Lori you are brilliant. Period. Renee On Sep 30, 2006, at 5:08 AM, ljackson wrote:
> I used shoes. We took off all of our shoes and compared them. Then I > would > deliberately mismatch feet and shoes, to cries of itty bitty angst. I > would > explain then that books are like shoes. We have to pick the ones that > fit. > Some are two small and some are too large. We do our besting running > in the > ones that FIT. Then I could say to a child reaching a bit too far in > terms > of difficulty, "Oh, honey, give yourself time. This is one to grow > into." > > > On 9/29/06 10:08 PM, "nicole ." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Hi Cami, >> It sounds like you've gotten a lot of great advice lately! >> >> I also teach first and will only be starting my first comprehension >> study in >> October and will begin with connections. We spent a couple weeks in >> August and >> all of September on procedures, expectations, and sharing the >> "amazing" ideas >> they had during reader's workshop. Maybe since you are ahead of the >> game with >> comprehension you could switch gears for about 2 weeks and re-visit >> the >> introduction to reader's workshop for those that are struggling. >> Could you >> give the struggling readers wordless picture books just for a couple >> weeks to >> get them into the fun and delight of books? I think a 2 week detour >> would be >> well worth the change in attitudes about reading. Brag about the >> smart things >> you see them doing to the other students so that they are the envy of >> the >> class, they are soooo smart! (even if you have to teach them to do >> something >> in a conference and then brag to the class about the great idea they >> had and >> let them share the specific thing you taught) >> >> I also LOVE the metaphor of how books are like a bike ride (from The >> Art of >> Teaching Reading). >> Describe how it feels to go uphill on your bike, some books feel like >> this, we >> have to work VERY hard on them. >> Describe how it feels to go downhill, some books feel like this, we >> zoom >> through them without much thinking. >> Finally talk about riding a bike on a flat road, you have to pedal, >> but you >> aren't exhausted. You also run into stones, bumps, and such but you >> can learn >> to go around them or over them without falling off. This is how a >> "smooth-ride" book feels. Our brains grow the fastest if we read >> books that >> make us think and give us a few bumps, but we aren't exhaused by them. >> >> I hope this helps, I am sure you will figure it out and in no time it >> will be >> hard to remember what a tricky time you were having at the beginning! >> Below >> are the steps that worked for me in introducing books this year if >> you are >> interested. >> ~niki >> >> >> >> I began the year with wordless picture books. I told my students that >> we were >> going to spend some time figuring out what the stories were about. >> They were >> in tubs at the tables and they read independently for about 4 minutes >> to >> start. Then they had 4-5 minutes to "partner read" so that they could >> talk >> about their books. My conferencing was a lot of "wow! look how suzie >> and >> tommie put the book between them as they read together... that is so >> smart! I >> wonder who else is doing that?" during partner time. And during the >> whole 4 >> minutes of individual time I asked them what they discovered in their >> books. >> >>> From there I started introducing the library (but didn't let them >>> touch >>> anything in it for about 2 weeks. I wanted to tempt them with it and >>> then I >>> started giving them tours of how it was set up and the types of >>> books, and >>> told them that maybe on Monday (of the following week) I think >>> they'd be >>> ready to pick ANY book they wanted to look at during morning time. >>> And then I >>> replaced most of the wordless books in the tubs with picture books >>> and did >>> lessons about figuring out who the reader inside of us was...what >>> did we >>> like? >> >> Just before I introduced the leveled books I talked to them about >> books as a >> bike ride. Then I did one or two lessons on just a couple ideas of >> what to do >> with tricky words. (identify the tricky words...know how to find them >> - so >> they don't just miscue over them; THINK about what would make sense; >> use >> beginning letter(s) and pictures as helpers) Finally I started >> bringing about >> 4 kiddos over to the leveled buckets at a time and (it took a week to >> get >> everyone done) introducing them to book baskets that I thought might >> make them >> feel strong as a reader. I showed them how to browse the book and >> keep it if >> it was a "smooth ride" and put it back if it didn't make us feel >> strong as a >> reader. >> >> “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food >> and >> clothes.” ~Desiderius Erasmus >> >> >> >>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 21:24:24 -0400> To: >>> [email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] readers workshop >>> help >>> needed> > HI> > I wrote earlier this summer about being very excited >>> to start >>> readers > workshop this year (first grade). No one else in my >>> school does >>> it and my classroom > is supposed to be a "model classroom" for the >>> school. >>> I know it takes a > while to get things running smoothly but I'm >>> having a >>> little more trouble than I > anticipated and I need some help.> > >>> First of >>> all, my class is extremely chatty and fidgety. They have a very > >>> tough >>> time paying attention and staying on task. I know thats not very >>> unusual > >>> for first graders but they are definitely one of the chattiest >>> classes I have >>>> had. Last year, I was very lucky to have a great class of kids >>>> that >>> were > very excited about learning. This year, the kids really don't >>> seem too >>>> interested. I'm having a very tough time holding their attention >>>> during >>> read-alouds > and mini-lessons. I try to use all that great Debbie >>> Miller >>> talk to get > them excited about their thinking but it's just not >>> happening. >>> Also, many > children are not staying on task during independent >>> reading >>> time. I have done > many lessons on rules and routines and rituals >>> but it's >>> still a real challenge.> > Also, I have 4 kids who are not reading >>> at all >>> (below A on the DRA). They > are the ones who are having the most >>> trouble >>> staying focused. I have provided > them with books at their level >>> and have >>> confered with them about using the > illustrations to read their >>> books but >>> they aren't getting it. I know I need to > do small group work or >>> guided >>> reading with them but how much time should I be > doing that. >>> Should they >>> still be doing independent reading? Should I have > them using the >>> listening center instead? I can't meet with them all the > time >>> because I >>> obviously need to confer with other students as well.> > I was so >>> sad the >>> other day because a parent told me that her son was crying > about >>> coming to >>> school because of readers workshop. He says independent > reading >>> is so >>> boring because he doesn't know how to read. He's really a very >>> nice> , >>> sweet boy who is very well behaved. I felt so bad. That's >>> exactly the > >>> opposite of what was supposed to happen. I was ready for readers >>> workshop >>> to > be exciting and motivating.> > One more thing, I'm having >>> trouble >>> figuring out the balance between decoding > minilessons and >>> comprehension >>> minilessons. So far we've spent most of our time > on comprehension >>> (schema >>> and t-s connections) We have just touched upon > decoding >>> strategies. I'm >>> wondering if I should be spending more time on > decoding.> > I know >>> I'm >>> asking for a loot but would appreciate any feedback.> > Thanks,> >>> Cami> >>> _______________________________________________> Mosaic mailing list> >>> [email protected]> 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. > >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Stay connected with the news, people, places and online services that >> matter >> to you on Live.com >> http://www.live.com/getstarted.aspx?icid=T001MSN30A0701 >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> 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. >> >> > > -- > Lori Jackson > District Literacy Coach & Mentor > Todd County School District > Box 87 > Mission SD 57555 > > http:www.tcsdk12.org > ph. 605.856.2211 > > > Literacies for All Summer Institute > "Literate Lives: A Human Right" > July 12-15, 2007 > Louisville, Kentucky > > http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/wlu > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > 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. > > There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by. ~ Annie Dillard, 'The Writing Life' _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] 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.
