. In answer to your question: I went from 15 years in 5th and 6th to middle school. I still use *Strategies That Work *2nd. ed. (Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis) with my 7th graders. The projects occasionally have to be matured, but the general idea doesn't. My "intervention" group love picture books, and so I use them a great deal to teach from. I do use the basal once in a blue moon. There are some good Gary Soto stories in it. They connect to him easily, because we're in the part of Fresno he's referring to in most of his writing.
I feel that the strategies can be overdone and stagnating. We want the strategies to become innate, and they will with time, practice, and discussion. Once my GATE class shows me they have a handle on the reading, I let them fly. The grown up books manage to find their way into our Reader's Workshop at that point. I only use the strategies on an individual basis during individual conferences, to support those who have a need in that area. I refer a lot to *Writing About Reading* by Janet Angellilo. I really like her questioning and discussion about novels. I like stuff by Nancie Atwell, as always good, and Janet Allen is wonderful as well. Some more good middle school age stuff, I have used: *Tools for Thought: Graphic Organizers for Your Classroom* by Jim Burke *Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques* by Jim Burke If I had a million dollars, here's some of the list I'd invest in: I* Read It, but I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers* (Paperback)by Cris Tovani *Reading Reasons: Motivational Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School (*Paperback) by Kelly Gallagher (Author)* * *Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12* by Kelly Gallagher These are things I have used as I fine tuned my Workshops. I have had a rough year with curriculum. I am a firm, hardened believer in the workshops format for reading, writing, and history. For the first time, our school has started working with Data Teams that require both formative and summative assessments' be analyzed three times a year. Then we are supposed use that data to focus on certain standards to bring up test scores. Many of you are dealing with this, I know. I found myself literally throwing out the umbrella plans I had meticulously made for the year to make room for these "focus standards." Needless to say, I have been beyond frustrated by this. SO what I am telling you comes from PAST experiences, certainly not from this year's. Nancy Akhaven *How to Align Literacy Instruction, Assessment, and Standards: And Achieve Results You Never Dreamed Possible* was a writer that helped me plan using the standards in a workshop format, without compromising my values and STILL help the kids get the information they need to be successful in testing. I look forward to using her ideas more deeply next year, as I refuse to give up what I feel is best for kids for the numbers game anymore. She works for our district now (hooray!) and I plan to her get in my room soon to do some demos. OK. I'll get off my soapbox now... -- Kim ------- Kimberlee Hannan Department Chair, ELA Sequoia Middle School Fresno, California 93702 The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author Unknown [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
