[LIT] Materials for balanced literacy 4 to 8?

[Mary Dovey]

This has been my thinking all along. For the teachers who need additional
support, I think the guided reading sets are a good idea, and submitted a
budget of about $10K for these (we have none at the m.s.)to this same
supervisor at her request last December. That's why this sudden interest in
a "series" stumps me!

She's heard about the Holt series...does anyone use that? I saw it online
and it looked like every other anthology in the world...

Thanks for your continued help,
Mary


On 2/12/07 6:16 PM, "Alice Cortigiano" <ac at take5audio.com> wrote:

> Wouldn't it be great if we could just let kids pick their own books based on
> interest, readability, and then have them apply active reading strategies to
> their reading in a reading journal. Our kids are so burnt out right now. We
> are really turning kids off to reading and learning in our district IMHO.
> 
> Alice in CT
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lit-bounces at literacyworkshop.org
> [mailto:lit-bounces at literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of May Dartez
> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 5:13 PM
> To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades.
> Subject: Re: [LIT] Materials for balanced literacy 4 to 8?
> 
> The biggest problem with a series is that research shows that students
> need to be reading materials at their
> reading level in order to improve in their reading ability.
> 
> Wouldn't it be nice if your district would instead agree to purchase
> guided reading sets (which generally come
> with teaching guides) instead? Maybe you could show them the research
> about students needing to read
> texts at their level?
> 
> May
> On Feb 12, 2007, at 6:01 PM, Heather Poland wrote:
> 
>> I've used the daybook before w/ middle schoolers, but I never used the
>> "lessons" only the selections out of them.
>> 
>> For purchasing a series, I would look for one that has good
>> selections. I
>> never use any of the "teaching guides" that come with anything I'm
>> given.
>> 
>> Newbridge has good nonfiction, but I'm not sure how low a level it
>> goes to.
>> I've used it w/ middle schoolers.
>> 
>> On 2/12/07, Mary Dovey <mgdovey at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Please forgive the cross post, but my supervisor seems interested
>>> suddenly
>>> in purchasing a reading series for grades 4 to 8. I'm
>>> flabbergasted--to
>>> me,
>>> authentic trade books are the basis for teaching reading. (We use a
>>> variety
>>> of sources for teaching writing.)
>>> 
>>> This may be a done deal, but I'm going to try to do my best to guide
>>> the
>>> purchase as best I can--if I can. Any and all comments on materials
>>> you
>>> like, things you hate, etc., would be appreciated. One specific I'm
>>> interested in is what materials you've found that best help teach
>>> grammar
>>> and punctuation, particularly in the context of writer's workshop.
>>> 
>>> Thanks for all your help, in advance. If our teachers get stuck with
>>> some
>>> lame "series" it'll make my job as instructional coach for literacy a
>>> nightmare...
>>> 
>>> Mary D.
>>> 
>>> P.S. I have samples of Great Source's Sourcebook and Daybook for each
>>> grade
>>> but I'm not certain how helpful they'd be. Anyone use them?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> - Heather
>> 
>> "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of
>> man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments
>> fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out;
>> new races build others. But in the world of books are
>> volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet
>> live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were
>> written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men
>> centuries dead." --Clarence Day
>> 
>> "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little
>> good evidence exists that there's any educational substance
>> behind the accountability and testing movement."
>> -Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds
>> 
>> "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose
>> funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase
>> funding. "
>> -Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate
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> 
> 
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> 
> 
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