Bev's response to Wendy - One of the strengths of Talking, Drawing, Writing is this very issue. They (TC people - Horn and Giacobbe) very carefully model, share, guide .... the connections made by each of us that ARE NOT similar in content, just in connection. For instance, if a teachers models telling a story about saving up to buy a stuffed animal and then finding they were all sold out should lead a child to respond with their stories, NOT about piggybanks or the stuffed animals they own, but about disappointment. Of course, I'm completely stripped it of its brilliance by "summarizing" it here, but you may be able to get the picture. And this is what they expect from, and have done with, kindergartners! Any teacher who gets these kindergartners as fourth graders should not have to do deep-level instruction with a reading response journal--they've grown up with it!! Another way to state it is probably that if you have been working on summarizing, and the teacher has modeled summarizing characteristics of mammals, certainly students should be expected to summarize not only books about mammals, or animals, or living things, or scientifically-categorized things. The constant (and framework) is the summarizing; the vehicle can be found through using many, many, many texts. Actually, most. Interesting how sometimes we have high expectations for kids and sometimes we only think we do. You can tell what a person believes more often by what they do than by what they say. Walk the walk here? Bev > From: Wendy Jensen [EMAIL PROTECTED]> re: They may well be reading a book and not have a connection so what do I do then? > Broaden their understanding of 'connection.'? So often the children think a T-S connection has to be to an 'event.'? Model for them connecting to the character's feelings; the character traits; the bigger idea; it deepens their understanding, drives them right to why characters do what they do, and avoids those connections that are not helpful.> > One of my first grade teachers did a great job with the students after reading Alexander and the No Good, Horrible, Terrible Day (I always mess up the title!).? Every child has had a bad day at some point.? Once they'd made that kind of connection, they could really understand Alexander better! _______________________________________________ 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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