This has been my thinking all along. For the teachers who need additional support, I think the guided reading sets are a good idea, and submitted a budget of about $10K for these (we have none at the m.s.)to this same supervisor at her request last December. That's why this sudden interest in a "series" stumps me!
She's heard about the Holt series...does anyone use that? I saw it online and it looked like every other anthology in the world... Thanks for your continued help, Mary On 2/12/07 6:16 PM, "Alice Cortigiano" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Wouldn't it be great if we could just let kids pick their own books based on > interest, readability, and then have them apply active reading strategies to > their reading in a reading journal. Our kids are so burnt out right now. We > are really turning kids off to reading and learning in our district IMHO. > > Alice in CT > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of May Dartez > Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 5:13 PM > To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades. > Subject: Re: [LIT] Materials for balanced literacy 4 to 8? > > The biggest problem with a series is that research shows that students > need to be reading materials at their > reading level in order to improve in their reading ability. > > Wouldn't it be nice if your district would instead agree to purchase > guided reading sets (which generally come > with teaching guides) instead? Maybe you could show them the research > about students needing to read > texts at their level? > > May > On Feb 12, 2007, at 6:01 PM, Heather Poland wrote: > >> I've used the daybook before w/ middle schoolers, but I never used the >> "lessons" only the selections out of them. >> >> For purchasing a series, I would look for one that has good >> selections. I >> never use any of the "teaching guides" that come with anything I'm >> given. >> >> Newbridge has good nonfiction, but I'm not sure how low a level it >> goes to. >> I've used it w/ middle schoolers. >> >> On 2/12/07, Mary Dovey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> Please forgive the cross post, but my supervisor seems interested >>> suddenly >>> in purchasing a reading series for grades 4 to 8. I'm >>> flabbergasted--to >>> me, >>> authentic trade books are the basis for teaching reading. (We use a >>> variety >>> of sources for teaching writing.) >>> >>> This may be a done deal, but I'm going to try to do my best to guide >>> the >>> purchase as best I can--if I can. Any and all comments on materials >>> you >>> like, things you hate, etc., would be appreciated. One specific I'm >>> interested in is what materials you've found that best help teach >>> grammar >>> and punctuation, particularly in the context of writer's workshop. >>> >>> Thanks for all your help, in advance. If our teachers get stuck with >>> some >>> lame "series" it'll make my job as instructional coach for literacy a >>> nightmare... >>> >>> Mary D. >>> >>> P.S. I have samples of Great Source's Sourcebook and Daybook for each >>> grade >>> but I'm not certain how helpful they'd be. Anyone use them? >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >>> >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> - Heather >> >> "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of >> man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments >> fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; >> new races build others. But in the world of books are >> volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet >> live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were >> written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men >> centuries dead." --Clarence Day >> >> "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little >> good evidence exists that there's any educational substance >> behind the accountability and testing movement." >> -Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds >> >> "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose >> funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase >> funding. " >> -Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate >> _______________________________________________ >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >> >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive >> > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. 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