Evelia Every year I taught my schedule for introducing strategies was different, depending on the kids and where I was in my learning about strategy instruction. I usually started with metacognition...establishing the idea that reading is thinking. In my new setting in a Title One school this year, I found that first I had to establish what thinking was ! My kids thought that if they repeated the words verbatim from the book that it was thinking....and helping kids really understand what thinking was helped move them forward. I worked to establish first that thinking was talking back to the author or to others about the book. It includes emotional reactions to the book, questions, etc. THEN, I often went to connections as a type of thinking first as connections help with predictions, inferences, drawing conclusions, visualizing etc. After that, I let the kids guide me. As I conferenced, what did they seem to need most to move them forward as readers? What have they already had experiences with? I always tried to integrate one strategy study into another. So, if I taught inferences, I taught it first in a way that was isolated first... then... what does making inferences have to do with predicting? With connections? I would ask the kids to think about whether or not they should use these strategies together, or choose one rather than another. I don't think there is any one right answer to these questions... but I think that when we read we use strategies often unconsciously (as a skill rather than as a choice) and they are used together or based on the needs of the reader at that moment. You will find that almost everyone does it differently. I don't know of any established "best" order. I think it depends on your kids. Jennifer L. Palmer Instructional Facilitator, National Board Certified Teacher (EC Gen) Magnolia Elementary School 901 Trimble Road, Joppa, MD 21085 Phone: (410) 612-1553 Fax: (410) 612-1576 In EVERY child...a touch of GREATNESS!!! Proud of our Title One School!
________________________________ From: mosaic-bounces+jennifer.palmer=hcps....@literacyworkshop.org on behalf of evelia cadet Sent: Mon 6/13/2011 1:09 PM To: Mosaic Group Subject: [MOSAIC] Launching Reader's Workshop First, I want to truly thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions and help me become a more effective educator. I love what I do and I want to do what is best for my students. As some of you know, I am trying to fully launch reader's workshop next year. I am the only one at my school so far who believe in this method of teaching reading; hopefully I will be able to influence other teachers. I putting my reader's workshop plan together, however there are so many desicions to make. Sometimes it is overwhelming. One of the questions I have is about minilessons. There are so many minilessons to teach and I know I won't be able to teach them all. What minilessons are essential to teach at the beginning of the school year? Does anyone has a minilesson schedule that has worked for you? My next question is related to the reader's notebook. Again, there are so many options. I tried to use one last year, however it had too many forms. We could not keep up with it. Do you have any suggestion about the reader's notebook? What do think are the most important forms to include? Ok. This is it! Thank you all. Evelia _______________________________________________ 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
