South Harrison Community School

Corporation

“Upper Blocks” For Grades 4-6

Guided Reading BlockWriting BlockSelf-Selected BlockWorking with Words Block

Resources

1.What is the major focus of Guided Reading?

The major focus of Guided Reading is to build comprehension and fluency with

reading and to expose students to a wide range of literature

2. What are the 3 segments for Guided Reading?

• Before Reading– Application to planned sections of text– All components daily:

• Teacher builds prior knowledge to connect students to text prior to reading,• Teacher presents a brief mini-lesson on a

comprehension skill or strategy,• Teaching presents or reviews key vocabulary,• Teacher states purpose for reading assignment.

Guided Reading• During Reading– Read, re-read (when possible or necessary depending on

fluency),– Teacher has students grouped in flexible groups, using

leveled text,– Teacher is active during this independent reading time by

monitoring targeted students and making anecdotal records, while working with students,

– Teacher ensures that all students are engaged in reading,– Teacher ensures that round-robin reading does not occur.– Workshop format as an alternative,– Conferences:• Application of strategies• Book chat

Guided Reading

• After Reading–Alignment with pre-reading elements,– Teacher brings students back for closure activity,– Teacher promotes higher order thinking by posing

questions beyond recall,• Discussion of text/literature,• Writing in response to reading,• Discussion of application, discovery, and transfer of skill

or strategy introduced in segment one mini-lesson.

3.What is the major focus of Self-Selected Reading?

The major focus of Self-Selected Reading is to build fluency in reading; allowing students to work with text most appropriate to their own independent

reading level and to build confidence in students as Readers.

4. What are the 3 segments for Self-Selected Reading?

• Read Alouds– All types of texts, including many chapter books to

aid in sustaining interest

Self-Selected Reading

• Students Read – Free choice of selection,– Wide range of materials available,– Variety in making books available to students,– More chapter books available for extended use,– Conferences:• Daily: Discuss books and informally check

application of skills and strategies (fluency if necessary),

• Goal of meeting every one to two weeks with students so that depth is included where necessary.

Self-Selected Reading

• Sharing – Brief sharing time brings closure to the block,– Daily/weekly as time and interest dictate-more time

spent reading, – The reader answers several questions from classmates

about the story if time allows. Teachers model the types of thoughtful questions they want students to ask of each other.

5.What is the major focus of Writing Block?

The major focus of Writing Block is to build fluency in writing; employing the writing

process; refining and applying knowledge of phonics and building confidence as a writer.

6. What are the 3 segments for the Writing Block?

• Segment One– Teacher composes/writes in front of

children,• Models the use of class resources (Word

Wall, charts, etc.),• Emphasizes a writing skill or strategy

during a mini-lesson and focus on writing a piece, adding on to a piece, or editing a piece,

• Uses the class editor’s checklist at completion for brief editing.

Writing Block

• Segment Two-Writers’ Workshop Approach– Students Write

• Teacher allows a balance between free-choice selections with more focused pieces,

• Students write at various stages of the writing process, perhaps working for multiple days on one piece,

• Teacher conferences with students to discuss a piece of their writing. In conferences, teacher and student pick one piece among 3-4 pieces of writing to edit for publication,

• Peer conferencing,• The teacher may present an option of several choices for

students during the last 5 minutes of this segment:– Continue to write.– Share what has been written with a peer.– Illustrate what has been written.

Writing Block

• Segment Three– Closure• Time is provided for some students to share

their writing aloud(approximately 2 minutes),• Teacher encourages higher level, thoughtful

questions about composition. The “author” answers several questions from classmates about the writing. The teacher models the types of thoughtful questions they want students to ask of each other,

• Daily/weekly as desired in a variety of formats.

7.What is the major focus of Word Block?

The major focus of Word Block is to enable children to read, spell, and use high-frequency words correctly and to establish the patterns

necessary for decoding and spelling.

8. What are the 2 segments for the Word Block?

• Segment One– Six goals to address, reducing number as no longer

needed:» Learning high-frequency, commonly misspelled

words,» Learning one and two syllable words that follow

a pattern, but are used less frequently,» Spelling words with two or more possible

patterns,» Decoding and spelling polysyllabic words,» Applying strategies while reading and writing,» Analyzing, evaluating, and appreciating words.

Word Block

• Segment Two– Flexibility in addressing goals and

structuring the block.

9.What resources are available?

Classrooms That Work: They Can Read and Write. Allington, Richard and Cunningham, Patricia M., Harper Collins College Publishers, 1994.Schools That Work: Where All Children Can Read and Write. Allington, Richard and Cunningham, Patricia M., Harper Collins College Publishers, 1996.Phonics They Use. Cunningham, Patricia M., Harper Collins College Publishers, 1995.Making Words. Cunningham, Patricia M. and Hall, Dorothy P., Good Apple, 1994.Making Big Words. Cunningham, Patricia M. and Hall, Dorothy P., Good Apple, 1994.Making More Words. Cunningham, Patricia M. and Hall, Dorothy P., Good Apple, 1997. Making More Big Words. Cunningham, Patricia M. and Hall, Dorothy P., Good Apple, 1997.Month-by Month Phonics. Cunningham, Patricia M. and Hall, Dorothy P., Carson-Dellosa Publ., 1997.