Supporting K-4 Readers Who Struggle Afternoon Session Pat Johnson Katie Keier Reading Recovery 2012 Pre-Conference
Guided Reading BEFORE: Decide on the focus Select an appropriate book Set the scene Introduce your teaching focus DURING: Students read the text on their own AFTER: Return to the text (comprehension/discussion) Return to the teaching focus Word Work (optional) Respond to the text
DECIDE ON THE FOCUS where is that information coming from? INTRODUCE THE FOCUS be brief and hook it RETURN TO THE FOCUS can be in small group, at the share time, or as they are reading.
What might the focus of a Guided Reading lesson be? Think about: what will make these children better meaning makers, better word solvers, better comprehenders, and better at self-monitoring? BRAINSTORM WITH A PARTNER
Balanced Literacy Approach To-With-By Modeled Writing Shared Writing Interactive Writing Independent Writing Teacher Students Read Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading Independent Reading
Shared demonstration is routinely ignored as a rich teaching context. Shared reading is ideal for showing how text works I model and guide students in all aspects of reading to comprehend fluency, figuring out words, thinking, questioning, predicting, rereading. I rely on shared reading at every grade level as the medium for the bulk of my reading demonstrations. (Routman, p. 132)
Shared Demonstrations basically means doing it together. Big Books Poems on charts Morning Message Community Writing (Shared or Interactive) Lifted text on overhead projector/smart board Interactive Read Alouds
Adapted from Schulman, Guided Reading in Grades 3-6 Pinnell & Fountas, Guiding Readers & Writers, 3-6 Johnson, One Child at a Time
What do shared demonstrations look like when teaching for strategies? Making Connections Fluency Visualizing Questioning
Can we teach one strategy at a time? Keene & Zimmerman say, turn up the volume Dorn & Soffos say, spotlight Fountas & Pinnell warn, heavy- handed Remember the goal is to integrate the use of all the strategies.
The difference between spotlighting and heavy-handed teaching depends on: How you introduce the strategy. Whether or not you give time and opportunity for students to see/feel the strategy working for them.
Spotlighting Begin with a desire to make meaning of a particular text Explain how the strategy helps you make meaning as you model Do together; discuss how it helps them (or not) Students take over and self-initiate Heavy-handed Teaching Name and define the strategy Teach the strategy for strategy sake Students practice the strategy at the request of the teacher No gradual release to independence
Making Connections Choose your book carefully for modeling Must make authentic connections Use precise language Shared practice turn and talk Accept all connections in the beginning Teach refining by using a coding system #1 = basic connection #2 = aided comprehension Categorize with post-its (3 kinds of connections) Adapted from D. Miller, Reading with Meaning
In order for students to make text-to-text connections you should use: Two books with a similar theme Two books on the same topic Two versions of the same tale Two books by the same author Two books in the same genre
Provide opportunities to notice and discuss text-to-world connections: Fly Away Home (Homeless) Tight Times (Economic Crisis) Miss Maggie (Alzheimer s) How Many Days to America (Immigration) Lucy and the Bully (Bullies) The Wall (War; veterans)
What does fluency mean? Tell your partner.
Shared Demonstrations for Fluency: Notice punctuation and other conventions when doing Shared Reading in Big Books or on charts. Put lifted text on the overhead projector from your read aloud text. Group words in a pocket chart.
Use a pocket chart: Down went his horns and he rushed at the Troll. Down went his horns and he rushed at the Troll. (or in their own writing.)
Fluency prompts when doing any shared reading together: Did you sound smooth or choppy? Go back and put it all together. Make it sound like real talking.
Before you teach any strategy be sure it is something you actually use as a reader to help you comprehend. When might you visualize? Can you remember a time that you made pictures/images in your mind when you were reading?
Teaching for Visualizing Read a passage on the overhead and do a think aloud; then try one with them. Cover a picture book with brown paper and have students draw a picture for the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Use poetry on the overhead and have students work with partners.
Making Friends by Eloise Greenfield When I was in kindergarten This new girl came in our class one day And the teacher told her to sit beside me And I didn t know what to say So I wiggled my nose and made my bunny face. And she laughed Then she puffed out her cheeks And she made a funny face And I laughed So then We were friends.
For A Bird by Myra Cohn Livingston I found him lying near the tree; I folded up his wings. Oh, little bird, You never heard The song the summer sings. I wrapped him in a shirt I wore in winter; it was blue. Oh, little bird, You never heard The song I sang to you.
Visualizing continued Send students on a search of their own chapter books for passages that they feel give the reader a great image in their minds. Have students draw the setting of their book using evidence from the text. With non-fiction have students draw what they know before the read aloud book; later have them draw a second picture with the new information they ve gained.
Teaching about Questioning Think about: How do you use questioning as an adult proficient reader? How can we teach children to question/wonder before, during, and after reading?
Suggestions for a questioning model: A Bad Road for Cats, from Cynthia Rylant s Every Living Thing Poems NF article Faithful Elephants Tight Times
My Paper by Jane Medina She held up my paper and all the noise stopped. Everything became still. Everyone turned their heads to hear the words she read --- my words. Then their eyes became a bit wider, and their pencils moved a bit faster, and I grew a bit bigger, when she help up my paper and all the noise stopped.
Dreams by Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.
Think about: Am I spending enough time with Shared Demonstrations? Am I looking for which kids need more do it together with me time? What is it that these struggling readers need? When planning my instruction, how can I think more about teaching fo reading process?