And don't miss anything written by Kylene Beers.
> Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:32:48 -0800> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: > mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Guided Reading in > Intermediate?> > .> 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. > _________________________________________________________________ Shed those extra pounds with MSN and The Biggest Loser! http://biggestloser.msn.com/ _______________________________________________ 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.
