Pulling it All Together- Effective Reading Instruction

Pulling it All Together- Effective Reading InstructionAmber BlumeInstructional CoachSFSDDates/Times/CreditSept 8, 13, 15, 20 3:30-6:30pm1 credit- CEU or College CreditClass fee payable to SFSD $40- everyoneCEUs will be automatically sent to you if you do not sign up for college credit- no cost.College credit can be received from either USF or Augie. Fill out card and write check for $40 to the college of your choice.AgendaItems we will cover during this classCommon Core StandardsNew Essentials GuidesTeaching with Intention by Debbie MillerMosaic of Thought Comprehension StrategiesDaily 5/CafReading Conferencesand whatever else is needed!!QuoteClassroom practice must be based on richly understood and deeply held beliefs about how children learn to read. In other words, what teachers say and do and how they engage children in reading acts much have theoretical underpinnings. Their practice is not based on a publishers set of teacher directions or a handbook filled with teaching tips, but on concepts they themselves have examined carefully. (Shelley Harwayne, 2000, 207)What are your beliefs?Lets take a look at what Debbie Millers beliefs are. (see handout)

ENVIRONMENT!!I believe that classroom environments are most effective when they are literate and purposeful, organized and accessible, and, most of all, authentic.Meeting Area UsesExplicit teaching, modeling, and teacher/student demonstration, often within the context of shared reading, read-alouds, think-alouds, and interactive read-aloudsClassroom discussions, turning and talking in twos and threes, getting eye-to-eye and knee-to-knee for focused discussionsKids and teachers to reflect, share, and teach each other what theyve learned about themselves as readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists that dayPartner and small-group work, conferring, and independent practice, when were not using it in the ways previously describedSmall Group Area UsesWhen the whole class is working in small groups in response to a particular text, topic, theme, or problemFor teacher-guided, needs-based groupsFor book clubs or literature circles, both formal and spontaneousWhen kids decide to work together for a specific purposeFor partner reading/partner workAs quiet workplaces for those who need themWorking independently doesnt always mean working in isolation!!Library AreaThe library could be the WHOLE roomBooks organized in small plastic tubsTubs shouldnt bee too full or too heavy for kidsTubs labeled in variety of waysauthor, series, genre, topic, level- no right or wrong wayNot enough just to organize a libraryneed book talks and lessons on how to choose books

Quote on EnvironmentsClassroom environments are organicthey grow as we do. The best of them reflect the hearts and souls of those who inhabit them. Theyre never really finished. Theyre never really done. How could they be, when every day students and teachers learn something new? -Debbie MillerThoughts

How do we teach reading??A large part of reading is thinking!!SOHow do we create cultures that support and promote student thinking??BYPutting our thinking on displayThe intentional use of languageMaking thinking visible, public, and permanent

QuoteConsider how often what we learn reflects what others are doing around us. We watch, we imitate, we adapt what we see to our own styles and interests, we build from there. Now imagine learning to dance when the dancers around you are all invisible. Imagine learning a sport when the players who already know the game cant be seen. Bizarre as this may sound, something close to it happens all the time in one very important area of learning; learning to think. Thinking is pretty much invisibleAs educators, we can work to make thinking much more visible than it usually is in the classrooms. When we do so, we are giving students more to build on and learn from. By making the dancers visible, we are making it much easier to learn to dance. (David Perkins, 2003)Exampleshttp://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/AnchorChartPhotographsfromKellyandGinger/index.htmlAnchor charts can be made on the spot or the teacher can take notes and make them later.Several different kinds of Anchor Charts:Strategy, Process, Content, GenreWhat do we teach?The point isnt about finding the perfect lesson or progression of lessons to follow exactly. The point is to know who you are and what youre about when youre teaching based on your beliefs, your students, and the environment you are creating. (Debbie Miller)Analyzing LessonsSee handout for questions to ask yourself when analyzing lessons.Think-AloudsThe research on comprehension strategy instruction provides powerful evidence that most struggling readers (and many not so struggling readers) benefit enormously when we can construct lessons that help make the comprehension process visible. Many students only develop the strategies they need with much instructional supportthese students need demonstrations of effective strategy use and lots of opportunities to apply the demonstrated strategy over time. (Richard Allington 2005, 98)Make your Think Alouds Better!DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!Decide on strategy to be taughtThink about what you really want your students to know about the strategy~write a definition of the strategy~decide on desired outcome at end of study~decide on tentative time line for study (how long depends on when applied by students or when boredom sets in)~decide on authentic assessments to use (written response, listening in on conversations, etc.)Plan ahead~think about the strategy to be taught~pick a text~identify the central concept and/or key themes in the text~think about your own experiences related to the concept/themes~identify where you might pause and think aloud for your students (use post-it-notes to mark, ~ remove during lesson and stick on back of the text where you will be able to refer to it)Think Aloud TipsShare inferences from the cover, title, and pictures as well as the text.Model the connections we make when we read. Ling our prior knowledge and information to new information in the textShare the questions we have when readingVerbalize confusing points (monitoring ongoing comprehension)Demonstrate fix-up strategiesHow to Choose a Good Think-Aloud TextA short selection or excerpt from a book that provide natural stopping points for the teacher to pauseAn interesting, perhaps provocative text in which children are likely to be engaged in the topicA text that is more challenging than on that all the children would be able to read independentlyA selection from a students own writing that is conducive to thinking aloud about a particular strategyFor later stage in the strategy study, a variety of genres in which the teacher/students can think aloud about how to apply the strategy differentlyLets PracticePick a book and pair up.Read a portion of the book together and discuss when you could stop for some think-alouds if you were reading with your students.Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelTEACHER MODELINGGUIDED PRACTICE WITHIN THE LESSONGUIDED PRACTICE BEYOND THE LESSONINDEPENDENT PRACTICEAPPLICATION

- See handoutGradual Release of Responsibility ModelTEACHER MODELINGTeachers explain the focus of the lesson and why its important.Teachers demonstrate how they use this skill or strategy.Teachers think aloud to make their thinking visible.Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelGUIDED PRACTICE WITHIN THE LESSONTeachers engage students in focused discussions.Teachers and students practice together.Teachers scaffold students attempts.Summation (What did we learn?) focuses on content and process.Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelGUIDED PRACTICE BEYOND THE LESSONTeachers scaffold students attempts as children work together to apply new learning in pairs and small groups.Teachers encourage and support student work and thinking, giving feedback that honors the child and the task.Students share their learning and thinking processes with each other.Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelINDEPENDENT PRACTICEStudents work to apply and refine new learning independently.Students continue to receive regular feedback from their teacher and peers.Gradual Release of Responsibility ModelAPPLICATIONStudents apply the new learning in authentic situations.Students transfer learning from one situation to another.Students synthesize content and process.

Workshop Format Example

Time to TeachTime to PracticeTime to Reflect, Share, and TeachOngoing AssessmentPhases of Gradual Release15-20 minWhole group30-60 minSmall group, pair, individual10-15 minWhole group, small groups, pairThroughout the workshop phases of gradual releaseModeling, Thinking Aloud, Demonstration x x x xGuided Practice x x x xIndependent Practice x x xApplication x x xExample LessonComprehension Strategy Lesson PlanINFERRING- Grade 3Goal: TLW make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media .Obj. 3.1 Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry by making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters and events.DAYGradual Release Model- TEACHERActivitiesGradual Release Model-Student1Explainspurpose;ModelsRead Aloud- Gettin Through Thursday (Melrose Cooper).B- Discuss possible meanings of title. Makepredictions about the story.D- Make connections. Discuss storyA- Confirm/Deny predictions, clear upmisconceptions; discuss story.AttendsExample continuedDAYGradual Release Model- TEACHERActivitiesGradual Release Model-Student2Explainspurpose;ModelsQuickly review Gettin Through Thursday.Introduce Strategy : Inferring; provideworking definition, examples.Think Aloud: Tight Times (Barbara ShookHazen)Reading just a few pages, model strategy forstudents using think-aloud. Show thinkingusing sticky notes. Students should observebehaviors and be able to discuss what theysaw modeled.AttendsExample continuedDAYGradual Release Model- TEACHERActivitiesGradual Release Model-Student3CoachesReview student observations and story.Continue reading Tight Times.Give students sticky notes to record theirthinking. As you read, continue to record yourthinking, and allow students to record theirinferences.After reading, allow students to shareinferences with a partner (eye-to-eye & kneeto-knee). Then have them share with thewhole group.Discuss the strategy asking What did welearn and How else can I use this strategy?Attends;Participates;Practices withteacher helpExample continuedDAYGradual Release Model- TEACHERActivitiesGradual Release Model-Student4Monitors;AssessesUsing the poem The Secret Place (Tomie dePaola), students will work independently toread the poem and use a recording sheet torecord their inferences from the text.Teacher will assess responses forunderstanding. The teacher will bringstudents together to discuss the poemsmeaning, review the strategy, and sharestudent responses.Teacher may read aloud The Art Lesson(Tomie de Paola) as a connector.Practicesindependently;Applies; andTransfersExample continuedDAYGradual Release Model- TEACHERActivitiesGradual Release Model-Student5Assesses3-2-1 Strategy: Review Inferring.Make Text to- Text Connections of Gettin Through Thursday and Tight Times.Applies; andTransfersAssessments etc. for lessonhttp://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/Inferring%20lesson%20plan-grade%203%20from%20Elouise.pdf