I see many teachers who close their opening or morning meeting with a picture book read aloud and then transition to mini lesson. While I agree that as a general rule of thumb, mini lessons are short...I think teacher needs to reserve the right to go maxi with intentionality. That is, the lesson is long because some lessons need to be long, not because I lost my teaching point or got diverted by several others (which sure happened to me when I first started this).
Lori On 10/1/08 7:43 PM, "Melissa Kile" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > While I agree with this in principle (reading the book at a separate time), > the lessons I've done out of Reading W/ Meaning have the teacher reading the > book and stopping to model and think aloud, using the focus strategy. How > would I do that if I had read the book earlier? For example, if I had read a > book previously that I plan to teach inferencing with, wouldn't I still need > the book to show the children how I interact with the text? That is my > dilemma! > > Melissa/VA/2nd > > On Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 11:33 PM, Mary Manges <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> This has been part of my problem in being able to fit it all in. I still >> believe I could use a longer language arts block, but I'm determined to >> work >> with what I have and do my best. In my thinking of a mini-lesson I was >> including the read aloud as the mini-lesson and couldn't figure out how to >> keep it short. I have the same problem in writing workshop when I use >> literature to teach a writing craft. I do have to admit that after the >> advice I was given on this list I was much better at being as brief as >> possible this week. I found myself choosing my words carefully and trying >> to be as direct as possible. It also made me realize that I need to spread >> certain lessons out over more days instead of trying to cram too much at >> one >> time. I can see that my kids are going deeper and getting the concept >> better than in the past. The testing pressure demons are still hovering, >> reminding me that I'm not covering enough to be ready for state >> assessments, >> but I just keep ignoring them, knowing that I'm doing what is best for my >> students. >> Thanks, >> Mary >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 5:36 PM >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] length of mini lessons >> >> >>> I must reiterate your mention of when to do your read aloud. Read Aloud, >>> according to everything I've read and seen, is a separate entity, not to >>> be >>> included in Reading Workshop minilesson. It can be referenced during >> the >>> minilesson, but how in the world could a teacher teach a 10-minute >>> minilesson with >>> a read aloud included???? >>> >>> Leslie >>> >>> >>> In a message dated 9/26/2008 5:55:14 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >>> >>> keep your mini lesson very explicit, and short. I do >>> realize it is hard to get the read aloud in, do the vocab, then teach >> the >>> lesson, have time for them to practice with you, then they practice >>> independently, but if you keep the teaching part short, chances are >>> they'll >>> remember what you said and us what you said. >>> >>> One way to keep the length of your mini lessons short is to do the read >>> aloud at another time. That is a major tenet of Lucy Calkins' mini >>> lesson >>> structure. Just use the part of the text that matches your teaching >>> point. >>> >>> Barb Parry >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial >>> challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, >> tips >>> and >>> calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001) >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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. >> >> 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. > > 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 July 17-20. 2008 Tucson, Arizona _______________________________________________ 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.
