[MOSAIC] Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Sandra Stringham requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn: -- Devan, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - Sandra Accept invitation from Sandra Stringham http://www.linkedin.com/e/2fycqu-gpqvs22l-3w/qOTGY-94-6Ce9f-bJVGZwEcDVUZh7cQF-uVZ-N9UhF/blk/I110338636_105/6lColZJrmZznQNdhjRQnOpBtn9QfmhBt71BoSd1p65Lr6lOfPkMclYScPoUcPcMcj59bT92s4RpjmNKbPgVc34MdPgTczcLrCBxbOYWrSlI/EML_comm_afe/ View invitation from Sandra Stringham http://www.linkedin.com/e/2fycqu-gpqvs22l-3w/qOTGY-94-6Ce9f-bJVGZwEcDVUZh7cQF-uVZ-N9UhF/blk/I110338636_105/dj0NnPoPdzwPcP0NckALqnpPbOYWrSlI/svi/ -- Why might connecting with Sandra Stringham be a good idea? Have a question? Sandra Stringham's network will probably have an answer: You can use LinkedIn Answers to distribute your professional questions to Sandra Stringham and your extended network. You can get high-quality answers from experienced professionals. http://www.linkedin.com/e/2fycqu-gpqvs22l-3w/ash/inv19_ayn/ -- (c) 2011, LinkedIn Corporation ___ 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] Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Sandra Stringham requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn: -- Devan, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - Sandra Accept invitation from Sandra Stringham http://www.linkedin.com/e/2fycqu-gp5jt03c-5b/qOTGY-94-6Ce9f-bJVGZwEcDVUZh7cQF-uVZ-N9UhF/blk/I103693460_105/6lColZJrmZznQNdhjRQnOpBtn9QfmhBt71BoSd1p65Lr6lOfPkMclYMdzgPejoPc359bT92s4RpjmNKbPgVc34MdPgTczcLrCBxbOYWrSlI/EML_comm_afe/ View invitation from Sandra Stringham http://www.linkedin.com/e/2fycqu-gp5jt03c-5b/qOTGY-94-6Ce9f-bJVGZwEcDVUZh7cQF-uVZ-N9UhF/blk/I103693460_105/dj0NnP0Sd3cVdzcMckALqnpPbOYWrSlI/svi/ -- Why might connecting with Sandra Stringham be a good idea? Have a question? Sandra Stringham's network will probably have an answer: You can use LinkedIn Answers to distribute your professional questions to Sandra Stringham and your extended network. You can get high-quality answers from experienced professionals. http://www.linkedin.com/e/2fycqu-gp5jt03c-5b/ash/inv19_ayn/ -- (c) 2011, LinkedIn Corporation ___ 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] reading strategies order
II plan my year using a specific order because I NEED it! And I think in 1st there is a logic to it for the kids. I start by building stamina and teaching about metacognition, building the workshop procedures with the kids. Then I move into schema, but I don't stop teaching about metacognition, building stamina, or workshop format (read to self, buddy read, listen to reading). After about 6 weeks (depends on the kids) I add visualizing. But, I don't stop teaching schema, metacognition, etc. I'm adding and building for the kids so they will see how we use them all. AND.if while I'm teaching schema, something comes up about visualizing-I take the time to teach. AND...when I have them draw a response...I tell them what they are doing. And, I praise them for asking questions before, during, and after reading when we may only be on schema-labeling what they did. So I take the time to introduce all the strategies as they come up so they have heard about them long before we get to MY plan of teaching. I hope that makes sense. I need a logical order for me to teach, but the focus has to be on the kids and what will make sense for them as well. I personally just can't teach them all at one time because it doesn't make sense for ME. And if it doesn't make sense for me I'll have a hard time helping them make sense. But I know I need to acknowledge their efforts and use the teachable moments. I hope that makes sense? I think this is just another example of the complexity of teaching!!! NowI've procrastinated enoughagainback to report cards. YUCH!! Sandi Elgin/1st ___ 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 strategies/skills ques
Yes...I am on the list serve. It's wonderful! And, joined the facebook group. I love the number sense book...great suggestions. Number sense is s important and in first grade I think even more socatch them early before the misconceptions begin or get t ingrained. One activity I really like is just the daily counting routine. I always did have kids count each day, but not in the manner described in the book. The kids sit in a circle and I have them count clockwise (they know what that means now as well!) I have them count by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's starting at different points. They have to pay attention to what the person next to them says so they can keep up the count. You really can see who's got it and who doesn't. Friday I had them start counting at 850 by 1's and we went past 900, stopping only because of time. You could see who understood place value as well. We even counted by 2's going to 200. I like it when we start at an odd number and count by 2's...again...you know who's got skip counting and more! This summer I'll be going on the book in more detail. (It just came out in the last few months) I want to plan out how to do more of the routines within by math workshop block. Looking forward to it! Sandi From: Waingort Jimenez, Elisa elwaingor...@cbe.ab.ca To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, May 29, 2011 9:12:21 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] reading strategies/skills ques Great suggestions, Sandi! Thank you! Are you on the Guided Math listserv? Also, can you tell a little bit about the Number Sense Routines book? Thanks, Elisa Elisa Waingort Grade 2 Spanish Bilingual Teacher Spanish Learning Leader 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 The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -Former US Cabinet member John W. Gardner Visit my blog, A Teacher's Ruminations, and post a message. http://waingortgrade2spanishbilingual.blogspot.com/ Evelia I don't worry too much about definitions, but here is my philosophy and belief: Reading comprehension strategies (using metacognition, schema, visualizing, asking questions, determining importance, synthesis) have to be taught right from the beginning and they go hand in hand with the decoding strategies (look at the picture, think about what is happening, try a word, look at the 1st letter, etc). I teach fix up strategies throughout. Just reading the words without comprehension is not reading. I also think you have to build the love of reading right from the start. And to quote a 1st grade student: they go hand in hand. You can't have one without another!) I teach first, but when I have tutored the word callers in the upper grades, it is HARD to teach them to think. They can read the words, but not a clue about what is really going on in the book---nor do they really love reading. I frame my curriculum pacing so that I start with metacognition (I know-it's not a strategy, but I believe kids need to be taught to think), then move into schema. I spend a few weeks on metacogntion as I work with them to build stamina as a reader. I use the daily 3 (read to self, read to others, listen to reading). I'm also teaching them to decode words. My little guys read for an hour a day (readers' workshop). I teach them to be voracious readers. If they have 1 minute-read a book! When kids have to wait inside because of the weather before school-I love seeing them read a book as they wait to come in.) I would recommend you check out these books: Comprehension: Reading With Meaning by Debbie Miller Comprehension from the Ground Up by Sharon Taberski The Next Step in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson (and check out her website) Growing Readers by Kathy Collins Fluency by Jerry Johns I also tie my writing and math workshops together with the strategies. I would recommend: Number Sense Routines by Jessical Shumway Math Work Stations by Debbie Diller Laney Sammons Guided Math Laney Sammons Math Stretches Crafting Non Fiction by Linda Hoyt Units of Study by Lucy Calkinsu And to be perfectly honest-in my case at least-any book, list serve, website, teachers website/blog, I can get my hands on because every child is different and you never know what they might do and where to find an answer of what to do! I hope this helped you some. Sandi Elgin N.B.C.T. 2010-Literacy (I like using this now!) ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go
Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesis in 1st grade
Yep24 out of 33 on intervention plans! You just do it because you have to. But here's the supports that I have: 1. A principal that let's me teach children-not a program. Not follow a prescribed one size fits all mentality but truly teaching kids what it is they need to know to be successful. Sad that not all principals aren't like this. You would think that would be the model-after all that is what I am-a teacher-not a reader of a script. 2. Two fantastic reading coaches. They each take groups of my kids out during the literacy block and before school to do interventions using FP Leveled Literacy Interventions. Both are former reading recovery teachers so they aren't reading a script either but giving the kids instruction right where they are at. 3. I took my absolute lowest student and tutored her before school as well. Then I would have her do the Lexia computer intervention program immediately when school started as she needed a LOT of intervention in phonemic awareness. I also gave her and a few others double instruction in phonemic awareness. Then I met with her (or TRIED to) 5 times a week in guided reading. She was also in one of the LLI groups. For a period, the reading coach also took her out separately to give her more phonemic awareness instruction and reading instruction. 4. That left me with about 8 kids on intervention that only met with me in the classroom. Plus the 2 kids that had attendance issues and started late. And...the kids on grade level or above (9). I also met with the kids the coaches tok, so they also got guided reading in the classroom. But, mathmatically, there is no way I could have done it all without these two wonderful ladies giving these kids extra guided reading instruction. 5. Every single minute was used-not a moment could be wasted in the day. 6. And again, a principal that lets me teach kids what they need to know to be successful. At the end of the year, if you just look at FP reading levels as the mark of success I have 14 kids that didn't make Level I (this years benchmark-next year J) I guess according to the legislators I wasn't successful and should be fired. But, the student who said synthesis is changing our ideas and what we know in our schema. she's a level G-BELOW-but she is growing and loving to read. She will be successful if she continues to get the instruction she needs. And the rest of the kids grew as readers as well no matter what their level letter says. Sandi From: Susanne Lee susannelee...@yahoo.com To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sat, May 28, 2011 5:09:47 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesis in 1st grade Sandra, I also cannot believe you have 24 students on intervention (is that RTI)??!!! I should be RTI'ing half of my class, but I could only handle 4, so I feel really guilty now. How do you do it? --- On Fri, 5/27/11, Sandra Stringham sos...@sbcglobal.net wrote: From: Sandra Stringham sos...@sbcglobal.net Subject: [MOSAIC] Synthesis in 1st grade To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Date: Friday, May 27, 2011, 10:15 PM Its been a very long year and yet today I felt hope for my little ones. I teach a class of 33 at risk 1st grade students at a Title I school. I can't even begin to describe the behavior and social issues I have faced this year that interfered with learning and still interfere! Some I have never faced before.a long, long year...but today... I've been teaching about synthesis. We began with retelling as a step before, then we moved into summarizing and now this week, by using a think aloud, the kids observed last week that synthesis is changing your thinking as you read. This week, using the book Jin Woo by Eve Bunting, with think aloud and conversations, the students decided that synthesis was changing your thinking as you read and using your synthesis. I asked the students to draw a picture of what synthesis meant to them. Here are a few highlights: One student (and this was a student that had severe behavior issues and I was happy if she held a book in her hand, right side up, earlier in the year) said: I think synthesis is changing our ideas and what we know in our schema. I told her I hadn't thought of that before...but she is right...sometimes we have the wrong idea in our schema, and as we read, we have to change that as well. I told her how smart her thinking was!!! Her smile could light the room!!! Another student--one who used to sing and hum through readers workshop- compared synthesis to adding details to your writing. As you read, you are adding to your schema-the details that make the story bigger-so your thinking gets bigger. And when you use your schema-you get smarter! A 3rd student said when you synthesize...your schema gets bigger, too. Another student (1 of the 24 I had
[MOSAIC] reading strategies/skills ques
Evelia I don't worry too much about definitions, but here is my philosophy and belief: Reading comprehension strategies (using metacognition, schema, visualizing, asking questions, determining importance, synthesis) have to be taught right from the beginning and they go hand in hand with the decoding strategies (look at the picture, think about what is happening, try a word, look at the 1st letter, etc). I teach fix up strategies throughout. Just reading the words without comprehension is not reading. I also think you have to build the love of reading right from the start. And to quote a 1st grade student: they go hand in hand. You can't have one without another!) I teach first, but when I have tutored the word callers in the upper grades, it is HARD to teach them to think. They can read the words, but not a clue about what is really going on in the book---nor do they really love reading. I frame my curriculum pacing so that I start with metacognition (I know-it's not a strategy, but I believe kids need to be taught to think), then move into schema. I spend a few weeks on metacogntion as I work with them to build stamina as a reader. I use the daily 3 (read to self, read to others, listen to reading). I'm also teaching them to decode words. My little guys read for an hour a day (readers' workshop). I teach them to be voracious readers. If they have 1 minute-read a book! When kids have to wait inside because of the weather before school-I love seeing them read a book as they wait to come in.) I would recommend you check out these books: Comprehension: Reading With Meaning by Debbie Miller Comprehension from the Ground Up by Sharon Taberski The Next Step in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson (and check out her website) Growing Readers by Kathy Collins Fluency by Jerry Johns I also tie my writing and math workshops together with the strategies. I would recommend: Number Sense Routines by Jessical Shumway Math Work Stations by Debbie Diller Laney Sammons Guided Math Laney Sammons Math Stretches Crafting Non Fiction by Linda Hoyt Units of Study by Lucy Calkinsu And to be perfectly honest-in my case at least-any book, list serve, website, teachers website/blog, I can get my hands on because every child is different and you never know what they might do and where to find an answer of what to do! I hope this helped you some. Sandi Elgin N.B.C.T. 2010-Literacy (I like using this now!) ___ 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] Synthesis in 1st grade
Its been a very long year and yet today I felt hope for my little ones. I teach a class of 33 at risk 1st grade students at a Title I school. I can't even begin to describe the behavior and social issues I have faced this year that interfered with learning and still interfere! Some I have never faced before.a long, long year...but today... I've been teaching about synthesis. We began with retelling as a step before, then we moved into summarizing and now this week, by using a think aloud, the kids observed last week that synthesis is changing your thinking as you read. This week, using the book Jin Woo by Eve Bunting, with think aloud and conversations, the students decided that synthesis was changing your thinking as you read and using your synthesis. I asked the students to draw a picture of what synthesis meant to them. Here are a few highlights: One student (and this was a student that had severe behavior issues and I was happy if she held a book in her hand, right side up, earlier in the year) said: I think synthesis is changing our ideas and what we know in our schema. I told her I hadn't thought of that before...but she is right...sometimes we have the wrong idea in our schema, and as we read, we have to change that as well. I told her how smart her thinking was!!! Her smile could light the room!!! Another student--one who used to sing and hum through readers workshop- compared synthesis to adding details to your writing. As you read, you are adding to your schema-the details that make the story bigger-so your thinking gets bigger. And when you use your schema-you get smarter! A 3rd student said when you synthesize...your schema gets bigger, too. Another student (1 of the 24 I had on intervention plans) drew a picture of a person growing from a baby to an adult...just stick figures, but you could clearly see the progression. She said synthesis is like growing up. You change as you grow and learn and as you synthesize, your thinking gets bigger and bigger. Finally, one student compared synthesis to planting a seed. Your first thinking is like planting the seed. Then just like the seed begins to grow, so does you 2nd thinking (her words)then your 3rd thinking (her words) she compared it to the flower that the seed grew into. She drew a picture of the seed...the seedlingthe full plant...and labeled it with the synthesis stages. So.with 1 more week to gotoday made it all worthwhile. Through it all, I guess I was reaching them. I just wanted to share because we had some behavior issues in the afternoon that really brought me down...and I wanted to end my day...remembering the great things they can do. Why we persevere-it makes it all worthwhile! Sandi Elgin, IL And I'm going to sign my name for the first time as: National Board Certified Teacher-Literacy; 2010 (Hey...I never get to do that---so humor me!) ___ 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] CAFE
Lori wrote: Are there any first grade teachers out there who use the CAFE system for reading instruction? I am thinking about implementing it and was looking for any helpful hints and tips. Any feedback is welcome! I teach 1st and I use the CAFE menu. In fact, I adapt it for writing and math. It's great. Sandi 1st Elgin, 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] Web 2.0
Joy..MichelleAbsolutly! My 1st/2nd graders LOVE the classroom blog (multiageclassroom.blogspot.com). It's been quiet this summer, but in the schoolyear (I started it at the end of January) we did all types of things. The BEST was being able to TALK to schools around the WORLD! This year, in addition, to the blog, we will have a classroom wiki for information, as well as a place to record their work (reading log, homefun, etc.) I'm working on that now so it's ready for them in August. BOTH of these are SAFE for kids, as long as you put in the proper safeguards. On teacher tube, you can watch a video I made about teaching math in a multiage classroom. http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=79d9a008be459fe0ffe3 Putting our comprehension lessons on a wiki or a blog or teacher tube, is reaching the world, and all are easy to do. The teacher tube video was just a digital camera, photostory 3 (a free download from Microsoft) and a computer. I would love to see us move up to the 21st century. Active Literacy, (the reasons we teach comprehension!) means we want the kids to be able to do something with what they have learnedand I don't mean a diorama! But, as teachers, we need to step it up a bit ourselves in technology. Someone on this list or another one I'm on, mentioned portaportal. What a GREAT resource that is. (go to portaportal.com and set up your own...easy! My guest access login is libertyschool for my list for my students and parents...and soswes for my ownstuff. Feel free to browse) Even something simple as that for ALL the links we have. A wiki where we can post lessons or videos or both (that has security issues as I wouldn't want that to be public access, but I'm sure there is a way to do that) or more! If we all had del.icio.us accounts (also free!) we could even do a lot. Joy...I WILL add you to my network...my id is soswes. Let's step it up, everyone! I would be glad to be part of something that started this up! Sandi 1st/2nd Elgin U-46 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] critical concern/reading strategies
Leslie Being in a 1-2 classroom, I do teach ALL the strategies and it's important to me that they know they build on each other. We are working on Synthesizing now and I'm using Jabberwocky (you can find it on the mosaic pages). We are using all the strategies in order to create meaning. They are totally into it! By the same token, I'm reading The Tales of Despereux as a read aloud and they are naturally synthesizing the book as we read. In teaching, I've explained how in practicing and using our strategies they become ingrained in us so our brains aren't thinking I will visualize now or I will make a connection you do it automatically. And sometimes you CAN'T make a connection, but you can infer or visualize or whatever you need to do to make meaning. We've talked a LOT about what it means to understand and what is this book telling me. I'm constantly asking them...what does it mean to understand and when they tell me they understand I ask them, what does that mean. I relate how when you are summarizing a book, you are helping your brain move your memory of the book to your long term memory and so it will always be there. But that's surface level understanding of the book and we want to go deeper. That's why we use our strategies, to dig deeper. They are TOTALLY into it! In fact, one of my students just compared synthesizing to the earthquake we had here a few weeks ago. Our ideas about the book change and get bigger and bigger, just like the earthquake rings...they get bigger and bigger as they move from the epicenter. As much as I think it is critical we teach the strategies, it is just as critical to ME that they LOVE to read. That's why we talk about books CONSTANTLY...what they are reading..what I'm readingI do not want them to see reading as work. I tie literature to everything. We have literature circles...book discussion clubs. I don't use role sheets because I want them to just talk about the book and focus on what's important to them and then to each other. I'm not answering your question because I don't know if it has to do with age level! But I do we know we need to teach the strategies at different depths at each grade level. (I spend at least 6-8 weeks on each strategy using backwards planning) But I would think that by time they get up in the upper grades you should be spending less time on schema and more time on synthesis. I do know that I have a lot of previous students who are now in those upper grades who LOVE to read still today. I do know my own daughter, who was taught this way, from primary and is now in Freshman Honors English, LOVES to read and I'm going broke trying to keep up with her book supply! My oldest daughter who was not taught this way (I still have her diorama from 1st grade about Charlotte's Web!) hates to read because she sees reading as work. She did fine in school, but to this day her thinking and analyzing of text and LIFE does not go as deep as her younger sister. So, I guess I'm saying we have to teach the strategies, but we also have to make it fun and make sure above all else they LOVE to readtotally against your district mandate, because it IS my job to make sure they love to read! Sandi PS: check out our blog: multiageclassroom.blogspot.com and see what they have been doing and saying...you can also link to the classroom website and hear them read. 1/2 multiage Elgin, 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] critical concern
Leslie writes: new critical concern. I teach third grade in a school that is all about teaching reading strategies. We have been told not to teach novels - better to have quantity than quality - and we have been told to stick to teaching the strategies from grades K-4, often times using the same texts! We have even been told that it is not our job to make children like reading. I am now noticing that my children can recite the strategies and even apply them and write to them but they are missing the book. They aren't looking at the book as a whole anymore. It has been delivered to them piecemeal and they are reading it that way. Many of them are missing the entire point, theme, lesson, importance, etc of the story. I am trying frantically to correct this before the year is over. Are any of you experiencing anything similar to this? This is confusing...the reason for the reading strategies is so that kids can understand what they read and enjoy what they read. Something has gone wrong here. I never read a book piecemealI read it in its entirety so we can enjoy it. I don't even have a problem if you are using the same texts K-4, because as kids grow..they should get more out of it..take it deeper, or even need an easier text to learn from (and many more reasons!) But you always look at the book as a whole. Either something has gone wrong with the messageOR...something has gone wrong with the teaching OR both. Since I began focusing on each strategy and then build on each one, my kids LOVE to read. I even got a note today saying thank you for teaching their child to read because they can't keep her out of the library! I hear from students years later how much they love to read. Sandi 1st/2nd Elgin 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] Ginger's Cloze Activity
Here is Ginger's Cloze Activity The questions that p face as they raise ch_ from in to adult life are not easy to an_. Both fa_ and m_ can become concerned when health problems such as co arise any time after the e___ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch___ should have plenty of s___ and nutritious food for healthy growth. B__ and g___ should not share the same b_ or even sleep in the same r__. They may be afraid of the d___. ++ The questions that POULTRYMEN face as they raise CHICKENS from INCUBATION to adult life are not easy to ANSWER. Both FARMERS and MERCHANTS can become concerned when health problems such as COCCIDIOSIS arise any time after the EGG stage to later life. Experts recommend that young CHICKS should have plenty of SUNSHINE and nutritious food for healthy growth. BANTIES and GEESE should not share the same BARNYARD or even sleep in the same ROOST. They may be afraid of the DARK.-Adapted from Madeline Hunter Sandi ___ 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] FP benchmark
Debbie wrote: I'm wondering if anyone has used the Fountas Pinnell Benchmark Assessment and how it compares to the DRA2. I'm considering getting it as a supplement for my Title I program. We give DRA's 2 times a year, but teachers are required to give a formal running record (Rigby Benchmark or Reading A-Z Benchmark) second and third quarter. It seems like they are always asking me for something more - the kids who don't move up (especially in 2nd and 3rd), have seen the stories and they are looking for something the kids haven't read before. I think part of the problem is in the testing - and hopefully I'll be providing some inservice this spring to help eliminate that, but I would like to hear how this assessment aligns with the others. My district established a PreK-2 assestment task force who's goal was to find the best available instrument, that gave us the most information in the least amount of time, that had national norms, that aligned prek with k...K with 1...1 with 2...2 with 3, so that the information I gathered year end was reliable and the next years teacher could take that information and go...not retest. This was a 4 month committee that stretched into over a year. We looked at every assessment that you could imagine, including DRA2. The result: we use MAP for 2nd with FP lowest 20% can also be tested using Map for Primary 1st: MAP for primary with FP And I won't go into the rest because my point is the FP assessment is a much better instrument for testing that the DRA2. We piloted FP and DRA2 in all levels of schools. We do have to use the EDL2 for our Spanish speaking population because FP does not have Spanish. But we were looking for the BEST possible instrument and it made no sense to choose the DRA2 just because FP did not come in Spanish when overwhelming teachers prefer-ed FP. The kit comes with a continuum of literacy learning that is outstanding. Professional development is way above DRA2. I've changed my teaching to make sure that I am teaching within the text, about the text, and beyond the text. All 3 of these areas are assessed. There are 2 kits: A-N an L-Z (double check the cutoffs..they do overlap for obvious reasons). I've given the DRA for years and did not like it AT ALL. I felt I was testing their memory..not their comprehension. The FP assesses for deep comprehensionshows you how to teach for deep comprehension and it's QUICK..taking me away from teaching for limited amounts of time to test. We assess beginning, middle, and end of year using FP. Plus, this is designed for ongoing assessment and I can assess more than that as needed. I would run, not walk to purchase it, and I would dump DRA. Sandi Elgin 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] retelling
I've held off putting in my two cents worth, but I just felt I had to jump in after reading some of the posts about prompts on retelling. Why is there such a negative connotation regarding a prompt? Think about itwhen you read a book you really really like and you are so excited to tell someone about it, do you remember every single detail? And in having that conversation with the person you are sharing about the book, what happens when they ask you a question about the book, you answer it and sometimes it spurs more of your memory of why you liked the booked so much. Why spend time teaching kids about a rubric...spend time teaching them what is important and what the big idea of the book is. I'll start right off by saying that is one of the reasons I am not a fan of DRA. When retelling a story, the student is penalized if prompted. Many of our students are conditioned from their home environment/culture not to respond unless asked. Plus, what are we assessing: comprehension or memory? They read the book one time and are asked to retell every detail. I also wonder why we expect every detail when retelling? I want my kids to tell me about characters, setting, etc, but as an example, if they tell me all the animals went into the mitten to get warm (in the book The Mitten) is it wrong as long as they can tell me how it ended? I've had kids tell the BIG IDEA of books, yet, didn't tell me every single detail that the DRA required. Technically, they failed the DRA, yet I think they had a deeper understanding of the book than what they DRA assessed. I would like to suggest two alternatives to DRA: 1. Assessment to Instruction: This is set up by genre and begins with the essential understanding of what the children need to learn in retelling. In addition to the books and the assessments, scaffold instruction is laid out from the youngest reader to the more sophisticated. Anchor charts, forms, assts. its all there. It comes with a DVD with teachers in conferences or assts. with children. I'm not doing justice to ATI so I suggest you write to: Dr. Janine Batzle A Place for the Child 16625 Redmond Way, Ste. M533 Redmond, WA 98052 888-487-5924 425-882-6942 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Many of you may recognize her name as a respected member of this list serve as well as the literacy community. I have used and continue to use her material in my teaching today. 2. Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Asst. System: This just came out in July and in addition to helping you teach for deep comprehension it assesses for deep comprehension. You are certainly NOT penalized for prompts. I absolutely love how it lays out how to teach for comprehension in the book, about the book and thinking about book. It comes not only with the books and asst. but a CD with professional dev.; data forms, and blackline masters; The reading continuum is an absolute BIBLE for teaching for deep comprehension. I have been amazed at how much I have learned just from using it these last few months and look forward to delving deeper in it as I learn. FP has a book that came out about 2 years ago called Fluency and Comprehension; I found it overwhelming when I first saw it and let it. Now that I have the asst kit, the book has opened a whole new world to me in understanding how I need to teach for deep comprehension. It's certainly not overwhelming now and is clarifying so much for me. The asst. kit comes in to two sets: A-N and L-Z. Go on line and take a look. My entire district has adopted this for our K-2 asst. system. Respectfully, Sandi Stringham 1-2 multiage Elgin, 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] retention
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. I've said good teaching is the answer too, but I even think that sounds to simplistic. I would wonder if these students did have good teaching but there are so many variables in a students life, that even good teaching can't overcome everything. I don't know how I feel about retention. I do everything I can to make sure my students succeed. Out of 23 kids last year, I had 9 on intervention plans right from the beginning of the school year. Of those nine, by the end of the year, only 2 qualified for summer school. Which means the intervention plans worked. Of the 2 that went to summer school, I know what one went up several levels in her reading. I don't know about the other student. I've had retention students in my classroom and they did very well. I don't know how they are doing now because I'm not in that school and who knows where they are. I've sent kids on to 2nd that were low, but you should have seen where they came from. I did retain one child this last year, but it was a child who came to our school in May. He started school last July in CA. and then in Sept. moved to Washington State, and then in May moved to our school. When I tested him, he was a beginning first grader. He was very immature (okdon't start that discussion again) and we had behavior problems, but I think that was due more to fact that he as so far behind my other kids. He was even smaller in statue than my littlest 1st grader. I can't help but think that another year of maturity on this kid will do him a world of good; he'll start the year right where he should be. I don't know what kind of teaching he had in his other 2 schools. I'm sure they would say good teaching...but I don't know. Have I done this child a disservice? I don't think so. Maybe it's just we don't believe in retention, and we'll do everything possible to prevent it, but sometimes, it may be the best thing? I don't know. Thinking out loud. Just wondering. Sandi 1st/2nd ___ 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] inferences
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. I LOVE your ideaI'm stealing this one too Sandi 1st ___ 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] RWM/Debbie Miller
Maybe I'm defensive...and that won't be the 1st time that's been said about me, but I just had to respond to Bella...especially for the students in their pre-service teaching: I am a substitute teacher and I never hear teachers use schema in a sentence. I also like how she uses the word infer when she teaches or asks a question to the children. On the video she has a notebook for each child and she is always writing something down. Unfortunately that is not possible with some teachers. The days are chaotic. and it is hard to write comments about each individual child. I also feel that her room is also well organized and she has a lot of space. Her students do enjoy her and the way she teaches. She does alot of read alouds and shared readings with the children. The teachers on this list serve certainly DO use schema in their sentencesas well as metacognition...inferring, questioning, visualizing, determining importance and synthesizing. That's part of the point of teaching the strategies explicitly: using the terminology. Certainly not all of it...we want them to understand how it helps them be better readers. And I want them to transfer that language to writing and to math. I have a notebook for every child and when I meet with them in guided reading, I'm taking a running record every single time as well as noting any strategy use. I also have a notebook that I write in during share time, when we are sharing whole group our strategy work and I take notes daily. Read Alouds and shared reading...that's all part of balanced literacy. We do it everyday. I've had BIG BIG rooms and small, small roomsit can be done with a little planningdon't let the room discourage what you can do for your kids. I was fortunate to have Debbie Miller teach a lesson in my classroom a few years ago. It certainly did my heart good to hear my kids use the terminology as they discussed what good readers do with herand even more so they could demonstrate the use of the strategy. And the only way they learned it was because I taught them. So if you are not seeing teachers use the terminology where you teach or the kids, more importantly, can't demonstrate what it is and use it...then introduce them to this list serve and the research that is out there. I hate that word never...because it's NEVER true! Sandi 1st/Elgin 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] Using Tanny McGregors Book
This past week we began our study of Determining Importance. I always struggle with this unit because everything seems so obvious to me for NON FICTION, but I know I have to tie in Fiction. Not to just compare and contrast, but also to teach my 1st graders how to decide what is important in fiction as well as NF. I've used Tanny's book, Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading when I was teaching inferring. My kids didn't seem to be getting it this year, and I went back to the beginning, using Tanny's lesson ideas of the old shoe and based on the clues, what can we infer about the owner. (Ch. 4). We used several different items and what do you know, with concrete lessons in inferring, when we went back to the abstract, they got it! I started off with the concrete this time for determining importance. Why I didn't think of this before is why Tanny writes a book and why I use her ideas! I know in math I have to show them concretely before I move to abstract, but I just didn't make that transition in reading. Now these lessons are right from her book, Ch. 6, so be sure and take a look. The first day, I brought in a gym back filled with a wallet, a coin purse, masking tape, a camera, a stapler, a hole punch, lipstick, gum, chapstick and such. Just as in her lesson, I told them I was going to the health club right after work to walk around the track. (That they bought that is a testament to the lesson!) Anyway, I didn't want to take my purse and could they help me decide what I should take in my backpack and what I should leave out. The power of the lesson is that for each item, whether I'm keeping it in the bag or leaving it out, they had to justify why one was important and why something wasn't. They did a great job with this. The 2nd day I used Chris Van Allsburgs pictures from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. I just picked one of the tame ones and said that I was trying to tell my daughter about these pictures and I couldn't remember them. I could remember some of the details, but nothing really made sense in trying to describe one picture in particular to her. Would they help me out? We turned out the lights and I used a flashlight to move around the picture. I read the lead at the bottom and the one we used said: He was sure he had seen the door handle turn. They did a great job getting me to move the flashlight to what was important in that picture: The door (and it's small size), the man coming down the stairs, and knowing that this was a basement or cellar. They could justify why certain items weren't important, EXCEPT to develop the setting, but the key items to look at were the door and the man's legs that were shown walking down the stairs. The 3rd day I used a wordless picture book: A Circle of Friends by Giora Carmi. As Tanny says in her book, its a powerful story and simple, clean drawings, Carmi uses ink lines with only one person or object per page in full color, making this book easy to use with a large group. The kids quickly zeroed in on the colored item, but then they used their eyes to move out into the important details in the drawings, such as the expressions. They didn't make wild predictions with the unimportant items, but made true predictions that made sense when they justified them with the important details. As we moved ahead a few pages, I would go back and recap, only hitting the important part of each picture. By the time we got to the end, we knew this story! They were enthralled with this book. We spent 40 minutes for this lesson and not one child was off task...they were all involved. When we finished, they went knee to knee and discussed the Big Idea of this book. As I roamed, they were all getting it. When they turned back to share they said it was about sharing kindness. That if one person is kind to another, then it keeps going until that kindness makes it way back to you. (They said better than I can...but they are right; this is a pay it forward type book! Next week we begin by learning that in a fiction book, we predict what might happen and that in a non fiction, we can predict what information we might learn. So we will be moving away from concrete to a little bit more abstract. So...if you had any doubts about buying this book, give them up. I only wish I had had this book last Fall. Thanks Tanny! Sandi 1st Elgin ___ 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] an aha moment
I thought I would share something that happened today during readers' workshop share time. Bear in mind...this is 1st grade. My class has been working on Text to Self Connections. We were reading Hazel's Amazing Mother...if you want the lesson...it's right out of RWM by Debbie Miller, but the idea is to get kids to understand which connections help and which don't, what to do with those that don't, and why connections help. To make the long story shortone of my students after the lesson, wanted to know if he could record a response in his response journal about Hazel's Amazing Mother. Of course...no problem. His response was When I read Hazels Amazing Mother, I was thinkingand he wrote it reminded him that he went on a picnic with his mom. In my mind, I'm thinking how do I go about explaining how this connection doesn't help us understand the book...it was just coincidence, so I asked him the all important question: how does this help you as a reader? Here the aha! moment: It helped me understand where they were at in the book. I could put myself in their place. So, taking a cue from Debbie Miller: I rephrased what he said: I've never thought of it that way...so you were visualizing where they were atthe setting...you put yourself in the book. So you could understand the setting! That's s smart...kiss your brain! And it's trueit could help him understand what setting is! And others! He is a 2nd language learner, so I think this is great, anyway...this was wonderful thinking for 30 days into a new school year! My ahamaybe I need to do more about understanding what the word setting meansnot just it is where they are at or the time it's happening. Just thought I would sharedon't be so quick to think it doesn't help...it helped him! Sandi 1st ___ 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 stations
Maxine I agree with your posting about literacy centers. If we want kids to read, then they have to have the opportunity to read for long periods of time. Too many times I have seen (and been guilty of myself in the past) of setting up centers that have nothing to do with having kids learn to read. I do not believe that having kids rainbow write, or work with magnetic letters or work in a math center during the reading workshop time will help them be the deep thinking readers that we want. Do those centers have value...you bet they do...but NOT during reading workshop and not with all kids. We want to develop stamina and time to think deeply at all levels of reading. The listening center or books on tape, can still be a part of that for non readers or early readers to help them...but that is reading as you said. NON READERS...those that can't even read a word...they need to be reading during readers workshop. How? In addition to books on tape, the teacher models how to look at the pictures to develop meaning. So during workshop time...that's what the student does...look at pictures in a deep way. Notice all the details...the expressions...what words do you think you might see...retell the story by looking at the picture. If you want evidence of their thinking, they can sketch what the story was about and write a sentence about the picture, but the point is they are reading. My day is set up in workshop format...readers' and writers. I also have word work workshop. If you want kids rainbow writing or working with magnetic letters...that's the time. My math time is set up in workshop format also so that I can differentiate all my instruction and help kids where they need the help. Sandi 1st U-46 ___ 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.
