I use some of the basal stories for large group literature experiences I feel exactly like you. My kids have come so much farther with independent reading workshop. Sharon/2nd in Wisconsin ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wendy Jensen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 16:22 Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] End of Year Reflection
>I had another great year in second grade using great models like Mosaic, >Reading With Meaning, Growing Readers, Strategies that Work, and Reading >Essentials. I'm a real teacher nerd and love to read these books over and >over. I use them a lot in my mini-lessons. This year's group didn't seem >as clear in understanding the strategies as quickly as the previous year's >class. We just took things slower. The kids (and I) love the independent >reading part. I think they get so much more out of individual conferences >and when I tell them they need to find a stopping place, they moan and >groan because they are "right in the middle of a good part". I'll take >that kind of complaint any day!! Now I need some advice. Our school has >just adopted the Houghton Mifflin reading series for next year and I spent >all afternoon listening to how to use the program. I hope I don't sound >like a reading snob, but it was very hard for me to sit there. Some of the >components to the program are fine, but I just think the approach I have >been using is sooooo much better! I'm not a fan of workbooks and of course >we have two. I know we are expected to use the series (especially this >first year), but I'm not sure to what extent. I used the old basal series >for partner reading most of the time so I could say I used it. And it did >have some good literature in it. I don't want to go against the grain, >but I also cannot go back to teaching that way. I'm trying to find a happy >medium between the two in a 90 minute block. Any suggestions would be so >welcome. I'm feeling very frustrated at this point. I came straight home >to get your wonderful advice. I'll probably be more calm about it tonight, >but as soon as I see the manuals tomorrow my blood pressure will go right >back up! Help! > > Wendy > ----- Original Message ----- > From: ginger/rob<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: 1 mosaic list<mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 10:34 AM > Subject: [MOSAIC] End of Year Reflection > > > As many of us are winding down to the finish line, I think it is > important > to reflect on how our comprehension teaching went this year. Perhaps > there > is something you feel you tackled this year that you would like to share > with us. What was challenging? What was affirming? How did your kids > grow? Consider a look back over the year and just write in with whatever > comes to your mind. I find I do my best reflecting when I just start > typing > as I am thinking back. > > I'll go first. > This year I taught second grade. A first for me. What I learned most is > that I sure had a lot to learn!! It has been a very humbling experience. > But one that I know has helped to make me more "well rounded" as far as > my > understanding of younger children and literacy instruction. > > For me it was hard to find that balance of word work, decoding, and > comprehension instruction. Yet I found that my students were so eager to > learn about the metacognitive process that readers use to make meaning. > We > did a lot of role playing of what a reader does. So they could "see/hear" > it. I believe they know how to self monitor their inner thinking voice > better now than when the year started. Now do they all do it?? Ha! That > is > the hard part for me. I wish so much for them to be ACTIVE in their > reading > yet so many of them slip back to the passive word caller role. Even when > their ability to work out the words has so improved. I know it will come > in > time. > > I did an interactive think aloud with the book, Be Good To Eddie Lee, > this > past week. I had them write their thinking during the key stopping > points. > Then those who wanted to share their written work, shared back whole > group. > It was so interesting to see/hear the different levels of depth in their > responses. It was almost like taking a snapshot of each child for me. I > could see the children writing. They all wrote furiously at each > stopping > point. Yet when they read their "thinking", I was surprised at how many > are > still thinking at the surface level. But it matches my experience of > them > this whole year. (I know I am used to fourth graders and the depth they > take the talk so I believe the promise in them all.) I do have a large > group of kids who do go deep and hearing their "thinking" and the > touching > emotional tones was very refreshing and encouraging. > > I guess for me teaching in a primary grade (not my strength by the way!) > the > challenge was finding that balance. The teaching all so relates and > builds. > We did finish the research strand on Physical Science with flying colors. > Their "All About" books (from Calkins Units of Study) turned out very > well- > impressive actually for 2nd graders. We shared with two upper grade > classes > and just watching my kids do that was confirming. We studied biographies > in > a very open way. Simply reading biographies, noticing our new learnings > and > completing various reporting sheets. I guess this has been a year of > building schema if nothing else. Exposing them to different kinds of > reading to learn about what is to come in their own learning years. I > guess > I did a good job of that. > > I am going to teach third grade next year. I won't have my whole class > again. (Ever had a group that needs to be moved around? They need it > and > so do I!) I am looking forward to continuing my comprehension work with > those I'll have again and bringing on board the kids new to me. > > I am committing to read a lot this summer. I'll be announcing the Mosaic > of > Thought 2 online book chat soon. So get your books ordered so you can > participate!! I want to read Strategies That Work 2 and also it's been > recommended I read Teaching for Deep Comprehension by Dorn and Soffos. > I'd > love to hear what you will be reading this summer. > > Please write in. Reflecting is good for our souls. > Ginger > moderator > grade 2 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org<http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org>. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at > http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive<http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive>. > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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