Jan/Feb blog-Ferguson

Blog Post: Jan/Feb

Emphasize Shared Reading

Below I have used a table that I saw on Dawn Mitchell’s post for a previous chapter. When I saw this I immediately showed my SRA reading group because I had them complete this same table for one of the chapters in our novel study.

Author’s Words	My thoughts
“Shared Reading is an important missing piece in many reading programs, especially in grade 2 and above.”  P.130	This first thought in the chapter really caught my attention. This statement is so true. I tend to stay away from shared reading because I want to give them all the time to read. I need to spend more time in my classroom reading to them and modeling good reading!
“In shared reading, a learner---or group of learners—sees the text, observes an expert (useullay the teacher) reading it with fluency and expression, and is invited to read along. P.130	(Before reading I thought) *What is shared reading???? Then I found this quote (see left).
“Shared reading is also powerful because it helps teacher and students bond” p. 130	I think trust and a relationship is so important between teachers and students. Rotuman states that  shared reading helps form bonds. I can totally see how this could help form relationships. You can learn a lot about students as they make text to self connections. As I think back I can recall several times when I have learned something new from student when reading with them.
“…we see that shared reading is not just a pleasant frill but a critical learning context for demonstrating and scaffolding learning”  p.131	Scaffolding is such an important thing even in the second grade. The more I model and scaffold learning the more success I see in my students. Shared reading would help me scaffold a larger group (or small group) and provide me more time for them to read during our small group instruction time.
“Shared reading is ideal for showing how any text works…” p. 132	Shared reading would be a great idea for introducing students to new text. I will be adding shared reading  to my lessons when introducing new text.
*Checklist on page 133	Great list to keep handy for trying to incorporate shared reading into a lesson.

The next section of the chapter provided a framework for shared reading. This framework will help me to make sure my shared reading is meaningful. I have done shared reading several times but never knew if what I was doing was meaningful and help students become better readers. I believe so much in scaffolding and modeling, that I am very interested in completing shared reading as a way to model and teach students.

The next section provided example lessons. I really learned a lot from the informational book shared read aloud lesson. I loved the way the teacher got very excited about the book. I liked the pace the teacher took with reading/thinking. I like that towards the end she got the students involved in the thinking/talking.

I am eager to get started using shared reading in my classroom! 

Chapter 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library Blog # 7! Tori Miller

While reading Routman chapter 5, Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library, I focused on evaluating my classroom library using the chart found on page 66-67. I decided to evaluate my classroom library so I could focus on things I needed to improve on for the next school year.

1.       My classroom book nook does jump out at me and others that come into my classroom. Many times this year others have walked into my room and commented, “I love your reading garden.”

2.       My classroom library does look beautiful and contains an inviting display of plentiful reading materials.

3.       My classroom library does include a variety of genres and literary forms. Poetry would be the least that I have so I do need to focus on getting poetry books for my kindergarten room. Any ideas where to find any? Or suggestions of good poetry books for a kindergarten classroom?

4.       Yes, most of the books in the library are written by well-known children’s authors such as Bill Martin, Eric Carle, Mo Willems, Lucille Colandro, and Dr. Seuss.

5.       I have current books that accurately and aesthetically portray other cultures but not enough. I definitely could use more of these!!

6.       Like number five I could use more books that have the students’ language and culture in them, I have a few Dora books that have Spanish words but do need to increase my books selections for this.

7.       I have made all of the selections and organizational decisions about the design of the library and how books are to be grouped and what reading materials to include. I do change out the books based on our studies at the time and the students’ interest but I haven’t let them give much input on the grouping and design. This I will try to change.

8.       Struggling readers can easily find books that they can read and want to read. I have books that just have one or two words, sight word books, picture books, and leveled readers that are leveled by letters (A-D) and colors (red, blue, green).

9.       There are comfortable areas for students to sit and read. I have a child size Adirondack chair with a lime green pillow in it, lime green rugs on the floor with pillows for the students to sit and read, a floor chair with a Pete the Cat pillow, a child size chair and couch, and a bus tent for the students to read in.

10.   I do add to, change, and rotate to my collection of books based on the needs, interests, curriculum of my students.

11.   My classroom library does include children’s favorite authors, books, and series and is based on the students’ preferences and not mine.

12.   My classroom library is a place that children love to go to seek and find wonderful reading materials. My students love to find the “new books” that I rotate in and see if they can read them. They get so excited when they can read the books!

Through this self-evaluation of my classroom library I have a list of things to improve on for the next school year to improve my classroom library that I might have the OUTSTANDING CLASSROOM LIBRARY that every student deserves!

Lori Lonon- Blog #6 R. Routman, Reading Essentials, Ch. 10: Examine Guided Reading

Guided Reading (AKA “Small Group Reading Instruction”) was one of the hardest things for me to manage when I first learned how to teach reading effectively.  I would struggle with how to group kids, what book to choose, what strategy to teach and what to do with the rest of the class.  With experience and practice my guided reading instruction has evolved. In Routman’s Optimal Learning Model, guided reading falls between shared reading and independent reading.  It is the first step in the gradual handover of responsibility from the teacher to the student. Routman warns about how ability grouping beyond second grade can send a message to students that they are less capable.  I am keenly aware of this and try to mix my groups up throughout the year.  Even my “lowest” group is given a text that closely resembles, in page length and font size, the books that other groups receive.  The author also warns against creating too many groups that can create a management problem.  I personally try to keep 3-4 groups at a time and meet with 1-2 groups on three days of the week..  This means that students of varying levels end up in the same group working together and I actually find that to be a benefit.

Choosing quality books that aid in the instruction of a specific strategy or genre are critical.  Routman’s checklist (pg. 155) is invaluable for this purpose.  She also suggests integrating Science and SS texts into guided reading in order make the most of your instructional time. In addition she warns against keeping the same daily schedule for reading instruction and against trying to meet with guided reading groups daily especially at the expense of independent reading.  Students get easily bored with the same routine.  For this reason I mix up my instruction daily but with purpose-the days I do not meet with guided reading groups I use that time to conference with students about reading and writing.  Routman suggests several methods of checking comprehension of a text used in guided reading, but only after students have done a second reading of the text either independently or with a partner.  I try using variety here as well, since students would become bored with the same reading response tool week after week.  Keeping it fresh also encourages their best effort.

Several pages of the chapter are devoted to managing student behaviors during literacy center time (typically when guided reading will be happening).  Basically she suggests outlining clear expectations, modeling appropriate behaviors, encouraging and giving feedback as the key to management.  She suggests holding group evaluations after guiding reading.  I have been using the Daily Five model for Literacy Centers for several years and find Routman’s suggestions to be in line with that model just not in as much detail.

The most important part of this chapter, in my opinion, is the section that focuses on purpose for guided reading and what “Teacher Talk” would sound like in a small group with focus on decoding vs meaning.  So many teachers do small group instruction because they know other teachers do it, or they read somewhere that they should.  I have personally had teachers ask me “What should my small group be about?” I think this is a common difficulty for lots of teachers, but once I began to conference with students I found that planning guided reading became so much easier.  I used my notes on each student about what strengths and weaknesses were evident and that helped me not only create the groups but also determine the focus.  My students cheer when they see their group is “meeting with teacher” today and I love that they enjoy that time as much as I do!

Blog Post #6, Chapter 7, Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner, Valorie Whiteside

Blog Post #6, Chapter 7, Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner, Valorie Whiteside

In the elementary school, this is assessment season!  As an ESOL teacher I just spent a month and a half administering ACCESS which is an ESOL (English Language Proficiency) test.  Next coming up in April the students have STAR testing and SC Ready testing.  Then in May the students have SC PASS, Read 180 SRI, testing, and ACT Aspire.  Does any of these test give us immediate guidance to use in our classroom instruction or assessing just to assess how Routman suggest?  As a parent; if my child is not meeting requirements or not on grade level in a certain area I want to know immediately and begin some type of intervention or form an action plan to aid him immediately!  Not next year when the test scores come back and the problem has had more months to get worse instead of improving!  Therefore I agree with Routman when she says that teachers need to use their own assessments to determine instruction that yield helpful information.  I agree with Routman also when she says that teachers need to gather and analyze data while they are teaching.  Teachers can make informal assessment through observation which will give them more feedback than traditional or standardized test.  Through this immediate feedback teachers will know what strengths and weakness the student have.  For example, as a parent, when my son comes home to do his homework and he has an assigned reading.  Sometimes it goes smoothly however, other times it is like pulling teeth to get him through the reading.  My immediate assessment of this problem was that the reading or the level was not too hard, he simply just wasn’t interested in the topic or the text.  When he read books on the same reading level that he is interested in it is equally hard to get through because he is constantly talking about what he is reading and making connections and observations. Which is a good problem to have because this type of reading is more productive because learning is taking place.  The assigned reading went in one ear and out the other.  As a teacher by use of the informal observation assessment you can guide the students reading assuring that the student reads text that interest him as much as possible to ensure that his reading level is constantly rising. 

Routman discusses that teachers should advocate for change instead if sitting idly by and accepting the curriculum or policies.  This idea sounds great in theory however, realistically the teacher runs the risk of being labeled a trouble maker.  Unfortunately I have seen this happen.  I have also seen teachers become Teacher of the Year for the same actions!

While reading ‘Teach Intentionally’ a cord was struck within me.  Routman says during reading conferences with intermediate-grade students, “they can retell the events of the story and say what the character did, but they can rarely talk about why characters behave the way they do, what actions lead to other behavior (cause and effect), or infer character’s intentions, motivations, and feelings.”  I was struck by this statement because I realized something that I have done wrong on occasion.  Teaches can be lulled into a false sense that students have comprehended or reached reading potential when they can retell the story and say what the characters did.  But on a higher level of thinking a student will think about how and why a character is behaving the way that they do and be able to predict how the characters will act.  Then read to see if their prediction was right or do they need to change their opinion.  

Jeff Young Chapter 7 Routman

Chapter 7:  Making Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

Routman is right to the point when she writes how assessments are hardly used to inform instruction in the classroom, but rather assessing just to assess. She makes the point that teachers need to use their own assessments to drive instruction- assessments that are “worth the time and yield helpful information.”  Routman advises teachers to gather and analyze data while they are teaching. A great idea Routman gives is to take informal reading inventories during a reading conference.  She advises to observe children reading books they are interested in rather than using a test passage.  Routman gives additional tips on guiding students during reading conferences.  Routman includes probing questions, a framework to model your conferences with, as well was reading goals for students to achieve.  Many teachers, Routman writes, are at odds with district policies that they feel are not the best use of time or money.  Routman suggests that teachers not stand idly by and accept the curriculum or policies, but advocate for change.  Advocating for best practices are in the best interest of our children.  

barone feb post

Barone: Routman Chapter 7

I really enjoyed reading this chapter and couldn’t agree more with the statement that assessments should bring benefits for children. It can be so overwhelming for teachers to know how, when, why, and who to assess and to make sure that they are assessing properly. Aside from the stress of all the standardized tests, teachers need to know how to truly make meaningful assessments daily and in a variety of ways. The first thing teachers need to ask themselves when assessing is if their assessment is valid and useful. Once the teacher has assessed the students, they need to determine how they are going to use that data. Teachers can record student’s strengths and weaknesses and monitor and adjust instruction based on the results of assessments. The best teachers are flexible ones because when you are truly teaching, constant assessment is being done, which results in the students guiding your lessons. Lesson plans are obviously important, but their meaning and paced is always controlled by the students. Great teachers plan with passion and adjust with understanding. Using daily assessments throughout teaching, teachers can monitor and adjust accordingly to ensure student achievement. If teachers are not constantly assessing, their lessons would have no meaning and validity. I really loved the section of the chapter that talked about goal setting. Every year I have my students create goals for themselves and I also set goals for myself. Throughout the year we discuss our progress together and it really creates a positive and encouraging environment.

Gallman Blog #7

Chapter 12: You Only Have So Much Time

In the world of teaching, you definitely only have so much time!!! I have struggled with time management over the course of my first year of teaching. There are so many things to cover between lesson planning, grading papers, and even just making time to talk to your students to make sure they everything is fine with them. This chapter does a good job of giving suggestions on how to make every moment count such as keeping work simple and meaningful, reducing interruptions, keeping a lively pace, etc. However, these things are not always practical or easy to do. There are always things that are going to throw you off course; whether it is a disruptive student, a parent showing up unannounced for a conference, snow days, etc. it seems nearly impossible to stay on track. You can have the perfect plan that you want to carry out, but it's hard to complete every task. Lesson plans just seem to get pushed back further and further and time just gets lost.

I like how the author says to do less, but more effectively. That is definitely something that I need to work on. Instead of adding in many meaningless and time consuming activities, I can focus on the bigger picture and find deeper and more thoughtful ways to engage students and help them learn. I can also do as the author suggested and look at my schedule more carefully. It is difficult to create a schedule as a first year teacher because you have no idea how long anything takes your first time trying things out. I have learned better throughout the year to pace myself and follow my long range plan more carefully. I have had to force myself not to spend my entire weekend and entire afternoon working on lesson plans and school work. I look forward to the days where I will know how to manage my time more effectively so that I don't stress myself out. As a teacher, there really IS only so much time, and I have to learn to make every moment count!

Raegan Shaw, Blog Post #6, Ch. 7 Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner

When I found this chapter in the book, I was so relieved.  Out of all the things I struggle with as a first year teacher, I feel that assessment is absolutely the most confusing and frustrating.  I have been blessed with many Social Studies and ELA resources, as far as formal assessments are concerned, but not many informal assessments.  Of course, I have a grasp on how my students understand things on a daily basis through their facial expressions, willingness (or lack there of) to answer my questions or respond to my prompts, and an occasional entrance or exit slip, yet I still feel like I do not use enough written informal evaluation before my formal evaluations.  I want to meet my students where they are at and raise them up where need be, yet I struggle to find the confidence or resources to do so, sometimes.  This chapter has helped me see a light at the end of the tunnel.

When this chapter suggested that teachers make evaluation a "daily routine," I assumed that this meant the formal evaluations that I had been lacking, but in reality, it discussed how teachers make assessments as they are teaching instead of after, necessarily.  What it boiled down to, when I was done reading the section, is conferences with the students.  It both shocked and embarrassed me when I thought of my own practice from this year and realized how little I have had individual, instead of whole class, conferences with my students this year.  Often, it is hard enough to find time for conferences with my homeroom; the fact that I have two other classes that revolve in and out of my room, daily, doesn't make it any easier.  I wish that I had already found the time this year to make deeper connections to each and every student.  Of course, there is a big handful of them that I have made these connections with, but I should always strive for more.  It is not too late for me, though.  This chapter has given me more initiative to seek out the specific students who really need my help--those of which I have not yet conferenced with yet, fully.

One final thing that I found interesting was the questions that are recommended for teachers to ask during conferencing. Discussing students' strengths and goals with them seems to prove to be very successful in student learning.  When I think of conferencing, I simply think of book talk; it is so much more than that.  I think that if I take time to spend with each student and set an individual goal with them all, they will be more likely to meet that goal than ever before.  All students crave learning and structure in some way; as teachers, it is our job to find out what way that is.  Conferencing helps us get beneath that hard shell and help the students understand themselves more as learners.

Gallman Blog #6

Chapter 9: Emphasize Shared Reading

I definitely had to stop and read this chapter on shared reading. I love in the chapter where it states that shared reading is something that is missing in grade levels above second grade. We are currently reading our second novel study in my ELA class, and I may be enjoying it more than my students. I have found that the students really enjoy reading novels together and are learning a lot with each other. Each student has their own copy of the novel, and we are able to read together and really dissect the the book as a whole. Students are given the chance to read a paragraph aloud to the class which gives them a chance to practice reading with meaning and expression. As we read we stop and make predictions about what we think is going to happen next, we look for examples of figurative language, take annotations, and discuss anything crazy and exciting that happens. I teach the middle level ELA group, and I think shared reading with our novel study is helping my class to really understand what we are reading and is teaching them how to take annotations for future knowledge when they are reading a novel that they will be tested on. I am looking forward to next year to have more opportunities for shared reading in my classroom.

Schmidt Blog Post #6

Routman (2003): Chapter 12: You Only Have So Much Time

March 14, 2016

          Since August, I have been so stressed out about getting every single thing done that I needed to do, even if it meant using all of my extra time working on it. The beginning of this chapter taught me how important it is to still have a life outside of teaching. Creating all the amazing centers and papers won't necessarily help the students become better, that time needs to be spent working with them, giving them things that they can handle. It is important to make sure that all work is meaningful to the students, not "busy work". Work should also be kept simple. Students need to be able to do small amounts of things that they understand, rather than a lot of things that becomes difficult for students and they get frustrated. If this happens, they won't get much out of it. Work should also be paced well. "When the work is interesting and we move along at a fast pace, we keep kids engaged (pg. 206). I have struggled with this at times.

        One thing that I learned in the book that would be very beneficial to me is to time myself while I teach. Students get lost and exhausted if you give them too much time on something. To keep them engaged, keep the teaching time to a minimum. Give them something to look forward to the next time. Rearranging the school schedule to spend less time on some things and more time on others is also beneficial. There was an example in the reading that I really enjoyed, of an old schedule versus a new schedule. I would love to rearrange my schedule, but I feel that I don't know enough to know what needs to happen where. I already struggle with time management as it is.

     I hope that as I become a more experienced teacher, I can get better at these things. I really hope to become a teacher that feels like she has her stuff together, and feel that the students are benefiting. I'm not saying that I don't think my students are learning, but I know that they probably could more engaged if I took a different approach at teaching.... I just have to figure out what approach that is and how to go about it.

     This was probably one of the most useful chapters to me. I hope that I can use what I have learned in the classroom to make my life easier, and the learning of my students more beneficial.

Raegan Shaw, Post #5, Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

As a first year teacher, I am constantly worrying about my classroom library and wondering if it has enough to offer for my students.  I also worry about having enough books that are leveled appropriately for my readers.  I went into this year thinking that most of my students would be on a fifth grade level or higher, since they are in fifth grade; however, I quickly realized within the first few months of school that my a good chunk of my students are far below grade level.  This being said, I failed to prepare my library accordingly and have been playing catch-up here and there all year long.  This required reading chapter has not only opened my eyes to the entire importance of a relevant, appropriate, classroom library that is full of variety, but also a classroom library that is organized, challenging, and enjoyable.  This chapter compels me to enhance my book selections and make them ever-more appealing to its seekers.

What l found most interesting about this selection is that it is actually encouraged for classroom libraries to have “light reads.”  These types of books are typically books that may seem quick and easy, yet serve as a motivator to students.  I connected with this part of the chapter because I see a good bit of my students reading comic books.  At the beginning of the year, I was very concerned.  I always thought that comic books were full of short sentences and mostly pictures.  What I failed to realize is that most of my students who read these comics are usually picking comic books that coordinate with my social studies lessons!  Even though these reads are not the longest reads or the most challenging—especially vocabulary-wise—I have found that these short, witty books often lead my students to choosing longer, more thought-provoking books on the same topics or even different topics.  Even as an adult, it’s nice to pick up a magazine or something short and sweet to read!

Another part of this chapter that I enjoyed and found intriguing, and honestly shocking, was that as a teacher, I should be encouraged to de-emphasize leveled books.  I have always leveled each book to coordinate with Accelerated Reader.  I never really thought that students would gravitate toward their own level without my help.  Reading this section of the chapter freshened my childhood memories of reading books that were too hard for me, at the time.  I will never forget the day in third grade when I picked up a Harry Potter book and saw the word ‘muggle’ and threw the book across the room, crying, “this isn’t on my AR level!”  As hilarious as it may seem now, I really did know (or thought I knew, seeing as muggle isn’t a tough vocabulary word, but a word that the author had made up for their own novel) that Harry Potter was above my level, without my teacher ever having to share this with me.  This being said, I know that if a student picks a book that may seem to be a “just-right” book, I need to ensure that they do not get discouraged when they see a few words throughout the book that they do not know the meaning of.  I should encourage my students to use dictionaries, context clues, and nearby adults to help explain new vocabulary, for this is how students’ AR levels grow, anyways!

I really enjoyed this selection and it truly has urged me to create a whole different reading vibe in my classroom.  If not by the end of this year, then definitely by the beginning of the next school year, I would love to re-vamp my entire classroom library.  This article gave me some sort of hope for the future!

Tori Miller Teach with a Sense of Urgency Chapter 4 (Feb/March) Blog # 6

These pictures are from the insect unit discussed in the blog below: 

As I read Routman’s chapter 4 I responded to the statement that the author said she always asked teachers: Name the top 5 things you do in your classroom to ensure excellent readers. I would have to say… 1. I read to them A LOT!! 2. I have lots of books available for the students to read that have different topics and genres. 3. I do independent reading, giving students individual times to conference with me. 4. I provide inviting places in the room to encourage reading throughout the day. 5. I allow them to read with their peers and other students in the school-sometimes even 1^st and 2^nd graders! And then I could not go on without adding number 6. I teach them that they can learn and find information that they would like to know from books. I have shared many times about my reading experience throughout school and at home and how it was short of teaching me to love reading, so my desire is to teach my students to love books and enjoy when they have time to read them.

This chapter also spoke of guided reading practice and how “trail and error supported by judicious teacher feedback, allows the learners to develop a self-improving system.” This statement I have found to be very truthful. Although it’s very hard at time, like watching your own children struggling to do something independently and you just want to jump in and do it for them BUT what will they learn from that. Teacher support and feedback is essential to a kindergarten learning to read and write and feeds the growth of every student. However, I know that I’m guilty of just fixing it for them and moving own because our time may be running short. And this brings me to my next point (from the book)…Promote joy in learning!! To me this is just as important for the teacher as it is for the students. The 3^rd year I taught kindergarten at LOES the district had adopted the Journey’s series as its ELA curriculum. I must say that was the most boring year of my kindergarten life thus far! I used those units religiously and taught it just as the teacher book told me to do and by December I was ready for school to be out so imagine how those poor kindergarteners felt. Over Christmas break I pulled together units and books that I thought would be of interest to my students and was very excited to go back and January, those 5 months were much more enjoyable than the first. This year I have worked a lot with my students to research subjects that I introduce to them that they would like to know more about (animals, insects, Spring). This has been so much fun and the students come in every Monday asking, “What are we learning about this week!” I even have parents contacting me when my students are absent to ask, “What are you teaching this week because he/she is home sick today and crying because they are missing school?” My most recent (currently in progress) research is on insects. Now I have to tell you that the students were so involved that I didn’t get to the author study of Eric Carle that I had also planned this week that is on my LRPs but we did discuss him during a few of our mini lessons, sometimes promoting joy in learning means penciling in and scratching out things on the LRPs! The students are so excited and have such a joy while learning.  The students are researching their favorite insect using books, computers, observations of crickets in our classroom and a fabulous animal habitat that my assistant made (pictures attached above). The students are collecting their thoughts and gatherings and using Storymaker (link on abcya.com) to type and create their own insect books, using inventive spelling as mentioned on page 51 of this chapter.

Raise your expectations and your students will grow…”If you expect them to achieve and take time to model carefully, provide lots of supported demonstrations and guided practice in which they can try out what I am teaching, and continually support their growing approximations, they always succeed (page 62).”

Teach with a Sense of urgency no matter how much time it takes!!!!!!

Pictures from insect unit below: