Saturday, December 26, 2015

Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary - Chapter 4 Knowledge of Reading Development

A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary Grades by Lucy Calkins

BIG ideas in Chapter 4
A Knowledge of Reading Development Can Power Your Teaching

1. Emergent storybook reading
  • research of Elizabeth Sulzby gives 4 major levels to support
  • develop concepts of print
  • do the work of phonemic awareness before conventional reading 
2. Work of A/B books
  • work at this level is about meaning
  • should recognize 12-20 high frequency words, one-to-one matching
  • do not hold students at this level, 2-4 weeks is appropriate
3. Work of C/D books
  • introduction of visual clue (phonics)
  • integration of M(meaning) S(syntax) V(visual)
  • transition to book language, introduction of said and prepositional phrases
  • addition of consonant blend and digraphs
  • continuous teaching of high frequency words
  • stop and think about the story
4. Work of E/F books
  • stories with clear beginning, middle, end
  • commas and questions introduced
  • compound words and inflectional endings are introduced
  • not ready to skip a word and read on and need better problem solving (M+V-looks at first group of letters and then next group) to stamp out "first letter guessers"
5. Work of G/H/I books
  • monitoring for self-regulation
  • more episodes (longer books, chapter books) requiring synthesis to retell
  • full range of phonics
  • multi-syllabic words (chunk and blend)
  • addition of Tier II words
6. Work of J/K/L/M books
  • longer, chapter books with illustrations disappearing
  • greater variety of genres
  • more character work
  • figurative language
Channeling Lucy!
Try this activity to see how well you know the levels:

How well do you know the text levels?
Place the level or levels  (A-M) by each skill or strategy that you would want to see the student using consistently at that level. 
1. Retells and summarizes, making inferences, and commenting on story events
2. Matches spoken words to printed words.
3. Uses parts from known words to read unknown words.
4. Envision the story to compensate for low picture support.
5. Solve difficult words with relative ease.
6. Moves from left to right when reading.
7. Word solve with control and independence at the point of error.
8. Makes a return sweep.
9. Begins to monitor, cross-checking and self-correcting at the point of error.
10. Begins to integrate sources of information: making sure it makes sense, sounds right, and looks right (Meaning, Syntax, Visual).
11. Independently integrates all sources of information during reading.
12. Thinks about more abstract themes and universal themes.


Next assignment:  1-7-15
Chapter 6 "Tracking Kids' Progress and Using Assessment to Support Instruction"

Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary - Chapter 3 What does research say that all readers need?

A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary Grades by Lucy Calkins
Trying to understand what Lucy would want us to understand today!

BIG ideas in Chapter 3
 What does research say that all readers need?

"It has become clear that investing in effective teaching - whether in hiring decisions 
or professional development planning - is the most 'research-based' strategy available."
-Richard Allington

Task:  Teachers were asked to read the research on the left hand column and then to work in small groups to discuss how they think we apply the research at CCE, and if they thought we didn't or needed work in that area, to list it under Barriers/ Concerns.
What the research says
How we apply the research at CCE
Barriers/ Concerns
Above all, good teachers matter.  It is important to develop teacher’s ability to teach by providing professional   development and a culture of collaborative practice.
·      Weekly Teacher Meetings (PLCs)
·      WOW days
·      common planning
·      Curriculum Councils
·      Early Dismissal learning
·      Book of the Month
·      Book Studies (school purchases books!)
·      demo lessons
·      finding additional time to meet during busy days for collaboration
·      getting every teacher involved
Students need enormous amounts of time in actual reading.
·      using Lucy Calkins’ Reading Units
·      sending books home nightly
·      Readers-to-Leaders incentives
·      working on stamina
·      reading in the hallways before school
·      reading in the content area
·      shared reading
·      encouraging young readers to partner read, choral read, repeat read, echo read,
·      too many competing activities (making a class pumpkin, class pictures, assemblies…)
Students need access to books that allow them to do a high volume of high-success reading.
·      large fiction and non-fiction classroom  libraries
·      students self-select books
·      sending home books-in-a-bag nightly
·      teachers buying their own books
·      Scholastic book orders
·      more Science books on multi-levels for the required topics
·      need more Media time
Students need to read increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level.
·      providing good range of books in every classroom
·      nonfiction libraries growing
·      many genre and nonfiction books leveled
·      using DRA/Teachers College and running records to continually move students up in level
·      reject one size fits all mandates
·      still need more books
Students need direct, explicit instruction in the strategies of proficient reading.
·      using Units of Study with focused mini-lessons
·      data driven instruction
·      demo lessons
·      not teaching strategies in isolation
·   gaps in the curriculum (Lucy just announced new units being developed and we need to make better use of If…then units
Students need opportunities to talk in response to texts.
·      encouraging book clubs
·      using “turn and talk”
·      using partner reading and partner talk
·      teaching accountable talk
·      offering inquiry groups and book clubs
·      enough books
Students need support reading nonfiction books and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information reading.
·      Nonfiction classroom libraries are growing
·      all old Science series books were leveled
·      teaching text features
·      need more Science books on required topics and high interest/low readability
Students need assessment-based instruction, including feedback that is tailored specifically to them.  Children who struggle with reading especially need instruction tailored to their specific strengths and needs, as well as extra time and extra help.
·      using DRA/Teachers College and running records to listen to students read as formative assessment
·      keeping anecdotal notes to be shared between co-teachers so they know what the child has been working on
·      working with small groups and individuals
·      providing Tier II interventions in the classroom
·      providing Tier II interventions
·      need better technology (wi-fi)
·      too much testing
·      not enough time in the Pacing Guide to teach students new question stem strategies
·      not enough time in the Pacing Guide to try other non-Calkins strategies such as those by Beers, Laminack
Readers need teachers to read aloud to them.
·      most teachers have large numbers of read alouds of their own
·      Star Books in kindergarten offer great read aloud opportunities
·      read alouds are available through Text Talk (vocabulary)
·      both new and older Books of the Month offer excellent read alouds and are available in every room
·      Author studies
·      Lucy’s touchstone texts offer great read aloud opportunities


Next assignment:  12-10-15
Chapter 4 "A Knowledge of Reading Development Can Power Your Teaching"

Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary - Chapter 2 What does the series contain?

A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary Grades by Lucy Calkins
Book Study Group of Chets Creek Leaders

BIG ideas in Chapter 2
 What does the series contain?
“This series aims to be... professional development in a box”

Each grade level box includes:
  • Four major units which include units in fiction and non-fiction with a foundation unit and 
  • Six additional possible  units in the If...Then..Curriculum which provide for choice and differentiation
  •  Each session (lesson) includes: 
    • mini-lesson
    • suggestions for conferences and small groups for that day
    • mid-workshop teaching
    • share
  • Also included are 
    • a stretch of reading work with state-of the art readalouds
    • supports for shared reading
    • short list of recommended titles for independent, partner and club reading
    THIS SERIES IS BUILT ON DECADES OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH.
    THIS SERIES PROVIDES BOTH CURRICULUM AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • Uses "gradual release of responsibility" and "zone of proximal development"
    Research by Bembry and others:  If a child has access to a strong teacher for three consecutive years, that child's scores on standardized test will be as much as 40% higher than the scores of students who have not had strong teachers.  This show the effect of a good school (and that is Chets Creek's strength!)
    • Schools need to become communities of practice with a common language.
    • "The reading curriculum will always be a living, changing, growing compilation of best practices."
    Next assignment:  12-3-15 Chapter 3 "What Does Research Say All Readers Need?"

    Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary - Chapter 1 First Things First

    For those that want to follow along with our current book study, but are not able to attend...

    A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary Grades by Lucy Calkins



    BIG ideas in Chapter 1
     First Things First
    “You cannot create what you cannot imagine.”
    • Too many children are not learning to love to read. The longer kids stay in school, the less they like to read!

    • What are the conditions that make reading bad for you?  What makes reading good?  It's the same for kids!
    • Large, for-profit companies with core reading programs are not the answer.  We have 50 years of research saying packaged programs do NOT work.
    • The most important thing we can do to lift student achievement is to support the professional development and retention of good teachers.
    • Students need to spend most of their time reading in books that are just right.  We will not close the reading gap by having students read grade level text that is beyond their reach.
    • We must model the professional learning as adults that we want in our classrooms.
    Next assignment for 11-19-15: Chapter 2