Page 161: "As all teachers discuss and reflect on reading instruction, they develop a community of practice, literacy teachers have an identity defined by a shared interest: to teach all children to read. Within the community of practice, the teachers add to their shared knowledge base. This shared knowledge implies a commitment to teaching reading and therefore a shared expertise that distinguishes literacy educators from others."
The community of practice seems to focus on collaborative instruction. This method is ideal in the sense that the classroom teacher will have the benefit of outside criticism/feedback in a non-threatening manner. It is difficult in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of teaching to catch and perfect all aspects of our lesson on our own. This "shared knowledge" of differing approaches to teaching reading can be passed along from teacher to teacher, having successes trickle down to students. It makes so much sense because when a lesson does not work well, it is so much more difficult to manage, reteach, etc. When a lesson works well, the students respond. Utilizing a community of practice is essential for teacher development.
Page 162: "A collaborative group of teachers working in low-poverty schools increased student learning when they used higher-level questions that focused on relating the reading passages to student's background knowledge, making predictions before and during reading, summarizing what was read and discussing the theme...A characteristic of classrooms with increased student learning is one where the students are highly engaged."
The concept of connecting material to students' lives is one I have tried to incorporate in every lesson I create. I have yet to find a tool that engages students more than relating the material to their lives. For example, students readily discussed several issues they felt they knew a lot about when we read To Kill a Mockingbird: small town gossip, gender roles, stereotypes, racism, classism, education, etc. They offered many opinions to our class discussion. As a colleague of mine and I often debate about classroom discussion, one thought reverberates: conversation builds comprehension. Engagement is increased when their peers offer conversation, however, as Walker's text states the focus is on "teacher and student behaviors" and careful attention to building a safe, comfortable environment is necessary.
Page 163: "The literacy coach and the teacher continuously reflect on instruction and plan new ways to improve teaching. This is the cycle of literacy coaching. It is a means for continuous teacher development that results in student learning."
The literacy coach offers observational data focusing on student learning. Ideally, the literacy coach can guide the teacher through questioning to generate some thoughts on improving student engagement. It is through this deep reflection that meaningful change can be made.
Page 165: "Eskridge (2002) found that the teachers talked extensively about their personal connections to characters in trade books. In fact, personal stories that helped the teachers understand the books were retold quite frequenlty."
Students benefit from hearing how an avid reader makes connections with the text. Oftentimes, students do not have many life expierences to draw from. Constistant modeling of this will impress upon the students the importance of this method. Creating connections also shows students how to identify with and create enjoyment out of what could be an otherwise boring text. Connecting with character is crucial to increased student engagement.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Chapter 9
Page 152: "Series books are often easier for readers because the authors use the same characters and the same language structures in each book...In fact, some of these series appeal to older readers and can be used to develop fluency."
Last year the Twilight series spread like wildfire throughout our school. It ran beyond cliques and genders and generated some much needed "good press" about reading. Some of the struggling readers just looked at the sheer thickness of the book and needed convincing. However, many of those same students are on the the third and fourth book. Not wanting to miss out on such an important opportunity, I bought multiple copies for my classroom library.
Page 153: "The diagnostic teacher collects a sample of the reading behavior she is going to teach. She selects about 50 to 120 words from the story and writes questions focusing on the main ideas and key facts or events. After the student reads the passage, the diagnostic teacher computes error or miscue rates and a percentage of the comprehension to decide whether the text is at the student's instructional level."
Makes me wonder if this is a cold read or if the student would have some prior knowledge of the content of the text? Would the diagnostic teacher create a word list of some of the more challenging words in the passage before the reading or is it more important to see what the reader is able to accomplish without support?
Page 159: "Interest is crucial in selecting books. If the topic/or story line is interesting and engaging, then the book is usually easier to read. Students can be drawn into a text when the characters are interesting and readily befriended, words provoke strong images, and stories have unanticipated twists."
Reading is perceived as work to struggling readers. As long as they feel that way, they will not buy into reading for enjoyment. The largest hurdle I find is locating easier reads that entice students. I am constantly reading books, short stories, and articles that I could use in class...and while I find it a major achievement when I find something that works, I feel that there should be more out there. Most of the "classic" literature is criticized by some colleagues (the others, non- English teaching teachers :) as being too "heavy" or "sad" and while this is true, there just doesn't seem to be a wide selection of literature with the depth of character, symbolism, and clearly drawn themes as most of the classics commonly taught at the high school level. The classics also provide our class with loads of juicy discussion topics.
Last year the Twilight series spread like wildfire throughout our school. It ran beyond cliques and genders and generated some much needed "good press" about reading. Some of the struggling readers just looked at the sheer thickness of the book and needed convincing. However, many of those same students are on the the third and fourth book. Not wanting to miss out on such an important opportunity, I bought multiple copies for my classroom library.
Page 153: "The diagnostic teacher collects a sample of the reading behavior she is going to teach. She selects about 50 to 120 words from the story and writes questions focusing on the main ideas and key facts or events. After the student reads the passage, the diagnostic teacher computes error or miscue rates and a percentage of the comprehension to decide whether the text is at the student's instructional level."
Makes me wonder if this is a cold read or if the student would have some prior knowledge of the content of the text? Would the diagnostic teacher create a word list of some of the more challenging words in the passage before the reading or is it more important to see what the reader is able to accomplish without support?
Page 159: "Interest is crucial in selecting books. If the topic/or story line is interesting and engaging, then the book is usually easier to read. Students can be drawn into a text when the characters are interesting and readily befriended, words provoke strong images, and stories have unanticipated twists."
Reading is perceived as work to struggling readers. As long as they feel that way, they will not buy into reading for enjoyment. The largest hurdle I find is locating easier reads that entice students. I am constantly reading books, short stories, and articles that I could use in class...and while I find it a major achievement when I find something that works, I feel that there should be more out there. Most of the "classic" literature is criticized by some colleagues (the others, non- English teaching teachers :) as being too "heavy" or "sad" and while this is true, there just doesn't seem to be a wide selection of literature with the depth of character, symbolism, and clearly drawn themes as most of the classics commonly taught at the high school level. The classics also provide our class with loads of juicy discussion topics.
Chapter 7
Page 123: "As she teaches, the diagnostic teacher adjusts her instruction to the needs of the student. She asks herself these questions: How can I elicit responses so that students can understand the main idea? What does the student know that will help him? How much time do I need to wait before I assist? What kind of assistance (prompting, questioning, or modeling) will be most helpful?"
I feel that this part of the lesson is most important, yet oftentimes overlooked. Questioning during the lesson is as important as the lesson itself. Question helps the student come to his or her own conclusions about what they are learning and encourages them to think deeply about the material. Furthermore, one must be careful not to overwhelm or confuse the student with too many questions. I find that wait time is crucial as well. This is something I practice often with the entire class. Some students will rush to be the first ones with their hands raised, while others are contemplating and putting together their thoughts. I often let the students know that I will be waiting for a few minutes before I call on students, and I include a few techniques to make calling on students as random as possible. When working one on one with students, teachers should also consider giving ample wait time.
Page 125: "After the baseline data have been established, the teacher designs a diagnostic lesson based on her hypothesis about the student's reading. She selects a technique that matches the reader's profile. The second section is use to establish optimal conditions for learning new reading strategies. As she teaches the lesson, her modifications are summarized and become a part of the diagnostic collection."
Diagnostic teachers are record keepers. They are constantly evaluating and creating new ways tom improve reading skills. Multiple reading strategies are often incorporated into a single lesson, with the diagnostic teacher consistently assessing what is effective and what is not.
Page 127: "If mediated instruction produces an independent reading level, the diagnostic teacher carefully evaluates the task modifications and teacher investment, or assistance, to establish the instructional modifications that produced the change. If mediated instruction does not produce reading progress, the diagnostic teacher eliminates those techniques and modifications that were used. She returns to her diagnostic hypotheses, adds any new information collected during the diagnostic lesson and reformulates her new hypothesis."
The diagnostic teacher is constantly evaluating what works and what doesn't for each reader. I think if is also important to recognize the behaviors that occur during the tutoring session. My student, for example, is always rushing through the reading. He wants to get back to his study hall. This makes it difficult for him to focus and comprehends very little. It makes it difficult for me to feel as though I am evaluating him accurately, as the motivation is lacking. He is a willing participant, but forever in a hurry.
Page 128: "To help this passive reader learn more active strategies for comprehension meaning, the diagnostic teacher needed to modify a number of instructional areas. She changed the task from silent to oral reading when Terry could not talk about what he read when he read silently. She segmented the section into sentences when he could not follow the paragraphs that she demonstrated."
It seems to be so important to break down reading into smaller chunks when trying to diagnose a student. It is difficult to detect what a problem could be if the student is reading silently. It seems like a good strategy to start small in this instance, before increasing to a larger segment of reading.
Page 131: "Sometimes the diagnostic teacher needs to combine several techniques to produce the desired change. In these cases, the combined techniques are more effective than using either one of them alone."
As an active reader and teacher, I am aware of some of the strategies used to help struggling readers. I am surprised to see a combination of techniques recommended. However, if developmentally appropriate, I can imagine success with this approach. If the ultimate goal is to make students better readers, they should be armed with a wealth of tools. The tools may change over time, depending on challenge and ability.
I feel that this part of the lesson is most important, yet oftentimes overlooked. Questioning during the lesson is as important as the lesson itself. Question helps the student come to his or her own conclusions about what they are learning and encourages them to think deeply about the material. Furthermore, one must be careful not to overwhelm or confuse the student with too many questions. I find that wait time is crucial as well. This is something I practice often with the entire class. Some students will rush to be the first ones with their hands raised, while others are contemplating and putting together their thoughts. I often let the students know that I will be waiting for a few minutes before I call on students, and I include a few techniques to make calling on students as random as possible. When working one on one with students, teachers should also consider giving ample wait time.
Page 125: "After the baseline data have been established, the teacher designs a diagnostic lesson based on her hypothesis about the student's reading. She selects a technique that matches the reader's profile. The second section is use to establish optimal conditions for learning new reading strategies. As she teaches the lesson, her modifications are summarized and become a part of the diagnostic collection."
Diagnostic teachers are record keepers. They are constantly evaluating and creating new ways tom improve reading skills. Multiple reading strategies are often incorporated into a single lesson, with the diagnostic teacher consistently assessing what is effective and what is not.
Page 127: "If mediated instruction produces an independent reading level, the diagnostic teacher carefully evaluates the task modifications and teacher investment, or assistance, to establish the instructional modifications that produced the change. If mediated instruction does not produce reading progress, the diagnostic teacher eliminates those techniques and modifications that were used. She returns to her diagnostic hypotheses, adds any new information collected during the diagnostic lesson and reformulates her new hypothesis."
The diagnostic teacher is constantly evaluating what works and what doesn't for each reader. I think if is also important to recognize the behaviors that occur during the tutoring session. My student, for example, is always rushing through the reading. He wants to get back to his study hall. This makes it difficult for him to focus and comprehends very little. It makes it difficult for me to feel as though I am evaluating him accurately, as the motivation is lacking. He is a willing participant, but forever in a hurry.
Page 128: "To help this passive reader learn more active strategies for comprehension meaning, the diagnostic teacher needed to modify a number of instructional areas. She changed the task from silent to oral reading when Terry could not talk about what he read when he read silently. She segmented the section into sentences when he could not follow the paragraphs that she demonstrated."
It seems to be so important to break down reading into smaller chunks when trying to diagnose a student. It is difficult to detect what a problem could be if the student is reading silently. It seems like a good strategy to start small in this instance, before increasing to a larger segment of reading.
Page 131: "Sometimes the diagnostic teacher needs to combine several techniques to produce the desired change. In these cases, the combined techniques are more effective than using either one of them alone."
As an active reader and teacher, I am aware of some of the strategies used to help struggling readers. I am surprised to see a combination of techniques recommended. However, if developmentally appropriate, I can imagine success with this approach. If the ultimate goal is to make students better readers, they should be armed with a wealth of tools. The tools may change over time, depending on challenge and ability.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Chapter 4
Page 59: "Familiar text time provides time for students to flexibly use their reading strategies and skills while reading easy material. It provides balance between easy reading and the challenging tasks that lie ahead."
I connect with the idea of balance suggested in this statement. Reading can be such a frustrating task for students that I try to balance challenging material with high-interest and engaging material. If the material I know that I must teach is out of their realm of personal connection, I will create an activity that provides them with the necessary background knowledge to help them gain a toe-hold on the material. For example, I created a web quest (pleasure) and combined it with the short story (challenge). The web quest gave students a way to investigate one of the largest cases of racial profiling in US history (the internment of Japanese Americans in WWII) and read a letter of apology from the US government (a rarity, as the government seldom apologizes for anything). Their reading was a personal account, an expert from the long work, From Farewell to Manzanar.
Page 61: "Taken together, the elements provide a vehicle for monitoring the effect of instructional adjustments and the balance of instruction using strengths and instruction in areas of need, of contextual reading and strategy lessons, of implicit and explicit instruction, of challenging and familiar reading tasks, of self-selected and teacher-selected materials, and of assessment and instruction."
How do you handle and assess the paperwork associated with this multifaceted approach? How is this laid out? What comes first? What is the end goal? How does one assess the level of progress? What if that is not achieved? How will individual students be accountable?
Page 65: "Task analysis of reading performance pinpoints specific strategies or skills that could increase students' reading."
This seems like an intense process. It also appears to be something that would be constantly reassessed and reevaluated. Do the students practice these strategies on their own? How can one tell if they are using them? I really like that there is a self-assessment component built in. One of the best ways students learn is through self-reflection. This will give them a sense of personal accountability.
Page 69: "The focus is communication between students and teacher; therefore, the teacher should not correct any spelling or grammatical errors."
This could be difficult, especially if they are repeated errors. However, I think it is important for students to feel that they are able to express themselves without red pen worry. Besides, reluctant readers are often reluctant writers and having these types of students practice writing for enjoyment will give them a toe-hold into developing their ideas on paper.
Page 71: "He uses charts to encourage self-assessment and continues the discussion about strategy use. Therefore, he builds responsibility within the students by gradually giving them the control to monitor their own reading behavior."
I wish I could convince all students to buy into this form of self-monitoring. Some students will find success and grow through the process, while others will decide to rely on coping skills.
I connect with the idea of balance suggested in this statement. Reading can be such a frustrating task for students that I try to balance challenging material with high-interest and engaging material. If the material I know that I must teach is out of their realm of personal connection, I will create an activity that provides them with the necessary background knowledge to help them gain a toe-hold on the material. For example, I created a web quest (pleasure) and combined it with the short story (challenge). The web quest gave students a way to investigate one of the largest cases of racial profiling in US history (the internment of Japanese Americans in WWII) and read a letter of apology from the US government (a rarity, as the government seldom apologizes for anything). Their reading was a personal account, an expert from the long work, From Farewell to Manzanar.
Page 61: "Taken together, the elements provide a vehicle for monitoring the effect of instructional adjustments and the balance of instruction using strengths and instruction in areas of need, of contextual reading and strategy lessons, of implicit and explicit instruction, of challenging and familiar reading tasks, of self-selected and teacher-selected materials, and of assessment and instruction."
How do you handle and assess the paperwork associated with this multifaceted approach? How is this laid out? What comes first? What is the end goal? How does one assess the level of progress? What if that is not achieved? How will individual students be accountable?
Page 65: "Task analysis of reading performance pinpoints specific strategies or skills that could increase students' reading."
This seems like an intense process. It also appears to be something that would be constantly reassessed and reevaluated. Do the students practice these strategies on their own? How can one tell if they are using them? I really like that there is a self-assessment component built in. One of the best ways students learn is through self-reflection. This will give them a sense of personal accountability.
Page 69: "The focus is communication between students and teacher; therefore, the teacher should not correct any spelling or grammatical errors."
This could be difficult, especially if they are repeated errors. However, I think it is important for students to feel that they are able to express themselves without red pen worry. Besides, reluctant readers are often reluctant writers and having these types of students practice writing for enjoyment will give them a toe-hold into developing their ideas on paper.
Page 71: "He uses charts to encourage self-assessment and continues the discussion about strategy use. Therefore, he builds responsibility within the students by gradually giving them the control to monitor their own reading behavior."
I wish I could convince all students to buy into this form of self-monitoring. Some students will find success and grow through the process, while others will decide to rely on coping skills.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Chapter 5 and 6
Chapter 5
Page 78: "Sometimes the informal reading inventory does not reveal a problem with oral reading."
Being able to read aloud fluently seems like almost entirely separate issue. I often find when a student reads aloud, they are (and rightfully so) much too concerned with pronunciation, smoothness, voice projection, etc., that it makes it difficult to have a solid grasp of the material. But it makes me wonder...will they need this skill in life? When are people ever asked to read something aloud and then demonstrate comprehension besides in a school setting? If I were to put all my eggs in the comprehension basket, I would focus on what a student is able to comprehend during silent reading. Reading, really is thinking, isn't it? Thinking (like concentrated, engaged thinking) requires silence, right? So wouldn't it make sense to not correlate oral fluency with comprehension?
Page 87: "One of the best ways to evaluate phonic knowledge is to analyze children's spelling. As they spell words, children must think about each letter and its sound and then synthesize these sounds into words."
Really? What about the who consistently spell words phonetically, but incorrectly. Our language rules (specifically vocabulary here) and really very confusing for some learners. We have rules, many of them, and all the rules have exceptions. Why? Craziness.
Page 93-94 & Figure 5-15 & 16 "Strategy Self-Report: When I read, I..." and "Metacognative Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory"
I think these two informal self assessments cause students to reflect upon their participation in the reading process. Struggling readers have a difficult time buying into the fact that they must participate in the reading process. It seems like too much work. If only by doing this assessment, they might be able to realize how crucial active engagement with the text really is. The action of rereading is emphasised here. This is so important. Teens are less patient with this process. Hearing it from a different source might be effective.
Chapter 6
Page 108: "Analysis of a think-aloud, therefore, is a tool for evaluating the reader's comprehension strategies in the context of the entire passage."
This is a solid idea. I have modeled think-aloud sessions in the past, but never entertained the thought of having the student share a think-aloud as a form of (informal or self) assessment. I do, however, do something similar when reading sonnets: I ask the students to read through the poem and rate their comprehension on a scale of 1-10 (10 meaning they could read it, recite it, and explain it; while a 1 would mean that they do not know any of the words). Some will know more than others, but all can identify at least a third of the words. The students share what they know, and with guidance, work together to construct meaning and ultimately reach the goal of all 10s for the class (along with visualization techniques to aid in comprehension).
Page 111: "Some students refuse to predict because they don't want to be wrong."
I agree. Unless the text follows an identifiable pattern, their insecurity is somewhat justified. How does predicting help process meaning? I have been challenged on this one with the question: Why should we predict when we are going to be wrong anyway? What is the sense? I created a "Reading for Meaning" sheet this week which challenged student's thoughts about video games. I created several statements and asked them to agree or disagree. They predicted what the article was going to be about (the article was for video game use, they assumed it was against). Unfortunately, their predictions were wrong, again. Most of the reading strategies seem very helpful, but I am not sold on predicting.
Page 78: "Sometimes the informal reading inventory does not reveal a problem with oral reading."
Being able to read aloud fluently seems like almost entirely separate issue. I often find when a student reads aloud, they are (and rightfully so) much too concerned with pronunciation, smoothness, voice projection, etc., that it makes it difficult to have a solid grasp of the material. But it makes me wonder...will they need this skill in life? When are people ever asked to read something aloud and then demonstrate comprehension besides in a school setting? If I were to put all my eggs in the comprehension basket, I would focus on what a student is able to comprehend during silent reading. Reading, really is thinking, isn't it? Thinking (like concentrated, engaged thinking) requires silence, right? So wouldn't it make sense to not correlate oral fluency with comprehension?
Page 87: "One of the best ways to evaluate phonic knowledge is to analyze children's spelling. As they spell words, children must think about each letter and its sound and then synthesize these sounds into words."
Really? What about the who consistently spell words phonetically, but incorrectly. Our language rules (specifically vocabulary here) and really very confusing for some learners. We have rules, many of them, and all the rules have exceptions. Why? Craziness.
Page 93-94 & Figure 5-15 & 16 "Strategy Self-Report: When I read, I..." and "Metacognative Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory"
I think these two informal self assessments cause students to reflect upon their participation in the reading process. Struggling readers have a difficult time buying into the fact that they must participate in the reading process. It seems like too much work. If only by doing this assessment, they might be able to realize how crucial active engagement with the text really is. The action of rereading is emphasised here. This is so important. Teens are less patient with this process. Hearing it from a different source might be effective.
Chapter 6
Page 108: "Analysis of a think-aloud, therefore, is a tool for evaluating the reader's comprehension strategies in the context of the entire passage."
This is a solid idea. I have modeled think-aloud sessions in the past, but never entertained the thought of having the student share a think-aloud as a form of (informal or self) assessment. I do, however, do something similar when reading sonnets: I ask the students to read through the poem and rate their comprehension on a scale of 1-10 (10 meaning they could read it, recite it, and explain it; while a 1 would mean that they do not know any of the words). Some will know more than others, but all can identify at least a third of the words. The students share what they know, and with guidance, work together to construct meaning and ultimately reach the goal of all 10s for the class (along with visualization techniques to aid in comprehension).
Page 111: "Some students refuse to predict because they don't want to be wrong."
I agree. Unless the text follows an identifiable pattern, their insecurity is somewhat justified. How does predicting help process meaning? I have been challenged on this one with the question: Why should we predict when we are going to be wrong anyway? What is the sense? I created a "Reading for Meaning" sheet this week which challenged student's thoughts about video games. I created several statements and asked them to agree or disagree. They predicted what the article was going to be about (the article was for video game use, they assumed it was against). Unfortunately, their predictions were wrong, again. Most of the reading strategies seem very helpful, but I am not sold on predicting.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Chapter 3
“A longitudinal study that investigated children’s reading progress in the first through third grade (Jeul, 1988) found that struggling readers read less than half as many words as good readers. Other studies found that in Title I and special education programs, the amount of contextual education was reduced, rather than increased when students were placed in these special programs” (Johnson & Allington, 2001).
“She phases in and out of the lesson to create an atmosphere that promotes thinking rather than interrogation.”
This is a vertical problem as well. Some students with individualized educational programs are not challenged. Often, their workload is reduced, assessments are graded with too much forgiveness and the student has a learned laziness. While I hate to paint with a broad sweeping brush because there are absolutely students who benefit from, and need such modifications. However, how can we really ever tell if we are challenging these students or holding them back? If a student does not have the basic skills but with can demonstrate the bare minimum, with lots of help, does he/she deserve to move on? Furthermore, do they get the same credit as someone who can demonstrate the skills without assistance? What about having tests read? Obviously, content is being assessed, but is not of greater importance that children have the ability to read their own test?
“Not only does the diagnostic teacher plan successful reading experiences by placing the students at the appropriate reading level, but she also carefully selects authentic texts that are familiar and interesting to her students.”
Who is this woman and where is she finding these “authentic texts that are familiar and interesting to her students”? I am constantly buying books for my classroom. I search for articles all the time. There should be more works of literature that appeal to adolescent readers. The problem is that when students are interested in pop culture reads, the books themselves often lack sufficient development, characterization, vocabulary, and themes. I often find myself utilizing the classic works of literature, but creating lessons which force them to relate to the material. To Kill a Mockingbird is brilliant, but if the students are not taught to how create meaningful engagement with the text they will not get anything out of the reading.
“To do so, the diagnostic teacher checks her behavior with other with both proficient and struggling readers to see whether prompts focus on meaning.”
I do this often, but am not good at it. When I probe for answers to inferential questions from struggling students, I am often left with blank stares. I tend to question if some of my low level students are even developmentally ready and capable of such challenging thinking.
“Rather than giving right or wring answers, students are encouraged to express themselves.”
“She phases in and out of the lesson to create an atmosphere that promotes thinking rather than interrogation.”
This is also good. How do I do this? I can give the students tips and tools that they should use, but how can I ensure that they are thinking for themselves and using their ideas to build knowledge with their groups? How can I be sure that all group members are not just regurgitating one member’s ideas?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
