Re: [MOSAIC] readers workshop test taking
I second Pauline's thoughts. I would also add that I teach the QAR strategy at the beginning of the year and then we use this and other test taking strategies to answer questions in a test format throughout the year. We teach test taking as a separate genre. Kids need to know how the elements or characteristics of tests work , the same way they understand the elements of reading a mystery or any other genre . Linda On Feb 24, 2012, at 8:19 PM, Pauline K Nagle wrote: I would suggest teaching test taking as a genre, a type of reading that has a specific structure and way to comprehend it. Lucy Calkins has a good book about this, but I can't recall the name. I will find the title and send it to you. I think students need to learn how to tackle the text and how to handle the type of questions, and this must be taught as a skill set and practiced. But it does not need to take over your reader's workshop or reading instruction. You just need to teach how the comprehension skills they use in their independent reading texts can be applied on an excerpt and how the questions are asked. On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 6:58 PM, evelia cadet cadeteve...@hotmail.comwrote: As I have said before, this is the first year I am following the Reader's Workshop model. My district does not follow/support reader's workshop. I am lucky to have the freedom in my school to use any teaching structure I want. Out of almost 70 teachers, only 2 teachers in my school are doing reader's workshop. We are trying to convert the other teachers in our campus. They are noticing how our students are engaged in reading and are forming a reading community that is extending outside the classroom. However, people in my school are data driven (specifically standardized testing data), and they will not consider any instructional method, unless there is tangible evidence they drive results (standardized state testing). Ok, this was just the introduction, here is my concern. My students seemed to be enjoying reading and they are showing evidence of understanding/applying the comprehension strategies/skills we are working on in class. Nevertheless, when they take one of those practice test we are required to give, everything seems to go downhills. It is like they are unable to transfer what we are learning with authentic literature to the context of the test. I honestly don't know what to do. I know there are people in my school, including some in the administration, waiting to see what impact reader's workshop has on test results. Any ideas or advices. HELP!! Thank you. ___ 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] Guided Reading Research
This sounds like the old tracking ability model. If you google that, lots of articles come up. Guided reading may or may not be specifically addressed. But GR groupings are meant to be flexible so how would that work if they are tracked? And my gut feeling is this is bad for kids who have no other experiences for working with students at different levels. For example, low readers will have few peer role models in class. My personal experience to your research. On Sep 12, 2011, at 5:17 AM, Shannon McDonald wrote: I'm looking for research regarding guided reading. At my school the students are grouped by reading level and then switch classes for guided reading (i.e.: I might have all the kids who are at level J-L, most of them are not in my homeroom). I'm wondering if there is any research supporting this model. Alternately, I'm looking for research that supports keeping the students with their regular classroom teacher during the guided reading block (we use Reader's Workshop model along with shared reading). Thanks Shannon McDonald There are many ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all. -Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ___ 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] Teaching mini-lessons
I agree with Troy and if you're making the read aloud the minilesson (modeling how to stop and predict i.e.) then you can also make it an interactive read aloud with students actively engaged throughout. I do often break a good, lengthy pic book over 2 days. Other times , the actual minilesson may be a shorter to the point lesson that is only 10 min. If I'm modeling how to construct a character map on the Smartboard, I base it on the character from the read aloud and record key facts on the map. Students would then try this out either in guided reading or with their book. The minilesson is the teaching point so it's true that some are actually a little more on the maxi side. Linda Grade 4 On May 15, 2011, at 11:18 PM, Troy F wrote: When you use a picture book you do not have to finish it in one lesson. I always broke the picture book into 2-3 parts. I was taught by a great literacy coach that mini lessons should be 10-15 minutes long. You will run long from time to time. You just have to keep in mind your mini lesson is one component in your whole literacy program. For your program to be successful all components have their place. Sometimes less is more. A mini lesson plants a seed and then you follow up and grow the flower. Troy Fredde On May 15, 2011, at 6:43 PM, Rosa Roper rosaro...@hotmail.com wrote: Hello, I am looking for some guidance on teaching mini-lessons - mostly b/ c my mini's are actually maxi's... I found a book that somewhat breaks down the structure of a mini- lesson, but it also says to read a picture book, now when that happens we are looking at about a 40 minute lesson (NOT MINI)! Is the mini the amount of time you spend teaching, practice with a book not included??? How do you keep your lessons in check? A run down would really be helpful - if you have a lesson already typed out that you could email me that would also be really helpful :-) So is there a place for shared reading in a mini? Or even a read aloud? A reading coach once told me that the mini lesson came after a whole group shared experience (I teach 3rd) however that seems like way too much to teach a whole lesson and then do another one even if it is a mini... I also had a question concerning the Comprehension Toolkit: those are really long lessons even if you use different text - to make them shorter I have tried breaking the components down so that one lesson lasts a few days - is that then considered a mini lesson? Right now I teach about 30 minutes and then students have up to an hour for independent reading while I confer or pull groups. 30 minutes seems too long and I would like to be more time effective so I try to a structure like Daily 5. My district allows us a 30 minute reading block. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks Rosa 3rd grade ___ 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] Book Whisperer - Chapter 4
Chapter 4 - Reading Freedom Donalyn makes a strong case in this chapter for allowing our students to develop reading identities. She encourages us to resist the temptation to teach them how to select books, and allow them the freedom to develop interests in books. Donalyn describes her beginning of the school year throughout this chapter. The following questions are meant to spark discussion about this chapter. In honoring Donalyn's notion of freedom, feel free to discuss something else that jumped out at you in this chapter. 1) Reflect on the beginning of your school year. What do you normally do to encourage reading? Lots of read alouds, blessing of the books/mini book talks where I've gathered books in baskets and briefly talk about each one, class library tour to explain the organization of author baskets, genre baskets, leveled baskets, etc. What will you do differently as a result of reading Donalyn's descriptions in this chapter? I'm toying with the idea of a reading requirement based on her 40 books . I'm not sure about this in 4th grade. Not sure about how many books is appropriate. THOUGHTS? We always do genre studies and do lit circles for each main genre (mystery, realistic fiction, fantasy, etc.) and then I do require that they choose another one in that genre to read and respond to independently . We do a reading workshop so students have a big block of time for independent reading. ___ 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] Book Whisperer - ch 2
I love this explanation and addition to the 5 Finger Rule! I plan to add this in my toolkit for teaching students how to choose books. I had a large group of high level readers this past year in 4th grade. Many devoured Harry Potter and were capable of the reading (both readability and emotionally) but then there were several very low readers (reading about second grade level) who also wanted to be as their peers during reading workshop so would sit and stare or simply flip the pages and were just pleased to have a thick popular book on their desk OR who actually could discuss the books because they had seen the movies. I usually suggested they take them home to read with someone there. I like this new idea of having them create their own plan... thanks Linda On Jul 14, 2010, at 7:26 AM, judy fiene wrote: I would never discourage a student from reading a book in which they were interested. The only time this would happen is if the book was not at the student's emotional level. Our goal as teachers is to find that magic book that will get them hooked for life. Usually, life long readers have one. I teach my preservice teachers (yes, I am one of those people) the 5 finger test. I'm sure all of you know of that test, but I have a different take on the ending. One finger -- easy book -- good place to practice their fluency. Two or three fingers up -- just right -- good place to practice decoding and comprehension strategies. More than five fingers up -- this is their challenge book and they need a plan. They don't need to put it down -- just find a plan. Are they going to get the book on tape? Are they going to read it with someone? Are they just going to look at the pictures? Whatever the plan, I accept it -- THEY are the keepers of the plan -- not me. As readers ourselves -- we make plans when we decide to read. Think about ita research paper, I need the TV off and at my desk, no distractionsa book by Nora Roberts, I could be on the couch and the TV could even be on, reading the paper, I could skim it and just look at the captions for insight... So...when I conference with them -- we discuss the type of book they are reading (easy, just right, challenge) and go from there. As you all know comprehension is at all levels. Our ultimate goal is to get our students to pick up a book and read -- because they WANT to not because they HAVE to. Judy On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 7:33 PM, suzteac...@aol.com wrote: I have trouble allowing total free choice because it is so important that students are reading books at the appropriate level. We were highly encouraged to tell students that they could not read Harry Potter or Twilight if we know that the book level is too difficult. We were coached at how we could help the kids come up with these conclusions on their own. I still felt that I was the one saying no. This makes me uncomfortable. even the kids who struggle to read these can pair up with a higher reading partner for interesting reading and discussions! This sounds like a good plan, except that at books as long as the ones i mentioned, it would take forever to get through them. Suzanne/4th/NY ___ 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. -- Judy Please consider the environment before printing this message. ___ 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 Response Journals
I think the original poster hit the nail on the head-the reason kids hate the letters or don't do as well as we'd like is that it requires thinking:) They would love to take the easiest way out (worksheets, tests, etc...) but I want them to learn to think and then appreciate what they've read. I do think discussions and getting kids to talk about books is necessary -maybe even the best prewriting step they could take. These talks can give them ideas as to what to write. I want them to enjoy reading and share ideas but writing about their reading is important too. We don't do letters exclusively, we use graphic organizers and sometimes 2 column charts, and even drawing about the reading too. But I love the letters as a form of communication and to have a compact way to look at a student's work over time. Ours are broken into 2 parts. The first paragraph is a brief summary, the second is the personal response (based on their stickies and the strategies used). Do you have them mark spots with stickies as they read? Those little colorful inventions can be motivating all by themselves! Linda On Tuesday, December 2, 2008, at 06:06 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I stopped having my kids write letters. They thought that was the only way they could respond to a book. I have them record their thinking as they read in different ways. I might have them respond to a question here and there depending on what strategy we are working on. At the end of a book we respond in different waysexplain how the character changed over time..what was the message of this book how do you know. I have even put kids from different guided reading groups together and asked them to figure out how their main characters share some trait or characteristic. They have to explain their story and have a conversation to determine it. Sue In a message dated 12/2/2008 5:19:58 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: How about a checklist or a tic-tac toe type list? Giving them a choice might help them to be more motivated. I talked with a former student of mine a while back and I asked him what he liked the most and least about my class. He gave me things he liked but one thing he hated. I hated those stupid letters we always had to write. I have since then given them more choices and it seems to make it more interesting for them. -- Original message from Yingling [EMAIL PROTECTED]: -- I am struggling to get my students to write quality letters within their reader's notebooks. It's December and they are still simply giving me summaries. I ask them questions and give comments in my letters back to them yet most of my kids aren't responding to my questions/comments. I've gone to giving the kids grades and their grades don't even seem to motivate some of them to do better. We've written sample letters together, I've shown them examples, I've written examples for them, I've given them letter starters. What do I do next? The kids seem to just want me to give them worksheets to complete - they don't want to think. Help please, Jenni ___ 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. **Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new- dpicid=aolcom40vanityncid=emlcntaolcom0002) ___ 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] songs and fluency
We, too, begin our morning meeting time singing and reading poetry. Each child has a copy for his own Poetry Song folder. And each song/poem is on a big chart stand. We get lots of uses for these as Kukonis mentioned. Many minilessons refer back to our songs, lots of word work but also including identifying theme. We integrated some social studies with several Patriotic songs ( when students chose their favorites to sing again and we held a Poetry Cafe for parents to attend they overwhelmingly chose songs like America, This Land is Your Land and Yankee Doodle). And like Debbie Miller, I use these songs to signal when to come to the carpet for read alouds and minilesson. Second graders love to sing! Linda/2/OH On Sunday, May 27, 2007, at 08:36 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Just a reply to the concept of singing and fluency. I teach first grade and we begin each day with a morning sing... something I decided was a must after responsive training inservice. In fact, in my old district, morning sing was a school wide affair that began each day. Now I am not talking about traditional first grade ditties or nursery type songs. We sing popular songs of yesteryear and the here and now. Besides the community that it builds, I have found that it really helps first graders in a number of ways many examples of working with words are naturally built in. this was eye opening to me when an emergent reader spelled the word beautiful in September... she just hummed Oh what a beautiful morning and when she came to beautiful she said she closed her eyes and pictured the chartof course there are all the other working with words strategies that can be used just as well as configuration and visual imagery. Then there's all the reading comprehension strategies connections, mental images, determining importance in fact we just finished inferences and are now working on synthesis. The kids are singing Let the day begin by the Call a real happening now type beat..and are doing a marvelous job of inferring and synthesizing how they begin their days. Conversation has been going on for days about attitude, thankfulness, self-improvement, perseverance, cooperation we taken it to writing poetry as well as our own songs... It's also a good jumping board for our final unit in reading workshop: planning our lives as strong readers and writers lots of good stuff. Singing also helps with peer revision; our motto is ... if you we can't sing in front of each other, how could we ever peer edit? This sets such a wonderful tone for respect and cooperation, and understanding when kids come together to help each other... rather than that gotcha,I'm smarter than you that I've seen happen with younger children. During our research reports on the rain forest, kids would spend their time printing out articles and cutting pictures they found for other kids' reports while searching for their own info rmation. Then there's the whole aesthetic stance to text... I love when the kids pick songs for us to sing. They have to tell why they chosen a morning sing and how it would help us as community member or reader or writer Finally, another very early benefit for first graders: stamina! Children are not afraid on longer text. In September my early readers often choose books that are tad longer in length and say well it is not as long as our text in morning sing. I love morning sing... it sets up my day as well. I just don't plow into the day... more reflective and hopeful... ** 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] Re-replies to my fluency v. comprehension
Wow Tim! What an eloquent and timely posting it is! So great to get to the heart of fluency and its relationship to comprehension. Our district is supposedly dropping DIBELS after this year. I think a lot of schools jumped on the bandwagon without really investigating it. I love the anecdote of Dr. Martin Luther KIng! Linda (a fortunate student to have had Tim for many reading classes at KSU and who brought his expertise to our school for some wonderful professional development) On Saturday, May 26, 2007, at 08:44 AM, Tim Rasinski wrote: Hello Everyone.This is my first posting, so I hope you will all be gentle with me. I was asked to join the conversation inasmuch as I have been studying reading fluency for the past 27 years and have written widely about it over much the same period. My interested started when I tried to understand the struggling readers I worked with who seemed to be highly intelligent, yet had difficulty with reading and understanding what they read. When I first read about fluency it was an epiphany. Let me begin by saying that I don't agree with all that has been done with fluency, particularly over the past ten years or so, in fact I strongly disagree with the direction it has generally been going. Your comments largely reflect my own thoughts on the issue. I do operate under the assumption, however naive it may be, that we are all trying to do what's right for kids. Even those folks who are doing odd things to reading fluency honestly believe they are helping children become good readers. Let me outline specifically my concerns and ideas related to fluency. Fluency is related to comprehension, quite strongly in fact. My own research has in fact found strong correlations between fluency and comprehension all the way through senior high school. We found we could predict high school students' performance on Ohio's High School Graduation Test (a silent reading comprehension test) with a measure of reading fluency (see Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 2005). We have found similar results in working with older kids in Chicago and Omaha. Interestingly, however, policy makers are not terribly interested in fluency with older students.It's just not issue they say. I'd like for them to see that 9th grader who is reading without any expression or enthusiasm, or who reads at 25 words per minute. Think about it - if an average 9th grader reads at 150 words per minute, what would normally be an hour reading assignment for an average reading 9th grader now becomes a 6 hour marathon for the student reading at such a slow rate.And, I can tell you that we have a lot of kids in middle and high school who like this. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating teaching kids to read fast for the sake of reading fast' but we have to at least consider it. My interest is in struggling readers. I run our reading clinic at Kent State and I believe it is a huge concern for students experiencing severe difficulty in reading. Mike Pressley and Nell Duke and another colleague wrote that among students experiencing severe difficulty in reading, between 75-90% of them have difficulties in reading fluency that are a significant source of their comprehension problems. I think that fluency is important for comprehension -- it is not necessarily comprehension, but it sets the stage for comprehension. Fluency has at least two components -- 1) automaticity -- recognizing the words so effortlessly (in the way that all of us are doing right now) that we can use our limited cognitive resources to make sense of the text, not just decode the words. Reading rate is a pretty good measure of automaticity, very strongly correlated with overall reading proficiency. And so measures such as DIBELS, AIMSWEB and others have been developed. To be honest, I use reading rate as a measure of automaticity in my own work. The problem has come when this MEASURE of automaticity has become SYNONYMOUS with automaticity - that is, as many of you have so clearly indicated, reading speed, not automaticity, has become the goal of reading fluency instruction.Now I see kids charting their reading rates, well meaning teachers invoking kids to read faster and faster,etc. I don't blame teachers -- they are hearing this from policy makers and others.Last year I did a little survey of kids in my region. I would ask them to name the best reader in their class. Once done, I would then ask them to tell me why that person is such a good reader. The number one answer was He or she reads fastKids get what we teach them, and I think, they are all getting the wrong message here. Reading speed is a measure of automaticity in the same way the my dog's tail is an indicator of her happiness. But I don't make my dog happy by wagging her
Re: [MOSAIC] inferences
I love this idea! I'm thinking of tying it to s.s. standards and bring in old time gadgets too. Linda On Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at 12:05 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Here is a fun activity that I did with my kids that they really seemed to enjoy... but if I know you probably you've been there and done that but here goes. I keep trying to make the point that these strategies of comprehension are not just for reading text but are necessary life skills that help everyone to think deeply and carefully so. I brought in five unfamiliar kitchen gadgets and asked them to sit at a power table so that four kids looked at the same tool. EAch was given a recording sheet where they drew pictures (visual image), labeled their observations,(determined importance) made connections to other tools that they were reminded of, and listed questions they had about the tool. Then they shared their questions and observations and came up with a power table inference. It was a fun project because although only one group actually guessed what the gadget was really used formany used their recordings to think creatively and critically. Although not correct many had wonderful alternate uses. Then I asked each group to make an inference about their group work. The overwhelming response was that their own thinking was enhanced by sharing not only their individual inferences but that their questions were the ones that drove their thinking. They also eluded to work habits and body language that either made or broke their power table's initiative. Not bad for first graders! ** 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] leveling books
I found the best most comprehensive is the scholastic reading counts site. http://src.scholastic.com/ecatalog On Wednesday, January 3, 2007, at 08:12 PM, Karen Shook wrote: Here are some I have bookmarked (I haven't used them all recently so I hope they work) http://registration.beavton.k12.or.us/lbdb/ http://classroom.jc-schools.net/pohlmanr/levelingbooks.html (this has links to other leveling sites) http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/ Karen 1st/MI Ninfa [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I did a search but was unable to locate information. Awhile back, there was a discussion on leveling books and a website was mentioned, or that is what I recall. Can anyone assist me by suggesting any online site that might be beneficial? I was using the Fountas Pinnell book today but found some titles not listed. Thanks! ___ 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. __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.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] Question: How do you squeeze it all in?
I'm also teaching grade 2 after teaching 4th for many years. We're in our 6th week and I feel finally getting into true independent reading. I do just as you're thinking, I do my gR groups while the rest of the students are engaged in reading (no centers). They're either reading or responding in their reading response notebooks (1x weekly). I still get in some conferencing between GR groups while I peruse the room-I find that is key for keeping these younger ones on task! Keep checking in on how they're doing. I try to get in about 2 share times a week after reading so students can do book talks. I can't do it daily. Linda/2/OH On Sunday, October 8, 2006, at 10:42 PM, Will and Beckie Spears wrote: I am teaching second grade for the first time, but I have used reader's and writer's workshop for many years with upper grades kids. Over the summer, I read as much as possible about the RW approach to primary grades and learned what it should look like. My district, however, mandates that every k-2 teacher would teach guided reading groups (with leveled books) each day for 90+ minutes (meeting with groups for around 30 minutes). The district wants us to use literacy stations as the work students do when not in GR groups. I've got the guided reading piece in practice, but I'm not yet sold on the effectiveness of the literacy stations (which seem labor intensive). I have been focusing heavily on teaching comprehension strategies explicitly in shared reading and read alouds, and I've been linking them to our work in GR groups. However, I know that the most essential piece of a reader's workshop - independent reading practice - is missing from my day. It doesn't feel like reader's workshop! I've been toying with the idea of beginning our literacy block with a reader's workshop mini-lesson. While I work with GR groups, students can then practice the strategies and their independent reading from their own self-selected just right books in their individual book bins. Then, at the end of GR time, I'd regroup everyone for sharing and reflecting on their independent reading. That way, we can all speak the same language and get time to practice in a workshop format. It may be asking too much of the second grade brain, and I realize that by doing it this way, I would completely eliminate the opportunity for conferencing (which is what I found so effective in reader's workshop with upper grade kids in the first place!). I'd like to hear from others with similar situations. If you are mandated to do guided reading groups, and are finding a way to also include a reader's workshop, please let me know. I know it can be done. Thanks! Beckie ___ 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] help with structure and strategies - grade 2 reading instruction
My experience is similar (taught 4th for 7 years) and really wanted a change but second grade is a whole lot different! I'm merging all the professional readings that you mentioned. Although I'm chomping at the bit to get into strategy teaching. This was our 4th week and I just started working with groups one a day. I'm waiting until they can sustain more independent reading and have built more stamina to even attempt more groups daily (my goal is 2 groups). I also found I needed many more books than I had and have been borrowing them like crazy for indep. rdg time. Running records do give you some info to help groups. I used the I PICK from Daily 5 to teach how to choose books. I loved the analogy of the good fit shoes and the kids really got it so if you haven't done that lesson you may plan that. It takes a couple of days. I also did a reading interest survey to find out their interests and tried to gather horse books for the many horse lovers and sports for the boys, etc. My words of wisdom are that you're certainly not alone! Linda On Saturday, September 23, 2006, at 09:23 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am in my first year teaching second grade. I taught fifth for two years. I have 17 students. We have not completed formal assessments yet, although I have done the Spelling Inventory from Words Their Way. I thought the formal assessment (DIBELS and MAP) would be done by now, and am a bit frustrated I don't have more information on my kids. But I will just do my own quick reading inventory using the leveled word lists and a quick running record in the next two weeks so I can start some grouping/guided reading. I have a huge range of abilities from kids who look at a word and just guess it based on the first sound, to kids who are reading and comprehending texts on a fourth or fifth grade level (of course, their writing is behind their reading). I also have a good number of kids who are going to need a lot of practice reading and working independently while I work with groups. We have an anthology with accompanying leveled readers, but I am planning to buy some text sets so we can read authentic literature in our groups. We are a new school and have no school library yet. I admit I am a bit overwhelmed by the diversity of needs. I have read a ton on teaching reading in the primary grades, including Mosaic of Thought, Reading with Meaning, the Daily 5, etc. But implementing it is another scary story! I look forward to learning more from this digest. If anyone would care to be an online mentor to me off the list, I'd appreciate and email! Maggi [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] School wide struggle with strategies
The way we approach this is through the balanced literacy framework which includes GR during our reading time. It's basically the gradual release of responsibility model so that reading begins each day with teacher read alouds (modeling thinking, strategies, etc), moving to some form of a small group or partner practice of that lesson (often this happens in the gR groups with the teacher), and works it's way into the expectation that students will use it in their independent reading during what you are calling reading workshop. Are you saying you have not supported learners in small groups before and this is the mix you're concerned about? I usually pull just one or 2 groups to work with each day and spend the rest of the time monitoring/conferencing individual learners. But it all happens during the reading workshop where students have chosen their own books to read and respond to.The difference is that in GR , teacher has chosen the text based on children's levels to help them with the strategies. Linda/2/OH On Sunday, September 17, 2006, at 07:35 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I could really use some input here! My school has struggled to get out of the dark ages of reading for some time. We finally made the big move to strategies about three years ago. We even had a big group of us go to a conference with Ellin, Debbie Miller, etc. summer before last. The problem is that our specialist (who did not go to the conference, but is the one who started strategies school wide) has not really followed up with enough training, follow through, etc., and many of the teachers who should have been teaching strategies have not really been doing it. I just don't think that the teachers quite get it yet, and so they end up falling back on old ways. My incoming 5th graders this year didn't even know what schema is. Here is the problem. We have a new staff member who was a reading specialist at her old school. We were very excited about her coming. She has had lots of special training, etc. She is a teacher here. Long story short, even though I have not heard what she is expert in yet, I now strongly believe that she was doing guided reading in her old school. Guided reading seems like a totally different thing to me than Reading workshop. It is set up differently, the timing is different, etc. I only have a 110 minute block each day for Reading and Writing, and so where does that leave time for the truly independent reading that I want my readers doing each day? My fear is that because this is a strong personality coming in, who is confident in what she has been doing, and because some grade levels are struggling with Reading Workshop, that we will cave in to yet another system. I don't want that. I have seen the format that we are doing work too well at my grade level, where we have actually been doing it, albeit imperfectly. I was wondering if any, many, or a few of you have leveled groups during your independent reading time for Reading Workshop? Do the two mix, and I'm just not getting it? I'm feeling that what we really need here is more support in the school for strategy teaching in the reading workshop format. Opinions? Sherry ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
