I can't believe it's time for assessing again...DIBELS and running records! We will utilize the information we gather to form our new groups. Some will be happy to change and others will NOT be so happy...LOL...remember, I always try to share the wealth!
I hope to have new groups formed before Christmas break in order for there to be time to plan. Just wanted to review the lesson plan we use for small group instruction as we are coming to the end of the semester...
Remember to do an easy read (for higher groups) and a reread for lower level groups. This is important for fluency practice.
Word study is an important part of the lesson for those up through evolving word study particularly. This allows us to teach patterns for spelling as well as for reading.
Have children read aloud as much as possible. Round robin reading should not be used. Instead, use whisper read with a lead reader, partner read, choral read....the more practice they get reading the more proficient they will become.
Comprehension is key! Ask thinking questions, have students ask questions of each other...before, during and after the reading. Write these questions down before the lesson is taught!
PLAN, PLAN AND PLAN!!!! Let me know if you have any questions!! Have a great day!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Your Great Ideas
Happy Thanksgiving!
I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving break!! WOW! Hang in there!! I wanted to share with you some ideas that your co-workers had regarding the Strategies that Work book.
Kindergarten shared these strategies:
Reading with a question in mind
Connecting text to self: relating the characters to ourselves
On pg 111 The more we learn, the more we wonder
1st grade utilized these strategies:
On page 137 Creating mental images
I see
I hear
I can feel....
On page 127 questioning from informational text
On page 241 leveled reading with puppets
2nd grade had these great ideas:
On page 46 using think alouds/guided instruction with connecting ideas and asking questions.
On page 94 making connections between small poems and our lives utilizing during centers possibly.
On page 100 using the fact sheet for nonfiction literature such as writing about snakes, landforms, etc.
What great ideas you all had. I will send out a complete list soon! Have a great day and enjoy your Thanksgiving break!
I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving break!! WOW! Hang in there!! I wanted to share with you some ideas that your co-workers had regarding the Strategies that Work book.
Kindergarten shared these strategies:
Reading with a question in mind
Connecting text to self: relating the characters to ourselves
On pg 111 The more we learn, the more we wonder
1st grade utilized these strategies:
On page 137 Creating mental images
I see
I hear
I can feel....
On page 127 questioning from informational text
On page 241 leveled reading with puppets
2nd grade had these great ideas:
On page 46 using think alouds/guided instruction with connecting ideas and asking questions.
On page 94 making connections between small poems and our lives utilizing during centers possibly.
On page 100 using the fact sheet for nonfiction literature such as writing about snakes, landforms, etc.
What great ideas you all had. I will send out a complete list soon! Have a great day and enjoy your Thanksgiving break!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Taking a Break from Strategies Book
Greetings!
Just a quick but much belated update on my blog!! We are on our second round of reading groups and much progress has been made. It is, in some cases, slow but steady!!
I would like to see some more hands on activity in the reading block. I just have a few suggestions for projects that will tend to elicit high level performances from your students:
plan a journey
write an opinion article
make a travel brochure
draw a graph
make a map
teach a lesson
create a model
These can be done as a follow up activity after a read aloud or even the basal story. There are more ideas on the following website: http://www.adifferentplace.org
More from the Strategies book next week!!!
Be blessed!
Just a quick but much belated update on my blog!! We are on our second round of reading groups and much progress has been made. It is, in some cases, slow but steady!!
I would like to see some more hands on activity in the reading block. I just have a few suggestions for projects that will tend to elicit high level performances from your students:
plan a journey
write an opinion article
make a travel brochure
draw a graph
make a map
teach a lesson
create a model
These can be done as a follow up activity after a read aloud or even the basal story. There are more ideas on the following website: http://www.adifferentplace.org
More from the Strategies book next week!!!
Be blessed!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Visualizing
What is visualization and just why should I teach this strategy anyway??? Visualizing is creating mental pictures in your mind as you read a story. These pictures unfold and change as you read. It personalizes reading and often prevents us from abandoning a book too soon!
Proficient readers use images to draw conclusions, to create distinct and unique interpretations of the text, to recall details significant to the text, and to recall a text after it has been read. Images from reading frequently become part of the reader's writing. Images from a reader's
personal experience frequently become part of their comprehension.
Many of our students don't come equipped with this skill so it is up to us to teach them to "see" as they read or listen to a story. There are several strategy lessons in chapter nine of the Strategies That Work book. One of my favorite ways is to read aloud to the class. Model drawing what you "see" in your mind. Give them a piece of paper and have them draw what they "see" in their mind as you are reading. Give them time to adjust their pictures as necessary.
What are some examples of lessons you would use to teach this skill?
Until next time....
Proficient readers use images to draw conclusions, to create distinct and unique interpretations of the text, to recall details significant to the text, and to recall a text after it has been read. Images from reading frequently become part of the reader's writing. Images from a reader's
personal experience frequently become part of their comprehension.
Many of our students don't come equipped with this skill so it is up to us to teach them to "see" as they read or listen to a story. There are several strategy lessons in chapter nine of the Strategies That Work book. One of my favorite ways is to read aloud to the class. Model drawing what you "see" in your mind. Give them a piece of paper and have them draw what they "see" in their mind as you are reading. Give them time to adjust their pictures as necessary.
What are some examples of lessons you would use to teach this skill?
Until next time....
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Making Connections
Welcome back to school! Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Today I am going to "talk" about making connections. We can connect (and teach our kids to connect) to books in three ways:
Text to Text
Text to Self
Text to World
Text to Self:
Text-to-self connections are connections that readers make between the text and their own life experiences. Example: “This story reminds me of a visit to my grandmother’s house.”
Text to Text:
Text-to-text connections are connections that readers make to other things they have read, such as other books by the same author, or other stories related by genre or topic. Example: “This character has a similar problem to one that I read about in a story last month.”
Text to World:
Text-to-world connections are broader connections that readers make while reading. A text might remind students of something they learned through movies, television, newspapers, or magazines. Example: “I saw a movie that showed some of the ideas in this story.”
You may print out posters for these connection to post in your classroom. This is also a link to lesson plans for teaching these connections. Remember to teach your children that TEXT is not just a way to communicate with your phone. Teach them that text is words on a page.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=228
Let me know what you think! Have a great week!!
Text to Text
Text to Self
Text to World
Text to Self:
Text-to-self connections are connections that readers make between the text and their own life experiences. Example: “This story reminds me of a visit to my grandmother’s house.”
Text to Text:
Text-to-text connections are connections that readers make to other things they have read, such as other books by the same author, or other stories related by genre or topic. Example: “This character has a similar problem to one that I read about in a story last month.”
Text to World:
Text-to-world connections are broader connections that readers make while reading. A text might remind students of something they learned through movies, television, newspapers, or magazines. Example: “I saw a movie that showed some of the ideas in this story.”
You may print out posters for these connection to post in your classroom. This is also a link to lesson plans for teaching these connections. Remember to teach your children that TEXT is not just a way to communicate with your phone. Teach them that text is words on a page.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=228
Let me know what you think! Have a great week!!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Questioning
Hello Friends!
Just wanted to share with you some thoughts on teaching comprehension in the classroom. Here are six comprehension strategies for you:
1.Monitor and Clarify
2.Making Connections
3.Visualize
4.Ask Questions
5.Infer and Predict
6.Summarizen in the classroom.
I will talk about 1 or 2 of these each week for the next several weeks. Please make comments or leave questions or concerns if you have any.
First...Monitor and Clarify:
Readers monitor their reading by being aware of when meaning is breaking down. When this occurs, they use fix-up strategies to clarify meaning.
•Reread words, sentences, or parts of the text, and then go on.
•Stop and ask themselves questions to clarify.
•Use text features (e.g./ photographs, artwork, charts, labels).
•Read on and then go back to clarify meaning and make sense.
•Ask for help (from the teacher, from another student)
Next week we will look at Making Connections and Visualizing.
Have a great week!
Julie
Just wanted to share with you some thoughts on teaching comprehension in the classroom. Here are six comprehension strategies for you:
1.Monitor and Clarify
2.Making Connections
3.Visualize
4.Ask Questions
5.Infer and Predict
6.Summarizen in the classroom.
I will talk about 1 or 2 of these each week for the next several weeks. Please make comments or leave questions or concerns if you have any.
First...Monitor and Clarify:
Readers monitor their reading by being aware of when meaning is breaking down. When this occurs, they use fix-up strategies to clarify meaning.
•Reread words, sentences, or parts of the text, and then go on.
•Stop and ask themselves questions to clarify.
•Use text features (e.g./ photographs, artwork, charts, labels).
•Read on and then go back to clarify meaning and make sense.
•Ask for help (from the teacher, from another student)
Next week we will look at Making Connections and Visualizing.
Have a great week!
Julie
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Assessments
Good Morning! We began our DIBELS assessments yesterday in 1st grade. This stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Each assessment takes approximately 1 minute and gives us a quick snapshot of whether or not your child will need some intervention for reading. Every child not making a specific score on the assessment will be placed in an appropriately leveled intervention group for 30 minutes each day. We will do a quick check every week to make sure your child is making adequate progress and will make any changes necessary to ensure academic success. Please feel free to call or come by the school to make an appointment with me to see your child's scores and discuss any reading group placement. I hope you have a great day!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Back To School!
Welcome Back to a new school year! I hope you have been reading over the summer. My favorite summer read was Split Second by David Baldacci. What a thrilling read!! What was your favorite book for the summer? What was it about? Tell me all about it!
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