The Tuesday after Februaury vacation I was fortunate to observe the Reader's Workshop in the fifth grade at Soule School. Karen Verry and Heather Aldrich were most welcoming and showed me the way this works in their classrooms. In Karen's room they began with a sharing time. One student brought in poems and news articles and talked of them in front of the class. This brought about great discussion as many of the students ahad schema for these articles. Once the discussion was over, Karen asked them to start the workshop. I really liked the set up because each student has their own book and writing notebook/journal in a folder and these folders are in a particular place in the room. It was interesting to see how each student tracked their thinking in their journals. Soem used sticky notes and others just wrote notes in the journal about what they had read. The purpose of tracking is important. When the book is finished, each student must write about the book in the form of a letter to Mrs. Verry. I thought this was a great idea. In Mrs. Aldrich's room, the set up was similar. In this classroom was a chart paper which read TRACKING YOUR THINKING. IT listed all the ways the students could track their thinking. I thought this was great because some kids kind of get stuck in a rut and use the same method over and over again. In this classroom the students were expected to write a letter to the teacher when they finished their book. As in Mrs. Verry's class, the letter had to be at least a page or more and should take at least 2 days to write. I could go on and on, but suffice to say that before I entered those classrooms I was a bit hesitant about Reader's Workshop and now I feel as though it is a very workable(if that is a word) concept. I feel confident that I can do this in my classroom. It was a great experience.
Janet, I am so glad you had the opportunity to "see" the workshop in action. There is something demystifying about seeing it first hand!! I hope you will take these ideas with you and make them your own in your classroom! Tomasen
This week most of the 4th and 5th grade teachers at my school went to Kensington to observe two 5th grade classrooms that are using reading and writing workshop. It was great to finally see what it looks like. We were all very impressed by the way these two classroom worked. Every kid was on task the entire two hours we were there and they were so independent. Both teachers assured us that this has taken a lot of work and did not start out this well.
It was great to see how they each set up their classroom libraries and had charts all over the walls of different reading and writing activities they had done as a class.
I think I now have a better idea of how I want to make changes for next year. Both teachers stressed to make a little change each year and don't feel like you need to change everything at once.
My observation was of Liz D's classroom during her Reader's Workshop time and I was amazed with all the independent reading and creative work that was taking place.
When I entered the classroom there was a group of four girls sitting on the floor involved in a book club. When I asked them about the club they quickly told me about how they read independently, kept track of their thinking on sticky notes and then went into the hall to discuss their thoughts and share their thinking. They told me how much they enjoyed reading the same book and being able to talk to each other about it. The best part was they "were able to choose the book". They expressed they also liked being able to choose their "book club". One child said it was like her "mom's book club". When I asked them to summarize what they had read so far each student took a turn sharing. They helped each other when they forgot to tell me something. They were so proud of what they were able to share.
After speaking with the Book club, I went and spoke to two boys who were making a project with clay. They informed me they had finished a book and it was time to create something to share with the class. As they were making characters from the book I asked them to talk to me about what they read. They were both eager to tell me about the book. Again they helped each other if what they said wasn't just right. They were learning from each other not just from the teacher.
Liz was working with a group discussing and asking questions about their reading. The chldren were involved in the discussion despite the fact that the room was full of activity. They were not distracted by the level of activity and that impressed me. When Liz was done with that group she moved to another group of girls and asked them to share their book. The girls were on the carpet talking with her and describing a part in the story that required a demonstration. One student stood up and acted out the part and it was clear to me it was easier for her to talk and act at the same time. I'm not sure the student would have expressed such a strong understanding if she were required to "write" her answer.
Several of my concern about Reader's Workshop were put to rest after visiting Liz'z class and seeing it in action. The "unstructured" environment was a major concern for me yet what I saw wasn't what I had expected. The students knew what they were doing and were able to stay focus on the task they were working on. Students were involved with actitives that were authenic and more meaningful to them. I could see ownership and pride.
A second concern was book choice. I feel safe when I make the choice and I know the story and I know what I want them to get out of the story. What I learned was when allowed to make their own choices, children "own" their reading.
My third concern was how would I be able to track the students learning and progress. Liz was walking around with a notebook and as she spoke with the students and as they shared their thinking with her she took note on each child. When the workshop was over she had a sense of each child progress and it wasn't grading a worksheet that held no meaning for the child.
I have been hesitate about Reader's Workshop and after my visit I feel I can make it work in my classroom. It will be a slow process but a process that has merit.
The Thursday before February vacation I was lucky to spend some time in Leslie C's first grade class. I arrived about 11:10 and stayed until 12:30.
When I entered the room everyone was on the carpet participating in a fiction/non fiction lesson. As they finished up, Leslie had them take a story stretch and sit back down at the carpet. She read aloud a story (Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth) and her thinking from sticky notes as she went. While she was reading/thinking aloud, the students tallied each time they heard her use a familiar thinking stem (they worked in pairs and each pair had a list of thinking stems they use in class). I thought this activity was so perfect for first graders! It allowed them a chance to see their teacher using the thinking stems they use in reader's workshop, but then led right into their reader's workshop "assignment" for the day.
Next the students and Leslie sang the "just right book" chant. It only took a few minutes for them to find 3 books, while Leslie put their reading journals on their desks. The students have clips that get rotated each time, to show where they should sit during reader's workshop (desks, carpet, bean bags, chair cushions). During workshop they have about 1/2 hour to read any of their 3 books, write in their journal and continue to read. I was impressed with how smoothly the transition into individual reading time went. Their assignment for the journal was to use one of the new thinking stems and to tell if the book was fiction or nonfiction (along w/ the regular expectation of book title, date, picture). In the journals was a laminated list of familiar thinking stems they could choose from. This was also a great idea. In my class the thinking stems are on the chart hanging on the board. Having them right with them makes it easier and more managable for the students. It's obvious that Leslie has worked VERY hard at getting her class to this point (bravo!!) - but it made me realize that YES! It's possible! I have loved the idea of reader's workshop from day 1--but the thought of figuring out how to work it in my classroom was WAY overwhelming for me. I left Leslie's class feeling refreshed (still a little overwhelmed) and excited to jump into more individual reading time in my classroom.
I still have a few questions about how to track individual reading (Leslie floated around and read/talked with several students). I would like to find or create a form to fill out when conferencing...
Leslie has done such a nice job organizing her classroom and the flow of reader's workshop. I highly recommend a visit to her room! (I hope that's ok Leslie!)
This week I had the opportunity to venture out to Soule School to observe in Sheila Farnsworth's first grade classroom. I was very excited to go back to Soule as it is such a warm, supportive & friendly atmosphere. Sheila had visited my classroom last week and we've shared ideas via email so it was a treat for me to see RW in action in her room.
When I arrived, Sheila gathered the children on the rug to talk about the work they had begun the previous day on connections and how to use the "fancy code" (T-T, T-S, T-W) to keep track of their thinking on their "stickies"(post-its). She reviewed the anchor chart they had affixed their "stickies" onto the previous day & noted that many of their connections were made 'before' they read (through picture walking & observing the title/cover). Sheila asked them to focus on paying attention to their connections 'during' their reading. She modeled this by reading part of the book 'Franklin Plays the Game'. Some of Sheila's cues to let the children know when they should share their connections were to give her a 'thumbs-up' and to wait for her to display a mini-stop sign that stood for 'stop, think, make a plan'. Sheila reminded them that the "plan" today was making connections.
The children eagerly shared their connections and Sheila jotted them down on "stickies" to place in the book. At one point she purposefully placed the "sticky" on the back cover to elicit from the children that the thinking needs to be placed on the page where you had the connection. They chimed in loud & clear on this one! At one point in the story, a student asked what the word "intended" meant in the story. Sheila didn't jump in & answer that for him but led the children to infer & figure the meaning out by using clues.
The children were then partnered up to read together during RW. They were instructed to get their 'book boxes' which had their book choices inside, a pencil, post-its, mini-stop sign (like the one used by her during the read aloud), and their reader's notebook. The children took turns to read to each other. They were reminded to read 2 pages, stop, think, and make a plan...the plan being sharing connections & jotting them down on the "stickies". Sheila was working with a child during this time, a classroom assistant was working with a couple children and the resource room teacher also worked with one child.
When the partnership reading time was nearing the end, Sheila asked the children to open their reader's notebook (spiral-bound notebook with lines) and jot down the title, place their "stickies" inside and write whether the book was "easy" or "hard" for them. They met on the rug for sharing. Those that shared could place their post-it on the anchor chart to show their connection "during" reading.
Sheila has obviously embraced RW. The walls and shelves were covered with anchor charts about sensory images, books they love, what makes a book just right, question words, etc... It is clear that Sheila has established the expectations & routines of RW and that there is lots of conversations about books and lots of time given to reflect, respond, and learn from one another. I loved when one of her students said "What if we don't have a connection to a book" and Sheila seized this teachable moment to talk with the children about this. She constantly asked the children for their insights & opinions. I love teaching props, so as soon as I saw the mini-stop sign...I thought "I've got to make those"! It was a nice visual reminder for the children to take time to stop along the way in their reading to think about their thinking! Thank you Sheila allowing me to take a peek into your RW---I know you said you weren't feeling well but you were fabulous!
I observed Readers' Workshop in Heather's 5th grade class at Soule School this past week. She has a large class this year, as do I, so I was interested to see how she managed with limited space. I must say, I was very impressed with Heather's reading program and the way she manages it.
She started with a mini-lesson at the rug on a combination of skills: Main idea, inference, and fables. She read one and modeled what she wanted the students to do afterward in small groups of 3.
I was wondering how the students would spread out enough to work, but they managed this well. Even when groups were in close proximity they stayed focused within their own groups. I visited with 3 of the groups as they selected a fable to read, tracked their thinking on sticky notes, making inferences to determine the lesson or moral of the story. I was impressed with the way the groups stayed on task and completed it in the time given. When one student went off track, the others would refocus them to the task. The students had good ideas and made many insightful inferences. They reconvened on the rug for some sharing of the lessons from their fables. Heather said she would revisit this lesson again for more practice. Next, students got their folders with their independent reading and writing materials. The students worked quietly and independently while Heather shared her methods with me. Some concerns that I had with RW Heather had already addressed. In order to have students select books from a variety of genres, she had created a sheet for them to track their choices. She also had bookmarks for each child with tips on how to select a "Just right" book. For grading, (a big concern for me), Heather used a rubric to grade their writings for tracking their thinking. Heather also gave me a selection of some of the materials she uses. She has made changes along the way as she saw the need arise. I am thankful to Heather for inviting me into her classroom. I know how taxing it can be to often have guests. I found the visit to be valuable to me because I was able to see the process managed well in a large 5th grade class. I have told my students we would try this program after April vacation. They are enthusiastic about the prospect and have begun choosing their novels.
I intend to take what works and brings success to my students from this new methodology and integrate it in to other methods I have found successful.
When I first started thinking about observing a class, I really had to think about what I wanted to see. My feeling was that I could observe anyone teaching any type of reading instruction but how beneficial would it be to my students and my reading instruction? Having these thoughts and after having discussions with members of LTT, I came to 2 conclusions. I could observe grade one and see how the students are handling reading workshop so that I can see what it might look like at the beginning of grade 2 or I could observe grade 4 and see how they have taken it to a new level. I chose to observe a fourth grade classroom as they were working on a chapter book and then coming together to have a 'fish bowl' discussion. Our thoughts (Heidi, Michelle, and I)were that we could have the fourth graders model for the second graders. I observed Heidi Jones' class one morning as she was reading a passage from 'The BFG'. Her students all had their own copies of the book and were following along, some writing thoughts/connections/questions they had as she was reading. After Heidi read several pages, the students were assigned several more pages to read independently or with a partner or small group. I liked that she started the reading for them for a number of reasons; cutting down the amount of reading a reluctant reader has to do, listening to the fluency and intonation and just getting them involved in the story, to name a few. I also liked that she gave them a choice of how and who they were going to read this next passage with. Some students may prefer to read alone while others prefer to read with a small group or partner. (Maybe it helps with their confidence?) As I watched them read independently, every person was engaged in what they were supposed to be doing. All of them had notebooks to jot down notes. (Heidi explained that none of them knew who would be in the inside circle and who would be in the outside circle when it came time to have their fish bowl. So everyone had to be prepared to say something.) Several times students were openly laughing at a funny part which shows their understanding. While they were engaged in reading, Heidi conferred with many of the groups, once reading a passage out loud so they could discuss and understand it. Overall it was great to see her students activly involved in the story, even after a period of about 30 minutes. Unfortunately I needed to get back to class so I was unable to observe the fish bowl. I hope (and intend) to go back and observe one in either Heidi's or Michelle's class so that we can follow up on having 4th graders model for second graders. I would also like to see how Erina handles reading workshop with her first graders as I am questioning whether I should begin a new year with my second graders with reading workshop or should I go more of the traditional route. I am not really sure how it will work at the beginning of the year, especially since so many of them are emergent readers. So, I hope to confer more with Erina to answer some of these questions. It is such a benefit to have been in LTT with others right in my own building so that we can bounce ideas off of and discuss questions/concerns/ideas with each other.
I had the opportunity to observe Erina during her readers workshop time. I found it interesting to observe a first grade class and I have thought about how I could relate the ideas with my fourth graders. She was meeting with the entire group when I entered the room. She was doing a mini lesson for the children to expand on sentences. I was nice to see the process that these children went through to build one sentence. After directions were given she moved to meet with a reading group. It was interesting how she met with her first group. They looked at a number of chapter books, and together as a group, they decide which book the group would read. I really liked the fact that even at a first grade level the students had some ownership to the books they were going to read. They were given the expectation for the next time they will meet, and the children went off to complete their reading independently. I felt that I would be able to manage something like this in my own classroom; I would also give them the choice to read independently or with a partner from the group. My fourth graders would also be able to record some of their thinking in a reading journal, which they could use during the next session we would meet. She then met with another group that was an emergent group. They were clearly not reading as well as the last group that had chosen a chapter book to read independently. They worked together to ask some predictive questions and to use there schema to try to understand some of their thinking. I became very clear to me that even though they were not the best readers at this point, they clearly were able to interact with the story by discussing their thinking. This year I have tried many new methods to teach reading……I look forward to starting fresh next year. I feel that I now have a better handle on which of these methods work best for my students and for myself. I want to plan out what reading will look like throughout an entire year and how it will be more organized, but less teacher directed.
I had the great pleasure of visiting Colleen Mahoney's class for a lesson on visualizing. She used a great book called "Seven Blind Mice". She began with a discussion about the five senses. She had them close their eyes while she told a quick story about a hot day, the beach, and ice cream. Why were they licking their lips? They had schema for ice cream! A class chart that was constructed during previous lessons was hanging in front of the group. It said "What do good readers do to help themselves understand and enjoy their reading?" The bulleted responses were, 1)Use their schema to make connections between what they already know and the text, 2)Ask questions before, during , and after reading, and 3)Make mental images using their five senses. Colleen did not show the pictures as she was reading purposely. In the story the blind mice were given clues to figure out what an object was. At a few stop points, Colleen would stop and ask what the children thought the object was. They also did a "knee to knee" and "eye to eye" to discuss their thoughts. Colleen listed their images on the chart paper. They talked about why their images were different from one another. Different pictures came to their minds based on their schema. She read the story again showing the pictures this time. The children then moved to their seats, listened to a poem and drew a picture about it. It's obvious that Colleen has worked extensively with her class on the strategies. The children were really into the book, actively participating at the stop points. It was great for them to return to their seats to draw their own image from a poem. They had to think about the words and imagine what the author was writing about to draw a picture about it. It was a great lesson for the children and I would recommend the book. Great job, Colleen!
For my observation I went to North Salem to see Erina Kelly. It was great for me to see another first grade classroom. I felt as though I could see myself doing a lot of what she did. Erina began by meeting with the whole class at the carpet. They were discussing “stretching sentences” As we all know, first graders like to write sentences that lack much detail. For example. I like to play, I love my mom, I am good at sports...so this mini lesson was great to see. Erina had an excellent poster that was the basis of her lesson. It had a very bland starting sentence that, while answering the who, what, when, where and why questions, became much more detailed. After Erina read through the poster and discussed what was happening at each stage, the students worked with her to stretch a sentence that she gave them. It was I read. It was great to see how into the students got. They asked good questions and were very involved.
After the mini lesson Erina had some work that students did back at their desks. They worked on stretching a sentence and then an Earth Day activity. During this time Erina met with some of her reading groups. I really enjoyed watching this because it seemed so organized. She started with higher reading group and they were picking out which chapter book they wanted to read next. She made sure they had read the back of the book and they shared with her their reasons for wanting a particular book. I really liked this idea and think I would be able to give my higher reading groups choices when picking the books. I think it will encourage them to take ownership of their reading and expectations that go along with it. The students were told what they needed to have read before they met the next time. They had a bookmark that they used for writing down words they did not understand. These words would then be discussed when they next met.
The next group that Erina met with was a lower reading group. They were reading Kite's Island Trip. They spent time using their schema and other strategies to think about what this story might be about. When the students began reading, Erina had one student read a page and then the other two would read that page back. I think I might try this. The students did well with the choral reading and then it means that the students are reading the whole book, not just individual pages. This seems as though it would tie the story together for them in a more understandable way.
I really appreciate Erina opening up her classroom to me...especially at such a busy time. I came away with some great ideas to try in my classroom. It is always helpful to see what other teachers are doing in their classrooms!
I observed a lesson on nonfiction text in Tara Devine's second grade class. I do stop in to say hello and see how my last year's student are doing. This time, I explained why I was there and told them I needed to see a super fantastic lesson. The students sat up straighter and said okay. Timmy stated, "I can't make any promises." ...Some things never change! It is evident that Tara has well developed routines and the students know what to expect. In my quest for refining my program, it reminded me how important those basic routines are and when changing this year, I haven't always given the time to establishing the new routines. Tara moved effortlessly through her lesson reviewing a chart made previously reminding the students what to look for when reading nonfiction text. She lead students through this review incorporating comprehension skills and pointing out when students were using schema, making connections to various texts and media they read/viewed when studying about dinosaurs. The students were given a clear purpose for their reading and found their spots in the room to read their article. Tara circulated around the room conferencing and helping students as they read. She recorded notes in a notebook. All students on a page and turns the page for the next week's reading. Tara likes the use of this method for recording. I am using an indivual sheet for each student. I file the sheet and when doing report cards it helps me view their progress. I am still thinking about using the notebook style. I think I may try it. Depending on how that goes, I may end up with a combination of the two.
I've been very fortunate to have Nancy S. come in to teach my own students. It's always an adventure to see someone else teach your own students and to be the outside observer. I was able to see both the lesson and my own students' interactions within.
Nancy has worked with anticipation guides with my students. I was surprised by some of the material that she chose for my class, thinking that it would be way over their heads. I was pleased to see that the class rose to the challenge. They saw the lesson as a puzzle to be solved. One of my students decided that we were trying to "trick him". I was able to see my class in a whole new way, and I realized that I had been underestimating their ability and interest in things that were not only AT their reading level, but also above.
On Thursday, I had the opportunity to visit a first grade classroom in Wakefield, MA with a collection of other first and second grade teachers from Salem. Nancy, who had previously worked at this school, had set up this chance for some of us to see the reader's workshop model put to use, along with word study being used for phonics and spelling instruction. Overall, the experience was a very positive one. Seeing students engaged, knowledgeable and able to manage their time at stations was reaffirming to see. They worked their way through a multiple of stations, often with a choice of activities in a given station. I liked the poetry and big book stations and look forward to trying a variation of my own next year. I also loved that she had them complete a self-assessment rubric at the end of the workshop. Learning that this was her third year implementing this type of program helped me to feel that this change is indeed a process, and that bit-by-bit, I am moving in the right direction.
During our trip, we were also lucky enough to visit the schools "book room." This was, for me, almost as impressive as the classroom observation. Shelves and shelves of leveled readers, packaged in sets of 6, for teachers to sign out for classroom use in leveled reading groups and leveled big books for use in whole group lessons donned several shelving units My ideas for classroom supply ordering was greatly altered from this one visit.
14 comments:
The Tuesday after Februaury vacation I was fortunate to observe the Reader's Workshop in the fifth grade at Soule School. Karen Verry and Heather Aldrich were most welcoming and showed me the way this works in their classrooms.
In Karen's room they began with a sharing time. One student brought in poems and news articles and talked of them in front of the class. This brought about great discussion as many of the students ahad schema for these articles.
Once the discussion was over, Karen asked them to start the workshop. I really liked the set up because each student has their own book and writing notebook/journal in a folder and these folders are in a particular place in the room. It was interesting to see how each student tracked their thinking in their journals. Soem used sticky notes and others just wrote notes in the journal about what they had read. The purpose of tracking is important. When the book is finished, each student must write about the book in the form of a letter to Mrs. Verry. I thought this was a great idea.
In Mrs. Aldrich's room, the set up was similar. In this classroom was a chart paper which read TRACKING YOUR THINKING. IT listed all the ways the students could track their thinking. I thought this was great because some kids kind of get stuck in a rut and use the same method over and over again. In this classroom the students were expected to write a letter to the teacher when they finished their book. As in Mrs. Verry's class, the letter had to be at least a page or more and should take at least 2 days to write.
I could go on and on, but suffice to say that before I entered those classrooms I was a bit hesitant about Reader's Workshop and now I feel as though it is a very workable(if that is a word) concept. I feel confident that I can do this in my classroom. It was a great experience.
Janet,
I am so glad you had the opportunity to "see" the workshop in action. There is something demystifying about seeing it first hand!! I hope you will take these ideas with you and make them your own in your classroom!
Tomasen
This week most of the 4th and 5th grade teachers at my school went to Kensington to observe two 5th grade classrooms that are using reading and writing workshop. It was great to finally see what it looks like. We were all very impressed by the way these two classroom worked. Every kid was on task the entire two hours we were there and they were so independent. Both teachers assured us that this has taken a lot of work and did not start out this well.
It was great to see how they each set up their classroom libraries and had charts all over the walls of different reading and writing activities they had done as a class.
I think I now have a better idea of how I want to make changes for next year. Both teachers stressed to make a little change each year and don't feel like you need to change everything at once.
My observation was of Liz D's classroom during her Reader's Workshop time and I was amazed with all the independent reading and creative work that was taking place.
When I entered the classroom there was a group of four girls sitting on the floor involved in a book club. When I asked them about the club they quickly told me about how they read independently, kept track of their thinking on sticky notes and then went into the hall to discuss their thoughts and share their thinking. They told me how much they enjoyed reading the same book and being able to talk to each other about it. The best part was they "were able to choose the book". They expressed they also liked being able to choose their "book club". One child said it was like her "mom's book club". When I asked them to summarize what they had read so far each student took a turn sharing. They helped each other when they forgot to tell me something. They were so proud of what they were able to share.
After speaking with the Book club, I went and spoke to two boys who were making a project with clay. They informed me they had finished a book and it was time to create something to share with the class. As they were making characters from the book I asked them to talk to me about what they read. They were both eager to tell me about the book. Again they helped each other if what they said wasn't just right. They were learning from each other not just from the teacher.
Liz was working with a group discussing and asking questions about their reading. The chldren were involved in the discussion despite the fact that the room was full of activity. They were not distracted by the level of activity and that impressed me. When Liz was done with that group she moved to another group of girls and asked them to share their book. The girls were on the carpet talking with her and describing a part in the story that required a demonstration. One student stood up and acted out the part and it was clear to me it was easier for her to talk and act at the same time. I'm not sure the student would have expressed such a strong understanding if she were required to "write" her answer.
Several of my concern about Reader's Workshop were put to rest after visiting Liz'z class and seeing it in action. The "unstructured" environment was a major concern for me yet what I saw wasn't what I had expected. The students knew what they were doing and were able to stay focus on the task they were working on. Students were involved with actitives that were authenic and more meaningful to them. I could see ownership and pride.
A second concern was book choice. I feel safe when I make the choice and I know the story and I know what I want them to get out of the story. What I learned was when allowed to make their own choices, children "own" their reading.
My third concern was how would I be able to track the students learning and progress. Liz was walking around with a notebook and as she spoke with the students and as they shared their thinking with her she took note on each child. When the workshop was over she had a sense of each child progress and it wasn't grading a worksheet that held no meaning for the child.
I have been hesitate about Reader's Workshop and after my visit I feel I can make it work in my classroom. It will be a slow process but a process that has merit.
The Thursday before February vacation I was lucky to spend some time in Leslie C's first grade class. I arrived about 11:10 and stayed until 12:30.
When I entered the room everyone was on the carpet participating in a fiction/non fiction lesson. As they finished up, Leslie had them take a story stretch and sit back down at the carpet. She read aloud a story (Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth) and her thinking from sticky notes as she went. While she was reading/thinking aloud, the students tallied each time they heard her use a familiar thinking stem (they worked in pairs and each pair had a list of thinking stems they use in class). I thought this activity was so perfect for first graders! It allowed them a chance to see their teacher using the thinking stems they use in reader's workshop, but then led right into their reader's workshop "assignment" for the day.
Next the students and Leslie sang the "just right book" chant. It only took a few minutes for them to find 3 books, while Leslie put their reading journals on their desks. The students have clips that get rotated each time, to show where they should sit during reader's workshop (desks, carpet, bean bags, chair cushions). During workshop they have about 1/2 hour to read any of their 3 books, write in their journal and continue to read. I was impressed with how smoothly the transition into individual reading time went. Their assignment for the journal was to use one of the new thinking stems and to tell if the book was fiction or nonfiction (along w/ the regular expectation of book title, date, picture). In the journals was a laminated list of familiar thinking stems they could choose from. This was also a great idea. In my class the thinking stems are on the chart hanging on the board. Having them right with them makes it easier and more managable for the students. It's obvious that Leslie has worked VERY hard at getting her class to this point (bravo!!) - but it made me realize that YES! It's possible! I have loved the idea of reader's workshop from day 1--but the thought of figuring out how to work it in my classroom was WAY overwhelming for me. I left Leslie's class feeling refreshed (still a little overwhelmed) and excited to jump into more individual reading time in my classroom.
I still have a few questions about how to track individual reading (Leslie floated around and read/talked with several students). I would like to find or create a form to fill out when conferencing...
Leslie has done such a nice job organizing her classroom and the flow of reader's workshop. I highly recommend a visit to her room! (I hope that's ok Leslie!)
This week I had the opportunity to venture out to Soule School to observe in Sheila Farnsworth's first grade classroom. I was very excited to go back to Soule as it is such a warm, supportive & friendly atmosphere. Sheila had visited my classroom last week and we've shared ideas via email so it was a treat for me to see RW in action in her room.
When I arrived, Sheila gathered the children on the rug to talk about the work they had begun the previous day on connections and how to use the "fancy code" (T-T, T-S, T-W) to keep track of their thinking on their "stickies"(post-its). She reviewed the anchor chart they had affixed their "stickies" onto the previous day & noted that many of their connections were made 'before' they read (through picture walking & observing the title/cover). Sheila asked them to focus on paying attention to their connections 'during' their reading. She modeled this by reading part of the book 'Franklin Plays the Game'. Some of Sheila's cues to let the children know when they should share their connections were to give her a 'thumbs-up' and to wait for her to display a mini-stop sign that stood for 'stop, think, make a plan'. Sheila reminded them that the "plan" today was making connections.
The children eagerly shared their connections and Sheila jotted them down on "stickies" to place in the book. At one point she purposefully placed the "sticky" on the back cover to elicit from the children that the thinking needs to be placed on the page where you had the connection. They chimed in loud & clear on this one! At one point in the story, a student asked what the word "intended" meant in the story. Sheila didn't jump in & answer that for him but led the children to infer & figure the meaning out by using clues.
The children were then partnered up to read together during RW. They were instructed to get their 'book boxes' which had their book choices inside, a pencil, post-its, mini-stop sign (like the one used by her during the read aloud), and their reader's notebook. The children took turns to read to each other. They were reminded to read 2 pages, stop, think, and make a plan...the plan being sharing connections & jotting them down on the "stickies". Sheila was working with a child during this time, a classroom assistant was working with a couple children and the resource room teacher also worked with one child.
When the partnership reading time was nearing the end, Sheila asked the children to open their reader's notebook (spiral-bound notebook with lines) and jot down the title, place their "stickies" inside and write whether the book was "easy" or "hard" for them. They met on the rug for sharing. Those that shared could place their post-it on the anchor chart to show their connection "during" reading.
Sheila has obviously embraced RW. The walls and shelves were covered with anchor charts about sensory images, books they love, what makes a book just right, question words, etc... It is clear that Sheila has established the expectations & routines of RW and that there is lots of conversations about books and lots of time given to reflect, respond, and learn from one another. I loved when one of her students said "What if we don't have a connection to a book" and Sheila seized this teachable moment to talk with the children about this. She constantly asked the children for their insights & opinions. I love teaching props, so as soon as I saw the mini-stop sign...I thought "I've got to make those"! It was a nice visual reminder for the children to take time to stop along the way in their reading to think about their thinking! Thank you Sheila allowing me to take a peek into your RW---I know you said you weren't feeling well but you were fabulous!
I observed Readers' Workshop in Heather's 5th grade class at Soule School this past week. She has a large class this year, as do I, so I was interested to see how she managed with limited space. I must say, I was very impressed with Heather's reading program and the way she manages it.
She started with a mini-lesson at the rug on a combination of skills: Main idea, inference, and fables. She read one and modeled what she wanted the students to do afterward in small groups of 3.
I was wondering how the students would spread out enough to work, but they managed this well. Even when groups were in close proximity they stayed focused within their own groups. I visited with 3 of the groups as they selected a fable to read, tracked their thinking on sticky notes, making inferences to determine the lesson or moral of the story. I was impressed with the way the groups stayed on task and completed it in the time given. When one student went off track, the others would refocus them to the task. The students had good ideas and made many insightful inferences.
They reconvened on the rug for some sharing of the lessons from their fables. Heather said she would revisit this lesson again for more practice.
Next, students got their folders with their independent reading and writing materials. The students worked quietly and independently while Heather shared her methods with me.
Some concerns that I had with RW Heather had already addressed. In order to have students select books from a variety of genres, she had created a sheet for them to track their choices. She also had bookmarks for each child with tips on how to select a "Just right" book. For grading, (a big concern for me), Heather used a rubric to grade their writings for tracking their thinking. Heather also gave me a selection of some of the materials she uses. She has made changes along the way as she saw the need arise.
I am thankful to Heather for inviting me into her classroom. I know how taxing it can be to often have guests. I found the visit to be valuable to me because I was able to see the process managed well in a large 5th grade class.
I have told my students we would try this program after April vacation. They are enthusiastic about the prospect and have begun choosing their novels.
I intend to take what works and brings success to my students from this new methodology and integrate it in to other methods I have found successful.
When I first started thinking about observing a class, I really had to think about what I wanted to see. My feeling was that I could observe anyone teaching any type of reading instruction but how beneficial would it be to my students and my reading instruction? Having these thoughts and after having discussions with members of LTT, I came to 2 conclusions. I could observe grade one and see how the students are handling reading workshop so that I can see what it might look like at the beginning of grade 2 or I could observe grade 4 and see how they have taken it to a new level. I chose to observe a fourth grade classroom as they were working on a chapter book and then coming together to have a 'fish bowl' discussion. Our thoughts (Heidi, Michelle, and I)were that we could have the fourth graders model for the second graders. I observed Heidi Jones' class one morning as she was reading a passage from 'The BFG'. Her students all had their own copies of the book and were following along, some writing thoughts/connections/questions they had as she was reading. After Heidi read several pages, the students were assigned several more pages to read independently or with a partner or small group. I liked that she started the reading for them for a number of reasons; cutting down the amount of reading a reluctant reader has to do, listening to the fluency and intonation and just getting them involved in the story, to name a few. I also liked that she gave them a choice of how and who they were going to read this next passage with. Some students may prefer to read alone while others prefer to read with a small group or partner. (Maybe it helps with their confidence?) As I watched them read independently, every person was engaged in what they were supposed to be doing. All of them had notebooks to jot down notes. (Heidi explained that none of them knew who would be in the inside circle and who would be in the outside circle when it came time to have their fish bowl. So everyone had to be prepared to say something.) Several times students were openly laughing at a funny part which shows their understanding. While they were engaged in reading, Heidi conferred with many of the groups, once reading a passage out loud so they could discuss and understand it. Overall it was great to see her students activly involved in the story, even after a period of about 30 minutes. Unfortunately I needed to get back to class so I was unable to observe the fish bowl. I hope (and intend) to go back and observe one in either Heidi's or Michelle's class so that we can follow up on having
4th graders model for second graders. I would also like to see how Erina handles reading workshop with her first graders as I am questioning whether I should begin a new year with my second graders with reading workshop or should I go more of the traditional route. I am not really sure how it will work at the beginning of the year, especially since so many of them are emergent readers. So, I hope to confer more with Erina to answer some of these questions. It is such a benefit to have been in LTT with others right in my own building so that we can bounce ideas off of and discuss questions/concerns/ideas with each other.
I had the opportunity to observe Erina during her readers workshop time. I found it interesting to observe a first grade class and I have thought about how I could relate the ideas with my fourth graders.
She was meeting with the entire group when I entered the room. She was doing a mini lesson for the children to expand on sentences. I was nice to see the process that these children went through to build one sentence. After directions were given she moved to meet with a reading group. It was interesting how she met with her first group. They looked at a number of chapter books, and together as a group, they decide which book the group would read. I really liked the fact that even at a first grade level the students had some ownership to the books they were going to read. They were given the expectation for the next time they will meet, and the children went off to complete their reading independently. I felt that I would be able to manage something like this in my own classroom; I would also give them the choice to read independently or with a partner from the group. My fourth graders would also be able to record some of their thinking in a reading journal, which they could use during the next session we would meet.
She then met with another group that was an emergent group. They were clearly not reading as well as the last group that had chosen a chapter book to read independently. They worked together to ask some predictive questions and to use there schema to try to understand some of their thinking. I became very clear to me that even though they were not the best readers at this point, they clearly were able to interact with the story by discussing their thinking.
This year I have tried many new methods to teach reading……I look forward to starting fresh next year. I feel that I now have a better handle on which of these methods work best for my students and for myself. I want to plan out what reading will look like throughout an entire year and how it will be more organized, but less teacher directed.
I had the great pleasure of visiting Colleen Mahoney's class for a lesson on visualizing. She used a great book called "Seven Blind Mice". She began with a discussion about the five senses. She had them close their eyes while she told a quick story about a hot day, the beach, and ice cream. Why were they licking their lips? They had schema for ice cream! A class chart that was constructed during previous lessons was hanging in front of the group. It said "What do good readers do to help themselves understand and enjoy their reading?" The bulleted responses were, 1)Use their schema to make connections between what they already know and the text, 2)Ask questions before, during , and after reading, and 3)Make mental images using their five senses. Colleen did not show the pictures as she was reading purposely. In the story the blind mice were given clues to figure out what an object was. At a few stop points, Colleen would stop and ask what the children thought the object was. They also did a "knee to knee" and "eye to eye" to discuss their thoughts. Colleen listed their images on the chart paper. They talked about why their images were different from one another. Different pictures came to their minds based on their schema. She read the story again showing the pictures this time. The children then moved to their seats, listened to a poem and drew a picture about it. It's obvious that Colleen has worked extensively with her class on the strategies. The children were really into the book, actively participating at the stop points. It was great for them to return to their seats to draw their own image from a poem. They had to think about the words and imagine what the author was writing about to draw a picture about it. It was a great lesson for the children and I would recommend the book. Great job, Colleen!
For my observation I went to North Salem to see Erina Kelly. It was great for me to see another first grade classroom. I felt as though I could see myself doing a lot of what she did. Erina began by meeting with the whole class at the carpet. They were discussing “stretching sentences” As we all know, first graders like to write sentences that lack much detail. For example. I like to play, I love my mom, I am good at sports...so this mini lesson was great to see. Erina had an excellent poster that was the basis of her lesson. It had a very bland starting sentence that, while answering the who, what, when, where and why questions, became much more detailed. After Erina read through the poster and discussed what was happening at each stage, the students worked with her to stretch a sentence that she gave them. It was I read. It was great to see how into the students got. They asked good questions and were very involved.
After the mini lesson Erina had some work that students did back at their desks. They worked on stretching a sentence and then an Earth Day activity. During this time Erina met with some of her reading groups. I really enjoyed watching this because it seemed so organized. She started with higher reading group and they were picking out which chapter book they wanted to read next. She made sure they had read the back of the book and they shared with her their reasons for wanting a particular book. I really liked this idea and think I would be able to give my higher reading groups choices when picking the books. I think it will encourage them to take ownership of their reading and expectations that go along with it. The students were told what they needed to have read before they met the next time. They had a bookmark that they used for writing down words they did not understand. These words would then be discussed when they next met.
The next group that Erina met with was a lower reading group. They were reading Kite's Island Trip. They spent time using their schema and other strategies to think about what this story might be about. When the students began reading, Erina had one student read a page and then the other two would read that page back. I think I might try this. The students did well with the choral reading and then it means that the students are reading the whole book, not just individual pages. This seems as though it would tie the story together for them in a more understandable way.
I really appreciate Erina opening up her classroom to me...especially at such a busy time. I came away with some great ideas to try in my classroom. It is always helpful to see what other teachers are doing in their classrooms!
I observed a lesson on nonfiction text in Tara Devine's second grade class. I do stop in to say hello and see how my last year's student are doing. This time, I explained why I was there and told them I needed to see a super fantastic lesson. The students sat up straighter and said okay. Timmy stated, "I can't make any promises." ...Some things never change! It is evident that Tara has well developed routines and the students know what to expect. In my quest for refining my program, it reminded me how important those basic routines are and when changing this year, I haven't always given the time to establishing the new routines. Tara moved effortlessly through her lesson reviewing a chart made previously reminding the students what to look for when reading nonfiction text. She lead students through this review incorporating comprehension skills and pointing out when students were using schema, making connections to various texts and media they read/viewed when studying about dinosaurs. The students were given a clear purpose for their reading and found their spots in the room to read their article. Tara circulated around the room conferencing and helping students as they read. She recorded notes in a notebook. All students on a page and turns the page for the next week's reading. Tara likes the use of this method for recording. I am using an indivual sheet for each student. I file the sheet and when doing report cards it helps me view their progress. I am still thinking about using the notebook style. I think I may try it. Depending on how that goes, I may end up with a combination of the two.
I've been very fortunate to have Nancy S. come in to teach my own students. It's always an adventure to see someone else teach your own students and to be the outside observer. I was able to see both the lesson and my own students' interactions within.
Nancy has worked with anticipation guides with my students. I was surprised by some of the material that she chose for my class, thinking that it would be way over their heads. I was pleased to see that the class rose to the challenge. They saw the lesson as a puzzle to be solved. One of my students decided that we were trying to "trick him". I was able to see my class in a whole new way, and I realized that I had been underestimating their ability and interest in things that were not only AT their reading level, but also above.
On Thursday, I had the opportunity to visit a first grade classroom in Wakefield, MA with a collection of other first and second grade teachers from Salem. Nancy, who had previously worked at this school, had set up this chance for some of us to see the reader's workshop model put to use, along with word study being used for phonics and spelling instruction. Overall, the experience was a very positive one. Seeing students engaged, knowledgeable and able to manage their time at stations was reaffirming to see. They worked their way through a multiple of stations, often with a choice of activities in a given station. I liked the poetry and big book stations and look forward to trying a variation of my own next year. I also loved that she had them complete a self-assessment rubric at the end of the workshop. Learning that this was her third year implementing this type of program helped me to feel that this change is indeed a process, and that bit-by-bit, I am moving in the right direction.
During our trip, we were also lucky enough to visit the schools "book room." This was, for me, almost as impressive as the classroom observation. Shelves and shelves of leveled readers, packaged in sets of 6, for teachers to sign out for classroom use in leveled reading groups and leveled big books for use in whole group lessons donned several shelving units My ideas for classroom supply ordering was greatly altered from this one visit.
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