Perhaps the greatest disconnect is between F & P's definitions for guided reading, which I feel are very narrow. I found this online:
http://www.sandwich.k12.ma.us/District%20Guided%20Reading%20Program.pdf#search=%22defining%20guided%20reading% 22 According to this document, which seems to give a historic perspective to guided reading, guided reading serves the following purposes: matches children with books at their own level provided a small group so the teacher can support students while they read focuses on developing comprehension, accuracy and fluency teaches strategies to solve words and make meaning develops independent readers I know that as a group we have talked about the value of read aloud in giving children access to more complex text for the purpose of strategy instruction and as important (!!!!) as I feel that is, I think that we also know that getting young readers started involves more that that. As I read over these goals or purposes, I questioned my own practice in the past and my current beliefs. Does this, by definition, require all children in that group to be reading the same book? In my own practice, I found I could word across strategy (Mosiac) with a mixed ability group very effectively. The focus of my lessons in second grade workshop were strategy centered and I choose to use conferences to revisit more of the mechanics of the reading process--decoding. At the same time, I modeled decoding strategies in shared reading of poetry, message, etc. I did find the small group setting supportive, not just because I could support them but because I could make small grouping decisions based on some strengths in the classroom and sort of set them up to learn from one another. Clearly, comprehension is a focus and Mosaic fits the bill, so I don't see conflict there. As to developing independent readers, I can't see how workshop with some guided reading is precluding this in any way. Seems like the best of both worlds to me. I think that is possible to do guided reading in such a way as to preclude strategy instruction, but I also think it is possible to integrate strategy instruction into guided reading and to do so against a workshop canvas. However, I would certainly see guided reading ala Fountas and Pinnell having less and less of a place in workshop as children gain independence as readers. Lori On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 08:19 , <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sent: >My school is making a strong push for F&P guided reading and I have used >MOT/Reading with Meaning as well as some Four Blocks stuff last year. I see that there are a lot of similar things across these "ways of teaching". From my understanding MOT/RWM is more guided/group work then gradually move to independent and the guided reading is a lot more independent on their own with small groups pulled to teach the strategy indepth. I think that you really need to pick and choose what works for your STUDENTS not the school. Some students need the gradual release more than others. > >I found last year that the work together for a while then have them try it >worked really well. This year we are doing lots of mini lessons they go to their desk and practice while I come around and circulate. I have not finished the first 20 days due to my having to IRI all students first. I planned to start this week but COGAT messed with that. I will see if this works better/the same/or no difference. > >My students this year are much different from last year where I had a lot of >low students and a lot of high students (with 22). This year I have only 16 students with one low. The rest are on grade level (which is unusual). > >I think the more you do it and experiment with it you will find what works for >YOU and not the grade level/school. There are no quick fixes and each person has their own spin on how to do it. It is nice to come to a concensus as a grade level but depending on how many are on your grade level personalities will clash and this may never occur. > >Tina 3rd/tx > > >----- Original Message ---- >From: RICHARD THEXTON [EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv >[email protected]> >Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 9:44:02 AM >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] School wide struggle with strategies > > >I think the difference is this: In Guided Reading the children are "learning >to read". This would be using a book the teacher has selected at that groups instructional level. During this group you may work on decoding, fluency, the "how to read" strategies. During the Reader's Workshop (which GR could be a part of) the children are "reading to learn". Children select their own texts, which are appropriate for them, because we've taught them how to select the just right book. During this block, students are applying the comprehension strategies you have modeled during your mini-lesson, in order to get a deeper and better understanding of what they have read, connect it and synthesize it to extend their own learning. > If you have kids who aren't really reading, they definitely need a guided > reading group, in order to be successful reading independently on a text they chose for themselves. > Hope that helps to clarify the "mix" > Kelli Thexton > Literacy Coach > Westside Elementary > Rogers, AR USA > >Linda DeGreen [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The way we approach this is through the balanced literacy framework >which includes GR during our reading time. It's basically the gradual >release of responsibility model so that reading begins each day with >teacher read alouds (modeling thinking, strategies, etc), moving to >some form of a small group or partner practice of that lesson (often >this happens in the gR groups with the teacher), and works it's way >into the expectation that students will use it in their independent >reading during what you are calling reading workshop. Are you saying >you have not supported learners in small groups before and this is the >"mix" you're concerned about? I usually pull just one or 2 groups to >work with each day and spend the rest of the time >monitoring/conferencing individual learners. But it all happens during >the reading workshop where students have chosen their own books to read >and respond to.The difference is that in GR , teacher has chosen the >text based on children's levels to help them with the strategies. >Linda/2/OH >On Sunday, September 17, 2006, at 07:35 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> I could really use some input here! >> My school has struggled to get out of the dark ages of reading for some >> time. We finally made the big move to strategies about three years >> ago. We even >> had a big group of us go to a conference with Ellin, Debbie Miller, >> etc. >> summer before last. The problem is that our specialist (who did not >> go to the >> conference, but is the one who started strategies school wide) has >> not really >> followed up with enough training, follow through, etc., and many of >> the >> teachers who should have been teaching strategies have not really >> been doing it. I >> just don't think that the teachers quite "get it" yet, and so they >> end up >> falling back on old ways. My incoming 5th graders this year didn't >> even know >> what schema is. Here is the problem. We have a new staff member who >> was a >> reading specialist at her old school. We were very excited about her >> coming. >> She has had lots of special training, etc. She is a teacher here. >> Long >> story short, even though I have not "heard" what she is expert in >> yet, I now >> strongly believe that she was doing guided reading in her old school. >> Guided >> reading seems like a totally different thing to me than Reading >> workshop. It >> is set up differently, the timing is different, etc. I only have a >> 110 >> minute block each day for Reading and Writing, and so where does that >> leave time >> for the truly independent reading that I want my readers doing each >> day? >> My fear is that because this is a strong personality coming in, who is >> confident in what she has been doing, and because some grade levels >> are struggling >> with Reading Workshop, that we will cave in to yet another system. I >> don't >> want that. I have seen the format that we are doing work too well at >> my >> grade level, where we have actually been doing it, albeit imperfectly. >> I was wondering if any, many, or a few of you have leveled groups >> during >> your independent reading time for Reading Workshop? Do the two mix, >> and I'm >> just not getting it? I'm feeling that what we really need here is >> more support >> in the school for strategy teaching in the reading workshop format. >> Opinions? >> Sherry >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> > > >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >[email protected] >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >[email protected] >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >[email protected] >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
