Instructor_Guide_LiteracyReadAloud.pdf

7/28/2019 Instructor_Guide_LiteracyReadAloud.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/instructorguideliteracyreadaloudpdf 1/34

LITERAcy IN AFTERScHOOL

Produced for the U.S. Department of Education by the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning

A Supplement to the

Online Afterschool

Training Toolkit

for 21st Century

Community Learning Centers

www.sedl.org/afterschool

AFTERScHOOL

TRAININg TOOLkIT

AFTERScHOOL

TRAININg TOOLkIT

An Instructor’s Guide to Read Alouds with the



Contributors

Brenda Britsch

Rändi Douglas

Nicole Martin

Eve McDermott

Gwen McNeir

Design and Production

Production

Laura Shankland

Deborah Donnelly

Catherine Jordan

Editorial

Debbie Ritenour

Designers

Shaila Abdullah

Jane Thurmond

Copyright © 2008 SEDL

SEDL

4700 Mueller Blvd.

Austin, TX 78723Voice: 512-476-6861

Fax: 512-476-2286

www.sedl.org

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

101 SW Main St., Suite 500

Portland, OR 97204

Voice: 503-275-9500

www.nwrel.org

This publication was produced in whole or in part with unds

rom the Oce o Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality

Programs, U.S. Department o Education under contract number

ED-03-CO-0048. The content herein does not necessarily refect

the views o the Department o Education, any other agency o the

U.S. government, or any other source.

Titles or names o specic sotware discussed or described in this

document are registered trademarks, trademarks, or copyrighted as

property o the companies that produce the sotware. Unless noted

otherwise, photos are © Jupiterimages Unlimited.

Please note that the World Wide Web is volatile and constantly

changing. The URLs provided were accurate as o the date o this

publication, but we can make no guarantees o their permanence.

Suggested citation in APA ormat:

Britsch, B., Douglas, R., Martin, N., McDermott, E., & McNeir,

G. (2008). Literacy in afterschool: An instructor’s guide to read

alouds with the Afterschool Training Toolkit. Austin, TX: SEDL.



LITERACY IN AFTERSCHOOL

AFTERSCHOOL

TRAININg TOOLkIT

AFTERSCHOOL

TRAININg TOOLkIT

An Instructor’s Guide to Read Alouds With the

Introduction ............................................................................. 1

About Literacy in Aterschool .................................................. 1

Promising Practices in Literacy ................................................ 4

How to Use This Instructor’s Guide ......................................... 6

Read Aloud .............................................................................. 9

Lesson 1: Newcomers .......................................................... 14

Lesson 2: Who Am I Without Him? ....................................... 18

Lesson 3: The Eighty-Yard Run ............................................. 22

Resources.............................................................................. 26



LITERACY IN afterschool

.sedl .org/afterschool



AN INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE TO READ ALOUDS wITh ThE afterschool training toolkit

NwREL | National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning 1

idu

The National Partnership or Quality Aterschool Learning developed this instructor’s guide

to accompany its Aterschool Training Toolkit, a ree online sta development tool available

at www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits. Both the guide and the toolkit materials are designed to

give aterschool instructors the resources they need to build un, innovative, and academically

enriching activities that not only engage students, but extend their knowledge in new ways

and increase academic achievement.

For aterschool instructors, this guide oers the opportunity to enhance your teaching

skills in literacy by seeing read alouds modeled and getting a chance to try them out in

your classroom. Site directors and aterschool training coordinators can use this guide in

combination with the toolkit to plan sta development in literacy instruction and createtailored training highlighting the best practices most appropriate to your sites. In addition,

trainers and coordinators can access proessional development train-the-trainer modules at

www.nwrel.org/ecc/21century/training.

About Literacy in AterschoolLiteracy skills include speaking, listening, reading, and writing—the essential communication

skills students need to succeed in school and the world beyond. Students need condence in

their ability to communicate eectively and to think critically in all aspects o their lives.

Early elementary students engage in speaking, listening, and writing activities to buildundamental reading skills. Upper elementary students use their literacy skills to learn: to

solve math problems, conduct science experiments, and explore the social sciences. Lacking

undamental literacy skills, students will struggle throughout their school years.

Aterschool is the perect time to build condence in all our literacy skills. Students

enjoy choosing lively, interactive, and un activities that require all acets o language

communication. The Aterschool Training Toolkit provides innovative and research-based




2 .sedl.org/af terschool

activities that will increase student motivation in language-based subjects. Sharing stories

aloud, discussing avorite books, writing to pen pals, and acting out stories will create engaged

communities o literacy learners.

What the Research Says

Research indicates that aterschool literacy activities benet students most when sta

• targettextsandintegrateskills;

• identifystandards,assessneeds,anddenegoals;

• incorporatereal-worldactivities;

• considerstudentchoice,grade,age,andskills;

• assessstudentprogress;and

• receiveongoingstafftraining.

Target Texts and Integrate Skills

Create a rich environment o texts—magazines, picture books, ction, and non-ction—that

speak to student interests and culture. The National Reading Panel identies ve early literacy

skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, fuency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. A balance

o listening, speaking, reading, and writing about rich and intriguing texts will provide students

with opportunities to practice these specic skills.

Identiy Standards, Assess Needs, and Dene Goals

Each state establishes standards or literacy instruction at various grade levels, targeting skills

and content to improve academic outcomes. Observing student needs and consulting with

day-school teachers will help you understand state standards and identiy appropriate learning

goals or your student population.

To see state standards or English Language Arts, go to http://edstandards.org/standards.

html#state.

Incorporate Real-World Activities

Explore the world beyond the classroom with literacy activities. Engage reluctant readers with

directions or cooking, carpentry, or games. Talk and write about experiences ater eld trips

or during science experiments. Interview community members about a specic topic—work,amily traditions, or history—and make books. Aterschool programs can make literacy eel

less like a requirement and more lively and useul in real lie.





1 Spielberger, J., & Halpern, R. (2002). The role of after-school programs in children’s literacy development. Chicago:

University o Chicago, Chapin Hall Center or Children.

Consider Student Choice, Grade, Age, and Skills

Ask students about their avorite books and topics, what interests them, and why. Consult

with classroom teachers and librarians to identiy texts that address student grade, age, and

skill levels appropriately. Use this research to plan un, engaging, and doable activities thatwill reinorce day-school curriculum and goals.

Assess Student Progress

Frequent inormal assessment—sta and students sharing eedback about progress—will

leadtogrowthinliteracyskills.Establishlearninggoalsthataddressstudentneeds;thenuse

journals, rubrics, displays, perormances, and inormal notes to rame positive discussions

about student use o strategies, strengths, and areas or improvement.

Receive Ongoing Sta Training

Though the literature on aterschool literacy programs is limited, one study1 ound that, whilemany programs have literacy materials available, very ew conduct planned literacy activities

that are intentionally linked to student outcomes. Program directors in this study also report

that ew resources are available to support planning and development o eective literacy

programs. The Aterschool Training Toolkit or Literacy materials, including this instructor’s

guide, have been designed to meet that need.

Literacy Standards

We encourage you to review the Standards or the English Language Arts, sponsored by

the National Council o Teachers o English (www.ncte.org) and the International Reading

Association (www.reading.org). In addition, the Web sites or both organizations have a wealtho useul inormation relating to literacy and literacy instruction.





Promising Practices in Literacy

As part o the National Partnership or Quality Aterschool Learning, the Northwest Regional

Educational Laboratory (NWREL) identied the ollowing six promising practices in literacy

based on current literacy education research2 and site visits to aterschool programs

throughout the United States that had evidence suggesting gains in student achievement

in literacy:

• BookDiscussionGroupsandLiteratureCircles

• ReadAloud

• StoryandLiteratureDramatizations

• Writing

• FamilyLiteracyEvents

• One-on-OneandSmallGroupTutoring

This guide ocuses on one practice—ReadAloud—and oers suggestions and strategies or

incorporating this practice into your literacy instruction. You can learn more about all o the

practices by visiting www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits/literacy/index.html.

Literacy or English Language Learners

Despite limited research on literacy or English language learners (ELLs) in aterschool

programs, available evidence strongly suggests that the practices outlined in the toolkit will

support English literacy development or culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Read alouds oer students who are less procient in English the chance to hear appropriate

oral pronunciation and fuency modeled. Writing activities allow ELLs to practice written

language skills and boost comprehension. Book discussion groups, literature circles, and

story and literature dramatizations provide crucial opportunities or interaction between native

and non-native English speakers while engaging students in higher-order thinking skills and

helping them make connections to their own experiences.

One-on-one tutoring can provide ELLs with much needed academic support as well as

ostering positive relationships between adults and youth or among peers. And amily literacy

events assist English learning students and their amilies in building prociency while

strengthening connections between home and school.

2 For more inormation about the research base or these best practices, see LiteracyinAfterschoolPrograms:LiteratureReview

(www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits/literacy/pd/AST_lit_literature_review.pd) and LiteracyinAfterschoolPrograms:Focuson

EnglishLanguageLearners (www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits/literacy/pd/AST_lit_literature_review_ell.pd).





Beore implementing these practices in the aterschool setting, practitioners should be aware

o the complex actors infuencing second language development and make every eort to

identiy individual students’ varying levels o background knowledge and English language

prociency. At a minimum, educators should ask the ollowing questions:

• Whatisthestudent’snativelanguage?

• DoesthislanguagehaveaRomanalphabet?Doesithaveawrittenform?

• Canthestudentuentlyspeak,read,andwritethelanguage?

• HowwelldoesthestudentspeakEnglish?

• Howoldisthestudent?3

Aterschool providers must also attempt to incorporate culturally responsive practices into their

programming. Successul programs hire sta members that refect the cultural and linguistic

backgrounds o their students and provide employees with training in cross-cultural awareness

and techniques or working with culturally and linguistically diverse students.

3 Antunez, B. (2002). Implementing Reading First with English language learners. DirectionsinLanguageandEducation

(No. 15). Washington, DC: George Washington University, National Clearinghouse or English Language Acquisition &

Language Instruction Educational Programs.





How to Use This Instructor’s Guide

This guide will allow you to master promising practices through the ollowing steps:

• WatchavideoclipfromtheNationalPartnership’sonlineAfterschoolTrainingToolkit.• Teachthesamplelessonsincludedinthisinstructor’sguidetoyourstudents.

• Reectonthestudentlesson.

Video Clips

The Aterschool Training Toolkit (www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits/index.html) includes video

segments taken rom outstanding aterschool programs across the United States. Watching

these video segments allows you to observe aterschool instructors in action as they use

promising practices. Take notes on what you see, and think o ways that you can use these

practices in your program.

Lessons

The lessons included in this instructor’s guide allow you to practice the instructional

techniques once you have watched the video. Each lesson includes step-by-step instructions

on preparing or and teaching the lesson as well as a list o supplies you will need.

Refection

Ater each lesson you will nd a refection space with questions addressing the topics o

preparation, student engagement, enrichment, and academics. The purpose o the refection

piece is to allow you to be intentional in your instruction—to think about what aspects o alesson worked well and what changes you might want to make or uture lessons. Refection is

an important part o becoming a successul instructor and will help you apply what you have

learned rom one lesson to another.4

The ollowing pages oer a sample o a refection piece that a teacher might write about

a read-aloud activity based on the book Summertime:FromPorgyandBess by Dubose

Heyward and illustrated by Mike Wimmer. The complete lesson plan is available in the

literacy section o the Aterschool Training Toolkit at www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits/literacy/

pr_read_aloud.html?tab=sample%20lessons.

4 McEwan, E. K. (2002). Ten traits of highly effective teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.





r [smp]

Preparation

• Didthelessonplanninghelpyoufeelpreparedasyoubegantoteach?

• Whatdidyoulearnaboutlessonplanning?

AlthoughIwasalreadyinstinctivelyusingalotoftherecommendedtechniquesforreading

aloud,consciouslyplanningwhatIwasgoingtoemphasizebefore,during,andafterreading

ourselectiongavetheactivitymorefocus.

Ispentmoretimethanusualreallyfamiliarizingmyselfwiththetextandthesonglyrics.

Thiswasgoodinsomewaysbecauseitallowedmetodeveloptargetedcomprehension

questionstoaskatkeypointsinthestory.OnedrawbackisthatIrealizeIenjoydiscovering

anewstoryasmuchasthestudentsdo!Also,Ireallybelieveinstudentchoiceandin

lettingthemselectthebooksometimes,evenifit’soneIdon’tknow.I’llneedtopracticendingthebalancebetweenkeepingthingsfreshandstudent-centeredwhilestillbeing

intentionalwithpreparation.

Student Engagement

• Whatdidyounoticeaboutstudentengagementasyouwerereadingthestoryaloud?

• Wereyousatisedwiththelevelofstudentengagement?

• Whatchangescanyoumaketoincreasestudentinvolvement?

Storytimeisalwaysafavoriteactivityinourclassroomand—asidefromthenormal

afternoondgets—thelevelofengagementwasprettyhighforthisactivity.Involving studentsbyaskingquestionsthatcreatesuspense—“Whatdoyouthinkwillhappen

now?”—especiallyseemstoholdtheirattention.

Makingconnectionsbetweenwhat’shappeninginthestoryandwhattheymayhave

experiencedintheirownliveswasalsoagreatwaytokeepstudentsinvolved,althougha

coupleoftimesstudentsbecamesocaughtupinsharingtheirownstorieswestartedto

strayawayfromthebookalittlebit.Iliketoencouragethatkindofdialogue,butwhen

timeissolimited,Ialsowanttokeepusontask.

OnethingInoticeisthatsomekidsarenaturallymorevocalandparticipatorythanothers.

You’llgetthesamefourorvestudentsraisingtheirhandsorrespondingeverytime,whiletheshieroneshangback,eventhoughtheymayhaveagreatanswer.Ineedtondways

todrawoutthequieterkidsandmakeparticipationmorebalanced.Ialsowonderabout

alternativewaysforkidstoshare,likehavingthemholda“talkingstick”orwritedown

ananswerandholditupinsteadofraisingtheirhandsorcallingitout.





Enrichment

• Whattopicsrelatedtothestorycouldstudentscontinuetoexplorethatmight

extend learning?

• Whatvariationsofthereviewactivitycouldyoudo?

Somethingthatreallyworkedaboutthisactivitywasthatitallowedforlotsofdifferent

learningstyles.Readingthebookalongwithlisteningtothesong“Summertime”andthen

providingmaterialsforstudentstoconstructdioramasorwriteandsingtheirownsongs

gavekidsthechancetotapintotheircreativityinexcitingways.

Iknewalotofmystudentsenjoymusicandmovement,butIwasn’tawarehoweffective

thatcouldbeasalearningtool,especiallyfornewvocabulary!Andthekidswholoveto

paintanddrawreallygotintotheirdioramas,actuallycreatingminiatureworldswithlotsof

detail.Onewaytoenhancethereviewactivityevenmorecouldbetocombinethedifferent

creativeproductsofthekidstohavethemdeveloptheirownmusicalproduction,maybewithapaintedsummertimemuralasabackdropandthekidsperformingtheirsummertime

songsanddances,oractingouttheirversionofthestory.

Therearemanydifferentdirectionswecouldgotodeepenenrichmentwiththistext.We

couldexploremoremusicfromGershwinorBillieHolidayorwatchclipsfromthemusical

Porgy and Bess. Wecouldalsovisitamuseumorthehistoricalsocietytolearnmoreabout

thatperiodintimeandviewlarge-scaledioramasupclose.

Academics

• Howdidthislessonsupportotheracademiccontentareaslikescience,math,or social studies?

• Whatchangescouldyoumaketostrengthenacademicswhilestillkeepingthe

activity un?

ThersttimeIreadthisstoryaloudmymaingoalwastosupportliteracylearningformy

studentsbymodelinguencyandbuildingvocabulary.ButIrealizedhowmuchpotential

tie-inthisstoryhaswithAmericanhistoryandsocialstudies,particularlythestrugglesand

accomplishmentsofAfricanAmericansduringthistimeperiod.I’dlovetoalignthislesson

withwhatthedayschoolteachersarecoveringinthisarea,especiallyduringBlackHistory

MonthoraroundMartinLutherKingJr.holidaycelebrations.





rd aud

What Is It?

Reading aloud is a group reading activity that models fuent reading, provides exposure to

new concepts and literature, and enhances students’ listening, comprehension, and critical-

thinking skills.

What Is the Content Goal?

Thegoalsofreadingaloudaretoengagestudentsinreading;tomodeluent,expressive

reading;andtobuildimportantliteracyskillssuchascomprehension.Askingquestionsbefore

you begin and as you read can keep students engaged. Questions and answers can also help

you determine i students are understanding what’s being read.

What Do I Do?

With younger children, reading aloud entails an aterschool teacher reading to students.

Older students can take turns reading aloud. Whatever the grade level, choose books that

are appropriate or your students, with engaging story lines that tap students’ interests.

Ask students or their ideas and talk to their day-school teachers to get suggestions.

Beore you begin, ask questions about the cover and title o the book. What do the cover and

title suggest about the book? Pre-reading discussion helps activate prior knowledge. While

you are reading aloud, use expression to bring the story and characters to lie. Pause to ask

questions and check student engagement. When the story ends, ask students to share their

opinions. What did they like the most? Why? What, i anything, surprised them? Could they

relate to the characters?





Why Does It Work?

Research indicates that reading aloud is the single most important activity or reading success.

It builds students’ interest in reading, helps them develop understanding, and exposes all

readers to great books. Reading aloud is an ideal activity or the aterschool setting because itcan be done in a large group, in a small group, or one-on-one.

Enhancement or English Language Learners

Students reading in their rst language have already learned 5,000–7,000 words beore they

begin ormal reading instruction. In contrast, English language learners (ELLs) whose parents

are not fuent in English typically do not have large vocabularies in the second language.

When introducing new vocabulary prior to a read aloud, be aware that ELL students may

be unamiliar with words that their native English-speaking peers readily identiy. Acting out

words, using props, and using a “word wall,” where vocabulary words, denitions, synonyms,

etc., are displayed, will help all students broaden their vocabulary.

Lengthy instructional conversations between instructors and students are a powerul tool in

aiding reading comprehension, an area in which ELLs oten struggle. Struggling readers are

oten given remedial instruction instead o being exposed to authentic texts and challenged to

think critically or inerentially about stories. When conducting a read aloud, pausing requently

to model “think alouds” and higher-order questioning strategies will increase engagement and

help develop students’ understandings o more complex concepts.





Go to the ReadAloud practice ound in the literacy section o the Aterschool

Training Toolkit (www.sedl.org/aterschool/toolkits/literacy/pr_read_aloud.html) and click on the video.

• Beforewatchingthevideo,usethereectionguideonthefollowingpagetowritedown

what you are currently doing beore, during, and ater a read aloud to enhance literacy

learning or your students.

• Next,clickonthevideo.

• Asyouobservetheread-aloudsessiononthevideo,notewhattheteacheronthevideo

does during each o these phases o reading and add these techniques to your list.

video

g sd





Beore Reading . . . During Reading . . . Ater Reading . . .

Refection Guide: Strategies or Beore, During, and Ater Read Aloud





Thinking Strategy

Mental process that goodreaders use

Description

What the mental processentails

Questions

Questions that promote thisthinking strategy

Activate prior knowledge Recall previous experience and

knowledge, making connectionswith text content, meaning, andstyle

What has happened in your lie

that is like this story? What haveyou read about or seen thatrelates to this topic?

Analyze ormats Predict characteristics andcontent o a book based on a

review o ormats—organization,graphics, and presentation othe text

Based on the title, cover, tableo contents, headings, charts,tables, and pictures, what do

you think this book is about?Can you predict what will be in

each section?

Visualize Identiy and describe mentalpictures and images that occur

to the reader as the text is read

What pictures and images popinto your head? Can you imagine

what the scene/person/itemlooks like?

Form predictions Apply growing knowledge o

author and content to predictstory developments or upcoming

content

What clues hint at what will

happen next? Based on theinormation we’ve read, what

else will the author(s) discuss?

Make inerences Combine analysis o the textwith what you know o the

world to orm educated guesses

about meaning

What is the characters’relationship, based on how

they’re acting? How will

inormation in this graphinfuence public choices?

Generate questions Wonder about text—what’s thepurpose, why this detail, what’s

missing, and what remains to belearned?

What questions do you haveabout what’s coming up in the

story? Does the chart on thispage make you wonder aboutanything?

Monitor understanding Identiy points o conusionabout the text and analyze why

they occur

Where did you lose track owhat’s happening in the story?

Are there terms/ideas you don’tunderstand on this page?

Fix conusion Apply x-up strategies or areas

o conusion so that reading cancontinue

Can you reread that passage

and look or clues about what’sconusing you? What words doyou need to know more about to

move on?

Synthesize content Identiy main ideas, summarize

content, identiy contrasts, andmake comparisons

Can you summarize the main

points o this passage in a ewsentences? How are the maincharacters in each story the

same? How are they dierent?

Comprehension Guide or Read Aloud Conversations





l 1

nwcoms

This lesson is one example o how you can implement a read aloud. Aterreviewing the book cover, title, key themes, and new vocabulary, read

the book aloud. Pausing to ask questions throughout the story engages

students in the literature. A ollow-up activity prompts students to extend

what they know, apply it in writing or drawing, and make connections to

their lives and to the world.

Grade Level(s): 2–3

Duration:55 minutes

Student Goals:

• Readforavarietyofpurposes

• Readdifferentkindsofliterature

• Usedifferentstrategiestocomprehend,interpret,andappreciatetexts

• Uselanguage,writing,andarttoshowunderstanding





What You Need

p Marianthe’sStory:PaintedWords/SpokenMemories by Aliki (New York: Greenwillow

Books, 1998)

p GoingHomeby Eve Bunting (New York: HarperTrophy, 1998)p Crayons, markers, and paper

Getting Ready

These books allow children to explore the experience o being new to a place or situation and

to share their own stories about being newcomers. As you plan the read aloud, think about

your own experience as a newcomer to share with children. Review each story, noting key

themes and new vocabulary. Jot down questions to generate discussion and prepare

or activity.

What to Do

• ReviewthetitleandcoverofMarianthe’s

Story,inviting students’ predictions.

• ReadMarianthe’sStoryaloud, pausing

to ask questions and introduce any new

vocabulary.

• Shareanexperienceorstoryofbeing

a newcomer and invite children to

share theirs.

• ReviewthetitleandcoverofGoingHome, inviting students’ predictions.

• ReadGoingHome aloud, pausing

to ask questions and introduce any

new vocabulary.

• RereadtheselinesfromMarianthe’sStory.

“People were leaving our poor village. They

were going to a new land, hoping or a better lie.” This will emphasize the connection

between the two books.

• Askstudentstondtheconnectionsandsimilaritiesbetweenthetwostories.

• InMarianthe’sStory,Mari, the main character, shares her lie story through art. Invite

students to create drawings depicting their experiences as newcomers. Students can share

and explain their pictures to the group.

Teacing Tip

What do you do i you ask a question whilereading to students, and there’s no answer?

Many young readers are just beginning tolearn how to think about stories. Providing

models o your thoughts by demonstratingan answer or “thinking out loud” will putstudents at ease and help them develop

good reading comprehension strategies. Youcan use the Comprehension Guide on p. 13

or ideas on what questions promote variousthinking strategies.





Outcomes to Look or

• Studentengagementandparticipation

• Commentsandanswersthatreectan

understanding o the stories, key themes,and new word meanings

• Comments,answers,anddrawingsthat

refect students’ ability to connect the

stories to their own lives and the world

around them

Teacing Tip

This lesson could also be taught as aseries o read alouds o books relevant to

your students’ home cultures that addressthe topic o moving to a new place. Theculminating activity can be extended

to become a community involvementevent, such as creating a mural about

the newcomers to your area or planninga welcoming event or newcomers at theaterschool site.





r

Preparation

• Didthelessonplanninghelpyoufeelpreparedasyoubegantoteach?

• Whatdidyoulearnaboutlessonplanning?

Student Engagement

• Whatdidyounoticeaboutstudentengagementasstudentslistenedtothestoriesand

shared their own experiences with being newcomers?

• Areyousatisedwiththelevelofstudentengagement?

• Whatchangescanyoumaketoincreasestudentinvolvement?

Enrichment

• Howcouldthisactivitybeenhancedtodeepencross-culturalawarenessandappreciation

o students’ diverse backgrounds?

• Whatresourcesinthecommunitymightyoutapintoforfurtherenrichment?

Academics

• Howdidthislessonsupportothercontentareaslikehistory,socialstudies,orgeography?

• Whatchangescouldyoumaketostrengthenacademicenrichmentwhilestillkeepingthe

activity un?





l 2

Wo am i Wou hm?

This lesson, designed or girls, is another example o how you can

implement a read aloud. Students select a text they want to read and work

with on an ongoing basis. Although the group meets our times a week,

this read-aloud activity occurs once a week. The instructor reads a chapter

rom the text each week, gradually working through the entire text.


Duration:

60–90 minutes (once a week on an ongoing basis)

Student Goals:

• Practicereadinguentlyandexpressively

• Makeconnectionsamongliterature,students’lives,andtheirworld

• Applyawiderangeofstrategiestocomprehend,interpret,and

appreciate texts

• Usespokenandwrittenlanguagetocommunicateeffectively





What You Need

p A copy o the text WhoAmIWithoutHim?ShortStoriesAboutGirlsandtheBoysin

TheirLivesby Sharon Flake (New York: Hyperion, 2005) or each student

p A journal and pen/pencil or each student

Getting Ready

Ask your students to choose a book they want to read. In this example, the class chooses

WhoAmIWithoutHim?ShortStoriesAboutGirlsandtheBoysinTheirLivesby Sharon

Flake. This is a good choice or middle school girls, but you and your students may choose

any book that everyone agrees to read. Read the book yoursel, making notes o key themes,

any new vocabulary, and possible discussion questions or each chapter.

What to Do

• Eachweek,askstudentstoreadachapter

and write notes on a note card about the

narrator and characters, including any

questions and thoughts the chapter raises.

• Afterstudentshavereadtheassigned

chapter independently, read the chapter

aloud or let students take turns reading

aloud. During the read aloud, pause to ask

questions, invite predictions, or introduce

new vocabulary. Questions may include:

What is Erika’s dilemma? Why is it a

dilemma? What do Erika’s ellow students

think o her? How do you know?

• Askstudentstopauseandjotanswersin

a journal to share later or pair and share

(discuss their response to the question with

a partner).

• Afterreadinganddiscussingthechapter,givestudentsachoiceoftwowritingprompts

and ask them to write in their journals or approximately 15 minutes. Writing prompts may

include: What would you do i you were Erika? How do you eel about Erika having eelings

or someone o a dierent race?

• Whenthestudentsnish,collectthejournals.Beforethenextmeeting,readjournalsand

respond to entries in writing so that they can hear your thoughts.

Teacing Tip

Current research points to a gender

gap in literacy between boys and girls.Achievement data show that boys tend to

struggle in language arts classes comparedto girls and that they score lower on stateand national reading assessments. I you

decide to implement this lesson in yourclassroom, consider designing a parallelread-aloud activity or boys. You can learn

more about the dierent literacy needs

o boys at www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/ boysread0602-1 and nd ideas or whatbooks appeal to them at Guys Read, aliteracy program that recommends books

boys say they like (www.guysread.com).





Outcomes to Look or

• Studentengagementandparticipation

• Commentsandanswersthatreectan

understanding o the stories, key themes,and new word meanings

• Commentsandanswersthatreect

students’ ability to connect the stories to

their own lives and the world around them

Teacing Tip

Students who don’t have experience withkeeping a journal may need practice and

encouragement in writing to promptsor an extended period. One way to helpstudents overcome resistance to writing is

the reewrite technique. The ground rules othis practice are to write continuously, or a

specied period o time, whatever comes tomind ater the prompt is given. Emphasizethat during reewriting, we kick out our inner

critic and—or the moment—don’t worryabout grammar, punctuation, or spelling.When you rst introduce the practice, start

with very small (2–3 minute) increments otime and build to longer sessions.





r

Preparation

• Howdidhavingthestudentschoosethebookimpactyourpreparation?

• Whatwasdifferentaboutpreparingforaseriesofread-aloudsessionsratherthana

single activity?

Student Engagement

• Whatdidyounoticeaboutstudentengagement?

• Didsomeaspectsoftheactivityappeartobemoreengagingthanothers?

• Ifyouareconductingbothaboys’andgirls’read-aloudgroup,didyouobserveany

dierences between the two groups in the type and level o engagement?

Enrichment

• Howcouldthislessonbeenhancedtodeepenawarenessofgenderrolesandstereotypes

and promote dialogue about larger societal issues?

• Wouldyoubeabletoexploretheseissuesinthesamewayiftheactivitywereco-ed?

• Whatresourcesmightyoutapintointhecommunitytohelpstudentscontinuetoexplore

their gender, race, and identity?

Academics

• Atrstglance,thislessonappearstofocusmoreonsocial/emotionaldevelopmentthan

academic content.• Inwhatwaysmightthislessonsupportothercontentareas,suchasscienceorsocial

studies, while still allowing or students’ refection and sel-discovery?





l 3

t egy-Yd ru

Considered one o the best American short stories, Irwin Shaw’s “TheEighty-Yard Run” provides an account o a young ootball hero’s nest

moment rom the perspective o the player 15 years later. This dynamic

tale provides excellent material or an adolescent read aloud, addressing

key components o high school culture: ootball and rst love. The story

also provides a picture o Depression-era events, lie in New York City,

and a marriage over time. For adolescents, read-aloud sessions will

have greater impact i they relate the story to their own experiences.

For students o dierent cultural backgrounds, rame questions that

allow or cultural comparisons (i.e., dierent sports, courting, and

marriage customs). This activity requires a series o our or ve

30- to 40-minute sessions.


Duration:

Four or ve 30-minute sessions

Student Goals:

• Practiceexpressivereadingofdescriptivepassagesanddialogueto

develop fuency• Makeconnectionsbetweenstudents’livesandeventsofpastgenerations

• IdentifysimilaritiesanddifferencesinAmericancultureandother cultures past and present

• Comprehendandinterprettheeffectofeventsandchoicesonamarriage

• Usespokenandwrittenlanguagetocommunicateaboutgreatliterature





What You Need

p Articles or books about the Great Depression that have several illustrations o the era.

The Modern American Poetry site has a photo essay on the Great Depression at

www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm.p Brie accounts o Irwin Shaw’s lie, available in books and online

p Copies o “The Eighty-Yard Run” rom ShortStories:FiveDecadesby Irwin Shaw (Chicago:

University o Chicago, 2000)

p List o discussion questions or the story (possible choices at www.unl.edu/sbehrend/html/)

Getting Ready

Divide the class into small groups. Ask each

group to review a dierent set o pictures

about the Great Depression and list their key

observations on a piece o chart paper. Then

ask each group to review a dierent short

biography o Irwin Shaw and list key events

rom his lie on a dierent piece o chart paper.

Post biography lists on one side o the room

and Depression observations on the other

to uel a whole-group discussion about the

writer’s lie and times. Assign teams made up

o sta and students and ask them to prepare

and read specic sections o the story with

expression (three voices: narrator, husband,

and wie).

What to Do

• Overfoursessions,read“TheEighty-YardRun”aloud.

• Attheendofeachsection,askstudentstoshareobservationsabout“thatwasthen/thisis

now” and predict what might happen next in the story.

• Afteryouhavenishedreadingthestory,workwiththeclasstogenerateideasfora

contemporary story ollowing a similar plot line: 15 years ater great success as a youth, a

person revisits the scene o that success and refects on ways later events have challengedhis or her career and relationships.

• Allowsmallgroupsorindividualstocreatetheirownstoriesifinterestishigh.

• Comparecontemporarystudentversionsoftheseplotswith“TheEighty-YardRun.”

Teacing Tip

While we oten think o reading aloud

as an activity that is only appropriate oryounger students and beginning readers,this practice can be a powerul technique

or engaging older students as well. Readalouds help adolescent readers increase

fuency, deepen comprehension, and gaincondence in public speaking. A key tosuccessul adolescent read alouds is nding

a text with themes that are compelling andrelevant to teen readers and/or letting them

select their own story.





Outcomes to Look or

• Studentengagementinthestoryasboth

listeners and readers

• Abilitytomakeconnectionsbetweenstudentlives and culture with a story rom a dierent

generation and perhaps dierent cultures

• Increasedstudentinterestinandknowledge

o American history during the Depression

• Insightintotheimpactsofeconomic

pressures and work choices on marriage

over time

Teacing Tip

Today’s students are more tech-savvythan ever, and this is especially trueor adolescents. Older students will bemore motivated and engaged i there are

opportunities to incorporate technology inthis activity at all stages, rom researchingthe historical background o the period to

creating their own contemporary versions othe story. Consider combining this activity

with the “Digital Storytelling” lesson inthe technology section o the AterschoolTraining Toolkit (www.sedl.org/aterschool/

toolkits/technology/pr_developing.

html?tab=sample%20lessons).





r

Preparation

• Thisprojecthasseveralstepsandstages.Whathelpedyoufeelpreparedforthedifferent

parts o this activity?

• Whatchallengesandrewardsdidyouencounterhavingstudentsworkinsmallgroupsto

prepare or this activity?

Student Engagement

• Asthisactivityprogressedthroughseveralsessions,whatdidyounoticeaboutstudent

engagement at dierent points in the process?

• Weresomestudentsmoreengagedthanothers?

• Whatcouldyoudotoincreasestudentinvolvement?

Enrichment

• Whatothermethodsormediacouldyouhaveusedtohelpstudentsmakeconnections

between “then” and “now”?

• Howdoyouthinktheauthor’sstyleofstorytellinginuencedhowstudentstoldtheir

contemporary versions o the story?

• Howmightthestoriesbedifferentifstudentstoldtheminanotherformat,suchasa

webcast or a rap song?

Academics

• ThisactivityisdesignedtotieinwithcontentareasinAmericanhistoryandsocialstudies.

What other content areas, such as math or science, could you connect to through

this lesson?





add ru

Print Resources

Fox, M. (2001). Readingmagic:Whyreadingaloudtoourchildrenwillchangetheir

lives forever. New York: Harcourt.

Hahn, M. L. (2002). Reconsideringread-aloud.Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Laminack, L. L., and Wadsworth, R. M. (2006). Readingaloudacrossthecurriculum:

Howtobuildbridgesinlanguagearts,math,science,andsocialstudies.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Seraani, F., and Giorgis, S. (2003). Readingaloudandbeyond:Fosteringtheintellectual

lifewitholderreaders.Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Trelease, J. (2001). Theread-aloudhandbook (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books.





Online Resources

Family Literacy Foundation Read Aloud Resources

(www.read2kids.org/readaloud.htm)

This site contains links to the research and rationale or reading aloud, recommended books,

reerence guides, and a wealth o other inormation to make the most o reading aloud.

International Reading Association’s Read, Write, Think

(www.readwritethink.org)

This site provides interactive graphic organizers to help students map their thoughts and ideas

as they read.

Literacy Connections: Reading Aloud

(www.literacyconnections.com/ReadingAloud.html)

This site provides a collection o articles on the benets or reading aloud as well as helpul

hints, guidelines, and recommended books.

Read Aloud America

(www.readaloudamerica.org/booklist.htm)

This site features annual read-aloud book lists, organized by age level and selected by a

committee of literacy specialists for appeal, diversity, strong writing, and positive messages.

RIF (Reading is Fundamental) Reading Planet

(www.ri.org/readingplanet/content/read_aloud_stories.mspx)

This site eatures read-aloud stories online, with audio, pictures, and page-turning controls.





Acknowledgments

This resource was developed with the support of the U.S.

Department of Education as part of the National Partnership for

Quality Afterschool Learning project. It was designed to support

21st Century Community Learning Center instructors who

wish to create quality learner-centered environments for their

afterschool programs.

The content of the Afterschool Training Toolkit is based on more

than 4 years of research and observations at 53 afterschool

programs with evaluation data suggesting an impact on

student learning. The content also draws from a review of

relevant research studies and the experience and wisdom that

each of the developers brought to the project. The collective

experience of the developers includes afterschool programming,

professional development, educational research, program

development, program management, and direct instructional

experience with students.

The developers believe that these practices and materials will

help afterschool leaders and educators create high-quality

programs that will motivate, engage, and inspire students’

learning and participation.

We extend our appreciation to our site schools and thank the

parents of the children in these classrooms for allowing us to

showcase their children at work in the toolkit videos.



This guide to the Afterschool

Training Toolkit was created with

the support of the U.S. Department

of Education for the use of 21st

Century Community Learning

Centers. Used with the online

Afterschool Training Toolkit, this

guide will give you the resources

you need to build fun, innovative,

and academically enrichingactivities that not only engage

students but also extend their

knowledge in new ways and

increase academic achievement.

national partnership forQuality afterschool learning

Advancing Research, Improving Education

u.s. Department of eDucationTechnical Assistance and Professional Development for

21st Century Community Learning Centers

Documents

Instructor_Guide_LiteracyReadAloud.pdf