Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary - Chapter 10 Conferring

A Guide to the Reading Workshop: Primary Grades by Lucy Calkins
        *This review includes content from the chapter and content from the discussion

Today's session was led by the very talented 2nd grade teacher, Laurie Justo.  This was my last Book Study session at Chets Creek as I will be retiring at the end of the year (The book study, however will continue for two more sessions).  I missed getting a picture of the group because they surprised me by each presenting me with their own "conference notes" - so many sweet sentiments from some very talented and thoughtful friends and colleagues.

 BIG ideas in Chapter 10

Conferring with Readers: Intense, Intimate, Responsive Teaching
"... it  is through one-to-one instruction that all of us learn to teach."

The Big Goals of a Conference
"...providing a learner with feedback accelerates skill development."

Two Kinds of Conferences

• Research-Decide-Compliment- Teach Conference
• Research - listen to the student read (running record or observing), review previous work with student, check in by asking, "What have you been working on as a reader? What strategies have been the most useful? How's it going? What feels tough?" 
• Decide - make a decision about the one thing that will most help the reading - don't need to finish the story
• Compliment - offer a specific compliment of something you want the student to continue always
• Teach - Name your teaching point and teach explicitly - tell the student to sue the teach often giving him a reminder such as a bookmark, giving the student a sticky note to note where he tries the strategy
• Coaching Conference
• Intervene lightly as the student reads
• Decide-teach-link