Talking, Talking, Comprehending?

This past weekend was the annual Michigan Reading Association Conference.  Several days of action and information packed sessions from Peter Johnston to Doug Fisher to our own regional experts.  Having attended twelve sessions over two days it was clear that a common theme was wound through every session.  Children need to talk to comprehend.

Do you like the sound of your own voice?  This is a facetious question but most educators are used to being the center of attention.  We became teachers because we like to talk, we like to help, and we like to take charge.  These are all excellent qualities in an educator.  Are we doing too much of the talking and taking charge in our classrooms (thinking we are helping)?  If so, it's time to turn things over to the kids.  They need to talk to comprehend.  Here are some simple ways to incorporate:

1.  Establish think, pair, share partnerships.  Whether your students are on the carpet or at their seats, they should always have someone to turn and talk to.  I like to make one partner #1 and the other #2.  It's easy to say "1s tell 2s what your prediction is" or "2s explain to 1s what you think the meaning of that word is".  Everyone gets to participate throughout the discussion (even the fly under the radar kids).

2.  Don't skip the share!  Too often in reading and writing workshop, when time has to be trimmed, we skip the sharing.  This is so important and it is how kids build those crucial reflection skills.  Make time for your kids to share their reading and writing whether it's whole group, small group, triads, or partners.  You might even mix it up (that's what I call three ring circus).

3. Let students be the models.  If we always stand up and explain everything it may seem out of reach to some of our students.  Children in your classroom can take an active role in explaining things, whether it be rules and procedures, assignment directions, or the meaning of a word.  Give an opportunity to your students for them to be the expert.

4.  Create reading clubs.  Allow kids to get together and share what they are reading, what skills they are using, and reflect on their choices.  Reading clubs are different than book clubs in that everyone may bring a different book to share.  If your classroom is following Daily 5 this is an excellent chance for them to model to the group their selected strategy from the CAFE Menu.


Below are some resources that give even more detailed ideas in how to incorporate talk in your classroom to enhance comprehension:

Mid Year's Resolutions

January is met with a different perspective from a teacher viewpoint.  While it is a NEW YEAR for everyone else, it marks the halfway point in our school year.  It's a time to reflect back on how much your class has grown, ponder what they still need to learn, and map out the rest of the year.  In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions I've compiled some Mid Year's Resolutions for teachers.

1.  Reteach classroom behavior expectations after break.  Think of how undisciplined you become over break (stay up late, sleep in, cut loose, etc.), kids are the same way.  Just like it takes us time to get back in our routine as adults, it takes time for the children too.  Spend time when you get back going over all the routines and expectations and it will pay off.

2.  Model, model, model.  Give the students a chance to model read to self, writing workshop, math games, etc. for their classmates.  Involve them more in behavior and academic expectations.  Positive reinforcement works wonders, let the kids shine.

3.  Offer choice to your class.  If you have been having a hard time letting go (are there any teachers out there who don't have some control freak issues?) try to offer choice in at least one area.  Gradual release of responsibility is important as we are trying to grow independent thinkers.  Start offering some learning choices.  Your class will not get out of control and the kids will still learn!

4.  Rethink "warm-up activities" or "after you finish work".  Are your students really learning something from such activities?  Are they learning it with any permanence?   Or is this just a means of keeping them busy while you accomplish other things?  Think about having them read during transitions/downtime.  (They could even choose what to read-see #3.)  You could add 20-30 minutes of additional reading to each day by simply eliminating the busy work.

5.  Un-fluff your lesson plans.  Time is a huge constraint in teaching.  How do we fit it all in?  Really examine your lesson plans and see if there are activities in there that are not relevant.    Occasionally we go overboard trying to make learning "fun" for the students with all sorts of fanfare, special projects, lengthy thematic units, and special days.  This just stresses us out as teachers too.  Think about what your students really need to be successful learners and competent students and trim the fluff.

6.  Go deep, not wide.  We hear this a lot with the CCSS!  Look at your math program, reading series, etc. next to the CC standards and pick out what is most important.  Better yet work as a grade level team to decide where the focus needs to be.  Pull in all that data that you have gathered, that oftentimes gathers dust, and really did into what your class needs.  If they have mastered a skill-move on!  You can't teach it all so figure out what are the non-negotiables.

7.  Reflect on how the year has gone so far.  Think about the growth of your class.  Examine your benchmark data.  Look into yourself to dissect what has gone well and what has gone wrong.  You are only half-way through the year.  Things can change!  You steer the boat!

8.  Visit another classroom.  Check out the grade above or below you.  It's easy to get in a bubble but seeing another teacher at work is one of the most valuable forms of professional development.

9.  Read a professional book, article, or blog.  After a teacher has been teaching awhile it is easy to get in a rut.  Reading something professionally reminds us what it's like to be a learner.  We are so busy directing the learning that it is sometimes hard for us to sit back and take in something new, let alone apply it.  Yet we expect our students to do that everyday!  Ask around for a professional book recommendation.  There are so many wonderful readable resources out there (not the 600+ page education pedagogy tomes you lugged around in college).  It may spark in you the need for a change or it could be the affirmation you needed that you are on the right course.  If you are commitment phobic pick up an educational journal or follow an educational blogger.  Prefer an even more rapid form of professional development?  Get on Twitter where there are thousands and thousands of educators tweeting professional wisdom every second!


10.  Pick one thing you want to change for next year!  As you are reflecting on the year so far, think about what you would do different next year.  To make effective changes a solid plan needs to be in place.  This takes time.  We often get inspiration over the summer when we are feeling refreshed. But when the beginning of the school year gets overwhelming our best intentions fall apart.  Think about what you will do differently in September now, map it out, test out snippets, lay groundwork.  It's easier to troubleshoot new programs, routines, and curriculum changes when you have a real class in front of you.  Come summer you can dive in full force and create your plan.  Get your grunt work done before September and your implementation will go smoother (stress levels will be lower too).

Mid-winter break will be here before you know it!

Keeping It Mini

Also known as short, tiny, brief, concise (but still powerful) lessons!

There are two qualities that the majority of teachers I know share:  the desire to help children and the desire to talk.  Have you ever been in a room full of teachers?  It is not quiet!  We just can't help ourselves.  Therefore it only makes sense that we would have a tendency to sometimes go on too long during a lesson.  After all we want to help our students.  We want to make sure they understand.  It's easy to fall into the trap of "just one".  Just one more example...  Just one more story...  Just one more problem...  Just one more explanation...  I know they will get it this time!  The trouble is we have just pushed the kids beyond their capacity to retain what we said. 

It's important for us to keep our lessons mini.  Brain research shows that the age of the child is equal to the amount of minutes they can maintain attention.  That means a five year old can focus for five minutes, a ten year old for ten minutes, etc..  (I'm forty-two which means I should be able to focus for forty-two minutes right?  Actually research is showing, regardless of age, ten minutes is the threshold without brain and body breaks!)

Think of it as a challenge!  How could you chunk instruction into shorter segments so students can retain and sustain their learning?

Some Ideas

*Keep your lessons brief and to the point.  Pick one skill to focus on.

*Switch your position in the room or the position of the students.  Move the whole class from the carpet to their desks, move from the whiteboard to the document camera, have students swivel facing front to facing back, etc..

*Use the think, pair, share strategy to give everyone a chance to share without adding length to the lesson having students respond one-by-one..

*Don't be afraid to stop for a brain or body break.  If you feel like your class is losing attention, they are.  If you think they are still learning, they are not.

*When they have reached their learning maximum release them for some independent practice, bring them back together to extend or revisit the skill.  

*A specific skill or strategy may be taught as a mini-lesson over several days.  No one expects you to teach inference in one day, in one lesson, and never discuss it again!  Don't be afraid to stretch it out.

Mini Lesson Outline

1. Name the concept or skill being taught

2.  Teacher Modeling

3.  Guided practice as a class

4.  More examples/discussion

5.  Review what was taught (circle back to #1)

 

Bonus Tip:  If you are stuck about what to confer with individual students about, touch on the strategy that was just taught in the mini-lesson.  This will give you an idea of whether or not it stuck!

Example of a Mini-Lesson Template

Another Template

Mini-Lesson Example

Whole Brain Teaching Video (If you search "whole brain teaching" on You Tube you will find dozens of powerful examples.)

Brain Breaks

Brain Breaks on Pinterest

What I Learned from Gail and Joan

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a two day Daily Five/CAFE workshop with Gail and Joan.  I need to point out that I am no stranger to them.  I've attended their workshops before and listened to them speak at the MRA (Michigan Reading Association).  Their books-I've read.  Their DVDs-I've watched.  Their website-I'm a member.  Their Tip of the Week email-I get it!  Why am I such a fan?  Three magic words-authentic reading and writing!  How can a teacher not love to see their students participating daily in authentic reading and writing?  Even being a self-professed Daily 5 geek, I still learned a great deal from this workshop.  I'm going to share here just a few of the tidbits I gleaned from those wonderful two days.

-Add "bathroom stamina" to your charts!

-3 Rounds per day (Kindergarten and Intermediate-2 rounds)

-Don't have the children "brainstorm" when creating your I Chart.  Just label it.  You may have to create the I Chart in two separate sessions based on children's stamina.

-Teach the 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence in chunks.  3-4 different times throughout the day to fill up the chart.  It is too much for student's to digest at one time!

-Age of child=number of minutes of direct instruction.  (This stops at 10 minutes.)

-Ask your Media Specialist to teach the Good Fit, I PICK book lessons in the library as well.

-Model the strategy "go back and reread books in your box when you are done".

-Read to Someone is last to be taught

-Fluent readers are 5-7 words ahead in their brains of their voice!

-Leveled classroom libraries are discouraged.  Leveling systems are for teachers not students.

-Reading level is not the primary determinate for placing students into a group-it's the skill needed!

I could go on and on and on.  Everything they said was spot on and they have the research to prove it.  In the classrooms I visit throughout my district I see powerful results of Daily 5 implementation as well.  It's hard to argue with kids reading and writing everyday!

 

"The person in the room that does the most work does the most learning."

I'm a Reluctant Reader!

Perhaps I should start as I WAS a reluctant reader.  Or maybe reluctant is the word that doesn't fit, it should be I was a stressed-out, busy, stretched-too-thin reader.  Summer is typically when I dive into books, books, and more books.  Reading is my favorite pass time and I read each day.  In the summer I love to tackle heavy books ("East of Eden", "Mayflower", "Jane Eyre", etc.) that I might not have time for during the school year.

This summer however life was frantic.  Besides taking care of my three boys, we remodeled our house, sold it (twice), packed up the entire thing and moved.  I just was too warn out to go serious with my reading.  I wanted lighthearted and fun.  I did not want to back up and reread!  I did not want to sketch a map of characters in the back cover.  I wanted brain candy!  So I spent a great deal of time this summer reading magazines, articles online, and fluffy books.  So while I was reluctant to tackle a 600+ page novel, I did not give up reading.  I adjusted my style.

Many of our students are reluctant readers.  Is our goal as educators to get them to read OR to get them to read what we deem worthy?  I firmly believe we need to let our students read whatever they like as long as they are READING!  Yes we can introduce them to classics.  Yes we should read aloud books of quality.  Of course we need to pack our bookshelves full of as many choices as possible.  But sometimes a kid, and an adult, just wants a little brain candy!

Below is a sampling of books for reluctant readers:

"Fly Guy" Series by Tedd Arnold
"Don't Let the Pigeon..." Series by Mo Willems
"Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa" Series by Erica Silverman
"Daisy Dawson" Series by Steve Voake
"Cinderella Smith" Series by Stephanie Barden
"Stink" Series by Megan McDonald
"My Weird School" Series by Dan Gutman
"Captain Underpants" Series by Dav Pilkey
"How to Train Your Dragon" Series by Cressida Cowell
"Ramona" Series by Beverly Cleary
"Fudge" Series by Judy Blume
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Series by Jeff Kinney
"NERDS" Series by Michael Buckley
"39 Clues" Series by various authors

I realize that all of these are series books and there is a reason behind it!  Reluctant readers love series books because they do not have to start from scratch each time they start a new book.  The characters, setting, format are usually quite similar.  This can be a life saver for a struggling reader.  My goal is to get them reading now so they can love it their whole lives!

Common Core Conundrum

Lately it seems that the majority of my work focuses on the Common Core Standards (you may have heard of them).  There is always some trepediation when a seemingly huge shift is about to happen.  Eyes glaze over, faces go blank. and heads tilt to the side in that "really another change" stare.  Currently we are in the process of developing an implementation plan to get our teachers ready for this new challenge. 

We have had standards in Michigan for years (GLCEs) and I can honestly say, on the surface, the CCSS seem much more compact and meaningful than what we have had in Michigan.  During our first meeting we spent time discussing the shifts, each ELA standard, and finally focusing on writing.  There was a measurable wave of relief as we worked our way through the standards.  The teachers know that they can do this and do this well!

As with anything new, products will follow.  I noticed at MRA that there are many companies touting "Common Core Aligned" for many of their products and textbooks.  Wow that was fast!  I'll proceed with caution regarding these endorsements but I will say I have seen some quality information and books out there.  Whether they are good solid retools of old favorites or new insights into what is on the horizon, they offer valid ideas!












Common Core Shifts...

First Focus-MAISA writing units.

Learning Targets and I Can statements

It seems as if every state is jumping on the CCSS bandwagon as well by putting out their own documents.

Ohio

North Carolina

Kentucky

Back to the title of my post the conundrum, I feel, will lie in the assessment piece that is coming down the road.  There will be no tears shed by Michigan educators when the MEAP test is retired but how will the new assessment affect us all.  How this puzzle piece fits with our newly adopted standards remains to be seen.

Might As Well Face It (I'm addicted to books)

The words have changed slightly from the Robert Palmer hit song of my youth but the message is similar!After coming home from the recent MRA (Michigan Reading Association) conference, I realized I had a problem.  My back was aching, my bag was ripping, and a smile was spreading across my face.  I had just acquired the above books hoping to inspire myself and the teachers I work with. The conference was filled with wonderful speakers sharing best practices and innovative ways to reach children.  When a book is touted by an educator I admire, I can't help myself, I must have it!  As I stacked them all up I concluded I had given myself a massive reading assignment.  Looking at my new books made me think nostagically about some of the author/educators and titles that have inspired my teaching through the years.  This blog is about some of those books!



In the past few months I have read The Ten Things Every Writer Needs to Know and Everyday Editing.  These are absolute musts if you are teaching kids to write.  Everday Editing will help you understand why DOL is DOA.  The Ten Things will give you relevant methods and examples to bring writing to life for your students.

 

Are you curious why many kids hate to read?  These books will give you motivation to turn things around for the readers in your class.  Choice is important!   Teachers like control but sometimes we need to loosen the reins and let kids read what they want to read.

 

Richard Allington has such wise advice that he backs up with research, powerful reseach.  His What Really Matters series explains,analyzes, and dissects many reading topics that sometimes baffle us as educators.  The best part is he always puts the puzzle back together by giving realistic and timely recommendations to improve instruction.



The writing in this comprehension guide is direct and meaningful.  As soon as a teacher sets it down, they can literally walk into the classroom and put the ideas immediately into practice.  Miller will show you how to build thoughtful and strategic readers.

 

These two slim books are jam packed with useful mini lessons for a reader and writer notebook.  If you haven't used notebooks with your students these books will encourage and guide you in starting.  The tips and plans will help you effortless add substance to your literacy block.

What I truly love about the above books is that they are practical, timely, and classic.  Not one of the above books will require a dictionary by your side.  You will not be bogged down in statistic after statistic.  You will not be bombarded with suggestions that seem impossible.  Did I mention that they are all thin?  You will not find a recommendation of 400+ pages (in a font size 10 no less) here!  I am all about useful recommendations.

These are just some of the career altering books I recommend.  I have cabinets full of even more (please don't report me to the show Hoarders) but I wanted to start small and simple.  If you have a recommendation I would love to hear it.  Perhaps some of my newly purchased books will be added to my favorites soon!