I use a literature circle format in my fifth grade in place of a basal. I
have been permitted to forgo my basal for the last five years and just use
literature. I am incredibly thankful for that, but am aware that it could
change in a heartbeat. My students self-select books and form groups based
on choice, but I use the basal as a supplement. This is how it works. If
a group finishes their book and the other two groups aren't done, the group
that is finished self-selects stories from the basal. They read the story
and prepare discussion sticky notes just like when they are reading a novel.
The next day they discuss the story and then pick a new one. (In fifth
grade I see absolutely no purpose to making fifth graders reread a story
several nights in a row.) They do this until the other groups finish, which
is usually only for a few days to a week. By supplementing this way it
solves the problem of what to do with the groups that finish first, and they
end up reading almost every story in the basal as well. This way I can say
I AM actually using the basal, but it is in a way I can live with.
I hope this helps.
Mary
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 7:58 PM
Subject: [MOSAIC] Basal in Readers Workshop?
> Hi everyone,
>
> My administrator decided in the beginning of the year that it was okay for
> us to forgo our purchased basal series (Open Court) and only use
> literature in our readers workshop (woo hoo!!). Flash forward to now and
> we are told that we must use them, whether it be for phonics, literature,
> etc. . . basically just use them, all this money was spent on them ("what
> we're supposed to do" is changed at least twice a year, so you can imagine
> our frustration!).
>
> Can anyone give me any advice or pointers or how they use their basal in
> their classroom in conjunction with quality literature? We structure our
> readers workshop based on comprehension strategies (i.e September we work
> on making connections etc.)If anyone out there, uses Open Court and a
> readers workshop setting, that would even be more helpful.
>
> Thank you!
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
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