possible in all classrooms to meet the individual needs of each learner!
Dawn Z.
++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 19:45:38 -0400
From: Seawink3@aol.com
Subject: Re: [mosaic] poetry
I really enjoyed the chats and direct conversations. I lived in a very
remote area at that time and had no one to talk to as I tried the things in
the book. I had used the book for a year before I took the class and had
lots of questions that she kindly addressed. I am considering taking it
again as it helped me write more and gave me an audience of peers. I seem to
have hit a block in my own writing which seems to trickle into my students.
I hope taking the class again would give me a way through it.
Cathy Winkler
+++++++++++++
From: "Andy & Shelly Kennedy" <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: [mosaic] previously "good" students
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 18:54:24 -0500
Also, some time ago I shared a thing which is on the teaching tools page
titled "Nonsense Text Piece"....it's another great one to use with
kids
to show how you can read every word, learn how to answer the questions,
yet know NOTHING about what you read. (It's great for sharing this
model with teachers as well.)
+++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 17:43:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Denise Ross <deniseross4@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Idea for coaching teachers
Colleen,
Thank you for the suggestion. In fact, it is very similar to what I had
offered the teacher. But, unfortunately, the problem is much more complex.
The teacher truly believes that the students need to participate in the
phonics lesson. So it's not just a matter of giving her an alternative.
She liked the alternative. It's changing a belief system or a false belief
about what these children need. The question really was--It's her classroom
so how do you get her to change while allowing her to maintain ownership of
her own class?
Denise
++++++++++++
From: JATShaw@aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 20:56:00 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Idea for coaching teachers
In a message dated 9/22/2003 8:57:21 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
cking@mail.d300.kane.k12.il.us writes:
> I had this situation last year in my 1st grade class with three boys
> reading at Levels L and M who certainly did not need phonics
A long time ago I encountered a situation like this as well; the little
first
grader in a class I was visiting was way ahead of her peers and was given
the option of reading other material. She, however, really wanted to be
like
her classmates...at least outwardly...and solved the situation herself. She
would put her book (the Wizard of Oz) inside the basal during reading time.
Wished I'd have thought of that during those awful "round robin" reading
sessions
of my childhood when I'd be reading ahead and never knew where we were when
called on...so glad that has gone the way of the dinosaurs...with this group
at
least! Judy S,
++++++++++++++
From: deborah a devine <debthereb@lightfirst.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 22:45:57 -0500
Subject: [mosaic] What I'm Doing,,the basics..ugh
MARTHA SAID:Finally! I would be careful of rushing the teaching of
each strategy too much. I've not been at it too long myself, but I
have a tendency to rush things and have really, really, focused on
slowing down this year, even more than last. Some of my kids will need
the extra time and immersion in the teaching.
Dear Group,
I am also trying not to rush. I just started teaching Tricky Word
Strategies.
Today, I taught looking at the first and last sound/letter, what makes
sense, and looking at the length of the word. I used that technique
where you cover the word with 3 bits of paper. First, you expose the
beginning letter, then the end, and lastly the whole word. All the
while you are doing the "exposure" the class is trying to predict
the word and validate why they think that is the word. I know many of
you have taught it that way using a transparency of a selection.
I reviewed MOT(Chapter 10, "From Problem to Resolution"), Fontas and
Pinnell and Snapshots (it's wonderful).
I have my better readers working on a different project as I know they
have these strategies figured out on their own. They really want to
contribute to our discussion, as they "know it all", but I won't let
them.
It's so hard not to rush into comprehension strategies, and just teach
the basics."Give me strength!"
Deborah
++++++++++++++
From: "Crum, Heather" <crumh@perry-lake.k12.oh.us>
Subject: [mosaic] New Member
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 16:14:17 -0400
Hello!
I am a third grade teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio. I am
currently on maternity leave until November 17th. I have taught third grade
for three years. I am looking forward to sharing and learning !
Mrs. Heather Crum
Third Grade
Perry Elementary School
"There are two ways of spreading light to your students: You can be the
candle or the mirror that reflects it."
+++++++++++++
From: PhilSharonElder@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 19:08:41 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] Fwd: Another misspelled passage
Reading Education students:
Many of you received the following e-mail that has been making the
rounds on the internet:
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer
in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is
taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a
toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae
we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
Persuasive wasn't it? However, the claim that "you can sitll raed it
wouthit porbelm" is at variance with eye-movement research
demonstrating that misspellings slow us down and force us to use
contextual guessing.
I also noticed that the spellings within the first and last letters
weren't really a "toatl mses" in some of the words. So I chose a
passage with longer words and used a random number program
(http://www.random.org/nform.html) to order the inner letters
randomly.
Now, see if you can read this second misspelled passage:
The paicuty of dsosiucisn in the lraetruite of theacer rceresah that
itnegaorters the use and vluae of dffneriet kdins of cgahne
jsteoapuxd wtih the piretssnet epsmhias in the lutrertaie aobut
teehcar rerasceh sggetsus the need for onneipg up cnrveitonsaos
wiihtn and aorcss cnmmiuetois and ascors the two ltetrueirs aobut
what this wrok is for and aubot and how it is rrenesepetd.
You can scroll down for the correctly spelled passage. What I'd like
you to do is to forward this second misspelled passage to your e-mail
lists to see if we can get the correction to circulate as widely
around the internet as the original misinformation.
Cheers,
Dr. Bruce
Bruce Murray, Ph.D.
murraba@auburn.edu
Reading Genie site: http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba
Problems are opportunities brilliantly disguised as insurmountable barriers.
The paucity of discussion in the literature of teacher research that
interrogates the use and value of different kinds of change
juxtaposed with the persistent emphasis in the literature about
teacher research suggests the need for opening up conversations
within and across communities and across the two literatures about
what this work is for and about and how it is represented.
Susan L. Lytle, Teacher Research in the Contact Zone, Handbook of
Reading Research III, p. 704.
+++++++++++
From: RKCTEC5@aol.com
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 22:17:52 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Fwd: Another misspelled passage
Bruce,
What is wrong with contextual guessing? I believe it's an excellent tool
for
children to use to get the meaning and/or pronunciation of words. Often
times
sounding out fails to produce a known word or a word in ones receptive
vocabulary, and if sounding out is the only tool one has, then one has fewer
chances
of figuring out a word. Why give a child only one way to figure out a word?
Actually, sounding out slows one down. Once one knows the word, sounding
out
is discarded and the word is read as a whole.
Ruby
+++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] K2K FINALLY!!!!!
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 22:04:06 -0500
Well, I can FINALLY write in about K2K. I've been waiting all year (we are
in week 5) to get started with my K2K study and yesterday was the day!!!
Here's what I did:
I gathered my kids in our living room and asked them to tell me what I meant
by "having a conversation" and what is a "conversation".
I wasn't expecting
that much back after reading in the book (Knee to Knee, Eye to Eye by Ardith
Cole- a book we discuss this summer for those of you who are new) how her
experience has been that kids just don't have conversations. Well, at least
my class could TALK ABOUT what a conversation is. I don't exactly know how
much conversing they themselves do in their lives, but....... They said
things like: "It's when you talk to someone about something you have to
say
to them." "Telling someone about your day." "Talking to
someone about a
problem you are having." "Sharing your thoughts with others."
"Asking
someone how are you today." When I asked them to tell me times in their
day
to day lives THEY have conversations, they told me: at school, on the bus
ride to school, at after school daycare program, at the dinner table, at my
fathers job, in the car, with my cat, with a friend when we are playing.
They had tons to share on that one.
Next I told them that I had some video clips of both kids and adults having
conversations and that we were going to be detectives and observe what we
see and hear them doing. I then read the previewing guidelines straight
from the book, telling them that I want them to focus on these as we view
the videos. I said to watch the eyes, the hands, the bodies, and really SEE
what they can notice. I told them we would watch the video clips several
different times, but the first time we would watch it straight through.
I used the Harvey Daniel's Literature Circles video in two different ways.
Kristin, a teacher at my school, had already used a snippet from that video
and said it worked very well. First, there is a small group of third
graders (we think) who are gathered in a bunch to share together about the
book they are reading. While there were too many close-ups for me, it DID
show GREAT gesturing and eye contact and VERY OBVIOUS piggybacking. All in
about 6 minutes or so. I still want to find more video footage without the
close-ups to show "group" behaviors. Peggy, a member of our list,
suggests
taping The Cosby Family shows off of Nickelodeon cable channel or 7th
Heaven. I hope to do that this weekend.
I played it straight through and then stopped it and "debriefed"
with them.
I scripted in my steno pad what they reported seeing and hearing. One
person TOTALLY caught the piggybacking. He didn't call it that, but he said
something like: they added on to what she was saying. I gave them the word
piggybacking and pointed out how THEY have already been doing it. (I have
been trying to use some of this language in my shared conversations since
day one)
Next we watched that segment without any sound. It is SO MUCH better
without sound. I stood there by the TV and paused it after the particular
parts: eye contact, gesturing, body language, one person talking at a time.
I was up there like Vanna White: "Look- see how she is looking at her?"
"See- THAT is piggybacking!!" "Wow! What great gesturing she
is doing!"
(What I should have done is have them turn and talk about what they
see/hear- DUH!!! I keep forgetting to do that ENOUGH!!!)
Then I forwarded it to the section showing 11th grade students meeting in a
book club. This group was very verbal and the footage was NOT close up so
they could see the entire group interactions. I chose to show this one
without sound to focus more on the body language and to see if they could
point out the nuances of the interactions. We talked about what we saw and
how we thought it helped the conversation work better.
Then I showed them a few seconds from the Strategies That Work video #4
about book clubs. I found a segment of girls meeting to discuss Because of
Winn Dixie. This was not as helpful as the girls were VERY animated and did
a lot of interrupting and talking over each other. I mostly just wanted to
immerse them in the sight of kids meeting to talk about books. But what
happened was that the kids noticed right away how this group was NOT
overlapping and were not going back and forth, but rather all talking at
once about different things. I know in Ardith's book she says to not focus
on the negatives (and I agree) so I didn't really make a big deal out of it,
but I could tell my kids KNEW this was not as productive an example as the
previous two.
I finished off by showing them (on mute only) a few seconds of the
"conversation" between Steph and Ann with the teacher from that video.
You
know how at the end of each of those videos they talk to the teacher
featured? Well, this part was very good. The teacher doing a LOT of
gesturing and Ann and Steph were nodding their heads and really giving her
eye contact. Even though the three of them were never on camera at the same
time you could see the teachers hands gesturing off to the side when the
camera was on Steph and Ann. Then Steph gestured (like she always does so
well!!!) and the teacher would nod her head in her response. I just showed
a very short clip of this. To show adults having a conversation.
I know this sounds like a lot and maybe it was but it all went just about 45
minutes. Back and forth to talk and view. I told them that we were going
to have a chance to be detectives and observe a class in our school while
the students in that class hold conversations. Kristin has graciously
agreed to have my class in to stand around in mini "fishbowls" as
her
students converse. I will have my kids bring a two column note on a
clipboard to jot down what they notice and hear that helps make the
conversations work well.
My next step is to have a student script our conversation tips chart after
we return to the room. Then I will be practicing with a few picture books
whole class to help teach overlapping and piggybacking. ****Can any of you
help me understand overlapping????? I have read and reread that part on
page 10 but I just don't get it.**** Is overlapping and piggybacking the
same thing??? Or are overlaps two people talking at the same time but not
interrupting the train of thought??? HELP!!!!! I seem to remember someone
writing in about this very thing over the summer??!!
I think Ardith encourages us to get right to partners with LOT'S of modeling
done by us with a partner if I am remembering correctly. I've done
impromptu "turn and talk" many times and for the most part they seem
to have
a lot to say. I am looking forward to being more explicit with them in this
second step.
For me, I know that this conversation study will be well worth the time. I
have tables of 4's in my room and when I ask them to talk at their table
groups I see/hear nothing but chaos and everyone talking at once. I can
only believe that being explicit in THIS teaching will help us find our way
to share our voices and thinking for the entire year. I think I have taken
it for granted that they will just talk and work it out amongst themselves.
I should know better, huh? The more explicit I can be and the more clear
modeling I can do, the better they will understand and do the target
behavior.
Has anyone else done any of this K2K stuff yet?????
Ginger
moderator
grade 3
++++++++++++++++
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 20:46:01 -0700
From: Carol Lau <cllc@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] reading cues
My understanding from the work of Marie Clay is that fluent readers
usually use syntax and meaning cues to anticipate the word and then use
the visual (phonics) to confirm or adjust the anticipated word. This
is opposed to the idea that readers first use letter patterns (visual)
and only resort to context if phonics is ineffecive. In reality this
interaction between these brain functions is so synchronized and
automatic that the variance in individual instances could not be
measured in an authentic reading situation. I don't think the eye
movement studies used authentic reading situations but rather, computer
screen reading in a lab situation. Carol
+++++++++++++++
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 21:25:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Denise Ross <deniseross4@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Fwd: Another misspelled passage
In response to this response. There was a big difference in the level of
writing between the two passages. Even if both passages had been written
correctly,
the second one is more difficult to understand because the writing is more
formal and it is an excerpt from an article and thus was pulled "out of
context." The first passage could be understood standing alone. That
said, the second passage, while more difficult was not totally impossible to
read. Except for a few words that escaped me, I was able to read the
majority of the words and get the gist of the message.
Denise
+++++++++++++++++
From: CAAstle@aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:03:15 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] K2K FINALLY!!!!!
Ginger, Thanks for all of the information. I am about to try this with a
third grade class next week. I am meeting with the classroom teacher this
Friday. The plan was to have the classroom teacher, another Title teacher,
and
myself do a real live model of a conversation, but I think I might use the
video.
Have you heard of the story "The Conversation Club"? It is a story
for
kids
about having a conversation from an old anothology. (I will look up the
author's name.) The classroom teacher is going to have them read that ahead
of
time. Talk to you later. Carolyn
++++++++++++++++
From: Mlredcon@aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:28:23 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] K2K FINALLY!!!!!
Please let me know which video you are talking about and more about the
books, The Conversation club.
Maxine
++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] reading cues
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:44:34 -0400
From: "Judy Kelly" <kelly@monroe.k12.mi.us>
We talk about using visual clues for an approximation and syntax and
meaning for a confirmation to encourage using all three cueing systems.
+++++++++++++++
From: "Christine Pilger" <kellyannchristine@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Fwd: Another misspelled passage
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 04:50:09 -0700
I agree with the contextual necessity. The first twenty
years of
my life I spent in another country; I've been in the US for the last
thirteen years. My more technical/advanced years have been the latter,
so when I read my former language and words allude me, I use context
clues. I can read ANY word in that language, but I don't quite have
the experience and time to know them as well as I do English.
++++++++++++++++
From: "Shorkey, Karen" <KarenS3@lee.k12.fl.us>
Subject: [mosaic] K2K FINALLY!!!!!
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:53:44 -0400
Pardon me for being out in left field, but what is K2K? Where can I find
out more information about it?
++++++++++++++++++
From: "Dorothy Ridge" <dorridge@cox.net>
Subject: [mosaic] Elements of Literature
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 09:46:33 -0400
Does anyone have a concise, yet thorough, list of the characteristics of =
the various genres? I can pull together this information, but if there =
is a source where the basic elements of the many types of literature are =
clearly presented it would save me a great deal of time.
This listserve is wonderful! Thanks to all of you for your knowledge and =
dedication to literacy.
Dottie
+++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] Elements of Literature
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 10:32:58 -0400
From: "Judy Kelly" <kelly@monroe.k12.mi.us>
Check out pages 391-404 in Guiding Readers and Writers Grade 3-6 by =
Fountas and Pinnell
+++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] K2K FINALLY!!!!!
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 10:13:28 -0500
From: "Zuffante, Dawn" <dzuffante@cassd63.org>
Ginger,
While I haven't yet tried any of the strategies you mention, I love the
idea of using the video clips to give the kids examples and nonexamples
of what to do while holding a conversation. =20
Also, when you say you gathered your kids in your living room, I'm
assuming you mean your own children...it's good to know that other
teachers practice with their own kids--mine sometimes give me resistance
and the "why do I have to be a teacher's kid" line!
I plan to use this technique as I push-in to my third and fourth grade
classes this year. Please share how your group progresses so we can all
learn together!
Dawn Z.
++++++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 08:25:10 -0700
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Elements of Literature Response (long)
From: Diane M Shadwick <dshadwick@juno.com>
The genres are: Classics, Picture, Traditional, Historical Fiction,
Fantasy & Science Fiction, Folktales, Nonfiction/Biography/Autobiography,
Fiction, and Poetry.
Classics are any book that was published on or before 1950. An example
would be the Laura Ingalls Wilder's series. Picture books are any book
that has a value of 50% are in pictures. You take the pictures out of
the story and the story wouldn't make sense. 10% of the book gets split
in half between the illustration and the author.
Traditional books can also be picture books. Caldecott books are picture
books. The characteristics of traditional books is that it is usually a
story that has been passed down by mouth from generation to generation.
Folktales as well as mythology, Indian legends, fairy tales, and Bible
stories are all a part of traditional books.
Historical fiction are books that are fictional stories put into actual
history surroundings. You would be able to teach history from it because
the author has carefully researched that period and paints a picture of
that period through the writing.
Fantasy is a story that couldn't happen in the date it was written. The
reader could ask the question, "Could this story really happen in the
date that the story was written?" If the answer is "no," then
it is
fantasy, if the answer is "yes," then it's historical fiction. Science
fiction is fantasy set in the future. "Fantasy books have talking
animals, supernatural beings, and parallel worlds woven together in a
time and place where all the story elements seem possible." (Moen, 94,
Scholastic, Teaching with Newbery Books).
Folktales are part of traditional stories, they have one-dimensional
characters, are often humorous, explain nature or the culture in which we
live.
Nonfiction provide facts and information about the world we live in (also
past). Nonfiction includes art (history, artists, how-to-draw, etc.),
drama (folk play, Shakespeare), language arts and literature (libraries,
newspapers, word play, writing), math, music (famous musicians, how to,
opera, song text picture books), social studies (economics, geography,
history, people, politics). Biographies are factual accounts of
different people's lives. An autobiography is a factual account of a
person's life from that person's point of view.
Fiction is imaginative narration, a made-up story.
Poetry is a rhythmical composition (in verse characterized by artistic
construction and imaginative or elevated thought). The written
composition is used to excite pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or
elevated thoughts. Children's poetry consists of topics that relate to
children, have children as the main character, and/or touches the child
in the adult.
I hope this helps, I can go into more detail if you need that, let me
know personally.
Dee
+++++++++++++++++
From: "Donna Hovater" <dhovater@colbertcountyschools.org>
Subject: [mosaic]
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 11:02:28 -0500
I am looking for "center" type activities for fourth, fifth and sixth
=
grades. We need things for the students to do while the teacher is =
working with small groups. I am having a hard time finding =
informational books on this.
+++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 13:43:20 -0400
From: "TAMARA BUGGS" <buggst@bcschools.net>
Subject: [mosaic] Colleen,
Colleen,
Could you email the title of the book that gave you ideas for Lit
Circles at the first grade level? Our first grade team would like to
develop this with their higher readers this year, and they've asked for
suggestions for a good book to use in a Book Study to explore Lit
Circles.
Thanks-
Tam
+++++++++++++++
From: Mlredcon@aol.com
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 16:51:20 EDT
Subject: [mosaic] Centers
Try Literacy Workstations by Debbie Diller from Stenhouse.
Maxine
+++++++++++++++
Subject: [mosaic] guided reading
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 16:24:04 -0500
From: "Sharon Reilly" <sreilly@sheboygan.k12.wi.us>
Please clarify. Guided reading is a 20 min block where small groups of =
students are reading at their instructional level as teachers listen in, =
prompt at point of error, take a running record, and conclude with a =
teaching point- what can I teach today that they can use tomorrow. =
Specific strategy instruction is done explicitly within a shared =
reading, read aloud, and/or conferencing at DEAR time.Some teachers =
state that their students are not comprehending the guided reading text =
so the teachers feel compelled to turn the guided reading time into a =
small group strategy instructional time. I say that explicit strategy =
instruction needs to be done during shared reading, modeled in think =
alouds during read alouds and one on one conferencing during DEAR. What =
do you think?
+++++++++++++++
From: deborah a devine <debthereb@lightfirst.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 16:39:12 -0500
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Elements of Literature Response
Today while using a section of the story "Lon Po Po " to teach tricky
word strategies to a portion of my students, they had a fit when we
found the original book in the NON-FICTION SHELVES OF THE
LIBRARY. "This doesn't fit with any of the elements of the non-fiction
genre. This isn't right!" they exclaimed.
Yes, folktales are in the non-fiction area of a library.
Since I really didn't understand the theory behind the Dewey Decimal
System it was hard to explain to them.
Deborah Devine
+++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 16:25:18 -0500
From: "Marla Barrick" <MARLA@ccisd.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Maxine
It is a book by Ardith Davis Cole entitled KNEE to KNEE, EYE to EYE.
There was an online book study this summer. It is a fantastic book!!
Marla Barrick
TARGET Reading Teacher
C. R. Clements Intermediate
254-547-2235
++++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 17:56:09 -0700
Subject: Re: [mosaic]
From: Veronica <pisces1975@earthlink.net>
My kids have LOVED making (picture) books on tape for the primary classes.
They have to practice reading it over and over and over again with
expression so the tape is perfect. It really helps them with their fluency
and they like giving the "gifts" to younger kids & their teachers.
+++++++++++++++++++
From: "Donna Hovater" <dhovater@colbertcountyschools.org>
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 11:02:28 -0500
To: <mosaic@u46teachers.org>
Subject: [mosaic]
I am looking for "center" type activities for fourth, fifth and sixth
grades. We need things for the students to do while the teacher is working
with small groups. I am having a hard time finding informational books on
this.
++++++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: RE: [mosaic]about asking for center ideas
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 20:23:06 -0500
Donna-it is my humble opinion that fourth, fifth, and sixth graders should
be READING and practicing their strategies while the teacher is meeting with
small groups. With explicit teaching of expectations for independent
reading those students can work their way up to reading 40 minutes a day for
sure. Start out with shorter increments and do a lot of work with choosing
just right books. Give them a focus or purpose for reading, have them share
back either whole group or in partners or small groups about their
focus/purpose and you will be pleasantly surprised at how they meet the
challenge.
Ginger
moderator
++++++++++++++
From: "Marcia Kellenberger" <mgk59@msn.com>
Subject: [mosaic] Guided Reading (Sharon)
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:20:18 -0500
I think small group instruction (guided reading) might look exactly as =
you described. However, I think you also might find the Lucy Calkins' =
comparison of a guided reading group and a strategy group interesting. =
(See The Art of Teaching Reading) -- there is a great comparison chart! =
The most dramatic difference, in my estimation, is that a "strategy =
group" BEGINS with the teacher stating the focus strategy (teaching =
point) -- based on her PRIOR observations of the students' reading in =
the past. This is the opposite of a traditional guided reading group =
which ends with a teaching point. I can certainly see how this type of =
small group instruction would fit well in the gradual release model for =
teaching comprehension strategies. Thoughts??
Marcia
2nd
++++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 22:47:51 -0500
From: Jim & Jan Pettry <jdpettry@erinet.com>
Subject: [mosaic] about asking for center ideas
Donna,
I agree with Ginger. Our first graders work for 80-minute reading
blocks during which we have four twenty- minute guided reading groups.
During that time, they are either with me (the Title teacher) reading,
with the classroom teacher reading, reading independently, or buddy
reading. In two of the classes they also do journal writing for one of
the 20 minute blocks and in another class they listen to a book on tape
and respond in writing. We used to do centers but feel they need the
time reading. We did a lot of modeling and gave explicit instructions on
how to do each part of the reading block and that really helped.
Jan/Title/1st/OH
++++++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] K2K check in/long
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:54:15 -0500
It's me again! I HAVE to write in about today. Hope you all don't mind.
Typing it up and putting it on the list helps me get clear about what we did
and how it went. You guys should try it more often. It is just so important
to be reflective. I know I'd sure LOVE to hear more specifics about what
you are doing in your classrooms. When I type about my day I forget that
everyone will be reading it. I just write. It's the SENDING it that is
scary for me. What will they think? Did what I write sound stupid? Did I
do the lesson right? Does everyone ELSE get this but me? Is this worth
putting on the list? (see, this is a great example of my "mini me"
voice
thinking inside my head- be sure to model THAT for your students: the self
doubting voice I think we all hear at one time or another) (You guys DO
have a self doubting voice, too, don't you?)
I loved today!
We were silent observers in Kristin's fourth grade class. I had the kids
take out a clipboard and divide a piece of paper into a two column note.
What I Saw/What I Heard. We reviewed what they would be looking for. I told
them I didn't want them to write down words they heard the kids saying but
rather the KINDS of things they heard being spoken.
Kristin had prepared her students for our visit. They were to be sharing
their connections from their independent reading books in groups of 4 at
rectangle tables. She told them to pretend we were not there. I told my
kids to pretend they were invisible, too! My kids gathered around the
tables and just watched. It was the greatest!!! Kristin's kids were really
conversing together well. My kids were jotting notes, watching intently.
We stayed about 15 minutes I think. It went very fast.
When we got back to the room we gathered in the living room (YES I HAVE A
LIVING ROOM IN MY CLASSROOM and I won't ever teach without one again!! I do
a LOT of teaching there! I can fit 15 kids around the outside horseshoe
shape on the couch, 4 living room chairs, and other stools and the rest of
the 15 kids sit on the piece of carpet within the horseshoe shape. My
living room is front and center and I have 8 round student tables forming a
larger horseshoe shape around the living room. At the opening of the
"horseshoe shape" is my chalkboard. My rocking chair sits in that
opening.
And I don't have a HUGE room either!).
I asked my kids to read over their "notes" and share back what they
SAW.
Here is what they came up with.
-I saw active listening. (I asked them to give me more details)
-when one person was talking the rest of the group was looking at him
-the person talking was looking at the other group members.
(This second one about the person doing the talking looking at the group
members REALLY STRUCK ME!!! I don't think I EVER made a big deal about that.
I mostly always harp on them looking at the person DOING the talking. WOW!
We talked for a few minutes about the importance of eye contact going BOTH
ways: listeners AND speaker. I LOVED that one!)
-I saw them pointing to the book when they were talking about a part of the
book.
-when the person was pointing in the book the rest of the people were
looking down at the book too. (great example of finding the EVIDENCE!! My
NEW favorite word!)
-I saw people not interrupting. They were waiting until the person was done
saying what they were saying. (still not sure about that overlapping vs.
interrupting deal!)
-I saw faces that showed they were thinking. (I asked them to all make me a
face that showed they were thinking. What a beautiful sight! THINKING
CHILDREN!!!!)
-I saw gesturing. (well, the kid didn't really know the word gesturing but
he said "What's that word when you move your hands when you are talking?
and
someone else gave him the word)
-using their hands to describe something (and they gave me three examples
of how the gesturing looked)
-I saw taking turns/not all talking at the same time.
-I saw getting along.
-I saw looking back in the book to refresh their memory when they forgot a
part. (I really stressed that THIS is a great thing to do when you need to
get the words of the story out in the discussion)
-I saw flipping through pages to find good parts to talk about. (don't you
just love this one?)
-I saw them leaning forward when another person was sharing about something
in the book. Like they might be trying to read that part in the book too.
I think they did a real good job of "catching" the visual clues of
a good
conversation on their first try!
Then I asked them to share what they had HEARD.
-I heard group members asking questions. (I asked them to talk to me about
why someone might ask a group member a question)
-so you really understand what they are saying
-so you can hear more about what they are talking about
-I heard piggybacking (they LOVE this word! I asked them to tell me what it
means)
-when one person says something and a second person says something more
about that same thing (YES!!!!!!!!!!!)
-After a question was asked I heard them help each other answer the
question.
-I heard discussing. (I asked, "Tell me more.")
-They were using details (I added: "Using lots of words rather than just
a
few")
-I heard them suggesting things. (Tell me more)
-One person said something to the group and another person in the group
thought about it and they shared their thinking. (we've REALLY been working
on "sharing our thinking")
-I heard one voice at a time.
-It was not too loud and not too soft. (We talked about this for a while
and how you have to speak up for the rest of the group to hear but not be
too loud to disrupt another conversation nearby)
-I heard them sticking to the point. (I added "Staying on topic and not
going off on something not related to the topic)
-I heard one person explaining something to a group member who was confused.
-I heard excitement in their voices. (we've been working on sounding
interesting and excited in our reading aloud)
Don't you think this is pretty good? It's more than I was expecting. I was
very pleased.
Kristin asked if we would share our findings and tomorrow she will talk with
her kids about what we saw/heard. Another GREAT idea! I told my kids that
when we get real good at having conversations, Kristin's class is going to
come in and observe us. And maybe even some younger students will come in
to learn from us too! They were all over that!
Tomorrow we will FINALLY write our conversation tips chart. I think seeing
it in action today will help firm that up for them now. Even if you are the
only one trying this in your building, you could still observe another class
having small group conversations and get a lot out of it. Find someone to
let you come in! It's the best!
I left the Harvey Daniel's Literature Circles video at school so I can't
give you the exact name or publisher. I know someone on the list suggested
it to us. Does anyone have that info and can post it? The Strategies in
Action video set is published by Stenhouse. I used parts of video four.
This is so exciting! They are really into it. Now if I take it slow enough
we will hopefully get some good conversations going. I have to reread the
second step in Knee to Knee where you introduce it in partners.
More to come.........
Ginger
moderator
grade 3
+++++++++++++++++
From: "gina nunley" <gina_nunley@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Guided Reading (Sharon)
AS a literacy coach in my district we have come to refer to all of this
instruction in grades 3-5 as simply small group instruction. I think the
lines are blurred between guided reading and strategy group. Is the idea of
stating the teaching point at the beginning or saving it to the end
significant? Small group instruction means we have an opportunity in a
conducive environment....small group....to teach whatever needs to be
addressed in whatever order makes sense at the time. I think it has freed
teachers. We found intermediate teachers intimidated by the words "guided
reading". They were so certain it was a system they didn't fully understand
and so left it to the primary teachers.
Do you think I am missing something important in my approach? I am wide
open to hearing other's opinions. Thanks, Gina Medlyn
+++++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 22:47:31 -0500
From: motthebug <maps@resourceroom.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] [PERIODIC mosaic DIGEST POSTING]
I rather strongly suspect that different readers approach reading
differently. I'm afraid that I phonicize the letters first and
ferociously quickly because that's a process my brain just does quickly.
I had to learn to get away from that and think about the "big picture"
and context. Yes, "sounding out" is sort of discarded -- but my process
fo rmaking sense of that garbled version was to "listen" to different
versions of the same letters ever so quickly... that's right, to "sound
it out."
Yet, I know others who approach the task more visually, and still
others contextually. I suspect differences among the readers rather
confound the research.
I just hope that this doesn't make people all that more "sure" that
teachign sounding out is unnecessary... it might have been for me but I
encounter far, far more students lacking in that skill than lacking in
the ability to make the contextual guesses (which we do in so many other
places in life, too -- making itg all the more important to learn to do
it well, of course!)
+++++++++++++++++
From: "Pat Evans" <patreads@pacbell.net>
Subject: RE: [mosaic] K2K check in/long
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:08:59 -0700
Ginger said:
>I just write. It's the SENDING it that is
> scary for me.--snip-- (see, this is a great example of my "mini me"
=
voice
> thinking inside my head- be sure to model THAT for your students: the =
self
> doubting voice I think we all hear at one time or another) (You guys =
DO
> have a self doubting voice, too, don't you?)
Oh, yeah, I have that voice, too, Ginger. But I always read your posts =
and
get something wonderful out of them. So, in the hopes that the same =
holds
true for others, here goes:
I do my planning with my teaching partner and the other fourth grade =
teacher
(who is on this list, too--Hi, Sherry!) We all read K2K thanks to the =
list
conversations this summer, although we got it too late to participate in =
the
discussion. Still, we were blown away by the potential power we saw in =
the
book. We've long been big believers in the power of students talking to =
each
other and this seemed like the next step in increasing the effectiveness =
of
that talk.
We decided to start using K2K the first day of school. We decided to =
begin
so early because we felt that the discussion of how to have a =
conversation
was important to everything we do, not just book discussions. We talked =
to
the kids about metacognition, and thinking about our thinking. We =
explained
that by thinking about how we have conversations, we hoped to have =
better
ones.=20
Then we showed the Ramona video snip suggested in the book. (The video =
is
out of print, but I got it used from Amazon, and Sherry found it at our
local library.) It's not an ideal example, because the teenager in the =
video
does a lot of eye-rolling, and the discussion is about family matters, =
not
books. I hope to make some videos of our own to use next year. Still, =
our
students were able to get some good conversation tips from it. We =
started
our chart that day. Sherry began by showing the clip without sound, and =
I
started it with sound. Both ways worked fine. A couple of days later we
repeated the same thing and looked for more tips. The kids noticed many =
of
the same things as your kids did. In this video one thing that was
particularly noticeable was how the speakers turned their whole bodies =
to
face each other when they were talking.
Next we started reading some Chris Van Allsberg books to our class as a
whole and modeling our wonders. The kids really want to share their =
wonders,
too, but in the first lesson we kept the wondering mostly to ourselves. =
One
thing I noticed in trying to write lesson plans from the book is that =
the
author is very good at theory, but doesn't really do "step by step"
directions. I got a lot of help from looking through the example lessons =
she
gave. However, I think it needs to be emphasized that taking this slow =
and
repeating lessons really helps get the message across.=20
We used the Van Allsberg books to get double duty, too, as we started =
using
post-it notes to mark our thinking and then sending the kids off to use
post-its in their independent reading. (As an aside, some of the kids =
have
been quicker to get the idea of post-its and "noticing our thinking"
=
than
others. I'm having a couple of kids share their post-its each day, and =
that
is helping to show other students what to do.)
Today I gathered our students in the "den". (We have the BEST classroom
=
in
the school--it used to be a resource room, or something. But instead of =
one
big room, it's two small rooms. One has our tables and is where we do =
the
kind of work that needs a table. The other has our couch, a couple of
rocking chairs, and a good bit of floor space, as well as one big table =
for
projects and a small table for conferencing or whatever. My partner has =
a
corner of her room with a couch where she can have group meetings, with =
the
kids on the couch or carpet and herself in a chair.) I asked them to sit
near a partner they could "wonder" with, and spent a few minutes helping
=
the
handful of students who couldn't find a partner do so. I had them take =
their
partner's hand and hold it up so I could see who needed help finding a
partner. (We do a LOT of "turn to your shoulder partner and share"
stuff =
in
every subject, so sharing one-on-one is not that unusual for our kids.)
Then I read the next page of a Van Allsberg book we had begun =
"wondering"
about a few days before. I stopped at the end of every page or two and =
had
them wonder with a partner. The room was buzzing, and almost everyone =
was
talking. One pair had both read the book before, and said they didn't =
have
anything to say, and I said, "Hmmm. I've read the book before and still
=
have
things to wonder about it. I bet you can think of some wonders, too." =
And
they did.
I asked a couple of pairs to share out, and tried to focus on their
partner's response, although I don't think I did especially well in =
making
that point. I'll try again next time.=20
The main thing I've learned is that this is a process we need to take =
plenty
of time with. Trying to do it in the beginning of school, when we spend =
so
much of our time setting up processes and rituals has been tough--some =
days
we just never got to our lesson for the day. Or we didn't have time to =
get
through everything we wanted to accomplish in one lesson. But our mantra
this year is that if something is worth doing, it's worth slowing down =
and
doing it well. There's such a sense of urgency to get everything =
"covered",
but we've learned that in the end that rushing only leads to half-done
learning. So we just keep plugging along, doing lessons over with new
materials if needed, and we're seeing some good results. Today was =
pretty
exciting, because I saw so much interest and excitement on the part of =
the
kids. I'll do the partner share a couple more times before we move into
groups. And I need to go re-read the next steps in the book, too.
Pat E.
+++++++++++++++++
From: "Pat Evans" <patreads@pacbell.net>
Subject: RE: [mosaic]about asking for center ideas
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:26:25 -0700
Ginger said:
Ginger said:
> Donna-it is my humble opinion that fourth, fifth, and sixth graders =
should
> be READING and practicing their strategies while the teacher is =
meeting
> with
> small groups. With explicit teaching of expectations for independent
> reading those students can work their way up to reading 40 minutes a =
day
> for
> sure.
I seem to be on a posting roll tonight! I will second what Ginger says =
here.
I've done Readers' Workshop for quite a few years now, and I find that =
it's
true that 4th grade students can read independently for long stretches =
of
time. I've had excellent success with creating kids who not only read, =
but
love to read, and I attribute it in large part to my emphasis on lots of
time spent reading books you love.=20
We've been in school for about 4 weeks now, and my students are reading =
for
about 40 minutes a day. A handful of students can't sustain this. One =
has a
half day aide who does Barton reading with him during our independent =
time.
I'm still working with the others, as I've found in the past that once I =
get
students involved in books they can read at their level, that they are
interested in, even the most reluctant reader can sustain this level of
reading. I haven't started my guided groups yet. I'm still spending my =
time
during workshop trying to meet with each student one-on-one and do a
reading/writing interview, helping students learn to choose books they =
can
fall in love with, conferencing with students who are having a hard time
getting settled, etc. I'll start my groups either next week or the week
after. Right now I think the time spent getting independent reading to =
flow,
teaching mini-lessons on strategy use, learning to use post-its, record =
in
our reading logs and write reading responses, etc. is more valuable, and
will allow me to move into groups smoothly when I'm ready.
All the research suggests that the more time spent reading, the better =
the
reader. I've seen that confirmed in my classroom.=20
One year we started out by asking the students how long they thought =
they
could sustain silent reading. We started out with the amount of time
suggested by the most reluctant reader: 5 minutes. We progressively
increased the amount of time. By the end of the year, even my "5 minute
=
guy"
could stay engrossed in a book for a solid hour.
Pat E.
+++++++++++++++
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 02:38:47 -0700
From: Peggy George <pgeorge@mac.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Elements of Literature
Hi Dottie,
You didn't say what grade level you are interested in, but this site
does a nice job of summarizing the difference genre descriptions with
literature examples. The URL is long because I had to access it through
the internet archives since it is no longer actively maintained. Just
be sure to copy and paste it all into your browser.
Peggy
An Overview of Genre Grades 4-8
http://web.archive.org/web/20020209141102/dept.houstonisd.org/curriculum/lar
ts/Recommend/Genre.htm
This site also has a great chart for picture books to teach literary
devices such as metaphor, satire, irony, flashback, etc.
http://web.archive.org/web/20020129234542/http://dept.houstonisd.org/curricu
lum/larts/Recommend/literary.htm
--------
Does anyone have a concise, yet thorough, list of the characteristics of
the various genres? I can pull together this information, but if there
is a source where the basic elements of the many types of literature are
clearly presented it would save me a great deal of time.
This listserve is wonderful! Thanks to all of you for your knowledge and
dedication to literacy.
Dottie
++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] about asking for center ideas
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 07:53:05 -0500
From: "Malm, Julie" <jmalm@hastings.k12.mn.us>
Jan- I use centers in my 3rd grade classroom (I have centers aimed at =
2nd thru 6th grade reading ability.) Kids go to centers while I meet =
with small guided reading groups. Many of my ideas have come from or =
been adapted from center books I purchased at amazon.com and scholastic =
prof. books. Attached are a couple of centers I use for my higher =
ability kids. I provide resources (books, magazines and an internet =
site - internet public library ( click on POTUS (President of the =
United States)- it has the most interesting facts about the =
presidents). These were all created in Appleworks - hope you can open =
them.
++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 08:54:20 -0500
Subject: Re: [mosaic]about asking for center ideas
From: carol carlson <carlsonca@dist102.k12.il.us>
Do you still continue to conference once you begin guided reading
groups? It seems both are needed, but how do you find the time?
Carol
+++++++++++++++++
From: "Pat Evans" <patreads@pacbell.net>
Subject: RE: [mosaic]about asking for center ideas--long
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 09:23:40 -0700
Carol:> Do you still continue to conference once you begin guided =
reading
> groups? It seems both are needed, but how do you find the time?
Funny you should ask, Carol. That was what I was lying awake in bed last
night trying to schedule in my head when I should have been sleeping! =
The
short answer is yes. Here's the long answer.
My situation is unusual. I'm the lead reading teacher in my partnership, =
but
I only work part-time, and I'm not at school every day. As a result I'm
always trying to squeeze more things in than can possibly fit. However, =
my
school is our district's parent participation magnet, so I always have
volunteers in the room. Next week my partner will take the students =
while I
train the parents in some guided reading techniques. In the years when I
have really savvy parent volunteers (and this looks to be one of those
years), I rotate my guided reading groups and have parents lead lessons =
that
I have written--scripted, almost--with some of the groups. That way I =
can
have three groups a day for two days a week, and still have some time to
conference. (I have 29 students.)=20
If I were at school 5 days a week, I'd do one guided group a day for 20
minutes and conference for the rest of the time. As it is, I try to have =
one
guided group that I lead each time I'm at school and spend the rest of =
the
time conferencing with individuals. I have about about an hour and 20
minutes for reading time. I do a whole class mini-lesson for 10-15 =
minutes
(except that I often run over that length, especially if the lesson =
includes
reading a new picture book or chapter.) About an hour, or less if the =
whole
class lesson was long, is independent reading/guided groups/Book Club
meetings. The last ten minutes we come together for some sort of sharing =
of
our reading or our post-its. This is a little longer than I've had in =
the
past, so I may be able to take 2 guided groups a day this year, and =
still
have 20 minutes to conference. Also, my parent volunteers do some =
individual
conferencing and leave written notes for me. Once I start Book Clubs, =
the
students do that during independent reading time, as well, with a parent
available to them so they can spread out to quiet places around the =
school.
(Groups have met in hallways, the library, outside, etc.)
On Mondays my partner teaches the mini-lesson, has independent reading, =
and
pulls groups for Word Work.
On Thursdays, we lose kids to band off and on all morning (and the =
afternoon
is all specials with planning time for the teachers), so we do a more
informal independent reading/writing time. Friday mornings are =
parent-led
centers based around science, math, art, social studies, etc. In the
afternoon my partner does a brief mini-lesson or read-aloud followed by
independent reading/writing time. I spend a lot of time doing planning =
on my
"off" days!
When I have to make a choice between guided groups, Book Clubs, and
individual conferencing, the guided groups are always the first to go. I
really believe that the time the students spend reading independently is =
the
most valuable time of all, so I hate to cut that short. I just get more =
bang
for my buck sometimes with a whole class lesson followed up by quick
check-ins with the kids who didn't quite get the lesson.=20
Right now we are following the first 20 days in Guiding Readers and =
Writers,
although the 20 days are taking more like 35 days. We're also throwing =
in
Knee to Knee lessons at odd times, and looking at it as not just a =
reading
lesson, but a lesson that supports all our teaching. Next up is a unit =
on
expository text that will tie in with our social studies.
We're meeting this afternoon to figure out what we're going to do about
spelling/vocabulary.
More than you wanted to know, I'm sure!
Pat E.
++++++++++++
Subject: [mosaic] Text-text connections
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 17:15:17 -0500
From: <Deb.Sturdevant@k12.sd.us>
My classes have been working on text-self connections and I think we are =
ready to move on to text-text connections (we have briefly talked about =
them throughout our t-s discussions). What would be the best way to =
proceed? I teach 7th and 8th grade language arts. Any and all help =
would be appreciated. =20
Thanks,
Deb Sturdevant
7/8 LA
+++++++++++++++++
From: Soswes@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 19:30:30 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] about asking for center ideas
In a message dated 9/24/2003 9:43:48 PM Central Standard Time,
jdpettry@erinet.com writes:
I am looking for "center" type activities for fourth, fifth and sixth
> grades. We need things for the students to do while the teacher is
> working with small groups. I am having a hard time finding
> informational books on this.
I have to agree with Ginger...if my first graders after 21 days of school
can
read for an hour, then the older kids should be able. And, if you are
asking
are they really reading, this early in the year, some are, some aren't.
But,
they are engaged with books for the entire time.
Sandi
++++++++++++++++
From: Soswes@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 19:35:29 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Text-text connections
In a message dated 9/25/2003 5:15:51 PM Central Standard Time,
Deb.Sturdevant@k12.sd.us writes:
My classes have been working on text-self connections and I think we are
ready to move on to text-text connections (we have briefly talked about them
throughout our t-s discussions). What would be the best way to proceed? I
teach
7th and 8th grade language arts. Any and all help would be appreciated.
I had a great "teachable moment" and it was a great way to move into
T-T.
We
have been working on T-S when during sharing, one of my students said that
the Clifford book he was reading reminded him of something in another
Clifford
book, and proceeded to explain what it was. Another student said that
wasn't
T-S, but T-T, which I had not mentioned or modeled yet. So...once again, my
students are teaching each other! So this may not help you, but it does
show
the power of sharing.
Sandi/1st
+++++++++++++
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 16:54:47 -0700
From: Carol Lau <cllc@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] guided reading
What are the main goals of guided reading? This needs to be examined
with each g.r. group lesson. Comprehension strategies, text features,
using contextual features, unknown word strategies, and much more can be
the focus, and certainly the objective is for students to be successful
in ever-increasingly difficult and varied text. Selection of
appropriate books for each guided reading group is an art--and a
challenge if your collection is limited. If you are working with second
language learners or students with limited experiential background, the
book introduction is especially critical to their success in reading and
comprehending the text. Also, if students have been taught mostly to
decode or read on the surface, they will struggle no matter what because
they are performing for the teacher, rather than really engaging with
the meaning of the text. I don't think it matters where comprehension
strategies are addressed, just that they ARE addressed! But it might be
a matter of effective use of time. If the strategy is something the
whole class needs to learn, the whole group lessons would be more
effective. Also, books selected for read-alouds are generally at a
reading level above many students' instructional/guided reading level
and since they contain richer story lines and vocabulary, they may be
more appropriate for many strategies. In a balanced literacy approach,
we need to be sure all aspects of reading and writing are taught,
practiced, and assessed . That's my take on the whole thing. Carol
++++++++++++++++
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 17:30:11 -0700
From: Carol Lau <cllc@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] genres
The book Text Forms and Features: A Resource for Intentional Teaching By
Maraget E. Mooney (ISBN 1-57274-456-1, Richard C. Owens Publishers,
2001) is a resource book listing text forms or text types with why,
what, and features of each. It can be used to
1) remind teachers of the nature and purpose of a range of text forms
2) identify teaching points about the nature of a specific text form and
how this affects reading rate & style
3) assist in making rubrics for reading or writing
4) help students think from a reader or writer perspective
It is helpful in building schema for text and for framing lesson plans
or scaffolding instruction in different types of text-- from
advertisements to fables to journals.
Carol
+++++++++++++++
From: MEHitzel@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 20:55:45 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Text-text connections
In a message dated 9/25/2003 3:19:29 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
Deb.Sturdevant@k12.sd.us writes:
> I think we are ready to move on to text-text connections (we have briefly
> talked about them throughout our t-s discussions). What would be the best
way
> to proceed?
When I am ready to add on T-T connections to our work on T-S, I pick a book
that has something in common with one of my modelling texts from T-S. Then,
as
I read, I do a think aloud. "You know what boys and girls? When I read
these words in this book, . . . it reminded me of . . ." The biggest thing
I want
to focus on this year when I do this is how this connection helps me as a
reader understand the story better. Does it halp me understand how this
character feels better, or why a character acts in a certain way, or
possibly help me
to predict what might happen next in the story?
My tentative plan is to introduce T-T connections toward the end of next
week. Right now I have been doing a lot of whole class lessons and partner
work.
I want to give the children a chance to have some independent practice
before
adding something new.
Martha/4/5/az
++++++++++++++++
From: "Mary Kaleta" <mekaleta@hotmail.com>
Subject: [mosaic] connections
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 20:22:24 -0500
I have also been working on connections. Recently we moved to guided groups.
I selected a book called <U>Colonial Times</U> for my 8th grade
guided
reading groups. The kids were able to jump in and make t-t conncections
easily through their reading of historical novels and textbook
reading. I also have used some pictures books which deal with history such
as <U>Pink and Say</U>. Connections are then made easily.
Mary gr/8
+++++++++++++++++
From: "Reading" <reading@cfl.rr.com>
Subject: [mosaic] stuff
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 22:37:00 -0400
Ginger,
All I have to say is WOW! What a great day you had (silent observers). I am
really curious about your living room! Is there anyway you could show us a
picture of it? I would love to see the set up.
Kim
Hi Everyone, (I'm piggybacking here :)
I am trying to put together some web pages of various authors for the
primary grades. (To include a list of their books, a bio, picture,
interesting links, etc. etc.) The problem is, I teach 8th and am not that
familiar with popular authors for the younger students. I started with Kevin
Henkes. Any suggestions for authors that your kids really *love*? Any
suggestions for books you use for modeling MOT and STW?
BTW: I tried an interesting experiment recently. To teach "point of view"
I
used some "bug" glasses that had compound lenses in them and when
you look
through them, you see as a bug "sees" (sort of). Then we wrote about
our
"world" from the bugs point of view. It was wild! The kids loved it.
(They
also enjoyed looking *like* a bug with the glasses on.) And, of course, I
just had to use THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS as an example of
point of view. Again, they kids loved this book and fought over who would
get to "hold" it. (Which just goes to prove my theory that 8th graders
are
just 2nd graders in large bodies.) :)
Thanks!
Kim
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Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 21:54:39 -0700
From: Lori Jackson <ljackson@gwtc.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] stuff
Mem Fox
Mercer Mayer
Rosemary Wells
Jack Prelutsky (poetry)
Cynthia Rylant
Marc Brown
Eric Carle
Bill Martin, Jr.
Lori
+++++++++++++
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 22:26:53 -0700
Subject: Re: [mosaic] stuff
From: Veronica <pisces1975@earthlink.net>
My kids LOVE Jane Yolen - Especially her Unsolved Mysteries from History. I
now have all three and the kids DEVOUR them. They hope she'll write
another!
Veronica
++++++++++++++++
From: <jean247@cox.net>
Subject: [mosaic] Jane Yolen
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 06:47:35 -0400
> My kids LOVE Jane Yolen - Especially her Unsolved Mysteries from =
History.=20
She's a favorite of mine!
This past week I treated my class to the book Honkers by Jane Yolen. =
This was the book I choose to introduce my connection strategy lesson =
(text to self). It was great. A nice warm story with beautiful =
illustrations, (illustrations by Leslie Baker - I think). It centered =
around a little girl traveling to her grandparents' farm and being =
introduced to geese and their migration in the autumn. While the kids =
were on the floor completely absorbed, a shadow that went zooming over =
the huge tree outside our window caught everyone's eye. So we froze =
ourselves and concentrated on the 4 sliding windows that are at the =
north end of the room and suddenly there it was again.We could even make =
out the V formation as the flock of geese flew over in a south/west =
direction. Everyone ran to the wind to see the flock overhead. I =
couldn't have scripted it better!=20
Jean
+++++++++++++++
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 08:16:34 -0500
Subject: Re: [mosaic]assessments
From: carol carlson <carlsonca@dist102.k12.il.us>
Hi, all,
I know we have discussed this before. What reading assessments do you=20
use in first grade? Is there any that are quick and that students can=20
take independently? Other than running records, what do you use?
Thanks,
Carol
+++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] stuff
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 09:31:16 -0500
From: "Zuffante, Dawn" <dzuffante@cassd63.org>
Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6 by Fountas and Pinnell has a list
of Author Websites in the Appendix p. 54 ranging from Louisa May Alcott,
www.alcottweb.com to Audrey Wood www.audreywood.com. In response to
some authors that kids really love, Judy Blume, Jan Brett, Eric Carle,
Matt Christopher, Tomie dePaola, and Patricia Polacco come to mind.
Good luck in your research!
Dawn Z.
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Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 14:06:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Heather Wall <heather_wall_2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Text-text connections
Deb,
I usually deliberately "plant" a book that would be an
easy T-T connection. For instance, we read Kevin
Henkes' books for making T-S connections, and so when
the kids are ready for T-T, I'll read a very similar
book (another K. Henkes book, Tomie DePaola's "Oliver
Button", etc.) and see if any kids make the
connections themselves. Somehow it seems more
powerful if they do. _They've_ discovered it. Then
we start a chart. Perhaps you've already thought of
this..
Hope this helps,
Heather Wall
+++++++++++++++++
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:50:33 -0700
From: Lori Jackson <ljackson@gwtc.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic]assessments
The Gentry Developmental spelling test, a dictation sample scored for
phoneme representation and a minimal sight word inventory, plus letter/sound
checklists.
Lori
+++++++++++++++
From: Soswes@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:22:51 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic]about asking for center ideas
In a message dated 9/25/2003 8:55:06 AM Central Standard Time,
carlsonca@dist102.k12.il.us writes:
Do you still continue to conference once you begin guided reading
groups? It seems both are needed, but how do you find the time?
Carol
I do both. I schedule GR groups everyday, but I also schedule in time for
conferences everyday. I don't stress myself out over having to meet with
every
student in a group 3 times a week. I make sure I meet with my lowest 2-3
times and my highest once. The rest fall in the middle. I make sure I have
conference with each student at least once every 2 weeks. I teach reading
during
my mini lessons, so it takes the pressure off of having to be in a group. I
am
reinforcing my teaching in the guided reading time and the conference.
Plus,
when they are not with me....they are immersed in books.
Sandi
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