Rosie,
How much reading are the kids actually doing out of a 90 minute
literacy block? That would be more valuable than stations made of busy
work. Their product could be a response to what they've read.
Sue
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 3:38 pm
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Judy,
Thank you so much for your responses. I wish that we had similar minded
people in our district, but we don't. Although our current Executive
Director is leaving and will be replaced with a former principal from
our district, I really don't see the philosophy changing much. I am not
allowed to stray from the HM text, and our literacy coach is seen by
many as a lesson plan police. She comes and checks that you have your
objectives written, and will do a demonstration lesson if you ask. She
is currently pushing Thinking Maps, which I have begun to use. But
overuse of anything, can't really be good, can it?
I guess what I am looking for is some way to incorporate the strategies
into the HM text. That being said, I don't have a strong understanding
of the strategies or how to teach them. I did read MOT many years ago,
but can't find my copy now.
Our current literacy block is mandated as follows: 30-40 of whole group
instruction, where I am teach the 4 domains of reading required of the
upper grades-phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.
Additionally, we must spend 60 minutes with small groups, while the
other students do stations. Stations are supposed to have a "product"
so that we are holding the kids accountable. Workbook pages are not
allowed. Technically the kids are supposed to do a different station
each day related to the domains, very time consuming and seems like
busy work to me. Small groups meet based on their reading level and we
use the leveled reader that comes with the series.
I just don't know how this is effective. I have four small groups, and
can meet with them for only 15 mins. Although the literacy coach does
tell us that we don't have to meet with the highest kids each day.
Any additional help would be greatly appreciated!
Rosie
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
<[email protected]>
Sent: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 11:48 am
Subject: [MOSAIC] comprehension strategies in my school
Comprehension strategies: what is the state of comprehension
instruction in your
school? How well is comprehension being taught? What can teacher
leaders do to
help improve practices?
I am thrilled to reply to this question. My small district in Northern
California was an early comprehension strategy follower--they even paid
for
Ellin Keene to spend a day speaking to us and sent many teachers (not
me, I was
new to the district then) to Colorado for training. Alas, California
went the
way of the politicians and we were given a choice of using Houghton
Mifflin or
Open Court. Our district chose HM and we were expected to teach it
"with
fidelity." I did so for one year and then I returned to comprehension
strategies
(occasionally using the text from HM for shared reading). THE GOOD NEWS
is that
finally, this year, our principal has sanctioned a return to
comprehension
strategies (hmmm, seems those basals weren't the answer to test
scores). Of
course, I never gave them up, but it's nice to be working in the open
again. So
now we have a lot of training and retraining to do. It's hard to
believe,
because my district (and boy, was I proud of it) was once so entren
ched in MOT, we have teachers who have never even read Mosaic. We do
have a
coach and a MOT committee and we've been given 3 Learning Communities
for
teaching comprehension strategies. At the first one, I brought in
students and
modeled a think aloud (I want to grow up to be Ellin Keene) and we
discussed a
piece of literature thinking about how adults use comprehension
strategies. At
the second we again discussed literature and shared how our work is
going. The
third (a whole afternoon on a staff development day) is yet to be
determined. I
am thrilled to be an official comprehension strategy teacher again.
Judy
P.S. All your questions are excellent. May I reply to more than one?
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_______________________________________________
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To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
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Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
_______________________________________________
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[email protected]
To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
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