Chapter+1

//Colleagues, here is the first of many chapter pages. You'll see that I posted four different possible questions to which you may respond below. Most chapters will have three possible questions. The page "Assignment for SB-CEU or GVSU Credit" guides us to write to an average of 1.5 questions per chapter. All this to say, don't feel like you have to respond to everything posted. Choose the questions that speak to you. And there is always the option to write about something else from the chapter (at the bottom of the page). //

//Before responding, take a glance at the page "Online Book Study Rubric". Looking forward to learning with and from you! - Erin //

**#1** **“shared building” (p. 18)** //“Of course, teachers don’t create the literate world alone. … Instead, our students join us in building tree forts for literacy.” The kind of inquiry infused instruction described in this paragraph requires a comfort with allowing the curriculum to flow to meet the students’ needs. This does not negate the need for units and pacing guides, but it does require flexibility on perhaps a new level. It means that we may not know the exact lesson we will teach next Tuesday. How does that work for you? Is that a shift for you at all? What does it mean for your planning and daily assessment? How does it affect the notes you keep on your readers?// Respond here:

I was reading earlier about our way of teaching reading is like being on a tour bus. I'm the guide, we're on a schedule let's go. This frustrated me. We want to better our students but stay on the bus. I like the Units of Study over the year. I now can start day one taking the time to get to know the real needs of my students. Children need to feel inclusive with their learning. My Units and Pacing Guides are important but I can develop a Community of using a structure that is all about them. We express we don't have time to cover it all. Yes we do. Laying a foundation that we created with opportunities to practice is ownership. My planning will be reflective of what needs to be done. My assessment will be more productive and authenic. Margaret Fox

Like Margaret, I start from day one taking the time to get to know the real needs of my students. We start each school year with a social experience of swimming and a picnic at my house. And then we introduce the classroom schedule and the Unique Curriculum. With Unique, I have a month to teach ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, Cooking, First Aid & Safety, SEX Ed. Social Skills, Money skills, Transportation, Exercise, etc... The curriculum has a pre-test and a post-test before each unit and it can be difficult to administer all of the assessments. I also use the Brigance Inventory of Basic Skills, and the ESTR-III to help in writing IEP's and MET's. In addition, I have students who sometimes work 2-3 days per week, have social hour one day out of the week, and there are numerous community based instructional activities as well. So, teaching them the important stuff can be very difficult. The not knowing the exact lesson we will teach is quite common in our classroom. However, I have become quite good at fitting the reading into all of our lessons throughout the day. We have 1 teacher, 2 IA's, 12 students, and three reading groups that are working at their own pace. We are also using a plethora of additional instructional materials to complement the Unique Curriculum. Because I am working with students with Cognitive Impairments, what might take a regular ed. classroom 3 days to learn, would probably take my students 2 wks. at best. And then if they have learned it, they have to be able to generalize it to community settings. I don't consider myself a reading teacher because I only had one brief introduction to teaching reading at GVSU and took 'Words Their Way' just recently. However, I realize how important words are for teaching functional skills for my students. Because our students have IEP's with ELA 's goals and objectives, I am collecting data daily. M.J.

I really liked the fort analogy. I try to at least have a sense of what I am going to teach. I do keep a plan book and have lessons prepared, but there are several times when what I thought was going to teach did not happen and instead we did something else. I look at like, how can I move along when I know my students are just understanding it a little? I want them to really understand it and if that takes more time and requires more lessons or activities, etc. than I will do that. I want them to learn something that will stay with them, not learn to just get by on a test where they are going to forget most of the items anyway. Tracy

Meeting the need of my students has changed over the years. First when I started teaching there was not a lot of guidance about reading. I quickly partnered up with the “smart” people in the building—Resource Teacher and the Title I teacher—

I found they had a lot of know about specific teach, testing and skill emerging and young reader needed—

It is funny to look back. I remember having my 4th grader read a 1 page passage then “grade” it or accuracy-- to see what their reading level was, since I did not had Risby, Fountas & Pinnell leveling system or even Dibels— Chapter 1 from Bobbi Friend #1 The idea of this type of flexibility scares me to death. I am a very structured and organized teacher. I have a two or three week unit planned for every subject I teach, and my plans are developed weeks in advance. I look at the GLCE’s needed for each academic area, integrate them appropriately with one another, and design down based on what I am working on. I think that is why reader’s workshop seemed hard for me to jump into fully. I need to work hard on how to shift my teaching and be more flexible depending on the needs of my students. Back then just have a wide range of books is what I thought might help to love reading ??? P 8

Kimberly Nash (KDN)

Like Margaret and M.J. I also begin on day one learning about the students. I do share my favorite book with them and explain why it is so special to me, where I read it and who I share it with. They also are given the chance to bring in their favorite book to talk with the class about. When it is their turn, it gives me some ideas of what interests them, who reads with them and other "life stories" that go along with these books. I do have lesson plans with a concept that I am going to be teaching for the week. I do teach the concept to the whole group and I also teach this to smaller groups at different levels. When I am In the smaller groups it gives me a good idea which students are really grasping the concepts and which ones I need to spend more time with or reteach the idea to. Ronda

Bobbi....I have no idea how long you've been teaching or what your experiences are, but when I started teaching...maybe 19 years ago...there was something called "Literature Based Reading Instruction." I loved it! Then, it slowly went away and year by year we became more "rigid" in our reading instruction. Every teacher was on the same page of the Basal on the same day at the same time and I became a lot like you. I was ultra organized, had my year planned out weeks and months at a time. Had my three reading groups organized and it was pretty much all spelled out. I believe I tend to be the sage on the stage (not proud of it) and I'm typically the one who loves to have a very firm structure with which my classroom runs. Last year I was kind of thrown into a 2/3 split and I had heard about Reading Workshop. I believe that we have come full circle and it is pretty much the "Literature Based Reading Instruction" that was from so long ago...only better. Given the 2/3 split situation, I really didn't want to have to teach two separate reading basals. How on earth was I going to make sure I helped each student at their various levels and have them make any progress at all. Sometimes, in a straight grade we feel that stress, but with two grades...??? Holy moly! So, I went to my principal and received permission to jump into Reading Workshop. (So out of my comfort zone for sure!) But sometimes, just jumping in is the best way to go. It's kind of like trying to quit something "Cold Turkey!" It usually works better...so I did it. I changed everything all at once and jumped in with both feet. And I'm here today to tell you I am NOT sorry I did it! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the way my classroom ran. It was still very structured. However, my students had a sense of "ownership" and "independence" that the whole group basal program didn't allow for. I still felt very much "in control" but it was almost "freeing" in a way. It didn't make my planning less focused, just more practical and individualized for the students and what they needed at any particular day/time. I always felt confident that I was a good reading teacher. What I don't think I've ever done until last year was teach my students to LOVE reading! My students LOVED reading! You could walk in my classroom on any given day and see at least one book (and at the end of the year they were chapter books), sometimes a stack of books, on each child's desk. There were times I actually had to tell them to put the books down. It was an amazing thing to watch and be a part of! I know that if you just do what you fear most, and jump in with both feet, you won't be sorry! Good luck to you as you continue on this journey! :) Keri

I agree with Tracy. I cannot tell you how many times I had to draw arrows in my plan book or write see last Thursday in a spot because students needed more practice with a concept or something came up requiring us to be flexible. I am perfectly fine with not knowing what I will be teaching next week. I like the units we have been given to help me map my course, but know that there will be some days when a lesson will need to be retaught in a different way or a lesson I want to try will be added. I worked toward using my assessments, both written and observed, to guide my reading workshop last year, but feel I was more successful doing so in my math workshop since it is more concrete to see if students are understanding the lesson. I am going to narrow my focus and look through the lens of the unit being taught when observing readers and making decisions as to what strategy lessons and individual conferences to have. I feel that will be helpful as before, like mentioned in the book, I would listen to a reader and come up with dozens of things to conference with them to help them improve. Stephanie Cooper ===I feel that I am currently driven by a pacing guide, not by my student's needs. How sad that we need to be on a certain story or chapter whether the class is ready or not. For kids who excel and/or catch onto new material the first time it is introduced this system works but for kids who need more exposure to material or more time period they may be left in the dark. I am determined to create my lesson plans based on my research of my readers. I hope that this will help move everyone along at their own pace. I often wonder about colleagues who in November claim to have their lesson plans done for the rest of the year. I am of the belief that I cannot do that without constantly making changes and erasing and redoing my plans. I think that my notes on my readers will actually be more important to me than my plan book. That is a liberating feeling! I will continue conferring and my students will continue reading more books as we continue with repeated and new strategies. They don't have to stop and stay on the same story in a basal to keep woring on a strategy. We will see our students taking skills across several texts. --Jodee Tuttle===

**#2** **“Student talk” (p. 22)** //On pp. 21-22, a light is held to the current conversational trends of children. “Children talk in snatches of thought, not passages of thought, because no one is listening.” Does that ring true in your experiences? Did you connect with any of the ideas in this section?// Respond here:

We don't give children the time to process what they are saying. They are in a world where information is given. Now lets move on. I don't have all the answers. This is a great time for me to listen. Give child time to share what is important. Children that hear you say, "I heard you say..." will perk them to go deeper with what they are thinking. They also share with their community about their reading experiences. The fact that reading is interactive is given "lip service". I feel the the mentoring children to be citizens of the listening world is so important. "How has reading worked in our lives?" We need to listen and model. Margaret Fox

Much like Margaret, I feel like most of the time I am being held to that "MAP" that says when and what I need to teach, without any worries about whether my students are "getting it". I'm not sure that my 5th grade students will be ready to, __**"learn to listen to each other and to be affected by each other's words" p22.**__ As a 3rd grade teacher I could see that being a greater possibility. I did find an interesting piece on **__p23,"think about how reading fits into their lives".__** This may be the key for me to unlock any perceived hesitancy to share those literate conversations. Mike

Even with adults they feel they need to respond with one word or very few words. They seem surprised when I continue to ask them questions in regards to their answer. I always try to prod a little deeper. I have a little more leeway where we can get off track in a sense but really build upon what we are learning because I do not have a large amount of students whom I deal with at any one time. When Ms. Harmon came in and we started the literacy circle, students really began to build upon the roles and start questioning and responding more deeply. We live in such a fast paced society, that I think it is sometimes hard for people to slow down and really listen and understand what is being said to them. Tracy

As a Kindergarten teacher, this section really hit me. I am constantly trying to get kids to listen to each other better. I try playing different "listening games" to try to have my students to hear what their fellow classmates have to say. I also am convicted to try to get them to talk about what we are reading more often. I can't wait to have the discussion with my next class about their "absolute favorite" book (like on p. 18 and following) and their reading places at home (p. 20) and to really help make the connection between reading at home and at school. Also, on p. 22 it says "we need to mentor children to become citizens in a listening community". I love that! I need to do that more. I know this is only the first chapter, but I've got a list of great ideas, already!! Kari

When I read out loud I try to be a mentor for them by asking myself questions and "thinking and sharing" my thought process with them as I go through a book. I agree with the idea that children are being "raised by appliances." I realize it is very hard for some children to communicate maybe because their background knowledge is so limited which makes talking and sharing ideas more difficult. I realize that this area of listening and giving enough time is harder for me and this is an area I really need to improve on. Ronda

“Children are great world builders. Their eyes sparkle when we ask them, ‘How should the chairs go, the time go, the books go, the celebrations go so that our reading and writing matter this year?” (Page 21). As I mentioned in my introduction, I’m a firm believer in having learners co-create the classroom as much as possible. I’m now planning on bringing my kids in on the discussion of “How should we listen and talk with each other? How would that go?” From there, I envision us creating a rubric together so they are invested in it. I see discussions that lead us to talk about how talking and listening have been going in their lives in different situations so far.

A powerful moment for me during the Home Grown Reading Workshop Institute this summer was when we had an experience with “accountable talk.” Here is what I learned and how I see that playing out in my classroom. After a read-aloud I would ask children why they thought the author wrote the book, what was a lesson we could learn from the story. Then we’d gather in a circle to discuss one of the main themes that emerged for the students. To encourage kids to build on each other’s comments (rather than share unconnected thoughts) I would use two different colored snap cubes. For each comment that linked to the theme and built on the previous student’s comment, I would build a tower of one color. If a child stated something really off topic (“I lost a tooth last night!”), I would ask how it related to the discussion. I would show the other color cube as a reminder that it was off-topic and gently remind them that we can talk about that at another time. Like Margaret Fox wrote, “I feel that mentoring children to be citizens of the listening world is so important.” This activity (with the visual component) seems like a powerful way to help children listen and build their thoughts together, which ultimately should create richer, deeper meaning. Sara Sabourin Chapter 1 from Bobbi Friend #2 When thinking about student talk, I do believe that

students tend to answer questions and nothing more. They have not been held accountable for their talking because often we want the right answer and nothing more. On page 22 Lucy says, “When children learn to listen to each other and to be affected by each other’s words, this has everything to do with the teaching of reading. “ She continues to comment that, “If we want children to know what it is to take in the words and thoughts and stories of another person and to let those words leave a lasting mark, then we need to mentor children to become citizens in a listening community.” This seems so true because if we want the voice of an author to impact our students, they need to know how to listen and respond to one another appropriately.

**#3** **“teacher examples”** //What did you notice about the teachers’ words and choices in this chapter? What did Kathy Collins, Teresa Caccavale or Kathy Doyle do or say that stood out to you?// Respond here:

(pg. 22) "When Josh showed his classmates the cross-section book he and his father read together, Kathy knew that according to teaching protocol,the conversation needed to move on to another child. But **if we want to teach reading, the challenge is nothing less than creating a counterculture in which words matter**." "When Kathy hears Josh say, of his cross-sections book,"My dad reads it to me," or Meon say, of a Popsickle stick, "You can use it as a bookmark," **"she hears not only the words** **but the values behind them."** Kathy has demonstrated how important it is to **"mentor our children to become citizens in a listening community."** M.J.

**#4** **“Reading is Social” (p. 24)** //“If we want our children to love reading, we need to be sure they see it as a companionable thing to do.” What times in your life has reading been companionable? How does reading (any reading at all) weave into your interpersonal relationships? From telling a family member about a funny email you read to joining a book club, and anything in between, what are some examples you’ll be able to share with students this fall when you model the social side of reading?// Respond here:

I'm a story teller. I like to draw my students into my world. They then see me as a real person. We have a relationship. I share E-Mails that make me laugh or cry. My students know the kinds of books I like. One child brought in a story about a dog, I have a dog. She warned me to read it at home. I didn't listen. I read it, and couldn't put it down. At the end of the day I had to finish it. She forgot something and returned to the classroom. I was sitting there sobbing. She said, "I knew that you would take the book to heart, that's why I told you to read it at home." But she knew how I would react. I shared this the next day. The book became a read aloud. I bring in articles from the news to share that touch the heart or make you go "hmmm". I'm always on a search for the written word that creates that connection that reading is social. I begin each day with a connection usually it is my preview to what will happen that day in their learning community. Margaret Fox

I love to read! At home, if I don't have a good book to read, I feel like something is missing. I also like to share what I've learned from the books I've read, whether it is with my husband or a friend. I've also been in book clubs, in the past, and enjoy talking about the characters, plot, or storyline. At school, we often have discussions about how we use reading at home. In Kindergarten, I have them bring in examples of things that they read at home (or anyone else at home can read) and we talk about them. It is fun to see that things like recipes (which can be a fun social, family bonding thing to read and do together) and grocery lists are even good things to read. Kari

This is my favorite part of the chapter. The part about reading being social! This is also the area where I need to work the most. Teaching the students to have conversations about the stories they read is not an easy feat. On page 21 Kathy talks about how students answer questions about a story with one or two words...and their intonation is such that the comment is then the end of the discussion. On page 22 the comment is made, "Children talk in snatches of thought, not passages of thought, because no one is listening. This is true in school as well as at home." Because I totally agree with this statement and the examples that are in the paragraph that follow, I believe that this year "LISTENING" and making connections ALL THE TIME will be our focus. In addition, in my weekly newsletters, I may even give parents questions to ask their students that are more specific than just "How was school today?" or "What did you learn today?" I see the value and importance of teaching comprehension and listening skills in all areas of ones life and not just expect children to start learning comprehension, communication and listening skills in third grade. Keri

Throughout my life I have been involved in a few different book studies. I always enjoyed getting together with friends to discuss what we had read about and our thoughts. There were many times we even chose a fun place to meet, such as the beach or a restaurant. These examples will not once show students that reading is social, but that it doesn’t have to confined to school or a house. Reading is meant to be shared with friends anywhere, anytime, anyplace. A great way to illustrate how reading is shared is to talk about newspaper articles, emails, or texts that I have received from others and shared personally or passed on to others whom I believe would enjoy them. This could also be a great springboard to the lesson described on pages 24 and 25. I would like to try the idea of having students converse with their peers based on the favorite books brought into the classroom. These conversations might bring friendship where it never existed, based on a mutual love for the same types of books. Stephanie Cooper

Respond here:
 * In addition to the questions and thoughts above, here is a place to post other ideas and burning questions from chapter one, if any... **

Hello Everyone! This is Mary Jo Stewart (husband Al is not a singer) LOL. This is my first time doing an online book study and have never used Wiki. So, with that said, I have always loved ELA’S and feel I have a lot to offer my students. I work in a transition room located on Sherman and Baker Streets. We are part of the WesleySchoolcenter-based program in MuskegonCounty. For several years, I had worked with and read books to students with Autism. For some reason, I do not consider myself qualified enough to do a thorough job of teaching reading to someone else. I loved it when our 7th grade literature teacher used to read and act out some of the great stories he had. Therefore I agree with this statement; “**Reading literature within a classroom community is powerful because literature can help us escape the boundaries of ourselves.” “We feel less alone when we understand that our pain and joy are shared.” (pg. 14).** Although I have worked with other teachers to learn the 4-Block method, phonics, word families, [|www.starfall.com], reading milestones, Unique Curriculum, [|www.news-2-you.com], and ‘Words Their Way.’ After testing my students, I realized that the majority need help to hear the first and last consonants of pre-primary words. On the other side of the spectrum, I had two students who were able to read chapter books and write 3-4 sentences in a paragraph, using 1-2 descriptive words and even compounding some sentences. We use a lot of chorale or individual reading with picture support and really encourage others to help their peers when they are struggling. **(pg. 22) Recent research shows that parents talk with their children and average of ten minutes per day. “Our children,” Bill Moyers says, “are being raised by appliances.”** That statement is very true. For example, our students are being entertained by the television, movies, video games, their cell phones/text messaging, and music videos. Furthermore, getting our students to sit for even ½ hour to read is very rare. So, we have developed regular morning meetings that help our students practice good listening skills, paraphrasing back what was said, and this gives weight and meaning to their words. Finally, I signed up for this course with the hope that somehow I will be validated in my efforts to make readers out of my class and learn more effective ways to accomplish that. M.J.

I just turned 57. As a reader my background did not include "Book Clubs" of "Literacy Circles". I felt like my reading education followed a linear script.I still struggle with the lack of a script to follow to help my readers grow. I feel like I take bits and pieces from here and there and try to form something meaningful for my struggling readers. My proficient readers seem to get less attention. When I think about 4 Block, Accelerated Reading, Words Their Way, phonics, spelling, etc. I feel like I am trying to meet my needs as well as those of my readers. Like Mary, I have students who would benefit from word sorts, speed sorts, and context clues, but how do I fit it into a comprehensive reading program for ALL my students. I hope as I/we progress through the book that I learn how to feel good about what I'm doing as a reading teacher, that I'm able to find a focus to lead me to where my students need to go. Mike Thanks Mike:)

** (Page 8) “Like you, I cannot imagine anything in all the world more important than helping kids live lives in which reading and writing matter. I want children to collect, trade, talk over, and live by books.” I want children to explore the world with Jack & Annie in the Magic Tree House, to have their bellies ache from laughing at Elephant & Piggie. I want their hearts to sink when Oliver Button and Koala Lou lose, but then realize not all is lost. I want them to feel safe when the Big Green Monster Goes Away or that Max’s dinner is still hot when he comes home. I want them to question whether Little Red Hen should have shared her bread or if the Three Little Pigs should have burned the wolf in boiling water. I want them to wonder how a caterpillar really does change into a butterfly or a seed into a pumpkin. And I want to be there with them through it all! ** ** Sara Sabourin **