St. Paul Public Schools Reader’s Workshop Units of Study

Launching Reader’s Workshop:

Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and

Talking about Text

Grade 6

Unit Overview

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

Literacy is primarily something people do; it is an activity, located in the space between thought and text. Literacy does not just reside in people’s heads as a set of skills to be learned, and it does not just reside on paper, captured as texts to be analyzed. Like all human activity, literacy is essentially social, and it is located in the interaction between people.

Local Literacies: Reading and Writing in One Community (1998) Barton and Hamilton In sixth grade Reader’s Workshop students read and listen to engaging texts of different types across four content areas – social studies, math, English language arts and science. They are involved in interactive learning communities using cooperative group and pair activities. They participate in thinking/learning partnerships in which they read, think and talk their way through various texts. With their partner(s) students revisit comprehension strategies and concepts addressed in whole group shared reading and interactive read-alouds in order to reflect on text, enhance background knowledge and foster metacognition. It is therefore essential that, when launching the sixth grade Reader’s Workshop, the teacher works to create an “emotionally and physically robust environment that encourages collaborative efforts” (Nichols, 2009, p. 14). The teacher must presume that, regardless of their developmental reading stage, all students are capable of thinking about text in complex ways. In the first several lessons students briefly revisit familiar rituals and routines from previous Reader’s Workshops and co-create guidelines and other artifacts with the teacher for this year’s workshop. Through initial reading assessments and an interest survey or letter, the teacher begins the process of getting to know his/her students as readers; s/he will continue this process through individual reading conferences throughout the year. In subsequent lessons the teacher establishes for students the notion of “solving” difficult text. Students participate in interactive whole group instruction. They become “detextives” and, in pairs and small cooperative groups, delve into the use of comprehension strategies when reading. Students also learn other important skills such as skimming and scanning, and close reading. Students think about how they read and use comprehension strategies before, during and after reading. They monitor their understanding while reading, and think about their thinking. In addition, they learn to value quality talk and taking responsibility for growing their thinking together. Purpose: • To establish a collegial and supportive community of

readers • To develop a repertoire of meaning-making strategies • To reflect on text and reading strategies individually

and with each other to build metacognition

Framing Questions: • How am I growing as a person and as a reader? • How will we create an environment that encourages

collaboration? • How will we think and talk about our reading and the

meaning-making strategies we use?

Reader’s Workshop Launching Unit - Big Ideas*

• Co-create individual and classroom guidelines, systems and procedures for their work as readers. • Develop a wide repertoire of meaning-making strategies that they can deploy independently with a wide range of

genres. • Question and apply critical standards to what they read. • Use texts as a way of knowing and respecting themselves, the world, and the multiple perspectives of others.

* Adapted from Jeffrey Willhelm, Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to Lifelong Literacy grades 6-12

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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The following standard benchmarks are specifically addressed in this unit and are reflected in the Reader’s Workshop Launch Big Ideas on page 2. The complete 2010 MN English Language Arts Standards can be found on the center website at: http://thecenter.spps.org/elemlit.html

2010 Minnesota English Language Arts Standards: Sixth Grade Benchmarks

6.4.10.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature and other texts including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently and independently with appropriate scaffolding for texts at the high end of the range.

a. Self select text for personal enjoyment and other purposes. b. Read widely to understand multiple perspectives and pluralistic viewpoints.

6.5.10.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text

complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. a. a. Self-select texts for personal enjoyment, interest and academic tasks.

6.9.1.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Professional Resources

• Angelillo, Janet (2003). Writing About Reading: From Book Talk To Literary Essays, Grades 3 – 8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

• Beck, Isabel (2002). Bringing Words to Life. New York, NY: Guildford Press. • Buckner, Aimee (2009). Notebook Connections – Strategies For the Reader’s Notebook. Portland, ME:

Stenhouse Publishers. • Chang, Maria (2004). Classroom Management in Photographs. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. • Fisher, Douglas and Frey, Nancy (2008). Word Wise & Content Rich – Five Essential Steps to Teaching

Academic Vocabulary. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. • Fountas, Irene C. and Pinnell, Gay Su (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann. • Gallagher, Kelly (2004). Deeper Reading – Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4 - 12. Portland, ME: • Stenhouse Publishers. • Hoyt, Linda (2005). Spotlight on Comprehension – Building a Literacy of Thoughtfulness. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann. • Hoyt, Linda and Sandvold, Lynnette Brent (2009). Interactive Read-Alouds: Linking Standards, Fluency, and

Comprehension. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. • Nichols, Maria (2006). Comprehension Through Conversation: The Power of Purposeful Talk in the Reading

Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. • Nichols, Maria (2009). Talking About Text: Guiding Students to Increase Comprehension Through Purposeful

Talk. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education. • Orehovec, Barbara and Alley, Marybeth (2003). Revisiting the Reading Workshop – Management, Mini-

lessons, and Strategies. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. • Routman, Regie (2003). Reading Essentials – the Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann. • Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Baker, Tanya N. and Hackett, Julie Dube (2001). Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to

Lifelong Literacy 6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Week One: Establishing the Reader’s Workshop and Independent Reading Routines In the first week of the unit, the teacher and students establish the guidelines, rituals, and routines for this year’s Reader’s Workshop. The students and teacher co-create and post charts, and will add to them across the year; they share in organizing the classroom library and room environment. Students consider several key reasons for caring about reading and the impact reading can have in their lives. The teacher and students co-create a rubric with clear expectations for independent reading and to support students as they build their reading stamina, strategies, and skills. The teacher uses a survey, letter, or other tool along with assessment data to get to know his/her students as readers. Week Two: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text During the second week of the unit the teacher uses CSI Introductory Lessons for whole-group instruction. These lessons introduce students to the habits of mind necessary for solving and comprehending challenging text. A link is made between forensic science or police detective work; students become “detextives” and, in pairs and small cooperative groups, delve into the use of comprehension strategies when reading. Whole-group instruction is interactive. The teacher models thinking aloud about text, and students work in pairs or small cooperative groups. They make predictions, ask questions, skim and scan and discuss their understanding of text. The students are asked to think about how they monitor their own reading. Please note: While these Introductory Lessons are provided in the CSI curriculum, additional instruction about classroom rituals and routines should be embedded in these lessons. These lessons might include:

• Setting up Learning Partnerships – How do we talk productively about text? • Setting up Cooperative Learning Groups – How do we work together to read, think and talk our way through

text? • How to get help • Conferring – what is the teacher’s role? What is the student’s role? • Finding a Reading Spot

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Reader’s Workshop Unit Planner

* Lesson 1 Mini-lesson: • Brief review of

the Structure of Reader’s Workshop

• Discussion – Why do we read?

Work Time: Students complete a Thinking Trio Chart to consider and respond to the power of wide reading and critical reading data.

Lesson 2 Mini-lesson: • Organizing the

Classroom Library

Work Time: Students help to set up the classroom library and choose a book to read

Lesson 3 Mini-lesson: • Selecting

Books for Independent Reading

Work Time: Students complete a survey (or letter to the teacher) about themselves and about their reading lives, set individual reading goals, and select a book for independent reading

Lesson 4 Mini-lesson: • A Rubric for

Independent Reading

Work Time: Students read independently and record their books in a reading log; they self-assess their performance with the co-created class rubric (developed in the day’s mini-lesson)

Lesson 5 Mini-lesson: • The Power to

Respond: Launching the Reader’s Notebook

Work Time: Students read independently and try out a response from the chart of response choices in their reader’s notebook

Lesson 6 Mini-lesson: • Reading is an

Active, Problem-solving Process.

This lesson is Introductory Lesson One located in the CSI Curriculum

** Lesson 7 Mini-lesson: • Unlocking

Text: The Link Between to Background Knowledge and Comprehension

This lesson is Introductory Lesson Two located in the CSI Curriculum.

Lesson 8 Mini-lesson: • Monitoring

Comprehension: What Makes a Text Easy? What Makes a Text Difficult?

This lesson is Introductory Lesson Three located in the CSI Curriculum

Lesson 9 Mini-lesson: • Before

Reading: Skimming and Scanning

This lesson is Introductory Lesson Four located in the CSI Curriculum

Lesson 10 Mini-lesson: • Close Reading:

Coding Essential Skill for Mastering Nonfiction Text

This lesson is Introductory Lesson Five located in the CSI Curriculum

*Lesson is included in this Unit Overview. ** Please note: the text used in this lesson is about Christopher Columbus and may be controversial, but the teacher should NOT preview the content of this text with students before the lesson. The teacher may want to facilitate a brief discussion after the lesson about how people have multiple perspectives and points of view about Christopher Columbus and his role as a historical figure.

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Assessment

• Previous year’s reading assessment data or formal initial reading assessment (reading level and behaviors)

• Survey or other tool for learning about students as readers

• Student self-assessment with independent reading rubric

Student Work • Sticky notes with jottings,

responses • Reading logs • Reader’s Notebook entries • Survey or letter about reading life • Thinking Trio Chart

Artifacts of Teaching and Learning Charts: • Reader’s Workshop pie chart • Why do we read? • Selecting books for independent

reading • Independent reading rubric • Reader’s Notebook entries

Artifacts – Possible Charts It’s important to co-create charts with students using their words. The teacher may also incorporate teaching points into those charts to meet specific learning goals. At other times, the teacher may create and post anchor charts to inform students (e.g. ‘Reasons to Read,’ or ‘Read in a Variety of Genres’). The example charts below contain possible teaching points.

What Do Readers Do? • Understand that reading is a process of making

meaning with texts • Take responsibility for understanding what they are

reading • Understand that reading is a thinking process • Recognize when they are confused or not

understanding what they’re reading • Try many different strategies when meaning breaks

down co-created

Selecting Books for Independent Reading

• Read the summary on the back of the book • Think about what topics, authors and genres that

interest you • Is this a “just right book?” • Select books to read that you think you’ll read and

enjoy; abandon books only after you’ve given them a chance

co-created

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Reader’s Notebook: Strategies for Response

• Quick Write • Fab Five • Leaning In • Character Analysis • Reread to Lift a Line • Theme

co-created * Students wrote these types of responses in both fourth and fifth grades. See below for descriptions of the types of responses.

Strategies for Response Strategy

Description

Quick Write Provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning quickly via writing (usually 3-5 minutes). For example, students are asked to write about key ideas in the text, what they learned, problems they encountered, how well they understood the reading and questions they may still have. This strategy helps the students construct meaning, recall information, and internalize vocabulary.

Fab Five Helps students begin to write about something they have read without telling every detail. Students write five (no more or less) important events and/or details about the text they are reading. This acts as a springboard, allowing students to think about their reading and thinking. In addition this activity lays a foundation for determining importance in later fiction and nonfiction reading.

Leaning In Students explore scenes from text that the author does not describe. Practicing this strategy helps students explore details and infer meaning from the text.

Character Analysis

Students think deeply about characters and become more detailed in the words they use to describe characters. When students push their thinking, engage in rich conversations, and write about characters from their reading, they learn to ask meaningful questions as well as make predictions about a character’s motives throughout a story.

Reread to Lift a Line

To show students the value of “second draft reading” or rereading as a helpful technique to understand nonfiction text. Readers can miss important details, so they reread. Having some things already learned in mind frees readers to pay attention to things they have missed the first time through. In addition, explicitly teaching this strategy reinforces the importance of rereading nonfiction – something many students may see as a weakness.

Theme Students look for clues in characters’ behavior and in other story elements that reveal or support a deeper message; this helps students see how a theme is a common thread that runs through a story and that it often helps identify the need for a change in the character and a means to solve the problem of the story.

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Reader’s Workshop Plan Standard: Literature - Actively engage in the reading process and read, understand, respond to, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate a wide variety of fiction, poetic, and nonfiction texts. Grade level: 6 Focus of lesson (Week 1: Lesson 1) Reading Has Consequences: Why do we read? Adapted from Gallagher, Kelly (2003). Reading Reasons. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, pp. 90 – 91. Mini-lesson (5-15 min.) •Key idea: Mini-lesson is a short lesson that focuses on one main teaching point. •Teacher resources… •What students bring to lesson…

Key idea: Students look at reading data and 10 compelling reasons to care about reading and to work on independently reading even more than in previous years. Target vocabulary: Scant Teacher resources: Chart paper, markers, Rituals & Routines for Reader’s Workshop chart, Why Do We Read chart, Amount of Time Spent Reading and Reading Achievement of Fifth Graders chart, and Thinking Trio chart (see sample charts on page 11-12) Students bring: Reader’s notebook, pencil, independent reading book

Connection: How this fits in with what we’ve been doing…

Every year you’ve been in school, you have been in a Reader’s Workshop. You already know the structure of a Reader’s Workshop (show the pie chart and briefly review the components). This year you are going to spend a lot of time independently reading. This chart shows 10 reasons why reading is important and why we should all work to build up our stamina for reading this year (point to Reading Reasons chart and read through it]. One key reason is Reading Makes You Smarter. Reading a lot is one of the best ways to build up what you know about the world and to add to the words you know and can use for speaking, reading, and writing.

Teach: Direct instruction •Set purpose •Tell students what we want them to focus on/learn/know Model/Think Aloud for students: something we’d like them to try… Activate prior knowledge/Build background knowledge

Today, we’re going to look at some real data to back up the claim that reading makes you smarter. I’m going to give you an example that will get you thinking. Follow the steps, below, using this or another focus word: 1. Write the word scant (on a chart, whiteboard, transparency, etc.) and ask students to predict its meaning. 2. After students respond, write this sentence, putting the word into a context: Because they spent so much time reading through the complicated math problem, the students had a scant few minutes left to finish the quiz. 3. Ask students to revise their prediction after seeing it in context. 4. Point out they’ve just learned one new word by reading just one sentence in 5 seconds. Ask them, “What will happen to you if you read a million words?” 5. Share and discuss the Amount of Time Spent Reading and Reading Achievement of Fifth Graders chart. 6. Ask students to re-create and complete a Thinking Trio Chart in their Reader’s Notebook.

Active Involvement: •Think-Pair-Share •Buddy Share •Turn and Talk •Triads/Peer Support

Think about what the chart shows and share a comment with a partner.

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Close The teacher is... The students are.....

Link/Off you go: Send off with a purpose…

During literacy work time today, you’re going to spend about 15 minutes, rereading the data and jotting your thinking in the chart. We’ll share some of your thinking when we come back together for the Share today. When you’ve finished, I want you to spend the rest of your time reading independently to get smarter.

Literacy Work Time and Conferring (35-45 min.) •Guided Oral Reading •Reciprocal Teaching •Book Club •Independent Reading •Independent/Small Group Literacy Activities •Conferring

As you confer with students, ask a few to share their chart aloud to the whole class.

Share (5-10 min): Sharing what happened… •Link to focus •Reinforce teaching point •Demonstrate new learning •Popcorn share •Celebrate learning

Ask the students you’ve selected to share their charts with the whole class to reinforce the mini-lesson teaching point.

Rituals & Routines for Reader’s Workshop

Why Do We Read?

Reading: 1. Is rewarding 2. Builds a mature vocabulary 3. Makes you a better writer 4. Is hard, and ‘hard’ is necessary 5. Makes you smarter 6. Prepares you for the world of work 7. Is financially rewarding when done well 8. Opens the door to college and beyond 9. Arms you against oppression 10. Develops your moral compass

Literacy Work-time The teacher is... The students are.....

Mini-lesson The teacher is... The students are.....

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Amount of Time Spent Reading and Reading Achievement

of Fifth Graders

Percentile Rank Minutes of Reading/Day

Estimated Number of Words Read/Year

98 90 70 50 20 10

90.7 40.4 21.7 12.9 3.1 1.6

4,733,000 2,357,000 1,168,000 601,000 134,000 51,000

Thinking Trio Chart

What does the data say? What does the data NOT say?

What do I think about it? co-created

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Appendix

Item Page Number

Reading Interest Survey (Lesson 1) 14-15

Assessment Rubric for Independent Reading (Lesson 4) 16

Cooperative Routines 17

The Reader’s Notebook 18

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Name________________________________________________

Reading Interest Survey 1. Why do people read? 2. Why do you read? 3. How often do you read when you are not at home? 4. How do you decide what to read about? 5. How do you feel about the reading that you do at school and at home? 6. What is the best thing you have ever read? Why did you like it? 7. How did you learn to read? 8. What have you learned from reading?

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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9. What kind of reading do you like? ___ historical fiction ___ fairy tales/folk tales ___ poetry ___ realistic fiction ___ biography and autobiography ___ information ___ science fiction ___ graphic novels ___ fantasy ___ anime 10. What are your favorite television programs? 11. How much time each day do you spend watching television? 12. Do you have a hobby? If so, what is it? 13. What are the two best movies you have ever seen? 14. What advice would you give students in this room to help them read well? 15. What would you like to learn how to do better as a reader? 16. What else do you want me to know about you as a reader Adapted from “But There’s Nothing Good to Read” by Denise Hildenrandt, Media Spectrum: The Journal for Library Specialists in Michigan, Fall 2001, p. 34 and Fountas, Irene C. and Pinnell, Gay Su (2001). Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Sample Student Rubric for Independent Reading from CSI Teachers’ Guide

Unit Overview Grade 6 Launching Reader’s Workshop: Habits of Mind – Reading, Thinking and Talking about Text

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Cooperative Routines

In a classroom that invites students to actively participate in learning, the emphasis is on helping them understand how language works and how to connect new knowledge with prior knowledge to generate new learning. (Mondo Bookshop)

Cooperative routines are taught and used at every grade level to increase students’ engagement and accountability for participation. The consistency, predictability and evolving rigor of the K-6 cooperative routines ensures that students learn to work together, develop social skills, and take responsibility for their learning as the texts and content become more complex. Grade Levels Cooperative

Routine Description

K-3, 4-5 (selectively)

Buddy Reading Students read familiar texts with a partner. Students may share a book or use their own copies. Buddies take turns reading aloud, listening, and questioning. The listening student follows along and provides support when necessary. Students are encouraged to read fluently, with phrasing and expression.

K-6 Think, Pair, Share Students think individually about a question before discussing their thoughts with a partner. Pairs then report their thinking to another pair or to the class.

Pair

s

3-6 Think, Pair, Write As in “Think, Pair, Share”, students think individually before discussing their thughts with a partner. Students then write what they are thinking. They might share their writing with another pair or with the class.

4-6 Heads Together Groups of four students discuss a question among themselves. Groups might then share their thinking with the class.

4-6 Group Brainstorming

Groups of four generate as many ideas as they can about a question as a group member records their thinking. These lists are then shared with the class.

Gro

ups

4-6 Book Clubs Heterogeneous groups of 4-6 students read and engage in authentic conversation around a title of choice. Students choose a book club based on an interest in a particular genre, author, topic or theme. Book club discussions center on talk about plot, character development, themes, or connections.

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What is the Reader’s Notebook? In the Reader’s Workshop, students keep a Reader’s Notebook. The Reader’s Notebook is a place for readers to document their thinking and growth, to support their thinking for group discussions, and to reflect upon and explore their own ideas about text. These are notebooks in which readers keep their thinking about their own reading processes and habits. Readers also keep notes about how authors use language in interesting ways. They zero in on literary elements that authors use to develop their stories and relate how those elements affect them as readers. Additionally, readers use the Reader’s Notebook to develop and extend their understanding of comprehension strategies as they tackle different texts from different genres. In the beginning of the year, the teacher uses Reader’s Notebook strategies for guided practice. S/He models the strategy with a read-aloud and then asks students to try the strategy when responding to the book they’re reading independently or in guided reading. As students become more independent in using Reader’s Notebook strategies, the teacher hands over the responsibility of choosing response strategies to the students. Once or twice a week, students choose different response strategies to help them push their thinking about what and how they read. How often do students respond to their reading? Students should respond to their reading approximately twice a week. Although students need to know how to respond to their independent reading, it shouldn’t dominate the Reader’s Workshop. Learners need to spend most of their time reading. In essence, students need to know how to thoughtfully respond to their reading as well as how to enjoy the reading experience. Reader’s Notebook entries range in length from words, phrases, lists, and sentences to more developed paragraphs. See page 9 for detailed descriptions of different response strategies. Launching the Reader’s Notebook When launching the Reader’s Notebook, it is essential for students to understand that this is their notebook, these are their ideas, and they are in control of how they respond. The teacher’s job is to guide students, to help them approach their thinking in ways that focus what they want to write. The teacher uses strategies, rather than prompts, as open-ended invitations for readers to think about elements of books and genres in order to draw their own conclusions and respond in ways that seem natural to them. Response entries need to be driven by the reader’s passion and not by a prescribed list of questions that becomes a blueprint for all responses. Thus, responses to literature are fueled by the learner’s ideas, wonderings, surprises, and connections. During the launching unit of Reader’s Workshop, interviews, reading surveys, and reading conferences provide teachers with critical information about their students. Responses in the Reader’s Notebook provide teachers with an introduction to the reader inside of each student. Within the Reader’s Notebook, students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate the kind of reader and thinker they are at the beginning the school year, as well as the reader they want to grow into as the year progresses. Adapted from Buckner, A. (2009). Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader’s Notebook and Stead,T. (2009). Good Choice: Independent Reading and Response K-6.