Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Judy, Reading is a life skill and a life joy. You are now a quote on my wall. Thanks for the inspiration. Leslie R. Stewart (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749 lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Seuss -Original Message- From: mosaic-bounces+lstewart=branford.k12.ct...@literacyworkshop.org [mailto:mosaic-bounces+lstewart=branford.k12.ct...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of jvma...@comcast.net Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 5:46 PM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
And mine!! Just in time for Family Literacy Night On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 12:33 PM, Stewart, L lstew...@branford.k12.ct.uswrote: Judy, Reading is a life skill and a life joy. You are now a quote on my wall. Thanks for the inspiration. Leslie R. Stewart (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749 lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Seuss -Original Message- From: mosaic-bounces+lstewart=branford.k12.ct...@literacyworkshop.org[mailto: mosaic-bounces+lstewart mosaic-bounces%2Blstewart=branford.k12.ct.us@ literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of jvma...@comcast.net Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 5:46 PM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school ___ 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. -- There is nothing so unequal as equal treatment of unequals.Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes ___ 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] comprehension strategies in my school
Comprehension strategies: what is the state of comprehension instruction in your school? How well is comprehension being taught? What can teacher leaders do to help improve practices? I am thrilled to reply to this question. My small district in Northern California was an early comprehension strategy follower--they even paid for Ellin Keene to spend a day speaking to us and sent many teachers (not me, I was new to the district then) to Colorado for training. Alas, California went the way of the politicians and we were given a choice of using Houghton Mifflin or Open Court. Our district chose HM and we were expected to teach it with fidelity. I did so for one year and then I returned to comprehension strategies (occasionally using the text from HM for shared reading). THE GOOD NEWS is that finally, this year, our principal has sanctioned a return to comprehension strategies (hmmm, seems those basals weren't the answer to test scores). Of course, I never gave them up, but it's nice to be working in the open again. So now we have a lot of training and retraining to do. It's hard to believe, because my district (and boy, was I proud of it) was once so entrenched in MOT, we have teachers who have never even read Mosaic. We do have a coach and a MOT committee and we've been given 3 Learning Communities for teaching comprehension strategies. At the first one, I brought in students and modeled a think aloud (I want to grow up to be Ellin Keene) and we discussed a piece of literature thinking about how adults use comprehension strategies. At the second we again discussed literature and shared how our work is going. The third (a whole afternoon on a staff development day) is yet to be determined. I am thrilled to be an official comprehension strategy teacher again. Judy P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one? ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
In a message dated 1/31/2010 2:24:48 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jvma...@comcast.net writes: Judy P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one? Judy...OF COURSE! Jennifer ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Judy, Thank you so much for your responses. I wish that we had similar minded people in our district, but we don't. Although our current Executive Director is leaving and will be replaced with a former principal from our district, I really don't see the philosophy changing much. I am not allowed to stray from the HM text, and our literacy coach is seen by many as a lesson plan police. She comes and checks that you have your objectives written, and will do a demonstration lesson if you ask. She is currently pushing Thinking Maps, which I have begun to use. But overuse of anything, can't really be good, can it? I guess what I am looking for is some way to incorporate the strategies into the HM text. That being said, I don't have a strong understanding of the strategies or how to teach them. I did read MOT many years ago, but can't find my copy now. Our current literacy block is mandated as follows: 30-40 of whole group instruction, where I am teach the 4 domains of reading required of the upper grades-phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Additionally, we must spend 60 minutes with small groups, while the other students do stations. Stations are supposed to have a product so that we are holding the kids accountable. Workbook pages are not allowed. Technically the kids are supposed to do a different station each day related to the domains, very time consuming and seems like busy work to me. Small groups meet based on their reading level and we use the leveled reader that comes with the series. I just don't know how this is effective. I have four small groups, and can meet with them for only 15 mins. Although the literacy coach does tell us that we don't have to meet with the highest kids each day. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Rosie -Original Message- From: jvma...@comcast.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 11:48 am Subject: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Comprehension strategies: what is the state of comprehension instruction in your school? How well is comprehension being taught? What can teacher leaders do to help improve practices? I am thrilled to reply to this question. My small district in Northern California was an early comprehension strategy follower--they even paid for Ellin Keene to spend a day speaking to us and sent many teachers (not me, I was new to the district then) to Colorado for training. Alas, California went the way of the politicians and we were given a choice of using Houghton Mifflin or Open Court. Our district chose HM and we were expected to teach it with fidelity. I did so for one year and then I returned to comprehension strategies (occasionally using the text from HM for shared reading). THE GOOD NEWS is that finally, this year, our principal has sanctioned a return to comprehension strategies (hmmm, seems those basals weren't the answer to test scores). Of course, I never gave them up, but it's nice to be working in the open again. So now we have a lot of training and retraining to do. It's hard to believe, because my district (and boy, was I proud of it) was once so entren ched in MOT, we have teachers who have never even read Mosaic. We do have a coach and a MOT committee and we've been given 3 Learning Communities for teaching comprehension strategies. At the first one, I brought in students and modeled a think aloud (I want to grow up to be Ellin Keene) and we discussed a piece of literature thinking about how adults use comprehension strategies. At the second we again discussed literature and shared how our work is going. The third (a whole afternoon on a staff development day) is yet to be determined. I am thrilled to be an official comprehension strategy teacher again. Judy P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one? ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. ___ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Rosie, How much reading are the kids actually doing out of a 90 minute literacy block? That would be more valuable than stations made of busy work. Their product could be a response to what they've read. Sue -Original Message- From: rr1...@aol.com To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 3:38 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Judy, Thank you so much for your responses. I wish that we had similar minded people in our district, but we don't. Although our current Executive Director is leaving and will be replaced with a former principal from our district, I really don't see the philosophy changing much. I am not allowed to stray from the HM text, and our literacy coach is seen by many as a lesson plan police. She comes and checks that you have your objectives written, and will do a demonstration lesson if you ask. She is currently pushing Thinking Maps, which I have begun to use. But overuse of anything, can't really be good, can it? I guess what I am looking for is some way to incorporate the strategies into the HM text. That being said, I don't have a strong understanding of the strategies or how to teach them. I did read MOT many years ago, but can't find my copy now. Our current literacy block is mandated as follows: 30-40 of whole group instruction, where I am teach the 4 domains of reading required of the upper grades-phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Additionally, we must spend 60 minutes with small groups, while the other students do stations. Stations are supposed to have a product so that we are holding the kids accountable. Workbook pages are not allowed. Technically the kids are supposed to do a different station each day related to the domains, very time consuming and seems like busy work to me. Small groups meet based on their reading level and we use the leveled reader that comes with the series. I just don't know how this is effective. I have four small groups, and can meet with them for only 15 mins. Although the literacy coach does tell us that we don't have to meet with the highest kids each day. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Rosie -Original Message- From: jvma...@comcast.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 11:48 am Subject: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Comprehension strategies: what is the state of comprehension instruction in your school? How well is comprehension being taught? What can teacher leaders do to help improve practices? I am thrilled to reply to this question. My small district in Northern California was an early comprehension strategy follower--they even paid for Ellin Keene to spend a day speaking to us and sent many teachers (not me, I was new to the district then) to Colorado for training. Alas, California went the way of the politicians and we were given a choice of using Houghton Mifflin or Open Court. Our district chose HM and we were expected to teach it with fidelity. I did so for one year and then I returned to comprehension strategies (occasionally using the text from HM for shared reading). THE GOOD NEWS is that finally, this year, our principal has sanctioned a return to comprehension strategies (hmmm, seems those basals weren't the answer to test scores). Of course, I never gave them up, but it's nice to be working in the open again. So now we have a lot of training and retraining to do. It's hard to believe, because my district (and boy, was I proud of it) was once so entren ched in MOT, we have teachers who have never even read Mosaic. We do have a coach and a MOT committee and we've been given 3 Learning Communities for teaching comprehension strategies. At the first one, I brought in students and modeled a think aloud (I want to grow up to be Ellin Keene) and we discussed a piece of literature thinking about how adults use comprehension strategies. At the second we again discussed literature and shared how our work is going. The third (a whole afternoon on a staff development day) is yet to be determined. I am thrilled to be an official comprehension strategy teacher again. Judy P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one? ___ Mosaic mailing list mos...@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 mos...@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Judy, I totally agree with you, however, it is not up to me. My principal is usually pretty flexible, but she is currently out on medical leave. I agree that reading is the key. They do read on their own-most of them-as the majority of them have made their AR goal for the nine weeks. I have some who have earned at least 30 points for the nine weeks. Rosie -Original Message- From: soozq55...@aol.com To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 4:39 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Rosie, How much reading are the kids actually doing out of a 90 minute literacy block? That would be more valuable than stations made of busy work. Their product could be a response to what they've read. Sue -Original Message- From: rr1...@aol.com To: mos...@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 3:38 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Judy, Thank you so much for your responses. I wish that we had similar minded people in our district, but we don't. Although our current Executive Director is leaving and will be replaced with a former principal from our district, I really don't see the philosophy changing much. I am not allowed to stray from the HM text, and our literacy coach is seen by many as a lesson plan police. She comes and checks that you have your objectives written, and will do a demonstration lesson if you ask. She is currently pushing Thinking Maps, which I have begun to use. But overuse of anything, can't really be good, can it? I guess what I am looking for is some way to incorporate the strategies into the HM text. That being said, I don't have a strong understanding of the strategies or how to teach them. I did read MOT many years ago, but can't find my copy now. Our current literacy block is mandated as follows: 30-40 of whole group instruction, where I am teach the 4 domains of reading required of the upper grades-phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Additionally, we must spend 60 minutes with small groups, while the other students do stations. Stations are supposed to have a product so that we are holding the kids accountable. Workbook pages are not allowed. Technically the kids are supposed to do a different station each day related to the domains, very time consuming and seems like busy work to me. Small groups meet based on their reading level and we use the leveled reader that comes with the series. I just don't know how this is effective. I have four small groups, and can meet with them for only 15 mins. Although the literacy coach does tell us that we don't have to meet with the highest kids each day. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Rosie -Original Message- From: jvma...@comcast.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 11:48 am Subject: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Comprehension strategies: what is the state of comprehension instruction in your school? How well is comprehension being taught? What can teacher leaders do to help improve practices? I am thrilled to reply to this question. My small district in Northern California was an early comprehension strategy follower--they even paid for Ellin Keene to spend a day speaking to us and sent many teachers (not me, I was new to the district then) to Colorado for training. Alas, California went the way of the politicians and we were given a choice of using Houghton Mifflin or Open Court. Our district chose HM and we were expected to teach it with fidelity. I did so for one year and then I returned to comprehension strategies (occasionally using the text from HM for shared reading). THE GOOD NEWS is that finally, this year, our principal has sanctioned a return to comprehension strategies (hmmm, seems those basals weren't the answer to test scores). Of course, I never gave them up, but it's nice to be working in the open again. So now we have a lot of training and retraining to do. It's hard to believe, because my district (and boy, was I proud of it) was once so entren ched in MOT, we have teachers who have never even read Mosaic. We do have a coach and a MOT committee and we've been given 3 Learning Communities for teaching comprehension strategies. At the first one, I brought in students and modeled a think aloud (I want to grow up to be Ellin Keene) and we discussed a piece of literature thinking about how adults use comprehension strategies. At the second we again discussed literature and shared how our work is going. The third (a whole afternoon on a staff development day) is yet to be determined. I am thrilled to be an official comprehension strategy teacher again. Judy P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Rosie, you can use the HM selections, just switch up the comprehension strategies so that they make sense. I hate the way HM tries to make you cover 2 strategies or 1 skill and 1 strategy for every selection. Narrow it down to 1 immediately--just choose the one you think is most important for real readers. I am not super familiar with the 5th grade text and don't have it here, but I'll make some educated guesses. One example: I think the first theme has to do with weather--you could concentrate on determining importance for these selections. This would be the comprehension strand of your mandated teaching. But instead of the ridiculous HM busywork, get them to really think about one thing for an extended period of time. Read aloud to them (consider some of the picture books by Seymour Simon) and show them how to determine importance. What your program is sorely missing, IMO, is an independent reading piece. Instead of centers/busywork, kids should be reading. If they were reading, you could tell them to follow-up on the lesson during their independent reading. Another example: we are going to pass out the HM texts in a couple of weeks so that we can read from Theme 2, the Focus on Poetry. There are excellent poems for our analysis. This will follow on the heels of our study of evoking images and coincide with our writer's workshop study of poetry. I'm proud of myself that we'll finally crack open HM. Yet another example: I'm pretty sure Katie's Trunk is one of the later HM selections. This is an outstanding story by Turner, really outstanding, and would be excellent for teaching inference. But don't settle for just one selection. I just can't remember the others. Find 3 selections that would go with a strategy and teach it for 3 weeks. I hate HM's mile wide-inch deep approach. Dig in! Your students will love it and so will you. Okay, deep breath, here's how I teach comprehension strategies (in addition to my earlier post about lessons). I read the chapter in MOT (sometimes for the 103rd time) and then I make sentence strips for anything in the chapter and the bullets at the end of the chapter that I want to teach. Each sentence strip gets matched to a picture book (or more than one if I think it needs more than one lesson) and becomes a lesson. I have come to this method over lots of trial and error and I swear by it. It's all about reading. I read aloud, model using the strategy, and we work the strategy together. Then the kids try it on in their own reading. I am the #1 fan of gradual release of responsibility. Remember, it's all about authenticity. Centers are not authentic. Reading is a life skill and a life joy. Judy - Original Message - From: rr1...@aol.com To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:38:16 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Judy, Thank you so much for your responses. I wish that we had similar minded people in our district, but we don't. Although our current Executive Director is leaving and will be replaced with a former principal from our district, I really don't see the philosophy changing much. I am not allowed to stray from the HM text, and our literacy coach is seen by many as a lesson plan police. She comes and checks that you have your objectives written, and will do a demonstration lesson if you ask. She is currently pushing Thinking Maps, which I have begun to use. But overuse of anything, can't really be good, can it? I guess what I am looking for is some way to incorporate the strategies into the HM text. That being said, I don't have a strong understanding of the strategies or how to teach them. I did read MOT many years ago, but can't find my copy now. Our current literacy block is mandated as follows: 30-40 of whole group instruction, where I am teach the 4 domains of reading required of the upper grades-phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Additionally, we must spend 60 minutes with small groups, while the other students do stations. Stations are supposed to have a product so that we are holding the kids accountable. Workbook pages are not allowed. Technically the kids are supposed to do a different station each day related to the domains, very time consuming and seems like busy work to me. Small groups meet based on their reading level and we use the leveled reader that comes with the series. I just don't know how this is effective. I have four small groups, and can meet with them for only 15 mins. Although the literacy coach does tell us that we don't have to meet with the highest kids each day. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Rosie -Original Message- From: jvma...@comcast.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 11:48 am Subject: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
hi... I am s interested in what the responses will be. Please share...thanks -Original Message- From: mosaic-bounces+williamska=palmbeach.k12.fl...@literacyworkshop.org on behalf of rr1...@aol.com Sent: Sun 1/31/2010 3:38 PM To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Judy, Thank you so much for your responses. I wish that we had similar minded people in our district, but we don't. Although our current Executive Director is leaving and will be replaced with a former principal from our district, I really don't see the philosophy changing much. I am not allowed to stray from the HM text, and our literacy coach is seen by many as a lesson plan police. She comes and checks that you have your objectives written, and will do a demonstration lesson if you ask. She is currently pushing Thinking Maps, which I have begun to use. But overuse of anything, can't really be good, can it? I guess what I am looking for is some way to incorporate the strategies into the HM text. That being said, I don't have a strong understanding of the strategies or how to teach them. I did read MOT many years ago, but can't find my copy now. Our current literacy block is mandated as follows: 30-40 of whole group instruction, where I am teach the 4 domains of reading required of the upper grades-phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Additionally, we must spend 60 minutes with small groups, while the other students do stations. Stations are supposed to have a product so that we are holding the kids accountable. Workbook pages are not allowed. Technically the kids are supposed to do a different station each day related to the domains, very time consuming and seems like busy work to me. Small groups meet based on their reading level and we use the leveled reader that comes with the series. I just don't know how this is effective. I have four small groups, and can meet with them for only 15 mins. Although the literacy coach does tell us that we don't have to meet with the highest kids each day. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Rosie -Original Message- From: jvma...@comcast.net To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 11:48 am Subject: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school Comprehension strategies: what is the state of comprehension instruction in your school? How well is comprehension being taught? What can teacher leaders do to help improve practices? I am thrilled to reply to this question. My small district in Northern California was an early comprehension strategy follower--they even paid for Ellin Keene to spend a day speaking to us and sent many teachers (not me, I was new to the district then) to Colorado for training. Alas, California went the way of the politicians and we were given a choice of using Houghton Mifflin or Open Court. Our district chose HM and we were expected to teach it with fidelity. I did so for one year and then I returned to comprehension strategies (occasionally using the text from HM for shared reading). THE GOOD NEWS is that finally, this year, our principal has sanctioned a return to comprehension strategies (hmmm, seems those basals weren't the answer to test scores). Of course, I never gave them up, but it's nice to be working in the open again. So now we have a lot of training and retraining to do. It's hard to believe, because my district (and boy, was I proud of it) was once so entren ched in MOT, we have teachers who have never even read Mosaic. We do have a coach and a MOT committee and we've been given 3 Learning Communities for teaching comprehension strategies. At the first one, I brought in students and modeled a think aloud (I want to grow up to be Ellin Keene) and we discussed a piece of literature thinking about how adults use comprehension strategies. At the second we again discussed literature and shared how our work is going. The third (a whole afternoon on a staff development day) is yet to be determined. I am thrilled to be an official comprehension strategy teacher again. Judy P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one? ___ 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. -- --Palm Beach County Schools
