Before They Read

8/9/2019 Before They Read

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Be ore They ReadTeaching Language and Literacy Development

through Conversations, Interactive Read-alouds,and Listening Games

Cathy Puett Miller


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Be ore They Read: Teaching Language and Literacy Development throughConversations, Interactive Read-alouds, and Listening Games

By Cathy Puett Miller

2010 Cathy Puett Miller

All rights reserved.

Cover design: Studio MontageBook design: Marble Sharp Studios

Library o Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miller, Cathy Puett.

Be ore they read : teaching language and literacy development throughconversations, interactive read-alouds, and listening games / Cathy Puett Miller.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical re erences.

ISBN-13: 978-1-934338-75-9 (pbk.)

ISBN-10: 1-934338-75-3 (pbk.)

1. Language arts (Early childhood)--Activity programs. 2. English language--Study and teaching (Early childhood)--Activity programs. I. Title.

LB1139.5.L35M54 2010

372.6--dc22

2009040738

Until Another Day, copyright Jean Warren, can be ound on the PreschoolExpress, www.preschoolexpress.com.

Maupin House publishes pro essional resources or K-12 educators. Contact us ortailored, in-school training or to schedule an author or a workshop or con erence.Visit www.maupinhouse.com or ree lesson plan downloads.

Maupin House Publishing, Inc.

2416 NW 71 PlaceGainesville, FL 32653www.maupinhouse.com800-524-0634352-373-5588352-373-5546 ( ax)in [email protected]

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


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Dedication

To the inspirational, innovative teachers who listen to their students, teach childrenrather than a curriculum and, as a result, turn children on to the powers and passiono reading.

And to my son, Charlie, one o my greatest teachers in understanding how childrenlearn.


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Introduction: A Few Big Ideas | vii

Introduction

A Few Big IdeasThis Boo Will Improve Your Teaching andRaise Your Students Assessment Scores

Preschool and kindergarten teachers, this toolkit is or you. It isdesigned to be a quick read or a pick-up resource that will make

your job easier and your teaching more e ective. Educators can alsouse this book to acilitate in-school pro essional development onearly language and literacy learning.

Within these pages, you will nd re erences to core research in early

literacy. Just as important or your daily classroom, you will ndcare ully designed, easy-to-use ideas and activities or every segmento emergent literacy development. Beginning with the most

oundational skills, this book ends at the point children are ready to crack the reading/alphabetic code.

Why do I need anything else? you might ask. I have curriculum.I have standards. I have a degree. My answer is that we are learningnew in ormation about how children prepare to be readers every day. No practicing teacher can keep up with it all. And no curriculum

addresses the needs o all children. o be an e ective teacher, you need a toolbox ull o What do I do when? ideas, rom trusted, experienced voices. Te most dynamicand e ective classrooms are ull o those tricks. As you embed thethree ready-to-read oundations in your classroom, youwill havemore children reach benchmarks and goals identi ed by your school,school district, and state. You will have more children truly ready to read.

Perhaps most importantly, this book will help you discern when thetime is prime or each student to begin to read. While each is growingto that moment in time, youll have tons o ready-made activities tosupport them where they are.

I purpose ully address both preschool and kindergarten here orseveral reasons. One: you (and your students) will bene t immensely by having a wide variety o strategies beyond those strictly or your

Children whoare immersed in

activities thatcombine active

experiences, richconversations

and print-relatedactivities are apt

to develop theoundational

skills required tobecome

success ulreaders and

writers .Dorothy Strickland,

Distinguished ResearchFellow at the National

Institute or EarlyEducation Research


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viii | Be ore They Read

age/grade level. Understanding the be ore anda ter steps and expectations smoothes the path

or students.

Also, kindergarten and preschool teachers havethe inimitable potential or building transition

partnerships. In-the-trench dialogues andcollaboration between preschool teachers and theircounterparts in kindergarten improve results orboth. Te best part o such an alliance is that,

with a consistent message, more children all inlove with language, reading, and books. I welight that spark o literacy when they are young,they will orever be readers.

The Rush to Reading

Dr. Robert Meyers (Child Development Institute,CA) says, We o ten expect children to think likeadults when they are not capable o doing so.Nowhere is that statement truer than in our rush

or young children to become readers. I o ten hearparents o ve-, our- or even three-year-olds ask their childs preschool teacher When are yougoing to teach my child to read? Tat same

question is on the lips o most parents whenchildren start school.

A constant diet o myths and sales pitches intodays media leads many o us as parentsand educators to believe that somehow earlier isalways better. Tats a lie. Some statistical researchindicates that the di erences between those whoread at an earlier age than when ormal school

begins and those who do not virtually disappears by the time children

reach third grade. Even when we look beyond the statistics, it ismore likely that children who read early attheir own instigationdoso as a result o a steady diet o rich experiences with language, text,and human interaction rom birth. Tey are ready earlier becausethe oundations have been laid and they are developmentally ready (which happens at a di erent place or di erent children). Conversely,children pressured into reading be ore they are ready have a negative

Dr. Marie Clay, creator oReading Recovery and ormerpresident o the InternationalReading Association, de nesemergent literacy as whatchildren know about readingand writing be ore they actuallylearn to read and write in aconventional way. It only makessense that a child will be abetter reader i he knows a lotabout what reading is and whatit is or be ore he tries it himsel .

GET PARENTS INVOLVED

In addition to the practical ideasor classrooms, throughrequent sidebars like this, you

will learn secrets or partneringwith amilies (an essential ando ten neglected piece o thereading puzzle). The companiontitle or amilies, AnytimeReading Readiness , o ers evenmore ways or amilies to joinyou on this early literacy road.


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Introduction: A Few Big Ideas | ix

TEACHER TIPDr. Hirsh-Pasek, co-author othe best-selling book, EinsteinNever Used Flashcards , cautionsus that accelerated, overlystructured academic programs,especially in preschools, do nothave long-term positive e ects.In act, they seem to have anegative emotional impact.Children rom such programsare more anxious, less creative,and less positive toward school,compared with those who wentto play-oriented preschools.

early experience, which o ten hinders their literacy growth and may even color the rest o their school li e.

How do we counter such challenges? As educators in preschool andkindergarten, you are in a unique position to look at literacy with apanoramic view. We must seize childrens natural curiosity, watch

or their internal Im ready buttons, learn what they know anddont know and what their home literacy is like, and then teach whatthey need at individual points in time.

Three Essentials

Keep in mind as you gear up to make this your best teaching yearever that young children learn holistically. Te three essentialsaddressed in this guideconversations, interactive read-alouds, andlistening gamesmirror that holistic approach and apply whether

we are helping children with literacy, math, or social skills. Young childrens brains are primed to learn. Perhaps no aspect o child development is as amazing as the progress o a young childsbrain. Researchers, such as Dr. Sally Shaywitz o Yale University,have conducted extensive studies in this area in recent years. Teconclusion? A childs brain is growing aster during the early yearsthan any other time in her li e.

Tis growth surge creates a challenge or teachers.Dr. Reid Lyon, an internationally recognizededucation authority, says there is a window betweenthe ages o ve and seven when the underlyingskills o reading are most easily learned. Akindergarten teacher can accomplish in 30 minutes what a ourth-grade teacher would need two hoursto do. Tis book maximizes those e orts.

A young child learns di erently. Only when theproper oundations are established through

repeated and varied concrete experiences can weexpect young children to grasp higher-level skills.Sitting young children at desks all day with

worksheets and structured activities will end inailure. Te more ocus there is on problem solving

and thinking during this important time, thebetter prepared a child is or the academics thatcome next.

Children are notlittle adults. We

o ten expectchildren to thinklike adults whenthey are not yet

capable o doingso.

Dr. Robert Meyers othe Child Development

Institute, Orange, CA


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x | Be ore They Read

Grasping this important act every day will revolutionize yourteaching. You will spend less time herding and directing, trying to

t students into a mold or which they are unprepared. Instead, youll discover your day is ull o actively engaged students immersedin true, e ective learning.

Play is an important vehicle or learning. You may be surprised tohear that play is research based. In act, play is the prime way youngchildren develop problem-solving skills and creativity (essentialskills or the 21st century and beyond). Its not a waste o time. Makesure that when you are having sta discussions about research-basedteaching, you bring this subject up. A respected early childhoodresearcher, Roberta Michnick Golinko , sees it as a driving orce.Play is to early childhood what gas is to a car.

But we so o ten make so little time or play in the real world. Dr.

David Elkind, author o Te Power of Play, requently sites anAmerican Academy o Pediatrics 2007 report that documents play as a actor in promoting behavioral developmentand brain growth.I know that each o you has seen rsthand how a childs social andemotional maturity impact her learning.

Te University o North Carolinas Abecedarian project on early childhood intervention ound that children who received an enriched,play-oriented parenting and early childhood program had signi cantly higher IQs at age ve than did a comparable group o children who

were not in the program (105 vs. 85 points). Pair this with the brainresearch Dr. Sally Shaywitz is conducting. Wow!

Simple, E ective Pathways

With those brie reminders, its time to ocus on the subject at hand.My aim is not to address learning to read. Instead, we will hone inon what has too o ten been ignored: the very oundations that createthe most skilled, most internally motivated, and most enthusiasticreaders. Lets not be guilty o putting the cart be ore the horse andthen orgetting the horse.

I we do so, we may succeed in creating strong decoders, Speedy-Gonzalez word callers, or maybe even minimally adequate classroomreaders, but there will be something missing, something that may very well prevent children rom becoming li elong readers. In Chapter1, youll learn more about these important pre-reading oundationsand understand the overall spectrum: what children needbefore they read.


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Chapter 1

Priming The Pump: The

Overlooked Essentialso Preparing Childrento Read

As mentioned already, each student comes to you at a slightly di erentplace on the early literacy road. How do you know what your studentsneed to be ready to read? Tere are signposts to watch or. And whenteachers know what to pay attention to, those signposts can guidethem to the most appropriate activities or individuals or groups o children. Literacy skills dont happen overnight. Its not just learningto name letters and their sounds or suddenly being able to put thosesounds together into words using phonics. Indeed it is much, muchmore.

o understand this larger picture o early literacy, lets take a birdseye view:

It all starts with oral language. Everything else builds upon thisessential rst: speaking, listening, and understanding. Many normally developing two- and three-year-olds already have a sense o propergrammar and sentence structure. Teir vocabulary is growing daily.

Tat all provides a oundation or learning to read.

Once children begin to read on their own, this base continues tohelp them improve as they make more connections between wordsthey know and hear and words they are learning to read (and vice versa). A rich oral language environment (and in this context, I meanhearing and using lots o di erent words in various contexts) helpschildren understand more about how our spoken language works.

Tat translates into how it works in print. You will nd more detailson oral language in Chapter 3.

During the rstmonths andyears o li e,

childrensexperiences with

language andliteracy can

begin to orm abasis or their

later readingsuccess.Research

consistentlydemonstratesthat the morechildren know

about languageand literacybe ore they

arrive at school[or learn to readconventionally],

the better

equipped theyare to succeed

in reading.Dr. Catherine Snow,

author and readingresearcher


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2 | Be ore They Read

Engaging children in read-alouds is an important way or themto learn how books and print work. International literacy consultantMem Fox recommends children hear a minimum o three books aday by the time they reach age six. I educators and parents combinee orts, that goal will be easy. See Chapter 4 or details about thebest techniques.

Te next level is deeper: developing abstract thinking around thesounds o letters and sounds within words. Tis moves childrentoward a major intersection, and prepares them to gure out thosesquiggles on the page. Identi ying sounds and names o letters andphonological awareness (paying attention to sounds in our languageand the sounds within words) come into play.

Chapters 5-7 provide many activities and ideas to support theseconcepts.

A number o organizations endorse these core pre-reading oundations. Te American Library Associations Get Ready to Read and Family Place Libraries, Te National Institute or LiteracysShining StarsPreschoolers Get Ready to Read publication, and the early learningguidelines developed by many states in conjunction with theGood Start, Grow Smart ederal initiative all send the same message. Youll

nd multiple re erences to preliminary be ore reading skills instate language arts standards in the U.S. and publications romleading reading authorities such as the International ReadingAssociation and the National Association or the Education o YoungChildren. Such a oundation cannot be ignored.

Exploring the Early Literacy Spectrum

Now that you have been introduced to core concepts, it is help ul tolook at more speci cs. Te general categories break down easily intospeci c developmental/age levels. Remember to use the age level asa guide only, recognizing that the individual progress o youngchildren allows or a spectrum o growth. As Im sure youve seen,every ve-year-old will not be able to do every item on the ve-year-old list.

As you explore these age-speci c charts, you will notice that, at rst with younger or slower-developing children, the oral language takesprecedence. Later that shi ts, with more items appearing in thephonological awareness area as a child moves along the spectrum.Items continue, however, to appear in both the book/print awareness


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Chapter 1: Priming the Pump | 3

and oral language areas. Getting ready to read is truly a complex,multi-level process.

Tink about a childs mobility. First he rolls, then he scoots, thenhe crawls, then he walks with help, and nally he walks independently.He may ex between several o these levels and will continue to

crawl in play or ask or help walking up stairs, even a ter he is movingupright on his own. A child cannot just stand up and walk withoutmotor development rom earlier experiences. Its exactly the same

with emergent literacy.

What is most important as you look at real children with theseguidelines in mind is that you see regular, consistent progress, eveni the child isnt able to do everything listed under his/her age.

Share what you learn rom these early literacy guidelines with your ellow teachers, administratorsand amilies. You are welcome to copy these chartsand use them as quick, in ormal checklists toevaluate children when they rst enter yourclassroom or several times during the course o the year. Ive even le t a small comments box or

your use.

TEACHER TIPA convenient legend appearsbelow each o the ollowingcharts to help you match thethree segments o the overviewto the age levels in the charts.


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t o a r e a d - a

l o u d w

h e n

a p p r o p r i a t e

B e g

i n t o r e c o g n

i z e m o r e p r i n t

i n t h e i r e v e r y d a y w o r

l d ( l i k e

W a l - M a r

t o r

M c D o n a

l d s ) a n

d s t a r

t t o r e a d s o m e

s i m p

l e

w o r d s

B e a b

l e t o n a m e

1 0 o r m o r e

l e t t e r s o

t h e a l p

h a b e t a n

d

k n o w

t h e o n e

t h a t s t a r

t s t h e i r n a m e

( a n d p e r

h a p s a l

l o t h e

l e t t e r s

i n t h e i r n a m e )

B e

t r y i n g

t o w r i t e

t h e i r o w n n a m e a n

d e n

j o y

p r e t e n d

i n g

t o w r i

t e w

h i l e a t p

l a y , s u c h a s

w r i

t i n g

o n

t h e b o

t t o m o a

p i c t u r e

t h e y

d r e w

( s q u i g g

l e s

t h a t

d o n

t r e a l

l y l o o k l i k e

l e t t e r s c o m e

f r s t , b u t c h

i l d r e n s h o w a n u n

d e r s t a n d

i n g

t h a t

t h e s e s q u i g g

l e s m e a n s o m e t

h i n g

)

B e g

i n t o p a y a t t e n

t i o n

t o c o m m o n

b e g

i n n i n g s o u n

d s

i n

w o r d s

( l i k e

t h e /

b / i n b a n a n a ,

b a b y ,

b a l

l , a n

d

b a l

l o o n

) a n

d l o v e

t o n g u e

t w i s t e r s


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U n d e r s t a n

d t h a t , i

n s p e e c h , w

o r d s c a n

b e

b r o

k e n

d o w n

i n t o

p a r

t s ( t h e w o r d

c a t

c a n

b e

b r o

k e n

d o w n

i n t o t h e s o u n

d s

/ c / a n

d / a / a n

d / t / ) a n

d s o m e t

i m e s

b r e a k w o r

d s

i n t o l a r g e r

c h u n

k s ( b l a c k

i n t o / b l / a n

d / a c k

/ ) . *

B e a b

l e t o m a n

i p u l a t e w o r d s , a l

t h o u g

h t h i s i s l e s s

c o m m o n

( m a y

b e a n

i n d i c a t o r o e a r l y

d e v e l o p m e n

t ) :

c h a n g e

m o p

t o

t o p

b y

t a k i n g a w a y

t h e

/ m / s o u n d a n

d

r e p

l a c i n g

i t w

i t h a

/ t / s o u n

d ; s u c c e s s

u l l y t a k e a w a y

t h e

/ s /

s o u n

d r o m

t h e w

o r d

s t o p

a n

d u n

d e r s t a n

d t h a t m a k e s a

n e w w o r d ,

t o p ; h e a r s e p a r a t e s o u n

d s

l i k e

/ b / , / a / , a

n d / t /

a n d k n o w

t h a t

t h i s r e p r e s e n t s

t h e w o r d

b a t

( a l l t h i s

m a n

i p u l a t

i o n / p l a y w

i t h w o r d s s t

i l l r e

l a t e s o n l y t o

s o u n

d , n

o t

t o a c

t u a l

l y l o o k i n g a t w o r

d s

i n p r i n t a n

d s e p a r a t

i n g

t h e

l e t t e r s a n

d t h e i r c o r r e s p o n d

i n g s o u n

d s )

* W h e n e v e r y o u s e e a l e t t e r o r c o m b i n a t i o n o f l e t t e r s w i t h a s l a s h o n e a c h s i d e , i t r e f e r s t o t h e s o u n d o f t h e l e t t e r o r g r o u p o f l e t t e r s , n o t t h e n a m e .

L e g e n

d

O r a

l L a n g u a g e

B o o

k a n

d P r i n t

A w a r e n e s s

A l p h a b e t

i c s a n

d

P h o n o l o g

i c a l

A w a r e n e s s


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B y

t h e a g e o

s i x ,

c h i l d r e n

s h o u

l d :

I s e e

t h i s

d a

i l y

J u s t

b e g

i n

n i n g

N o

t Y e

t

C o m m e n

t s

R e t e l

l s t o r i e s w i t

h p r o p e r s e q u e n c e ,

t a l k a b o u t m

a i n

c h a r a c

t e r s , a

n d v e r b a l

i z e e m p a t

h y / u n d e r s t a n

d i n g o

t h e m

C o r r e c

t l y a n s w e r q u e s t

i o n s

i n c o m p

l e t e s e n t e n c e s

U s e n e w v o c a

b u l a r y a n

d s h o w g r o w

t h i n w o r

d s a c

t i v e

l y

u s e d

/ u n d e r s t o o

d ; s

i x - y e a r - o

l d c h

i l d r e n s h o u l

d u s e

/ k n o w

2 , 5 0 0 - 5 , 0

0 0 u n

i q u e w o r d s

( B e c

k & M c K e o w n , 1

9 9 1 ) a n

d

u n d e r s t a n

d u p

t o

1 3 , 0

0 0 ( S c h w a r

t z & H e l

l e r

M i l l e r , 1

9 9 6 )

M a k e

t h e o r a

l l a n g u a g e / w r i

t i n g c o n n e c t

i o n : B e a

b l e t o

i n d e p e n

d e n

t l y w r i

t e a w o r

d a

t e r s a y i n g

i t o u t

l o u d o r

h e a r

i n g s o m e o n e e l s e s a y

i t o r a l

l y ( i n v e n

t i v e s p e

l l i n g

i s O K )

B e g

i n t o u s e

t h e i r f n g e r o r

t h e i r e y e s

t o t r a c

k t h e p r i n t

i n a

a m

i l i a r

b o o

k ( o r i n a w

h o l e - g r o u p

/ s h a r e

d - r e a

d i n g

s i t u a t

i o n )

M a k e a c c u r a

t e p r e

d i c t i o n s o w

h a t a s t o r y m

i g h t

b e a b o u

t

o r w

h a t w

i l l h a p p

e n n e x t a n

d u n

d e r s t a n

d t h e

i d e a o

a d j u s t

i n g p r e

d i c t i o n s w

i t h n e w

i n o r m a t

i o n

B e

a m

i l i a r w

i t h d i e r e n

t u s e s o p r i n t

( s i g n s , b o

o k s

,

n e w s p a p e r s ,

l i s t s ,

l a b e l s , p o e

t r y , e t c .

) a n

d a b

l e t o

i d e n

t i y

w h e t h e r a s t o r y

i s m a k e -

b e l

i e v e

( f c t

i o n ) o r

t r u e

( n o n -

f c t i o n )

M a k e

t h e

t h i n k i n g - a

b o u

t - r e a d

i n g c o n n e c t

i o n : D e v e

l o p

s e l

- c o r r e c

t i o n a b

i l i t i e s

( a b l e t o r e c o g n i z e w

h e n a s i m p

l e

s e n t e n c e r e a d

b y s o m e o n e e l s e o r

t h e m s e

l v e s

d o e s n

t

m a k e s e n s e )

B e a b

l e t o n a m e a

a v o r i

t e b o o

k o r s t o r y

B e g

i n t o c o n n e c

t t e x t

t o s e

l , t e x t

t o w o r l

d , a

n d t e x t

t o t e x t

( Z i m m e r m a n a n

d K e e n e , 2

0 0 8 )


21/112


L i s t e n w

i t h a t

t e n t i o n a n

d p a t

i e n c e

t o b o o

k s r e a d

a l o u

d

K n o w p a r

t s o

/ i n o r m a t

i o n a b o u

t a

b o o k

( c o v e r ,

t i t l e ,

a u t h o r ,

i l l u s

t r a t o r , p a g e )

E a s

i l y p r o

d u c e a r h y m

i n g w o r d w

h e n g

i v e n a s p o

k e n w o r d

M a k e m o r e c o m p

l e x c o m p a r

i s o n s

b e t w e e n

t w o o r m o r e

w o r d s w

i t h s i m i l a r a n

d d i e r e n

t s o u n

d s w

h e n

h e a r

d ( s a m e

o r

d i e r e n

t b e g i n n

i n g , m

e d i a n , o r e n

d i n g s o u n

d s )

N a m e m o s

t a n

d e v e n

t u a l

l y a l

l a l p h a b e t

l e t t e r s a c c u r a t e l y

a n d q u i c k

l y ( u p p e r - /

l o w e r c a s e

)

O r a

l l y m a n

i p u l a

t e p

h o n e m e s

( s i n g

l e s o u n

d s i n w o r d s )

b y

a d d i n g , r

e m o v

i n g , o

r s u

b s t

i t u t

i n g s o u n

d s

U n d e r s t a n

d b a s i c s o

t h e a l p

h a b e t

i c p r i n c

i p a l

( t h a t t h e

2 6

o r s o s y m

b o l s / l e

t t e r s a n

d a s l

i g h t l y l a r g e r n u m b e r o

s o u n

d s , o r p

h o n e m e s , a

r e w

h a t w e u s e

t o r e a d w o r d s a n

d

t h a t

t h e s e

l e t t e r s m a p

t h e s o u n

d s p e o p

l e m a k e w

h e n

s a y i n g w o r d s )

B e a b

l e t o s e p a r a t e a w o r d

i n t o i t s s i n g

l e p

h o n e m e s , l

i s t e n

t o a w o r d

d e l

i v e r e

d i n s e p a r a t e p

h o n e m e s , a

n d t h e n

b l e n d

t h e m

t o g e t

h e r t o

i d e n

t i y t h e w o r d

B e g

i n t o r e a d

( c o n v e n

t i o n a

l l y ) a n

d u n

d e r s t a n

d w

h a t i t

m e a n s

t o b e a r e a d e r

( t o g a i n m e a n i n g

)

U n d e r s t a n

d a n

d a p p

l y m o r e c o m p

l e x p

h o n i c s r u

l e s

o r

d e c o

d i n g r e g a r d

i n g

l o n g a n

d s h o r t v o w e l s ,

R - c o n t r o

l l e d

v o w e l s , a n

d c l o s e d a n

d o p e n s y

l l a b l e s

L e g e n

d

O r a

l L a n g u a g e

B o o

k a n

d P r i n t

A w a r e n e s s

A l p h a b e t

i c s a n

d

P h o n o l o g

i c a l

A w a r n


22/112


Using These Guidelines to Best Support YourStudents

A teachers li e is ull o routines, and that can be a good thing inmanaging the classroom. However, routines in teaching leave lessto be desired. When you take a curriculum and teach it, deliveringeach page the same rom year to year, some o the re that sparkslearning dissipates. Tats especially true in these days when teachingseems so directed by scripts and other structured tools. Instructioncan become stale, and you may nd yoursel ignoring evolving needso children or their learning styles.

I challenge you to do something superior and raise teaching to thelevel o pro essionalism it deserves in your classroom. ake actionthat will bene t your students incredibly. Im not just giving youmore to pack in to an already busy and overscheduled day. I alsodont mean you should become a rebel and do whatever you want.

Tat could get you red.

What I am saying is that using these research-based guidelines isthe core o what makes teaching young children more e ective. It

will streamline their progress. Use these guidelines and youwill have better results and more children ready to read.

Begin by reviewing these guidelines. Tink about the children youteach (paying less attention to the age-level labels and more attention

to the progression o the skills in each area).Where does each child t?

What areas have they already mastered?

What are they exhibiting to you that can help you see thenext step they need?

Having asked those questions, you are in a much better position toteach children at their current level (to use a coined phrase, in theirzone o proximal development) instead o trying to teach them at

the point you think they should be. wo quick tips be ore we move on:

Resist the temptation to compare one child with anotheror react by pushing too hard. Although you are to teachthe whole class, you must di erentiate your instruction toaddress individual shortcomings. Armed with theguidelines provided earlier and any other ormal orin ormal evaluations you conduct or note or yourstudents, you will then be able to adjust instruction to


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meet the needs o each child. That is the only way to seeeach student progress. This aligns with the RTI (Responseto Intervention) ramework.

Always be attentive to signs that your children asindividuals have mastered a certain level (using yourstandards and the guidelines provided here). When

necessary, use your small-group instruction time (orindividual interactive time with particular children) torein orce and add practice where needed. The ideas,activities and games in the ollowing chapters will help youdo just that.


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Chapter 2

Creating a Literacy-rich

Classroom Just as there are three core areas o school readiness, there are threekeys to creating a literacy-rich classroom. Its more than just puttingup stu . Overdo it and you end up with so much print that itbecomes meaningless. Tese keys ocus on the physical, the visualin the tangible environment, activities and products, and moreabstract areas o motivation and integration.

Have a great classroom library, but dont stop there.

Selectively choose areas o your classroom to highlightclassroom literacy and the literacy o your students. I you

unction with stations or centers, be sure to includeliteracy in each one in some way.

Regularly celebrate reading, writing, listening, andcommunicating.

Setting up a Delicious Classroom Boo Noo

Please tell me you have a classroom library! Some o you may haveaccumulated books over the years that you keep on a shel or studentsto access during the school day and perhaps borrow to take home.

Te rst secret to having a library thats actively used (and why haveone i its not?) is to ll it with a delectable, diverse smorgasbord o materials.

Resist the temptation to over-organize or limit your library. ubso books arent very inviting and only serve you (Ive got to make

sure they are only reading in their level). Tey limit your childrensexploration. Besides, such restrictions dont send the message thatchildren can read any book they want. Te National Council o

eachers o English (NC E) cautions against limiting reading totexts that include only words that contain the letter-soundrelationships children have been explicitly taught. In an ofcialposition statement, NC E goes on to say that in all typeso instructional programs, teachers must involve all students, rom the

As teachersdesign their

learningenvironment, it is

essential thatthey consider

the diverseneeds and skillso the studentsthey teach. Asthey integrate

the skills andbackground o

their diversestudents,

teachers shouldensure that each

student isrepresented in

their classroomdesign and

instruction.The Access Center,

U.S. Department oEducation O ce o

Special EducationPrograms


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beginning o their schooling, in daily writing anddaily reading o awide variety of literature and other print materials.

Instead o the standard tubs o books, mix it up.Children love to explore and test and try with

their hands-on approach. I they want to explorethe pages and pictures, (reading or not), letthem!

A better arrangement is general groupings withas many ront covers exposed as possible. Havelittle space? Pick one o these ideas to maximizeappeal:Jim Trelease, author o The Read-Aloud Handbook , recommends attaching/hanging

composite rain gutters above aconventional bookshel or on a wall withinreach o students. Face every book with thecover out. Use this to highlight booksstudents (or parents or you) recommend. Iyou have too many books to ace all o themout, rotate every week or two. Keep stickynotes handy with I recommend this bookalready printed along with a place or asignature and a comment. Draw a simplesmiley ace on several. Using unky paperor binder clips adds an element o un.

Cant manage that? Have assigned libraryhelpers who (minutes be ore the centers/stations open) take a hand ul o books romdesignated areas and line them up in thechalkboard tray or against a wall. Havethem spread the books ace up in a cornero the library so children can see all thetitles. More and more children are becomingvisually sensitive due to the increase in

video, TV, and other visual media. You cancapitalize on that by using the beauti ul covers o picturebooks.

The same or other helpers can put books away later. Itonly takes a ew minutes and theres something veryappealing about letting children pick any book they want.

TEACHER TIPWorried that your kindergartenchildren already beginning toread will waste time nding the

right book? Teach them theFIST test: As they open a bookthat appeals to them, havethem hold their hand fat, palmup. As they read the rst pageor two, show them how to olddown into their palm one nger

or every unknown word theyencounter. I they make a ull

st be ore nishing the rst twopages, its probably too di culta book.

TEACHER TIPComments like No, you canthave that bookits not at your

level are counterproductive tonurturing a love o reading (notto mention vocabulary growth).Leveled reading materials havetheir place, but dont o er thosecontrolled vocabulary books asthe only type o reading yourchildren have access to.


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Chapter 2: Creating A Literacy-rich Classroom | 17

Ask your children how they would like thebooks organized. Have a class problem-solving discussion. You might be surprisedwhat you discover.

Paramount in your mind when arranging yourlibrary is how you can draw all o your childrento the materials. Allow students to pick the book that is just right (on so many levels) or them.

Tere will be plenty o time or reading what they should.

Select contents or your reading retreat based onthe ollowing criteria. I you already have asubstantial library, use this list to evaluate thecurrent contents:

Short books with lots o large and interesting pictures.

Books you have shared in circle or read-aloud time. Dont hide the book behindyour desk where the kids cant get to it. Putthem in your library to explore. Let yourchildren see you do so and point out thatthe book(s) will be there any time theydlike to read. Multiple copies i possiblethose books are going to be popular.

Books and magazines on subjects ( ctionand non- ction) that interest youngchildren ( avorites include amilies, animals,sports, amiliar and un amiliar settings,activities, or times). Speci cally includenon- ction books with lots o illustrations,charts, and diagrams.

Books rom the school or public library.This source or borrowing books can helpyou in the pinch o a tight economy. A plus is that your

children will learn about the library and its services.Books with lots o rhythm, rhyme, and repetition (plus eweasy-to-read titles).

Books up to two grade levels above your childrens levelpurely or exploration. Even the most pristine, beauti ullibrary will just sit there unless your children understandthere are treasures within.

Get Parents InvolvedInvite all o your amilies to visitand spend time in the booknook with children. Set no other

expectations than sharing abook with a child (make sureyou include a ew wordlessones). Dont try to turn theminto the teacher. Youll beamazed at the energy andlearning that will happen.

Get Parents Involved1. Ask them to donate a newbook (book airs are great orthat), a slightly used one, or amagazine subscription.

2. Encourage amilies to have alibrary o their own (orborrowed) books at home.

3. Supplement your library withhomemade books children andparents make together (share adisposable camera and paper toget that started).


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Beyond booksinclude student-created, handmade booksand port olios, magazines, age-appropriate re erencematerials (including picture cards or building vocabularyand rst non- ction titles), and anything else to read thatappeals to your children.

Use small-group station or center time to plop down and do a ew mini-book talks to whet childrens appetites. each them a littleabout book selection (not just reading level but also Will I like thisbook? questions, skimming through the pictures, etc.its OK notto like every book). Tis is especially important i the children youserve come rom homes that are not literacy rich. Just because welove books and reading, doesnt mean that our students will unless we share that passion with them. Dont worry that some o the booksmight get torn or misplaced or never returned. each your childrento care or them and make them accessible. Help them learn to value

taking special books home and caring or them.A classroom library should be more than a place children aresupposed to go when they have to read. Make your recreational reading roominviting with pillows, bean bag chairs, a lamp, and a color ul rug,old quilt, or blanket. Include a ew pictures o avorite book charactersor stu ed animals or puppets to read to. Families will enjoy helping

you decorate. Include elt boards or other props or retelling a ewo the avorites with strong sequence. Emphasize the sharing thatcan happen between several children (or between an adult and achild) over a book.

The Role o Posted Print in a Rich LiteracyEnvironment

When a stranger walks into your classroom, whatis his rst impression? Go outside your room, set

your mind as Im seeing this or the rst time,and then step inside. At rst glance, ask threequestions:Are there so many words and labels thatthey are just a big blur o cluttered walls?

Are alphabet letters, classroom rules, andstudent work posted and at what eye level?

Is it obvious that students had a part inproducing at least part o what isdisplayed?

TEACHER TIPPose those three questions tothree di erent people:

Your most trusted colleague

The best teacher in your centeror school (perhaps a bit moreintimidating)

A parent, your media specialistor librarian, or an older student


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Tese are not always easy questions or a teacherto answer objectively. Finding a con dante willhelp you. Right up ront, tell her that you wouldlike to know her true eelings, an initial sense

without too much thought. Whenever I walk outo my com ort zone in a situation such as this, Iam ALWAYS rewarded. ry it!

You may hear complements. ake those thank ully,but ollow up with more speci cs; Can youimmediately recognize the purpose behind thisprint? ell me more o what you mean. Te morespeci c ollow-up questions you ask, the more

youll learn.

I you receive criticism up ront, dont take itpersonally. Listen care ully and honestly ask, Isthere any validity, anything I can take away romthis comment, something that will make my classroom better? When you receive thosechallenging replies, have the courage to ask, How can I improve this? or How can I x that?Again, ask your coaches and con dants to bespeci c.

Te answers you hear may be telling you thatsometimes less is more . Setting up an inviting,stimulating classroom with many learningopportunities but without cramming it ull o toomuch stu is the balance to aim or. I youoverdo it, you are likely to negate your intendede ectiveness.

The Proper Balance

With your answers in hand, re ect on secrets tohelp you establish the proper exposure to print in

your classroom:Be sure that the print you post has a purpose and a regularuse.

Be selective. Putting a label on every object in yourclassroom is overkill. With that extreme, it becomes merelyvisual white noise rather than something your children payattention to.

TEACHER TIPSave time by making wordsdurable. Once you are amiliarwith your curriculum and the

key vocabulary emphasized,identi y those words that youwant to post in your classroom.They are likely to be the sameones your children will identi yas interesting.

Print each out in a clear, largeont rom your computer or use

your best handwriting to print

them on a card. Laminate thewords and keep them in a lewith your other thematicmaterials. Put Velcro on theback i you wish to post themon a word blanket (a bright-colored piece o polar feeceworks well).

Whip these print postcards outwhen that new theme or unitbegins and place them in yourclassroom print environment atthe appropriate time. They willserve as a core or keyvocabulary. Have a marker andextra cards handy to capturewords your students all in lovewith.


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Change it up. Student writing or pictures rom a monthago lose appeal. It doesnt re ect where your students are.Posted print can not only be a positive in uence or yourstudents but also a way to engage amilies in aconversation about the progress o their child.

A Bit about Word Walls

I dont o ten recommend a word wall or preschool. Print is muchmore meaning ul i it is in a context (the door is labeled door orchildrens names are printed on cards at their cubby). I you do decideto use a word wall in your preschool, limit it to letters, childrensnames, and a ew simple sight words. Add pictures to go along withthe words. Integrate a ew critical words rom a unit or theme (those

you want your children to remember) into the print around yourroom.

I you have a word wall in your kindergarten classroom, keep itsimple (dont post 100 words; a ter all, will any our- to six-year-oldchild have the patience to look through 100 words to nd one?).Replace words once your students have mastered them, or havechildren add them to a personal dictionary (complete with illustrations)i most students dont need them anymore. Regular maintenancekeeps your word wall rom going stale.

Even with kindergarten students growing ability to recognize words, you can inadvertently sabotage your teaching by talking about wordsin isolation. Consider care ully the print you post in your room.Make sure it is meaning ul to your students and connects to whatthey are learning. Integrate the critical words you emphasize in aunit or theme (those you want your children to remember) into theprint around your room.

Connect the Print You Post to the Content YouTeach

When your children sing the ABC song, do you have a chart o theABCs (at child level) that you (or they) can point to as you sing? Do you regularly and proudly post artwork and other student creations with captions or printed names? Do you point to unctional print(class-created lists and rules or words on bulletin boards) during

your interaction with your children? Tese are a ew o the better ways to show them that print has purpose.


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Some o you may be amiliar with the work o Beck and McKeown.In their ext alk technique, they recommend drawing attentionto a ew vocabulary words by initially inserting child- riendly de nitions while reading aloud.

Extend this technique by asking open-ended questions using the

earlier identi ed vocabulary a ter a read-aloud. Create a predictionchart rom these discussions. Its purpose is to re ect in print what your students think will happen next in simple terms (and maybe a

ew cartoon sketches) and to record a poll o who agrees with eachprediction. Giant sticky notes, a whiteboard, or poster paper can allbe used. Write the various predictions across the top as columnheadings and then allow children to put their name or their markbelow the column they agree with.

Based on whether your children are beginning to conventionally

read and write or are not yet there, they can help create the chart.I they are still ocused on oral language, let them dictate while you

write.

Meaning ul print such as lists, charts, dictated writing, strategically placed signs or labels , and environmental print (see eacher ipand recycling idea below) is stimulating and appropriate. Te goalo posted print in preschool and early in the kindergarten year is toshow the use and purposes o print be ore children conventionally read. Once children begin to read in a traditional way, this use o meaning ul print will continue to grow their vocabulary, theircomprehension, and their reading abilities.

Environmental print can be a bridge between pre-reading o amiliar symbols and conventionalreading. Heres an easy (and ree) way to collectsome environmental print or your classroom.

Why not ask your students to recycle? Collect atreasure chest ull o items without spending adime: empty boxes rom the groceries your amiliesalready buy such as cereal, crackers, or snacks;candy wrappers; milk or juice cartons; and any package or container with a recognizable logo.

Environmental print uses are nearly endless:avorites and comparison charts, homemade

alphabet cards your amilies can make or you (Dis or Dial soap), student-created poetry with the

TEACHER TIPDrs. Kirkland, Aldridge, andKuby, authors o Jumpstarters:Integrating Environmental Print throughout the Curriculum, de ne environmental print asprint ound in the naturalenviron ment o the child. Thisincludes logos, labels, roadsigns, billboards, and other print

ound in the childs immediateecology. The word natural iskey here.


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environmental print inserted as rebus characters,matching games (to emphasize same and di erent),charts to practice counting, etc.. Add your ownideas.

Literacy in Stations or Centers

Add literacy (reading, writing, listening,communicating, and viewing) to some aspect o every station or center. A ter all, literacy iseverywhere in real li e. Te best time to think about this is when you are planning your classroom

or the new year, but you can add literacy in any time. It just takes a bit o big-picture thinking.

As you consider expanding where literacy happens in your room,

consider literacy experiences your children will nd amiliar andthose they may not (but ones we want to expose them to). Forpreschool, that might mean:

Clipboards with graph paper in the blocks area (attach apencil), along with magazines that eature oor plans,pictures o skyscrapers, roads, and amous buildings.Children can sketch their ideas be ore building or makenotes about what they are doing (inventive writing isOK). Dont orget the hard hats! What about CAUTIONbarriers made rom crepe paper or cardboard signs?

Cookbooks with lots o pictures and telephone books(perhaps a homemade one with childrens numbers next totheir name). They can use the phone book to practicelearning their own phone number in the home livingcenter. Dont orget notepads, grocery coupons, and thoseever-present newspaper and junk mail ads.

Do you have books in the home living center or childrento read to the babies? Menus or takeout ood have a placein most homes. Think about what is in your own kitchenand den.

Science books in the science center (relating to theexperiments at hand). There are many childrens booksthat have tactile or see-through sections on subjects suchas archeology, nature, and animals. Add a second penciland clipboard here, name tags or the scientist inresidence, and a pegboard or measuring utensils.

Get Parents InvolvedThe end o the school year is aper ect time to have a contestamong your amilies:

Ask them to identi y other waysthat they use literacy ineveryday li e, especially onesyou can incorporate into yourcenters.


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Books on tape, conversation starters ( or pairs o children),and objects that make distinctly di erent sounds, all orthe listening center.

Puzzles that also contain a ew labeling or rhyming wordsin the manipulatives center.

Kindergarten classrooms have moved, in many cases, to morestructured, results and accountability-oriented activities in variousparts o the classroom. More and more commonly these are calledstations. Tese are areas in the classroom that o er sel -challengingactivities children can per orm independent o teacher supervision.I you are a kindergarten teacher, you can easily apply the centerideas above to those stations.

In addition, you will be able, with older students, to encourage themto document results, even as they are beginning to write conventionally.

An alternative is to allow children to initially draw pictures anddictate a short caption that re ects their learning to you, a volunteer,or parapro essional.

Focus on what Debbie Diller, an expert in e ective literacy stations,calls balancing process and product. For maximum e ect, you want your station activities to be ones in which your studentssometimes simply practice alone or with another child and othertimes document. With the documentation, you can later evaluate

where that child is and what she might still need to be taught. O

course, the trick to make that manageable or your children is toplan care ully, teach/introduce, model what to do, set accountability and consequences, and con rm.

Use the ollowing chart to brainstorm about the centers or stations you have in your classroomthat were not speci cally addressed here. You ask your children to write their ideas down. You should do thesame. It is the rst step to changes that will make each center moree ective.

Once you have named the centers, ask yoursel , How can I incorporatereading, writing, listening, communicating and viewing in each o them? Even when the ocus is math or history, think about how your students use literacy to help solve the problem or record ndingsor observations.


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Center Name Bright Idea

A Final Word: Writing

Although the primary ocus o this book is getting ready to read,reading and writing are, without a doubt, inseparable. Whereverreading happens (with alphabet letters, with signs and environmentalprint, in your reading nook, or at other centers), writing materialsshould be handy. Purchase a ew inexpensive, plastic shower caddies

with handles in the middle (like those we used in college). Smallaluminum paint buckets work just as well. Fill them with writingmaterials (pens, pencils, di erent sizes and types o paper, small

journals, old checkbooks with the account numbers blacked out,address labels, ake stamps or stickers, etc.). Add a simple label tothe outside and perhaps a picture o someone writing. Once theseare stocked, allow the children to take them to the station or center

where they are needed. Tis is especially use ul i you dont haveroom or a conventional writing center. Plus it shows that writing,like reading, can happen anywhere.

Turning the Page

Remember our list o essentials or creating a literacy-rich classroomat the beginning o this chapter? Te last item is Regularly celebratereading, writing, listening, and communicating. You have oundmany ways to make literacy a visible part o your classroom and tocelebrate that literacy with your students.

In the next chapter, you will build on these essentials with conversationsthat intensi y the impact o your physical classroom environment.


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Chapter 3

The First Essential:

Secrets to WOWConversations in theClassroomSecret 1

Conversations Are Power ulIn todays classroom environment, it is so easy or conversations todisappear. Walking in straight lines, the need to minimize noise orthe sake o others, and the pace o most curricula even in the preschooland kindergarten classroom can all take precedence. eachers who

eel stressed may be distracted or worried about the impression anoisy classroom might have on a visiting administrator. Suchconditions can result in too many no chat zones throughout theday. Tat negligence teaches the unintended lesson that talking isbad and has no place in learning.

Conversations build vocabulary, teach patience and empathy, unlock the alphabetic principal, help children learn how to think,communicate their wants and needs, and build a sense o community.By listening to conversations modeled by and between adults, studentslearn about language. Tey see how words convey new in ormation.

alking with students and allowing them to talk with one anotherstimulates core brain cells that later serve as the oundation or more

complex connections needed to read.Secret 2

Conversations Build Community

Not the least o the unctions o conversation in the classroom isbuilding a eeling o acceptance and success or all. Although usingoral language to communicate is key, it is worthwhile to consider

I we are toincrease childrens

ability to pro t

rom education,

we will have to

enrich their oral

languagedevelopment

during the early

years o

schooling. Andrew Biemiller,

author and pro essor atthe University o

Torontos Institute oChild Study


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the bigger picture o conversation as a tool to create a learningclassroom community.

In his book, Life in a Crowded Place: Making a Learning Community,author and researcher Dr. Ralph Peterson points out that In everyday li e, talk is the primary medium or learning, and or that reason,

talk is an essential part o a learning communitys li e. For it is when we stop to listen and share eelings and thoughts that we begin tounderstand one another. We move beyond the rudimentary layerso thinking, rom knowledge [and regurgitation o acts] to higherlevels such as comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, andsynthesizing (Bloom, 1956). I , as a pro essional, you want to domore than shufe papers, record test scores, and push kids on to thenext level, you must make space (both literally and guratively) orconversation in your classroom.

Secret 3

Thin about Conversations in Your Classroom

1. Re-read the oral language section in Chapter 1s overview.

2. Ten ip to the more detailed charts in the chapter. Look at theage level you teach (or where you determined most o your children

all). Ten, review the items listed to expand your understandingo oral language.

3. With this re resher, you have set the stage. Tis chapter providesthe connections you need between what you already know aboutoral language, new in ormation on the subject, and the ready- or-

your-classroom activities youll nd later in this book.

4. Now, think about the current verbal interaction in your classroom. eachers have so little time or re ection, but try taking just teenminutes. Tats a long co ee break. Care ully consider the kindso talking common in your class (including vocabulary, sentence

structure, and content). Once you do that, youll be primed topull the ideas you need and raise the roo on conversations in yourclassroom.


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Chapter 3: The First Essential | 27

Secret 4

Ma e Group ConversationE ective

O course, we all know what dialogue and

conversation look (or sound) like, right? We talk with others every day. o maximize conversationsin your classroom, rst instigate them, encouragelistening and active participation, and extend thecontent and contribution. Model how you want your student-to-student discussions to look. Dont

orget the value o teacher/parent dialogueeither.

Logical questions teachers o ten ask are, How

do I t all this in? How do I nd time? Te key is integration. Seeds are there alreadyopportunities to enhance learning. Consistency is the most essential aspect. A regular dose o verbal interaction doesnt have to be time intensive.Here are a ew tips.

Start with a few important conversations.Dontthink about revolutionizing your classroomovernight or talking extensively every day withevery child. It probably isnt possible. aking smallsteps to in use conversation into the abric o yourclassroom will improve results.

Select targeted times ahead o time. ry these whole-group ideas.

Pick an established time at least once a week to devote toconversation, perhaps during circle time, welcome,community time, or at the start o your day. Set aside amere teen minutes, but protect it. Write it into your

lesson plan. Otherwise, it can too easily be squeezed out.

Ask your class a thought-provoking question related to acurrent event, a book you read together, or upcomingcontent-area topics. Let your students share what theythink. It may be as simple as:

Were going to study dinosaurs this week; what do youknow about them?

TEACHER TIPEven though your ELL studentsand students with special needsmay simply listen, they, too, are

gaining an understanding oconversation and how languageworks. Those students o tenobserve long be ore they chimein.

Dont orget that these studentsmay have nonverbal ways ocontributing. Focus moreintensively on interacting withthem on an individual or small-group basis to rein orce whatyou see them respond to inwhole group. Encourage theverbal abilities that they maynot be com ortable showing inwhole group at that time. Thegood news: this can beaccomplished e ectively in less

than ve minutes i you enterthe conversation with apurpose.


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Why do you think weve had so many hotdays this week?

How can we solve the problem we havewith the class orgetting to pick up at theend o an activity?

Even young children have importanteelings and ideas to share. When you carve

out this mere quarter o an hour, youestablish that communication is importantand that your students each havesomething valuable to say.

Focus on good listening skills among allparticipants . You may need to explain or rein orcea ew no interruption rules. One tool Ive ound very help ul or young children is to give the

talkers something to hold in their hand: a stu edanimal, a talking stick, or a magic wand (a pencil

with a eather on the eraser end). Te message to your class is that, i you have something in yourhand, its your turn to speak. Dont make theconversations in your classroom that rigid all thetimeonly in selected situations when you want

your children to practice taking turns and the back-and- orth elementsexplicitly.

Extend your students wordsby o ering a ollow-up question or by re ecting in more complex language on what they said. Let themcon rm that you understand what they are saying. A ter allowingthe conversation to develop, encourage other less gregarious childrento join in. Dont limit the interaction to just one child. ie up looseends with a ew closing remarks and youre o to start a new day.

With this simple ritual, you began the morning with a ocus oncommunication and community.

Find other times during the day or conversation. Reading timeis a natural t as you discuss the eatured story. Consider transition/

wait times be ore and a ter lunch or recess. At such times, extendconversations that started in class. Use unique words, newly introducedin the context o class discussions or read-alouds. Do you rememberthe V show, Pee-wees Playhouse? Pee-wee had a word or theday. Whenever anyone said it, whistles went o and everyonecelebrated. You can do the same. Such conversations get kids excitedabout learning!

TEACHER TIPWe support childrenslanguage development whenwe talk with them in ways that

show we care about them andare more interested in theirideas and experiences than thecorrectness o their language

orms.

We develop their languagewhen we show we understandtheir intentions and elaborateon the sentence structures thatthey use without losing ourin ormal conversational style.

Marie Clay, educational literacyresearcher


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Secret 5

Teacher Refection Is REALLYImportant

ake a ew minutes now to examine your

conversations with children in more detail. TeLets Have a Chat checklist that ollows helps with introspection. Great teachers are alwaysevaluating, adjusting, and improving. Such anexercise can end in an I know what I can donow! moment that makes you a more e ectiveteacher.

Lets Have a Chat Instructions

Tink more about the actual conversations youhave with students during the course o a typicalday. Consider your language, the words you directtoward them, and how you engage them. Tink o what you say (and how you say it) when you aremost rustrated. Keep those in mind as youcomplete the checklist.

As you take this quiz, read each statement andplace a check by the ones that characterize yourconversations with your children best. Checkingas many statements as you believe are true mostor all o the time is the key to evaluating yourchats honestly. I the statement doesnt characterize

your typical conversations, dont check it o .

It is truly hard in any sel -evaluation or us to beobjective. Find a con dante rom our earlierexercise on classroom literacy environments inChapter 2 or another trusted colleague or ellow improving teacher. Ask her to score actualconversations rom your classroom.

How? Its as simple as setting up a tape recorderin your classroom or an hour. Hide it so it doesntdistract you or the children. Later, ask your trusted

riend to listen to the record o verbal exchangesin your classroom with a blank copy o the quiz

TEACHER TIPSomehow, weve gotten theidea that not talking isequivalent to being good. I

even see that bleeding intopreschool under the guise ogetting them ready or school.Part o it is the challenge oworking with 18-25 children atonce.

However, at that point, theteachers aim shi ts romcreating a learning environment

to making children behave. Ithat is paramount, it can stifethe best conversations withstudents, preventing thosetimes when the learning lightbulb goes on and childrensskills blossom.

TEACHER TIPSel -examinations are onlye ective i you do them and dothem honestly. Whenmonitoring your own health orthat o your children, youprobably routinely check or atemperature. I there is evidence

o one, you do something aboutit. This sel -exam is no di erent.I you test yoursel and thecandid results refect a need orimprove ment, do somethingabout it.


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and score it apart rom you. Be bold and ask your administrator topay attention to your verbal interaction with students when he orshe observes in your classroom. Imagine how impressed your principalor director will be with that learning attitude rom a teacher!

WHAT MY CHATS LOOk LIkE QUIz

1. Most o my questions are the kind that can be answered with yes or no.

2. I o ten ask open ended questions (ones that do not havesimple yes or no answers), at least 60%.

3. I raise my voice to get my childrens attention. I ound mysel reacting strongly with harsh words to negative behavior atleast once in the last day.

4. My conversations with my children ocus on helping themdiscover how to solve problems or puzzles.

5. My responses to student- generated questions are short anddirect (that means our or less words per sentence).

6. I add words to the conversation to expand or elaborate on what my students ask or say when I respond.

7. I o ten use one or three word commands when addressingmy students (examples: dont do that, sit down now,stop, you must wait, orget it).

8. I use words rather than orce to redirect my students toother, more acceptable activities. I consistently ocus oncommunicating clear expectations to my children with

words.9. I speak to my children in short, simple sentences (with our

or less words per sentence). I use baby talk.10. I use long, complex sentences with varied vocabulary when

I talk with my students. I use the same sentences I would with anyone else I was talking with.

11. I tend to stand over children or away rom them (alwaysat the ront o the room) when talking.

12. I place mysel at a childs level when I speak to him/herindividually.

13. I do most o the talking when having a conversation withmy students.


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14. I look at my childrens aces (in their eyes) and listen closely when they are talking.

15. here is a back and orth, give and take to ourconversations.

16. Most o what I say to my students alls under the category o correcting or directing.

17. Most o my conversations center on mistakes my studentshave made or problems they have caused (either in whole-group or individual conversations).

18. I talk to my students about things they are interested in.

SCORING

Give one point or each check that appears next to statementsnumbered 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16 and/or 17. Count those upand write your rst total in the blank. You get two points or each check that appears next tostatements numbered 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, and

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