mosaic  

Re: [MOSAIC] thought-provoking reading for 1st graders

Heather Green
Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:19:50 -0800

Wow, thank you everyone for all your responses. I am so excited to get
started.
I love the idea of using poems as well.  Why didn't I think of that?!
I have never heard of Comprehension Connections but I am going to check it
out right now.


On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 1:45 AM, <kuko...@aol.com> wrote:

> I must agree with you... our shared reading was the Giving Tree by Shel
> Silverstein this week... I opened discussion about metacognition. with this
> text.. we used "making a reading salad" from the resource: Comprehension
> Connections and the two  (Silverstein's text and strategy lesson) really
>  drove
> the point home... that reading is not just reading the words but more
> about the amount of thinking that goes on. The simple text and intriguing
> illustrations kept all readers engaged as this was a whole group lesson for
> first graders... I pointed to the words in the book as volunteers put in
> red
> paper squares to represent "reading words" in our reading salad. Then I
> thought  about each page making connections, wonders, noticing details in
> the
> illustration... another volunteer put in green squares representing lettuce
> leaves... After awhile I turned the thinking over to the kids and just read
> the  words... the thinking that the kids did far outweighed the words of
> the
> author  and was confirmed by our reading salad... so many more green
> squares
> than red  squares.
>
>  These little ones really got how using an inner voice makes the story
> more interesting and enjoyable but also helps with accuracy and
> comprehension.
> We recorded our thinking on sticky notes and organized the notes on a
> chart....  some ideas were about the illustrations, other ideas were about
> the
> characters,  the setting, the author's message, personal connections,
> wonders,
> schema about  the author... It really was quite amazing considering they
> are only six years  old. After we charted all their thinking responses the
> kids then recorded in  their reader responses the most important thinking
> that
> they took away from our  discussion... Most of these drawings and matching
> text were big ideas about the  entire story and big ideas about how to read
> and what kinds of readers they saw  themselves to be.
>
> When I think about it we worked on: inner voice, checking for
> comprehension, checking for accuracy, book choice, turning and talking,
> making  our
> thinking visible, recording our ideas, story structure... it was a very
> easy
> lesson to prepare and a powerful change of view for my kids. Up till now
> (since  we are just starting guided reading groups after DRA) they were
> feeling
> either  very proud of their level, or very insecure.... now kids who are at
> level C  are calling themselves "real readers" because they are thinkers.
>
> If you do not have the resource Comprehension Connections I strongly
> suggest it. It works beautifully for little kids. Basically every strategy
> of
> comprehension is developed into some kind of concrete analogy that works
> with
> any text you choose. As far as Shel is concerned.... he was way ahead of
> his  time.... and I remember him first as a rock star before author.
> Pam
>
>
> In a message dated 11/11/2009 12:22:15 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> amyswa...@gmail.com writes:
>
> I happen  to really like using Shel Silverstein's poetry.  At first glance,
> to  kids it might just seem funny or silly.  But there are a lot of  life
> lessons to be found if you open your mind and your heart.  The  text is
> very
> accessible and engaging, and it really makes "deep thinking"  invitational
> for kids!!
>
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 6:26 PM, Heather  Green <heath...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi there,
> > Starting  in December we will start breaking up into reading clubs in my
> > school.  We'll meet for 50 minutes, 4 days a week.  The groups are
> >  differentiated, and I have the highest group of first graders--reading
> >  anywhere from end of 1st grade level to 4th grade+ level.
> >
> > I  decided that I wanted to stay away from chapter books this year
> because
> > in
> > 1st grade the focus doesn't need to be on reading  chapter books. I want
> my
> > kids to be reading good quality literature  that makes them think.  We
> don't
> > have many books available. I'm  willing to buy some with my own money if
> I
> > will use them again and  again.  So I need your help.  I am looking for
> > books
> >  that meet this criteria:
> >
> > 1) not a chapter book
> > 2)  something written at about the 2nd grade level or so (I'm thinking
> using
> > this in small groups for the kids to read themselves)
> > 3)  something thought-provoking that would spark good conversation
> > 4) not  toooo preachy and still of interest to 1st graders
> >
> > Any  ideas?!?
> >  _______________________________________________
> >  Mosaic mailing list
> > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> > To unsubscribe  or modify your membership please go to
> >  http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org
> .
> >
> >  Search the MOSAIC archives at  http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Amy  Swan/KS/4th
>
> "Being listened to is so close to being loved that most  people can't tell
> the difference."  ~David  Augsburger
> _______________________________________________
> Mosaic  mailing list
> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> To unsubscribe or modify your  membership please go  to
> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
>
> Search  the MOSAIC archives at  http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mosaic mailing list
> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
>
> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
>
>
_______________________________________________
Mosaic mailing list
Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.

Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.