Leslie, you're making me miss 3rd grade--I did all 3 of those, too, and loved them! Last year was my first year in 5th and to substitute for Love That Dog I read them Creech's Heartbeat. I didn't adore it like LTD, but I liked it a lot. And I've spent more time this summer reading kidfiction. I'm another Clements fan and I just finished Things Not Seen; good for 5th grade--not as brilliant as Frindle--but I liked it a lot. Judy
----- Original Message ----- From: "L Stewart" <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 5:55:10 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Back to School Read Alouds I LOVE Andrew Clements! If you are fifth grade I hope you have done Frindle. I usually do it with my advanced readers in a literature circle format. I always read the last chapter with them and cry. That, Love That Dog, and Stone Fox never fail to bring tears to my eyes which in itself brings about conversation regarding the power of books. Thanks. Leslie R. Stewart/Grade 3 [email protected] 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. ~Michelangelo ________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jeff Lucas [[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 3:32 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MOSAIC] Back to School Read Alouds I am a huge Andrew Clements fan. One book I read last year to the fifth graders (but it is certainly appropriate for 3rd) was Jake Drake Bully Buster. It lead to engaging discussions and was a way to highlight some of the ways students don't like to be treated. It also was a great source for connections and inferences. It encouraged students to read other Andrew Clements' books which usually are based on school experiences. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 11:00 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Mosaic Digest, Vol 47, Issue 29 Send Mosaic mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected] You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Mosaic digest..." Today's Topics: 1. back to school read alouds (Stewart, L) 2. Re: First Grade Homework (Laura) 3. Re: back to school read alouds ([email protected]) 4. Re: back to school read alouds (robin kynoch) 5. Re: back to school read alouds (Andrea Pepitone) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:05:26 -0400 From: "Stewart, L" <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Subject: [MOSAIC] back to school read alouds Message-ID: <ba1568ff65cf264f81b4db5c1f6ad85f13ce2a5...@bpsmail2007.branford.k12.ct.us> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" I know it's been done before but would you share your most favorite, highly engaging read-alouds for the start of school. My old standbys did not work well last year. My students weren't enchanted by Roald Dahl or Creecher's Love That Dog. I am looking for great, not too long, novels. I have many wonderful picture books to select from, but I would even like to hear of any newer ones. On that note I just purchased Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler and Kevin O'Malley and I really enjoyed it. It is about a teacher trying to find that one book for each of the children in her classroom that will turn them into readers. Thanks! Leslie Leslie R. Stewart/Grade 3 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. ~Michelangelo<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/michelange108779.ht ml> ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:59:05 -0500 From: "Laura" <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] First Grade Homework Message-ID: <c39fd3fc4a024371b291ca5d5ca88...@ccitypc> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response I teach third grade and I follow your homework philosophy with my third graders. We g over homework in class and students check their own work, grades are not taken on it. You expressed what I do really well--thanks! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Renee" <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 9:32 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] First Grade Homework Homework and pencils must be the two biggest tedious issues for teachers. When I was teaching in a regular classroom, the district homework "guidelines" suggested that homework should be approximately ten minutes per grade level. That meant ten minutes if it was a first grader, twenty minutes for a second grader, etc. (Let me insert here that sometimes my homework was review of something in class, sometimes it was practice, sometimes it was a creative thinking thing, and every day there was some reading at home, so no, I didn't hold to the ten minutes per grade level guideline, but some of my homework was a lot of fun, like playing "Stump the Adult" with parents.) Since I taught 2nd/3rd, I let my parents know about this guideline and also that it would fluctuate for each child depending on the child, BUT that if it seemed like their child was working too long, I wanted to know about it. I also let parents know that any child's homework would be excused as long as there was a parent signature and quick note at the top (so, child brings it in, undone, with parent signature, voila! everything's peachy). I also let parents know that I was a big advocate of family time, soccer games, music lessons, dance lessons, birthday celebrations, etc., and if there were any family things happening that got into the way of homework, that family should come first and all parent needed to do was write a note on the top of the homework and child should bring it in, and they'd be excused. >From some peoples' perspectives, this doesn't make any sense, because what is the good of homework if the child doesn't do it? But my philosophy of homework was first to help teach the responsibility of bringing something home and back again, finished or not, and second to do the work. Yeah, yeah, I'm backward. I'm different. Oh well. The thing is, one day a parent came in and told me the previous night's homework took their child *forever* to do (like two hours or something) and caused some family fights and I said, "no, no, no this should never, ever happen!" and made sure the parent knew to stop the child at 20 minutes, write a note on the paper, and send it in and stop worrying about it. On the other hand, I did not really *accept* late homework without a good excuse (because if they had to go to a birthday party they were supposed to not do it at all) AND for any worksheets that went home, there were no extras. I also didn't grade the homework. I just checked it off if it was turned in, and then gave it a plus, check, or minus for "correctness" and handed it back. In other words, I didn't really record grades on it. Plus, I am quoted in Alfie Kohn's book, "The Homework Myth." Imagine my surprise one day when I got a phone call from him! hahaha Renee On Jul 27, 2010, at 11:09 AM, Jan Sanders wrote: > Is homework an option? Most research shows that there are no benefits to > homework until 8th grade. How about just read and share what you read > with > a friend the next day? > I was fortunate in that my principal read up on the homework issue and we > went to read for pleasure and share your thought about what you read to a > partner the next day. LOVED IT!!!!!!!!! And students gained a love for > reading -it was no longer a chore. They had complete control over what > they > read. > > Jan > You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your > grandmother. > -Albert Einstein > > > > On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 4:55 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I tried this too.... but found that errors (especially in math) that >> occurred during the week became more engrained because of all the faulty >> practice...even though I work in an affluent district... I am surprised >> to >> observe >> how many parents do not check or sit in on homework... I am not asking >> parents to do homework... but monitor.... every back to school night I >> make >> a >> big deal that this is a parent's teachable moment... a way to implant >> great questioning and strategies.... but I can count on my hands those >> who >> do >> take the opportunity.... i understand it... high powered jobs... >> commutes >> to >> the city... at home after the kids go to bed .... but it seems to me >> that >> learning as a social function of the family is dwindling in my neck of >> the >> woods.. and i think that is sad because it is at least in my opinion a >> joyful and hopeful act that occurs best when coached and celebrated by >> those who >> love you. >> >> That much said... i did try something that I think made homework >> worthwhile >> (esp. in math).... in my district we use everyday math... and have lots >> of >> smattering of Japanese math,too.... so.... my assignments are not based >> on >> what we covered in class during the day or that week but rather usually >> follow about a chapter behind.... by then I feel i have met with kids >> in >> small group and independent conferences and have better secured the >> strategies >> for strugglers to be successful with assignments. >> My team and I tried to develop a differentiated approach to homework >> .... >> but creating assignments on the run is murderous... so we came up with a >> generic grid that goes with most assignments based on strategies of >> comprehension.... ex:(consider an algorithm) what connections can you >> make to this >> problem.... when in your life do you think you might need to use math in >> this way.... draw a picture of your thinking about this problem.... >> which >> strategy/tool will you use to solve the problem... and then finally >> create >> a >> word problem that based on this math sentence.... >> >> I think that when kids are able to transfer their knowledge then I feel >> secure that their learning is secure. That's also why most of my >> spelling >> tests are based on unseen transfers of words that are similar in >> phonetic >> rule >> or spelling pattern if you will to what we've studied in class.... this >> kind of test always yields screams from parents in the beginning of the >> year >> because they are words not on a list.... but most of my families agree >> by >> the end of the year that their kids are fearless spellers.... most with >> a >> high degree of accuracy....my case in point... spelling homework is >> explicit >> study of phonics and spelling patterns.... with lots of word hunts... >> transfers.... you get my drift... no spelling list except for example >> of >> what we >> are working on in class. >> >> >> In a message dated 7/26/2010 1:32:35 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >> [email protected] writes: >> >> My first graders receive their homework folders on Monday that includes >> all of >> the homework for the week. They are not required to turn the homework >> folder in >> until Friday. That way, I have the weekend to check over the papers >> and >> re >> stuff the folders for the next week. >> >> Hope this helps:-) >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> From: Robert Kolvek <[email protected]> >> To: [email protected] >> Sent: Sun, July 25, 2010 1:09:33 PM >> Subject: [MOSAIC] First Grade Homework >> >> I was wondering about ideas for checking homework for first grade >> class. >> Currently students place their H.Q. in a h.w. folder in a h.w. basket I >> spend my >> lunch hour marking the h.w. and then putting in the following night's >> h.w. >> It's >> difficult to do in the AM as I have about 15 students in for the 37 >> 1/2 >> min >> extra help required in NYC. Some children skip some days, others come >> late. I >> hate to wait until the end of the day, because it can get late and >> hectic. >> >> >> >> Any ideas that work? When they come in from Kinder, they have had the >> h.w. >> placed in their folders for them by the Kinder paras. I don't have a >> para >> and >> may have 28 students this year. I think it's too much for them to mark >> their >> own. If I start walking around checking each folder, I'm afraid it >> will >> be too >> time consuming! >> >> >> Thanks! >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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. >> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak out for me. -Pastor Martin Niem?ller, 1945 _______________________________________________ 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. ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:39:09 -0400 From: <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] back to school read alouds Message-ID: <20100728213909.oeczt.1247842.im...@eastrmwml28> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 For fifth-grade students: I've used Top Secret by John Reynolds Gardiner which brings in the scientific process and the students love it. However, it is dated by the use of a rotary telephone. Also, Rex by Fred Yager My students love the story and it also allows us to begin to use the thesaurus for Yager's one flaw which is using "said" too much. Teri Davis ---- "Stewart wrote: > I know it's been done before but would you share your most favorite, highly engaging read-alouds for the start of school. My old standbys did not work well last year. My students weren't enchanted by Roald Dahl or Creecher's Love That Dog. I am looking for great, not too long, novels. I have many wonderful picture books to select from, but I would even like to hear of any newer ones. On that note I just purchased Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler and Kevin O'Malley and I really enjoyed it. It is about a teacher trying to find that one book for each of the children in her classroom that will turn them into readers. > Thanks! > Leslie > > Leslie R. Stewart/Grade 3 > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX > > The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. > ~Michelangelo<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/michelange108779.ht ml> > _______________________________________________ > 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. > ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:00:28 -0700 (PDT) From: robin kynoch <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] back to school read alouds Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii We read Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins. It's the story of what happens to toys at night- not too long, very funny, and a great book to use for comprehension strategies. Third graders loved it, and many checked out the sequel on their own. Some other books I use for read-alouds in the beginning of the year include Ten True Animal Rescues, by Jeanne Betancourt, and The Three Terrible Trins, by Dick King-Smith. ----- Original Message ---- From: "Stewart, L" <[email protected]> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, July 28, 2010 1:05:26 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] back to school read alouds I know it's been done before but would you share your most favorite, highly engaging read-alouds for the start of school. My old standbys did not work well last year. My students weren't enchanted by Roald Dahl or Creecher's Love That Dog. I am looking for great, not too long, novels. I have many wonderful picture books to select from, but I would even like to hear of any newer ones. On that note I just purchased Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler and Kevin O'Malley and I really enjoyed it. It is about a teacher trying to find that one book for each of the children in her classroom that will turn them into readers. Thanks! Leslie Leslie R. Stewart/Grade 3 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. ~Michelangelo<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/michelange108779.ht ml> _______________________________________________ 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. ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:29:17 -0700 From: "Andrea Pepitone" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] back to school read alouds Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII A bit long, but Trumpet of the Swan is truly a classic and loved by many second graders. >>> "Stewart, L" 07/28/10 5:57 PM >>> I know it's been done before but would you share your most favorite, highly engaging read-alouds for the start of school. My old standbys did not work well last year. My students weren't enchanted by Roald Dahl or Creecher's Love That Dog. I am looking for great, not too long, novels. I have many wonderful picture books to select from, but I would even like to hear of any newer ones. On that note I just purchased Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler and Kevin O'Malley and I really enjoyed it. It is about a teacher trying to find that one book for each of the children in her classroom that will turn them into readers. Thanks! Leslie Leslie R. Stewart/Grade 3 [email protected] 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. ~Michelangelo _______________________________________________ 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. End of Mosaic Digest, Vol 47, Issue 29 ************************************** _______________________________________________ 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.
