Chapter+18

Chapter 18

Yikes - Erin Here. Thanks to Jodee's heads up yesterday, I came to this page and it looks like someone deleted the questions accidentally - or the whole page. Remember, the undo button is the back arrow button above. Sara and Keri, I moved your responses to fit back into the sections below. You did the exact right thing by posting about what stood out to you. Everyone, remember - anytime the prompts don't speak to you, you may always post your own thoughts at the bottom.

Others who finished already and are coming back to this page worried, you got credit for your responses that are not showing up now so no worries. I'm going back through the "History" of this page and reading responses posted previously.

Here are the questions again:


 * Chapter 18 **


 * #1 Realities **

// I was reminded throughout this chapter that all of this work is moving ultimately to creating lifelong readers, thinkers and communicators. Certain quotes illustrated this like, ” The whole purpose, of course, is not to prove our point but to change our minds.” (p375), “Reading is nothing more or less than thinking, guided by print.” (p359) and “Teaching talk is teaching reading.” (p. 367) //

// In reading this chapter, what was a helpful reminder to you about the realities of leading students toward a life of reading, thinking and communicating well? //

1. This text is swimming with practical tips and reminders of the realities of a classroom of learners. I was reassured when reading on p. 369 “Good readers rarely write regularly about their reading.” (read beyond this quote for more explanation) I wrote in the margin “Ohhhhhhhh Right!” In reading this chapter, what was a helpful reminder to you or a whisper about the realities of leading young readers?

On page 362, it is so true that **“We teach children to read, and we judge their reading according to their accuracy and their ability to retell what they have read.”** More importantly as Alan Purves has said, “Books are tools to think with?” I see books as tools that take people to far away places where one’s own imagination helps to tell the story. I love to read books and am usually disappointed when I see the movie afterward. Finally, as stated on page 368 and 169, **“If we want children to develop their thinking about books, it is crucial for them to say more about less,”** by giving them the time to talk and also write about their reading. With that said, I made out my schedule for the first week of school and am already planning for my reading periods! Yeah!! M.J. On page 360 it said "We want children to realize that when they laugh aloud at a funny spot in a book, it's a good thing to mark that place so they can return to laugh again with a friend and then perhaps to reminisce about other funny parts in the book." This helps me to realize that books should be shared, remembered and talked about. Lifelong readers need to communticate and think about what they read. Ronda

2. It is apparent that conversation is the key to significance with Post-It work. It doesn’t happen proficiently with all partnerships automatically. What did you hear that you may utilize to scaffold the Post-It conversations (or any conversations) for readers?

I liked how nine-year-old Amelia Fox noted on page 361 that Post-its are a way to ‘”train your mind to think when you’re reading.”’ I see using this quote with my students in addition to the idea that Post-its allow us as readers to ‘“talk back” to texts’ (page 362). What a safe way for kids to develop their voice! They can question, disagree, agree, etc. with something in a text and state their ideas without anyone judging or criticizing them. Like Calkins explained on page 363, many times teachers will dismiss an idea because it’s not “literary enough.” Though, they will be encouraged to share their ideas with partners as our reading work progresses. I also agree with Stephanie that the strategy that really struck me was to set aside time to have kids reread their notes and pick ones that they want to linger over more with partners. Like Bobbi, I plan to be much more explicit in my teaching how to have better discussions around jotted notes. I, too, appreciate the prompts given to help extend more quality conversations.

Sara Sabourin

On page 359 I highlighed the statement, "Reading is nothing more or less than thinking, guided by print." Wow, what an awesome statement. It brings everything back to what I was just saying about comprehension in the previous chapter.

I love using post-its and so do my students. Last year they went a bit post-it crazy. This year I will also work harder at making my lessons regarding the uses for the post-its more explicit and I am also planning on limiting the number of post-its they get each day. Keri Cooper

I have never used Post-It notes, but I know I will in the future because according to the readings, the notes serve to encourage students to talk about the story/book parts, characters, events etc… Furthermore, the communication is key to good writing. Stephanie referred to a strategy on page 367, having the students reread their post-it notes and select one that would “spark a really good conversation” which is all part of learning how to talk in length about one idea and keep the non-book related conversation from creeping into the reading workshop.

M.J.

I have never used Post-It notes with my first graders. I know I am going to try using them this year. "Talk is always a motor behind intellectual development, but I think it is uniquely important in the teaching of reading." "The conversations readers have in the air become the conversations they have in their minds." I probably will use one note to begin with and have the class look for that in their book and then discuss that as a starting point. For example....developing theories about the characters.... Ronda

3. I noticed as I read this chapter that Post-Its are a balance in themselves. They represent //a pause// in the reading…but //not for too long//. They are a //significant// “say-something”… but with //few words//. What did you notice new about your Post-It thinking or what confirmed what you already do?

One of my “take-aways” from this chapter is looking at how the use of Post-it notes parallel the work we do in writing workshop. As Calkins describes on page 369, the “seed ideas” that children use to write about and expand are like the brief notes they jot while reading. The notes serve as a way to expand their thinking and discussion of a text. She goes on to caution against “too much writing early in the year in the reading workshop” as it will take away “necessary writing energy” during the writing workshop. I like that Post-its vs. a full sheet of paper suggest and remind kids to note only a few important words or sentences, to just “say something.”

Sara Sabourin

Our district has had a lot of training on Thinking Maps! We love them. They are a set of 8 graphic organizers that are the same for everything and every subject. The brain thinks in one of those 8 ways and all stories or text books, no matter the genre, can fit into one of the 8 maps. We use them a lot for the reading and writing connection. When I read the section about Graphic Organizers being tools to help raise the level of talking and thinking about the texts we are reading I got really excited. My mind started going crazy over the fact that one: I already do this to a point. And two: I can do more of this and incorportate the Thinking Maps even more during reading time! Keri Cooper

OK, maybe it's just me but I am hesitant to hand over pads of post-its to my 1st graders. I have not read through all of the units yet so I am hoping that there will be specific lessons that will teach the students how to use them for a purpose. I am invisioning going through a million post-its that have no significance to them. I also feel that some first graders will take so much time and energy to write that it will take away from their energy needed for reading. Do they use post-its to just mark a spot or do they always write something on them? Please someone tell me how it went in your classroom and share any tips you may have. I noticed Keri's comment to #2 above says that she plans to give more specific lessons and that she plans to limit the # of post-its used each day. I would love to hear your thoughts for this coming year! --Jodee Tuttle