Laura Benson Laurabensonopenbook.Blogspot.Com

“I already know this…” and/or

“Connections I can make to this subject/topic idea are…”

A Year of

Readers’ Workshop

Laura Benson [email protected] ~ laurabensonopenbook.blogspot.com

You asked me where I generally live. In my workshop in the morning and always in the library in the evening.

Books are companions even if you don’t open them. Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881) in a letter to Lady Bradford

Practice is what you need to do. Brandon, 4th Grader

A leader's role is to raise people's aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there. David Gergen

He who often reads, will sometimes wish to write. George Crabbe (1754 – 1832)

Critical pedagogy is a process of learning and relearning. It entails sometimes painful examination of old practices and established beliefs of educational institutions and behaviors. Critical pedagogy process requires courage… (which) provides all learners equal access to power. Wink, 2000 from Buhrow & Garcia, 2006 A reader with no questions might just as well abandon the book. Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis

Questions are a compass. They steer our thinking toward understanding. With questions guiding our thinking, we are less likely to get lost… (Benson, 1997).

I found out… I was surprised to Now, I know … and learn… will try/do/implement…

I wonder….

“I already know this…”

and/or

Building Reading Curriculum

WHAT do our students How will we help our students learn these How will we know our need to learn?/ what’s/expectations/Standards? students have learned WHAT do we expect our students How does Readers’ Workshop serve students in these what’s? to learn this year? learning these expectations? *We will focus on these questions today.

Some Compass Questions to guide your thinking and conversations:

 Establish student learning expectations.

o What are your student performance standards K – 12 and for each grade level?

 Determine “What is proficient?”

o What is the exit standard of understanding for students by the end of each grade level? If possible, norm expectations to identify what to look for in students’ work at the beginning of each grade level, mid-year, and (again) for the end of the year. What enduring understanding do you want students to leave with by the end of each year?...by the time they graduate?

 Identify essential learning experiences for your students.

o Your thoughts about the “how” category (the middle of the above graphic) can become your essential agreements.

 Develop an assessment and evaluation plan.

What current monitoring tools and practices do you use to know that your students are growing as writers and readers? What additional information do you need about your students and what tools and practices could you bring into your teaching repertoire to gain these insights about your students’ progress? Part One:

How will we help our students learn these what’s/expectations/Standards?

How does Readers’ Workshop serve students in learning these expectations?

How Literacy Is Taught at Our School

Because we believe students learn best in an apprenticeship, we employ comprehensive (also called balanced) literacy teaching practices. This means that we mentor our students by frequently modeling, demonstrating, and practicing literacy skills and strategies with them. Creating a community of learners with one another is vital. Paramount to their academic achievement, our students also engage in daily literacy practice with our continuous feedback and guidance. The following graphic helps to capture our teaching rituals and routines.

Comprehensive Literacy Learning & Teaching

READERS’ WORKSHOP WRITERS’ WORKSHOP

*phonics; vocabulary; fluency; grammar; *spelling; writing process (such as drafting, revising, comprehension editing, etc.); grammar; vocabulary; fluency

INDEPENDENT Reading INDEPENDENT Writing

MENTORING: MENTORING:

+ Modeling & Demonstrating Reading + Modeling & Demonstrating Writing

by Teacher(s) & Peers by Teacher(s) & Peers

+ Read Alouds + Read Alouds

COLLABORATIVES: COLLABORATIVES:

+ Shared Reading + Shared Writing

+ Guided Reading + Guided Writing

+ Teacher-Student Conferences + Teacher-Student Conferences

+ Peer Conferences + Peer Conferences

+ Partner/Buddy Reading +Partner/Co-Authoring

+ Book Clubs/Literature Circles + Word Work/Study

Teachers and students engage in ongoing assessment and evaluation to monitor and determine each child’s individual progress as reader, writers, and learner.

To develop responsive and rigorous apprenticeships for and with our students, we must know each child as an individual reader, writer, and learner. Accordingly, we monitor your child’s literacy growth continuously and thoroughly by assessing him/her with multiple tools and data sources. We further evaluate our students’ literacy learning by utilizing developmental continuums which outline the ten stages of reading and writing development as well as the key indicators or behaviors of reading and writing acquisition for each stage of development. By understanding where each child is developmentally, we can customize instruction for all our students so that their literacy learning is relevant and powerful.

Comprehensive Literacy Program Components Adapted from Dr. Jan Dole, University of Utah and Utah Education Network

Reading Aloud: Teacher reads Shared Reading: Teacher and students selection aloud to students read text together  Demonstrates awareness of text . Provides adult model of fluent reading  Develops sense of story or content . Develops sense of story/text  Promotes reading strategies . Develops vocabulary  Develops fluency and phrasing

 Increases comprehension . Encourages prediction  Encourages politeness and respect * . Builds a community of readers

. Develops active listening* Guided Reading: Teacher introduces a selection at Independent Reading: Students read independently student's instructional level  Encourages strategic reading  Promotes reading strategies  Increases comprehension  Increases comprehension  Supports writing development

 Encourages independent reading  Extends experiences with a variety of written texts  Expands belief in own ability *  Promotes reading for enjoyment and information  Develops fluency  Fosters self-confidence by reading familiar and new text  Provides opportunities to use mistakes as learning opportunities * Modeled/Shared Writing: Teacher and students Interactive Writing: Teacher and students compose collaborate to write text; teacher acts as scribe together using a "shared pen" technique in which

 Develops concepts of print students do some of the writing  Develops writing strategies  Provides opportunities to plan and construct texts  Supports reading development  Increases spelling knowledge  Provides model for a variety of writing styles  Produces written language resources in the classroom  Models the connection among and between sounds, letters, and words  Creates opportunities to apply what has been learned*  Produces text that students can read independently  Necessitates communicating in a clear and specific manner*

Independent Writing: Students write independently Personal qualities cultivated by these  Strengthens text sequence literacy learning experiences:  Develops understanding of multiple uses of writing Collaborative Worker; Problem Solver; Quality  Supports reading development  Develops writing strategies Producer Self Directed Learner; Responsible  Develops active independence* Citizen

Making Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop Work

Key Tenets of Workshop Learning and Teaching:

 Students engage in daily practice of reading and writing. o Student engagement and growth are continuously monitored by the teacher in one-on-one conferences and with his/her anecdotal notes. Additional evidence of students’ literacy progress and investment are regularly harvested from students’ responses in whole group discussions; book club talks and guided reading studies; written responses; and self evaluations (for example).

o The teacher employs predictable yet compelling rituals and routines to support student engagement, community spirit and support, and intellectual rigor.

 Students read and write from their choices (most of the time, 80%) as well as guided choices from their teacher (20%). o “Just right” books to ensure that students comprehend what they read. o Students have access to a variety of literacy resources and texts from a well stocked and diverse classroom library and writing center.

 All members of the workshop community are both student and teacher. o Students serve as fellow mentors voicing their thinking processes during focus lessons, small groups, talking circles, and author’s chair (for example). o The teacher fuels his/her teaching work from his/her own literacy, learns from students, and demonstrates passion for life-long learning. o “None of us is as smart as all of us” – The teacher and students cooperate and support one another by creating and maintaining a collaborative community.

 Teacher lives a literate life publicly.  Students witness their teacher engaged in his/her own reading and writing.  The teacher is a mentor for students by revealing why and how s/he works to read and write/articulating the dynamic processes for how we need to think to understand (as readers) and be understood (as writers).

 Teacher and students work with intention and focus. o The teacher determines worthy literacy studies for his/her students by knowing each child as individuals and identifying class patterns of performance, too.

o Guided by their teacher and supported by all members of the classroom community, students study an edifying literacy focus over a long period of time in a variety of learning settings and texts for and with a variety of audiences. 

Geography of Readers’ Workshop

While there are numerous interpretations of Readers’ Workshop, mine own workshop teaching reflects my pedagogy. I believe in the power of engaging students in their own independent reading daily. And I strive to nurture their practice with relevant modeling and supportive collaboratives to honor their strengths, meet their needs, and expand their wonder.

From my lens, the term workshop denotes an apprenticeship and activity - mentors showing apprentices how to and explaining why and apprentices practicing the skills the mentor demonstrates and, over time,

making them his/her own. The concept of workshop also conveys the need for and use of many tools to create understanding. Workshop teaching means teaching thinking. As a community of fellow learners, teacher and students cultivate a culture of cognition using all the language arts of speaking, writing, listening, viewing, and reading to help each thinker construct, process, and deepen understanding.

Focus Lesson Alternative names: Mini-lessons, Community Meeting, or Think Tanks Who: Most often, this is a whole group learning gathering. Why: To offer students essential modeling and demonstrations of a procedure, strategy, or genre skill; Often includes collaborative practice of focus strategy/topic so that students gain insights and confidence about why and how to utilize the focus in their own reading (Also called shared reading or interactive reading.).

When: 5 – 12 minutes for primary/infant students and 5 – 22 minutes for intermediate/junior students; 3 – 5 times weekly.

Independent Reading

Who: All students

Why: Students will improve in reading in direct measure to the time they engage in their own solo reading. When: Daily - the largest amount of your readers’ workshop time should be devoted to students’ independent reading. For example, 15–25+ minutes in the primary/infant grades and 20 –45+ minutes in the intermediate/junior grades. As children mature within the school year, their ability to engage in independent reading expands - the goal for students’ independent reading from the

beginning of the school day to the end of the school day should equal 90 minutes (Allington, 2002).

How/Support Systems:

Conferences Small Group reading Collaboratives As all students read, the teacher meets with students Alternative names: Guided Reading or Invitation Groups individually in conferences to provide additional instruction * For students, l name guided reading groups “ book clubs .” As students read independently, the teacher meets with a and encouragement and to evaluate student’s and students’ group of students who, commonly, have a similar need or growth by taking monitoring notes (Very important!). The passion and deepens students’ learning from the focus lesson. teacher goes to talk with students where they are sitting to The teacher meets with one to a few groups each day or on read. He/she may meet with a few or many students in any

given day. The goal is to meet with every student at least designated days of the week. Students may meet in book once a week (To begin, a different time line may be clubs/literature circles during this time, too. required.). Short conferences are critical in meeting this goal.

Talking Circle Who: All students engage in our Talking Circle gatherings meeting as whole group, small groups, or in pairs. Why: To trigger students’ reflection and self-evaluations with the intention of strengthening their use of the focus strategy/skill in their reading and to nurture their passion for the written word; To offer students a ritual for sharing and celebrating their reading with one another.

When: Daily for 3 – 10 minutes, most often; Form may vary from spoken reflections to responses such as dramatic representations, book club style conversations, readers’ theater, and quick writes. This sharing and reflection time may be expanded to 20 minutes or more (depending on the age of the students). A Structure for Readers’ Workshop

*Especially supportive to intermediate grade students

Focus Lesson/Book Talk

Independent Guided Book Clubs/ Reading Reading Literature Circles

Whole Group Share/ Talking Circle

*Adapted from Fountas and Pinnell’s Guiding Readers and Writers, 3-6

Norms for Readers’ Workshop

*Supportive and effective norms are best if established WITH students but offered here in example of the type of norms I typically developed with my own students.

. Read for the entire time.

Reading begins the minute you walk into our classroom! 

. Let your body show you are working hard.

. Add your voice to our Talking Circle.

. Book choices are made before the beginning of our workshop. (Most often, my students created their independent reading wells every two weeks so that choosing books did not “eat” their reading time.)

AAA Literacy Learning & Teaching

Examples of AAA Learning & Teaching ALOUD: Focus Lessons I often begin Readers’ Workshop/Reading Workshop by gathering my whole group of students for a focus lesson or what many teachers call a minilesson. During this time, I explicitly instruct the whole class on a skill, strategy, or habit that they need to learn and use during their independent work (Collins). I find it very helpful to establish a

ritual for focus lessons so that the children can predict and engage in their learning quickly and to invite their contributions.

Effective Focus Lessons (Adapted from Hagerty, 2009) . Are quick o 5-15 minutes, most often o Launching focus lessons may need to be longer but all focus lessons should be sensitive and respectful of students’ ability to engage and attend

. Are focused o Teach one procedure, strategy, or skill which proficient readers use to understand

. Are purposeful and authentic o Voice the “why” for students’ learning including real world applications o Use literature as models and as modeling anchors o Add to class knowledge and enrich community’s metacognition and motivation for reading o End with a connection/implementation to students’ independent reading

. Are relevant and responsive o Align to and directly connect to students’ current reading and writing and serve ALL students’ reading growth o Connected to students’ previous strategy/skill/procedure learning o Determined from the needs of the students (and other sources) and build upon their strengths as readers o Honor students’ curiosity and/or their affective development

. Are revisited o Focus is continued over a long period of time - several days or weeks or throughout the school year o Referenced in later reading strategy/skill/procedure studies o Integrated in students’ writing learning and content area learn

Portrait of Possible Focus Lessons *Adapted from Pat Hagerty, Reading Workshop, & not meant to be a comprehensive list 

Procedural Focused Lessons This lesson is needed by ALL, SOME, or ONE of my students Where to sit during reading time

How to give a book talk

What to do when you finish a book

Expectations for talking circle sharing

How to share in small groups

Self-evaluation of your participation in the workshop

How and why I confer with students (teacher)

Where/how to sit and participant in focus lessons

How to take care of books; Returning books

Keeping track of books read

Workshop Norms

How to have a peer conference

Where to put your reading response notebook/folder

Where to find a particular book in the classroom

The parts of a readers’ workshop

When? Most procedure lessons are the focus of students’ beginning of the school year learning.

Why? All are designed to help students become independent, responsible, and cooperative members of a Readers’ Workshop.

Helpful Support: Generate ideas WITH students; record collective thinking on anchor charts; post to guide (and nudge) students’ implementations.

Literary Focused Lessons This lesson is needed by ALL, SOME, or ONE of my students Figurative language

Books that show emotion

First, second, third person

Author studies

Setting: where and when

Characteristics of different kinds of genre: fiction, non-fiction, poetry

Literary elements: characters, setting, plot, theme, mood, etc.

Problem/solution pattern

Differences between picture books and novels

Titles and their meanings

Literary devices: similes, metaphors, flashback, foreshadowing, etc.

Personification

Use of dialect

Alliteration

Character development

Endings—those we predicted and those that surprised us

Authors’ use of descriptive words and phrases

“Poetry” in reading

Understanding the role of illustrations in stories

Secrets in books (the dog in Van Allsburg’s books, the bird in dePaola’s books, etc.)

Epilogues

Prefaces and introductions

Dedications

Strategies and Skills Focused Lessons This lesson is needed by ALL, SOME, or ONE of my students When and how to abandon a book

How to choose books

Using context to figure out unknown words

Making personal connections

How to use sticky notes to aid und. & sharing

Comprehension monitoring

Using fix-up strategies

Making predictions

Orally retelling a story

Making inferences

Drawing conclusions

Fact and opinion

Determining what is important in text

Using prior knowledge/schema/background knowledge

Asking questions before, during, and after reading

Visualizing while reading

Summarizing

Cause and effect

Recognizing and understanding ellipses, dashes, parentheses

Adjusting reading rate

Reading orally with expression

Skimming

Reading dialogue

Using graphic aids (charts, graphs, etc.)

Writing a quality response to reading

Using an index, glossary

Skimming and skipping

Living a Literate Life Focus Lessons Procedural Lessons Strategy and Skill Literary Analysis Lessons Lessons

Read Alouds

Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time ~ Teri Lesesne ~ Read aloud is a performance of sorts…Keep in mind the 3 P’s of reading aloud:

 Preview

 Practice  Personalize

Read & Think ~ “Occasionally, when I am reading a book, I run across a sentence or paragraph that makes me stop and catch my breath, ask a question, go back and reread. This is how I identify the think pieces from books…like the last line of Brooke’s The Moves Make the Man: “There are no moves you truly make alone.” [p. 111]

Read & Tease ~ “Read just a sentence or two or maybe an opening chapter from several

books. The idea is to give students a sense of what is in store for them should they choose to read one of these books.” [p. 109]

You are your students’ reading- Read alouds that invite students to join the writing hero! Immerse them in literacy club: books they would not know without YOU in their lives… Marinate students in every kind of text under the sun… and go public with your reasons for reading &

writing…and vividly reveal your ways of constructing understanding… Benson, 2001

Shared Reading

As you read books to your students and with your students, be their literacy mentor…their brain tour guide as you think aloud explaining why and how you

work to create meaning as reader and work to share your thinking and be understood as a writer… (Benson, 1997).

Bobbie Fisher in Joyful Learning in Kindergarten

Familiar songs, poems, and chants (between 4 - 6 each day)

 Discuss meaning of text, vocabulary, etc.

 Include drama, dance, music, and rhythmic activities

 Create innovations [pattern writing; different ending; extension of action]

 Discuss concepts about print by engaging in masking & cloze activities.

New song, poem, or chant (every 2 or 3 days)

 Predict what the piece is about/will be about

 Sing or read 2-3 times for enjoyment

Familiar big book (1 or more)

 Oral retelling, collectively or individually

 Group retelling written by the teacher, to be illustrated by the children

 Group retelling of important sequence of events. Written on chalkboard by the teachers and confirmed by group reading

 Innovation on the text to be make into class book during independent choice time

 Discussion of story structure, characters, setting, problem, solution/resolution, favorite part, etc.

 Discussion of literary patterns of the book – repetitive; cumulative; interlocking; chronological; familiar cultural connections (holidays, seasons, alphabet, etc.); problem solving; rhyme-rhythm; main character

 Language activities described in above familiar songs, poems, and charts New Big Book

 Predict what the story will be about – before & after hearing the title & seeing the cover

 Group sharing of background knowledge/prior knowledge

 Read the book for enjoyment & meaning, occasionally stopping to predict what will happen next & how the story/text is going to end

 Reread the book immediately and/or reread it for the next few days until it becomes familiar

Nonfiction Shared Reading

To nurture and support our students’ literacy growth, motivation, and confidence, shared readings provide a context to:

 Present reading as joy, oasis, resource  Influence children’s motivation and confidence for reading on their own  Introduce a wide range of genres, authors, styles, etc.

 Demonstrate comprehension-composition/thinking strategies  Build on schema before students attempt to read or write on text/topic independently  Introduce/Marinate students to new, more complex ideas and vocabulary/language  Offer students mentor text/models for their independent Writing

 Encourage children to sit close so that they can see the shared text pages and follow along as you the text aloud OR provide students with their own copy of the shared text.

 Model how readers can – and should - slow their pace and scan for relevant information.

 Draw attention to the importance of nonfiction features such as labels, graphs, bold print, pictures, etc.

 Show how text features provide MORE information to readers and discuss how students can use nonfiction text features in their own writing.

 Model using nonfiction reading strategies such as questioning, inferring, summarizing, and identifying important ideas.

ALONG: Small Group Collaboratives

While I develop small group collaboratives with different intentions, I call all small groups “book clubs” with students. When I meet with students, I often do have an agenda – to deepen their ability to understand and to strengthen their motivation and confidence as readers. I regularly engage in small groups because these give me rich opportunities enable me to know students more and deepen our relationships by connecting with them in a more intimate and reciprocal setting in small groups. I construct student groups from three key considerations:

. Needs Based Considerations

o Needs are not just reading levels

. A common need may mean reading the same text

. A common need may mean reading the same genre or author

. A common need may mean focusing on the same strategy or skill but applying to it the different texts the students are currently reading (even if these texts are “at” different” levels)

o Stray cat or Lone Ranger factor applies here

o How can I group students to help these children grow…? (i.e. stop to self talk and create understanding during reading; problem solve new words; infer from pronoun reference, make good book choices; address and problem solve the “I hate reading” feeling; etc.)

. Socially Based Considerations

o Developing and deepening relationships with one another

o Providing students with different points of view by engaging in learning and book talk with “non-friend” peers

o How can I group students to strengthen our community?

o Which group members would be supportive to this student?

o Is there a way I can develop groups so that students gain a bigger picture of reading/life/ themselves (vs. only meeting with students at his/her reading level)?

o Can students meet on their own or do I need to meet with them?

. Passion Based Considerations

o Generating groups to honor students’ interests, hobbies, and ways of learning outside of school

o Can be initiated by students

o How can I respond to my students’ passions with small group collaboratives?

. I know a lot of us LOVE poetry. So, we will be having a poetry reading club the next three weeks. We will meet on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:15 by our back table. Join us if you love poetry or want to learn more about it.

. If you love sports/dogs/space/traveling to new places, we are creating a book club (or readers-writers club). We will meet with Mrs. B this Friday at 2:00 and, then, we will meet every other day at 2:00 on our own to talk about favorite sport stories. Here’s a sign-up sheet if you want to join our book club!

o Are students ready to suggest groups and invite group members?

o Can students meet on their own or do I need to meet with them? An Overview of Guided Reading

 Based on careful observation of students, the teacher selects books that are supportive, predictable, and closely matched to the students' needs, abilities, and interests. The chosen texts should support the objective, but be readable enough for students to proceed with minimal assistance. (Approximately 90-94% accuracy)

 The guided reading lesson provides the opportunity for the teacher to interact with small groups of students as they read books that present a successful challenge for them.

 The assessment provides information for the homogeneous groupings which are necessary for guided reading. This allows the teacher to tailor instruction to suit students' changing instructional needs.

 The teacher acts as a facilitator who sets the scene, arouses interest, and engages students in discussion that will enable them to unfold the story line and feel confident and capable of reading the text themselves.

 Guided reading is reading by students. The students are responsible for the first reading of the text.

 Approximations and predictions are encouraged and praised. The teacher closely observes, monitors, and evaluates ways in which individual students process print utilizing reading strategies such as checking meaning and self-correcting.

Painting Portraits of Balanced/Comprehensive Literacy Classrooms Looks Like… Sounds Like… Feels Like…

Native American Talking Circle

1) Sit in a circle with one another.

2. Use a talking stick to guide the sharing. The person who has the talking

stick talks. Explain to the listening students: “If you do not have the

talking stick, it is your turn to listen…”

3) To nurture students’ metacognition and each child’s synthesis of learning,

ask the circle a reflective question like one of the following:

 What did you learn about yourself today?

 What did you learn about yourself as a thinker/ reader/writer/artist/scientist/mathematician today?

 What will you teach your [kindergarten buddy/peer/family member] about this?

 What seems important to remember about this?/

about your learning?/about you today?

Readers’ Workshop Instructional Flow Map

Independent Focus Lesson Independent Talking Circle Reading Reading

*As students *Teacher models *Students *To honor the walk in the door, & practice implement social nature of they begin their strategy/skill for strategy/skill reading, first independent students and modeled and students talk to reading. with students practiced in one another [Often, large group] Focus Lesson. about their thinking and/or are asked to reflect and self evaluate on their

use of the focus   strategy.    During this During this During this During this All these rituals time, I usually time, I independent time, students and routines read alongside demonstrate reading time, I meet with one continue – in students (school why and how confer with another in: fluid and mail, this strategy students partners; small responsive newspaper, my helps us individually & groups such as forms – own book, etc.). comprehend. meet with 1–3 literature circles throughout a This gathering guided reading or book clubs; unit of

often includes groups. During and/or as a comprehension shared reading, these large group. study. We may interactive gatherings, I study a reading aloud, continue our comprehension & various forms focus strategy strategy or of think alouds. and often strategies for address 1 several weeks additionally or several relevant & months…and needed student we will revisit skill. For this focus

example, a periodically group or conf. throughout the may include year. phonics and spelling lessons or how to choose a book. I always take notes, too.

Gradual Release of Responsibility The gradual release of responsibility model of instruction suggests that the cognitive load should shift slowly and purposefully from teacher-as- model, to joint responsibility, to independent practice and application by the learner (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983).

GRR model stipulates that the teacher moves from assuming “all the responsibility for performing a task…to a situation in which the students assume all of the responsibility” (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p. 211). This gradual release may occur over a day, week, month, or a year.

Graves and Fitzgerald (2003) note “effective instruction often follows a progression in which teachers gradually do less of the work and students

gradually assume increased responsibility for their learning.”

A common framework for implementing the model is I do it; we do it; you do it…Many models lack a vital component: learning through collaboration with peers (Fisher & Frey, 2008). The GRR model is the intersection of several theories and multiple research studies:  Piaget’s (1952) work on cognitive structures and schema

 Vygotsky’s (1962; 1978) work on zones of proximal development  Bandura’s (1965) work on attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation  Wood, Bruner, and Ross’s (1976) work on scaffold instruction  Pearson & Gallagher’s (1983) research with reading students  Duke & Pearson’s (2002) studies on modeling & guided practice to build students’ independence as readers, writers, and learners  Tomlinson’s (2001; 2003) research about differentiated learning  Kersten’s (1987) studies articulating the importance of organizing instruction so that students increasingly take responsibility for their own learning  Palinscar and Brown’s (1984) and Oczkus’ (2003) reciprocal teaching research

 Studies on the effectiveness of peer learning: + Gersten & Baker’s (2000) with English language learners; + Stevens & Slaven’s (1995) for students with disabilities; and + Coleman & Gallagher’s (1995) learners identified as gifted. *From Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility by Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey (2008), p. 2-16 and 127-129. Gradual Release of Responsibility From Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of

Responsibility by Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey (2008)

What to look for in a Gradual Release of Responsibility Classroom: Identifying end result and determining acceptable evidence is essential to achieve desired outcomes (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Here are some indicators coaches and administrators may use as they support teacher in developing a gradual release of responsibility of framework.

 Focus Lessons

o The teacher establishes the purpose for the lesson.

o Both content and language goals are established.

o The teacher uses “I” statements to modeling thinking.

o Questioning is used to scaffold instruction, not to interrogate students.

o The lesson includes a decision frame for when to use the skill or strategy.

o The lesson builds metacognitive awareness, especially indicators of success.

o Focus lessons move to guided instruction, not immediately to independent learning.

 Guided Instruction

o Small-group arrangements are evident.

o Group changes throughout the semester.

o The teacher plays an active role in guided instruction, not just circulating and assisting individual students.

o A dialogue occurs between students and the teacher as they begin to apply the skill or strategy.

o The teacher uses cues and prompts to scaffold understanding when a student makes an error and does not immediately tell the student the correct answer.

 Collaborative Learning

o Small-group arrangements are evident

o Grouping changes throughout the semester.

o The teacher has modeled concepts that students need to complete collaborative tasks.

o Students have received instruction of the concepts needed to complete collaborative tasks.

 Independent Tasks

o Students have received focus lessons, guided instruction, and collaborative learning experiences related to concepts needed to complete independent tasks.

o Independent tasks extend beyond practice to application and extension of new knowledge.

o The teacher meets with individual students for conferencing about the independent learning tasks.

 Children advance when challenged just beyond their current level of mastery.

 National Association for the Education of Young Children report

 Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Age of Testing” by David McKay Wilson in Harvard Education Letter, May/June 2009 (Vol. 25, #3, p. 4-6);  http://www.edletter.org/current/index.shtml#ageoftesting 

Gradual Release of Responsibility in Classrooms

In this Principal Leadership article, San Diego State University professors Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher describe the gradual release of responsibility to student – and the ways principals should monitor and support this vital process. “Unfortunately,” say the authors, “in all too many classrooms releasing responsibility is too sudden and unplanned and results in misunderstandings and failure.” For example, some teachers

expect all students to be prepared to discuss a topic after reading textbook chapters at home, do a problem set after watching a single demonstration, or pass a test after listening to a lecture.

To release responsibility properly, Frey and Fisher believe teachers need to do four things well: • The focus lesson – Lasting 10-15 minutes, this establishes the purpose of the class (perhaps it’s written on the board and reiterated to students) and gives

students a model of expert thinking and vocabulary – the why in addition to the how. “Daily modeling is essential if students are going to understand complex content,” say the authors. Focus lessons should include “I” statements to model thinking, questioning that scaffolds instruction (not just interrogating students), ideas on when to use the skill or strategy, and indicators of successful learning.

• Guided instruction – This consists of cues, prompts, and questions to help the teacher understand students’ thinking, provide scaffolding, get students doing

some of the cognitive work, and gradually increase their understanding. The challenge here is dealing with the individual differences within each classroom. Students should be working in groups, with the teacher actively guiding dialogues as students begin to apply the skill or strategy and, when a student makes a mistake, not immediately supplying the right answer.

 Collaborative tasks – “To learn, to really learn, students must be engaged in productive group tasks that require interaction,” say Frey and Fisher. “They

have to use the language and replicate the thinking of the discipline with their peers to really grasp it.” The challenge with collaborative tasks is making sure that every student participates and is accountable for learning and not freeloading off the work of others.

 Independent learning – Ideally, students apply what they have learned in class through “quick writes” and other independent assignments, so the teacher can monitor understanding before students do homework on their own. “The

practice of assigning homework for missed class content will not result in student learning,” say Frey and Fisher. “In fact, it is more likely to reinforce misunderstanding because in many cases students are practicing ineffectively and incorrectly.” The key to successful independent work is effective purpose- setting and modeling, guided instruction, and collaborative tasks, as well as the teacher conferencing with individual students about how their work is going.

Principals should look for these four components in classrooms, say the authors, to make sure that students are being “apprenticed” in the ideas and language of the discipline. And they should coach teachers in these ways:

 Clarity on learning goals – If teachers don’t agree with the principal on what students are supposed to be learning, the principal’s feedback will be worthless. The ideal situation is when teams of teachers collaboratively agree on learning goals that are aligned with standards.

 Objective feedback – A principal’s observations are most helpful when they deal in observable facts – for example, students sitting passively at their desks listening to the teacher for an extended period of time.

 Looking forward – With these two in place, the principal and teacher can talk about what’s next or what if, thinking collaboratively about how to improve instruction and learning. “Principals should encourage teachers to try things

out, to experiment, and to think deeply about what works and what doesn’t work,” say Frey and Fisher.

“Releasing responsibility to students is not easy,” conclude the authors. “Finding the time to spend in classrooms is difficult. So is having honest conversations with teachers about instruction, especially when students appear engaged and the teacher seems to have things under control. But the high expectations that educators and the community

have for students will not be realized unless every instructional minute is purposeful and designed to increase student responsibility.”

“The Release of Learning” by Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher in Principal Leadership, February 2009 (Vol. 9, #6, p. 18-22). The authors can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].

Apprenticing Students in Strategy Studies

Be a Role Model: Demonstrate why and how you use comprehension strategies. Explicitly think aloud as you highlight why you (and all proficient readers) use the focus strategy(ies) before, during, and after reading texts of all genres.

Go Deep: Engage students in studies of a strategy or partner strategies over a long period of time. Discuss how the strategy(ies) are helping students

comprehend and care about what they read (or hear/view). Create anchor charts with students to define the strategy(ies) including refining applications and benefits students gain in the course of your strategy study.

Build Bridges: Connect current strategy(ies) focus to students’ schema for reading and to their previous strategy studies. Over time, help students notice and name how strategies work together to help readers understand more deeply. Include other content areas.

Pass the Baton: Gradually release responsibility for strategy use to students. Encourage, expect, and nurture students’ application of their strategy learning as they read; Provide students with daily time for their independent reading and regularly engage them in collaborative reading practice to employ the focus strategy(ies).

Student Teachers: As students gain insights and confidence, ask students to “be the focus lesson teacher” and think aloud describing how he/she uses the strategy. Nudge students to voice how a strategy(ies) helps them understand and stay motivated to read.

Eye Spy: Ask students: How does this strategy help you read?

Challenges in Teaching Strategies Challenges Solutions

*DRAW FROM YOUR WELL: Before you Modeling study a strategy(ies) with students, pay attention to when and how you use this *We have not experienced much modeling strategy in your own reading. Jot down what ourselves. you say and do as you use this strategy. Your

*We may not feel confidence about modeling notes can be “scripts” to guide your modeling. strategies for our students. *LEAN ON LITERATURE: Note the kinds of texts which will help your students become more aware of this strategy. Share these texts as you demonstrate why and how you use the focus strategy(ies). *USE A CHEAT SHEET: More and more, professional texts offer us a lens to see and hear how other educators model strategies for and

with students. As you note matches to your students’ development and interests as readers, create a reference sheet of the best demonstration ideas you gain from your professional reading. *I have included menus of strategy self talk to support your demonstrations. *STUDENT TEACHER: Share the modeling with students. As students successfully use the

focus strategy(ies), ask them to share their brain work with their peers. *GUEST SPEAKERS: Invite colleagues to teach a focus lesson. Hearing how many readers use strategies helps students see their utility.

*SHORT & SPIRITED: Be aware of and craft Active focus lessons to reflect students’ capacity to attend. In professional literature, these are called “minilessons” because they are meant to

be small, meaningful bursts Student *Think-Pair-Share Learning *Read-Draw-Talk-Write *Utilize familiar texts. *Sometimes, students can be a bit passive or *Read the whole text first. That day or another tune out during focus lessons/whole group day, you can engage students in Read-Stop- instruction. Think.

Building Units of *Detail the subskills of a strategy(ies) by…. Study

*NOVELTY: Encourage students to apply their Students’ strategy learning to new contexts and texts. *MOVE FORWARD: Consider moving into a “Flatline” new strategy study. From your evaluation of students’ data, maybe students have learned all they can “right now” about a strategy and are in need of another strategy to grow as readers.

Continuum for Student Learning Having determined student learning goal(s), I detail these intentions by developing a continuum for student learning. For example, if we identify inferential thinking for a learning goal for our class, I then build a unit of study with continuum considerations such as:

LAUNCHING LESSONS * What lessons will help me launch this study of inferring with my students?

* What should I front load to create an invitational feel and immediate student success in practicing inferring? * Do all my students need all of these lessons? Or, are some of these lessons more helpful to my younger readers? And are some of these lessons more helpful to my mature readers? * Linking literacy learning, how can I demonstrate inferring as a word work tool?

DEEPENING LESSONS

* Studying inferring over a long period of time, what lessons and experiences would deepen my students’ inferential thinking? * Differentiating learning, how can/should I develop small group collaborative from this menu?

PRACTICE TEXTS * What should my students read to practice this goal? * What do my students like to read?

* What texts prompt students to utilize inferential thinking?

ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION TOOLS * How will I monitor my students’ use of inferring and their progress as inferential thinkers? * How will I know it is time to move students to more challenging, deepening lessons? * And how will I know my students are ready to move onto (another reading goal/s)?

A Portrait of Studying Inferential Thinking

Inferring Early Learning Later Learning Inferences are the information Model, name, & explain inferring Inferring “beyond the text” readers supply. Proficient out of text first; move to easy readers go beyond the author’s texts next Pronoun references explicit information; they make use of implicit information. Inferring Self Talk Reading to confirm predictions; proving confirmations Proficient readers infer by “I bet…” tapping into the vast store of “I bet…I knew it…” knowledge gained from their Genre-Based Inferring  lives which includes experiences “I predict…I was Fiction: surprised to learn/ find out…” +character (development, feelings, etc.)

with literature (Watson, 1997). “I guess…” +problem “I think…” +solution Inferences are possible and “Maybe…” +setting necessary because no text is a complete representation of the Predicting using information in Nonfiction: meaning (Goodman, 1993). text to determine +title; title & cover +what this will be about +read the last line/page first The difference between +what will happen next +main/big ideas predicting and inferring is that predictions can be confirmed by Guess ideas not stated in text Poetry: reading and inferences are never +message

explicitly stated in text (Lusche, Infer with text supports & +language 2003). features: +lines, stanzas +title +organization/structure/format As we read text of any genre, we +pictures/graphics must negotiate the meaning of +organization/format Punctuation clues/cues the words. Sometimes the +font [bold print, italics, etc.] meanings are veiled with smoke Drawing conclusions +repeated language/ideas or clouds. At other times, the Cause & effect words give us only part of the Survey text to infer meaning like having sixteen pieces of a twenty piece puzzle Foreshadowing

(Benson, 2000). Draw on questioning & connections to create inference While your eyes go down the printed page, your mind will be Connect inferring to previous going between the lines, in and literacy learning & content area out and under and beyond the studies: words (Waldman, 2000). +cloze experiences +estimation (Math) +patterning (Math) +code/symbol (Math; Science)

+hypothesize (Science)

KIM’S CLASS 1st Grade Students, American School of the Hague

Focus of Student Learning:

Reading and Writing Poetry

Inferring ~ Comprehension Strategy

Lesson Plans

Focus Lesson Independent Conferences Guided Talking Circle Reading Reading Launch study of Model & What did you inferring with Tues. or Wed. Listen for “I practice learn about “out of text” Assign an “I bet…” inferring inferring in yourself today… experiences; bet…” poetry – as a reader?...as Connect study of

inferring to prediction practice self a detective/ students’ use before students talk inferential and habit of read their IR …in nonfiction thinker? questioning ; text texts Reading Super How did it feel to Heroes Thurs. & Fri. ...with Key create “I bet..” Tues. or Wed. Ask students to Word inferences as you Begin modeling record their Prediction; read today? why & how I inferences with Anticipation

infer as I read sticky note; If Guide; Possible *Add to poetry; poetry ready, “I bet…” Sentences thinking charts specific inferring & “I knew it…” [message, or “I was Word Study: feelings, etc.] surprised to Collect data to word sorts; “If …& Thurs. & Fri. demonstrate learn…” determine you know…” inferring as I OR engage word study read other students in focus; examine genres, too, w/ Read, Draw, writing

cloze passage Talk, Write samples [w/bookmark] Texts: Zoom; In the Land of Words;

~ A Study of Inferential Thinking ~

Planning Phase of Study

Determining your students’ need to learn to infer or their need to deepen their inferential thinking, a few best ways to plan are:

1. Draw From Your Reading Well

Pay attention to and record when, how, and why you infer as you read a variety of text. A few weeks of this self reflection helps inform your work with integrity and insight. If you only have a few days, don’t worry. You’ll see a multitude of examples of inferring in your reading by being “wide awake” to your thinking. Jotting down how you are talking to yourself – yourself talk – to infer is especially clarifying and will enhance your confidence in modeling this often elusive comprehension strategy for your students.

2. Draw From Your Students’ Strengths

Utilize students’ strengths, experiences, and habits of inferring to build a bridge to the new ways they need to use inferential thinking in their reading, writing, and (later in your study) content area learning. Determine the ways your students already infer and jot those down in your plan book or writer’s notebook.

3. Marinate Students in Inferring

Your read alouds can “lay the ground work” for your study of inferring. Months, weeks, or even days before you begin your student of inferential thinking with your students, marinate the kids in inferences by gently and briefly voicing your inferences and putting inference-loaded texts into their lives (i.e. poetry, mysteries, riddles, etc.). I share my self talk, my internal conversations in creating understanding, for inferring with students using “I bet…” and “I expect…because…” statements. I try to keep these think alouds clean and focused on inferential thinking. Later, I will demonstrate and explain to students that proficient readers use several or many comprehension strategies simultaneously. I think of this pre-study marination as my “subliminal brain training.”

Launching Phase of Study *Day 1 – 10 for Primary Grade Students *Day 1 – 5 for Intermediate Grade and Secondary Students

 Read aloud voicing your inferential thinking.

“I bet the dog will find the buried treasure…”

“I think Kylie is feeling sad because the book says she bit her lip and walked away…Now, it says she is crying. It seems like she is feeling really sad and worried about being left out of the game…”

Additionally, elicit responses from students to make read alouds a shared construction of the text and to hear their inferential thinking (and other evidence of their comprehension). Note student success and strengths.

 Name and define inferring by showing students how they already infer out of text. Out of Text Inferring Experiences:

 Telephone Game

“When you listen to someone talk on the telephone, you can often infer who they are talking to just by hearing one side of the conversation. Let me show you how you already infer as I (pretend) to talk to someone on the phone…”

 Body Language

“If I came into our classroom not talking but just doing this (frowning), you would be able to infer how I was feeling just by reading by body language. Let’s try this with some other expressions. I’ll make some faces and move my body into feelings and you call out how you infer that I am feeling…”

 Wrapped Presents

 Unknown Household/Occupational Objects

 Jokes, Pun, & Humor

 Art

 Music (Jazz, classical, and songs in new foreign languages are especially supportive.)

 Charades; Role Playing Characters

 Intonation/Voice Clues

 Scents and Smells

 Film & Television Experiences with Inferring

 Demonstrate how and why you infer in a variety of genres. Reveal your self talk and post it for students.

o Start with easy texts first. I often begin with wordless pictures books and poetry (for students of all ages/grade levels).

o Move to more complicated texts. I model my inferential thinking with a vast variety of genres to help students understand the power and need to infer and to help them develop cognitive flexibility.

o Stop Sign – stop & talk - to infer from any of the following for any of the above texts:

. Title

. Cover

. Back blurb

. First lines/pages

. At the bottom of each page or paragraph (depending on students & text)

. At the beginning and end of each chapter

o Predict using information in text to determine:

. What this will be about

. What will happen next/what will be said next

o Guess ideas not stated in text

o Share how you are sensing meanings from text

o Infer with text supports & features

. Title

. Pictures/graphics

. Organization/format

. Font [bold print, italics, etc.]

o Survey text to infer

o Draw on questioning and connect to create inference(s)

 Infer collaboratively.

o Co-construct understanding with you students in texts such as wordless picture books, poetry, joke books, schema-based nonfiction, easy fiction, etc.

o ______

 Draw pictures from read aloud

Deepening Phase

 [See “Deep Thinking” article to read more about strategy units of study.]

Nurturing Deeper Thinking Laura Benson

“Interacting with Text” Instruction

 Heart = developing their own intentions for reading and writing

 Mind = expanding their strategies for understanding before, during, and after they read

 Soul = connecting with the author(s); connecting with other readers Response = Oral, Written, and Artistic

 Most student response will (and should be) oral.

 Authenticity and audience are key considerations in all forms of response.

 Purposes: Infinite but a few key goals for engaging students in written response include:

o to process and deepen their thinking personally (writing as a way to think more deeply) and to use writing in ways to help them comprehend their reading.

. A student’s response may or may not be shared with other or turned in for a response from his/her teachers. Rather, we want students to know that writing can and will help them formulate their own thinking.

o to retell what they read;

o to share their thinking and opinions in a literary essay;

o to gain important insights about our students’ thinking and growth as readers and writers.

. All forms of response are data wells helping us to get to know our students more vividly and more intimately. Focus

 Helping students learn why and how to respond to their reading (and learning) thoughtfully and articulately centers on your focus for utilizing response, especially written response, as a vehicle for student learning.

o Direct Connection to Learning & Teaching: What do I want my students to pay attention to as they read? Would it be most edifying for my students/this student to reflect on their process of reading and/or on the text?

o Independent Use of Response: Are my students able to/Would my students benefit from self-initiated response?

o Growth & Progress: From my analysis of my students’ data, what type or forms of response would move my students forward as readers (heart, mind, and/or soul considerations)?

Begin Your Study of Response with:

. Read Alouds

. Modeling, Modeling, Modeling; demonstrations and thinking aloud are critical

. Collaborative Practice: create response together with students; peer partnerships

. Short and Spirited Texts

Once we can get children to comprehend and respond thoughtfully to text in conversation and in short jottings to record their thinking, we can then work on the muscles of writing well in authentic genres of writing about

reading. But we should not expect that children will be able to do the writing work until we have heavily scaffolded their thinking and note-taking, as well as their organizing and planning of their writing. Janet Angellio (2003), Writing About Reading” From Book Talk to Literacy Essays, Grades 3 -8. Compass of Questions

 Deep(er) study of questioning

 No questions = no response…or very thin ones! Deep 3

 Inferring

 Identifying Importance

 Synthesizing Anchor Charts

o Help students develop insights about why and how to respond to text before, during, and after reading by creating Anchor Charts with them.

o Support (Okay, Nudge!) students’ response with anchor charts, artifacts or touchstones of the modeling and collaborative responses you have engaged your students, which help them remember why and how to think they way through texts – specifically, to use your current response focus. Study the Response of Other Readers & Thinkers

. Book reviews *Commentary

. Essays *News articles

. Movie reviews *Video game reviews

. Letters to the editor *______

Support Student Response with Self Talk

Modeling and practicing how proficient readers build understanding before, during, and after reading with self talk, encourage your students to use their self talk when crafting their written responses, too. A few examples include: I know… Now I know… I’m thinking… I’m thinking that…because/so… I wonder…

I wonder…I found out… I wonder…I found out…This seems important because… I bet… I bet…I learned… I bet…I was surprised to learn… I bet because… I learned… I learned…and now I will… I learned…So…

What seemed most important was… The most important thing/idea I learned about ____ was…I view this as important because… I learned that the character…’I think that the character will…because… I had to change my thinking about _____ because…

. Caution: Our goal is always independence. We don’t want to put our students on readers’ or writers’ welfare, right? So, do not always prompt students to use a set way to self talk or respond to text. After a supportive period of modeling, collaborative practice, and independent practice with your feedback (via conferring, especially),

encourage students to independently select the most helpful strategies in guiding their own comprehension and motivation.

. “ Summing It Up” Self Talk

. “I found out…”

. “I knew it…”

. “I learned…”

. “I was surprised to learn…”

. “Pulling all this information together…”

. “The most important ideas/information…”

. “Okay, now I know that…”

. “Comparing this information to…I now think that…”

. “I didn’t know that. That makes me think…”

. "Here's what I know now/think now…"

. "Wow, I never knew that…"

. "Hmm, this seems really important because…"

. "This is just like…but not like…"

. Clarifying "Sum Up" Thoughts:

. "I am still wondering about…"

. "I don't get this part…"

. "I didn't really understand…"

. "I'd better reread that…because I just don't get it!"

. "I am not sure about…"

. "What does this mean…?"

. Readers... Readers...

. •work to understand •work to understand

. “I get it...” “I get it...”

. “This is about...” “This is about...”

. •make connections •make connections

. “This reminds me of...” “This reminds me of...”

. •ask questions •ask questions

. “I wonder...” “I wonder...”

. •make predictions •make predictions

. “I bet...” “I bet...”

. •find the big ideas •find the big ideas

. “The most important ideas(s) is… “The message here is...”

. “The author wants me to learn…” “The author wants me to learn…”

. •put all the ideas together •put all the ideas together

. “From the beginning, middle, and “First, he...then, she...”

. end, I know...”

. •create a movie •see the story

. “I see...” “While I read __, I saw...”

. “I sensed that...”

. ...as they read. ...as they read.

. ©Laura Benson ©Laura Benson

Questions to Help Students Reflect on Reading Logs

Franki Sibberson & Karen Szymusiak (2008), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop

 Is there a genre or author that you have enjoyed more than others lately?

 Are you reading a variety of books or are you hooked on one author or several?

 Do you see any type of book that is missing from your reading?

 Are you reading the same book at home and at school? How is that working?

 What do you notice about the number of books you are finishing?

 Do you notice any patterns in your book selection – maybe you read a long book, then a short book? Or maybe you read a series for a few books and then move to something else?

 Have you quit any books? Was that a good decision? Why or why not?

 Are there any books that you have read faster or slower than other books? Why do you think that happened?

Additional Reflection Questions (Benson, 2000; 2009):

 What are you learning about yourself as a reader/writer/thinker as you read over your entries?

 What can you teach other readers/your kindergarten buddy about reading/writing?

 Which authors are you drawn to/do you find yourself returning to time and time again? What have they or could they teach you about writing?

What We Might Ask to Build on Conversation Franki Sibberson & Karen Szymusiak (2008), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop

What We Notice: What We Might Ask: Student makes prediction What makes you think that? Student agrees with someone Are you building on what Brennen said? Student makes new prediction What made you change your thinking? Student comments on character What did the character do or say to make you think that?

Student comments on a character When do you think he/she started changing changing?

Questions We Ask Ourselves When Looking at a Child’s Reading Log Franki Sibberson & Karen Szymusiak (2008), Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop  Is this child reading a variety of genres?

 Does this child seem to have a favorite author or genre?  Is this child finishing most books in a week or two? Or is he/she reading the same book for long periods of time?  Is this child reading the same books at home and at school or is s/he reading two different books? Is this system working for the child?  Is this child consistent in the amount that he/she reads daily?  Has this child quit a lot of books?

INFERRENTIAL THINKING STUDY

1) Help students see how they already infer – engage them “Out of Text” experiences first: Wrapped Presents; Body Language/Faces; Art; Games and Play; Telephone Game; Music & Sounds; Movies & T.V.; Jokes & Humor

2) Name inferential thinking by modeling self talk.

“I bet…” “I sense…” “I guess…”

“It feels like…” “I think…” “I predict…”

“From these clues, I infer…” “I’m not sure but I think…”

3) Engage students in practicing inferential thinking with you, together, and collaboratively. Student practice can be differentiated by the level, length, and type of texts you provide them. Helpful practice texts and experiences include: poetry; wordless picture books; jokes, riddles, and puns; idioms;

mysteries; predicting from text titles or headlines (or other text features such as visuals, captions, etc.). Over the course of your multi-week (or throughout-the-year) study of inferring, engage students in reading texts of diverse genres.

4) Assign students to practice inferring as they read independently. As they read on their own, students implement the skills and strategies profiled via your modeling and group practice. Their implementation practice can be differentiated by the tasks you give students. For example, help all your students understand the power of priming their thinking before they begin reading by predicting the content of the text with an “I bet…”

prediction(s). More mature students (developmentally) can create more predictions and younger students can be asked to create just one or they may need extra support with you in creating one before they read. Or, you have assign more mature or gifted students inferences about more implicit concepts and nudge your younger students’ inferring to more explicit or text based concepts or, perhaps, even pronoun reference inferring.

5) Monitor students’ progress as inferential thinkers by meeting with them in one-on-one conferences, small group discussion, and evidence gained from their oral, written, and artistic responses.

6) As students create effective inferences/successful inferential thinking, enlist them to model and coach their peers about why and how inferences power our understanding.

Differentiating Learning with the 5 T’s L. Benson, 1997

TARGET TIME TEXTS TASKS TEACHING Focus of student Supporting meaningful Practice-based learning; Graduated, scaffolded instruction for ALL Intensity learning and joyful/purposeful authentic students ~“dosaged” individually and of learning transfer of learning into assignments and responsively student’s independent activities and and collaborative to offer each student reading and writing support & challenge teaching student’s Daily = 3 hours of +Student choice texts before r/w/l tasks modeling and literacy learning +Guided choice of texts demonstrating need(individual priming and instruction; to engage student in texts r/w/t/l to reveal why &

academic need) & indep. practice = which promote understanding how to use focus students’ need 90 mins. reading; understanding/being understood individual &/or strategy/ skill/content; +Short & spirited texts thinking aloud (common academic 45-75+ mins. collaborative +Necessity of easy level writing need); texts, especially first practice data-based texts; As child grows, decisions practice moves to more challenging texts over time. standards flexible and +Book brothers/text sets; during r/w/l practicing collaboratively responsive time themed collections [texts tasks w/ lines/ clustered by common topic - varied grouping frames of learning processing fellowships author, genre, skill/ strategy

focus, theme, content area, understanding *teacher & students; etc.] individual peer groups; partners; +Book club texts and/or student initiated collaborative groups; home support texts clustered by common topic - author, genre, strategy focus, theme, content area concept, etc. curriculum; units frequency of diverse genres, cultures, & after r/w/l tasks practicing independently; of study; content instruction authors retaining independent practice area themes/units & support 50 – 50 Rule: 50% of understanding supported and guided students’ reading is individual &/or

nonfiction (including poetry) collaborative with teacher conferring and 50% is fiction; for feedback and Mirror & Window texts monitoring as well as agendas, checklists, tiered activities centers, learning stations, etc. students’ passions student use texts authored by students, student selected or student(s) as teacher & & questions reading and children, innovated tasks tutor writing out of and teachers school;

daily home practice

Portraits of Differentiation Study of Inferential Thinking: Days 1 – 10

WHOLE GROUP SMALL GROUP INDEPENDENT Learning Learning Learning

Teacher meets Teacher tailors students’ Teacher assigns with whole collaborative practice of students independent group/class to inferring based on practice of inferring model, name, & students’ strengths, needs, explain why & reading level, & interests; Students practice how to infer Practice inferring together inferring indep. meanings in/ in a variety of texts. “solo,” as partners, from nonfic- and at home tion texts Teacher and Practice inferring by… Practice inferring by… students *Key Word Prediction *Self Talk

practice *Connect Two *Stop Signing inferring *Cloze Passages *Bookmarks together in …with lots of short & …in a variety of poetry, story spirited texts independent level picture books, reading texts songs, essays, etc. Read Alouds; Small Group Fellowships/Guided Independent Reading; Brain Show & Tell; Reading; Shared Reading; Reading Conferences; Interactive Read Book Club Conversations; Buddy Reading;

Alouds; Word Work Study/Problem Solving Writing to Understand; Shared Reading; New Words Word Work Study Talking Circles *All above teaching decisions based on students’ strengths, needs, reading levels, & passions/interests.

Science Text Set

Sometimes, if not often, I engage students in reading content area texts during our Readers’ Workshop. I differentiate the texts the children read based on their reading level, background knowledge, self-generated questions, passions, etc. Here’s a sample of some of the texts my students and I might draw from in a study of the digestive system.

 Pieces authored by current & previous students

 Photographs and other visuals

 DVD’s, documentaries/television, and video clips highlighting the digestive system

 “Cheese” and “Seaweed” from It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts From Around the World and Throughout History by James Solheim (1998)

 “Enzymes” from Science Experiments You Can Eat by Vicki Cobb (1972)

 “Digestion: Down The Tube” from Blood and Guts: A Working Guide to Your Own Insides by Linda Allison (1976)

 The Magic School Bus Inside The Human Body by Joanna Cole (1989)

 “Spit and Saliva,” “Barf,” and “Burps and Belches” from Grossology: The Science of Really Gross Things! by Sylvia Branzei

 “What if we had no nose or mouth?” and “What if the body had no stomach?” from The Crazy World of…?What if… by Steve Parker (1996)

 Various short and spirited pieces from Eat Your Words: A Fascinating Look at the Language of Food by Charlotte Foltz Jones (1999)

 Colorado Kids and Mini-Kid pieces and other newspaper articles about the digestive system, nutrition, and food

 Variety of short & spirited texts: school lunch menu; nutrition brochures and newspaper clips; restaurant menus and information Differentiating a Study of ______~ common learning focus for whole class/same target focus ~

Group 1 Students Group 2 Students

Youngest/Emerging Readers Moving toward Fluency Students

Text: Text:

Task: Task:

Group 3 Students Group 4 Students

On Grade Level Readers Mature/Advanced Readers

Text: Text:

Task: Task:

*Responsive & flexible grouping practices are key: Honoring children’s unique journeys of learning, what about the student(s) who does fall neatly into one of the above groups? How will you give this student(s) small group learning fellowship?

DAVID’S CLASS 3rd Grade Class

The American School of the Hague

Focus of Student Learning:

Reading and Writing Poetry

Identifying Important Ideas and Synthesizing

Lesson Plans

Focus Lesson Independent Conferences Guided Talking Circle Launch study of Reading Listen for “I Reading What did you inferring with Tues. or Wed. learning” Model & learn about “out of text” Assign an “I comprehend- practice yourself today… experiences; learned…” self ing/identify- inferring in as a reader?...as chart; reading talk before ing important poetry a judge/builder? super heroes

students read/ ideas; identify …in nonfiction …thinker? Tues. or Wed. as students peer mentors texts Begin modeling begin their IR …in content How did it feel to why & how I text = title, esp. area texts create “I identify learned…” and important ideas & synthesize as I Thurs. & Fri. ...with Key “I know…” read poetry; Ask students to Word Notes; conversations poetry specific record their Read, Draw, with yourself as importance comp. with Talk, Write; you read today?

[title; message, sticky note Scrambled feelings, etc.] Sentences *Add to …& Thurs. & Fri. Engage thinking charts demonstrate students in Word Study: identifying imp. Read, Draw, Collect data to word sorts; “If & synthesizing as Talk, Write determine you know…” I read other genres, too, w/ [w/bookmark] word study Expecting cloze passages focus; examine important [cover; pictures writing words and

and graphics, samples word solving repeated information] Texts: David’s poetry text set; In the Land of Words

Sculpting Time to Deepen Students’ Reading Learning A schedule is a net for catching days. Annie Dillard

What we give our time to shows what we value. Sculpting time for literacy learning, as is true with all of life's journeys, means being thoughtful about every minute of our students' day.

Let's think about essential experiences for learner's of every age, what I call AAA (Benson, 1995) in responsive "dosages" ~  ALOUD ~ modeling & mentoring  ALONG ~ fellowship & collaborative practice  ALONE ~ independent practice

To profile these further, our students need differentiated literacy learning with: Essential Literacy Learning Experiences •Reading

–Read Alouds –Focus Lesson: Modeling & SR/ Collaborative Practice –Indep. Reading –Conferences –Guided Reading –Book Club/Lit Circles –Peer Partners

•Writing –Focus Lesson: Modeling, Read Alouds-Mentor Texts, & SW/ Collaborative Practice

–Indep. Writing –Conferences –Clinics/Small Groups –Buddy Projects/Clubs

•Word Study –Embedded into RW, WW, & Content Learning OR focus on @ a diff. time BUT connect to Reading, Writing, &/or Content Area Concepts

•Content Area Learning

–Infuse literacy as vehicle for learning content area concepts –Use thinking strategy focus to support content area learning/cross-fertilize

Gathering kids in front for instruction, releasing them to practice, and then bringing them back to share their thinking represents the steady flow that is at the heart of effective teaching and learning. From Strategies That Work by Harvey & Goudvis

4) Consider "What does the research say about TIME?"

Student achievement goals = 90 minutes of independent reading EVERY DAY Student writing achievement= 35 – 75 independent writing EVERY DAY

Research References •Allington, Richard. [All titles] •Kohn, Alfie. [Numerous titles] •Krashen, Stephen. [All titles] •Pearson, P. David. Handbook of Reading Research (2000). •Dolores Durkin’s early studies

*www.ciera.org •www.ira.org •www.ncte.org * and read Regie Routman's and Shelley Harwayne's thoughts about time in their many edifying books!

5) Or, in the case of many international school schedules when instructional time is so limited because of the blessing and challenge of many additional learning experiences embedded into students' learning days...

Highest percentage of students’ time = engaged in independent reading & writing Minutes count! Beginning to end of school day and over the course of a week, how much time are our students reading & writing on their own?

6) Primary Grade Possibilities *Steal minutes from morning message &/or find quiet, student controlled ways to take attendance, lunch count, etc. Post announcements for students to read rather than having to tell students [Use pictures & cues for young students.]

*Infuse content area learning texts into modeling, shared, guided, and students’ independent reading. *Rather than trying to fit it ALL into a day, strive to fit in essential learning experiences within a week/within your 6 days *Give yourself permission to engage in Conferences & GR in doable rhythms: M, W, & F = Conf and T & Th = GR [beginning of year; later, flip this pattern]. *Cycle your younger or more vulnerable students into your conferences and small groups/guided reading-writing more often *Engage in short conferences often

*Use short & spirited texts to create edifying but efficient guided reading groups and manageable writing tasks, too. * Consider integrating your focus in reading and writing [e.g., Focusing on making connections in reading, I engage students in writing connected text such as memoir, pattern books, haiku, compare & contrast, etc. We are thus studying connecting as a thinking strategy which generates understanding and possibilities in reading and writing (and content area learning, too!).

7) INTERMEDIATE GRADE POSSIBILITIES •All previously mentioned suggestions and

•When time is really tight, consider utilizing block type scheduling during this fragmented or “too full” period – but not always [e.g., Readers’ Workshop for 2-3 weeks and, then, Writer’s Workshop for 2-3 weeks OR Monday – Wednesday = Readers’ Workshop and Thursday – Friday = Writers’ Workshop]

Just adding more time and space for independent reading is not enough. I’m advocating a carefully designed, structured reading program that includes demonstrating, teaching, guiding,

monitoring, evaluating, and goal setting along with voluntary reading of books students choose… When an independent reading component is added, test scores go up. Regie Routman

8) Reflect On Your Schedule Every decision is important. Thinking about time, I ask myself: *What would be most helpful in helping my students grow right now? *How does doing this help my students move forward (confidence, motivation,

relationships, and academically)? *What is my intention here? Does doing this serve the focus of students’ learning right now? *Is this really necessary or could I accomplish this in another way?

When we follow routines day after day, our students can use their energy to grow as readers and learners rather than to figure out what we expect them to do. And we in turn, can focus our energy on teaching, not managing, our independent learners. Kathy Collins in The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser

and/or

Grade Level Instructional Literacy Minutes Learning  Total Minutes  Minus lunch, Specials, etc. K ____ minutes total minutes OR minutes OR minutes

st ____ minutes total minutes OR 1 minutes OR minutes nd minutes total minutes OR 2 minutes OR minutes rd minutes total 130 minutes OR 3 145 minutes OR

and/or

minutes

th 420 minutes total ?minutes OR 4 235 minutes OR minutes OR 210 minutes OR minutes

5th 420 minutes total 80 minutes OR

and/or

255 minutes OR 110 minutes OR 240 minutes OR 130 minutes 140 minutes

In my ignorance, I am likely to recommend a change or amendment to the ASD learning-teaching schedules which may seem insensitive or disrespectful because I do not yet now the intention of the learning activity (from my

and/or

reading of the schedules samples). So, please know that I offer the following thoughts to paint portraits of time possibilities but in no way to say that what the current schedules reflect anything but thoughtful teaching.

 Would it be possible to suspend or reorganize some activities such as Starters, Pack Up, Opening Activities, Homeroom, Class Meeting to gain more for students’ learning/literacy learning? Again, I am not sure what is happening during this time between students and teachers but it could these blocks in the ASD schedule might provides us with extra minutes each day or each week.  What is happening during times listed as “ Independent Reading ?” Since it is listed separately from Literacy on some of the schedules, I just wondered how folks are defining these experiences.

and/or

These teachers had a “reading and writing vs. stuff” ratio that was far better balanced than is typically found in elementary classrooms (Allington, 2001).

and/or

In other words, these teachers routinely had children actually reading and writing for as much as half of the school day – often around a 50/50 ratio of reading and writing to stuff (stuff is all the other things teachers have children do instead of reading and writing). In typical classrooms, it is not unusual to find that kids read and write for as little as ten percent of the day (30 minutes of reading and writing activity in a 300 minute, or five hour, school day).

In many classrooms, a 90 minute “reading block” produces only 10-15 minutes of actual reading, or less than 20 percent of the allocated reading time is spent reading. Worse, in many classrooms, 20 minutes of actual reading across the school day (Knapp, 1995) is a common even, which includes reading in science, social studies, math

and/or

and other subjects. Thus, less than ten percent of the day is actually spent reading and 90 percent or more of the time is spent doing stuff.

The issue is less stuff vs. reading than it is a question of what sorts of and how much of stuff. When stuff dominates instructional time, warning flags should go up. This is true even when the activity, in some form, has been shown to be useful. Activating students’ background knowledge before reading (Pearson & Fielding, 1991) and generating discussion after reading (Fall, Webb & Chudowsky, 2000) is useful. But three to five minutes of building background knowledge is probably enough; spending most of a 90 minute block on building background knowledge seems an unlikely strategy for improving reading proficiencies.

and/or

In less-effective classrooms, there is a lot of stuff going on for which no reliable evidence exists to support their use (e.g., text-preparation workbooks, copying vocabulary definitions from a dictionary, completing after-reading comprehension worksheets).

Extensive reading is critical to the development of reading proficiency (Krashen, 2001; Stanovich, 2000). Extensive practice provides the opportunity for students to consolidate the skills and strategies teachers often work so hard to develop. The exemplary elementary teachers we studied recognized this critical aspect of

and/or

instructional planning. Their students did more guided reading, more independent reading, more social studies and science reading than students in less-effective classrooms.

Part Two: WHAT do our students need to learn? WHAT do we expect our students

to learn this year?

Proficient Reader Research

P. David Pearson, Jan Dole, Gerald Duffy, Laura Roehler (1988; 1991; 1997; 2005); Richard Allington (1998); Laura Benson (1993; 1997; 2000); Taffy Raphael (2000); Jeff Wilhelm (2001)

How do proficient readers work to understand the texts they read, view, and hear? Connect Wonder Infer Check & Evaluate Synthesize Repair Understand ing Use Ask Draw Identify Integrate existing questions inferences important information to

knowledge before, from the Monitor ideas in create new to make during, text their own text ideas and sense of & after comprehension deeper new reading and use fix understanding information up strategies when they get “stuck” “This “I “I bet…” “I think…” “I “Putting all reminds me wonder…” learned…” this

of…” “I am “I know…” information “Why did guessing “This together, I now “This is they…?” that ____ “I don’t get it. seems really know that…” like…” because…” I’d better read important “I am that again…” because…” “In the “This is curious “I beginning… like ___ but about…” predict…” “This was “A big and at the not like ____ about…” idea I am end…” because…” “What…? “It seems taking from

How…? like ___ “I am this text “Now I realize “I am Where…? and, so, I confused…” is…” that…” connecting When…? think ____ to Who…? that…” “I know that I “The “I feel that ____ Why?” know…” author ____ because… because…” “I infer…” wants me to So, now I consider...” will…”

Reading Mini Lessons Instruction that encourages students to read often, and in depth, and to engage in conversations around meaningful ideas provides comprehensible language… understanding the message they are hearing or reading (is key to their growth as readers). Krashen, 2003

Potential Units of Reading Study Living a Literate Thinking My Unit of Study Life Genre/ Theme Process/ Literary Ideas How Readers Analysis Work to Understand What do readers Checking for NONFICTION Reading-Writing

read? Understanding Personal Narratives; Connections: Why read? Memoir; Picture Books; +revising meaning Informational Texts; What do readers do? +summarizing Connecting to How to Texts; Captions; Understand Graphs; Charts; Posters; +tapping into schema Choosing books Biography; Poetry; Content Area Reading widely Questioning to Brochures; Reviews; Theme: Essays; Op-Ed/Editorial; Understand Freedom Creating Our Interview; Newspapers; Plant Life Reflective Writing; Community/ Explorers Workshop or Inferring to Cause and Effect; chronological order; Energy Procedural Lessons Understand Nutrition [norms; knowing yourself Persuasion; Lead; Main Why do people keep as a reader; seating Idea Development; options; planning for our Identifying Propaganda; Viewpoint; returning to war?

talking circles; etc.] Importance/ Compare & Contrast; Civil Rights “Reading begins the Evaluating to Writer’s Notebooks; Mans impact on the Author Studies minute you walk in the Understand environment door…” Defining world “Let’s generate some FICTION problems ideas for staying Synthesizing to Picture Books Framing social trends focused/increasing our Understand Realistic Fiction and issues reading stamina” Historical Fiction Finding the big ideas Animal Fiction Find and learning Visualizing to Short Stories or general topics from reading mentors Understand Fantasy; Folks tales; Fairy in a body of work Tales; Fables; Legends Analyzing characters’ Problem Solving Science Fiction actions in relation Character to the general New Words to Problem; Solution/plot

Understand Setting topics Dialogue Generating Point of view statements Voice about the author’s Mood Author’s Purpose point or message Author Studies about a topic Expressing opinions POETRY Affective Education Language Theme Message/Meaning Author Sense of self Studies Developing personal Alliteration choices Imagery *Caution: Theme/ Content focus Mood

Metaphor should not supplant the need for Organization/Lines, helping students grow as Stanza, White Space readers/ writers. With a goal(s) Above Genre Connections for students’ knowledge growth, determine a literacy partner focus to help them gain greater access to the content and progress as readers, too. *Please note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive list. Rather, the above examples are offered here to paint a portrait of possibilities for your own units of study and to stir your thinking . Cheers! 6 Steps to Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Robert Marzano (2004), Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools

Step 1. Teacher provides a description, explanation, or example of new term.

Step 2. Students restate the explanation of new term in their own words.

Step 3. Students create a nonlinguistic representation of term.

Step 4. Students periodically do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms.

Step 5. Periodically students are asked to discuss the terms with one another.

Step 6. Periodically students are involved in games that allow them to play with the terms.

*pages 91 – 103

Part Three: How will we know our students have learned these what’s?

…I consider what I need to get to know the student more…

Table Share = How We Get To Know Our Students

Record Keeping Record it!

Maintain record of your conferences in a method which feels most comfortable and informative to you. You really can’t remember each pearl or puzzle student shares in your one on one conversations. You will not see every child every day but, over time you will. Developing and using a straightforward and practical way of recording your observations of students and your suggestions to students will help you know how to pace your conferences (“Hmm, just looking at my conference record notes, I see that I haven’t met with Darius yet.” or “Right! From the notes I took yesterday, I remember that I promised to get back to Veronica about her revisions today.

“). Having accurate and easily accessible “notes to yourself” keeps you at the cutting edge of what your students most need right now to grow as writers/readers/thinkers. Your conference records may look like those I have shared with you or they may look very different. You may also utilize checklists, sticky notes, and/or flip book-index card note taking tools. It does not matter that we use the same template (at all). It only matters that you develop and maintain a system of taking notes about individual students which works best for you. Note it!

One of the best things you can to record your thoughts from your one-on-one conferences with students is to develop your own shorthand . Keep your notes focused and simple. These notes

are for you. As the only audience (at least in most cases), the notes only have to make sense to you. Rather than writing every word down, I use codes such as:

 “R” for reading

 “W” for writing

 “M” when I ask a student to mentor the rest of the class by teaching an upcoming focus lesson and I put a circle around the “M” when the child has been our writing/reading teacher

 “PE” when students are writing from a personal experience and/or “BK” when students are using their background knowledge as writers/readers/learners

 “SC” for self corrects (in reading or in their writing)

 “p” when I prompted a student; the behavior is not yet independently initiated by the student (such as voicing why and how to use our focus strategy in their own writing/reading; using correct punctuation, remember to stop and self talk to aid understanding)

Additionally, my rule of thumb is focus. Rather than writing down the 5, 789 things I could write down about any given student’s strengths or needs, my conference record notes are about

and aligned to the focus of our focus lesson/modeled lesson (most often with the whole group) and collaborative learning (sometimes with the whole group and sometimes learning students practice and gain from small group fellowships). Archive it! Keep all writing in the classroom. [See next notes.] Zone it!

In decorating, designers often talk about creating specific zones in a room so that each spot has a function and so that the room is cohesive as a whole. This principle is also very helpful in creating a delightful and productive writers’ workshop community. With your students, establish places and procedures for the kids to access and return their writing (including the materials and supplies they may need such as staplers, a collection of paper to choose from, markers, etc.).

Share it!

As soon as students are able, invite them to take notes during your conferences. Kids can take their own conference records in small notebooks (much like Sharon Taberski’s assessment

notebooks) or on sticky notes or index cards. If having a copy of the student’s notes would be helpful to, carry carbon paper on your clipboard to give to students (between 2 pieces of paper, of course) so that you both gain a record of the child’s thoughts. The notes a student writer makes can serve as a compass to guide his/her efforts when the conference is over (and the writer returns to his/her independent writing).

PATTERNS OF PERFORMANCE Utilizing my Continuums evaluations, I look for and determine patterns of performance – patterns of strengths, passions, & needs – for each student and for my class, too. This way, I can identify a class goal which helps me determine a rich and edifying unit of study and consider how I can and should differentiate student learning within this unit of study.

DEVELOPING a Unit of STUDY Determining a focus for my students’ learning, I then develop a learning menu. I build this menu with considerations such as:

 Launching lessons  Deepening lessons  Mentor texts to model, practice, and nudge students’ writing learning and thinking  Monitoring/Evaluation tools and practices…as formative assessment throughout our study

ALL, SOME, or ONE? Pondering the strategies, skills, and options from my Unit of Study “menu,” I then map out learning and make teaching decision with the following questions (continually returning and refining my thinking with student data): Is this lesson for ALL my students, for SOME of my students, or for just ONE of my students?

If a lesson is for ALL or SOME of my students, I also consider how my students will engage in this learning (i.e. modeling, guided writing, conference nudge/instruction, etc.) ALOUD: Modeling, naming, & explaining focus strategy/skill [teachers; students; invited mentors; authors] ALONG: Practicing focus strategy/skill together [teacher with students; student led groups; partners] ALONE: Practicing independently with feedback from teacher, peers, and via self evaluation

A Room with a Differentiated View

Donna Yatvin (2004) Children learn best in a community of equals where they continually teach and learn from each other and produce in concert what no one of them could produce alone. To meet the needs of students, teachers can manipulate time, space, grouping practices, materials, human resources, and instructional techniques to differentiate students’ learning.

PATTERNS OF PERFORMANCE: Class List Planning Tool

Student’s Name Student’s Strengths Student’s Next Steps of Needs/Goals Learning

REFLECT to Plan: As you reflect on your whole class, what patterns are emerging? Highlight or code those OR record patterns here:

Do you see a common goal of learning which would benefit all your students? Can you identify an edifying “next” unit of study for your class?

How can you utilize students’ strengths to help minister to their needs?

Independent Reading: A Self-Evaluation Guide

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 *I was looking around *I just read part of *I read most of the *I read the whole the room or staring time. time. time. into space instead of reading. *I read too fast. *I respected the *I carefully readers around me selected just right

*I was pretending to *I was off-task about and I stayed in my books. read most of the half the time. space most of the time. time during independent *I respected the reading. readers around me *I wasn't paying and I stayed in my *I didn't understand attention to my *I sometimes used space the entire what I was reading. thinking as I was time. reading. tricky word

*I didn't think as I strategies. was reading. *I skipped over the *I talked to myself tricky words and in my head about didn't try to figure *I sometimes went the story a lot and *I got up a lot for no them out. back and reread reread the reason. when it didn't make confusing parts. sense. *I distracted the *I did not respect readers around me. *I used tricky word

the readers around *I sometimes strategies to me. *I got up a couple caught myself decode. times during thinking as I was independent reading. reading. *I wasted my learning time. *I enjoyed my learning and I felt great about myself

as a reader!

QUESTIONS TO REFLECT GROWTH

1. Select one piece of work that shows ( strategy to assess). How is this piece of work an example of (strategy) ?

2. What piece/sample best shows your learning?

3. If you could do this again, what would you do change?

4. What growth do you see in your work?

5. What growth do you see in yourself as a reader?

6. What would you like to share with your parents and how will you do that?

7. Choose one thing from your portfolio and explain why you like it. How does it show your learning?

8. How does this piece of work show what you have learned from others?

*Sources: Routman; Hagerty

My Reading Log

Start Date # Title Author End Date Genre Pages

Adapted from: Fountas and Pinnell, Reader’s Notebook and Regie Routman’s Reading Essentials

What How How

Student Learning Goal(s) Essential Learning Experiences/ Monitoring System/Assessing & Readers’ Workshop Rituals Evaluating Students’ Learning

& Routines

Deciding WHAT to teach starts by determining WHAT our students need to learn.

For research references and professional bibliography, please e-mail me for a “green” copy of this 35+ page resource. Additionally, I can send you copies of my reading strategy bookmarks electronically so that you can personalize them for your students. [email protected]

We learn to read by reading…so all reading instruction must be conducted within the process of authentic reading situations. Frank Smith, 1994

Guided reading allows students to develop reading strategies in a socially supported setting as they encounter text at increasing levels of difficulty. Irene Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell, 1996

Writing goes hand in hand with reading in balanced literacy classrooms. Regie Routman, 2003

Managing the guided reading classroom effectively enables teachers to take their students as far as possible in their reading. Nancy Witherell (2007), The Guided Reading Classroom: How to Keep ALL Students Working Constructively

An apprenticeship approach to literacy requires that we spend time observing changes that indicate children are moving in appropriate directions…Children’s writing development is shaped by experiencing different types of writing activities in assisted situations, which are then follow by independent practice. Linda Dorn, Cathy French, & Tammy Jones (1998), Apprenticeship in Literacy: Transitions Across Reading and Writing

Children need to experience joy and delight as a result of the reading experience. Michael Opitz & Michael Ford (2001), Reaching Readers: Flexible & Innovative Strategies for Guided Reading

Learning is social, and the collaborative nature of guided writing provides a friendly and safe environment in which students can practice writing. Lori Oczkus (2007), Guided Writing: Practical Lessons, Powerful Results

As a literacy teacher, I see myself as a tour guide…helping students develop their thinking skills, fanning their motivation to read and write, and finding their own paths… Laura Benson, 1996