Hi Pam, Yes, we are in the same boat. I would love to see your learning focused unit plans! Thank you!! I'm sure I could adapt them to my objectives.
Next week I am starting a non-fiction reading strategies unit based on The Comprehension Toolbox (Harvey). With regard to the Frayer model. Our instructional coach advises using them to "big" concepts and the most important words. (Too time consuming to use for each vocab. word.) I used to teach in Florida....and honestly, the FCAT (and the pressure it brought) played a huge role in my decision to move to another state. At the end I felt as if I were a test-prep coach, not a teacher. Totally ridiculous. Kim ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 10:20 AM Subject: Re: [LIT] desperately need advice--how do I weave this together? > > Kim writes: > Questions: How do you bring together reading, writing, grammar, and > vocabulary in a way that makes sense? How do you "do" vocabulary? How > do you > teach spelling (if at all)? > > Here are the tools that I have: Language of Literature textbook; > grammar > book; Stephanie Harvey's Comprehension Toolkit (I bought this last > week); > Learning Focused material (we are supposed to use this as our > framework); > lots of trade books (which I bought); 6+1 Trait books (which I bought). > > I feel as if all I have are bits and pieces. How do I bring them all > together? Do you teach using themes or by genre? > > Pam writes: > Sounds as if we are in pretty similar boats w/ materials. > > My district adopted the Learning Focused curriculum/framework. How > tightly do you have to adhere to the curriculum maps or are you > required to use them? I would be happy to share our maps (they really > aren't too bad & do give a starting point) that we are using. They are > a work in progress in my district still and are geared for FL > standards, but might give you some ideas that Learning Focused have > pushed in my district. (we are talking about Max Thompson's program > right?) > > I am required to use 6 + 1 Traits of writing (that made me CRAZY to try > to fit in until I started teaching by genre & not by theme). We have > the same McDougal/Littel Lit book. I have them stored in my cupboards > (not even out on shelves) and simply refused the grammar text that > comes with the adoption. The Lit book isn't bad, just overwhelming. I > use selections out of it to go with the different genres as I teach > them. Usually I prefer to find my own short stories and read alouds. In > my opinion, the grammar text is horrible. I work grammar into my > mini-lessons and pull small groups during reading & writing workshop to > remediate specific grammar that I see. The vocabulary that I cover is > related to the language we use in Language Arts, and of course, from > the novels that we read together. I do some independent/small group > vocabulary with the kids when we do Lit Circles (it's looking more like > a 3rd & 4th Quarter thing this year) that is specific to the novels > that they are working with. I am using the Wordskills workbook that > comes with the McDougal/Littell adoption (it's okay - at least it > covers greek & latin root words & breaking words down to figure out > their meanings). That is done primarily independently & then I pull > small groups (during independent reading/writing time in workshop) to > work with kids who are struggling on like parts of units. I assign the > Wordskills book as homework, but give LOTS of time to complete. > Starting with the next unit, I am giving a pre-test. If a student > scores an 80% or higher, I will exempt them from the unit. I will > assign specific parts of the unit based on what they don't know > according to their pre-assessment. I'm pretty sure that I will be able > to design something that is scantron for quick grading. I know the kids > will like that if they know the materials that they will be exempted > from the assignments. I now need to come up with some extension > activities for the kids who are exempted. Something to really move > their vocabulary acquisition and ability to use and play with words up > a notch. ANYONE GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS? > > Someone on one of my lists suggested 3 day rotations of reading & > writing workshop. That is working smashingly for me. I made a promise > to myself to have no more than 2 mini-lessons per week (I try for one > in each) in either reading workshop (that is where I sneak in my Lit > standards as well as some listening/viewing standards) or in writing > workshop (where the rest of my standards come into play). It has been > hard for me to just give the kids time in class to read and write > without me interrupting or instructing. I feel very pressured to cover > WAY too much material in such a short amount of time. I am having > better success this year (and both the kids and myself seem happier) by > my backing off of direct instruction and just giving them time to > immerse themselves into reading and writing. It has made individual and > small group conferencing a reality (one that is sooo much easier to do > with the additional time that I have). > > With vocabulary, sometimes we talk about it (we figure out the > definitions/meanings together) and use it. Other times we use a Frayer > model or other graphic organizer & then use the words (we talk about > everything). Just depends on the words and how much time I'm willing to > devote. Frayers are great tools - they take TONS of time though (at > least until the kids understand how they function - could just be that > 6th graders are just getting there cognitively). > > > > :o) Pam/6th gr./FL > An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how > much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do > know and what you don't. > Anatole France (1844 - 1924) > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - > http://mail.aol.com > > _______________________________________________ > 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
