- Explicitly teach the comprehension strategies: With the Common Core on the scene now for several years, there is even more of a need to get students identifying and then applying the comprehension strategies while they read. Teaching these strategies through the gradual release of responsibility, lays the foundation for units of study that purport that they are "Common Core based". A great tool for making strategies concrete is Comprehension Connections by Tanny McGregor. My favorite lesson is the inferencing lesson using an old shoe!
- Create literacy independence: Reading stamina and the joy that comes with writing, listening, and speaking cannot be forced on students through trite worksheets, or left to chance. The gradual release of responsibility can be used to get students reading and writing by choice and not by force. The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser is a great resource to breed this independence.
- Institute daily writing and independent reading: Students aren't reading and writing enough. According to Richard Allington, more time reading at a child's independent and instructional level correlates to higher reading achievement. So, if I had a classroom of students again, I would devote a block of time daily where students would be reading self selected texts (in fact, when I was in the classroom, I did just that!) There would also be quick writing opportunities- a folder of pieces kept where students can expand upon those pieces or the teacher could have the students use them for guided practice opportunities.
- Delay the start of guided reading (at least for a few weeks): I have had the unfortunate disaster that comes with jumping into guided reading groups too soon. I learned that you have to take the time to build routines. I would suggest starting the second or third week of school just going through the rotations, and modeling through fish bowl appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, and then move to using a book.
- Find opportunities for close reading to be explicitly taught: When the term "close reading" came along with the Common Core, my first reaction to the term was: "Huh? But this is just real reading?" We want students to be synthesizing as they read texts- bringing together all their strategies to make the picture complete! So, especially in grades 3rd through 5th, I would teach the signposts outlined in Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst. I would probably teach one per week, and then transition to the nonfiction signposts detailed in their second book, Reading Nonfiction.
As a reading specialist, I am exposed to a great deal of professional learning that makes me really want to get back into the classroom and try these things out! Now that I am having one of those "nostalgia moments", here are 5 things that I would do to kick off a new school year of literacy:
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I am continuing to fall in love with the signposts the more I teach them. Yesterday, I got to teach the Notice and Note signpost (Beers & Probst, 2013) of Words of the Wiser. This lesson got students to stop and take notice when a wiser, often older character gives advice to the main character. I taught this lesson to the same class of students to which I had taught the Tough Questions signpost. Before I begin sharing my thoughts on the text I chose, I want to say that it is extremely hard finding a picture book deep enough to have this signpost in it. I think this is why students have such a hard time identifying the theme in texts, because the life lesson is not always clear in the model texts we use with them. If you come across any elementary picture books that have consistent examples of this signpost, please let me know because it was a struggle finding one. The Book Review I ended I up using a book recommended by colleagues entitled Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. This book is about a young girl who wants to travel the world and lead a life of adventure like her grandfather. Her grandfather was pleased with her enthusiasm, but wanted one more thing for her: To make the world more beautiful. It is a must-read and must-add to your interactive read aloud repertoire! This book is a great tale, and the theme was readily evident to students. Reflections The students were a little antsy since I was the unlucky fellow to be scheduled right before the Valentine’s Day celebration. Here is what I would replay or change:
Time. As a teacher, I always want more of this seemingly illusive resource. After reading Chapter 5 Read, Write, Lead by Regie Routman, it is clear that the time you are given as a school-based leader can be maximized if you are more intentional with the minutes! Here are some of my reflections after reading:
Broken ankles. A slang term often used in basketball to describe when an athletic move is made to get around a defender and the move causes the defender to lose their balance or to be stupefied. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander has left me in awe and amazement! I was not ready for the boldness and intensity of this novel, written in poetic prose. The story is about a boy named Josh Bell who has a twin brother. They are very close, and are seemingly each other’s best friend. They both love playing basketball- naturally, since their father is a famous basketball player that has taught them everything he knows- and they both play for their school’s team. Josh thought he had life figured out, until one day his brother falls in love with “the new girl” at school. This switch up leaves Josh grappling with feelings of loneliness, and jealousy. He is displaced, and his world is spinning. Can he keep his balance both on and off the court? I truly enjoyed the “Basketball Rules”- those lessons that their father taught them that will help them in life and on the court- because it left me longing to provide that mentorship that I did not have as a child. This book forced me to reflect on the importance of having a father or male role model in a young boy’s life. I recommend this book for children 4th grade and older, because some of the events and figurative language may be too deep for some younger audiences. If I were to use this book instructionally, it is so rich that I would have so many options.
Next up- Feed by M.T. Anderson! Happy Reading :-) A couple Fridays ago, I was privileged to teach the Notice and Note signpost (Beers & Probst, 2013) of Tough Questions for the first time. This lesson's goal was to have students to stop, notice, and note when they are reading and the main character asks themselves a hard life question, or when they ask a hard life question to someone close to them. The Class I was teaching a class of 25 third graders in a diverse Title I school. The class was made up primarily of boys, and had two reading groups considered to be below grade level, one on-grade level group, and two above-grade level groups. I had taught other lessons with this teacher, and this was my third signpost I had taught them. The Book Review I modeled this signpost using the text, The Numberlys by William Joyce and Christina Ellis. The semi-wordless picture book is about a group of friends who live in a world of only numbers. Not content with this world, they decide to do something to change it! I totally loved this book, because the theme of daring to be different and to “be the change you seek in the world” resonated with me, and will inspire children of all ages. Reflections I thought the lesson went well, and the students walked away with an understanding of the signpost. Here are some specifics of what I would replay (do again), and what I would change the next time I teach this lesson:
Your Turn: Are there any great “read alouds” you use to teach this signpost? How would you have done the lesson differently?
Regie Routman makes this bold statement in Read, Write, Lead: “Teachers must be leaders…” But why? Our goal and focus should be our kids and our classrooms, right? Well I agree with Routman, and would argue that the success of our students is not mutually exclusive from taking leadership roles in our building, but rather, is dependent upon us doing so. Here are 5 attributes of a “Teacher Leader”:
1. Someone who is not afraid to get messy: On p. 11 of her book, Routman speaks of the importance of knowing what excellence looks like on every grade level. Setting clear goals and determining benchmarks, and then aligning this with student learning objectives and the CFIP process can be time consuming and messy. A teacher leader does not shy away from this: They should be willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work. 2. Someone who can garner staff buy-in: On p. 17, Routman shares what is necessary for staff to buy into an idea that would change the status quo. A teacher leader must articulate the needs of the school in a way that compels other teachers to see that change is needed. They do this by using data to drive conversations, and the data is presented in a clear way. Often times when it comes to professional learning opportunities and data discussions, the need for change is not articulated, and so a sense of urgency is lost. A teacher leader must get the staff to own what is going on. 3. Someone who can be trusted professionally: I speak from personal experience when I say that change can be very hard when trust is lacking at a school. Routman attests to this, stating that you cannot learn from someone that you do not trust. A teacher leader must presume competency of all teachers, giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are committed to students. A teacher leader seeks to build personal trust as well. 4. Someone who is a positive deviant: I was challenged on page 25, because often times teachers like myself can fall into a rut of helplessness, shifting the blame of their student’s low performance on outside factors. To some extent, poverty especially, plays a key role in student success. However, a teacher leader acknowledges the outside challenges, and faces them head on by keeping expectations high for their students and putting 110% into what they do each day, understanding that they cannot control what happens in their child’s home, only what happens when they are instructing the child. 5. Someone who is willing to share what they know: Teacher leaders take the time and are patient enough to coach other teachers who may not be as urgent in their instructional practices. Teacher leaders must see the bigger picture, understanding that success goes beyond their classroom or group of students, and that a school is only as strong as their weakest teacher. Teacher leaders are important to a school, because they are the engine that drives a school to meet its goals. They encourage and prepare staff to be the best that they can be. They teach with a sense of urgency. They are trusted, professional problem-solvers who keep students at the forefront of conversations. With the movement in literacy classrooms moving towards long periods of independent reading, sometimes reading aloud to a partner gets a "bad rap". Partner reading is when students find a partner and read one text together. But there is benefit to allowing students to socialize around a book. According to Brown the article, Investigating Classroom Discourse Surrounding Partner Reading, here are a few reasons why partner reading should be a part of the language arts classroom:
Allow opportunity to have your child read with a partner sometime. It is fun and will build their lifelong literacy skills!
One strategy that I use with my students to get them to speak and listen in an orderly way, is what I call the "Talking Stick Challenge". The objective is to get rid of your sticks as quickly as possible!
I first started to do this to get all students involved in the conversation in a fun way! In essence, it is a grand conversation with a twist. Students close read a text, and come prepared to discuss by recording pieces of thinking. Then students will partner read to clear up any confusion. Finally, the discussion begins! Here is how it works:
Those who get out first are then able to moderate the conversation but cannot contribute. Benefits As you can see, this technique can have several benefits. One benefit is it allows students to practice taking and yielding the floor when they talk. Students know that they cannot speak unless a stick is traded in. Another benefit is that students are eager to participate something valid so that they can dispense of their sticks (this did not happen in the video, but students can decide whether or not a contribution is substantial to cash in a stick). Finally, it keeps tactile learners engaged! This works best with groups no larger than 10, and can be a great scaffold for beginner discussers. How do you see this being used in your classroom? What are some things to watch out for when planning this activity? Comment below, and happy reading :-) |
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