Independent Guided Book Clubs/ - Web viewDevelops fluency and phrasing . Increases comprehension . Encourages politeness and respect * Guided Reading: T. ... of strengthening their

“I already know this…”and/or“Connections I can make to this subject/topic idea are…”

“I wonder…”“I am curious about…and want to know more about…”

“I learned….”“The most important thing(s) for me to remember about this is…”

A Year of Readers’ WorkshopA Year of Readers’ Workshop ~ ©Laura Benson ~ [email protected] Page 1

mailto:[email protected]




Laura Benson [email protected] ~ laurabensonopenbook.blogspot.com

A Year of Readers’ Workshop ~ ©Laura Benson ~ [email protected] Page 2






You asked me where I generally live.In my workshop in the morning and always in the

library in the evening.Books are companions even if you don’t open

them. Benjamin Disraeli (1804 –

1881) in a letter to Lady Bradford

Practice is what you need to do. Brandon, 4th Grader






A leader's role is to raise people's aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.

David Gergen

He who often reads, will sometimes wish to write. George Crabbe (1754 – 1832)

Critical pedagogy is a process of learning and relearning. It entails sometimes painful examination of old practices and established beliefs of educational institutions and behaviors.

Critical pedagogy process requires courage… (which) provides all learners equal access to power.

Wink, 2000 from Buhrow & Garcia, 2006

A reader with no questions might just as well abandon the book.Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis











Questions are a compass. They steer our thinking toward understanding. With questions guiding our thinking, we are less likely to get lost… (Benson, 1997).






I found out… I was surprised to learn…

Now, I know … and will try/do/implement…

I wonder….

I wonder….






I wonder….






Building Reading Curriculum

WHAT do our studentsneed to learn?/

WHAT do we expect our studentsto learn this year?

How will we help our students learn these

what’s/expectations/Standards?How does Readers’ Workshop

serve students in learning these expectations?

How will we know our students have learned these what’s?

*We will focus on these questions today.











Some Compass Questions to guide your thinking and conversations: Establish student learning expectations.

o What are your student performance standards K – 12 and for each grade level?

Determine “What is proficient?”






o What is the exit standard of understanding for students by the end of each grade level? If possible, norm expectations to identify what to look for in students’ work at the beginning of each grade level, mid-year, and (again) for the end of the year. What enduring understanding do you want students to leave with by the end of each year?...by the time they graduate?

Identify essential learning experiences for your students.o Your thoughts about the “how” category (the middle of the

above graphic) can become your essential agreements. Develop an assessment and evaluation plan.

What current monitoring tools and practices do you use to know that your students are growing as writers and readers? What additional information do you need about






your students and what tools and practices could you bring into your teaching repertoire to gain these insights about your students’ progress?

Part One:How will we help our students learn these

what’s/expectations/Standards?

How does Readers’ Workshop serve students in learning these expectations?












Readers’ Worksho

p

Focus Lesson

Model: why & how to use

strategy

PracticeCollaboratively: why

& how to use strategy

Independent Reading

Conferences: reinforce strategy use

Guided Reading Groups: practice strategy together

TalkingCircle

Self Evaluation: reflect on strategy

use





How Literacy Is Taught at Our School

Because we believe students learn best in an apprenticeship, we employ comprehensive (also called balanced) literacy teaching practices. This means that we mentor our students by frequently modeling, demonstrating, and practicing literacy skills and strategies with them. Creating a community of learners with one another is vital. Paramount to their academic achievement, our students also engage in daily literacy practice with our continuous feedback and guidance. The following graphic helps to capture our teaching rituals and routines.

Comprehensive Literacy Learning & Teaching






READERS’ WORKSHOP*phonics; vocabulary; fluency; grammar;

comprehension

WRITERS’ WORKSHOP*spelling; writing process (such as drafting,

revising, editing, etc.); grammar; vocabulary; fluency

INDEPENDENT Reading INDEPENDENT Writing

MENTORING:

+ Modeling & Demonstrating Reading

by Teacher(s) & Peers

MENTORING:

+ Modeling & Demonstrating Writing

by Teacher(s) & Peers






+ Read Alouds + Read Alouds

COLLABORATIVES:

+ Shared Reading

+ Guided Reading

+ Teacher-Student Conferences

+ Peer Conferences

+ Partner/Buddy Reading

+ Book Clubs/Literature Circles

COLLABORATIVES:

+ Shared Writing

+ Guided Writing

+ Teacher-Student Conferences

+ Peer Conferences

+Partner/Co-Authoring

+ Word Work/Study






Teachers and students engage in ongoing assessment and evaluation to monitor and determine each child’s individual progress as reader, writers, and learner.

To develop responsive and rigorous apprenticeships for and with our students, we must know each child as an individual reader, writer, and learner. Accordingly, we monitor your child’s literacy growth continuously and thoroughly by assessing him/her with multiple tools and data sources. We further evaluate our students’ literacy learning by utilizing developmental continuums which outline the ten stages of reading and writing development as well as the key indicators or behaviors of reading and writing acquisition for each stage of development. By understanding where each child is developmentally, we can customize instruction for all our students so that their literacy learning is relevant and powerful.

Comprehensive Literacy Program Components Adapted from Dr. Jan Dole, University of Utah and Utah Education Network






Reading Aloud: Teacher reads selection aloud to students

Provides adult model of fluent reading

Develops sense of story/text

Develops vocabulary

Encourages prediction

Builds a community of readers

Develops active listening*

Shared Reading: Teacher and students read text together

Demonstrates awareness of text Develops sense of story or content Promotes reading strategies Develops fluency and phrasing Increases comprehension Encourages politeness and respect *






Guided Reading: Teacher introduces a selection at student's instructional level

Promotes reading strategies Increases comprehension Encourages independent readingExpands belief in own ability *

Independent Reading: Students read independently

Encourages strategic reading Increases comprehension Supports writing development Extends experiences with a variety of written texts Promotes reading for enjoyment and information Develops fluency Fosters self-confidence by reading familiar and new text Provides opportunities to use mistakes as learning opportunities *

Modeled/Shared Writing: Teacher and students Interactive Writing: Teacher and students compose together using a "shared pen" technique in which






collaborate to write text; teacher acts as scribe

Develops concepts of print Develops writing strategies Supports reading development Provides model for a variety of writing styles Models the connection among and between sounds, letters, and words Produces text that students can read independently Necessitates communicating in a clear and specific manner*

students do some of the writing

Provides opportunities to plan and construct texts Increases spelling knowledge Produces written language resources in the classroom Creates opportunities to apply what has been learned*

Independent Writing: Students write independently

Strengthens text sequence

Personal qualities cultivated by these literacy learning






Develops understanding of multiple uses of writing Supports reading development Develops writing strategies Develops active independence*

experiences:

Collaborative Worker; Problem Solver; Quality

Producer Self Directed Learner; Responsible

Citizen






Making Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop Work

Key Tenets of Workshop Learning and Teaching:

Students engage in daily practice of reading and writing.o Student engagement and growth are continuously monitored by the

teacher in one-on-one conferences and with his/her anecdotal notes. Additional evidence of students’ literacy progress and investment are regularly harvested from students’ responses in whole group discussions; book club talks and guided reading studies; written responses; and self evaluations (for example).






o The teacher employs predictable yet compelling rituals and routines to support student engagement, community spirit and support, and intellectual rigor.

Students read and write from their choices (most of the time, 80%) as well as guided choices from their teacher (20%).

o “Just right” books to ensure that students comprehend what they read.

o Students have access to a variety of literacy resources and texts from a well stocked and diverse classroom library and writing center.






All members of the workshop community are both student and teacher.

o Students serve as fellow mentors voicing their thinking processes during focus lessons, small groups, talking circles, and author’s chair (for example).

o The teacher fuels his/her teaching work from his/her own literacy, learns from students, and demonstrates passion for life-long learning.

o “None of us is as smart as all of us” – The teacher and students cooperate and support one another by creating and maintaining a collaborative community.

Teacher lives a literate life publicly.






Students witness their teacher engaged in his/her own reading and writing.

The teacher is a mentor for students by revealing why and how s/he works to read and write/articulating the dynamic processes for how we need to think to understand (as readers) and be understood (as writers).

Teacher and students work with intention and focus.o The teacher determines worthy literacy studies for his/her students by

knowing each child as individuals and identifying class patterns of performance, too.






o Guided by their teacher and supported by all members of the classroom community, students study an edifying literacy focus over a long period of time in a variety of learning settings and texts for and with a variety of audiences.






Geography of Readers’ Workshop

While there are numerous interpretations of Readers’ Workshop, mine own workshop teaching reflects my pedagogy. I believe in the power of engaging students in their own independent reading daily. And I strive to nurture their practice with relevant modeling and supportive collaboratives to honor their strengths, meet their needs, and expand their wonder.From my lens, the term workshop denotes an apprenticeship and activity - mentors showing apprentices how to and explaining why and apprentices practicing the skills the mentor demonstrates and, over time, making them his/her own. The concept of workshop also conveys the need for and use of many tools to create






understanding. Workshop teaching means teaching thinking. As a community of fellow learners, teacher and students cultivate a culture of cognition using all the language arts of speaking, writing, listening, viewing, and reading to help each thinker construct, process, and deepen understanding.

Focus LessonAlternative names: Mini-lessons, Community Meeting, or Think Tanks

Who: Most often, this is a whole group learning gathering.Why: To offer students essential modeling and demonstrations of a procedure, strategy,

or genre skill; Often includes collaborative practice of focus strategy/topic so that students gain insights

and confidence about why and how to utilize the focus in their own reading (Also called shared reading or interactive reading.).

When: 5 – 12 minutes for primary/infant students and 5 – 22 minutes for intermediate/junior






students; 3 – 5 times weekly.

Independent ReadingWho: All students

Why: Students will improve in reading in direct measure to the time they engage in their own solo reading. When: Daily - the largest amount of your readers’ workshop time should be devoted to students’ independent reading. For example, 15–25+ minutes in the

primary/infant grades and 20 –45+ minutes in the intermediate/junior grades. As children mature within the school year, their ability to engage in independent reading expands - the goal for students’ independent reading from the

beginning of the school day to the end of the school day should equal 90 minutes (Allington, 2002).

How/Support Systems:Conferences Small Group reading Collaboratives






As all students read, the teacher meets with students individually in conferences to provide additional instruction and encouragement and to

evaluate student’s and students’ growth by taking monitoring notes (Very important!). The teacher goes to talk with students where they

are sitting to read. He/she may meet with a few or many students in any given day. The goal is to meet with every student at least once a week

(To begin, a different time line may be required.). Short conferences are critical in

meeting this goal.

Alternative names: Guided Reading or Invitation Groups

*For students, l name guided reading groups “ book clubs .”

As students read independently, the teacher meets with a group of students who, commonly,

have a similar need or passion and deepens students’ learning from the focus lesson. The teacher meets with one to a few groups each

day or on designated days of the week. Students may meet in book clubs/literature

circles during this time, too.

Talking CircleWho: All students engage in our Talking Circle gatherings meeting as whole group, small






groups, or in pairs.Why: To trigger students’ reflection and self-evaluations with the intention of strengthening

their use of the focus strategy/skill in their reading and to nurture their passion for the written word; To offer students a ritual for sharing and celebrating their reading with one

another.When: Daily for 3 – 10 minutes, most often; Form may vary from spoken reflections to

responses such as dramatic representations, book club style conversations, readers’ theater, and quick writes. This sharing and reflection time

may be expanded to 20 minutes or more (depending on the age of the students).

A Structure for Readers’ Workshop*Especially supportive to intermediate grade students






Focus Lesson/Book Talk






Independent Guided Book Clubs/Reading Reading Literature Circles






Whole Group Share/Talking Circle






*Adapted from Fountas and Pinnell’s Guiding Readers and Writers, 3-6

Norms for Readers’ Workshop*Supportive and effective norms are best if established WITH students but offered here in example

of the type of norms I typically developed with my own students.

Read for the entire time. Reading begins the minute you walk into our classroom!






Let your body show you are working hard.

Add your voice to our Talking Circle.






Book choices are made before the beginning of our workshop.

(Most often, my students created their independent reading wells every two weeks so that choosing books did not “eat” their reading time.)











AAA Literacy Learning & Teaching






Another lens for defining essential learning experiences and best teaching practices: Students need Aloud, Along, & Alone experiences to grow their literacy strategies, confidence, and motivation.

Aloud






Along

Alone






Examples of AAA Learning & TeachingALOUD: Focus LessonsI often begin Readers’ Workshop/Reading Workshop by gathering my whole group of students for a focus lesson or what many teachers call a minilesson. During this time, I explicitly instruct the whole class on a skill, strategy, or habit that they need to learn and use during their independent work (Collins). I find it very helpful to establish a ritual for focus lessons so that the children can predict and engage in their learning quickly and to invite their contributions.






Effective Focus Lessons (Adapted from Hagerty, 2009) Are quick

o 5-15 minutes, most ofteno Launching focus lessons may need to be longer but all focus lessons should

be sensitive and respectful of students’ ability to engage and attend

Are focusedo Teach one procedure, strategy, or skill which proficient readers use to

understand

Are purposeful and authentic






o Voice the “why” for students’ learning including real world applicationso Use literature as models and as modeling anchorso Add to class knowledge and enrich community’s metacognition and

motivation for readingo End with a connection/implementation to students’ independent reading

Are relevant and responsiveo Align to and directly connect to students’ current reading and writing and

serve ALL students’ reading growtho Connected to students’ previous strategy/skill/procedure learningo Determined from the needs of the students (and other sources) and build

upon their strengths as readers






o Honor students’ curiosity and/or their affective development

Are revisitedo Focus is continued over a long period of time - several days or weeks or throughout

the school yearo Referenced in later reading strategy/skill/procedure studieso Integrated in students’ writing learning and content area learn












because I want the modeling and collaborative practice of lessons to focus my students’ thinking (and mine, too!)because this name reflects my intention. I continue this focus in students’ small group learning, during one-on-one conferences, and (more) whole group lessons for several weeks or months.

Laura Benson ~ [email protected]





Portrait of Possible Focus Lessons *Adapted from Pat Hagerty, Reading Workshop, & not meant to be a

comprehensive list

Procedural Focused Lessons This lesson is needed by ALL, SOME, or ONE of my students

Where to sit during reading timeHow to give a book talkWhat to do when you finish a book


Going deepStick with your focus over a long period of timeFocus lessons which are at the edge of students’ thinking (ZAD and ZPD); aim for higher level thinkingCross fertilizingDemonstrate focus in reading and writing lessons; Connect and use focus to support content area learning


Making the Call: What should I

teach my students?

Focus/Mini Lessons

are guided by:

Standards and CurriculumBIG Ideas & Essential Questions/Units of StudySTUDENT DATA

Living a Literate Life/ Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop FocusProcedural LessonsStrategy LessonsLiterary Analysis LessonsContinuum-Based FocusGenre-Based Focus






Expectations for talking circle sharingHow to share in small groupsSelf-evaluation of your participation in the workshopHow and why I confer with students (teacher) Where/how to sit and participant in focus lessonsHow to take care of books; Returning booksKeeping track of books read Workshop Norms






How to have a peer conferenceWhere to put your reading response notebook/folderWhere to find a particular book in the classroomThe parts of a readers’ workshop






When? Most procedure lessons are the focus of students’ beginning of the school year learning.

Why? All are designed to help students become independent, responsible, and cooperative members of a Readers’ Workshop.

Helpful Support: Generate ideas WITH students; record collective thinking on anchor charts; post to guide (and nudge) students’ implementations.






Literary Focused Lessons This lesson is needed by ALL, SOME, or ONE of my students

Figurative languageBooks that show emotionFirst, second, third personAuthor studiesSetting: where and whenCharacteristics of different kinds of genre: fiction, non-fiction, poetry






Literary elements: characters, setting, plot, theme, mood, etc.LeadsProblem/solution patternDifferences between picture books and novelsTitles and their meaningsLiterary devices: similes, metaphors, flashback, foreshadowing, etc.PersonificationUse of dialect






AlliterationCharacter developmentEndings—those we predicted and those that surprised usAuthors’ use of descriptive words and phrases“Poetry” in readingUnderstanding the role of illustrations in storiesSecrets in books (the dog in Van Allsburg’s books, the bird in dePaola’s books, etc.)

Epilogues






Prefaces and introductionsDedications






Strategies and Skills Focused Lessons This lesson is needed by ALL, SOME, or ONE of my students

When and how to abandon a bookHow to choose booksUsing context to figure out unknown wordsMaking personal connectionsHow to use sticky notes to aid und. & sharingComprehension monitoring






Using fix-up strategiesMaking predictionsOrally retelling a storyMaking inferencesDrawing conclusionsFact and opinionDetermining what is important in textUsing prior knowledge/schema/background knowledge






Asking questions before, during, and after readingVisualizing while readingSummarizingCause and effectRecognizing and understanding ellipses, dashes, parenthesesAdjusting reading rateReading orally with expressionSkimming






Reading dialogueUsing graphic aids (charts, graphs, etc.)Writing a quality response to readingUsing an index, glossarySkimming and skipping






Living a Literate Life Focus Lessons






Procedural Lessons Strategy and Skill Lessons

Literary Analysis Lessons




























Identify a focus lesson(s) you can draw from the continuum for your students/a group of your students.












Your WellYour nightstand tableYour desk for the authentic texts you read and writeYour computer, e-mail, mailbox, etc.

Children’s LiteratureLean on texts to help you model and explain literacy skills and strategies

Students’ StrengthsShare the TeachingStudent as Mentor

Each OtherShare “home run” lessonsPlan focus/mini-lessons togetherDevelop a lesson notebook






Read Alouds

Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time

~ Teri Lesesne ~

Read aloud is a performance of sorts…Keep in mind the 3 P’s of reading aloud:

Preview Practice






PersonalizeRead & Think ~ “Occasionally, when I am reading a book, I run across a sentence or paragraph that makes me stop and catch my breath, ask a question, go back and reread. This is how I identify the think pieces from books…like the last line of Brooke’s The Moves Make the Man: “There are no moves you truly make alone.” [p. 111]

Read & Tease ~ “Read just a sentence or two or maybe an opening chapter from several books. The idea is to give students a sense of what is in store for them should they choose to read one of these books.” [p. 109]






You are your students’ reading-writing hero! Read alouds that invite students

to join the literacy club:






Immerse them in books they would not know

without YOU in their lives…Marinate students in every kind of text under the sun…

and go public with your reasons for reading &

writing…and vividly reveal your ways of constructing






understanding…Benson, 2001

Shared Reading






As you read books to your students and with your students, be their literacy mentor…their brain tour guide as you think aloud explaining why and how you work to create meaning as reader and work to share your thinking and be understood as a writer… (Benson, 1997).

Bobbie Fisher in Joyful Learning in Kindergarten Familiar songs, poems, and chants (between 4 - 6 each day)

Discuss meaning of text, vocabulary, etc.






Include drama, dance, music, and rhythmic activities Create innovations [pattern writing; different ending; extension of action] Discuss concepts about print by engaging in masking & cloze activities.

New song, poem, or chant (every 2 or 3 days)

Predict what the piece is about/will be about Sing or read 2-3 times for enjoyment

Familiar big book (1 or more)

Oral retelling, collectively or individually Group retelling written by the teacher, to be illustrated by the children






Group retelling of important sequence of events. Written on chalkboard by the teachers and confirmed by group reading

Innovation on the text to be make into class book during independent choice time

Discussion of story structure, characters, setting, problem, solution/resolution, favorite part, etc.

Discussion of literary patterns of the book – repetitive; cumulative; interlocking; chronological; familiar cultural connections (holidays, seasons, alphabet, etc.); problem solving; rhyme-rhythm; main character

Language activities described in above familiar songs, poems, and charts

New Big Book






Predict what the story will be about – before & after hearing the title & seeing the cover

Group sharing of background knowledge/prior knowledge Read the book for enjoyment & meaning, occasionally stopping to predict

what will happen next & how the story/text is going to end Reread the book immediately and/or reread it for the next few days until it

becomes familiar






Nonfiction Shared Reading

To nurture and support our students’ literacy growth, motivation, and confidence, shared readings provide a context to:

Present reading as joy, oasis, resource Influence children’s motivation and confidence for reading on their own Introduce a wide range of genres, authors, styles, etc. Demonstrate comprehension-composition/thinking strategies






Build on schema before students attempt to read or write on text/topic independently

Introduce/Marinate students to new, more complex ideas and vocabulary/language

Offer students mentor text/models for their independent Writing

TIPS

Encourage children to sit close so that they can see the shared text pages and follow along as you the text aloud OR provide students with their own copy of the shared text.






Model how readers can – and should - slow their pace and scan for relevant information.

Draw attention to the importance of nonfiction features such as labels, graphs, bold print, pictures, etc.

Show how text features provide MORE information to readers and discuss how students can use nonfiction text features in their own writing.

Model using nonfiction reading strategies such as questioning, inferring, summarizing, and identifying important ideas.











ALONG: Small Group Collaboratives While I develop small group collaboratives with different intentions, I call all small groups “book clubs” with students. When I meet with students, I often do have an agenda – to deepen their ability to understand and to strengthen their motivation and confidence as readers. I regularly engage in small groups because these give me rich opportunities enable me to know students more and deepen our relationships by connecting with them in a more intimate and reciprocal setting in small groups. I construct student groups from three key considerations:

Needs Based Considerationso Needs are not just reading levels






A common need may mean reading the same text A common need may mean reading the same genre or author A common need may mean focusing on the same strategy or

skill but applying to it the different texts the students are currently reading (even if these texts are “at” different” levels)

o Stray cat or Lone Ranger factor applies hereo How can I group students to help these children grow…? (i.e. stop to

self talk and create understanding during reading; problem solve new words; infer from pronoun reference, make good book choices; address and problem solve the “I hate reading” feeling; etc.)

Socially Based Considerationso Developing and deepening relationships with one another






o Providing students with different points of view by engaging in learning and book talk with “non-friend” peers

o How can I group students to strengthen our community? o Which group members would be supportive to this student?o Is there a way I can develop groups so that students gain a

bigger picture of reading/life/ themselves (vs. only meeting with students at his/her reading level)?

o Can students meet on their own or do I need to meet with them? Passion Based Considerations






o Generating groups to honor students’ interests, hobbies, and ways of learning outside of school

o Can be initiated by studentso How can I respond to my students’ passions with small group

collaboratives? I know a lot of us LOVE poetry. So, we will be having a poetry reading

club the next three weeks. We will meet on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:15 by our back table. Join us if you love poetry or want to learn more about it.

If you love sports/dogs/space/traveling to new places, we are creating a book club (or readers-writers club). We will meet with Mrs. B this Friday at 2:00 and, then, we will meet every other day at 2:00 on our






own to talk about favorite sport stories. Here’s a sign-up sheet if you want to join our book club!

o Are students ready to suggest groups and invite group members?

o Can students meet on their own or do I need to meet with them?

An Overview of Guided ReadingBased on careful observation of students, the teacher selects books that are supportive, predictable, and closely matched to the students' needs, abilities, and interests. The chosen texts should support the objective, but be readable enough for students to proceed with minimal assistance. (Approximately 90-94% accuracy)






The guided reading lesson provides the opportunity for the teacher to interact with small groups of students as they read books that present a successful challenge for them.

The assessment provides information for the homogeneous groupings which are necessary for guided reading. This allows the teacher to tailor instruction to suit students' changing instructional needs.






The teacher acts as a facilitator who sets the scene, arouses interest, and engages students in discussion that will enable them to unfold the story line and feel confident and capable of reading the text themselves.

Guided reading is reading by students. The students are responsible for the first reading of the text.






Approximations and predictions are encouraged and praised. The teacher closely observes, monitors, and evaluates ways in which individual students process print utilizing reading strategies such as checking meaning and self-correcting.






Painting Portraits of Balanced/Comprehensive Literacy Classrooms

Looks Like… Sounds Like… Feels Like…
















Native American Talking Circle






© Laura Benson, In honor of my Grandmother & Father

1) Sit in a circle with one another.






2. Use a talking stick to guide the sharing. The person who has the talking

stick talks. Explain to the listening students: “If you do not have the

talking stick, it is your turn to listen…”

3) To nurture students’ metacognition and each child’s synthesis of learning,

ask the circle a reflective question like one of the following:






What did you learn about yourself today?

What did you learn about yourself as a thinker/ reader/writer/artist/scientist/mathematician today?






What will you teach your [kindergarten buddy/peer/family member] about this?

What seems important to remember about this?/ about your






learning?/about you today?

Readers’ Workshop Instructional Flow Map

Independent Reading

*As students walk in the door, they begin their

Focus Lesson

*Teacher models & practice

strategy/skill for

Independent Reading

*Students implement

strategy/skill

Talking Circle

*To honor the social nature of

reading,






first independent reading.

students and with students

[Often, large group]

modeled and practiced in

Focus Lesson.

students talk to one another about their

thinking and/or are asked to

reflect and self evaluate on their use of the focus

strategy.

During this time, I usually

read

During this time, I demonstrat

During this independent reading time,

During this time, students

All these rituals and routines






alongside students

(school mail, newspaper,

my own book, etc.).

e why and how this strategy helps us comprehend. This gathering often includes shared reading, interactive reading

I confer with students individually & meet with 1–3 guided reading groups. During thesegatherings, I continue our focus strategy and often address

meet with one another in:partners; small groups such as literature circles or book clubs; and/or as a large group.

continue – in fluid and responsive forms – throughout a unit of comprehension study. We may study a comprehension strategy or strategies






aloud, & various forms of think alouds.

1 additionally relevant & needed student skill. For example, a group or conf. may include phonics and spelling lessons or how to choose a

for several weeks or several months…and we will revisit this focus periodically throughout the year.






book. I always take notes, too.






Gradual Release of ResponsibilityThe gradual release of responsibility model of instruction suggests that the cognitive load should shift slowly and purposefully from teacher-as-model, to joint responsibility, to independent practice and application by the learner (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983).

GRR model stipulates that the teacher moves from






assuming “all the responsibility for performing a task…to a situation in which the students assume all of the responsibility” (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p. 211). This gradual release may occur over a day, week, month, or a year.

Graves and Fitzgerald (2003) note “effective instruction often follows a progression in which teachers gradually do less of the work and students gradually assume increased responsibility for their learning.”






A common framework for implementing the model is I do it; we do it; you do it…Many models lack a vital component: learning through collaboration with peers (Fisher & Frey, 2008).The GRR model is the intersection of several theories and multiple research studies:

Piaget’s (1952) work on cognitive structures and schema Vygotsky’s (1962; 1978) work on zones of proximal development Bandura’s (1965) work on attention, retention, reproduction, and






motivation Wood, Bruner, and Ross’s (1976) work on scaffold instruction Pearson & Gallagher’s (1983) research with reading students Duke & Pearson’s (2002) studies on modeling & guided practice to

build students’ independence as readers, writers, and learners Tomlinson’s (2001; 2003) research about differentiated learning Kersten’s (1987) studies articulating the importance of organizing

instruction so that students increasingly take responsibility for their own learning

Palinscar and Brown’s (1984) and Oczkus’ (2003) reciprocal teaching research

Studies on the effectiveness of peer learning:






+ Gersten & Baker’s (2000) with English language learners; + Stevens & Slaven’s (1995) for students with disabilities; and+ Coleman & Gallagher’s (1995) learners identified as gifted.

*From Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility

by Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey (2008), p. 2-16 and 127-129.

Gradual Release of Responsibility

From Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility






by Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey (2008)

What to look for in a Gradual Release of Responsibility Classroom: Identifying end result and determining acceptable evidence is essential to achieve desired outcomes (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Here are some indicators coaches and administrators may use as they support teacher in developing a gradual release of responsibility of framework.

Focus Lessonso The teacher establishes the purpose for the lesson.o Both content and language goals are established.






o The teacher uses “I” statements to modeling thinking.o Questioning is used to scaffold instruction, not to interrogate

students. o The lesson includes a decision frame for when to use the skill or

strategy.o The lesson builds metacognitive awareness, especially indicators

of success.o Focus lessons move to guided instruction, not immediately to

independent learning.

Guided Instructiono Small-group arrangements are evident.






o Group changes throughout the semester.o The teacher plays an active role in guided instruction, not just

circulating and assisting individual students.o A dialogue occurs between students and the teacher as they

begin to apply the skill or strategy.o The teacher uses cues and prompts to scaffold understanding

when a student makes an error and does not immediately tell the student the correct answer.

Collaborative Learningo Small-group arrangements are evidento Grouping changes throughout the semester.






o The teacher has modeled concepts that students need to complete collaborative tasks.

o Students have received instruction of the concepts needed to complete collaborative tasks.

Independent Taskso Students have received focus lessons, guided instruction, and

collaborative learning experiences related to concepts needed to complete independent tasks.

o Independent tasks extend beyond practice to application and extension of new knowledge.






o The teacher meets with individual students for conferencing about the independent learning tasks. Children advance when challenged just beyond their

current level of mastery. National Association for the Education of Young Children report

Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Age of Testing” by David McKay Wilson in Harvard Education Letter, May/June 2009 (Vol. 25, #3, p. 4-6);

http://www.edletter.org/current/index.shtml#ageoftesting



http://www.edletter.org/current/index.shtml#ageoftesting









Gradual Release of Responsibility in Classrooms

In this Principal Leadership article, San Diego State University professors Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher describe the gradual release of responsibility to student – and the ways principals should monitor and support this vital process. “Unfortunately,” say the authors, “in all too many classrooms releasing responsibility is too sudden and unplanned and results in misunderstandings and failure.” For example, some teachers expect all students to be prepared to discuss a topic after reading textbook chapters at






home, do a problem set after watching a single demonstration, or pass a test after listening to a lecture.

To release responsibility properly, Frey and Fisher believe teachers need to do four things well:

• The focus lesson – Lasting 10-15 minutes, this establishes the purpose of the class (perhaps it’s written on the board and reiterated to students) and gives students a model of expert thinking and vocabulary – the why in addition to the how. “Daily modeling is essential if students are going to understand complex content,” say






the authors. Focus lessons should include “I” statements to model thinking, questioning that scaffolds instruction (not just interrogating students), ideas on when to use the skill or strategy, and indicators of successful learning.

• Guided instruction – This consists of cues, prompts, and questions to help the teacher understand students’ thinking, provide scaffolding, get students doing some of the cognitive work, and gradually increase their understanding. The challenge here is dealing with the individual differences within each classroom. Students should be working in






groups, with the teacher actively guiding dialogues as students begin to apply the skill or strategy and, when a student makes a mistake, not immediately supplying the right answer.

Collaborative tasks – “To learn, to really learn, students must be engaged in productive group tasks that require interaction,” say Frey and Fisher. “They have to use the language and replicate the thinking of the discipline with their peers to really grasp it.” The challenge with collaborative tasks is making sure that every student participates and is accountable for learning and not freeloading off the work of others.






Independent learning – Ideally, students apply what they have learned in class through “quick writes” and other independent assignments, so the teacher can monitor understanding before students do homework on their own. “The practice of assigning homework for missed class content will not result in student learning,” say Frey and Fisher. “In fact, it is more likely to reinforce misunderstanding because in many cases students are practicing ineffectively and incorrectly.” The key to successful independent work is effective purpose-setting and modeling, guided instruction, and collaborative tasks, as well as the






teacher conferencing with individual students about how their work is going.

Principals should look for these four components in classrooms, say the authors, to make sure that students are being “apprenticed” in the ideas and language of the discipline. And they should coach teachers in these ways:

Clarity on learning goals – If teachers don’t agree with the principal on what students are supposed to be learning, the principal’s feedback






will be worthless. The ideal situation is when teams of teachers collaboratively agree on learning goals that are aligned with standards.

Objective feedback – A principal’s observations are most helpful when they deal in observable facts – for example, students sitting passively at their desks listening to the teacher for an extended period of time.

Looking forward – With these two in place, the principal and teacher can talk about what’s next or what if, thinking collaboratively about how to improve instruction and learning. “Principals should encourage






teachers to try things out, to experiment, and to think deeply about what works and what doesn’t work,” say Frey and Fisher.

“Releasing responsibility to students is not easy,” conclude the authors. “Finding the time to spend in classrooms is difficult. So is having honest conversations with teachers about instruction, especially when students appear engaged and the teacher seems to have things under control. But the high expectations that educators and the community have for students will not be realized unless every instructional minute is purposeful and designed to increase student responsibility.”






“The Release of Learning” by Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher in Principal Leadership, February 2009 (Vol. 9, #6, p. 18-22). The authors can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].

Apprenticing Students in Strategy StudiesBe a Role Model: Demonstrate why and how you use comprehension strategies.

Explicitly think aloud as you highlight why you (and all








proficient readers) use the focus strategy(ies) before, during, and after reading texts of all genres.

Go Deep: Engage students in studies of a strategy or partner strategies over a long period of time. Discuss how the strategy(ies) are helping students comprehend and care about what they read (or hear/view). Create anchor charts with students to define the strategy(ies) including refining applications and benefits students gain in the course of your strategy study.

Build Bridges: Connect current strategy(ies) focus to students’ schema for reading and to their previous strategy studies. Over time, help students notice and name how strategies work together to help readers understand more deeply. Include other content areas.






Pass the Baton: Gradually release responsibility for strategy use to students. Encourage, expect, and nurture students’ application of their strategy learning as they read; Provide students with daily time for their independent reading and regularly engage them in collaborative reading practice to employ the focus strategy(ies).

Student Teachers:As students gain insights and confidence, ask students to “be the focus lesson teacher” and think aloud describing how he/she uses the strategy. Nudge students to voice how a strategy(ies) helps them understand and stay motivated to read.






Eye Spy: Ask students: How does this strategy help you read?






Challenges in Teaching Strategies

Challenges SolutionsModeling *We have not experienced much modeling ourselves.

*We may not feel confidence about modeling strategies for our students.

*DRAW FROM YOUR WELL: Before you study a strategy(ies) with students, pay attention to when and how you use this strategy in your own reading. Jot down what you say and do as you use this strategy. Your notes can be “scripts” to guide your modeling.

*LEAN ON LITERATURE: Note the






kinds of texts which will help your students become more aware of this strategy. Share these texts as you demonstrate why and how you use the focus strategy(ies).

*USE A CHEAT SHEET: More and more, professional texts offer us a lens to see and hear how other educators model strategies for and with students. As you note matches to your students’ development and interests as readers, create a reference sheet of the best






demonstration ideas you gain from your professional reading. *I have included menus of strategy self talk to support your demonstrations.

*STUDENT TEACHER: Share the modeling with students. As students successfully use the focus strategy(ies), ask them to share their brain work with their peers.

*GUEST SPEAKERS: Invite colleagues to teach a focus lesson. Hearing how






many readers use strategies helps students see their utility.

Active Student Learning*Sometimes, students can be a bit passive or tune out during focus

*SHORT & SPIRITED: Be aware of and craft focus lessons to reflect students’ capacity to attend. In professional literature, these are called “minilessons” because they are meant to be small, meaningful bursts

*Think-Pair-Share

*Read-Draw-Talk-Write






lessons/whole group instruction. *Utilize familiar texts.

*Read the whole text first. That day or another day, you can engage students in Read-Stop-Think.

Building Units of Study

*Detail the subskills of a strategy(ies) by….






Students’ “Flatline”

*NOVELTY: Encourage students to apply their strategy learning to new contexts and texts.

*MOVE FORWARD: Consider moving into a new strategy study. From your evaluation of students’ data, maybe students have learned all they can “right now” about a strategy and are in need of






another strategy to grow as readers.






Continuum for Student LearningHaving determined student learning goal(s), I detail these intentions by developing a continuum for student learning. For example, if we identify inferential thinking for a learning goal for our class, I then build a unit of study with continuum considerations such as:

LAUNCHING LESSONS* What lessons will help me launch this study of inferring with my students?

* What should I front load to create an invitational feel and immediate student success in practicing inferring?






* Do all my students need all of these lessons? Or, are some of these lessons more helpful to my younger readers? And are some of these lessons more helpful to my mature readers?

* Linking literacy learning, how can I demonstrate inferring as a word work tool?

DEEPENING LESSONS* Studying inferring over a long period of time, what lessons and experiences would

deepen my students’ inferential thinking?

* Differentiating learning, how can/should I develop small group collaborative from this menu?






PRACTICE TEXTS* What should my students read to practice this goal?

* What do my students like to read?

* What texts prompt students to utilize inferential thinking?

ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION TOOLS* How will I monitor my students’ use of inferring and their progress as inferential

thinkers?

* How will I know it is time to move students to more challenging, deepening lessons?

* And how will I know my students are ready to move onto (another reading goal/s)?











A Portrait of Studying Inferential ThinkingInferring Early Learning Later Learning

Inferences are the information readers supply. Proficient readers go beyond the author’s explicit information; they make use of implicit information. Proficient readers infer by tapping into the vast store of knowledge gained from

Model, name, & explain inferring out of text first; move to easy texts next

Inferring Self Talk“I bet…”“I bet…I knew it…”“I predict…I was surprised to learn/ find out…”“I guess…”

Inferring “beyond the text”

Pronoun references

Reading to confirm predictions; proving confirmations

Genre-Based Inferring Fiction:+character (development, feelings, etc.)






their lives which includes experiences with literature (Watson, 1997).

Inferences are possible and necessary because no text is a complete representation of the meaning (Goodman, 1993).

The difference between predicting and inferring is

“I think…”“Maybe…”

Predicting using information in text to determine+what this will be about+what will happen next

Guess ideas not stated in text

Infer with text supports & features:+title

+problem+solution+setting

Nonfiction:+title; title & cover+read the last line/page first+main/big ideas

Poetry:+message+language+lines, stanzas






that predictions can be confirmed by reading and inferences are never explicitly stated in text (Lusche, 2003).

As we read text of any genre, we must negotiate the meaning of the words. Sometimes the meanings are veiled with smoke or clouds. At other times, the words give us only

+pictures/graphics+organization/format+font [bold print, italics, etc.]+repeated language/ideas

Survey text to infer

Draw on questioning & connections to create inference

Connect inferring to previous literacy learning & content area studies:

+organization/structure/format

Punctuation clues/cues

Drawing conclusions

Cause & effect

Foreshadowing






part of the meaning like having sixteen pieces of a twenty piece puzzle (Benson, 2000).

While your eyes go down the printed page, your mind will be going between the lines, in and out and under and beyond the words (Waldman, 2000).

+cloze experiences+estimation (Math)+patterning (Math)+code/symbol (Math; Science)+hypothesize (Science)











KIM’S CLASS 1st Grade Students, American School of the Hague

Focus of Student Learning:

Reading and Writing Poetry

Inferring ~ Comprehension Strategy

Lesson Plans






Focus Lesson

Launch study of inferring with “out of text” experiences;Connect study of inferring to students’ use and habit of questioning ;Reading Super

Independent Reading

Tues. or Wed.Assign an “I bet…” prediction before students read their IR text

Thurs. & Fri. Ask students

Conferences

Listen for “I bet…” inferring

Guided ReadingModel & practice inferring in poetry – practice self talk…in nonfiction texts

...with Key

Talking Circle

What did you learn about yourself today…as a reader?...as a detective/inferential thinker?

How did it






Heroes

Tues. or Wed.Begin modeling why & how I infer as I read poetry; poetry specific inferring [message, feelings, etc.]…& Thurs. & Fri. demonstrate inferring as I

to record their inferences with sticky note; If ready, “I bet…” & “I knew it…” or “I was surprised to learn…”OR engage students in

Collect data to determine word study focus; examine writing

Word Prediction; Anticipation Guide; Possible Sentences

Word Study: word sorts; “If you know…”

feel to create “I bet..” inferences as you read today?

*Add to thinking charts






read other genres, too, w/ cloze passage

Texts:Zoom; In the Land of Words;

Read, Draw, Talk, Write [w/bookmark]

samples

~ A Study of Inferential Thinking ~






Planning Phase of Study

Determining your students’ need to learn to infer or their need to deepen their inferential thinking, a few best ways to plan are:

1. Draw From Your Reading WellPay attention to and record when, how, and why you infer as you read a variety of text. A few weeks of this self reflection helps inform your work with integrity and insight. If you only have a few days, don’t worry. You’ll see a multitude of examples of inferring in your reading by being “wide awake” to your thinking. Jotting down how you are talking to yourself – yourself talk – to






infer is especially clarifying and will enhance your confidence in modeling this often elusive comprehension strategy for your students.

2. Draw From Your Students’ StrengthsUtilize students’ strengths, experiences, and habits of inferring to build a bridge to the new ways they need to use inferential thinking in their reading, writing, and (later in your study) content area learning. Determine the ways your students already infer and jot those down in your plan book or writer’s notebook.

3. Marinate Students in InferringYour read alouds can “lay the ground work” for your study of inferring. Months, weeks, or even days before you begin your student of inferential thinking with your students, marinate the kids in






inferences by gently and briefly voicing your inferences and putting inference-loaded texts into their lives (i.e. poetry, mysteries, riddles, etc.). I share my self talk, my internal conversations in creating understanding, for inferring with students using “I bet…” and “I expect…because…” statements. I try to keep these think alouds clean and focused on inferential thinking. Later, I will demonstrate and explain to students that proficient readers use several or many comprehension strategies simultaneously. I think of this pre-study marination as my “subliminal brain training.”

Launching Phase of Study*Day 1 – 10 for Primary Grade Students *Day 1 – 5 for Intermediate Grade and Secondary Students






Read aloud voicing your inferential thinking. “I bet the dog will find the buried treasure…”“I think Kylie is feeling sad because the book says she bit her lip and walked away…Now, it says she is crying. It seems like she is feeling really sad and worried about being left out of the game…” Additionally, elicit responses from students to make read alouds a shared construction of the text and to hear their inferential thinking (and other evidence of their comprehension). Note student success and strengths.

Name and define inferring by showing students how they already infer out of text. Out of Text Inferring Experiences:

Telephone Game






“When you listen to someone talk on the telephone, you can often infer who they are talking to just by hearing one side of the conversation. Let me show you how you already infer as I (pretend) to talk to someone on the phone…”

Body Language“If I came into our classroom not talking but just doing this (frowning), you would be able to infer how I was feeling just by reading by body language. Let’s try this with some other expressions. I’ll make some faces and move my body into feelings and you call out how you infer that I am feeling…”

Wrapped Presents Unknown Household/Occupational Objects Jokes, Pun, & Humor Art






Music (Jazz, classical, and songs in new foreign languages are especially supportive.) Charades; Role Playing Characters Intonation/Voice Clues Scents and Smells Film & Television Experiences with Inferring

Demonstrate how and why you infer in a variety of genres. Reveal your self talk and post it for students.

o Start with easy texts first. I often begin with wordless pictures books and poetry (for students of all ages/grade levels).






o Move to more complicated texts. I model my inferential thinking with a vast variety of genres to help students understand the power and need to infer and to help them develop cognitive flexibility.

o Stop Sign – stop & talk - to infer from any of the following for any of the above texts: Title Cover Back blurb First lines/pages At the bottom of each page or paragraph (depending on students & text) At the beginning and end of each chapter

o Predict using information in text to determine: What this will be about






What will happen next/what will be said nexto Guess ideas not stated in texto Share how you are sensing meanings from texto Infer with text supports & features

Title Pictures/graphics Organization/format Font [bold print, italics, etc.]

o Survey text to infero Draw on questioning and connect to create inference(s)o






Infer collaboratively.o Co-construct understanding with you students in texts such as wordless picture books,

poetry, joke books, schema-based nonfiction, easy fiction, etc.o _________________________________________________________

Draw pictures from read aloud

Deepening Phase

[See “Deep Thinking” article to read more about strategy units of study.]






Nurturing Deeper Thinking Laura Benson

“Interacting with Text” Instruction Heart = developing their own intentions for reading and writing Mind = expanding their strategies for understanding before, during, and after

they read Soul = connecting with the author(s); connecting with other readers






Response = Oral, Written, and Artistic Most student response will (and should be) oral. Authenticity and audience are key considerations in all forms of response. Purposes: Infinite but a few key goals for engaging students in written

response include:o to process and deepen their thinking personally (writing as a way to

think more deeply) and to use writing in ways to help them comprehend their reading.

A student’s response may or may not be shared with other or turned in for a response from his/her teachers. Rather, we want students to know that writing can and will help them formulate their own thinking.

o to retell what they read;o to share their thinking and opinions in a literary essay;






o to gain important insights about our students’ thinking and growth as readers and writers.

All forms of response are data wells helping us to get to know our students more vividly and more intimately.

Focus Helping students learn why and how to respond to their reading (and

learning) thoughtfully and articulately centers on your focus for utilizing response, especially written response, as a vehicle for student learning.

o Direct Connection to Learning & Teaching : What do I want my students to pay attention to as they read? Would it be most edifying for my students/this student to reflect on their process of reading and/or on the text?






o Independent Use of Response : Are my students able to/Would my students benefit from self-initiated response?

o Growth & Progress : From my analysis of my students’ data, what type or forms of response would move my students forward as readers (heart, mind, and/or soul considerations)?

Begin Your Study of Response with: Read Alouds Modeling, Modeling, Modeling ; demonstrations and thinking aloud are critical Collaborative Practice : create response together with students; peer

partnerships Short and Spirited Texts






Once we can get children to comprehend and respond thoughtfully to text in conversation and in short jottings to record their thinking, we can then work on the muscles of writing well in authentic genres of writing about reading. But we should not expect that children

will be able to do the writing work until we have heavily scaffolded their thinking and note-taking, as well as their organizing and planning of their writing.

Janet Angellio (2003), Writing About Reading” From Book Talk to Literacy Essays, Grades 3 -8.

Compass of QuestionsDeep(er) study of questioningNo questions = no response…or very thin ones!

Deep 3 Inferring






Identifying Importance Synthesizing

Anchor Chartso Help students develop insights about why and how to respond to text before,

during, and after reading by creating Anchor Charts with them.o Support (Okay, Nudge!) students’ response with anchor charts, artifacts or

touchstones of the modeling and collaborative responses you have engaged your students, which help them remember why and how to think they way through texts – specifically, to use your current response focus.

Study the Response of Other Readers & Thinkers






Book reviews *Commentary Essays *News articles Movie reviews *Video game reviews Letters to the editor *_______________

Support Student Response with Self TalkModeling and practicing how proficient readers build understanding before, during, and after reading with self talk, encourage your students to use their self talk when crafting their written responses, too. A few examples include:I know…Now I know…I’m thinking…I’m thinking that…because/so…I wonder…






I wonder…I found out…I wonder…I found out…This seems important because…I bet…I bet…I learned…I bet…I was surprised to learn…I bet because…I learned…I learned…and now I will…I learned…So…What seemed most important was…The most important thing/idea I learned about ____ was…I view this as important because…I learned that the character…’I think that the character will…because…






I had to change my thinking about _____ because…

Caution: Our goal is always independence. We don’t want to put our

students on readers’ or writers’ welfare, right? So, do not always prompt students to use a set way to self talk or respond to text. After a supportive period of modeling, collaborative practice, and independent practice with your feedback (via conferring, especially), encourage students to






independently select the most helpful strategies in guiding their own comprehension and motivation.






“Summing It Up” Self Talk

“I found out…” “I knew it…” “I learned…” “I was surprised to learn…” “Pulling all this information together…” “The most important ideas/information…” “Okay, now I know that…”






“Comparing this information to…I now think that…” “I didn’t know that. That makes me think…” "Here's what I know now/think now…" "Wow, I never knew that…" "Hmm, this seems really important because…" "This is just like…but not like…" Clarifying "Sum Up" Thoughts: "I am still wondering about…"






"I don't get this part…" "I didn't really understand…" "I'd better reread that…because I just don't get it!" "I am not sure about…" "What does this mean…?"






Readers... Readers... •work to understand •work to

understand “I get it...” “I get it...” “This is about...” “This is about...”

•make connections •make connections

“This reminds me of...” “This reminds me of...”






•ask questions •ask questions “I wonder...” “I wonder...”

•make predictions •make predictions

“I bet...” “I bet...”

•find the big ideas •find the big ideas






“The most important ideas(s) is… “The message here is...”

“The author wants me to learn…” “The author wants me to learn…”

•put all the ideas together •put all the ideas together

“From the beginning, middle, and “First, he...then, she...”

end, I know...”






•create a movie •see the story “I see...” “While I read __, I saw...”

“I sensed that...” ...as they read. ...as they read. ©Laura Benson ©Laura Benson






Questions to Help Students Reflect on Reading LogsFranki Sibberson & Karen Szymusiak (2008), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop

Is there a genre or author that you have enjoyed more than others lately?

Are you reading a variety of books or are you hooked on one author or several?

Do you see any type of book that is missing from your reading? Are you reading the same book at home and at school? How is that

working? What do you notice about the number of books you are finishing?






Do you notice any patterns in your book selection – maybe you read a long book, then a short book? Or maybe you read a series for a few books and then move to something else?

Have you quit any books? Was that a good decision? Why or why not? Are there any books that you have read faster or slower than other

books? Why do you think that happened?Additional Reflection Questions (Benson, 2000; 2009):

What are you learning about yourself as a reader/writer/thinker as you read over your entries?What can you teach other readers/your kindergarten buddy about reading/writing?






Which authors are you drawn to/do you find yourself returning to time and time again? What have they or could they teach you about writing?






What We Might Ask to Build on Conversation Franki Sibberson & Karen Szymusiak (2008), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop

What We Notice: What We Might Ask:Student makes prediction What makes you think that?Student agrees with someone Are you building on what

Brennen said?Student makes new prediction What made you change your

thinking?Student comments on character What did the character do or say

to make you think that?Student comments on a When do you think he/she






character changing started changing?

Questions We Ask Ourselves When Looking at a Child’s Reading Log

Franki Sibberson & Karen Szymusiak (2008), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop

Is this child reading a variety of genres? Does this child seem to have a favorite author or genre? Is this child finishing most books in a week or two? Or is he/she

reading the same book for long periods of time?






Is this child reading the same books at home and at school or is s/he reading two different books? Is this system working for the child?

Is this child consistent in the amount that he/she reads daily? Has this child quit a lot of books?






INFERRENTIAL THINKING STUDY

1) Help students see how they already infer – engage them “Out of Text” experiences first: Wrapped Presents; Body Language/Faces; Art; Games and Play; Telephone Game; Music & Sounds; Movies & T.V.; Jokes & Humor

2) Name inferential thinking by modeling self talk.

“I bet…” “I sense…” “I guess…”

“It feels like…” “I think…” “I predict…”






“From these clues, I infer…” “I’m not sure but I think…”

3) Engage students in practicing inferential thinking with you, together, and collaboratively. Student practice can be differentiated by the level, length, and type of texts you provide them. Helpful practice texts and experiences include: poetry; wordless picture books; jokes, riddles, and puns; idioms; mysteries; predicting from text titles or headlines (or other text features such as visuals, captions, etc.). Over the course of your multi-week (or throughout-the-year) study of inferring, engage students in reading texts of diverse genres.

4) Assign students to practice inferring as they read independently. As they read on their own, students implement the skills and strategies profiled via your modeling and group practice. Their






implementation practice can be differentiated by the tasks you give students. For example, help all your students understand the power of priming their thinking before they begin reading by predicting the content of the text with an “I bet…” prediction(s). More mature students (developmentally) can create more predictions and younger students can be asked to create just one or they may need extra support with you in creating one before they read. Or, you have assign more mature or gifted students inferences about more implicit concepts and nudge your younger students’ inferring to more explicit or text based concepts or, perhaps, even pronoun reference inferring.

5) Monitor students’ progress as inferential thinkers by meeting with them in one-on-one conferences, small group discussion, and evidence gained from their oral, written, and artistic responses.






6) As students create effective inferences/successful inferential thinking, enlist them to model and coach their peers about why and how inferences power our understanding.

Differentiating Learning with the 5 T’s L. Benson, 1997

TARGET TIME TEXTS TASKS TEACHING






Focus of student Intensity learning of learning and

teaching

Supporting meaningful and joyful/purposeful transfer of learning into student’s independent and collaborative reading and writing

Practice-based learning; authentic assignments and activities to offer each student support & challenge

Graduated, scaffolded instruction for ALL students ~“dosaged” individually and responsively

student’s need(individual academic need) & students’

Daily = 3 hours of literacy learning and instruction; indep. practice

+Student choice texts+Guided choice of texts to engage student in texts which promote understanding/being understood

before r/w/l tasks priming understandingindividual &/or

modeling and demonstratingr/w/t/l to reveal why & how to use focus strategy/ skill/content;






need (common academic need);data-based decisions

= 90 mins. reading;45-75+ mins. writing

+Short & spirited texts+Necessity of easy level texts, especially first practice texts; As child grows, practice moves to more challenging texts over time.

collaborative thinking aloud

standards flexible and responsive time lines/frames of learning

+Book brothers/text sets; themed collections [texts clustered by common topic - author, genre, skill/ strategy focus, theme, content area, etc.]+Book club textsclustered by common

during r/w/l tasks processing understandingindividual and/or collaborative

practicing collaboratively w/varied grouping fellowships*teacher & students; peer groups; partners; student initiated groups; home






topic - author, genre, strategy focus, theme, content area concept, etc.

support

curriculum; units of study; content area themes/units

frequency of instruction& support

diverse genres, cultures, & authors50 – 50 Rule: 50% of students’ reading is nonfiction (including poetry) and 50% is fiction;Mirror & Window texts

after r/w/l tasks retaining understandingindividual &/or collaborative

practicing independently; independent practice supported and guided with teacher conferring for feedback and monitoring as well as agendas, checklists, tiered activities centers, learning stations,






etc.students’ passions & questions

student use reading and writing out of school; daily home practice

texts authored by students, children,and teachers

student selected or innovated tasks

student(s) as teacher & tutor






Portraits of DifferentiationStudy of Inferential Thinking:

Days 1 – 10

WHOLE GROUP Learning

SMALL GROUPLearning

INDEPENDENTLearning

Teacher meets with whole group/class to

Teacher tailors students’ collaborative practice of inferring based on

Teacher assigns students independent practice of inferring






model, name, & explain why & how to infer meanings in/ from nonfic-tion texts

students’ strengths, needs, reading level, & interests; Practice inferring together in a variety of texts.

Students practice inferring indep. “solo,” as partners, and at home

Teacher and students practice inferring together in poetry, story picture books,songs, essays,

Practice inferring by…*Key Word Prediction*Connect Two*Cloze Passages…with lots of short & spirited texts

Practice inferring by…*Self Talk*Stop Signing*Bookmarks…in a variety of independent level reading texts






etc.Read Alouds;Brain Show & Tell; Interactive Read Alouds;Shared Reading;Talking Circles

Small Group Fellowships/Guided Reading; Shared Reading;Book Club Conversations; Word Work Study/Problem Solving New Words

Independent Reading;Reading Conferences;Buddy Reading; Writing to Understand;Word Work Study

*All above teaching decisions based on students’ strengths, needs, reading levels, & passions/interests.






Science Text Set Sometimes, if not often, I engage students in reading content area texts






during our Readers’ Workshop. I differentiate the texts the children read based on their reading level, background knowledge, self-generated questions, passions, etc. Here’s a sample of some of the texts my students and I might draw from in a study of the digestive system.

Pieces authored by current & previous students Photographs and other visuals DVD’s, documentaries/television, and video clips highlighting

the digestive system “Cheese” and “Seaweed” from It’s Disgusting and We Ate It!

True Food Facts From Around the World and Throughout History by James Solheim (1998)

“Enzymes” from Science Experiments You Can Eat by Vicki Cobb






(1972) “Digestion: Down The Tube” from Blood and Guts: A Working

Guide to Your Own Insides by Linda Allison (1976) The Magic School Bus Inside The Human Body by Joanna Cole

(1989) “Spit and Saliva,” “Barf,” and “Burps and Belches” from

Grossology: The Science of Really Gross Things! by Sylvia Branzei

“What if we had no nose or mouth?” and “What if the body had no stomach?” from The Crazy World of…?What if… by Steve Parker (1996)

Various short and spirited pieces from Eat Your Words: A






Fascinating Look at the Language of Food by Charlotte Foltz Jones (1999)

Colorado Kids and Mini-Kid pieces and other newspaper articles about the digestive system, nutrition, and food

Variety of short & spirited texts: school lunch menu; nutrition brochures and newspaper clips; restaurant menus and information

Differentiating a Study of _____________






~ common learning focus for whole class/same target focus ~

Group 1 Students Group 2 StudentsYoungest/Emerging Readers Moving toward Fluency Students

Text: Text:






Task: Task:

Group 3 Students Group 4 Students






On Grade Level Readers Mature/Advanced Readers

Text: Text:

Task: Task:






*Responsive & flexible grouping practices are key: Honoring children’s unique journeys of learning, what about the student(s) who does fall neatly into one of the above groups? How will you give this student(s) small group learning fellowship?

DAVID’S CLASS 3rd Grade Class

The American School of the Hague

Focus of Student Learning:






Reading and Writing Poetry

Identifying Important Ideas and Synthesizing

Lesson Plans

Focus LessonLaunch study of inferring with “out of text” experiences;

Independent ReadingTues. or Wed.Assign an “I learned…” self talk

ConferencesListen for “I learning” comprehend-ing/identify-ing important

Guided ReadingModel & practice inferring in poetry

Talking CircleWhat did you learn about yourself today…as a






chart; reading super heroes

Tues. or Wed.Begin modeling why & how I identify important ideas & synthesize as I read poetry; poetry specific importance[title; message,

before students read/ as students begin their IR text = title, esp.

Thurs. & Fri. Ask students to record their comp. with sticky

ideas; identify peer mentors

…in nonfiction texts…in content area texts

...with Key Word Notes; Read, Draw, Talk, Write; Scrambled Sentences

reader?...as a judge/builder?…thinker?

How did it feel to create “I learned…” and “I know…” conversations with yourself as you read






feelings, etc.]…& Thurs. & Fri. demonstrate identifying imp. & synthesizing as I read other genres, too, w/ cloze passages[cover; pictures and graphics, repeated information]Texts:

note

Engage students in Read, Draw, Talk, Write [w/bookmark]

Collect data to determine word study focus; examine writing samples

Word Study: word sorts; “If you know…”Expecting important words and word solving

today?

*Add to thinking charts






David’s poetry text set; In the Land of Words






Sculpting Time to Deepen Students’ Reading LearningA schedule is a net for catching days.

Annie Dillard What we give our time to shows what we value. Sculpting time for literacy learning, as is true with all of life's journeys, means being thoughtful about every minute of our students' day.

Let's think about essential experiences for learner's of every age, what I call AAA (Benson, 1995) in responsive "dosages" ~

ALOUD ~ modeling & mentoring






ALONG ~ fellowship & collaborative practice ALONE ~ independent practice

To profile these further, our students need differentiated literacy learning with:Essential Literacy Learning Experiences•Reading–Read Alouds–Focus Lesson: Modeling & SR/ Collaborative Practice –Indep. Reading–Conferences–Guided Reading






–Book Club/Lit Circles–Peer Partners

•Writing –Focus Lesson: Modeling, Read Alouds-Mentor Texts, & SW/ Collaborative Practice –Indep. Writing–Conferences–Clinics/Small Groups–Buddy Projects/Clubs

•Word Study






–Embedded into RW, WW, & Content Learning OR focus on @ a diff. time BUT connect to Reading, Writing, &/or Content Area Concepts

•Content Area Learning –Infuse literacy as vehicle for learning content area concepts–Use thinking strategy focus to support content area learning/cross-fertilize Gathering kids in front for instruction, releasing them to practice, and then bringing them back to share their thinking represents the steady flow that is at the heart of effective teaching and learning. From Strategies That Work by Harvey & Goudvis






4) Consider "What does the research say about TIME?"Student achievement goals = 90 minutes of independent reading EVERY DAYStudent writing achievement= 35 – 75 independent writing EVERY DAY Research References•Allington, Richard. [All titles]•Kohn, Alfie. [Numerous titles]•Krashen, Stephen. [All titles]•Pearson, P. David. Handbook of Reading Research (2000).•Dolores Durkin’s early studies






*www.ciera.org •www.ira.org •www.ncte.org * and read Regie Routman's and Shelley Harwayne's thoughts about time in their many edifying books! 5) Or, in the case of many international school schedules when instructional time is so limited because of the blessing and challenge of many additional learning experiences embedded into students' learning days...Highest percentage of students’ time = engaged in independent reading & writing






Minutes count! Beginning to end of school day and over the course of a week, how much time are our students reading & writing on their own? 6) Primary Grade Possibilities*Steal minutes from morning message &/or find quiet, student controlled ways to take attendance, lunch count, etc. Post announcements for students to read rather than having to tell students [Use pictures & cues for young students.]*Infuse content area learning texts into modeling, shared, guided, and students’ independent reading.






*Rather than trying to fit it ALL into a day, strive to fit in essential learning experiences within a week/within your 6 days*Give yourself permission to engage in Conferences & GR in doable rhythms: M, W, & F = Conf and T & Th = GR [beginning of year; later, flip this pattern].*Cycle your younger or more vulnerable students into your conferences and small groups/guided reading-writing more often*Engage in short conferences often*Use short & spirited texts to create edifying but efficient guided reading groups and manageable writing tasks, too.* Consider integrating your focus in reading and writing [e.g., Focusing on making connections in reading, I engage students in writing connected text






such as memoir, pattern books, haiku, compare & contrast, etc. We are thus studying connecting as a thinking strategy which generates understanding and possibilities in reading and writing (and content area learning, too!). 7) INTERMEDIATE GRADE POSSIBILITIES•All previously mentioned suggestions and•When time is really tight, consider utilizing block type scheduling during this fragmented or “too full” period – but not always [e.g., Readers’ Workshop for 2-3 weeks and, then, Writer’s Workshop for 2-3 weeks OR Monday – Wednesday = Readers’ Workshop and Thursday – Friday = Writers’ Workshop]






Just adding more time and space for independent reading is not enough. I’m advocatinga carefully designed, structured reading program that includes demonstrating, teaching, guiding,monitoring, evaluating, and goal setting alongwith voluntary reading of books students choose…When an independent reading component isadded, test scores go up.Regie Routman






8) Reflect On Your ScheduleEvery decision is important. Thinking about time, I ask myself:*What would be most helpful in helping my students grow right now? *How does doing this help my students move forward (confidence, motivation, relationships, and academically)?*What is my intention here? Does doing this serve the focus of students’ learning right now?*Is this really necessary or could I accomplish this in another way?






When we follow routines day after day, our students can use their energy to grow as readers and learners rather than to figure out what we expect them to do. And we in turn, can focus our energy on teaching, not managing, our independent learners. Kathy Collins in The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser






Grade Level InstructionalMinutes

Total Minus lunch,

Specials, etc.

LiteracyLearningMinutes

K ____ minutes total minutes OR minutes ORminutes

1 st ____ minutes total minutes ORminutes OR minutes






2 nd minutes total minutes ORminutes ORminutes

3 rd minutes total 130 minutes OR145 minutes ORminutes

4 th 420 minutes total235 minutes OR210 minutes OR

?minutes ORminutes ORminutes






5th 420 minutes total255 minutes OR 240 minutes OR 140 minutes

80 minutes OR110 minutes OR130 minutes

In my ignorance, I am likely to recommend a change or amendment to the ASD learning-teaching schedules which may seem insensitive or disrespectful because I do not yet now the intention of the learning activity (from my






reading of the schedules samples). So, please know that I offer the following thoughts to paint portraits of time possibilities but in no way to say that what the current schedules reflect anything but thoughtful teaching.

Would it be possible to suspend or reorganize some activities such as Starters, Pack Up, Opening Activities, Homeroom, Class Meeting to gain more for students’ learning/literacy learning? Again, I am not sure what is happening during this time between students and teachers but it could these blocks in the ASD schedule might provides us with extra minutes each day or each week.

What is happening during times listed as “ Independent Reading ?” Since it is listed separately from Literacy on some of the schedules, I just wondered how folks are defining these experiences.






Time

These teachers had a “reading and writing vs. stuff” ratio that was far better balanced than is typically found in elementary classrooms (Allington, 2001).

In other words, these teachers routinely had children actually reading and writing for as much as half of the school day – often around a 50/50 ratio of reading and writing to stuff (stuff is all the other things teachers have children






do instead of reading and writing). In typical classrooms, it is not unusual to find that kids read and write for as little as ten percent of the day (30 minutes of reading and writing activity in a 300 minute, or five hour, school day).

In many classrooms, a 90 minute “reading block” produces only 10-15 minutes of actual reading, or less than 20 percent of the allocated reading time is spent reading. Worse, in many classrooms, 20 minutes of actual reading across the school day (Knapp, 1995) is a common even, which includes reading in science, social studies, math and other subjects. Thus, less than ten percent of the day is actually spent reading and 90 percent or more of the time is spent doing stuff.






The issue is less stuff vs. reading than it is a question of what sorts of and how much of stuff. When stuff dominates instructional time, warning flags should go up. This is true even when the activity, in some form, has been shown to be useful. Activating students’ background knowledge before reading (Pearson & Fielding, 1991) and generating discussion after reading (Fall, Webb & Chudowsky, 2000) is useful. But three to five minutes of building background knowledge is probably enough; spending most of a 90 minute block on building background knowledge seems an unlikely strategy for improving reading proficiencies.

In less-effective classrooms, there is a lot of stuff going on for which no reliable evidence exists to support their use (e.g., text-preparation workbooks, copying vocabulary definitions from a dictionary, completing after-reading comprehension worksheets).






Extensive reading is critical to the development of reading proficiency (Krashen, 2001; Stanovich, 2000). Extensive practice provides the opportunity for students to consolidate the skills and strategies teachers often work so hard to develop. The exemplary elementary teachers we studied recognized this critical aspect of instructional planning. Their students did more guided reading, more independent reading, more social studies and science reading than students in less-effective classrooms.






Part Two: WHAT do our students need

to learn?WHAT do we expect our

studentsA Year of Readers’ Workshop ~ ©Laura Benson ~ [email protected] Page 223





to learn this year?






Proficient Reader Research

P. David Pearson, Jan Dole, Gerald Duffy, Laura Roehler (1988; 1991; 1997; 2005); Richard Allington (1998);






Laura Benson (1993; 1997; 2000); Taffy Raphael (2000); Jeff Wilhelm (2001)

How do proficient readers work to understand the texts they read, view, and hear?

Connect

Use existing knowled

ge to

Wonder

Ask questions before, during,

Infer

Draw inferences from the text

Check & Repair

Understanding

Monitor

Evaluate

Identify important ideas

Synthesize

Integrate information

to create






make sense of

new informati

on

& after reading

their owncomprehensi

onand use fix

up strategies

when theyget “stuck”

in text new ideas and deeper understand

ing

“This reminds me of…”

“I wonder…

”

“I bet…”

“I am guessing

“I think…”

“I know…”

“I learned…

”

“Putting all this

information together, I






“This is like…”

“This is like ___ but not like ____

because…”

“I am connecting ____ to

“Why did they…?”

“I am curious

about…”

“What…?How…?

Where…?When…?Who…?Why?”

that ____because…

”

“I predict…”

“It seems like ___

and, so, I think

that…”

“I don’t get it. I’d better read that again…”

“This was about…”

“I am confused…”

“I know that I know…”

“This seems really

important because

…”

“A big idea I am

taking from this text is…”

now know that…”

“In the beginning…and at the

end…”

“Now I realize that…”

“I feel that






____ because…

”

“I infer…” “The author wants me to consider...”

____ because…So, now I

will…”






Reading Mini Lessons Instruction that encourages students to read often, and in depth, and to engage in

conversations around meaningful ideas provides comprehensible language… understanding the message they are hearing or reading

(is key to their growth as readers). Krashen, 2003











Potential Units of Reading StudyLiving a

Literate LifeThinking Process/

How Readers Work to

Understand

Genre/LiteraryAnalysis

Theme My Unit of Study Ideas

What do readers read?Why read?What do readers do?

Checking for Understanding

Connecting to Understand

NONFICTIONPersonal Narratives; Memoir; Picture Books;Informational Texts;How to Texts; Captions;Graphs; Charts; Posters;

Reading-Writing Connections:+revising meaning+summarizing+tapping into schema






Choosing booksReading widely

Creating Our Community/Workshop or Procedural Lessons [norms; knowing yourself as a reader; seating options; planning for our talking circles; etc.]“Reading begins the minute you walk in the door…”

Questioning to Understand

Inferring to Understand

Identifying Importance/ Evaluating to Understand

Synthesizing to Understand

Biography; Poetry;Brochures; Reviews;Essays; Op-Ed/Editorial;Interview; Newspapers;Reflective Writing;Cause and Effect; chronological order; Persuasion; Lead; Main Idea Development; Propaganda; Viewpoint;Compare & Contrast;Writer’s Notebooks;Author Studies

FICTIONPicture BooksRealistic FictionHistorical Fiction

Content Area Theme: FreedomPlant LifeExplorersEnergyNutritionWhy do people keep returning to war?Civil RightsMans impact on the environmentDefining world problemsFraming social






“Let’s generate some ideas for staying focused/increasing our reading stamina”

Find and learning from reading mentors

Visualizing to Understand

Problem Solving New Words to Understand

Animal FictionShort StoriesFantasy; Folks tales; Fairy Tales; Fables; LegendsScience FictionCharacterProblem; Solution/plotSettingDialoguePoint of viewVoice MoodAuthor’s PurposeAuthor Studies

POETRYLanguageMessage/Meaning Author

trends and issuesFinding the big ideas or general topics in a body of workAnalyzing characters’ actions in relation to the general topicsGenerating statements about the author’s point or






StudiesAlliteration ImageryMoodMetaphorOrganization/Lines, Stanza, White SpaceAbove Genre Connections

message about a topicExpressing opinionsAffective Education ThemeSense of selfDeveloping personal choices*Caution: Theme/ Content focus should not supplant the need for helping students grow as






readers/ writers. With a goal(s) for students’ knowledge growth, determine a literacy partner focus to help them gain greater access to the content and progress as readers, too.

*Please note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive list. Rather, the above examples are offered here to paint a portrait of possibilities for your own units of study and to stir your thinking . Cheers!






6 Steps to Effective Vocabulary InstructionRobert Marzano (2004), Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement:

Research on What Works in Schools

Step 1. Teacher provides a description, explanation, or example of new term.

Step 2. Students restate the explanation of new term in their own words.






Step 3. Students create a nonlinguistic representation of term.

Step 4. Students periodically do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms.






Step 5. Periodically students are asked to discuss the terms with one another.

Step 6. Periodically students are involved in games that allow them to play with the

terms.






*pages 91 – 103






Part Three:

How will we know our students have learned these what’s?






A Year of Readers’ Workshop ~ ©Laura Benson ~ [email protected] Page 242Laura Benson ~ [email protected]

Assessment & Evaluation

RitualsClassroom Monitoring PracticesOne-On-One Conferences with Teacher’s NotesStudents’ Classroom WorkAnecdotal RecordsRunning RecordsIndividual Assessment ToolsIndividual Reading Assessments: DRA; QRI-3rd/4th

Observation SurveyDevelopmental Continuums…and Using Student Data to

Plan Instruction






My Monitoring/Teac

her Notebook ContentsConference record notes (by week)Organizational Grid of common assessmentsA tab/section to harvest & warehouse samples of each student’s literacy learning and growth over time












Teacher Notebook:

for each primary student

Parent surveyObservation Survey, Words I Know, &/or Concepts About Print(Clay) &/or DRARunning RecordsPhotocopy of I can! textsAnecdotal notesSpelling tool

Writing ContinuumReading ContinuumWriting samplesWritten response piecesAnd options…Student interest surveyComp. strategy toolShow me what you learned writingSpelling continuum







Teacher Notebook:for each intermediate

student Parent surveyStudent surveyShow me what you learned writing piecesSamples of writingSamples of written response to readingAnecdotal notes

Reading ContinuumWriting ContinuumPhotocopy of I can! reading textsSpelling toolDRARubricsAnd options…Comp. strategy(ies) interview/toolRetellingCloze passagesSpelling continuum






…I consider what I need to get to know the student more…











Table Share = How We Get To Know Our Students



Conference NotesPost a PageShow Me What You LearnedRunning RecordsExit Card Response1 Sentence SummaryTalking Circle Self EvaluationsTeach a [younger] Buddy/PeerLetters/Mail CallRubrics & ExemplarsBenchmark Books

Writing SamplesWritten ResponseBefore School Conference w/ Student & ParentSurveys: Students; ParentsChecklistsLunch BunchLibrary Sign Out RecordsIRA/ Individual Reading AssessmentsDEVELOPMENTAL

CONTINUUMS










Record KeepingRecord it!

Maintain record of your conferences in a method which feels most comfortable and informative to you. You really can’t remember each pearl or puzzle student shares in your one on one conversations. You will not see every child every day but, over time you will. Developing and using a straightforward and practical way of recording your observations of students and your suggestions to students will help you know how to pace your conferences (“Hmm, just looking at my conference record notes, I see that I haven’t met with Darius yet.” or “Right! From the notes I took yesterday, I remember that I promised to get back to Veronica about her revisions today. “). Having accurate and easily accessible “notes to yourself” keeps you at






the cutting edge of what your students most need right now to grow as writers/readers/thinkers. Your conference records may look like those I have shared with you or they may look very different. You may also utilize checklists, sticky notes, and/or flip book-index card note taking tools. It does not matter that we use the same template (at all). It only matters that you develop and maintain a system of taking notes about individual students which works best for you.

Note it!

One of the best things you can to record your thoughts from your one-on-one conferences with students is to develop your own shorthand . Keep your notes focused and simple. These notes are for you. As the only audience (at






least in most cases), the notes only have to make sense to you. Rather than writing every word down, I use codes such as: “R” for reading “W” for writing “M” when I ask a student to mentor the rest of the class by teaching an

upcoming focus lesson and I put a circle around the “M” when the child has been our writing/reading teacher

“PE” when students are writing from a personal experience and/or “BK” when students are using their background knowledge as writers/readers/learners

“SC” for self corrects (in reading or in their writing) “p” when I prompted a student; the behavior is not yet independently

initiated by the student (such as voicing why and how to use our focus






strategy in their own writing/reading; using correct punctuation, remember to stop and self talk to aid understanding)

Additionally, my rule of thumb is focus. Rather than writing down the 5, 789 things I could write down about any given student’s strengths or needs, my conference record notes are about and aligned to the focus of our focus lesson/modeled lesson (most often with the whole group) and collaborative learning (sometimes with the whole group and sometimes learning students practice and gain from small group fellowships).

Archive it!

Keep all writing in the classroom. [See next notes.]






Zone it!

In decorating, designers often talk about creating specific zones in a room so that each spot has a function and so that the room is cohesive as a whole. This principle is also very helpful in creating a delightful and productive writers’ workshop community. With your students, establish places and procedures for the kids to access and return their writing (including the materials and supplies they may need such as staplers, a collection of paper to choose from, markers, etc.).

Share it!

As soon as students are able, invite them to take notes during your conferences. Kids can take their own conference records in small notebooks






(much like Sharon Taberski’s assessment notebooks) or on sticky notes or index cards. If having a copy of the student’s notes would be helpful to, carry carbon paper on your clipboard to give to students (between 2 pieces of paper, of course) so that you both gain a record of the child’s thoughts. The notes a student writer makes can serve as a compass to guide his/her efforts when the conference is over (and the writer returns to his/her independent writing).






PATTERNS OF PERFORMANCE Utilizing my Continuums evaluations, I look for and determine patterns of performance – patterns of strengths, passions, & needs – for each student and for my class, too. This way, I can identify a class goal which helps me determine a rich and edifying unit of study and consider how I can and should differentiate student learning within this unit of study.

DEVELOPING a Unit of STUDY Determining a focus for my students’ learning, I then develop a learning menu. I build this menu with considerations such as:

Launching lessons Deepening lessons






Mentor texts to model, practice, and nudge students’ writing learning and thinking

Monitoring/Evaluation tools and practices…as formative assessment throughout our study

ALL, SOME, or ONE? Pondering the strategies, skills, and options from my Unit of Study “menu,” I then map out learning and make teaching decision with the following questions (continually returning and refining my thinking with student data):Is this lesson for ALL my students, for SOME of my students, or for just ONE of my students?If a lesson is for ALL or SOME of my students, I also consider how my students will engage in this learning (i.e. modeling, guided writing, conference nudge/instruction,






etc.)ALOUD: Modeling, naming, & explaining focus strategy/skill [teachers; students; invited

mentors; authors]ALONG: Practicing focus strategy/skill together [teacher with students; student led groups;

partners]ALONE: Practicing independently with feedback from teacher, peers, and via self

evaluation






A Room with a Differentiated View Donna Yatvin (2004)

Children learn best in a community of equals where they continually teach and learn from each other

and produce in concert what no one of them could produce alone.






To meet the needs of students, teachers can manipulate time, space, grouping practices, materials, human resources, and instructional techniques to differentiate students’

learning.






PATTERNS OF PERFORMANCE: Class List Planning Tool

Student’s Name Student’s Strengths Student’s Needs/Goals

Next Steps of Learning











REFLECT to Plan:As you reflect on your whole class, what patterns are emerging? Highlight or code those OR record patterns here:

Do you see a common goal of learning which would benefit all your students? Can you identify an edifying “next” unit of study for your class?






How can you utilize students’ strengths to help minister to their needs?

Independent Reading: A Self-Evaluation Guide

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level 4*I was looking *I just read part of *I read most of *I read the whole






around the room or staring into space instead of reading.

*I was pretending to read most of the time.

*I didn't understand what I was reading.

time.

*I read too fast.

*I was off-task about half the time.

*I wasn't paying attention to my thinking as I was

the time.

*I respected the readers around me and I stayed in my space most of the time during independent reading.

*I sometimes used tricky word strategies.

time.

*I carefully selected just right books.

*I respected the readers around me and I stayed in my space the entire time.






*I didn't think as I was reading.

*I got up a lot for no reason.

*I did not respect the readers around me.

reading.

*I skipped over the tricky words and didn't try to figure them out.

*I distracted the readers around me.

*I got up a couple

*I sometimes went back and reread when it didn't make sense.

*I sometimes caught myself thinking as I was reading.

*I talked to myself in my head about the story a lot and reread the confusing parts.

*I used tricky word strategies to decode.






*I wasted my learning time.

times during independent reading.

*I enjoyed my learning and I felt great about myself as a reader!






QUESTIONS TO REFLECT GROWTH

1. Select one piece of work that shows ( strategy to assess). How is this piece of work an example of (strategy) ?






2. What piece/sample best shows your learning?

3. If you could do this again, what would you do change?

4. What growth do you see in your work?

5. What growth do you see in yourself as a reader?






6. What would you like to share with your parents and how will you do that?

7. Choose one thing from your portfolio and explain why you like it. How does it show your learning?






8. How does this piece of work show what you have learned from others?

*Sources: Routman; Hagerty






My Reading Log

# Title Author Start Date End Date Genre Pages
















Adapted from: Fountas and Pinnell, Reader’s Notebook and Regie Routman’s Reading Essentials

WhatStudent Learning Goal(s)

How

Essential Learning Experiences/ Readers’

Workshop Rituals & Routines

How

Monitoring System/Assessing & Evaluating Students’

Learning
















Deciding WHAT to teach starts by determining WHAT our students need to learn.











For research references and professional bibliography, please e-mail me for a “green” copy of this 35+ page resource. Additionally, I can send you copies of my reading strategy bookmarks electronically so that you can personalize them for your students. [email protected]

We learn to read by reading…so all reading instruction must be conducted within the process of authentic reading situations. Frank Smith, 1994







Guided reading allows students to develop reading strategies in a socially supported setting as they encounter text at increasing levels of difficulty.

Irene Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell, 1996

Writing goes hand in hand with reading in balanced literacy classrooms. Regie Routman, 2003

Managing the guided reading classroom effectively enables teachers to take their students as far as possible in their reading. Nancy Witherell (2007), The Guided Reading Classroom: How to Keep ALL Students Working Constructively






An apprenticeship approach to literacy requires that we spend time observing changes that indicate children are moving in appropriate directions…Children’s writing development is shaped by experiencing different types of writing activities in assisted situations, which are then follow by independent practice.

Linda Dorn, Cathy French, & Tammy Jones (1998), Apprenticeship in Literacy: Transitions Across Reading and Writing

Children need to experience joy and delight as a result of the reading experience. Michael Opitz & Michael Ford (2001), Reaching Readers: Flexible & Innovative Strategies for Guided Reading

Learning is social, and the collaborative nature of guided writing provides a friendly and safe environment in which students can practice writing. Lori Oczkus (2007), Guided Writing: Practical Lessons, Powerful Results






As a literacy teacher, I see myself as a tour guide…helping students develop their thinking skills, fanning their motivation to read and write, and finding their own paths…

Laura Benson, 1996



Documents

Independent Guided Book Clubs/ - Web viewDevelops fluency and phrasing . Increases comprehension . Encourages politeness and respect * Guided Reading: T. ... of strengthening their