Hi Mary, Please tell me about language towers and secret windows? I agree with 'story walk' -- and if the teacher has said no partners (??), it's quite common and 'flexible' to say to the kids, "Turn to your neighbour and whisper your .... " (favorite part, what you think he is going to do, etc. etc., super flexible strategy). I think with 'story walk' in this context you could "insist on silence" (like it's a big game) and you show the kids page by page the whole book, then get individuals to tell it 'in story language' (so to speak).
I'm a bit nonplussed that there'd be one block a week for reading????? ?? I'm missing something, here. I also love the sticky notes angle; another flexible thing for teaching in general (have used it with poetry revisions, that kind of thing, with older kids). Thanks, Linda Rightmire SD #73, Kamloops, BC On Wed, Nov 21, 2012 at 7:22 PM, Mary Morris <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Natasha, > I am also making the transition to Montessori; getting the training online > while being an intern/assistant. I don't really understand what your > teacher has done, except our kids get reading almost daily, with a parent, > one-on-one, with the little ones and literature circles with 2nd and 3rd > graders. How can you possibly work with such a varied group of students, > in the manner she is suggesting? Are they using language towers, secret > windows and other works to build phonics skills? If I were you, I would > suggest breaking them up into groups that fit together and going from > there, with what they need (basic reading practice, or *beginning > *identification > of characters and retelling the story. I would use the story walk > technique as well. I personally don't think it's terrible to say "you can > read now, or after you've had your snack." Each teacher is a bit > different, even in Montessori, but try hard to pull them in by being > excited yourself, about getting to read together. My lead teacher is a bit > more toward the middle... she does require certain works to be done each > day, then they choose their other works. I come from public school and > it's a huge stretch for me, but something I have always believed worked and > I see it with our kids each day. They are growing and learning and are a > great group of kids. > Good luck! I don't know if this is any help or not, but you are not alone! > Mary > > On Wed, Nov 21, 2012 at 11:41 AM, natasha domina > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > After teaching 4th and 5th grade for 12 years, I am now working as an > > assistant in a Montessori classroom with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. The > > teacher has let me be in charge of reading with the 1st and 2nd graders. > > There is 1 block of time scheduled per week, generally 45-60 minutes. > (I > > know! I know! This should be happening daily! It's killing me.) The > > teacher said she wanted kids to be able to identify characters and retell > > the plot, so I spent a couple of weeks having kids pay attention to > > information about characters (hard for them) and a few weeks having kids > > practice retelling the stories they've read. From there I moved into > > having students use sticky notes to mark spots in the book--we talked > about > > different reasons we might want to mark a spot (it's confusing, it's > funny, > > it's special in some way, you like imagining this part of the story, ...I > > told students a few and then helped them add to the list). > > > > I could use suggestions of where I should go with the students. I do > have > > Comprehension Connections and could go through those activities. I'm > just > > not sure how to prioritize what is most important for me to do when the > > time for reading instruction is so limited and students' abilities are so > > varied (struggling to sound out cvc words all the way to reading chapter > > books like the Rainbow Fairies and Fantastic Mr. Fox). I guess I do know > > that I want to prioritize teaching kids that reading is thinking--but > > beyond that... > > > > I've also been told that because this is a Montessori classroom I'm not > > supposed to require them to do anything--so if they really don't want to > > read they don't need to. I haven't done anything with reading partners, > > since that seems more directive than the lead teacher wants me to be. > I've > > been just saying things like, "You could talk about your book with a > > friend." Any suggestions on this? It's hard for me not to be placing > kids > > in partnerships, but I also don't want to overstep my role or be > > "non-Montessori". > > > > Thanks for sharing ideas! > > Natasha > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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
