Setting Up the Classroom for Independent Readers and Writers

Transcription

1 Transforming our Teaching through Reaing/Writing Connections SESSION 4 ATAGLANCE Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers AGENDA Engage, Reflect, Assess Discuss Professional Reaings: Align Your Beliefs with Your Practices (Teaching Essentials excerpt, pp ) an Capitalize on the Reaing Writing Connection (Writing Essentials excerpt, pp ), an ownloaable from View Vieo (35 min.) Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Start with Your Own Stories Organize an Outstaning Classroom Library Let Assessment Inform You: What Do Goo Reaers an Writers Do? Connect Real-Worl Writing an Reaing Inepenent Practice: Stuent Writing an Reaing Celebration/Evaluation: Fourth-Grae Writing Achieve a Deeper Unerstaning Try It/Apply It in the Classroom Professional Reaing for Next Session: Organize an Outstaning Classroom Library (Reaing Essentials excerpt, pp ) PLANNING Before the Session Select an engaging opening activity. RESOURCES In this Session Review the Try It/Apply It activity from the previous session. Preview the vieo scenes an take notes on the session Notecatcher. Rea Align Your Beliefs with Your Practices (Teaching Essentials excerpt, pp ) an Capitalize on the Reaing Writing Connection (Writing Essentials excerpt, pp ). After the Session Collect an review participants session evaluations. Review, reflect on, an revise your plans for the next session base on these evaluations. Sen a reminer about the professional reaing, the Try It/Apply It activity an the ate, time, an place of the next meeting. Rea an prepare to iscuss the professional reaing for the next session. What to Look for in a Classroom: Self-Evaluation an/or Observation Checklist 4; PDN 4 6 On the Website Using the Golilocks Strategy to Choose Books Choosing Books for Inepenent Reaing Photographs of Classroom Libraries PDN numbers refer to pages in the Professional Development Notebook. 1 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS

2 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 2 SESSION 4 Agena The time segments liste in the agena are geare for a minute session. 1. Engage, Reflect, Assess (10 15 min.) Welcome the participants an perhaps begin with an engaging activity. See the Getting Starte Guie, Ways to Engage in Five Minutes or Less (pp ). Begin by saying that in the last session we examine our beliefs about the reaing/writing connection an thought about how these beliefs impact our teaching an learning. Ask: How i it go with the Try It/Apply It activity? Take time to have teachers share their thoughts an ieas with a partner an/or their vertical teams. You might want to write these talking points on chart paper to guie their conversation (save an revisit these at the en of the professional evelopment program): Ientify several schoolwie practices that promote high achievement an several that impee achievement. How o schoolwie beliefs impact your teaching? What have you notice? What are some possible suggestions for raising schoolwie achievement? 2. Discuss Professional Reaing (10 15 min.) Discuss Align Your Beliefs with Your Practices (Teaching Essentials excerpt, pp ) an Capitalize on the Reaing Writing Connection (Writing Essentials excerpt, pp ). 3. Set Goals (3 min.) Share what participants may expect from the session: Begin to establish an set expectations for a self-sustaining, inepenent classroom environment for reaers an writers. Begin to establish an organize, with consierable stuent input, an excellent classroom library an reaing area. Assess what their stuents know an o relative to choosing books to rea. Use a share writing assessment to fin out what their stuents know about reaing an writing. Ask: What o goo reaers o? What o goo writers o? Then ajust your instruction accoringly. Assess what their stuents know about why people write in their aily lives an what forms that writing takes. Ask: Why o people write? What o people write?

3 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 3 4. Introuce the Vieo (2 min.) In this introuctory vieo participants will observe an learn more about setting up a classroom for inepenent reaers an writers at all grae levels. The scenes inclue a primary teacher s an an intermeiate teacher s process an approach to setting up a chil-centere classroom library accessible to all stuents. Teachers use share writing experiences to assess what stuents unerstan about choosing books to rea an about the place of writing in the worl. 5. View Vieo an Take Notes (30 min.) Refer participants to the session Notecatcher. Remin them to take notes about anything that seems important. Anticipate the participants responses, questions, an concerns. 6. Respon to the Vieo (10 15 min.) Ask participants to use the Discussion Questions as a way to share their thinking with their small-group an/or whole-group team. 7. Achieve a Deeper Unerstaning (15 20 min.) Invite participants, iniviually, to rea an review the Deeper Unerstaning charts. The Notes, Teaching Points, an Ongoing Assessments in the charts inclue the language the teacher in the vieo use. Ask participant teams to use the Deeper Unerstaning charts as a basis for iscussing the vieo scenes. Remin participants that this feature was esigne to help them connect more eeply with their own notes, observations, an ieas. It challenges learners to continue their team/collegial conversations between sessions, to create lesson plans, an apply learning. 8. Try It/Apply It in the Classroom (10 15 min.) (Allow 2 3 weeks before the next session.) Ask participants, between this session an the next, to: PART 1: Share their reaing life with their stuents (by sharing or starting a reaing log or by talking about how they choose the kins of books an other materials they rea) an/or share their writing life (by sharing samples of things they ve written recently, such as s, letters, postcars, to-o lists). PART 2: Examine their classroom library collection for balance of genres an stuent appeal an input: narrative, fiction, poetry, nonfiction, favorite authors, a variety of interesting reaing materials.

4 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 4 Notice how their classroom library organization impacts stuents access to books an motivation to rea. Refer to the What to Look for in a Classroom checklist an assess an ajust their classroom s learning environment. PART 3: Select one or all of the following topics to write about with their stuents (share writing): How o we choose books to rea from the classroom library? What o goo writers o? What o goo reaers o? Why o people write? What o people write? Use the information gathere from this share writing to ajust an guie their teaching. See website resources: Using the Golilocks Strategy to Choose Books an Choosing Books for Inepenent Reaing for assistance an ieas. Notice what their stuents know about authors, genres, reaing for unerstaning, an so on. Be prepare to share their class-generate share writings (an their observations about them) with their team at the next session. 9. Wrap-Up (5 10 min.) Celebrate an highlight learning. Ask participants for feeback on the session. (See Session Evaluations in the Getting Starte Guie, pp ). Post the ate, time, an place of the next session. Ask participants to rea for next session, Organize an Outstaning Classroom Library (Reaing Essentials excerpt, pp ). Encourage vertical, grae-level, an/or partner teams to meet weekly in between whole-group sessions to revisit the vieos on the website an the Deeper Unerstaning charts, an/or plan together an try out new learning. Suggest they can jot own their ieas an thinking on their Response Notes page for easy reference later. Remin participants to bring any charts, lessons, writing, or stuent work samples from Try It/Apply It to the next session.

5 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 5 SESSION 4 NOTECATCHER VIDEO SCENES LENGTH NOTES & REFLECTION Start with Your Own Stories 2:57 min. Organize an Outstaning Classroom Library Getting Starte: Organizing an Choosing Books to Rea from the Classroom Library, Grae 1 2:48 min. Getting Starte: Organizing an Choosing Books to Rea from the Classroom Library, Grae 4 5:30 min. How Do We Choose Books to Rea from the Classroom Library? Grae 1 (Share Writing Chart) 3:48 min.

6 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 6 SESSION 4 NOTECATCHER VIDEO SCENES LENGTH NOTES & REFLECTION Let Assessment Inform You: What Do Goo Reaers an Writers Do? What Do Goo Reaers Do? Grae 1 2:30 min. What Do Goo Writers Do? Grae 1 6:26 min. Connect Real-Worl Writing an Reaing Teacher as Writer 0:55 sec. Why Do People Write? What Do People Write? 7:13 min. Inepenent Practice: Stuent Writing an Reaing 0:45 sec. Celebration/Evaluation: Fourth-Grae Writing 2:01 min.

7 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 7 SESSION 4 DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS What i you notice an woner about when you observe the teachers share how they set up their classroom libraries? What i you observe being taught an assesse? What was the teacher oing to begin to help stuents become inepenent an successful reaers an writers? What parts of the Optimal Learning Moel ( I o it, We o it, You o it ) i you observe?

8 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 8 What to Look for in a Classroom Self-Evaluation an/or Observation Checklist You can use this form for collegial observations, ongoing conversations, an self-evaluation. THE CLASSROOM a Are the bulletin boars or wall an hall isplays by an for the stuents an other auiences? Is stuent work labele an isplaye everywhere, an is each stuent s work unique? Are isplays an classroom proceure lists mostly create with an by stuents, an o they inclue samples of writing, illustrations, an projects (as oppose to commercial materials)? Is written work error-free or appropriately labele as uneite? Are stuents using classroom resources for reaing, writing, an problem solving? Are visuals such as wor walls appropriate an useful, at eye level, or otherwise easily accessible to all stuents? a Is there a classroom library an cozy reaing corner? Is there a balance of fiction, nonfiction, highly engaging books, an other texts attractively isplaye an easily accessible? Have the stuents ha a say in organizing the library? Are there classroom proceures in place for choosing books an returning them to the proper place? Is there an attractive reaing area where stuents can rea comfortably with a frien? Are there reference books an ictionaries available? a Is there a writing center? Is there an area where stuents can easily fin ifferent kins of paper an writing supplies? Are there many opportunities for written explorations of a topic of stuy? a Does the seating an room arrangement allow for collaboration? Are stuents groupe so they can assist an confer with one another? Is the structure heterogeneous that is, are stuents groupe to reflect the total makeup of the classroom? a Is there a meeting area for the class to work as a whole group? Is this area supplie with an easel, chart paper, markers, an author s chair, an so on? a Does the room look an feel inviting? Are there touches that make the room unique an appealing, such as lamps, cushions in the reaing area, an author s chair, welcome messages by the stuents, the attractive arrangement an organization of esks, books, an materials? a Woul a visitor unerstan an value the poste work?

9 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 9 THE TEACHER a Are the aily reaing an writing opportunities meaningful an relevant? Do stuents know, unerstan, an value the purpose of an auience for the activity? Do stuents take responsibility for oing their best work? Is the quality of much of the work excellent? a Is the teacher ensuring success for every stuent? Is the teacher emonstrating an explaining what stuents are to o? Are stuents supporte, through share an guie experiences an appropriate resources, in trying out a task or activity before they are expecte to attempt it on their own? Is instruction ajuste an ifferentiate accoring to stuents nees an interests? Are English language learners, gifte learners, typical an struggling stuents, all being challenge an helpe to meet their full potential? Are expectations high enough? a Does the teacher value conversation with stuents an among stuents? Does the teacher promote purposeful, open-ene talk that is more conversational than interrogational? Does the teacher speak with authority an at the same time respectfully lea an guie stuents to respon thoughtfully? Are there opportunities for stuents to turn-an-talk uring emonstrations? Is the teacher mostly among stuents, emonstrating, guiing, an conferring? a Does the teacher use a balance of assessment an evaluation practices? Does the teacher evaluate stuents regularly, giving them feeback an helping them set goals? Does she use mostly formative assessments (aily work samples, observational ata, teacher-mae tests) as well as require summative assessments (stanarize tests, istrict assessments)? Are the stuents shown how an are they able to o self-assessments so they learn to evaluate their own work against a set of criteria (rubric), problem-solve, an set new learning goals? a Does the teacher provie opportunities uring the ay to celebrate stuents work? Does he focus on stuents strengths before suggesting improvement? THE STUDENTS a Do the stuents know an apply the routines an proceures? Do they help establish some routines an proceures with the teacher, assume responsibility for following all of them, use peers as helpers, an unertake some selfmanagement? Is there a well-planne flow from one activity to another? Does the classroom run smoothly even when the teacher is absent?

10 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 10 a Are there opportunities for stuents to work together as well as iniviually? Are pairs an small groups of stuents reaing, writing, an problem-solving together? Have stuents been taught an ha guie practice in how to work well in a group? Is there time for sharing every ay? Do stuents have ongoing opportunities in various group structures to participate an eliberate an make their voices hear? a Are the chilren excite about the opportunities for learning in their classroom? Is the tone of the classroom peaceful, happy, an energize? Do stuents take initiative an choose to go on learning even when it s not require? THE WORK a Is teaching an learning focuse on comprehening? Do stuents have frequent opportunities to respon to open-ene questions an participate in high-level iscussions? Are reaing an writing focuse on unerstaning content as well as on learning souns, letters, an wors? Are chilren spening most of their time reaing an writing meaningful texts (an not only in activities centere on reaing an writing)? Can stuents apply what they are learning to new contexts? a Are curriculum an stanars being aresse in a relevant an meaningful way? Is content presente in an interesting an relevant manner, with accommoations mae to meet the nees of all stuents? Is backgroun knowlege provie an vocabulary explaine so content to be rea, stuie, an written makes sense? Is test preparation appropriate that is, are stuents taught how to be test wise without being aske to spen an excessive amount of time responing to prompts an taking practice tests? a Is reaing focuse on a variety of genres an authors, highly engaging texts, an stuents interests? Is there evience that stuents are able to select just right books to rea inepenently? How can you tell if stuents are unerstaning what they are reaing an not just reaing wors? Is there evience that stuents are oing a great eal of focuse an intentional reaing for enjoyment? a Do stuents use, apply, an transfer wor work to reaing an writing across the curriculum? What evience of this o you see? a Is writing focuse on purpose, auience, an content? Are stuents creating texts with purpose for an authentic auience? Are stuents learning to respect the reaer by focusing on meaning an eiting carefully for conventions an spelling? Are stuents given the opportunity to write in a variety of genres?

11 a Is the inepenent work the stuents are oing worthwhile? Are stuents given purposeful activities that encourage openene responses that require them to think an apply their experience an knowlege? If there are learning centers, are they worth the stuents time an is the teacher taking the time to evaluate the work stuents o? a Do the stuents have enough choices? Are there opportunities for stuents to make ecisions about their work for the ay? Are there some reaing an writing activities they can choose themselves? Can stuents choose their writing topics much of the time? SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 11

12 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 12 SESSION 4 Vieo SCENES Start with Your Own Stories (2:57 min.) Organize an Outstaning Classroom Library (12:06 min.) SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Deeper Unerstaning The teaching an assessing points reflect the total lesson but not all of these points are on the eite vieos you are watching. However, the major points are represente on the eite vieos. The globe icon inicates that the example is also available when you visit Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do SETTING The scenes in this session come from five classrooms in four schools where I was conucting weeklong emonstration teaching an coaching resiencies. Each school has a large number of low-income stuents an stuents for whom English is a secon language. In each school, reaing an writing were being taught with a variety of approaches, programs, an materials with a heavy emphasis on skills in isolation (part-towhole teaching). First-grae teacher Mary Yuhas coaches a stuent as he selects a book from the classroom library. NOTES Bon with your stuents by sharing your own stories. Let yourself be known. Our stuents are much more likely to trust us an to take risks in their writing an verbal expression when we tell stories that let them know who we are an that show we care about them. I start with a story whenever I am teaching a new group of stuents an whenever I want to engage them immeiately. What are the benefits of connecting Regie tells the class about her cat personally to stuents? Norman. We begin with organizing the classroom library because in orer for stuents to become inepenent reaers an writers they must o a great eal of reaing (an writing), have access to texts they can an want to rea, an have lots of time to rea them. This reaing time must inclue teaching, guiing, an especially offering stuents the opportunity to practice an apply what they are learning. An excellent classroom library, especially when it is well organize with an by stuents, encourages lots of free choice. In these first scenes, I am talking with first-grae teacher Mary Yuhas, an then, fourth-grae teacher Ginny Vale, who iscuss an show Fin out what stuents know (check for unerstaning). Tell how your library is organize. Di your teacher leave anything out? Check that stuents know what to o an can use appropriate strategies (check for application). Can you rea all the categories [on the bin]? What coul you o as a goo reaer if you can t rea the wors How can an excellent library lessen the nee to create seat work? (During guie reaing an when meeting with small groups or iniviuals.) Why is it essential to check for unerstaning before, uring, an after a lesson? Unerstan how to use classroom resources (classroom library). Begin to self-manage classroom library an organization.

13 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 13 Vieo SCENES Getting Starte: Organizing an Choosing Books to Rea from the Classroom Library, Grae 1 (2:48 min.) Getting Starte: Organizing an Choosing Books to Rea from the Classroom Library, Grae 4 (5:30 min.) continues DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do how their libraries are getting organize at the start of the school year. In past years, both teachers ha previously one all the organizing for stuents; now stuents own the process. Levels help the teacher select guie reaing books. However, books are not levele in libraries in real life. My recommenation is to give chilren free an open access to your classroom library an to teach chilren how to choose just right books. The exception woul be those few struggling reaers who are not yet reay to select appropriate books on their own. TEACHING POINTS Set up an excellent classroom library to increase stuents reaing comprehension, reaing choices, an access to books. Organize books, with stuent input, so stuents can access them easily. Help stuents categorize books, put them in bins, an label the bins (perhaps with picture cues on labels). When choosing a book (if you can t rea the titles) look at the cover of the books an look through the books in the bins to help etermine the category (counting, rhyming, animals, an so on). Think out lou as you etermine a bin s category: This is a book about birs. Here are some animals at the ocean. Here are some cats an panas. Oh! This is the animals bin. category [label] on the bin? Soun it out. But what if you couln t soun it out? What else coul you o? Look at the first wor an see what woul make sense. OK... how else can you tell what it s about? This is really important. What o you know about all the books that are in the box? How are they organize? Let s have someboy come up here an help us with that. Teach what stuents nee. Because stuents on t mention using the illustrations to help fin/choose a book (or ifficulty of reaing level), we nee to moel that next. The pictures in t come out [in stuent responses]. So let s o a emonstration about how important it to look at that [the pictures]. Think about your classroom library. Is it central an vital to your reaing lessons? Do your stuents know how to choose books they can rea? How o you know? Are stuents selecting books base on topics an interest, or is there an overemphasis on book levels? Regie tells the class that she s impresse at how the well stuents i in organizing their library. I coul tell right away that this was your library. Begin to use features of fiction an nonfiction texts. Use reaing strategies in selecting text. NOTES The way the classroom library looks an is organize is a strong inicator of what the teacher values, who the classroom belongs to, an how much stuents choose to rea. Aim for a beautiful library that is content-rich an part of a cozy, eyecatching reaing area. Have stuents carefully write the labels on the bins that house books an reaing materials (this provies a more chil-centere, unique feel than a worprocesse label). SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS

14 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 14 Vieo SCENES Organize an Outstaning Classroom Library, continue How Do We Choose Books to Rea from the Classroom Library? Grae 1 (Share Writing Chart) (3:48 min.) SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do TEACHING POINTS Organize the classroom library by the categories kis come up with (with teacher guiance): sort classroom books first into fiction an nonfiction an then by topic. Place books in bins by category. Have bins for favorite authors (stuents an teacher s). With stuents, make a genre chart as part of your library to ensure kis know the characteristics of ifferent types of books. Check that stuents are unerstaning what they rea an are reaing mostly just right books. (See Reaing Essentials, pp ) What important categories, authors, genres, are unerrepresente in the classroom library (for stuents interests, for the teacher s nees)? Aim for about 50 percent nonfiction titles/authors. Check to be sure stuents know how to fin the reaing materials they seek. Ask stuents: How is your library organize? How o you fin the books you nee or want? What is missing? Use stuent responses to help you stock an organize your library. How can a library organize with an by stuents impact stuents esire to rea an their access to books an other reaing materials? How might you as a staff learn about new books an magazines? How might you as a staff acquire books for your classroom libraries? Ientify an sort text by fiction an nonfiction. NOTES Plan for an Monitor Inepenent Reaers an Writers: Start with Assessment. This is the broaer heaing for the next clip, which is almost entirely about first checking what stuents know about choosing a book to rea from the classroom library before teaching them what they nee to know. This gentle, specific, an affirming questioning an response is an example of responsive teaching (primarily active involvement, which leas to higher achievement) versus telling teaching (primarily passive listening, which leas to lower achievement). TEACHING POINTS Connect the classroom library to becoming a goo reaer an choosing books to rea. Connect writing to reaing. See if you can figure it out [sai while beginning to write title of chart, How Do We Choose Books to Rea?]. Watch me write. Now I have to see if I got it right [rereaing title]. I ve got to check my writing. Rea it with me. An, later on, When you re writing, you always have to rerea. I left out a wor. I m going to put a caret here. Recor an make visible (on a chart) stuents thinking in orer to assess what they know about choosing books to rea (so you can valiate what they know an see what s neee for instruction). Think about the stuents who concern you most. Ask yourself: How i I give them opportunities to talk toay? Di they seem actively engage? Use share writing to assess what your stuents know about the behavior of goo reaers an writers. Use their responses as an instructional guie to what they nee. As stuents knowlege grows, keep aing to the chart (your evience of stuent learning). Check that stuents know how to choose books they can actually rea. What oes a goo reaer o? Probe stuents thinking (so you know what they know an what you nee to What are the qualities of responsive teaching that might lea to higher stuent engagement an achievement? How woul you characterize your school s culture? Is it a responsive teaching culture or a telling teaching culture? Often, stuents can parrot our language an say what a goo reaer oes without actually oing what they say. (They can talk the talk. ) How can we ensure that stuents know an apply how to choose appropriate books to rea? Begin to self-select text to rea at just the right level (94% 96% accuracy) an inepenent level (97% 100% accuracy). Rerea for meaning with teacher guiance. Rerea to self-correct. With teacher guiance, begin to use monitoring strategies to increase comprehension.

15 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 15 Vieo SCENES DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do Tell stuents the chart is a raft (first thinking). This chart is going to change [as stuents learn more]. Affirm stuents smart thinking (so they an others will incorporate it). Davi, that is so smart! Di you hear what he sai? He sai, I look at the first two pages an see if I want to rea the rest. You know, I o the same thing. Exten stuents thinking to attempt to get more explicit, thoughtful responses. Davi, when you are looking at those first two pages, what are looking for? I m looking for something, like, interesting. That was really great what you sai, because if it s not interesting who wants to rea it? Restate important points stuents make (to unerscore their importance an to encourage others to use the state strategy). If you rea books that are too har for you, it oesn t really help you as a reaer. If it s easy, it s goo. Goo for you. You look through the whole box.you on t just take the very first one, right? You look at the pictures to help you rea the book. teach). What o you mean by that? [After a stuent respons, Pick up a book an rea it to How o you choose a book to rea? ] So you pick up a book an rea it. What oes that mean? What o you o? Rea the wors. Invite iniviual stuents to share strategies they use. What else o you o when you re choosing a book? Anything else that s not up here [on our chart]? Are we missing anything? Use language that encourages stuents to think harer an to clarify their thinking: What o you mean by that? Do you mean..., or are you talking about...? OK, tell me what you mean when you say...do you mean... or...? Are you thinking of...? How o you ecie [what book to pick]? Do you just go over there an pick any book? What o you o? OK. So you look insie? An what re you looking for? What oes that mean [that it s easy]? How o you use the pictures to help you? How can the language we use with stuents encourage them to o their best thinking? Do we allow enough time for stuents to think an respon to the questions we pose? A chart from a primary classroom. Struggling reaers nee more time to rea. How can we ensure they o more reaing uring the school ay? Use oral language to communicate ieas. Use listening an observation skills to communicate ieas. Use pictures to comprehen the text. SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS

16 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 16 Vieo SCENES Intermeiate Graes (no vieo) SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Teacher Self-Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Things Informing to Think Our Instruction About For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do NOTES For graes 2 an above, the process is similar to what you have just seen in grae 1. See below for samples of charts from intermeiate graes. What o your stuents responses say about the teaching that has occurre? Why is it important for stuents to verbalize an to recor their thinking? Why is it important to moel an show examples from your life? Self-select text for a variety of purposes. Discuss an share favorite authors, books, an genres with others. Explain reasons for choices. Begin to unerstan the use of informational texts such as book reviews. Self-monitor reaing accuracy at the instructional level (94% 96%) an inepenent reaing level (97% 100%). Apply ifferent reaing strategies to self-selecte texts. Apply ifferent reaing rates to match text.

17 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 17 Vieo SCENES Let Assessment Inform You: What Do Goo Reaers an Writers Do? What Do Goo Reaers Do? Grae 1 (2:30 min.) What Do Goo Writers Do? Grae 1 (6:26 min.) continues DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do NOTES It is fall in an urban, iverse, first-grae classroom, an phonics is the main reaing strategy that has been taught an practice. Our goal in a weeklong resiency is to get stuents to also use meaning-base strategies along with phonics. TEACHING POINTS Review an affirm what stuents know about what goo reaers o. (We rerea the share writing chart we began the previous ay, What a Goo Reaer Does.) Elicit what one stuent i to figure out a wor (like) so other stuents will try the strategy when they rea. Cesar, what was the har wor you figure out [in guie reaing group]? It s on the wor wall here. Like. An how i you figure that out? [No response.] Review what stuents i that worke in figuring out a wor so they will o it again. Remember how we kept going through the pages of the book because you [a group of four] kept saying Danny looks re but that in t make sense with the story. An finally when you looke at the wor, all of you, an then we looke at the story, we looke at the wor, it ha to be like because like was the one that mae sense. Celebrate one stuent s wor-solving strategy: to think. Wow, an I m going to put a star here [on the chart] because that s what you i. Goo reaers think. Kis, you re not just souning out wors.you re thinking an it has to make sense. Use share writing to fin out what stuents know about what goo reaers o an to ocument their growing knowlege. Check for unerstaning an buil on knowlege. So what coul we a here that is something else that a goo reaer oes? Guie stuents to say how they know what they know. What was going on in your hea? You weren t just souning out the wors.you were oing something else. What o we call that? You were working really har. (Cesar respons, Think. ) How can assessing before teaching make teaching more effective an efficient? What is the value in reviewing a share text? Use simple resources (wor wall) with teacher guiance. Assessment before teaching an aing on as stuents learn more. NOTES In another classroom, stuents initial responses on our share writing chart (before they write) inicate limite knowlege about writing meaningful texts. Until now, writing has concentrate on learning letters an souns. Notice how chilren s knowlege grows as they observe teacher emonstration writing, write their own continuous texts with the goal of publishing their stories for the classroom library, an revisit what goo writers o by reviewing, with guiance, the teacher s emonstration writing. What o you think the teacher s beliefs are about teaching writing an how o they impact stuent achievement an stuents beliefs about writing? Write for an auience an relevant purpose. Self-select topics for writing continuous text. Use wor choice in writing with teacher guiance. Develop oral language through listening, speaking, an observation. SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS

18 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 18 Vieo SCENES Let Assessment Inform You What Do Goo Writers Do? Grae 1 continue SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do Notice the chart at the top right in a secon-grae classroom, What Do Smart Writers Do? The stuents who create that chart were exactly like these first graers a year ago. Notice from the responses on the chart how knowlegeable they are as secon graers, a tribute to their teacher s growing knowlege an her shift in beliefs an practices from mostly writing exercises in isolation to authentic aily writing of continuous texts for meaningful auiences an purposes. TEACHING POINTS Connect publishing to writing interesting texts. If we re publishing, you re oing all the things that goo writers o. Encourage stuents to o what goo writers o by restating important stuent contributions. Use the wor wall or a chart if you on t know how to spell a wor. Affirm an acknowlege stuents who try out what you ve been teaching (so they will o it again an other stuents will o it). Raise your han if you i that [rerea story before starting to write again, a a title]. Revisit an rerea emonstration writing to point out what a goo writer oes that stuents haven t yet notice but are reay to learn. What o we call this? [I rerea the title to my emonstration writing story, Getting to Love Norman ]. After a stuent respons, Title, I a a a title to our chart. Recor an shape all meaningful stuent responses. They rea it again. I m going to use a big wor here,rerea...i m going to put a star here [next to the wor] because this is so important. (See share writing chart for all recore responses.) Connect a writing action (crossing out) to a meaningful purpose (revision). Goo writers change their mins. An, I put in a better wor. [I rerea from my emonstration writing story an explain why I change shiny to furry.] The wor shiny wasn t the right wor. It in t soun right. Set the expectation that giving an oral response requires thinking before speaking. Now think before you put your han up. If your han is up that means you know. Use your share writing chart to assess what stuents are learning. (Date entries an write each entry in a ifferent color marker, so you can see the growth.) What else have you learne? What s something else a goo writer oes? What are some of the things we i yesteray that you remember? What else i you see me o? Check that stuents are trying out what you are teaching. (This also sens the message that you expect this behavior.) How many of you i that yesteray? [After stuent contributes use the wor wall. ] An, again, later, Raise your han if you put a title in your writing yesteray? Revisit emonstration writing as a scaffol to jump-start stuents thinking an to assess what they notice. What i I o here? [I rea an show crosse out line where I change my min an revise in the process of writing my raft.] Why i I o it? Use what a stuent has one as a goo writer to nuge others to o the same. One of you yesteray when you were reaing your writing over [in a public conference] ha left out a wor. An what i we o? Who remembers? How can you connect assessment with instruction when you o a share writing with stuents? Why is this valuable for maximizing instruction an learning? These are examples of share writing to investigate what stuents know about writing.

19 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 19 Vieo SCENES Connect Real-Worl Writing an Reaing Teacher as Writer (0:55 sec.) Why Do People Write? What Do People Write? (7:13 min.) continues DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do Demonstrate again when stuents have not picke up on a emonstration. Here s what we i. I m going to tell you [because stuents on t remember]. I write a a caret on the chart. Do you remember what it looks like? It looks like this [I make a ^ on chart] an I saw a few of you try it. Assess whether stuents are learning an utilizing what is being emonstrate. Think. What i we call that when we ae something? [Referring to putting in a caret when aing a missing wor.] NOTES Stuents see us as reaers but rarely as writers. Share the Share writing with others. kins of writing you o in your life notes, s, lists, letters to parents, an so on. Bring in samples of your writing, an talk about why you write an what kins of writing you o. NOTES To assess if stuents have connecte writing in school with realworl writing an to help them forge that connection, we begin by talking about an recoring (through share writing) the reasons people write an the forms this writing takes. Another equally important purpose is to help stuents an teachers see many varie, authentic possibilities for writing an to connect that writing with an auience of reaers. During this scene, when I share two books with stuents, I have carefully selecte them for cultural relevance, high interest, an literary quality. TEACHING POINTS Name some of the types of writing you o an why you o it. I was writing those notes to remember...i mae a list so I wouln t forget... to thank someone... to make someone feel better... Connect writing to life. Think about the writing that your mom oes, that your a oes...do you think that writing is just something that people o in school or o people o it at their jobs? Do they o it in their aily life? Show that authors write for reaers. This one is calle Joe Louis: America s Fighter, by Davi Aler [show book] an he writes wonerful books for kis. He writes biographies. A What Do Goo Writers Do chart in progress, inicating stuents growing knowlege about the writing reaing connection. After giving emonstrations an examples, check whether stuents unerstoo enough (in this case, the reasons why people write) to give their own examples: Why else o people write in the worl? You re spening...a lot of time in school writing. So it must be pretty important. So what are some of the reasons that people write? Why o you think Nikki Giovanni wrote Rosa? [After showing the book an telling about it.] Why o people write journals? Write an communicate with others (notes, cars, letters). Write to express own ieas. Ientify the intene auience for each piece. Write to tell (personal) stories. Helping stuents make the connection between writing an reaing: writers write for reaers. SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS

20 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 20 Vieo SCENES Connect Real-Worl Writing an Reaing continue SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do Explain vocabulary necessary for unerstaning important concepts. What s a biography? It s a story of a person s life. An, People write obituaries when someboy ies. They tell all about that person s life. Scaffol an expan stuents responses. When...there are all kins of facts in the books, true things, what o we call that? Nonfiction. Nonfiction, OK, goo. An... one of the reasons that people write is to give information, to tell you things...maps give you information... charts... calenars [write on chart]. Provie options for writing choices. Why can t they [the stuents] write their own joke books an magazines an information an reports? Attempt to get stuents to clarify their thoughts (so you can unerstan their thinking an what, if any, support they nee): Give me an example. Tell me a little more about that. You re on the right track. Who can tell me more? Where else can you fin information? If you wante to write information for someboy, what, where coul it be? Write for own purpose (to communicate with friens). Write in a variety of forms/genres. Exten writing purposes beyon the classroom. I want you to ask your parents tonight, how o they use writing in their life? Assess that stuents can justify responses (this pushes their thinking): Why is that important? Why oes that matter? Why o people write their life stories own? Select from a wie range of writing topics. Maintain focus on a specific writing topic. Connect writing parents o to real-worl writing. Recor an shape responses: invitations, , bills, applications. Show authentic examples (written by other stuents) to connect writing purpose with writing form an auience: rules of life, Welcome to Secon Grae, avice to other stuents, playgroun rules. Provie information in your question to help scaffol stuent s response. If you want to rea something for entertainment, what might you rea? Make sure stuents know why people write in particular forms/types of writing (so they come to see that people write for a purpose an auience): Why o they sen s? Write applications? Interviews? What woul be the reason why you might write rules? Who o you think their auience was? Who i they write this for? How oes writing for authentic auiences an purposes impact stuent engagement, effort, an writing quality? Use personal experience an observation to support ieas for writing. Publish texts in various ways.

21 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 21 Vieo SCENES Inepenent Practice: Stuent Writing an Reaing (0:45 sec.) Celebration/ Evaluation: Fourth-Grae Writing (2:01 min.) continues DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do NOTES When stuents are investe an know exactly what to o uring inepenent practice, they are completely focuse an engage. This scene shows what that engagement an focus looks like (an expectation for all grae levels) for stuents as writers (as well as teachers as writers) an reaers. Use this time for formative assessment (roving conferences, taking anecotal notes, conferring with iniviual or small groups). How can you be sure that stuents are not just sitting quietly an looking like they are engage but that they are actually unerstaning an problemsolving the text? NOTES This scene takes place after fourth-grae stuents have written life story rafts. Up until now stuents i not see themselves as writers, i not write for an authentic auience or purpose, an i not write aily. What writing they i was focuse on conventions, prompts, an test preparation. Teachers reporte that stanarize test scores were very low. Stuents were use to connecting goo writing mostly with correctness an conventions (hanwriting, neatness, skipping lines, getting it perfect ), which has limite their writing fluency, engagement, an achievement. This was the first time that stuents ha been given topic choice an were aske to focus on the meaning an quality of their writing along with conventions. This celebration/evaluation time serves two purposes. First, to help stuents recognize what they have one well, an secon, to see what they value in writing, which we can then use to guie future instruction. Because these stuents ha such low confience as writers, it was especially important to celebrate an affirm what they ha one well. Assess, affirm, an exten stuents learning: How many of you think you i some of your best writing? How come you i a goo job toay? Courtney: I really thought about it. An also it was a pretty important thing, the story you tol. Michael: Because it s not messy. What mae you take the time to make it neater? Di you care about what you were writing about? That usually makes the ifference. Aressing teachers: Sometimes I see hanwriting really improve an I on t talk about hanwriting because when we care about what we are oing we o a better job. Why o you think you i a better job? Buba: I put my min to it, I ignore people talking to me. Why i you put your min to it? When I am writing, writing is such har work that I have to put my min to it.you sai a really smart thing. What o you notice about how an overfocus on conventions has impacte these stuents as writers? SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS

22 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 22 Vieo SCENES Celebration/ Evaluation: Fourth-Grae Writing continue SESSION 4: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: Setting Up the Classroom for Inepenent Reaers an Writers Setting, Notes, an Explicit Teaching Points Ongoing Assessment Questions/Reflections Learning Outcomes The What, Why, an How of Teaching Informing Our Instruction For Professional Conversations What Stuents Know an Are Able to Do Buba: It was my best thinking. Were you intereste in what you were writing about? When I am intereste in what I am writing about, I o my best work. I put my min to it just the way you sai that. Clarify stuent s unerstaning of revision: That s not a mistake.you were fixing it up to make it clearer for the reaer. We call that revising. That s what goo writers o. Stuents emonstrate their prie as authors.

23 SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM FOR INDEPENDENT READERS AND WRITERS page 23 SESSION 4 RESPONSENOTES Engage, Reflect, Assess, Celebrate!

24 SESSION 4 Facilitator s Guie / Reaing/Writing Connections page 24 SESSION 4 RESPONSENOTES Engage, Reflect, Assess, Celebrate!