Your post reminds me a lot of four blocks. I think that is how it happened that I began a few years ago doing the read aloud in reading workshop. In my earlier days of teaching I did a read aloud (a la guided reading four blocks style) that was used for almost the entire week. .. often combining reading and writing but not always. Then in the self-selected block of reading, I began my lesson with small excerpts of text and did the guided part of reading workshop. I actually always seem to go back to the four block structure. It gives me more freedom for reading workshop. As I began doing more strategy work, I mooshed the blocks together into what I thought was a more traditional reader's workshop a la Columbia and Debbie Miller... Yet, I think it is more about my style or organization of thinking. If i continue with four blocks the way I used to structure the schedule, it actually becomes an interactive read aloud at one part of the day.... self-selected or guided reading which is runs like reader's workshop at another part of the day, working with words at a different part of the day and writing workshop at a different part of the day...... It is in my mind to continue with that.... I love interactive read aloud because that really is the great equalizer... where kids who traditionally are grouped in lower levels shine... without the burden of reading the book, they amaze more fluent readers with their strategic thinking about the text. I think the biggest problem with four blocks is semantics. Pat Cunningham named her interactive read aloud "guided reading" and a whole "hullabaloo" got started because she was using same text, whole group and calling it guided reading. .. even though she structured a more guided reading in her self-selected block. Does this type of organization align itself with dye in the wool reader's workshop teachers? Pam In a message dated 10/4/2008 7:44:28 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Great questions here! I think that there are times when an interactive read aloud is a lesson and it's not usually a mini-lesson if you have students sharing with each other. I'd love to share what one of our fourth grade teachers in my building is doing with an interactive read aloud. She does the interactive read aloud during one reading block with a focus question/objective in mind. The focus question lines up with our CMT strands (state test). She clearly states what the objective/focus is and explicitly models through think aloud and then let's the students share their thinking. She then will follow with daily mini-lessons that are related to the focus question. When she used the book "Stripes" it was the beginning of a unit on character development. She focused on what were the character's feelings, how did they change, at what event did they change etc. Then she furthered their thinking by having them practice this in guided groups and finally apply it to their independent reading books. She has set her purpose and purposefully planned how to transfer this information and learning to independent learning. It has transformed her teaching and her students can clearly see the connections. It's brilliant. Kelly AB I think the only answer to your dilemma are some other questions. What is your purpose? What do you need to transfer? Is there something to be gained by reading an entire read-aloud at that time which couldn't be gained another way? > _______________________________________________ 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. **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001) _______________________________________________ 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.
