[MOSAIC] phonics program
I am going to make a bold move here and say that Ellin Keene does not believe in scripted programs for phonics or any other aspect of reading!! I seem to be in the minority at this point, but I am so disheartened by the conversation on this listserv. The word Mosaic really should be taken out of the title of the listserv. We used to talk about how teachers were putting together their own lessons for comprehension. Now, we're talking about scripted phonics programs? Thank you Renee for bringing back the researcher/practitioner - Ellin Keene - into this conversation! Carrie K-8 - Illinois I cannot help but wonder what Ellin Keene thinks of a scripted phonics program. Renee On Feb 16, 2012, at 10:41 AM, Lapenas, Nicole wrote: Our district uses Saxon Phonics K-2 and the teachers really like it. It is scripted and very easy to follow. Our students for the most part do very well with phonics. ___ 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] (no subject)
In response to the post below - and to everyone around the country - I ask..THEN WHY USE IT (AIMSWEB)? We have enough to do in the classroom without adding an extra layer of testing that does nothing to inform instruction and it doesn't even do what it professes to do - which is to i.d. kids for RtI!!! I can't believe this assessment has gotten so popular and teachers have not risen up in rebellion. Carrie K-8, IL We've been using AIMSWeb for 3 years now for at least K-5 (I think maybe higher also). The fluency CBMs are just like DIBELS. Aimsweb also has a comprehension maze test and a couple of math tests. It gives a lot of reports as to how a student is doing based on class, school, etc... It's an okay start as to identifying students for RTI services. I don't think you should use it solely to place students into RTI intervention groups. ___ 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] (no subject)
Regarding the easy and fast use of DIBELs and AIMSweb on a recent post. AMEN! Now if only administrators realized it. I AM an administrator. Unfortunately many of us in education...teachers, administrators, etc. want something that's easy and fast. That's how we got in to this AIMSweb mess. Carrie (Asst. Supt.) K-8, IL ___ 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] (no subject)
Jan said. The only elementary school in my district is going to start Response to Intervention this fall with reading. The committee who has been investigating RtI has come to the conclusion the DIEBELS is the only universal screener to use. They want something very fast and not too hard to use. Do any of you use another universal screener? Thanks! Jan - there are plenty of other screeners that are WAY better than DIBELs. Plus we should not be picking assessments based on their ease and speed of use! Carrie Illinois, K-8 ___ 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] Getting back on track
I second this (message copied below)!!! Carrie Moats and Shaywitz are to sane and appropriate reading instruction as the fear mongers are to Obama's health plan. A list about reading comprehension such as Mosaic should be questioning the research of Moats and Shaywitz (I'm not as familiar with Torgeson) not supporting it. I'd like to hear how people on this list are going to start their strategy instruction for the year. Elisa ___ 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] weekly strategy study
I'd like to see this look more like sharing of lessons rather than stuff that goes with the lessons. Can we talk about how we learn and ultimately teach each strategy and not focus on the tools for teaching them? Otherwise my fear is that we will only scratch the surface which is exactly the opposite of what we want to do with our teaching. ___ 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] weekly strategy study
What do you mean when you say stuff that goes with the lessons? I mean - not too many graphic organizers, three column note forms, note taking guides, etc. I realize they are important but it can get to a point where they take over and the real teaching and learning gets lost. I guess it makes me think of make and take workshops and I just hate those because they are not really about teaching - they are about stuff! ___ 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] RtI
Carol said: I am on a school-wide committee working to create a district document outlining RTI. My group has the large task of compiling resources for literacy interventions and literacy progress monitoring assessments...HELP!! Can anyone recommend resources, web-sites, professional books, etc? Also have you developed a way to get these resources into the hands of classroom teachers and support staff? Any and all help is appreciated. Carol Spinello Literacy Specialist I would recommend the Comprehension Toolkit and Making Meaning as great resources for reading comprehension. Making Meaning is more structured and scripted than the toolkit and maybe more than some would like - but they are both great when used as RESOURCES. Carrie ___ 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] Professional Readings
From Leslie: Does The Workshop Book focus on reading and/or writing? We are just finishing Mentor Texts in our study group. We did Notebook Know-How earlier this year and we all really got some good info from it. We are contemplating The Next Step in Guided Reading, but I'd like to hear what you have to say about TWB. YES!! It does focus on writing - and reading. The book has an interesting format - one that is different from others. The first chapter starts out with a working definition of the workshop model. Each chapter after that is devoted to one teacher/classroom/lesson per chapter. The grade levels run from 1st through 8th. It's not as much of a how to book, although it does show you specifics of what that particular teacher in that particular chapter did during their literacy block. If you look it up on Amazon you can actually see some excerpts from the book - I think what I'm saying here will become clearer. It's different - but very worthwhile! Carrie ___ 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] FW: professional readings
_ From: Carrie Cahill Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 7:41 AM To: 'mosaic-ow...@literacyworkshop.org' Subject: professional readings We have 25 teachers in a book study right now reading a book called, That Workshop Book by Sam Bennett - foreword written by Cris Tovani. The teachers in my group range from 2nd to 8th grade - the book hits all grade levels and it's very good! Carrie, IL ___ 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] Guided Reading Plus
I was wondering if there was anyone holding Guided Reading Plus groups out there? It's through Linda Dorn's model for RtI: the Comprehensive Intervention Model (CIM). Thanks! Carrie ___ 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] scripts and thinking
There is ABSOLUTELY a difference between the script that Lori talks about below and the scripts in DI programs! Lori - you are SO right!! Your example makes me think of a mind script - most, if not all of us, need to see something in action before we can replicate it ourselves. That's what I think Lori is talking about here. That's not a script - that's an example, a model. That's what we are expected to do for our students and that's what we need for ourselves. After this thorough two week long modeling session that Lori does for her teachers they are then able to go off and try it themselves - they follow the model NOT the script - and she comes back to check with them - using the Gradual Release of Responsibility with teachers! They make it their own and because they're not following a script they don't miss what their kids do!!! They are more aware and present in the moment with their students. I love what you've written here and I will keep it in a safe place :-) Carrie -Original Message- From: Ljackson [mailto:ljack...@gwtc.net] Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 7:08 AM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] scripts and thinking I think what Debbie may be saying is that a script may somehow apprentice a teacher to better practice and techniques. I see some worth in this belief. Getting non-traditionally certified folks started with guided reading, I typically model for one week--sharing very, very detailed lesson plans which could be called scripts, I suppose. Then we write a set of these kinds of plans together--sometimes for a few weeks, amidst much talk of the children, their needs and the educational possibilities for the books in front of us. I do see this as apprenticeship--a means of getting started. The difference is, I go away. Granted I come back from time to time, but my goal is to refine practice rather than to define practice, working within the guidelines established by our district for balanced literacy instruction. The little books we use offer us many possibilities for focus in instruction, according to student need. The same story could be used instructionally to teacher text previewing, fluency, sentence structure and could indicate many possibilities for contextualized word study. Until these scripted programs come with a 'choose your own ending' option, I am just not sure it is fair to say that they will ensure the best literacy education possible for every student. The person most responsible for that has to be the classroom teacher. Lori Jackson - Original message - From: Waingort Jimenez, Elisa elwaingor...@cbe.ab.ca To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 6:46 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] scripts and thinking Debbie, And, whose idea is this learning to teach the right way that these DI scripts spouse? There is no right way to teach. There are philosophies which then guide our teaching practices. The teaching practices in DI programs are clearly scripted so that there is minimal out of the box thinking and everyone is on the same step at the same time (philosophy). There is no regard for different size thinking, rather there is disregard for the messy life of the classroom. Elisa Elisa Waingort Grade 2 Spanish Bilingual Dalhousie Elementary Calgary, Canada The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. -Helen Keller Visit my blog, A Teacher's Ruminations, and post a message. http://waingortgrade2spanishbilingual.blogspot.com/ Scripts make sure we learn to teach the right way so that we can then incorporate those techniques and make them our own. ___ 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] direct instruction
In response to Amy's post regarding the pluses of direct instruction I respectfully ask - how do you respond to those who expect fidelity of implementation when you say it's ok for teachers to veer from the script? That, to me, is the biggest problem with direct instruction and teacher scripts - that teachers are NOT allowed to use their expertise and that they have to follow the script no matter what. Carrie K-8, Illinois ___ 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] essay writing
Has anyone read the book, Less is More? There is a whole chapter on essay writing. Kimberly Hill Campbell (the author) cites lists of books that can be used for teaching essay writing and within that she refers to specific types of essays (essays on books and reading, on writing, on nature, on issues, and on and on!) she expands on certain teaching strategies and they link to essay writing, and she talks about literary craft in essays. It is a GREAT book! Check it out if you haven't already! Carrie K-8, IL ___ 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] RtI - there is hope!
I am so happy to see the angst over RtI on our listserv these past couple of days/weeks!!! RtI is a great concept (help kids early - don't just let them fail - stop over identifying for special ed, etc.) HOWEVER the implementation of it in many states - Illinois worst of all - is the problem. When I posted my concerns on this listserv a couple of months (and years) ago I received the most wonderful response from someone - they referred me to Dr. Linda Dorn's CIM - Comprehensive Intervention Model - for K-8 students. Please, please check this out and send it to every professional in our field that you know! I had the great opportunity to hear Dr. Dorn this past week at the Reading Recovery Conference in Chicago, IL and she has got it figured out! Her website is: www.arliteracymodel.com. She is based in Little Rock, Arkansas and she frequently has visitors to her schools. She also has brought her model to National-Louis University in Skokie, IL. Anyone interested in this can email me off-line for information on the summer workshops being offered. Lastly, again for Illinois, there is a literacy assessment called, ISEL (Illinois Snapshot of Early Literacy) that has been officially approved for use in the RtI model by our State Board of Education. This is big - because in the world of Reading First the ISEL was dumped - and it's a very good literacy assessment - so we should all be very happy that it's back and approved!! I would love to talk to others in my state about this and everything else RtI related. But, I sincerely hope we keep up this conversation nation-wide because as Renee said, The idea that we need a program to provide instruction, to me, is a blatant slap in the face to teachers, the reflection of an attitude that teachers are not smart enough to do their jobs without a so-called expert telling them what to do. Well said Renee! Carrie ___ 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] Twilight
Is anyone using the book, Twilight, with their students? If so, what age group? ___ 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] textbook adoption
We adopted Rigby Literacy by Design last year and we're happy with it. It is not a basal - although the 3rd-5th graders have a sourcebook which is pretty darned close to a basal - but it is used for shared and interactive reading. Our teachers like it and we embrace the balanced literacy philosophy. Carrie ___ 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] writer's workshop
I'm wondering if the 1st and 2nd grade teachers out there can please share how they run their writer's workshop - especially at this time during the school year? Carrie ___ 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] textbook adoption
Midlothian, Illinois - a K-8 district. :-) -Original Message- From: Beverlee Paul [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 10:56 AM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] textbook adoption Carrie, where are you? On Thu, Sep 25, 2008 at 6:42 AM, Carrie Cahill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We adopted Rigby Literacy by Design last year and we're happy with it. It is not a basal - although the 3rd-5th graders have a sourcebook which is pretty darned close to a basal - but it is used for shared and interactive reading. Our teachers like it and we embrace the balanced literacy philosophy. Carrie ___ 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] literacy mapping
My district is currently mapping our K-6 literacy curriculum. Big job, I know! We have decided to include every strategy at every grade level - I was excited that our teachers wanted that. I was wondering what other people do out there? I would also love to hear which strategies you start with in the K, 1 and 2 grades. Thanks! Carrie, IL ___ 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] Making Meaning
This is our second year with Making Meaning K-6 and our first year with it in grades 7-8. Our teachers have overwhelmingly LOVED the program. I am a district administrator and as a rule I do not favor canned programs - I would prefer that our teachers learn things from the ground up and not rely on a script. However, with Making Meaning I think many of our teachers have learned the importance of such things as getting their students actively engaged in literacy by having them turn and talk often. We have a large number of new teachers this year and this program has introduced them to what is important in our district in terms of literacy in a quick and meaningful way. We still run new teacher study groups on Mosaic of Thought so that they have the why behind the what - but Making Meaning has helped them connect that why to the what! We love it - I would highly recommend it!! Carrie K-8 - Illinois ___ 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] guided reading for older students
I just wanted to respond to the message below. I don't want to leave this conversation with anyone thinking that struggling students - for whatever reason - can't engage in conversation. I completely believe they can! I haven't seen Caulkins' videos - but I have seen Cris Tovani and Stephanie Harvey's videos and those children are from some pretty tough backgrounds and they still (probably because of those backgrounds!!!) are able to relate to meaty topics in books and have great conversations. I have also seen Ellin Keene work with some tough kids - kids she never met before she sat down to work with them - and they did a fantastic job. I think Michele said it best a couple of posts ago - we have to MODEL, MODEL, MODEL and they WILL get it!!! Carrie K-8, Illinois Carrie, Sorry it took so long for me to respond to you. Wasn't Lucy great!!! I agree with you though. I have a tough group this year and I really can't see them involved in the conversations that we saw on her videos. That doesn't mean that I don't like the strategy. Thanks for the tip on the book. I will definitely check it out. Michele ___ 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] guided reading for older students
In response to the message below...I was the person that asked about an appropriate professional book for junior high teachers to read that would support them in starting small group reading instruction. I like lit/book clubs a lot but I think of those more in terms of what students might be doing while the teacher is working with a small group. One reason - because it would be student-led. I still think that junior high students need their teacher as their coach or guide in small group instruction and that's why we are implementing it in our schools. Of course the focus is on comprehension along with all the good things junior high literature students look at: plot, setting, character development, etc. The book that was suggested to me from this listserv has proven to be a really great resource - it is Yellow Brick Roads by Janet Allen. It is a really great book and I highly recommend it!!! Carrie K-8, Illinois I heard Lucy Calkins (sorry about that spelling) speak last week in Detroit. I believe she mentioned 4th - 5th grade as being a good time for lit. clubs. The most important thing is that the students are trained in how to handle the lit. club. She showed videos of clubs in action and you wouldn't believe the conversation these kids were having. They need to be well trained and/or versed in how to handle a club situation. It's much more than just reading the same book. You need to model, model and then model some more. Michele ___ 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] Guided Reading for older students
Does anyone know of a good professional book for teachers just beginning the process of differentiated small group reading instruction for junior high students? I like the Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading book, but its main focus is grades 3-6. Carrie ___ 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] FW: comprehension assessment
Sarah asked if anyone knew of a quality comprehension assessment. Ellin Keene developed one last year and it's very good. It's called, Assessing Comprehension Thinking Strategies and it is published by Shell Educational Publishing. General think aloud assessments and rubrics are provided, as well as something for each of the comprehension strategies (inferring, determining importance). She provides them in the form of verbal as well as written - which makes their use flexible dependent upon the situation for the teacher. The rubrics themselves are great teaching tools and I think they even help the teacher better understand what they should be looking for with each strategy. This assessment is so important because it makes us accountable for teaching the strategies and it holds kids accountable for internalizing them. It gets us away from teaching the strategies for the sake of teaching the strategies. This assessment shows us if our strategy teaching is actually leading toward understanding - which is the key behind ALL OF THIS!!! Carrie K-8, Illinois ___ 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] RtI
In response to Carols' question RtI (Response to Intervention) seems to have been created for good but is being used for bad. From what I understand the basic premise is this; children are over identified for special education and we ALL (special ed and general ed) need to be responsible for ALL students' learning. I also understand that RtI is stopping the practice of identifying special education students using the discrepancy model (finding them to qualify based on a discrepancy between their ability and their performance). Now, extreme amounts of data gathering will be required, by the general ed teacher, in order to qualify a student for special ed. On its premise that sounds good, right? I don't think so. I am convinced that this data collecting will turn out exactly as the Federal program Reading First where states mandated (yes, MANDATED) that districts use only approved assessment tools to collect this data, such as DIBELS (because the Federal Government mandated it). I haven't been told this will happen yet, but I strongly believe that it will. One of the RtI models is the use of the three tiers of intervention. This model is not the only one that can be used but for some reason everyone thinks it is! With that people are jumping on the bandwagon - textbook publishers are dictating how we teach by publishing programs that address each tier of intervention. Isn't that exactly what MOT teaching and this listserv is set up to combat - dictated, scripted teaching? Tier I is whole class instruction. Tier II is tighter intervention given to the bottom level of your class (20%, or so) and Tier III is for the very bottom 2-5% of your class. Depending on who you talk to both Tier II and Tier III can be a pull out situation or just Tier III. It doesn't really matter, though, because what it reminds me of is the old Title I days. There is no research that the model of Title I pullout was successful but yet - here we go again! Doesn't it sound like special education without the name? Something really crucial to consider is this - we keep hearing about research this and research that when it comes to programs and instruction. What is NOT being considered is the strong research base we ALREADY have in education. People like P. David Pearson, Michael Pressley and Richard Allington have been doing this research for 30 years! Then we have people like Ellin Keene pulling it all together for us and showing how it can be put into practice in the classroom. I really believe that one of the most important things we could do as a group on this listserv is to not only use the excellent teaching strategies we talk about in our OWN classrooms but also to talk to people about what is going on! Teacher professional development and professionalism is slowly being chipped away until you will be left with nothing but a teacher's guide and a script. The Federal Express guy could come in and teach in our classes! And when this happens please don't blame this on school administrators - this is federal law and is slowly becoming state law (it already is in Illinois). The administrators I work with are extremely concerned about RtI and Reading First and are talking to everyone they know. This is something we ALL have to do. Carrie K-8, Illinois ___ 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] retention question
Sandi (and others)... What I remember about the research on this is mostly from Linda Darling-Hammond and it's about the training behind the teacher - once again. Her research looks at low-income schools and the dire need for highly qualified (not in the Feds terms, but in professional terms) teachers in those environments. Nobody disputes the need for interventions with struggling students or the fact that it should be done right away. So, the primary aged student had a better shot at success if their needs were addressed asap (I like the idea of needs being addressed better than interveningintervening sounds too much like a medical model of diagnose and treat - and I don't believe that model should be used in the education field. Intervention also makes me think of RtI - Response to Intervention - which is probably going to be the downfall of public education in the end.) Sorry, I digress. Anyway, I don't recall specific studies following young struggling students who were NOT retained, but the point they made was that we need to focus on the skills of the teacher and the decisions they make when teaching their students. Carrie...I have a question, since you did your dissertation on retention, are there any studies of a child in K or 1st who was a candidate for retention, but was not retained, how that child did as they went through the grades? And this in comparison to a K or 1st who was retained and in comparison to other low students who weren't candidates for retention. Carrie K-8, Illinois ___ 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] new basal adoption
I would caution people in their quest for a new reading program to dig deep when it comes to leveled reading. Many or most programs have leveled readers but they are not all the same. I don't have specifics related to specific companies, but some leveled readers don't contain necessary elements in the non-fiction titles such as a table of contents or an index - and those are the features you need to teach in non-fiction! Also, some of the companies only have leveled readers that are appropriate for that particular grade level - easy, average and hard - but only for that grade level. Last, but certainly not least, the majority of programs are so scripted that they leave no room for teacher judgment or differentiation for student needs. They expect teachers to cover 10,000 skills in 9 months! And especially new teachers -for whom we often justify the need for purchasing a reading series - start off their career believing that they have to teach all 10,000 of those skills - which is a real disservice both for teachers as well as for our kids! Carrie Cahill K-8 in Illinois ___ 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] time to check in
I, too, am inspired when Ginger posts her thoughts and experiences with her students. I wish everyone posted more of these types of messages! I will say, in response to Laura's interaction with her Supt., that Superintendents are faced with the stark reality of test scores and reporting to the public. I believe (at least in my case/ my district) that Supt.'s would LOVE to not have that burden to deal with - but laws and bureaucracy make it so! Unfortunately communities are judging schools based on numbers --- test scores. I work in a district where one of our schools in judged in just this way through the media, school report card, and in all of our interactions with ISBE. It's unfair. This school is incredible and none of that is noted. It's like paddling upstream! Parents do come to our schools on a regular basis and they SEE the great things our teachers are doing with their children - it's the community at-large (state) that doesn't know or care about those things. There really has to be a balance between the time we devote to testing -and how we report to the community - and the time we spend nurturing professional development and the great work we do for kids. Laura - I DO believe administrators can do both! It might mean that we end up spending more late nights in our offices - but we can still be in classrooms to see that spark in the students' eyes when they've made a connection or just read a great book - and we can have meaningful conversations with teachers about how to make those events happen on a regular basis and not just happy coincidences as Ellin Keene puts it!! The thing is we might not get all of our paperwork done that day. Hopefully we're all lucky enough to have bosses who understand that balance. I just think it's totally unrealistic to say that Superintendents should not be overly concerned with test scoresthey are a reality and they're here to stay! I hope you don't get out of administration because of it - it's the exact place we need to be if we are ever going to make systemic change. Carrie ___ 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.
