Hello, I am joining this conversation late, however I will be moving into a 3rd grade classroom next year (from 2nd) and I am interested in learning more about Literature Circles. Can anyone recommend any titles of any professional resources that can teach me all about them? Thanks!Rosa> Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:44:10 +0700> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] just right books?> > Leslie, send me your email and I'll talk about this 'until the cows come home'. It's my passion. > > > -----Original Message-----> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of STEWART, L> Sent: Tue 4/29/2008 3:15 AM> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] just right books?> > Suzanne,> I love reading your thoughtful and thought provoking messages. I also> love using literature circles for reading with my third graders and I> believe they help the children show the most progress on the DRA, while> developing lifelong readers. Shouldn't that be the ultimate goal?> > In my mind I think part of the problem with literature circles is that> some teachers have difficulty giving up the control of their reading> groups to children. I don't mind admitting that at times the questions> the children design are better than my "back-up" questions, but you have> to be open to that. Teaching with literature circles is not as linear> as teaching reading in a traditional guided reading format. I also> think that some administrators may not understand that a "child run"> reading group with children creating the questions is a goal that we> struggle to achieve. I sometimes wonder if they even recognize "best"> practices themselves. To see things from their point of view, I think> we all struggle to stay on top of all of the subjects we have to teach,> and the administrators must have the same challenge.> > I would love to hear how you have moved beyond the roles. I have had> the children create or tweak roles themselves. I also have difficulty> assessing literature circles beyond anecdotal records and looking over> the assigned "roles" once they are completed. If you would like to chat> about lit circles in a sidebar conversation email me off mosaic.> > I find the direction/s education is taking confusing. On one hand we> are told to differentiate to meet the needs of all learners while on the> other hand we are told to use a one-size-fits-all model to reach those> needs. I don't think children should have a steady diet of any one way> of teaching reading when there are so many different approaches that you> could take. > > Leslie> > Leslie R. Stewart> Third Grade Teacher> John B. Sliney Elementary School> 23 Eades Street> Branford, CT 06405> (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > -----Original Message-----> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of HERBERT> Suzanne> Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 10:44 AM> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group; Mosaic: A> Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] just right books?> > I am so thankful to hear your thoughts, as I actually thought I was> going crazy. The push is coming from the principal and all is being> based on the DRA and reading continuums. We actually had Bonnie> Campbell Hill come and do workshops here with us and she was fantastic,> and I loved what she said about Literature circles in that it supported> all I had been doing and many others in the school but let me give you a> picture of what is happening. Some teachers were struggling with LIT> circles, I offered to run some professional development on strategies in> the classroom, moving beyond the 'roles' and some of the older thoughts> about how these run. The principal said no and the reason, 'she didn't> want people to be overwhelmed as after all we are just starting with> DRAs and levelled books'. Now, for me, the kids know their levels and> if you look at their scores on a beginning DRA and the end DRA, sure> there has been development and there would have been regardless of the> DRA.> It's the way I teach reading I believe. I get 'guided reading' for> younger classes, I get it. But, once your kids become really good,> independent readers aren't you doing more of a 'lit circle' type thing.> I don't know but I agree with what you are saying about levels. And> then, they are just pulling titles from everywhere, not really matching> it up with units, trying to include fiction and non ficiton and ordering> this all online. The emphasis on good practice seems to be less> important than dotting the i and crossing the t. I was told yesterday> by the language arts coordinator that I could not order books for guided> reading that the kids had ever seen before. They had to be new texts to> the students. Now, I have a rotating library of 100 books in my room> every two weeks, where am I going to get titles the kids haven't seen,> or browsed through. I've decided to just 'be quiet', do as I'm told and> do what I know to do best, but to have these discussions with you a> n> d to listen to your comments is just such good professional chat for> me. Thank you so much. I have a friend who teaches in Armenia and she> just had a consultant in from the STATES and it was ll the same thing,> DRA, levelled books, reading continuums....and if you look at all the> big international schools in our area, it's the same. But, I feel so> isolated not being able to talk to people on a large scale about what> they are doing and how it is going. Thank you for all the help. I> love hearing from you all. Suzanne> > > -----Original Message-----> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Renee> Sent: Thu 4/24/2008 9:28 PM> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] just right books?> > I'm sure I will get some flack for this, but in my opinion once a > student is reasonably adept at figuring out text, worrying about > *levels* is silly, unless the student consistently chooses books to > read that are way too easy or way too hard.> > I think it's real easy to get nit-picky about these things. I remember > about ten years ago or so, the Reading Recovery teacher at our school > saying that with a third grader past a certain level (RR, maybe level > 17 or so) it was not necessary to do running records anymore, and yet > these days it seems like people are doing running records on sixth > graders at level bazillion. Why are we making more work for ourselves? > For what reason?> > Renee> > On Apr 23, 2008, at 9:17 PM, HERBERT Suzanne wrote:> > > It would be great if there was some feedback on this. We are > > levelling 40 percent of the books that we should be using in the > > classroom for reading. I would assume that literature circles and > > silent reading, the children will take their own choices. I teach > > fourth graders, and out of my 18 kids, 15 are independent on DRA Level> > > 50. So, I'm thinking, how essential is it to stick to 'levelled > > books' if this is the case and why wouldn't you just encourage wider > > reading and child choice? I haven't in the past been into 'exact' > > levels for guided reading, somewhere in the 'range' and then lots of > > other reading instruction. We're an international school, and a bit > > isolated in terms of these types of conversations. At the moment we > > are just following directions blindly but now all these types of > > questions are starting to be asked. Any ideas/advice/thoughts greatly> > > appreciated and I so appreciate the chance to speak with you all. > > Suzanne> > > "We are here to infiltrate space with ideas."> ~ Ramtha> > > > _______________________________________________> 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. > > > _______________________________________________> 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. > > > _______________________________________________> 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. > > _________________________________________________________________ Back to work after baby–how do you know when you’re ready? http://lifestyle.msn.com/familyandparenting/articleNW.aspx?cp-documentid=5797498&ocid=T067MSN40A0701A _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
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