Re: [MOSAIC] Equivalent to Mosaic
I just use MOT as my guide. I show examples from the stories on prediction, inference, visualization, etc. and have the kids incorporate those in their writing. Once they start recognizing examples from their reading, they'll be able to recognize them in their own work... Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Reading is Thinking (Passion)
Yes, reading is teaching strategies, but we can't forget the passion of reading. Sometimes it takes a great book or topic or author to get a kid to jump on the reading wagon. Look around us. Most of us here are Passionate about teaching, but how many teachers at your schools are just doing their jobs? How many look at teaching as just a job, rather than a vocation? Too many kids are only just reading, or just getting by, or doing because of a grade or incentive. Part of teaching is passing our passion for learning to others. Passion for doing their best. Passion for being their best. Passion for living and loving life. Reading is just a doorway to discovering their passions. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Reading is Thinking
I have come to the point where I look at both things in my class. Does the child understand what he just read? AND Does he know what to do when he finds something he doesn't understand and can he apply the strategy effectively? Just my humble opinion... Jennifer There's the other extreme where kids are learning to read, but not feel anything about the reading. I know we've had this discussion before about enjoying reading, but I do feel that if there is no emotional input or connection from the kids, there is no learning. Mine can read a book and comprehend it, but they have no emotional connection to the story. We've read a sad story, a love story, and I'm trying to get them to feel something, but many don't make a connection to it beyond mentally noting it. I finally got them to think about what they put into the story, and they all said just enough to get by. We talked about doing their best and wrote an essay about what was important in their lives. The essays were incredible! Middle schoolers pouring their hearts and minds out with emotion and soul. Now I'm going to try and get them to transfer that energy into their readingWhat will you take from this story to add to your schema? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] mastery of stragies
I still believe connections are important, but I don't worry too much about labeling. Do we ever really master a comprehension strategy??? I don't think it's possible to 'master' a strategy because there are always situations and levels of understanding that will challenge even the best readers. If you understand the strategies, you have a toolbox full of skills that you can use to comprehend, but I don't know if that could be considered mastery. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] San Diego quick test
It can help to figure out a child's fluency levels. I've been doing it for years and it pretty much matches reading levels based on other tests. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 7:35 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] San Diego quick test If I am not mistaken, the San Diego is a word list the kids read from...no comprehension level and therefore, I do not believe it is a very good measure of reading levels. If I am in error here, please, someone correct me! Jennifer 10 am Subject: [MOSAIC] San Diego quick test Hi all, I seem to be more of a lurker than a participant these days but am enjoying and learning from all your posts. Can anyone tell me more about the San Diego quick test? We are using DRA 2 in our district and I love it so much better than the earlier version. The fluency and comprehension questions tie so tightly with a workshop approach and units of study . This year my alternative eval is to create a toolbox to be used to support findings from DRA. One of the components is to assemble a group of informal assessments that would narrow the choice in beginning the dra testing situation to quicken the testing process. Since our kindergarten does not share previous year's dra levels... as a first grade teacher with a differentiated group of students ...the choice of levels is widespread. Although district has cited several benchmark books for levels within the first grade cut off... many of the kids read well beyond.Without opening up a can of worms about when the cut off should be at any particular grade level because I have Joetta Beaver's thinking on that... I would like to be able to pull a just right benchmark book quicker than usual. We have found using some assessments like Richard Gentry's monster text or the Ohio word text narrows the playing field a bit That's why I am looking for San Diego quick test. In the end I predict my toolbox will have a few extra assessments that zero in on the right DRA benchmark book... then we will use TC primary assessment with beebop books to help confirm when we move a kid from a level and finally use the TC indicators for each level to develop some matrix of goals and... strategies to accomplish those goals... at each DRA level. I am very excited about the idea but probably will be seeking lots of advice and confirmation from you all. Any thoughts? Pam ** See what's new at http://www.aol.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. Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.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. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] comp. strategies with teachers
I think the biggest thing we can teach teachers at our schools is this: Everything boils down to COMPREHENSION. If you lose sight of that, you are missing the point. My kids (6th, 7th, 8th) could identify the parts of a story map, but couldn't tell me what each part was all about. They can answer any questions from the book, but they can't tell me what the story was about. They can identify all the parts of a sentence, but if you write one on the board, they can't tell you what it means. All these things have been taught without a focus on comprehension. Many of them had good reading teachers last year who taught them about predictions, inferences, and makiing connections, but instead of doing those things, many can tell me what they mean. Plus, they've been taught to analyze for every detail so much that they have forgotten how to feel. A couple read THE FAITHFUL ELEPHANTS and told me it was okay. They felt sorry for the elephants, but they didn't really FEEL the story. Same for Dog of Pompeii which is a SAAAD story, but few FELT anything. Have we trained them to think so much for testing skills that we have taken the empathy from them? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] A new problem
Another of my student teachers is now an assistant principal--if she hadn't changed schools she would be doing my evaluation this year. Now THAT would be creepy Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] spelling lists
In a message dated 9/20/2007 5:42:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: By the way, I hate phonics. Could that be because that is not how I was taught? Or maybe because I moved ten times in six years and each school district did something different? Or maybe because it feels inauthentic? Phonics is no different than any other skill. The problem is some people don't stop and think about when and where teaching these skills are appropriate or no longer needed. Phonics is great for K-3 for children learning to recognize words and word sounds, but once they've learned it, there's no need to beat a dead horse. Same can be said for just about anything: AR is great for a kid who doesn't read because it makes the kid readonce he or she finds an author or genre they enjoy, they should be left to discover for themselves the fun in readingnot forced to read for points. I'm teaching mostly advanced classes this year, but too many of them think reading is only about points. That's not a fault of the program, but a fault of the teaching. Fluency is important for someone who reads one word at a time because it teaches them to group words in patterns that make sense, once a child gets it there's no need to pound in their heads, but many teachers confuse the act with the skill. Too many teachers think fluency is about speed or AR is about points. They are about helping kids. The same thing happens with the reading strategies. Some teach, for example, visualization and will spend a few lessons on the concept, but that isn't teaching for visualization. Many teachers think that if they give the idea to the kids, the kids will asorb it somehow. That's that empty vessel waiting to be filled philosophy that has permeated education since the dawn of timethat's one of the few pluses of state tests and collecting datayou can gear instruction for individual needs and weaknesses; if you truly teach a strategy, then it will become second nature. The teaching materials / lessons / programs / etc. are only as good as the teacher Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] teaching for visualization was phonics
Okay, Bill Can you give us some examples of what you think teaching for visualization requires? What do you think are the essential elements of comprehension instruction needed to ensure kids really get it? Jennifer In a message dated 9/23/2007 1:15:39 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: When kids get it is when they are reading on their own. I had a 8th grader last year who read at 3rd grade level (3.3). I discovered he had trouble visualizing, so I suggested he rent a Harry Potter movie and read the first book. He discovered he could visualize the characters and scenes since he had the movie as a reference and went on to read all the Potter books! His reading level was 6.4 at the end of the school year and he was reading real novels by authors like Tom Clancy. Essential elements are whatever a child needs. If he needs phonics, give him phonics. If he needs help in visualizing, show him how to visualize. I'm not saying NOT to teach the strategies, but if a child doesn't take ownership of the strategies, then what's the point? Many people are confusing teaching the strategies for teaching reading. Teaching reading is whatever it takes to help a child be a better reader whether it's visualization, inferring, size of text, color of the paper, reading speed, asking questions, etc. There are many areas of reading instruction besides the strategiesis the child's eyesight bad? Is he or she sensitive to white paper? What effect on reading does going from LARGE PRINT TEXT in early reader books to tiny text in chapter books? Did you know that if you increase the text size, you will increase fluency and comprehension? No, I don't have research, but I have the results of seeing kids reading better and faster through experience. If I taught a class what a handlebar, bicycle seat, brakes, and tires meant, am I teaching them how to ride a bike? The only way to ride a bike is to ride. The only way to read is to read. Phonics, strategies, AR, etc. are like training wheels. Once a child gets it, they no longer need the training wheels. It's our job to run with them, help support them, and show them how to use those parts of reading to become better readers. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Phonics
I am sick and tired of these yahoos running around acting like they know all about teaching when they actually know nothing at all. Isn't that called Congress? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] getting it in reading
Bonita Great metaphor! I can't wait to use this with my kids! Remember, I teach middle schoolers. Eating and licking would not be interpreted properly for their age group Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] (no subject)
Well said LAURA. And that is why I'm really liking the idea of the Daily 5. I still lean toward MOT mostly, but I like the skills the book teaches me to teach the students. The entire long term goal is independence. Like I told my parents at BTSN, I don't want to teach your kids to read and write, I want them to BE readers and writers, to choose to do those things when no one is asking them to. Debbie I remind my kids that FCAT is only a few years more for most of them. AR is only a few months more for the 8th gradersbut life is WAAAYYY ahead of them and so they need to be lifelong readers for themselves, not the school or the state. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] A new problem
Sounds like you have a stronger class this year. Laura C Yeah, things are a lot different now, but even though the classes have changed, the number of problems have not.. I now have 6th, 7th, and 8th grade advanced readers. Last year, one of the areas where test scores dropped at our school was in the advanced classes, so my principal asked me to challenge them. I thought this was going to a real advanced class, but I've found otherwise. After the first week or so, I noticed a few students were having some difficulties. When I checked their state test scores, they were passing grades, but BARELY passing, so I asked my administrators and they told me they took them out of regular classes hoping they will do better in a different environment away from the behavior problems. I've got mostly students who read on level, but I have 2 or 3 in every class who are below level. Also, I've discovered that most of them are NOT advanced. They mostly score well on state tests. They know how to read questions and find answers, but they DO NOT KNOW HOW TO READ WELL. I assigned one story to be read for fun, and asked them to give me an opinon on what they thought of the story. Most couldn't do it. Because they know the system, many regurgitated the strategies I had been using and saying things like I couldn't make a connection to the character even though I tried to predict or infer a reference using my schema. because they knew that it would make them sound as if they knew what they were talking about! Others just closed the book when they were finished reading but they did not understand the story and were waiting for me to explain what happenedsomething they have learned from other teachersif they don't understand the story, don't worry about it because the teacher will explain the meaning. Boy, were they surprised when I didn't explain the stories! A few even answered the questions that came with the story even though I expressly told them not to do it. Even though they are on grade level and scored well on state tests, most have never been taught to think about a story..only answer lower level questions. I picked a sad story for the 6th graders about a boy and his dog and many analyzed the parts, but wouldn't see the whole story for the sad ending. The 7th graders did the same thing and were able to tell me the story backwards and forwards, but they had few opinions about the story which was an O.Henry story about love and retribution. The 8th graders read The Monkey's Paw and because of the archaic language, didn't try to understand it and were waiting for me to explain. I did not give them any background information or help because I wanted to see how they would do on their own since they were supposedly advanced and I was shocked... ...Another example of how test scores have underminded kids' thinking processes Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] (no subject)
Hi Bill, Can you tell us what middle school is supposed to be about? Jan In short, it's about the kids. It is supposed to give the kids a buffer between elementary and high school which allows for the fact that kids go through so many changes (physically, mentally, and emotionally) during this delicate time. Teams are supposed to be one of the main components of a middle school with a team of teachers teaching a group of students in order to build a sense of membership and belonging. With the same group of students, teachers can stay aware of what is going on in a child's life and let one another know. Research shows that mentally, students don't make as many gains as they do in elementary. Instead, they are developing physically. The brain doesn't kick back in until about 8th or 9th grade. Middle school is supposed to help them through these changes. High school teachers, on the other hand, tend to give more of the student as empty vessel teaching and less nurturing... Another component of middle school is supposed to be a Counseling class which helps the kids with character development, self esteem, and working with others. It allows them a safe environment to adjust to the changes they are experiencing. It's supposed to build a sense of community and teaming. A junior high model bascially does away with all this and just has kids changing classes with teachers who don't work together for the benefit of the students...in short, a high school model for young people who are desperately in need of guidance and understanding...and who won't get it. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] A new problem
Makes you wonder how on earth these kids will survive life--they will be so easy to manipulate. They are unprepared to think, to defend their thinking, to ground it in text and experience or to accept that questions can have more than one potential answer. I still have 160 days left to change that. In the past 2 weeks, I've had students from previous years come by to visit. One said her visit was expressly to thank me for opening her eyes to the real world. she regaled me with stories of museums and places she went to over the past few years and how much she appreciated me for helping to show her how to appreciate those things. She is going to Europe next year, and just wanted to stop by to say, Thank you. Another was walking in the hallway after picking her little sister up after school. We passed in the hallway and I heard a voice behind me calling, Mr. Roberts! Mr. Roberts! When I turned, she told me her name and said I probably didn't remember her since it's been 4 years, but she said as soon as she saw me she wanted to be sure and thank me for preparing her for high school and for life. She said my class was one of the hardest she ever had, but it was all worth it. I was just surprised to see 2 students almost back to back saying the same thing, and, needless to say, it made my day both times. Maybe there is still hope for themand for me... Of course, this week I had open house and met one of my parents who proudly exclaimed that I taught her when she was in 8th grade some 15 years ago.boy, did that make me feel old... Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] getting it in reading
Except isn't it really an extended metaphor due to its length? Bill - Original Message - From: Bonita DeAmicis [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 7:55 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] getting it in reading The like does make it a simile although it is so long and drawn out I forgot I put a like in there. Metaphors tend to go on longer--but you are right--I compared with like and did not make it an inferred comparison--so it is a simile. On a side note: Ok, now I'm confused. I've been working on metaphors, similes, and analogies...Isn't the apple metaphor really a simile? ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Autumn Leaves-book help
I usually listen more than I talk with this group but I need some help finding the right book. We are finishing our first poetry unit and I am going to do an activity from The Adventures of Dr Alphabet with autumn leaves and I want to do a read aloud first. I would like suggestions for a fall picture book. This group always shares such great ideas for books that I would like to know what is everyone's favorite autumn picture book. What age level? THE STRANGER by Chris van Allsburg is one I enjoy Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] (no subject)
Thanks, Bill, for your view of a middle school. When you still functioned as a middle school, how often and for how long did your teams meet? Are your goals for yourself or for the students? I'm thinking I'd like to how a web site, seems more like your goal. More than 80% of my students will read for their own pleasure, seems more like a goal for the students. Jan Teams met informally every day with emails and hallway comments, but officially once a week. Once a team is established, everything runs smoothly and quickly. Goals are for both. I expect each to read on grade level with a mental speed of about 250-300 wpm and an oral speed of about half that. I ask students what they want help with regards to improving their reading and base student goals on that so each student has their own goals. My goal overall is to help them to think for themselves, read better, and to rethink everything they've learned. I want them to learn to ask questions, regardless of whether they get an answer or even if they get more than one answer. In short, I want them to be better human beings. There's a quote I keep over my bulletin board that says The secret to enjoying life is to have an interest in it. and another by the door that says, Education is about making a life, not making a living. Both remind me of my foremost goals for my kids... Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Essay samples
What grade level? I'm using IMAGE GRAMMAR for my middle schoolers since the author uses many samples from middle schoolers Bill - Original Message - From: Julie Sosa [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 10:45 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Essay samples This year I am trying to tie in more and more of what my students read to their writing. Over the years I have collected different student samples of essays because I think it is so important for students to actually see what good writing looks like. Writing seems like an impossible task for some kids and I wish I could show them so many more samples. Does anyone know if there is a book/ website out there that simply provides you with children's writing? Not one that instructs you on how to teach it, but actually shows you. Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with Yahoo! Autos. http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reader/Bill's response
How do you avoid sending the message that the purpose of the reading is to take a test...when it indeed is in this case? Model how you pick books, read stories just for fun and tell the kids that is only for funno worksheets, no questions, no assignments. Model different types of reading: Magazines, joke books, comic books, anime, video game manuals, etceven phone books and newspapers! And, more damaging in my opinion, how do you avoid sending the message that reading is something so undesirable that you have be bribed to do it? Talk with the kids. Explain the difference between AR reading and REAL reading. The point of AR is that it makes non-readers read. Once they find an author or genre they enjoy, they will keep reading in spite of AR. If one of my kids read a book that isn't AR and are enjoying the book, we look it up to see if there is an AR test and get the librarian to order it. It takes a couple of weeks sometimes, but usually they do fine. And how do you avoid sending the message that you, the child, are capable of reading different books at different times for different reasons with different supports, rather than I'm a 3.3 to a 5.1; that's all the better I can read, and it won't help to pick books on snakes even though Ive read many, many books on the subject and read far above the STAR when I know all about a topic, a genre, etc. I can't read 7.3 books. How can you avoid sending the message that a child can sometimes read books too easy, too hard, or just right when you prohibit that? Don't prohibit it, then. I allow students to read above their levels if they show me they are interested in the book AND IF I THINK THEY CAN HANDLE IT. I'm not going to let a child read a book that they won't be able to read, but I offer guidance in selecting the book and teach them that if the book is too boring or too difficult..STOP! Some teachers make the kids finish the book...no matter what. I think that causes more damage than an AR test. I monitor their reading and scores so I can help the ones who aren't making their goals. Most of my kids like having goalswhen they reach them, we find new goals. My students' goals right now are to read on grade level or come close. If they reach their goals, I set new ones with them. How do you avoid sending the message that it's just fine to read a book without reflection in order to read it fast when your actions show the opposite to be true? How do you avoid sending the message that it doesn't really matter what a person chooses to read. . . it's all just practice anyway? What's wrong with practice? Athletes practice, musicians practice, cooks practicepractice improves their performance. I give my kids the analogy that reading AR is more for practice. If they can find a book they enjoy, all the better. But like any skill, practice makes perfect. If you want reflection, have your kids write a journal while reading. I ask my kids to tell me when they are done what they liked (or didn't like) about the book and tell me why they feel that way. I've also had them write daily reflection logs about the books while they are reading them, and I've done response journals with them weekly about their novels. It takes a little more work, but it's worth it. AR is just one more source for datadata the teacher can use to help the student. The only limitations are the ones you set on yourself. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reading
I totally agree with your statement - any program can be ineffective if there is an ineffective teacher or leader. Here's a great article addressing that: http://books.heinemann.com/ArdithCole.aspx Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reading
Thanks for the article; it's a keeper. However, unaddressed in the article is the belief that ALL reading programs, etc. can be used effectively IF the teacher is caring, etceteras. Unfortunately, I believe some reading programs (used with FIDELITY, of course) are mutually exclusive to establishing positive relationships. There are some programs that just plain make it impossible to treat a student with respect. Love, maybe, on the part of the teachers, but can the child get it in the environment set up by some reading programs? What programs would those be? I think most teachers know that their relationship with that child is more a factor in that child's growth than an impersonal program Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reader/Elaine's response
I think what I dislike the most is that it sends the message that the purpose of reading is to take a test! UGH!!! Rosie then it's up to the teacher to teach otherwise. again, you can have the greatest program in the world, but if the teacher is inefficient, it won't work. AR, despite its faults, can be a helpful program if you use it with care... Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reading
AR also has tests on higher level skills, but they cost extra. It is great as an aid to your reading instruction, but take care it doesn't become a case of the tail wagging the dog with students reading for points only. I use the strategies in my classroom, but AR is only a part of the instruction. Many schools think it's an easy program and doesn't require any effort on the part of the staff.it can be used in such a manner, but it isn't effective that way.. ..but any program can be ineffective if there is a ineffective teacher or leader Bill - Original Message - From: Marg Epp [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 3:17 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reading Hello all, I am a Learning Support Facilitator in the area of literacy in my school division. We have been working on reading comprehension strategies using the work of Ellin Keene, Stephanie Harvey, etc. etc. etc. As with all things, there are the keen, the reluctant, and all those in between (and on other sides of the spectrum!). Recently I had an administrator contact me because he wants to purchase the Accelerated Reading software. I was somewhat familiar with it, having read about it years ago, but my very general opinion was (is) that these are worksheets on a computer screen, the main point is to get kids to do lots of reading (which isn't a bad thing), it tests kids on very literal comprehension, but it doesn't teach kids about how to think about their reading which is something we are working on. Also, it's an incentive program which research shows has little or no effect on long-term attitudes towards reading. Of course, wanting to be someone with an open mind, I have been researching anything to do with AR and still, I haven't been swayed to the other side. That's not necessarily a bad thing either, in this case. What I have read is that like any other program, it's not the program, but the people who implement it, that make the difference. So I am looking for for some response to this issue. Is there anyone out there who uses AR in a way that supports Mosaic of Thought thinking? (I warn you, it has to be a VERY good argument to convince me). I sound like one of those resistant people, don't I?! However, I really am interested in a conversation about this. Marg Epp Learning Support Facilitator Prairie Spirit School Division Saskatchewan, Canada ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Dyslexia
I am looking for activities that would be useful at the early elementary level. I believe that our responses were on topic, as I believe we are saying that reversals in early elementary are not generally indicative of dyslexia. Lori . I agree. Early elementary kids reverse letters and most will grow out of it. I have 8th graders and sometimes they reverse letters, but usually it's the students who are reading at 3rd or 4th grade levels. I wonder if anyone has any research about reversals not being age related, but reading level related? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Reading is FUN-damental
I understand the concern voiced by one member regarding the word fun, but I think fun is semantics--we are all talking, I think, about the idea of instant easy enjoyment of reading versus reading that takes more from us but sometimes leads to more in return? Am I wrong? Are we talking about something else? I left for vacation on the 7th and don't think I addressed this, so here's my thoughts: Easy Enjoyment is fun. Reading that takes more from us but sometimes leads to more in return is also fun. It is semantics, but I think is the level of fun we seem to be unsure of. I can watch STAR WARS and get involved in the action and special effects and it will be fun, but I can also look at the levels of meaning in the film and understand the mythic model that has a lot in common with Greek myth and drama, but that is also fun because I enjoy the analysis. I can read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and enjoy it for the story and for the character of Scout, but I can also enjoy it for the levels of meaning about equal rights, morality, and family. I think what we are trying to discuss is INVOLVEMENT. As a reader, my enjoyment of the work is directly related to my involvement as a reader. After all, reading is a synthesis of the author and the reader, so as long as I'm doing my part of the equation, I'm involved. If I'm still thinking about it while I'm away from the book or after I've left the theater, then I got something out of itThat's what I mean by fun. I think the kids only think of reading as an act that occurs only when they are reading and not afterwards. They don't get anything out of the act, so they don't enjoy reading. They need to be involved with their reading Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Fun and Reading
Absolutely true for me as well. I love work. I have noticed that the more requirements the more energy required when reading and that is work, but it is also true that it becomes fun. Involvement is a better word choice, although when I am lost in a good read with no requirements I still feel involved. Would you say that type of reading is less involvement? I fear a perfect word to explain the differences between the two types of reading may not exist. One type of reading definitely takes more energy and tends to go slower, both require types of involvement, both can be fun--but different types of fun, one requires some delayed gratification and patience, is there a single word that shows the difference? I am not sure...involvement might suffice... Maybe that's what real reading is.ACTIVE READING. If you are actively involved in the reading, you will get something from it. INVOLVED READING? Na. Perhaps we should call it ACTIVE READING. Here's another question for you...do you have to write thoughts and notes 9track yoru thinking) in order to be more deeply involved? I mean, in certain types of reading, I no longer find notes necessary. My metacognitve self is working the whole time without the notes. Does putting it down in words make one go deeper, always? Or, can one find layers and go just as deep without writing down the bones? Is discussion as deep as writing it down? (I am not asking this rhetorically--I mean to say that I notice writing has a certain power over my thinking--but I also have seen times when writing got in the way of my reading--does that happen to anyone else?). I have never kept notes as I read besides mental notes. Now, I might mark a phrase or paragraph with a post-it for future reference, but that's it. I think discussion and writing can help add to the reading, though for harder material. Reading James Joyce, for example, required reading the Cliff's Notes and some heavy thinking on my part. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Question from future teacher-Ben
What do you do to make kids interested in subjects they couldn't care less about? For example, how do you get a dinosaur lover to care about space? Ben Easy. Find the connections. Dinosaurs died because of an asteroid from space. How do we know meteors have hit the planet? Show craters on the planet. How is that important to us? What would happen if an asteroid hit us today? Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for over 200 million years; man has only been on the planet - at most - 3 billion and then only at about 2 or 3 feet tall. 65 thousand years if you're talking about people who look like us. Will we have 200 million years? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] fiction or nonfiction to start the year?
Actually, I prefer William..WAR Bill - Original Message - From: Beverlee Paul [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2007 5:33 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] fiction or nonfiction to start the year? You can laugh if this seems ridiculously anal, but I would welcome any thoughts. (-: Gina Hey, Anal is my middle name WOULD THAT, THEN, MAKE YOUR INITIALS - BAR? _ A new home for Mom, no cleanup required. All starts here. http://www.reallivemoms.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHMloc=us ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] books about reading
yes it is... - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 2:13 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] books about reading I'm trying to recall the title about the girl who is teaching her grandmother to read, is it The Wednesday Surprise? Cathy K-1 Title I Reading ** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill - being different
- Original Message - From: Cindy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Bill, I'm not entering the whining discussion, but I was thrilled to see a couple of your comments! You commented about children feeling they hadn't learned anything before they got to your class! PLEASE share what is different about your class! I teach in a school with many slow students and though I am elementary rather than middle (as I believe you are) I want to do the best that I can for these kids. I view it as MY fault when they don't pass the test and I'd love to hear what you think makes the difference. Thank you in advance. Cindy/VA/2nd ___ Hi Cindy, I don't think I'm doing anything different than most on this listserv, but the first day of school I have the students do an essay about themselves and their reading habits and opinions. In fact, I spend a lot of time the first few weeks of school getting an idea of where they are coming from. That's where I know many have such negative attitudes. I gather lots of data such as reading speeds, reading levels, word recognition levels, phonemic knowledge, etc. and that tells me a lot about what they know. I also have them fill out a personal intersts form which gives me ideas on books they might want to read. I also avoid stressing about the state test.most are so tired of hearing about the state tests that they are burned out on it. I do confront them with their reading with such activities as: they'll read a selection for fluency then I'll ask them to tell me what they readmost can't even tell me the topic of the selection.that's when we discuss ACTIVE reading. they read orally and are told to present it as dramatically or crazily as possible so they think of reading as fun (imagine GREEN EGGS AND HAM read by Shakespeare) I will assign a story in the text and watch what happens when each reads. Many are lip readers or have other habits they need to correct I also watch to see how many actually read the assignment and how many just skip to the questions to answer them without reading the selection! I won't even assign the questions, but they are so conditioned to ANSWER QUESTIONS that they automatically do it. I'll stop them and ask how many were readingand how many were answering questions. Most will be answering questions. I teach them that reading is NOT about answering the questions, but about reading and comprehending i emphasize reading for fun versus reading for AR points or scoring well on the state test or because they have to... i have them read different sizes of fonts and show them how larger fonts make for easier reading and even though they are 8th graders, we still read picture books and discuss them i have them read selections on different colored paper so they can see if they are sensitive to certain colors and if any particular hues can help them to read better i tell them it's okay to skip boring parts of a book. i tell them it's okay to put down a book if it gets boring after a chapter or three i ask them about teachers who assign reading for homework, then ask them how many read the assignmentmost say they did, but then we discuss how many of them could talk about what they read. Most can't because their previous teacher didn't stress comprehension and just told them to read the chapter. Most read the chapter because they don't see the difference between sounding out the words and comprehending most importantly, we TALK. We discuss making connections, purpose, inferring, etc. Admittedly, being 8th graders, they can often infer things that are questionable, but i allow itwithin reason PLUS, I don't give tests. If a child reads a selection based on his or her background, they may have a different interpretation of the story. Are they wrong? Of course...NOT! Reading is a synthesis of reader's schema and author's purpose. I use the example from Night Before Christmas where the narrator threw up the sash and ask the kids about the 2 possible meanings. Many will say he vomited 'sash' while others infer it's a curtain or screen. Is anyone wrong? No. So we discuss personal interpretation versus 'correct answers'... Because I don't give tests, we have goals and we check our growth. Year end goals are 150 wpm orally, 300 wpm mentally, and raising reading levels closer to grade level. If someone already reads at those goals, I give them higher ones. If someone is too low such as at 2nd grade level, I set their goals at 1 or 2 levels higher and we adjust through the year. If you notice, much of what I mentioned are attitudes about READING that are formed from previous teachers and classes. I've had many students who had a teacher (or even a parent!) tell them they were stupid back in 4th grade, but they still have it in their heads that they are stupid and
Re: [MOSAIC] Interventions vs. good instruction
Joy [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Let's assume I'm using good scientifically research based instructional practices, and things are going great. Except for little girl A and little boy B. They are improving, but are so far behind from where they should be, for a variety of reasons. What do I do now? You said for a variety of reasonswhat are those reasons? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Students who don't learn to read
Okay, now I have a serious inquiry. We have managed to stay out of the way of good old AR for many years, but acquired it with our new principal 3 years ago. On a national norm-referenced test (which we no longer give), how would you say the correlation would be between that and the STAR test? The teachers in my school say that the STAR is wildly inaccurate. From your experience (all of you), what would you say about the reliability and validity of the STAR? It's a vocabulary test so it's not accurate, but it's close and will give you an idea, but you can't just accept one source as valid. At least 3 tests are needed. If 2 of the 3 give one level, it's probably close to accurate Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] The BIG question - expert advice needed!
- Original Message - From: Maggie Dillier [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1. *Teaching strategies (making connections, visualizing, etc.) versus text structures (setting, character, etc.) versus genre*. Do you teach all strategies early in the year and then literary elements later, or do you mingle both? (Clarification: I can see the year being arranged like this: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, test prep... or like this: making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring...) It's non-stop. I'm teaching it all year and mix it all. I stress each as I introduce them, but then it's a constant remember this? 2. *Integrating test preparation for the big reading test*. See previous posts. Do I teach a whole unit on test-taking, with test passages and the whole deal, or do I teach the type of questions that will be asked (compare and contrast, author's purpose, cause and effect) in another context (i.e., guided reading)? My principal has given test taking strategies to the content areas so all i have to do is teach them how to read better 3. *Aligning reading with writing topics*. When I'm teaching nonfiction in writing, should I do nonfiction in reading at the same time? Sure, why not? 4. *Guided reading*. WHAT texts do you teach? Do you reinforce whatever you taught in a minilesson, or is it a different focus entirely? I stress meaning. Then we discuss how the strategies helped us to gain meaning 5. *Content-area reading*. Probably some of you don't teach all subjects, but I do, and I wonder if I should teach reading the science textbook in science or in reading. Is content-area reading a unit you teach? Should I do it as part of guided reading instead of whole-class? It's all reading...no matter what subject area. Show how to read a chapter or how to analyze text and layout. . ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Interventions vs. good instruction
I am with you 100%- there is no difference between good instruction and interventions. Good teachers differentiate all the time(interventions). I find the kids who make the most gains are the ones who discover the joy in reading. Once they find an author or genre or something they enjoy, they start reading and once they start reading, their levels go up tremendously! Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] silent vs. oral reading comprehension
- Original Message - From: tdbell [EMAIL PROTECTED] It seems like they are much more focused when they are reading out loud. I think when they are reading silently their minds wander more or they may just be fake reading. I know for myself even (and I am a very fluent reader) if I am reading something very technical or overly complicated, I will read a bit of it out loud. I think that way I hear it as well as see it. It's not that they are focused, it's because their EARS are smarter than their MOUTHS...That's because a child LISTENS to the words for 4-5 years before they learn to READ. They can tell when something SOUNDS right (try reading aloud to them and make a mistakethey'll catch it). Most people find reading aloud or moving your lips makes comprehension easierit's because we can HEAR the errors and correct them. That's one of the reasons I can't stand to hear a teacher say Read slower to a student. Reading slower is great when you are learning phonics, but for comprehension you have to hear the words at a spoken level of speed which is about 150-250 words per minute. As I tell my kids, If you understand me speaking this speed, you can understand reading at this speed It's also a great idea when writing. If the writer reads their work aloud, they can usually hear the errors. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Repeated Readings for Fluency - Question for Tim
: Re: [MOSAIC] Repeated Readings for Fluency - Question for Tim I guess it depends on what I am reading. When I am reading a simple novel, I am almost unaware of the words. I tend to read in pictures. If I am studying a book, then I may be more aware, but the only time I hear any voice is when I actually think about it. Then it interrupts the flow of my reading. Kim . I also watch a novel or short story in my head. I'm not aware of the words as much as the images and ideas, but when I made the comment about not being able to hear a voice, I was referring to students. Many kids don't have a voice in their heads (let alone visualize anything) and the words they read are just thatwords. Words without meaning, words without purpose. I always tell my kids how previous teachers have told them to read chapter 3 for homework, so they go home and read the chapter, but what happens the next day when the teacher goes over the chapter? No one remembers anything. That's because they confuse sounding out the words for reading and didn't know to understand the chapter. If their teacher had said, Comprehend chapter 3 for homework, they would have read differently. Fluency gives the kids that meaning. Whether it's oral or mental, fluency gives the words meaning...and for that reason, fluency is important. The average speaking voice is about 250 words a minute and kids have no problem hearing someone speak at 250 wpm, so why can't they listen to words they read orally at 250 wpm? Or for that matter at least 250 wpm mentally? My research has shown that most kids read mentally at about double their oral speed. Taking something from Nancy Atwell, she had signs saying Do NOT NOT Step on the Grass showing how real readers don't read every single word, but read for meaning. I use the same idea, but I take it a little further. I flash it at the kids and they read the sign. I have someone timing the students reading and it usually takes about a second to read. We then do the math6 words a second...or 360 words a minute! Once the kids realize they CAN read that fast, many improve on speed, accuracy, and comprehension. They don't all read at 360 words a minute, but they are closer with some going from 60 wpm to over 120, while others go from 250 up to 600 or more! Of course, this is silent speed and they are not reading every single word, but they are reading for MEANING. I can read a GOOSEBUMPS book in less than 30 minutes, but it's at a lower reading level. Give me something at college level, and I'll be much slower. But there are many factors to consider: reading levels, color of paper, size of letters, author's purpose, reader's purpose, reader's eyesight, previous teachers, etc. I've been watching the emails and many seem to be so wrapped up in the minutae of fluency that we have forgotten the whole point of fluency which is comprehension. I was reminded of the MOT2 discussions which have pointed out that we get so wrapped up in the strategies that we forget the main point, comprehension. Fluency is a tool, but it's just one tool in the toolbox of comprehension. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] books as presents
I like to let my kids choose a book from the $0.95-2.00 range on the April or May Scholastic book order. Some years, I let them choose a book from MY library to keep, make a list of what they are taking and then I replace it. To me, choosing a book is personal. And although I know what my students like to read, it is a lot of work to hunt that wide variety of books down. One of the teachers on my team gives all of her students the same book, and I bet many of them just collect dust. She has told me that some of her kids tell her, No thanks. Now I know when it is a gift it is the thought that counts, but when I spend my hard earned money on a book, I'd like it to be read. Just my two cents. Good luck with your books! Lisa 2/3 IL I have over 120 students so I only give to the top 10 at the end of the year, but I do something similar. I keep a drawer with nice condition books (mostly used) and I give them a choice. I also give books throughout the year when opportunity arises. I've had students tell me a book was a favorite or they enjoyed a particular author and have given them a personal copy of their own or another book by the author. If you want to give them all a gift, how about bookmarks? They are fairly cheap, useful, and you can buy them from American Library Association and other places in lots of 100. Also, you can teach the kids NOT to dog-ear the pages! Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Another mosaic: The reading-writing connection
- Original Message - From: Beverlee Paul [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Another mosaic: The reading-writing connection Actually, until we caught on how to teach taking-the-state-writing-assessment, our kids did horrifically! And the better writers they were, it seemed, the worse they did . . . because of the timed element. Our kids had rarely written to prompts, but they NEVER had experienced the paltry time limits. We have 2 consecutive days of 40-minute periods for our fourth graders, and all drafts must be done by then. We had kids who wrote a beautiful first half of something, then the time was up, and of course, they couldn't score well. The games we play. . . . One year I had a bunch of bright 8th graders. About a half dozen read on college level and their writing reflected it. They all made 3's out of 5's on the state test. I'm sure the essays were wonderful college level essays, but the rubric is so simple, they only made averageLOTS of games Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] books as presents
Actrually, if you can find older editions of the books from the mid ;70's or '80's, they will last longerbetter made. Modern books don't hold up to many readings... You might also try Scholastic and similar places onlinethey give bulk discounts so you can buy 25 or 30 brand new books for $2 or $3 each Bill Just a comment: I have found that the bulk discount books that Scholastic sells are very cheaply put together. The pages slide out of the middle the first time the kids open the books wide. I have found that if I cover the books with clear contact paper and use a strip of book tape inside the front and back cover where the beginning of the gluing starts, usually the first page or second page in, they hold together a lot longer. They will last years instead on months this way. If you are looking to spend less money, contact paper is a little expensive, but searching out and replacing a favorite book is even more expensive. Kim --- Kimberlee Hannan Department Chair Sequoia Middle School resno, California 93702 Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, let go of what you can't change, kiss slowly, play hard, forgive quickly, take chances, give everything, have no regrets.. Life's too short to be anything but happy. [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. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] reading songs
No used book stores in Calgary? I go to flea markets, garage sales, used book stores, thrift stores, etc. and buy up books cheaply. You might also try Scholastic and similar places onlinethey give bulk discounts so you can buy 25 or 30 brand new books for $2 or $3 each Bill - Original Message - From: Waingort Jimenez, Elisa [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:30 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] reading songs Oooh! I've always wanted to give my entire class a book at the end of each school year but even at $5 a book (the cheapest I can think of) for 20 children, that's quite a bit of money. So, I'll have to look for these specials in the future. Elisa Waingort Calgary, Canada This book--the one with Stinky Stinky Diaper Change--was a 99center from a book order some years ago and the smartest thing I did was buy one for every kid for shared reading. Then I gave it to them at the end of the year. Lori ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Reading and Listening
- Original Message - There are tons of software that turns text into speech so you can type a story into MS Word and it will read it aloud. So would that then involve reading comprehension or listening comprehension? What is the difference? I've been thinking about that a lot since I've become an audio book fanatic. And movies, where do they fit in? When we watch a movie, are we comprehending a text? Nancy Creech It's all comprehension. Not necessarily text. Our goals as READING Teachers is to teach comprehension, not just the act of reading. Comprehension applies to everything from the morning menu at a the Waffle House to works of art by Pablo Picasso. Also, Text to Text connections include movies, songs, etc. Someone wrote the script, read the teleprompter, penned the lyrics, etc. Even video games can be text if there is a storyline to follow. It had to start with WRITING which I think should be a key component of any READING class, but many schools try to split. I know my school prefers writing in the Language Arts curriculum and NOT in the Reading. Consider the wealth of inference fouind in a 30 second commercial. Isn't that reading? I think we get so wrapped up in the strategies that we forget the main point of readingcomprehension. And beyond with application! (Just saw a vision of Buzz Lightyear saying, To Comprehensionand BEYOND!) Just because you can comprehend a selection, doesn't mean you have to take it wholeheartedly or believe in it. Too many kids who comprehend also accept whatever they read at face value and don't use Critical Thinking to assess their reading. If we read an article about Sasquatch, I don't want them to all believe in Sasquatch, but I do want them to consider the possibilites. Does it exist? How is it related to the Yeti? Why is it called Bigfoot? Should it be on the endangered species list? Is it just swamp gas? To me, that is REAL Reading. When reading a selection starts a fire where you want to know more, or read more, or experience those same feelings all over again Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill's thoughts
- Original Message - From: Bonita [EMAIL PROTECTED] I think balance comes into play here. My feelings about reading for fun versus deeper value in reading change depending upon the group I am teaching and the method I am using to teach. .. Eventually, I want my students to read for many reasons, as Gallagher encourages, but when they have not yet caught any sort of reading bug, I find the need to focus on the fun,... Maybe the problem we are having is our definition of FUN.A book that is a cliffhanger or page-turner can be fun, but so can a technical manual. Whatever we consider fun is going to vary based on our backgrounds. Whether it stimulates my critical thought or my funny bone, it still can be thought of as Fun. Reading the BIBLE isn't considered fun for most, but it can be calming, comforting, and brings pleasure to its readers; but reading the manual for my remote control can bring me happiness and pleasure of a different sort. If I worked for a job that required reading tedious reports or manuals, I still gain pleasure eventually because reading those will make my job more productive and, hopefully, more rewarding with pay raises and promotions. From Wikipedia: The pleasure principle and the reality principle are two psychoanalytical terms coined by Sigmund Freud. Respectively, the desire for immediate gratification versus the deferral of that gratification. Quite simply, the pleasure principle drives one to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. However, as one matures, one begins to learn the need sometimes to endure pain and to defer gratification because of the exigencies and obstacles of reality: An ego thus educated has become reasonable; it no longer lets itself be governed by the pleasure principle, but obeys the reality principle, which also at bottom seeks to obtain pleasure, but pleasure which is assured through taking account of reality, even though it is pleasure postponed and diminished (Sigmund Freud, Introductory Lectures 16.357). That's what we want for our kids. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill's thoughts
I don't know if it's gonna turn it over on its head, but it follows with what we are discussing Renee said What I want for students is for them not to hate and be cynical about everything. For them to understand that the degree to which they enjoy, engage in, are interested in something comes from their own heads, hearts, and experiences and not from any antics a teacher can perform to entertain them. That's been my biggest problem this yearfinding things the kids are interested in so they can WANT to read. Most have no interest in ANYTHING. I don't think it's cynicism. I think it's the drumming of reading as only a step to passing a test along with the fact they are exposed to SO MUCH information via TV and the Internet that their little brains close down because it becomes overload. Our jobs are more complicated because we not only have to introduce new information, but we also have to help them to sort through what they see and read from other sources. I've had more kids think the Geico Cavemen, unicorns, and time travel were real because they've seen it on TV this year than ever before...I also think the hate comes from not being able to do. I know I hate basketball because I suck at it. For the kids, they hate reading because they make bad choices -- pick boring books because they are short, pick too long books because they're worth more AR points, etc. They don't have the vocabulary to say what the problem really is, so they say they hate it. They also hate black and white movies, any music more than 2 months old, and most of their class subjects...it's because they don't have an interest in them because they don't really have an understanding of them. Renee also said Some people will decide that the best thing to do when you have free time is not to read a book, but to play hockey or soccer, build furniture, play in the symphony, crochet afghans for new babies, volunteer at a non-profit, walk-precincts during election season, organize unions, work second jobs. Third jobs. Go fishing. But aren't there books and magazines that will enhance those activities? Knowing Beethoven was deaf adds to your enjoyment of the 9th, books offer many afghan designs for use, fishermen are known for telling stories, etc I consider interest in something to be fun. You can't separate emotion from interest. Without some emotional involvement, there is no active reading or participation. Maybe we need to get away from the terminology FUN and replace it with EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT. I read because it brings an emotional response --- I laugh, cry, get disgusted, reflect, contemplate, sighbut bottom line, I FEEL when I read. If I'm not feeling anything, I'm not reading it. But I also watch TV, go to the movies, and listen to music for the same reasons. Much of the fun in reading comes from the TOTAL work, so it's hard to say read for fun when often the fun is in the catharsis or happy ending, but having characters you care about or a topic you feel something fornow that's reading. I think we all feel so strongly about this because READING is a metaphor for lifeYou only get out of it what you put into it Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill's thoughts
Gina said But I think we would all agree that of course reading for enjoyment and understanding is our focus. That's what we're all about and the reason we care so much about helping kids become masterful and delighted readers. You would thing that, Gina, but we have had a few teachers comment on how they only teach reading and could care less if the students enjoy it or not. It's one of the reasons I didn't participate as much during the past few months. I can remember one teacher commenting that her husband could read well, but he didn't necesarily enjoy it, and enjoyment did not make for better reading. Her job was to teach the kids to read better, not build enjoyment. I was so shocked, I couldn't even comment on it Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill's thoughts
Do you think that people can value a book without thinking it's fun? I'm reading the book READING REASONS by Kelly Gallagher. He says he wants his students to value the books he assigns. They do not necessarily have to like the books. Jan THE BIBLE has value, but many don't necessarily enjoy it, but I do think that if you enjoy it, you get more out of it. By enjoyment, I mean ACTIVE reading. When the time passes so quickly, you aren't even aware of the reading. When you are in the Zone. A lot of this depends on your purpose for reading. Reading a phone book isn't pleasurable, but getting that pizza delivered is pleasureable. If I read a sad book and cry at the end, is it considered enjoyment? You bet! Because I was actively involved in the story and had an emotional stake in the characters. My comment was about teachers who don't think enjoyment is a factor to teaching reading. To get BETTER at reading, you have to enjoy it. Otherwise, you won't continue. That's true for anything. If I suck at basketball, I won't go out and play. Show me some moves, let me practice a little and I might change my opinion. That's what we need to do for our kids. Once they CAN read well, then they can give a book value. Sometimes reading is necessary but not enjoyable. I don't like a lot of the YA books, but I do read a few from time to time. Hate Lemony Snicket and R.L.Stine, but I know they have value for the kids. Gallagher also teaches high school and most of his reasons for reading are geared towards older students who (hopefully) are on their way to college so reading takes on more practical (i.e. money and jobs) stance. I don't see using most of his reasons even for my middle schoolers...thinking of their futures is so far beyond their capabilities. I think his book DEEPER READING is much better. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Nancy Atwell
. Joy said: I think it's important for me to remain flexible in my approach to reading instruction so I can always give my students what they need when they need it. I've had some criticism about what I do. Although the things I do are well researched, the research does not blend the various approaches together, so some have told me that I really am NOT using researched based instructional practices. Some have said you can't pick and choose, that following a best practice needs to follow the research as closely as possible in order to be valid. The way I see it, I am teaching children, not lab rats. I have to try to tailor what I'm doing to fit the needs of the particular set of children in my classroom. Sums things up right there, doesn't it? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill's thoughts
Lori said I think I would say that to get more out of reading, it has to be purposeful. Reading enjoyment is a potential purpose. So is figuring out how to repair your car, hook up a computer, research your position, etc. . I agree, but doesn't reading that technical book ultimately bring you pleasure? Reading a cookbook brings me pleasure once I bite into that chocolate chip cookie. Technical reading can still be fun for the person reading it. Reading that chapter in the text may not bring pleasure, but passing the chapter test and bringing home a good grade does. Sometimes you don't even know it, but have you ever had one of those moments where you remember something you read weeks or months ago and it suddenly has meaning for you? If you look at the strategies, many of them create pleasure! Predict something in the book? If it happens, you feel pleasureif it doesn't happen, you still feel pleasure because you didn't see it coming! Making connections creates pleasure. Inference also. It's the pleasure derived from that AHA! moment, but it does add to the experience. It's almost Freudian, but it still comes down to pleasure versus pain... Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Nancy Atwell
Christina, Have you read IN THE MIDDLE by Atwell? It's a classic book like MOT. READING ZONE is more or less an updated edition, and I think Nancy is a great teacher and has lots of great ideas on teaching reading. I agree we are putting the cart before the horse with strategies running the show, so we are getting copies for my reading department to read next fall. For many, the tail is wagging the dog. We're so wrapped up in this world of strategies, that we forget the main point of using them.comprehension. I have had more kids who came into class telling me they hated reading than ever before, and I think it's because we have lost sight of the joy of reading. I have teachers who insist on Reading logs and making kids read 20 minutes every night, but most of the kids don't do it or fake their homework logs. They aren't taught how to make appropriate choices when reading, so they hate reading. The main problem I see with ZONE, is that I don't see enough research to back up her ideas. The main point of the book isn't really the reading, thoughit's that fact that the TEACHER MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. To really teach a reading workshop as she describes, you have to read tons of YA books. I barely have time enough to read MY books, let alone read all the YA books on the market. I use guinea pigs in my class who I trust and have them read new books and give me their opinions. I read a few YA books every year, but they help me a lot! Anyone can teach strategies, but to really teach the love of reading takes a lot of work! I also have issue about her comments on Making Connections. She says makilng connections HURTS comprehension because you can get distracted from the reading and lose your train of thought. I think this can happen for some, but learning to control your mind so it makes APPROPRIATE connections makes it a VERY important strategy. I think connections can not only help comprehension, but it can ENHANCE the reading by making it deeply personal. I was amazed Atwell didn't get that point because one of the reasons she loves literature is because of the feelings she gets from reading. Making connections isn't just about intellectual connections; it's also about making emotional ones. It's a great book because it does remind us that reading isn't something we teach for a test, or for a school year, or only until college --- reading is for a lifetime. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Nancy Atwell
Bill- the research overwhelming supports what Nancie advocates. I have an entire section of my book devoted to the research supporting SSR -- from federal studies-- as well as the research supporting reading aloud to students. Elaine, Any chance you could offer some of the research on SSR? According to the NRP: The Panel determined that guided repeated oral reading has a significant and positive impact on word recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension for students of all ages. However, the Panel was unable to conclude that independent silent reading, as the only type of reading instruction, improves reading fluency. Silent reading can't be measured. Oral can (let's not get started on fluency again!). I have a principal who likes hard numbers to back up my strategies, and I can't find any hard numbers on SSR. That's was one of my issues with READING ZONE...no actual numbers backing up her claims. She had a couple of pages on how the research used for the NRP was incomplete, but saying something isn't working ain't the same as saying something else works. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Nancie Atwell
Haven't all of us chimed in here to mention how our own reading improved once we were metacognitive about these strategies. I consciously stop myself sometimes in difficult text and try a fix-up strategy. I use the analogy of riding a bike. You can ride a bike without knowing how all the parts work, so knowing all the parts isn't going to matter (That's old school: nouns, phrases, adverbs, etc.). You do have to know how to ride which means using your balance, moving the pedals, holding the handlebars, etc. in conjunction with one another (that's strategies. One doesn't do the job, but all working together does). For some, this is in intuitive. You get on and ride. It took me most of a day to figure out how to ride. I could balance, but fell over. I could pedal, but I would lose my balance. I finally figured out how to do all of it at once and rode I can remember the thrill of riding...wind in my face...speeding upand learning a valuable lesson about bike wheels and soft sand, but getting hurt didn't stop me because I enjoyed it too much. No matter HOW you learned, you rode the bike because you ENJOYED it. No matter how we teach reading, the kids need to read because they enjoy it. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Nancie Atwell
I don't think I have to be able to name the strategies...I am not as convinced as many of you I even have to know them to become a better reader. I think Bill is right though-it is the act of reading that will make all of our kids readers. john d I think knowing the strategies has made me a better TEACHER OF READING, not a better reader. Before, I was often at a loss when trying to help a child read better. Pre-MOT, I taught a reading workshop format similar to Atwell's IN THE MIDDLE, but I often found myself asking myself Why doesn't this child love to read yet? and couldn't find a way to help him. I showed him good books based on his interests, but I didn't have the knowledge on how to help him to READ. With MOT, I now have specific strategies that help me help that child. If he can't visualize, I know techniques and lessons. If he can't read fluently, I can help him become fluent. As a good reader, I did those things instinctively and never stopped to think that the kids couldn't do those things. Going back to my Bike analogy, if I tried to ride a unicycle, the strategies for riding one wheel are basically the same as for two, but without knowing what strategies to alter (balance, pedalling, etc.), I will never learn to ride a unicycle...or an adult tricycle. People learn to love reading from the act of reading, but if they can't read well, that's where the strategies come in handy. Atwell's kids already read. Even back in IN THE MIDDLE, she only had a small group of 70 or so kids unlike the rest of us who have 100 or 140, but her point is valid: Get a kid to read good books well, and they will read for a lifetime. The strategies are guideposts on the journey of reading... Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Question for Tim about songs
You know, the kids can be creative also. You could have them write lyrics for songs they know using the content of your lessons. I think my team is going to incorporate some serious Karaoke time next year having the kids write songs and perform them. Bill - Original Message - From: Joy [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 9:12 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Question for Tim about songs Thanks for your suggestion. Do you know of any particular songs that would be good for fourth grade students? All of our themes incorporate NC history, culture, and geography. We digress a bit when we study electricity and nutrition, but otherwise we are pretty focused on our state. Joy/NC/4 [EMAIL PROTECTED] How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org - You snooze, you lose. Get messages ASAP with AutoCheck in the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] wAndering minds
Another variation is to use response logs regularly. They can write to one another about what they are reading. I sometimes interrupt their silent reading time with a surprise log just to see who is on task. It also doesn't hurt to ask students individually what they just read. I can read a lower level book rather quickly, so it doesn't take long to read what they have read while they are explaining it to me. Literature circles might help also. If they are working with a group, they may be more inclined to stay focused. Bill - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 8:58 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] wAndering minds Yes, I have them work on predictions and visualizing. They also do connections. I think the timer idea is a good one. I don't think they'll do that at home, though. I think I may be the only teacher in my building who teaches strategies. In the fall they really dislike the strategies. By now, I think they are used to the strategies, but they don't like them. They just complain less. Jan -- Original message -- From: Bill Roberts [EMAIL PROTECTED] One thing you can do is set a timer. When it goes off, have them write down what they are thinking. Or break the reading selection into small units and have them read parts at a time But why are their little minds wandering? Is the material interesting? Are they making connections to the topic? Making predictions? Visualizing? Generally, if they are using the strategies, they won't be wandering Bill - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 7:59 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] wondering minds OK... sorry about that. I mean WANDERING. Ugh. I really do need reaindg glasses. (Wondering is a good thing.) -- Original message -- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I still have a month of school -- our last day is June 25! I need some ideas about how students can know when their minds are wondering and they are no longer paying attention to what they are reading. From what my students say, they have this problem a lot. I teach middle school, so I'd love hearing ideas that work with middle schoolers. Thanks! Jan ___ 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. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension
Tim said, ...Repeated readings with an emphasis on practice to make meaning with your voice... Again, we're back to comprehension whether that voice is in your head or in your mouth.Fluency is an aid to comprehension. Learning to read selections PROPERLY (prosody) aids comprehension. Learning to group words into meaningful clumps instead of one-word-at-a-time aids comprehension. IT ISNT ABOUT THE SPEED. I do have some kids who feel as if they can never finish a book, but when we discuss reading faster and reading efficiently, they find that they can often finish a book FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. But it isn't just speed, it's also the genre or author, the writing level of the book, the motivation of the student, etc. But as they get accustomed to reading faster and their comfort levels rise, so does the comprehension. That is not the case for all students, but like anything, you differentiate instruction based on ability. Many of my kids read 600 wpm or more (mentally) and fully comprehend whatever they read. Others read at 150 wpm. As long as they comprehend what they are reading, it doesn't matter, but anyone who reads at less than 100 wpm is NOT going have comprehension...by the time they finish the last word of the sentence, they will have forgotten the first words! I live in Florida, and the state likes SPEED because they can measure it, document it, and puff out their chests and say we're collecting data, but what the state wants, it gets.but I have to preface the final reading by reminding them about prosody, but the state benchmarks aren't about prosody and only about speed. The kids understand the differenceJust like when I teach them about varying reading speed for different circumstances, they understand the purpose of the state's ORF's. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] wAndering minds (addendum to my last post)
I'm reading Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? by Cris Tovani in which she says that teens would rather be lazy than stupid. I asked my students (in one class) if they think that's true. They did. More disappointment. Jan Here's an idea which won't make them sound stupid: Have them bring in lyrics to their favorite songs. Have them read them aloud to practice fluency and prosody (of course, you have to make sure lyrics are okay for school). Then have them explain the song. See if students will agree on the interpretations. Since you probably won't be as familiar with the songs, they will get to be the teachers. For example, I use So Happy Together by the Turtles to explain it's about a stalker (IMAGINE me and you, I do...). That gets their attention. I also play Mac the Knife and Maxwell's Silver Hammer by the Beatles which are about serial killers. It's reading, interpreting, schema, and more! Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] music
Sometimes. The kids need to know how much their environment affects them. Playing music shows how they can perform better to certain types of music or worse depending. It also exposes them to different types of music to expand their backgrounds. - Original Message - From: Linda Buice [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 10:01 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] music I don't understand what you are saying about music? You play while they are practicing fluency? Linda ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension
Listening to them read orally is a window into what is going on and often can help us see where meaning is breaking down. Laura It also reveals much about their personal schema. Someone substitutes Baseball for Basketball or Twizzlers instead of tweezer or says Neutrogena instead of neurosurgeon says a lot about what they are outside of school. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension
Don't forget. Reading rates also vary with the item being read. A phone book can be read quickly because you are skimming for one piece of information. A sign saying wet paint or Don't step on the grass can also be read quickly. A menu may be perused quickly or slowly depending on one's appetite. A well-written book can be enjoyed slowly by someone who savors the writer's skill and style, but a cheap genre novel might be devoured quickly to its action-packed climax (double-entendre unintended, but to each their own). Students must be taught that purpose for reading is the GUIDING LIGHT to comprehension in these, the DAYS OF OUR LIVES for ALL MY CHILDREN...(can you tell what I'm going to be watching over the summer?) Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension
wanna make your fluency rates go up? play some techno comprehension up? play classical see if they are concentrating on the material? play something off the wall like Bollywood music or jazz I play music all the time and it works. The kids know not to complain about the music, thoughone complained about the music and asked if I could play country music. I put in Gene Autry's Greatest Hits. After a few choruses of I'm back in the saddle again She never complained about the music again. Bill - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 5:42 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension I know i have posted this same idea before but i think it is a good one to remember. when I went to Hoyt's workshop, she demonstrated how using instrumental music in the background helped students monitor their fluency. I have found it to be true in the classrooom as well. An added benefit to when the kids choose the music themselves is that their aesthetic stance sharpens as well. All of a sudden a youngster has a concrete way to show the mood and tone of the story. the characters thoughts and actions are displayed so to speak through the readers' senses as they respond not only to the text but the background music. Pam ** See what's free at http://www.aol.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. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] fluency v. comprehension - another POV
Maybe I am really missing the boat on the fluency thing...but I probably belong with the old school way of teaching...even though I have only been teaching for 8 years. I have a friend who...taught me so much when I took over in her classroom. She retired and I took her class over mid-year as my first teaching position. She said, You will find that programs and ideas about teaching come around and come around. Guaranteed, if you teach as long as I have, it will come around a couple times. Hang on to what you know to be good practice for you and for your kids. Stay flexiblecalm...and wait. It will come around again. Look at any Reading textbook from the 18th or 19th century and you will see that they recommend reading orally until fluent. It's been around for a long time. When the idea of silent reading appeared, many scholars were skeptical of the practice, claiming that the written word was meant to spoken aloud. NOTHING is new.BUT if we are to help a student become a better reader, then we must be prepared to work with whatever skill is necessary (comprehension, visualization, fluency, etc.) to help that child. My main question is this: What is your ultimate goal? Is it reading well out loud? Is it better comprehension? Passing the state test? Or is it to make them better thinkers, because thinking makes them a better person? As teachers, we need to reflect on OUR perceptions and goals as well as the students' needs. I can't remember the quote exactly, but there is a quote that goes something like this: The goal of Education is about making a life, not making a living. I love it when a child walks out of my classroom saying they are a better reader, but I also love it when they leave my class a more confident, more positive, more caring individualand I think that in a world of scores and charts and data, we sometimes get bogged down in discussions of lessons when we need to remember that we are more than teachers of content --- we are teachers of youth. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Bill's year
- Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'll try that. Glad you had one success story this year as you seemed discouraged about many of your students. How did they end the year? Thanks for asking. It was interesting to say the least. There became a schism between the students starting about right after FCAT in March. Many grew up which is typical for 8th graders at the end of the year, but they looked at the not so bright students with disdain. One student was walking along as the class was returning from lunch and muttered, What a moron... under her breath. I asked her about it and she said the other students act so immature and say such stupid things. Many would shake their heads in class or were quick to correct dumb responses like the girl who wanted to be a pediatrician. She said it was someone who took care of babies. I said Like a baby doctor? and she said, No, a pediatrician. Or the ones who thought the Sun goes around the Earth. Or the student who didn't know what the U.S. Constitution was...or the one who didn't know what a homosexual was (don't ask, she understood fag when another student explained it to her). Or the 2 that said when commenting on the millions of Iraqi civilians who have died, who cares? They aren't Americans. The whole class reacted in shock with that comment...especially the students who were from Iraq! We did a research project which about a third commented it was their best work. They put a lot of effort into the research and did a fine job writing and presenting the information. The rest didn't have a clue. Babe Ruth was a good player, but not much of a hitter. My topic was chocolate, but I don't remember anything about it. Ghosts like to climb stairs and to smell lemons. or they copied directly from the Internet, as you can see from the photo above... with NO PICTURE. Neat thing about it was the 3rd who did it actually LOOKED differently...they sat taller in their seats and held themselves more confidently. I actually had one girl who was the shyest girl I have ever seen STAND IN FRONT OF CLASS and present her topic! She would talk, get red, hide behind the poster she was holding, then continuebut she did something she would have never done before! By the end, about a third went up on reading and fluency levels. About 35% had over 100 AR points for the year with the top 12 earning over 200 each. About half stayed at about the same level with only minimal gains while about 20 % went down, but this is the same group that didn't read, didn't do any work, didn't participate and slept whenever possible. Not one of my best years, but there were gains..just not what I wantednow we have to wait until next Thursday to get out FCAT scores.. Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in General
The 7th grade teachers are saying their kids are worse. One team is doing a Holocaust unit, and one teacher had the kids doing commemorative stamps. Many were using swastikas and pictures of people being hanged and killed. One student wrote that the holocaust was about colored people. Not any better - Original Message - From: Linda Reed [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 7:26 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in General Bill, I am often at my desk at 4:30PM trying to find answers to the same questions that are troubling you. My lowest group of ninth graders wants points, so they can pass my class and not have to go to summer school, but they could care less about learning. It is difficult to find things they care about, though I have found that they love to hate characters (Clel Waller in Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen, and the principal in Nothing But the Truth by Avi). They have been in special reading classes so long that not only do they no desire to overcome their deficits, I don't think they have the courage to try. I hope your kids are just an anomaly. Any word on the upcoming class? Hopefully you will have willing participants. I ran into one of my students from three years ago who was so disconnected that I was certain he learned nothing from me all year. He is now a senior (in our in-school alternative program) and is on their honor roll. He greeted me with bright eyes, a warm smile, and a hug. Hopefully, you are planting seeds that others will sew. Linda Reed Kirkwood High School Kirkwood, MO I've taught art, music, film, literature, history, science, everything and anything, but they lack basic skills and understanding. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
Some do, but many don't play. It's just something to do. I've asked them to tell me about their video games, but they can't tell me anthing beyond the surface. They don't get involved with the games like previous years, it's just something to do. Sadly, most don't play with any passion. If they watch TV, it's MTV and the sex shows like BEDROOM INVADERS or Jackass type shows. NO STORYLINES, only YOUTUBE type experiences with short 5-10 minute clips. They don't even watch IDOL or other shows. Mostly YOUTUBE, MYSPACE, and other things they shouldn't be watching - Original Message - From: Renee [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 9:20 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general Bill, Do they play video games? Could they report on those? Renee ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
- Original Message - From: Joy [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 11:06 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general Find something they can be passionate about. That's the problemthey have no passion for anything. No interests, no hobbies, no thoughts, no opinions. They don't see how CASABLANCA is a better movie than JACKASS, they don't understand that reading a book for pleasure is different from just readingbecause it is all JUST READING. They put no thought in anything...unless it's a way to get by more easily. That's why I have a male student who reads the girl series DIARY OF AMERICA because they are easy to read and easier to get AR points with than other books he'd be more interested in reading. That's why I have a girl who watched MY FAIR LADY and hated it because it was a muscial and she hates musicals, but picked it despite having 300 other movies to pick from. And as far as these movies NOT being something recent. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is something they could relate to with their backgrounds in SAW and THE HILLS HAVE EYES. But when they watch them, that's all they dowatch. They are not ACTIVELY WATCHING, just as they aren't ACTIVELY READING.in short, they aren't ACTIVELY ENGAGED in anything! I don't care what generation you belong to, JAWS will have you on the edge of your seat Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
- Original Message - From: Joy [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 11:06 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general You've got to grab their attention with really out there ideas and concepts. Give them something to rebel against, something they have to take a stand on. Maybe if you show them what can happen when people don't take a stand??? Read them Eve Buntings Terrible Things. It's a picture book allegory for the Holocaust. Then read Flowers on the Wall, by Miriam Nerlove. . Read and watched Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. What came closest to an emotion was basically Where did that happen? I'm glad I don't live there... or That was stupid. When I tried to discuss it, many thought it was a real place and wondered why people would do that. Most didn't get the point (even though I've done this with many 8th grade classes in the past with great results). This is also the group that I've had it suggested that we should blow up all the Iraqis because of what they did. When I ask about Iraqi women and children, their comment was blow them up also. When I tried to point out that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, they politely listened and then continued debating how to kill all the Iraqis. I also had an African American child tell me the reason the white slavers didn't take Native American slaves was because they all look alike so they wouldn't be able to tell which ones ran away... ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
I wonder if Bill has brainstormed ideas with his colleagues for ideas, especially the 7th grade teachers who had these kids last year? Maybe they could give him some suggestions. They had the same observations. As I recall, there was some concern at the end of the year last year because over half the seventh grade was failing ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
Bill: I loved your idea of reviewing a movie. What a great opportunity for kids! I would have loved your assignment as a student. One idea that I use with my 6th graders is to have them do impromptu speeches. Topics are placed in a bucket and students walk up, pull out a topic, have 10 seconds to read it, and must speak for 2 minutes. I usually do impromptu speeches in either 3rd or 4th quarter, when students feel comfortable with me and their classmates, and after they've had other opportunities to do oral reports, plays, skits, etc. Barbara/6th/FL We are starting the last 9 weeks so they are doing research projects. I told them they are going to teach my class the last week before finals, so they have to do a research project. They made lists of 10 ideas and I've discussed which ones they want to do one-on-one, so hopefully they will be more motivated. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general (How it's made)
From: Barbara Punchak [EMAIL PROTECTED] O...there's a wonderful TV show on (don't know time or day) called How It's Made...or something like that. I walked in as my husband was watching it a few weeks ago. Another show that would get oohs and ahhs is Dirty Jobs. What about taping a few and showing one or two segments? These episodes are bound to create interest in even the most blasé student! Barbara/6th/FL I agree, but that's the problem. Everthing is in bits and pieces and although they might find one segment interesting, they can't apply it to anything else in their lives. They can't look at the big picture. The kids watch shows like this because it is short and easy to follow, that's why they can't watch a full movie and stay focused...so many shows are like DIRTY JOBS or MYTHBUSTERS. Ever noticed how these shows often assume that viewers are stupid so they have to summarize what has happened in the previous segment after the commercial break? It is even becoming prevalent on regular TV shows where there is a recap of what is happening in the show about half way throughTV is doing the thinking for us so we don't have to think anymore! Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Cell phones?
The comment was in regards to their personal lives, NOT the classroom... - Original Message - From: Barbara Punchak [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv' mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 12:56 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Cell phones? Bill, I'm amazed that your students are ALLOWED to talk on cell phones while in class. Our students are permitted to have cell phones, but they are to be OFF during school hours. No talking, textmessaging, or anything else pertaining to cell phones during class or between classes. Students are ONLY allowed to use cell phones after 2:20 pm---when school is dismissed for the day. Is cell phone use during school hours acceptable at your school? Barbara/6th/FL -Original Message- On Behalf Of Bill Roberts All they do is talk on their cell phones, go on Myspace, and sleep. ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
- Original Message - From: Margy Hillman [EMAIL PROTECTED] we had a myspace report on the news the other night, correlating time spent on myspace with lower grades. remember how we balked at sesame street's format (you may not be old enough too -- but i sure do remember)? might find the same thing with youtube and myspace -- altering the culture in ways we can't imagine -- not bad or good. myspace is really interesting. i've been doing searches for a report i'm doing on different educational companies and noticed that their employees my space's come up. why not have class to a myspace writing activity but as another character. okay okay maybe i'm crazy. But you are looking at myspace as a resource. Kids look on it as a way of getting their 15 minutes of fame or showing thing they shouldn't be doing or seeing things they shouldn't be seeing. The internet is a great resource for all kinds on information. I don't even have a dictionary anymore because I can look up any word online and have it in seconds, but look at 90 percent of the internet and it's crap Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
I've tried opening that to them, but again, they have no background in anything. I've taught art, music, film, literature, history, science, everything and anything, but they lack basic skills and understanding. I hope they will attempt multigenre projects, but we can only see - Original Message - From: Lise [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 2:16 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general We are starting the last 9 weeks so they are doing research projects. Bill, Have you ever done multigenre research projects with them? I have found that even my most unmotivated learners were engaged using this as a way to research a topic of their own interest. Lise ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
Honestly, I have many theories... First, we have tested them too much. Many teachers have taught them that reading is finding answers, so as long as they can find answers, they don't have to THINK about it. These kids love to do worksheets and read the stories and answer the questions, but if you try and have a dialogue about it, they just sit and stare. Almost all can find an answer for a test question, but ask them to explain what they just read and there's no comprehension. When I tried to teach the writing for this year's state test, they would not break out of the 4th grade patterns that they were taught. Hi, my name is John Smith, and I'm going to tell you about (fill in the space with the topic)... Even though they could recognize what made for a better introduction, most refused to try anything new. Someone trained them like Pavlov's dogs back in 4th grade, and they couldn't break out of their salivating patterns. Second, technology. They live in a world where they can control what they experience. When I grew up, I had 3 channels of TV and only one TV in the house, so whatever my parents watched, I watched...or I read a book. They have 200 channels so they are limited in their experiences, so they have no schema to pull from when experiencing something new. Most watch only 2 or 3 channels, but those channels are so limited in content they have little general knowledge. MTV, BET, SPIKE, COMEDY CHANNEL and maybe a movie channel is the best they can come up with. Even with the movie, they only watch the parts they like (Only watch the fights in ROCKY, or only the nude scenes in other movies. That's one of the reasons one my kids remembered the first scene in JAWS...they were skinnydipping). Also, with all the technology, they have multitasked themselves into non-thinkers. Recent studies have shown that people who multitask while learning a new skill don't really learn it. The areas of the brain affected while multitasking are mainly in the limbic system which is the reptilian part of the brain. People who learn a task and concentrate only on that one task have the hypothalmus affected which is the area which affects memory, learning, and deep thought. Because they are so busy with cellphones, Myspace, music, etc., they never develop those areas of the brain that are crucial to thought. I wish I could hook them up to an MRI and see what areas of the brain are firing because I'm almost sure this is the main reason we are seeing such a lack of thought. Then we have parents who allow them to do these things and don't give a damn about intelligence. Too many stress getting an education and passing when they should be stressing doing your best and gaining knowledge. Most of the kids have a just getting by mentality instead of a doing my best mentality. I've noticed this trend among adults also (It's amazing how many teachers get into the job and suddenly realize there's WORK involved and wind up quitting after a year or so). Also, many are not being brought up by parents. Most have one parent (if they are lucky) or their grandparents are bringing them up. More and more have a parent in jail or on drugs than ever. Many are bringing up their siblings by themselves and they are the closest thing to a parent in the house which brings me to my next point. It's hard to work on your homework when you're helping your little brother with his. Also, I feel they have been exposed to too much at too young of ages. When I grew up, I had to wait until I was 16 to drive, 21 to drink or smoke, and (as much as I might have wanted otherwise being a teenage boy) sex was somthing to wait on also. We had stages and rituals that gradually led up to being an adult. Now, they watch porn at 10, drink (with parental permission sometimes!) at 13, smoke at 14, and have sex at 15. I can remember seeing an R rated movie with my parents, but I never saw anything like it until I was 14 or so. These kids watch stuff with their parents at 4 years of age. The parents feel that Under a parent's supervision means they are physically there and don't discuss things with their kids who really aren't prepared mentally to experience a lot of these things which is why they haven't matured. My kids have been more immature in the last few years, and I think it is because they never had the chance to experience childhood because they experience so much ADULT content and very little chances just to be kids. I like to think this will change, but I can only see it getting worse and worse. I've been teaching long enough to know that things go in cycles and inevitably will rise again, but I'm not seeing it with this and future generations... Bill ___ 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
[MOSAIC] Comprehension in general
Hi, You haven't heard from me in awhile because I've met my match with this year's 8th graders. They don't read, they don't do homework, they don't do anything. They have no hobbies, interests, opinions. They are zombies who come into the classroom, sit, and take up space. For the first time ever, I can say they are not any smarter or better prepared than they were in the beginning of school...and this is confirmed by every 8th grade teacher I work with! But I've discovered something that at least explains what is going on, even though it offers no solutions: They have NO comprehension at all. I assigned movie reviews thinking it might get them to try and do something. I gave a list of the AFI Top 100 Films of all time, plus a list of the top 250 foreign films of all time. The best films ever made. I hoped they might discover a new world by seeing classics like CASABLANCA or GONE WITH THE WIND or even SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Was I wrong. Most couldn't even watch a film because they didn't want to make the effort. They had 9 weeks to find a film, watch it, review it, and they didn't do it. So I made it an assignment for the next grading period...I wasn't going to give up. Same assignment, but this time they had to do an oral review and talk about the movie. My plan was for them to use their reading strategies and apply them to a movie 18 weeks of cajoling, reminding, and pleading, and about half did it. The ones who did, though, couldn't remember how the movie ended. They could tell me in detail about the first 10-15 minutes of the films, but they couldn't tell me the story, who the characters were, how the movie ended...nothing. I thought they might have fallen asleep, or stopped watching, but all said they watched the entire moviethey just couldn't remember anything. Some even remembered wrong endings like the girl who said the shark survived the ending of JAWS. Her logic? The shark was in JAWS 2 and 3, so it must have survived. One girl couldn't remember anything about THE WIZARD OF OZ, not the yellow brick road, Dorothy, the music,...she couldn't even tell me the name of the land they were in! One advanced student told me he watched WIZARD OF OZ, but he couldn't explain it because he got lost and confused. Another told about the Lion, Scarecrow, and the Robot. Most could not stay focused on 90 minutes of film long enough to process and remember it. Another, who loved CASABLANCA, couldn't remember what state Casablanca was located in. According to another, Clarice was interested in Hannibal Lechter because she was writing a book on him. Another watched MY FAIR LADY, but hated it because she hates musicals. I asked why did she pick it when she had over 300 to choose from and she said it sounded interesting. If they can't comprehend a movie, then what hope do we have of them comprehending a book? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] high school literacy...suggestions?
Relate stories to modern TV shows and movies. That might help them to make connections. Mice and Men is Ren and Stimpy or Pinky and the Brain. Most Dangerous Game has been made into a Gilligan's Island episode, LOST, The Pest, Hard Target, Surviving the Game, etc. Romeo and Juliet is West Side Story or Moulin Rouge (Romeo + Juliet is visually accessable for them even though the language isn't). Most Dangerous Game is also available on DVD with the original bw version plus there is an old radio show version which might be helpful with the listening and writing standards. Comparing any of these to the original version shows critical thinking. Do they play video games or paintball? Most shooter games require hunting down another human being. Easily relates to Most Dangerous Game Most don't relate to the original OLD texts, but if you relate them to modern films, video games, and TV shows, they can understand them better. Bill - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 9:17 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] high school literacy...suggestions? I am working with ninth graders that are typically coming intoninth grade at a sixth or seventh grade reading level. We are required to read such texts as The Most Dangerous Game, The Sniper, Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet (this is hard for them), Fences, Go Ask Alice etc... We have state standards and state tests that involve listening and then writing, reading informational texts and then writing, reading different genres and then writing, and critical analysis. I work in New York State if that helps. I am not sure if you are familiar with the standards. - Original Message - From: Bill Roberts [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Monday, February 12, 2007 1:10 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] high school literacy...suggestions? To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Does anyone have suggestions on how I can improve reading comprehension within my high school English classroom while still meeting the state/district requrements? What requirements are you referring to? Are you limited to only certain books? What standards? What reading levels are we dealing with? Bill ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency
You could also use Readers' Theater to build their fluency. It's more fun than just cold reads - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 8:55 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency In a message dated 2/9/2007 5:41:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: But the thing that sticks with me most about your post is that you are doing these fluency checks weekly. Let's see 20 students 5 minutes per students (the test itself plus all the transition time and notetaking) that's 100 minutes a week that you are not teaching. How do you feel about this? I would be interested in knowing what strategies you can get from your literacy coach. Renee I must test each student that is below level grade, for me that is 9 students. One of whom I just test on sight words because he is ESL and hasn't mastered them all yet. I forgot to mention I am supposed to l have each student read the passage three times and then take the best reading for documentation purposes. Yes, I MUST do this weekly, it is not optional. I am not sure if this is politically correct or not but I think my students would make more progress if they were being taught on their reading level, not their grade level. What is wrong with ability grouping for reading? Yes I know that they need to hear better readers, but even within a class of low readers there will still be varying levels of ability. Not to mention that they hear me read to them every day. I make this analogy: If I spend my whole day in a calculus class yet I don't understand sixth grade math how am I to become a better math student? Rosie ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency
There's a book titled SIX MINUTE SOLUTIONS which has leveled passages and shows how you can train students to coach one another in fluency. It takes less than 6 minutes a day, but it covers all your students. It isn't perfect, but you can go one on one once a grading period to get a more accurate rate. - Original Message - From: Renee [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 11:05 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Fluency Rosie, I'm sorry you are being subjected to weekly notetaking that takes away from teaching time. I heard a great word yesterday: administrivia and that's where I put this. But that's just me. Your theory that if your students were fluent readers it wouldn't matter if it were a cold reading makes a kind of surface sense from one perspective. But think of your own experience with reading. I know that I read much, much faster and with more comprehension when reading silently than when reading aloud, and that sometimes when I am reading aloud in a hurry, I make more mistakes than if I slow down. As we subject children to fluency tests that depend largely on time, I believe that their actual fluency will go down. I'm not a scientist; I haven't tested this. It is my opinion based on years of teaching and listening to children read. But these days that doesn't count for much, does it? To me, reading aloud is a performance, pure and simple. In the real world there is no other reason to read aloud than to relay information to someone else in a manner that passes on information in an understandable way. To me, fluency is at least 90% expression and at best 10% speed. But the thing that sticks with me most about your post is that you are doing these fluency checks weekly. Let's see 20 students 5 minutes per students (the test itself plus all the transition time and notetaking) that's 100 minutes a week that you are not teaching. How do you feel about this? I would be interested in knowing what strategies you can get from your literacy coach. Renee On Feb 8, 2007, at 6:17 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am sorry if this sounds negative but I am trying to get some clarification on something. My school is a low-performing school that is required to teach exclusively from the Houghton Mifflin basal. We MUST do a fluency record on each child who is not reading at grade level every week. We are the lowest level third grade leveled reader passage for the fluency record. Most of my students being checked weekly are reading at least a grade below. My first question is: Should these checks be done after the student has been exposed to the passages? They are taken directly from the leveled reader that we read each week, however, I test most of my students prior to us reading the leveled reader. My theory was if they were fluent readers, it shouldn't matter if it is a cold reading. I got a sticky note today telling me that I need to consult with the literacy coach on fluency strategies since my students fluency is dropping. Seems perfectly natural to me since the texts we are reading are becoming more and more difficult and the vocabulary mose sophiscated. What is the point of this weekly recording? It isn't making them better readers. Is this just a cover your rear type of documentation? Help Rosie ___ 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. First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak out for me. -Pastor Martin Niemöller, 1945 ___ 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.
