Book Review: Classroom Instruction that Works - 11 views
Please know that I genuinely am trying to get everything back within a week. Really, I am! ;)
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Book Review: After The End......Written By: Barry Lane - 7 views
If you are a English/Language Arts teacher then this book is for you. Barry Lane is brillant and creative in this book entitled, After The End. How many times do students approach two minutes after...
Journal #3 Making Inferences - 4 views
The middle school I am teaching in has been doing a yearly exam across all three grade levels that is called the Reading Comprehension Measurement (RCM). We created (and when I say we, I was actual...
Book Review: Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About it - 4 views
This definitely sounds like a worthwhile read! I often feel we kill the joy of reading by always trying to move on quickly and tie every bit to testing! I always try to carefully look at where to...
Journal #1: English Language Learners and the Five Essential Components of Reading Inst... - 22 views
Hey Michelle, your story made me laugh too. Thanks for sharing the book title, I actually have heard of it and was interested in reading it, and then just completely forgot the title. :)
Making the Student the Star - 1 views
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Renee Spaman on 04 Feb 12The article I read was inspirational and made me think about my teaching style/methods in a whole new way. The article was about helping children use literature as a way to grow intellectually and emotionally. This article described that no matter what the medium, we must create educational experiences that strive to make the individual learner the central focus-the star of the lesson. If we do this, then the lessons have an outstanding chance of helping children grow. Throughout the reading, a study of an inner city, African American adolescent named Kevin is depicted. Kevin struggled to succeed in school and in life. He received tutoring from the author of this article (Terrence Hackett). After getting to know Kevin, Hackett realized that he had a difficult life and the fact that Kevin saw himself as a survivor. Kevin's home life was in turmoil in ways that are unfortunately all too common for inner-city single parent families. As his tutor, Hackett decided to have him read the novel, "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen. This book united his world in a meaningful way. Kevin's real life was a survival story. This book matched his lived experience. It was personally relevant to him, and as a result he was interested and engaged.
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Linda Clinton on 12 Feb 12It's probably not realistic to make every student a star in every lesson. Being aware of different ways to reach different students--and being wiling to try--is important. Thanks for sharing this article.
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Dianna Morrison on 12 Feb 12I believe we need to make learning and reading relevant to all students. It is a challenge to find ways to engage all students, but I think we can come up with common themes with kids in our classrooms as a springboard for doing this. Thanks for the link! :)
Journal #3: T-4, Guided Highlighted Reading, and Close and Critical Reading (CCR) - 13 views
Hi Michelle!!! Yes, everything you mentioned for Question 2 is what we also have our students focus on. How is the text portraying the article? How is dialouge used between characters, etc. I comp...
Book Review: The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child - 5 views
http://www.amazon.com/Motivation-Breakthrough-Secrets-Turning-Tuned-Out/dp/0743289617/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1328620537&sr=1-2-catcorr The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning O...
Journal #1: Mixing It Up in Middle School: Themed Booklists to Entice Struggling Adole... - 6 views
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For my first journal article I read an article about helping struggling readers in the middle school age range. The reason that I found this article interesting was because there are so many students that I encounter at the high school level that have a very difficult time reading. Sometimes I wonder how they are even able to complete assignments with a lack of reading skill. If students were able to improve their reading level before they got to the high school level it would be far easier for these students to learn. I learned through this article that the San Diego area has a program called the Accelerated Literacy program to help struggling readers. This program has teachers specifically assigned to improving struggling students' literacy. They work with the students in a more direct fashion to help them improve their reading. I like the idea of focusing on improving this skill with the students because it is such a big part of what the students will need for the rest of their lives. Also, these teachers in the Accelerated Literacy program came up with themed booklists to incorporate the curriculum as well as finding books that students would find interesting. This, to me, is a very important piece. If a teacher is able to spark an interest in reading these students will probably be a lot more likely to be successful at it. Also, if the books are tied to the curriculum, these students will also be learning pertinent information. I know lots of school districts have programs like this, but I really liked the idea of coming up with booklists that might spark interest with students. Improving reading ability in students impacts how they will be able to learn for the rest of their lives.
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Brett, I liked this site and the information it provided. As having been a "second dose" reading teacher for ms students, it is always great to have leveled books that are motivating for students. Thank you for sharing!
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Brett, I think the idea of themes for students to choose from is a great idea. These students need to be challenged, but many may feel resentful and give up if schools continue to throw them literature that simply does not interest them.
Helping Underachieving Boys Read Well and Often. ERIC Digest. - 1 views
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The ability to read well is the most important skill children can acquire. Reading ability and the desire to read vary significantly among groups of children, however. This article discusses the results of a study taken in 98-99 of kindergarteners. It provides information on how schools and families can improve the reading skills of native English speaking children, particularly poor elementary school level boys of color. It states that boys typically learn to read at an older age than girls, take longer to learn, and comprehend less easily than girls. It talks about reading genres that boys prefer, such as adventure, science fiction and fantasy and books that have characters like themselves. They discuss the value of reading aloud to students and in providing silent reading time along with a wide variety of books for boys to choose from. Lastly, it gives suggestions for parents and communities to provide opportunities for young people to help engage them in regular reading.
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Based on reading this article, what strategies might you incorporate in your classroom/school? Have you previously engaged in any practices to increase boys' reading?
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I always try to do a survey with students for likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses. I use this information to help students find reading material they are interested in and give them a choice when reading. I also purchased books like Guiness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and MythBusters to put on my informational book shelf. Boys seemed to have liked these books very much.
Journal #1:Guided Reading In Inclusive Middle Years Classrooms - 3 views
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Lyons, W. & Thompson, S.A. (2011, October). Guided Reading in Inclusive Middle Years Classrooms. Intervention in School and Clinic, 47: 158. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from http://isc.sagepub.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/content/47/3/158.full.pdf This study was interesting, because it focuses on something that I am sure so many teachers struggle with - how to teach students who demonstrate a wide variety/range of ability and needs. This study took a really "rough" socioeconomic level of 4th -8th graders and their teachers, and using guided reading as their main method of instruction DID see an 80% of students advance at least one, if not more levels. This was attributed to the fact that in small guided reading groups teachers could spend more time with small groups of students, targeting individual needs. That was the warm fuzzy. Of course, the part that this article mentions in the end, and would stop most teachers in their tracks before attempting to duplicate this, is that each classroom was equipped with several teachers and teacher assistants to make this work. Additionally, there were many times where the rest of the class NOT consisting of the 3 to 5 students in the guided reading group were supposed to work independently. All in all, every study has its flaws - the interesting thing here is that despite them, students still improved overall.
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oops...ok I edited my post and stuck the citation in it...thanks!
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Interesting to note some of the different terms used in the Canadian Schools, such as "families living in vulnerable circumstances" and "enhanced funding." Probably akin to our use of "at-risk" and "Title I." You are right, most teachers would "stop in their tracks" with regard to the two teachers. This article refers to an inclusion setting, in which the special ed teacher "pushes in" with the special ed students and co-teaches with the gen ed teacher. I did a NCA QAR visit last spring in a school with 4 or 5 teachers in a grade, and 4 paras in the school. It was either 2nd or 3rd grade. Every day at the designated time, all the paras would go into that pod of the school, and the students would move around to different teachers or paras and everyone got guided reading every day. It requires a shift in thinking and lots of collaboration and cooperation, but it can be done.
Journal #2: Learning to Use Diverse Children's Literature in the Classroom: A Model for... - 7 views
I appreciate how you demonstrated that this article made you think about your own classroom, and changes you want to make.
Book Review: Focus - Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning - 5 views
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Authors/Mike-Schmoker.aspx?id=772617157001
Book Review: To Be A Boy, To Be A Reader; Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Lit... - 3 views
Brozo, William G., 2002. International Reading Association. http://www.amazon.com/To-Boy-Reader-Engaging-Literacy/dp/0872075087/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331505635&sr=1-1 The author sugge...
Reader's Theatre: Giving Students a Reason to Read Aloud - 6 views
Lots of free online resources for readers theater, too!
Mike Schmoker - Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning - 2 views
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Mike Schmoker's "Focus" is a tremendous commentary on the elements of good instruction and the current state of education and teaching.
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This reference text is divided into two sections: "What we teach, How we teach, and Literacy" and "Curriculum, Instruction, and Literacy in the Content areas." If one was to read this book, you would not necessarily need to read it "cover to cover." I believe that Section I is important for all teachers or those who have a hand in education. Section II, because of the way it is divided, could be read based on interests. There are specific discussions about how to integrate literacy into content areas. I felt that the discussion of literacy in mathematics and science was extremely interesting. Mike Schmoker's message was calling educators "back to the basics." As I read, I found myself scribbling in the margins, because the comments being made were so true they were almost "taboo." Schmoker contradicts the current "educational bandwagons" that so many administrators and districts may jump on. He quotes Pfeffer and Sutton, saying "leaders resist simplicity; they are often irrationally enamored by novelty and complexity" (p 16). It was refreshing to read such a strong argument for "pure, effective teaching." Regardless of the technology or other tools in the classroom, without a firm grasp on the ways to provide clear instruction, students will not learn. I have already used sections from this text in my building's PLC time. Though I have not used a specific strategy, I opened the dialogue about what should "be in a good lesson." Schmoker encourages the "five minute limit" where lectures cannot span longer than that before students are given a moment to talk or write. Formative assessments need to be used throughout daily lessons in order for the teacher to be guided into the next portion of the lesson. I have started to integrate more of these checks for understanding into my teaching, and I have found that I catch more misconceptions sooner than I would have normally. I also see that sections I felt required more time were grasped at a faster rate than anticipated
Kelly Gallagher - Resources - 0 views
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"Part of the reason my students have such a hard time reading is because they bring little prior knowledge and background to the written page. They can decode the words, but the words remain meaningless without a foundation of knowledge. To help build my students' prior knowledge, I assign them an "Article of the Week" every Monday morning. By the end of the school year I want them to have read 35 to 40 articles about what is going on in the world. It is not enough to simply teach my students to recognize theme in a given novel; if my students are to become literate, they must broaden their reading experiences into real-world text." Includes links to articles used as well as articles used in previous years.
Book Review: "The Book Whisperer" by Donalyn Miller - 9 views
I have heard a lot about this book in recent months. The hand selection of books is amazing. I could not imagine doing that for my students. I like a lot of the ideas that you wrote about like t...
Journal #3 Facing the Lion - 2 views
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/guided-comprehension-previewing-using-226.html In using Anticipation guides I have had very good luck with bringing attention to...
Journal #3: Second-Language Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Learning with Multimedia - 0 views
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Second-Language Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Learning with Multimedia Lee B. Abraham Hispania , Vol. 90, No. 1 (Mar., 2007), pp. 98-108 Published by: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20063468 This article presents a research study where ESL students were put into 3 groups a control group, a forced look-up group, and a choice look-up group. The study was trying to find out if using multimedia would aide in the increase in vocabulary in ESL students. The study found that students in the control group had little vocabulary growth, but the students in the two other groups had the same percentage growth of 18%. When I first started reading this article, I was interested to see if using multimedia tools would increase the vocabulary. I was specifically interested in the use of technology. There is no differentiation about which types of multimedia are better. As I further read, I thought that the students who were given a choice of what to look up would make more growth, because they would be working off their own motivation, but the study showed that whether they were forced to look up words or had a choice, they made the same growth. This reinforces the importance of teaching my students to use context clues, but when that doesn't help, to learn how to use a dictionary and the computer to find the meaning for words.
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