Chapter+17

// To me, the quote by Jerry Harste on p. 337 gets at the heart of the powerful scaffolding we get to do with budding thinkers each day. ”I see curriculum as creating in the classroom the kind of world we believe in and then inviting children to //**// role play their way into being //**// the readers, writers and learners we want them to be.” “ //**// Role play their way into being” //**// … wow… What a privilege we do have. Any other responses to thisquote/thinking? //// Or, how will your August planning be different this year to create the kind of world Jerry speaks of? What will you be dreaming and envisioning for your year? //
 * #1 Role play into being **

In August, I will model to our staff how to start with a mini lesson, role-play, and model what we want our students to do when they are in their reading centers. We confer, engage them in guided reading, and offer some careful responses to those who balk at the idea of reading. Yes, with the dawn of technology there are those who would rather be playing on the computer. So, that really makes the job more of a challenge. M.J.

Yeah finely what I have been encourage parent for years in black and white. “We can feel less ambivalent about directing children toward books that are easy fro them if we bear in mind that this is a temporary goal”—but necessary—they we can encourage and receive movement to move challenging texts. P.339 has this quote. Sometime we keep pushing at a spotstudnets are not ready for. We refuse to backup and fill the swiss chesse holes that are stopping them. I have been mentoring our 11 grade English teacher—giving her the same advise backup as far as necessary so their can be no growth or conversation at the 11 grade level until we have master the levels between. Kdn

Beginning in August, I am working on building up my classroom library of books that are first grade appropriate. I moved grade levels and need to make this a priority. Love the idea of reading lots of easy books at the beginning of the year. The students will gain a wonderful sense of "what it means to read texts with a strong, clear understanding of them." From this point they will be able to tackle texts that are more challenging but they will have the same goals for themselves. I know this is important and need to get more books to read aloud to model these concepts. I also need to develop a way to keep track of time spent reading at home and at school. I feel this is important and need a way to keep this information organized. Ronda

This month I spent a lot of time at school planning and re-organizing my classroom library. I made cute little labels and put on clip-art with pictures, and put contact paper over the labels, and leveled many books. I am so excited for my students to come in and see the "new and improved" library. It is especially fun because I have some students two years in a row and I can't wait to have them see how it is so much better than last year! Also, I loved how on p. 338, it says, "Lets start off the day with a treat. Let's each take some time with our books." I hope to really make the "Books are a treat!" attitude become contagious this year. Kari Bonnema


 * #2 Tips to remember **// This chapter was overflowing with tips. I highlighted specifically, “While we’re still getting to know children, we will probably be hesitant to establish long-term reading partnerships.” (349) and “I find it helps to say, ‘Is this book a confusing book?’ (almost as if it is the book’s fault), rather than ‘Is this book too hard?’” (341). These quotes spoke to my desire to be planned and purposeful in my work with readers, including planning my language for independence and capacity building. What did you highlight as something you don’t want to forget when you launch in September and why? If possibly, extend your response to explore why you think that passage is specifically significant to you. //

One part of the text that stuck out to me was the mini-lesson discussion on pages 345-346 where students brainstormed solutions to the problem of how to accomplish more reading outside of the classroom. The ideas brainstormed by the students to solve this issue were a great reminder that the best solutions often come from the students. I want to have this specific discussion with students before it becomes an issue, but also want to use this example whenever the class is having a problem with some aspect of reading workshop, or any other portion of the school day. Students are more likely to follow through with a solution if they are involved in the discussion and feel that their ideas are heard and respected. Stephanie Cooper

On page 343, the author tells us “If we keep our teaching simple, we can see through our teaching methods and focus on the children.” “Teaching children to read books they can understand with ease will have dramatic payoffs.” I have to remind myself to not get caught up in age appropriate books for my older population. Furthermore, if they cannot read or understand the text then they will not gain the confidence to continue reading or participate in ‘Book Clubs.’ M.J.

Like p342 student not only love to get tips they love to receive and use them. Students will hone in on the students that natural “get it” or those that are having new success. They push themselves to be able to read and get the text of the students. This nudge is more effective then most treachery pushes I can give. KDN

On page 354 after every two paragraphs we could ask "What are you thinking?' If we want a deeper understanding of what they are thinking we could listen to them read a little. "We don't rescue the child from his/her misconceptions but watch as they negotiate they way to an understanding of the text." I realize that it is so important to take notes of their thinking and build up an organized way to keep them for a reference. Ronda

On p. 349, it said that "we need to read like we're talking". I love that! It is so easy to get caught up in sounding out each word, especially when kids are first learning to read, that this is impossible. But with the focus on fluency, that will improve. Also, I liked the bottom of. 349, where it talked about how we need to make sure that reading is a social activity. Kids are naturally social, so if we can tap into that with reading and sharing about what they've read, that will make reading more pleasurable, too. Kari Bonnema


 * #3 Diana Story **// The Diana story on p. 356 highlighted the importance in seeing difficulties students have with meaning “because these difficulties, like the word-level ones we notice beginning readers making, can illuminate a reader’s strategies and inform our instruction” (356). This chapter reminded me to see these difficulties as not just one time fires to be extinguished hastily, but as significant clues on which to linger. //// How did you see you own students or (like me) yourself in this chapter? //

Reading Diana’s story reminded me of several students I have had throughout my teaching career. Reading these texts and taking part in the book studies has deepened my understanding of reading instruction to the point where I will dig deeper to find the root of the students’ troubles, be it print or meaning related. The issue cannot be solved with just one book or by explaining the meaning of a story as Lucy illustrated when she attempted to explain the story to Diana on page 356. A series of conferences must be held with these students to build on their skills and fill their reading toolbox with strategies to help them construct meaning. Lucy’s quote on pages 356-357 stuck with me: “When I watch readers navigate a short text I know well, I am startled to see how they can pull off this thing called reading.” It is my job to give students enough strategies so that they are able to make it look easy. Stephanie Cooper

== I liked the section on page 356 that said "When we talk with children about a novel they have read, there is always so much they //could// say that we tend to notice only whether they have //some// ideas about the book. We pay attention to whatever meaning the have made and don't particularly notice the gaps in their understanding. But it is important to see the difficulties our readers encounter, because these difficulties, like the word-level ones we notice beginning readers making, can illuminate a reader's strategies and inform our instruction." This really spoke to me and I feel that my instruction will be so child ability focused if I am able to do this. My lesson plans will be bare bones plans because the meat of my planning will be within my conferring notes. --Jodee Tuttle ==

//** Here is a place to post other ideas and burning questions from chapter seventeen, if any. (Remember, a high-quality comment in this bottom section does still count toward your total comments. So anytime the posts for a certain chapter don't speak to you and your thinking, feel free to share your own ideas from the text here...) **//

help on how to format text “Role play their way into being” is the heart of childhood. It’s why children need to have dramatic play in the classroom. They need to role play their way into being a mom or dad, or firefighter or nurse. They need to role play, or approximate, being writers and readers as they emerge from the beginning stages into more conventional ways. We need to accept all levels that children come to us at as they grow toward the conventional ways. It’s like me as I set up my classroom. I feel like I’m role playing, at times, that teacher who is organized, prepared, resourceful, and knowledgeable. I feel full of hope as I continue to grow into my role of being a master teacher! I love the image Calkins wrote on page 337: “I am like a child making mansions in the spaces among the sumac bushes.” As I set up my bookshelves, puppets, big books, carpet, desks, etc, I feel like an artist and engineer. I am hopeful of creating a space where children will fall in love with words, people, stories, and songs. I am humbled by the great responsibility ahead and encouraged by the spirit of children! Like you Bobbi, I can’t wait to get started! Sara Sabourin
 * 1) 1 (I am having difficulty posting under the correct question. The screen comes up blank, so I don't know where my post will show up :-(

#2

I loved the quote about how “we need to nourish them as readers” by making reading a “sociable activity” (page 349). I’ve seen a community of readers pour over books about insects to learn more or to reread their favorite Eloise Greenfield poem that’s a jump-rope jingle (I can’t remember the name right now) as they pretend to jump-rope. I’ve seen readers gather around a Big Book of Cookie’s Week and then after ask me if we can make up our own version (which we did!) or how partnerships form in an impromptu way every morning during choice reading time. All these experiences and more remind me how important it is that reading needs to be a sociable activity for children. I didn’t do so well last year with forming long-term partnerships and cultivating the work partners did. So this quote is important to me as a reminder that I need to improve in that area (as well as forming reading centers).

Sara Sabourin

Sara, the screen is still blank today. In fact, I have NO idea what the prompts even are. Therefore, I'm just going to piggyback onto what you are talking about. I always love your posts and your insight. There are many times that I read what you say and think to myself, "self, how come you never thought of that?" LOL! We ask our students to Role Play a lot of different things. When we are involved in our unit about the earth, the sun and the moon, we role play revolving and rotating. We learn the words and actually DO it! We role play different characters in a story. We act out our thoughts and learning in many different ways and times in the coarse of a day, week, month and year. Why should reading and writing be any different. If we want our children to see themselves as readers and writers, they need to experience how it feels to be one...therefore, role play! What a thought!?! I also like the quote on page 338 and I highlighted it so I will remember it and use it this year. It says, "Reading and writing will be at the center of life in Room 402," and then it goes on to explain that we need to talk to our children "about literacy as if we couldn't imagine anyone on earth not loving words and stories and poems as we do." Keri Cooper

For me, my favorite part of this entire chapter is how heavily it focuses on the conversations that need to take place about books, print, reading, etc. The bulleted ideas on pages 349 and 350 are a great reference. Comprehension cannot and will not take place fully unless children are taught to have conversations about the stories. This is the piece that has been missing in our reading curriculum for far too long. I'm so excited that there is a framework being established that incorporates good reading with higher level thinking skills that when paired together form a great basis for real comprehension and understanding of texts/stories. We can ask children to answer questions about a story until the end of time, but that isn't fostering a true love, understanding and appreciation of reading. It isn't building life-long readers. Comprehension is more than just retelling. Conversations like these described in this chapter and throughout this book are not happening in families anymore. Parents aren't watching TV with their children as much. They don't discuss the news and what's going on in the world with their children. Families aren't eating around dinner tables together as much anymore. It's sad, but true, and so children are coming to school with fewer and fewer social and conversational skills. Therefore, it is on us, as educators. We need to be teaching children how to discuss a topic, have a conversation, have an opinion, share thinking and really grow those ideas into something that is real! Keri Cooper