[LIT] topics for this year

Tue Sep 4 11:54:38 EDT 2007

Along those lines, some teachers in our intermediate and middle school building presented an in-service on independent reading, but their take was that indep. reading was 8-10 min. at the beginning of class 
(2 teachers) or not at all during the week, but the entire LA period on Friday.  

Do you guys see this model described above as what Atwell is espousing in The Reading Zone?  Maybe I am giving up too much of my other "stuff", but I have independent reading everyday for 20-30 minutes.  It is just our second week of school, but the kids (5th grade) get bent outta shape if something supercedes their indep. reading time.  

I teach in TX, in a grade level where the stakes are HIGH for the spring reading test (promotion is based on passing it.....), so I realize I must teach grade level skills explicitly.  I have my kids for 140 minute blocks, for LA/SS, and I have the freedom to use those minutes as I desire-, such as using 90 minutes for a good, solid reading/writing workshop with share time and student choice, etc., along with read alouds and reading responses.  

So far, I have used the read aloud (Each Little Bird that Sings) to model, think aloud, etc., about deep reading strategies, such as visualization, making connections, etc.  I have only touched on these, but will teach them in-depth throughout the year.  At times, students respond to the read aloud, and  at other times, the students immediately begin independent reading.  During this time, I am doing "squat conferences", getting to know my readers, and administering the QRI (Qualitative Reading Inventory) to get  baseline data on fluency rates and ballpark comprehension accuracy and strategies.  

During SS, I plan to focus on state standards for this 3 weeks, sequence and determining words meanings in context.  Another state standard I am working on is character traits, which I model using the read aloud mentioned earlier.  I consider the state standards mentioned to be "surface structures", as Ellin K mentions in MOT.  They are tested, so it is not fair not to explicitly teach the language of the test, but my most critically instruction lies in the "deep reading structures", or strategies from STW.  If students cannot read text deeply, they are usually challenged with the surface structures, as well.  

My big idea for this first 3 weeks is READING IS THINKING, which seems to be a different definition for my students, coming from 4 different elementaries, where AR tests and deadlines and points were emphasized, along with a steady diet of class novels with questions at the end of chapters. Finishing a book quickly, and answering low-level thinking questions about the text created some quite apathetic readers who COULD read, but don't want to read.

I would love feedback on my approach in applying The Reading Zone to a more practical setting where students are held accountable on a state test for mastery of state standards.  Am I in the right ball park?  The bottom line is that I want to create an environment for passionate, avid readers who talk about their fav books and authors, and who happen to do well on the state test because they have been taught to THINK as they read.

Thoughts?
>>> "Alice Cortigiano" <ac at take5audio.com> 9/3/2007 12:47 pm >>>
Hi, 

I'm currently reading Nanci Atwells new book, The Reading Zone.  I'm loving
it.  I right in sink with her line of thinking...now to get it going in our
LA classrooms who have much pressure to do other things.  

Alice

-----Original Message-----
From: lit-bounces at literacyworkshop.org 
[mailto:lit-bounces at literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Bill IVEY
Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 7:42 AM
To: lit at literacyworkshop.org 
Subject: [LIT] topics for this year

Hi!

We have an impressive list of proposed topics for this year which will
frame our usual spontaneous discussions. I've tried to group and order
them. Any thoughts, including additional topics which now occur to you?
Thanks!

- how other schools started in their new schools (first year--opening)

- how others flip-flop reading and writing workshop (or how they work both
into their curriculum)

- student leadership
- Empowering students to have a voice in the decision making process of
clubs, projects, etc. in a school.

- By November, would like to discuss strategies on scaffolding instruction
with a focus in cultural diversity.
- differentiation that focuses on higher level thinking skills for
struggling readers
- scaffolding instruction, esp. w/ ESL and ESE populations, specifically
how do you begin pulling support away without causing the students to 
panic or disengage? 

- Baseline Assessment-Various Models
- real-life activities for assessment 
- How do others work test prep into their workshops.

- Using Short texts for small group instruction

- Wisdom of using independent reading instead of class novels

- how teachers are team teaching/collaborative teaching.

Take care,
Bill

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"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and
don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the
endless immensity of the sea." (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Melinda Hawkins
5th Grade LA/SS
McCulloch Intermediate School
Highland Park ISD
(214) 780-2325
haynesm at hpisd.org