What is Balanced Literacy? “…teaching literacy lies in matching instruction to the unique strengths and needs of each student in a class. Just as there is no single way all readers read, there is no one way all readers learn about reading. Supporting so many individual readers and writers require a consistency of practice throughout the city…” (CABL, 2003, p.22)
Accordingly, these convictions were accentuated and buttressed by the 2000 National Reading Panel research which asserted, “ …no one program fits all children … some will be able to decode letter-sound correspondences, and some will even be able to decode words, while others will have little to no letter knowledge…” (CABL, 2003, p.14) GARDNER “…adapting our instructional strategies to teach to the student’s strengths…” to ensure that “…there are multiple ways for students to experience literacy learning …the brain needs multiple experienced along a range of experiences so the learner builds stronger networks of understanding.” (CAPBL, 2003, VYGOTSKY “…we work within the students’ zone of proximal development. By building upon what students are able to do independently and then extending this learning through various materials and supports, we are better able to scaffold the students’ learning….students need to be pushed a little beyond their comfort zone…” (CABL, 2003, p.14)
Reading Workshop: A Balanced Approach Mini-Lesson: 10-15 minuets • Comprehension strategy lesson • Read Aloud • Shared Reading Independent/Small Group Work Time: 25-35 minuets • Independent reading • Guided Reading • Partner Reading • Literature Circles • Reciprocal Teaching Sharing Session 5-10 minuets • Students describe strategies they practiced independently • Teacher discussing what strategies we used during independent / small group work time
The Comprehensive Approach to Balanced literacy is designed around New York State Content Standards, New York City Performance Standards and the federal guidelines established under the No Child Left Behind law, which was signed into law on January 2002. The No Child Left Behind initiative is supported by research that was published in 2000 by the National Reading Panel’s Teaching Children to Read. • • • • •
Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency and Expression Vocabulary Comprehensiveness
Types of Reading Shared Reading: teacher reads aloud while students follow along using individual copies of books, a class chart or a big book • Access to books students could not read themselves • Teacher models fluent reading • Opportunities to model reading strategies • Students practice fluent reading • Develop a community of readers Guided Reading: teacher support students as they apply reading strategies or skills to read a text • Teacher skills and cuing system strategies • Teacher provides direction and scaffolding • Opportunities to model reading strategies • Use with unfamiliar text at their instructional level Independent Reading: students read their text independently and often choose the text themselves • Student develops responsibility and ownership • Self-selection of text • Experience is more authentic Buddy Reading: two students read a text together • Collaboration between students • Students assist each other • Use to reread familiar texts • Develop reading fluency • Students talk and share interpretations Reading Aloud To Students: teacher or other fluent readers read aloud to students • Access to books students could not read themselves • Teacher models fluent reading • Opportunities to model reading strategies • Develops a community of readers
Guidelines for Reading Workshop
Come prepared with materials to class: journals, books and
writing utensils
You must read to develop reading fluency and comprehension skills To read and discover who you are as a reader…INTEREST! Don’t read books you don’t like…read books you are passionate about!!! If you don’t like a book you are reading, find another one…browse the library, as me or a friend for a recommendations or check the “FAVORITE BOOKS” basket Read as much as you can Remember, reading requires thinking. Don’t distract me or others When you confer with me use a soft voice. WHISPER!!
What do good readers do? Good readers read a lot Good readers read everyday Good readers read a variety of genres Good readers read for pleasure Good readers read to explore their interests Good readers read to share their thoughts “ACCOUNTABLE TALK” Good readers practice reading strategies taught during Reading Workshop
How do we choose books that are JUST RIGHT for us? Read authors you know and like Select interesting titles Select books that are not too easy or too hard Read SERIES books Read award-winning books “Caldecott Awards” picture books “Newberry awards” chapter books Recommendations from peers or teachers Read a few pages Re-read books you have already read Read the cover, the inside jacket or the blurb in the back
Maintaining a Reading Journal
Before Reading • PREVIEW THE BOOK: Is this fiction or non-fiction? Preview pictures, charts, graphs… THINK: what do I know about the topic? • MAKE PREDICTIONS: Look at the title Look at the illustrations/picture walk Read the blurb on the back cover • GENERATE QUESTIONS: I wonder… Why…
During Reading • Confirm or adjust predictions • Utilize meta-cognitive strategies to foster comprehension: Text to Self Text to Text Text to World Generate questions about your reading Visualize: make movies in your mind Predictions Inferences
•
THINK: use the cuing systems and FIX-UP strategies…
Does it make sense? Does it look right? Does it sound right? Re-read / Read ahead to better understand confusing parts Skip difficult words Use context clues Recognize text structure: fiction or non-fiction Use the glossary… Look at word parts: beginning and ending sounds Look for little words in bigger words Put in another word that make sense Point if you are loosing the words Look at the picture Go back an get a running start look for chunks Skip the word. Finish the sentence, go back..
After Reading REFLECT: What did I learn? How is this important? Think about the author’s message How did the text match or did not match my predictions What strategies worked well in this text? Summarize… Respond to focus question(s): fiction and non-fiction Prompted & UN-Prompted reading response…
Reading Conferences Purposes of Reading Conferences
Assess learners strengths and plan for intentional teaching points points Provide feedback that will enhance the reader’ ’ s ability to make use of all cueing systems reader Support strategies that are in place Introduce new strategies Support and deepen comprehension
Setting
Next to the student, not across, create a sense of partnership Encourage the student to talk: what is going well? What assistance assistance might I offer?
Helpful Language for Conferences
How’ How’s your reading going? Talk to me about your reading Where are you in your reading? Read from where you are… are… Are there any confusing part? Is this book “just right” right” for you? What goals do you have for your reading? How is this book like another book you have read? This book reminds me of… of… What is the best part of your reading so far? Let me show you a way to figure out that word
Reading Like Writers and Writing Like Readers: TEXTS AS MENTORS: An Inquiry Approach
Text Structure
Notice Make a theory Name the craft Other Texts Envisioning
Circular Texts Seesaw Texts Framing Questions Texts Time Flies Texts Text Where Time Is Constant Vignette Texts With Repeating Lines or Phrases Text Fashioned As A Series Of Short Memories Two-Part Texts-Changing Situation Story Within A Story Text Narrative Sequenced By A Series Of Objects, People, Or Animals Geographical Texts Texts That Borrow A Structure From Nature Repeated, Wraparound Paragraph Structure
Way With Words
Echo Effect Repeating Details Repeating Sentence Structures ReRe-Say Striking Adjectives Striking Verbs Striking Adverbs Proper Nouns Intentional Vagueness MakeMake-YourYour-OwnOwn-Words Artful Use Of AND Run Away Sentences Artful Sentence Fragments Seesaw sentences Short. Short, Long Sentences Sentences That Make A Long Story Short Whispering Parentheses Commentary Dashes Items In A Series Super Colons Super Ellipses Interesting Italics Text Shaped To Match Meaning
Writer’s Workshop MiniMini-Lesson: 1010-15 minuets Comprehension strategy lesson Read Aloud Shared Writing Independent/Small Group Work Time: 2525-35 minuets Independent Writing Modeled Writing Shared Writing Guided Writing Interactive Writing: Writing: K-2 Sharing Session 55-10 minuets Students describe strategies they practiced independently Teacher discussing what strategies we used during independent / small group work time
“Experienced writers, those with a wellwelldeveloped sense of craft, of how writing can be fashioned, have the ability to envision more possibilities for their writing than less experienced writers because, to put it simply, experienced writers know more things that they might do with writing. They have read like writers over time, and over time this reading has given them a storestorehouse of knowledge about how to writer…” writer…” (Katie Wood Ray)
THE WRITING PROCESS:
Purpose: Purpose: reason for writing, experiences “COMMUNICATION” COMMUNICATION” Audience: Who will the reader be? Form: a story, list, letter, directions… directions… Message/Composing: what to say and how to say it. Constructing: Doing the writing. Layout: Layout: paragraphs, punctuation, visual conventions… conventions… Reflection: Editing and Revising are important aspects of the craft
Guidelines For Writer’s Workshop You must always be sketching in your writer’s notebook or working on a writing project Your need to work silently so that everyone can do their best thinking Use a soft voice when conferring with the teacher When you complete a writing project, record the information on your record of writing. After you finish your final draft, put your drafts in order, from first draft to publication. Staple them together with the final draft on top, and place them in the “PUBLICATION BASKET” Don’t forget, when drafting, write on every line and cross out mistakes.
Maintaining A Writer’s Notebook
Why Keep A Writer’s Notebook? To enjoy writing To COMMUNICATE our ideas, thoughts and feelings To keep memories To remember moments To get thoughts our or our head so you don’t forget them To remember days To remember all the things that you have read, seen and heard
Possibilities For Notebook Entries
Memory of something that’s happened Wishes! What do you wish for? Feeling you have about something Events that are happening in your life Facts about something you are interested in Dreams! What are your dreams? Images that stick in your mind Favorite poems and your thoughts about them Newspaper clippings and your thoughts about them Questions: inquiry driven instruction Future plans and goals Detailed description of something by using your senses Likes and Dislikes Writing that touches and scrapes your heart Write off a word, phrase or sentence Write off a picture or drawing Word lists Quick drawing
Writing Process: Finding Seed Ideas •
Re-read your entries and underline the parts you must have (KEEPERS) • Choose something because you want to say more about it • Choose the funniest, saddest, happiest, most interesting entry • Choose something because you want to know more about it (RESEARCH) • Pick a genre and look through your notebook to find entries and writing that “feels like” that genre • Box and Jot • THINK ABOUT What would make a good beginning? What would come next? What would make a good ending?
Writing Process: Drafting
Write everything that comes to your mind Use all your senses to write about your seed idea Talk or ask questions about your seed idea to gather opinions or information Write about why this seed idea is important to you Write off an important word connected to your seed idea Tell the outside and inside of your seed idea
REMEMBER:
Drafting is NOT re-copying your entry. We have copy machines to do that!!!!!
Writing Process: Revising / The Engine Do I have a good beginning/LEAD? Do I have a good ending/END WITH A BANG? Have I written about my topic using (REVISION) strategies Mr. Jailall taught me? Are there sentences that don’t make sense? Did I use my MENTOR TEXTS? Are important details included? Are my sentences interesting and varied? Is my writing well organized? Is this my BEST WORK?
Strong verbs: engines of sentences Use of senses/images: LEADS Strong nouns: wheels of sentences Circular endings Flashback Slow motion Surprise endings Asking questions Inner voice Quotations Word choice Figurative language Webbing Point of view Personal monologue Dialogue Exclamation point Playing with time Adding more details/ writing off a word Deleting segments that does not make sense Use mentors Start writing in a different place/chronologically Character web to describe a character Experimenting with irony Inner voice of a character Sensory details Cracking open words (nice) Create your own thesaurus
Writing Process: Editing / Publishing Have I read over my work? Are the words spelled correctly? Have I used correct punctuation? Have I used correct grammar?
COMMAS & PERIODS
My sentences give a complete thought! Have I used capitals when needed? Have I organized my writing into paragraphs? REMEMBER: Try using the editing strategy of reading my writing backwards
Writer’s Workshop: Conferring How is your writing going? What are you doing today as a writer? What do you need help with today? Could you say more about that? What do you mean by… by… What kind of revisions have you made? What is the focus of your piece? How can I help you with your writing? What did you decide to write about? Where are you in writing your draft? Tell me more about… about…? Read the part that you like best Read your lead/ending out loud What do you want to do next in your writing? Do you have any questions about your writing? I noticed that you… you…How/why did you do that? What is the best part of your writing so far? If you wanted to add to your writing, how would you do that? Is there any part of your writing that is confusing? Have you varied your sentences?
Give the student critical feedback, an honest assessment to create a context for teaching
“one thing writers do as they revise is…” is…” Connect students writing to mentor authors Remind of minmin-lessons
Link to Independent Work
What are you going to do now? Tell me what you plans for your writing are now Could you please tell your partner what you are going to do?
Follow-up
Drop by students’ students’ seat between conferences Ask students to raise their hands and let you know once they’ they’ve tried what you have taught them Ask students to show their work as they gather on the rug for the share session During share session, ask students to show the class what they did As students to give us their work after class so we can red it during our preps or after school
Conferring Notes: A Guide to Instruction
How Reading & Writing Are Alike Before and during readin g, readers talk, make pr edictions, skim outlines or heading s, and raise questions
lk, discuss, iting , writers often ta Before and during wr e lists, etc. ther information, mak Brainstorm, reflect, ga itten piece as they bring shape to the wr
Readers do not change the print but they revise their thoughts, predictions, an d concepts as they rea d
draft and
Writers revise it
Writer learn to loo changes
Readers learn to reeva luate their understandin gs about a written piece, often read ing a text again
ing for need k at their work, reread
Reader share their unde rstanding with others thr ough verbal, written oar artistic respo nses
ssion and ormally through discu inf rk wo eir th e ar sh Writer h publication more formally throug Writer appreciat
Readers appreciate the
iters e the work of other wr
Writers compos
The meaning that reade r derive from texts varie s with their experiential backgroun d; in other words, they bring meaning to the text.
they compose; meaning to the texts n ow ir the ing br r rite W itten language as and feelings in wr ide eir th s es pr ex ey Th
ways.
ding of others
Readers draw understan ding across whole texts
ts e whole pieces of tex
attempts to apply Drafts reveal writers’
insights and understan
their knowledge in ne
w
Partially correct respon ses reveal readers’ att empts to use information to solve wo rds