Lehua's Comment on Sei's Ch.1 blog

Sei...

First of all, thanks again for "holding me up" literally at our hike today! Second, I just wanted to comment on your blog on chapter 1. I totally agree with the points that you made. As for the part about Harry Potter, I think that it is great that the child "can't put down the book" because reading something is way better than reading nothing. On the other hand, just like you said, we need to encourage them to put down the book or that genre of books, and have them read outside of their comfort zone. In my blog, I mentioned that the students need to be encouraged to read outside of their comfort zone because when they get older and need to expand their horizon, so to speak, and need to read the newspaper or Time magazine, they will be ready and eager to do so.

Kamealoha's Reflection

Kamealoha Chapter 2 Reflection

This chapter was very informative. I think that setting goals for yourself is a great idea. I think that by doing this it will help you to know what it is that you want to do for your students. I think that the goals that she set for herself are great examples to use. I think that her first goal made me feel a little overwhelmed. It seems like it is going to be a big goal to fulfill.

I love the idea of getting students to read different genres. I think that it is important for children to be able to read different types of text. This will help prepare them for the future. I think that it is also important to motivate your students to become life long readers. I feel like my teachers did not teach that enough. I like to read sometimes. But it is not something that I would do for fun or something that I love. I think that if we can help our students to love to read this will definitely help them become better readers.

In my classroom now we have children at all levels or stages in reading. I think that the idea to set goals to the child’s reading ability is a smart idea. It would not be good to make one set goal and not all of the students can meet it.

Lehua's reflection - ch. 2

Hey all! Just a note...I am under Chelsea's account for now because I'm having a problem setting up my "new" account. There's no difference really, other than her name at the bottom of the post. (Thanks, Chels.)

So about Chapter 2:
I find it so encouraging but yet scary to read about inspiring teachers like Mrs. Shapiro - encouraging because they are so rewarded by what they do to give their students the extra "edge" in learning, but scary because I hope that I can mold myself to the students abilities to do things like "teaching them to fish." I know that every teacher has their ways of doing things and even more importantly, they all learn when to do them on their own time. There isn't exactly a rush to having methods like these but I would like to see those students use terms like "She gave me the fish!" without feeling silly saying it.

Going back to the beginning of the chapter, I very much agree with her method of the checklist. Being a big checklist fan myself, setting goals as a teacher for your students is great! It's something that can become somewhat of an assessment for the students on how they did during each individual year, as well as one for the teacher, to see how she/he can improve.

It seems like a challenging task to encourage students to read - especially texts outside of their preferred genre. But I agree that when they get older, a sure way of exploring world events and learning more than is comfortable, is extremely important. To be honest, I didn't start reading the newspaper until I was about 18 years old. (other than things like the Longs ad.) I hope to encourage my students to read because, according to almost everyone that I've asked, they wish that they had more time to read. For me, it's not necessarily about the TIME, but it's about actually DOING IT. Hopefully this can change because according to Greg, a great teacher reads and writes. No matter if he is right or wrong, that is something that I'm continually trying to accomplish.

Chapter 1

Kamealoha’s Chapter 1 Reflection

I really enjoyed reading this chapter. I was hoping that this book was going to be interesting to read. I have had some trouble in the past with some of our other text. I thought that it was interesting to read about children who read a book that they know the background information to. It made me think of my little brother. I relate a lot of what I learn to my little brother, I think it makes things easier for me to understand. My brother loves sharks. I notice that when he is reading a book on sharks to me he has an easier time figuring out what the words are. This is because he knows a lot about the different kinds of sharks and this knowledge helps him a lot.

The story about Jasmin and Danny made me think about my classroom. I was walking around during paired reading and listening to the kids read with one another. As I walked passed this one pair of students I heard them talking about a word. The word was sensible and one of them said sensitive. The other child said “no, it can’t be sensitive it has a b in it.” Together they sat and looked at the word and figured out that it was sensible. I thought that this was so cool the way that they worked together to figure out the word.

When I was reading our role in teaching I must admit it made me a little nervous about all of the things that I am going to need to do in the future. I have had a chance to do some assessing of reading and demonstrating effective strategies. But I still need to work of the other areas.

Coby Thornton's Response to the Second Chapter of Sharon Taberski's book On Solid Ground

In the second chapter of her book, On Solid Ground, Sharon Taberski mentions that we should give young children more genres than fiction to read because most of the things that adults read are non-fiction. She explains that fictions tell a story and the story has to be read from cover to cover. On the other hand non-fictions do not have to be read cover to cover and readers are allowed to take only what they need. Taberski states that it is okay to let a child read a fiction book even though they cannot finish the whole thing. Not being able to read that book in its entirety will give them a goal to work towards.

I never thought of the things that Taberski brought up but what she says makes sense. In the Kindergarten class that I observe at I realized that there are no non-fiction books, that I have seen, for the children to read. It would be nice for Kindergarteners to have short and simple non-fiction books at their disposal. This gives me the desire to write some non-fiction books that will be aimed specifically at Kindergarteners. On the otherhand I know that I should go out and look for some non-fiction Kindergarten level books but writing sounds like much more fun.

Kieu- Chapter 1

I can’t lie. I am terrified. We read on and on about how to teach children to read and the importance of and whatnot, but I have to admit that I am still very hesitant. For as far back as I can remember, reading has come fairly easy to me. Although I do recognize that I have trouble concentrating on the text, I do not pay much attention to my reading because I can read. It’s easy to work with a child who is able to read and understand the text, but how do I approach a child who has very little background in reading and help him/her? Aside from that short bout of rambling, I think this is a great book. I really agree with her point about how “children use their own experiences and background knowledge to figure out words and comprehend text.” The example in the book was about dinosaur books and it got me to think about my nephew, who also loves T-Rex. He has absolutely no problems pronouncing the word tyrannosaurus rex when he sees it in the book. Yet, I am not too sure that he would be able to pronounce it if the word appeared in, say, a book on water buffalos.

Kieu- Foreword, Acknowledgements, and Introduction

You know, I never really understood the purpose of reading these sections before. I figured I would eventually come across the things the author referred to if I just read the rest of the book. Besides, what importance did the acknowledgement section have for me? I didn’t know the author, let alone the people he/she was thanking. However! I did realize one thing as I truly tried to read this first assignment and I found it within the acknowledgement. Never mind who Shelly Harwayne, Diane Snowball (cool last name!), and Sue Slaven were. What mattered was that the author actually had a group of people who helped and supported her in the process. That’s something we, as a cohort, need to see too. It is extremely important for us to form the relationships now, so that we have a support system once we have graduated and are starting the first day of our life in the classroom. I suppose it is unrelated to the actual purpose of the book, but that’s what I read. :)

Megan's Reflection- Chapter Two

This chapter begins by giving the advice of making a list of goals for teaching children to read before actually beginning to teach them. This way, a teacher will be able to better focus on what she is trying to achieve with her students. The chapter goes on to explain how students can become self-improving readers. They should develop the skills of monitoring, searching, discovering, cross-checking, self-correcting, and solving. The importance of encouraging children to explore different genres is also mentioned. The section that interested me the most was Motivating Children to Love to Read. The chapter states that the texts given to students must be enjoyable and the teacher’s teaching methods should be engaging. It is important to apply these strategies at the child’s specific stage of reading, whether it be emergent, early, transitional, or fluent. I enjoyed this chapter because it specifically identified strategies for teachers to engage their students in reading in such a way that they will develop a love of it. Seeing as I do not have this passion for reading, I will definitely try to use these skills to inspire my students to enjoy reading.

tara's reflection for taberski's ch, 2

chapter two was all about taberski's goals for the children. what struck me was the four goals she had for her kids. they arent complex goals like she said, but more realistic, attainable goals. what stood out for me was numbers two and four of her goals.
goal number two is a goal that kinda dissappears when the children get older. i think anyway. a lot of the older kids want to read the fiction stories like harry potter and eragon. i see lots of the kids in my mililani waena class with those kinds of books. i mean, i was happy to see that they are actually reading books, but like taberski said, students should also get to liking the non-fiction books as well. i can honestly say that i was part of this when i was in fifth grade. all i read was those babysitters club books and the sweet valley high kine. the kids were going to the library last week and i told some of them that they should try and find books about things they like that is non-fiction. i know they probably didnt care what i was saying but at least i tried anyway. i think its because the non-fiction books to them are boring to read and not exciting like harry potter. and i do agree. but when some of the kids came back from the library, they had some non-fiction books on monkeys and other animals. i was glad because maybe some of them listened to me after all.
goal number four was something i stressed to the kids too. when i was talking to the kids about choosing non-fiction books, i told them that if they continue to read when they get old like me, it will make them more knowledgeable. it will expand their imagination like reading did for me. a lot of the kids thought i didnt read anymore. but i told them i do, everyday for class and during the breaks i read books from jane austen and nicholas sparks. i think they were shocked. haha. i think that kids dont want to read much when they get older because they have to read so much for school and it becomes a chore for them. but i told the kids to find books they enjoy and im sure that reading wont feel like a chore. it will be an adventure for them. thats the way it is for me.

Sei's Chapter 2 reflection

Defining Your Goals
On Solid Ground Chapter 2 Reflection

I’ve always heard that individuals that set goals for themselves and share them with others are more likely to achieve those goals than those who don’t. Whether we share them or not, I feel that just setting a goal in itself is a motivational force in one’s life. I agree with Taberski on the importance of setting high, but realistic, goals and working hard towards them instead of setting many goals that will result in overwhelming feelings.

On that note, I can see where it’s essential for us to have goals for ourselves as educators and also for our students. It would probably make that much more of a difference to have something to shoot for and work towards. Whether our student is a “Victor, Kathy, Clive, or Theo”, it’s important to set goals for each one according to their needs and capabilities. Whether the goal is to initially get the child to even pick up a book at home or whether it’s to teach a child about more strategies to understand the text all goals are important.

One thing that I found interesting about this chapter is what Taberski stated about getting children to read different genres. It makes perfectly good sense when you think about it. Until this point, I, honestly, can say that I would’ve considered any avid reader a good reader. Now that I’ve read this chapter, I’m not too convinced that reading just a lot of anything is good enough. Although a child that can’t put his Harry Potter Series down is far better off than a child that won’t pick up a book at all, this child’s reading isn’t beneficial to his future endeavors as an adult reader if he’s only reading those books and not his textbooks. It’s very true when Taberski states that “we need to prepare children by introducing factual genres in the early grades while also providing opportunities for them to explore texts that interest them.” Idealistically speaking, my goal is to produce children that love to read a wide variety of different genres…basically, kids that find the beauty of reading anything and everything.

Henderson Ch.1 and 2

After reading these two chapters, I tried to think back to when I was in school. I tried to remember the way I was taught to read. It must have been the sounding out way because that is what I find myself doing with my students. Last semester, I noticed a couple of the students that were not strong readers at all, look to the pictures in the story to help them read. Some of the time they would get the words right, sometimes they wouldn't. I have noticed the phonics are used in reading strategies 95% of the time. I understand using the pictures and context clues to help with reading but what do you do when there are no pictures and the clues are not good enough?

In the beginning of the 2nd chapter, it talked about a teacher's reading goals . This made me stop to think about my own reading goals and how I would develop them. I know the goals are based on the level that my students are own. Before I develop my goals I need to evaluate my own level of reading. What is my main form of reading? What do I DO when I am stuck on a word? Answering questions like that for myself will help me to form more effective reading goals for my students.

Leila's Reflection: Ch. 2- Defining your Goals

I really enjoy reading about Sharon Taberski's experiences and strategies that she used with students to help them learn to read. I can say that this is probably the one of the few textbook that I am absorbing all the meaning out of it. With other text books for my other classes, I will admit that after reading for a bit that I begin to drift off because it is so boring. However, Sharon writes with such passion and enthusiam that the reader like me can feel what she is feeling. Her writing techniques and organizations such as to write from her own prespective as if I am reading from her own personal dairy is very creative.

The main topic that I like from this chapter was about encouraging children to read a variety of genres. I feel that it is important to have the students to keep an open mind about all type of genres. He/she might miss out on experiences that different authors has to tell in their stories. For example, poems express emotions that might help a child see what life is all about or fiction stories can expand a child's imagination. Overall, I want my students to understand that reading opens up a whole new world where your imagination has no limit to what is possible such as living in space.

Carol’s Reflection on Taberski, Chapter 2

This is a superior textbook – I appreciate the language used, organization, and use of practical examples. Just as the author tells us to eliminate things in our classrooms that don’t help us reach goals, she insures that everything in the text is vital with no extra padding.

This chapter started me thinking about what kids need to read in order for them to reach their goals. Once again, I have nothing good to say about the basal readers in classrooms that are standards-based and ensure that each story comes with comprehension exercises. As Taberski points out, the claims are superficial and deceptive (or specious, a word my mother taught me during the last election). In the fall, my mentor teacher and her colleagues had to plan a unit by choosing the story and exercises according to the standards they needed to address, and my heart just sank because I knew most of the kids would have no knowledge or interest in dogsled racing. It was confirmed when I corrected their worksheets and saw strings of words pulled from the text randomly showing no evidence that the students made sense of the story.

This leads to the alternative that we are striving for: having books in the classroom to teach reading for many levels, on different topics, and in different genres. My question is: How do we start filling up our shelves with the quantity of quality books we need to make it work? How do we distinguish 200 great books from 200 junk ones? I’ll be patient and wait for Taberski to answer that one.

Jaime's Ch.2 Reflection

In the beginning of Chapter 2 Sharon Taberski says it is important to have clear goals to become an effective teacher. I think this is true in general and doesn’t apply only to teaching children to read. My New Years Resolution was to stop being a procrastinator, but it’s so hard to break old habits. After reading Chapter 2, I realized that I need to set mini goals for myself so that I don’t get overwhelmed with our many assignments. So from now on, I plan to set up daily goals. For instance, today’s goal is to do my Art Response for Chapter 1 and Art reflections.

Chapter 2 gave good strategies that children can use to figure out words and understand text. I made a copy of this page for myself and I think this is a good thing to display in our future classroom. I enjoyed reading about the different levels of readers. I know for sure that when I was in the first or second grade I was not a fluent reader like ‘Theo.’ Judging by the way I read now, I was probably a ‘Victor.’

I think Sharon uses great strategies to teach her children reading. I like the fact that she never gives up on her readers. Even though some of her students are transitional and fluent readers she still guides them so they can become lifelong readers who read different kinds of genres. At the end of the year, she doesn’t expect her children to be at the same level but her goal is for them to have learned new strategies to figure out words and texts and to make them comfortable with reading so they're doing it for pleasure and not because its required. I think that is one goal that all teachers should try and strive towards.

Chelsea's reflection (Ch.2, On Solid Ground)

I really enjoy reading On Solid Ground because the chapters are fairly easy
to read. I am able to understand what I am reading and let the information
sink into my brain. Since the chapters are a bit shorter than most texts, I
think it is easier to pick up what I am reading because I don't have a lot of
information being thrown out at me all at once. I like it.
Chapter 2 was mainly about what Sharon Taberski's goals are on
improving her students' reading skills. She explains what she wants them
to learn, and describes what kinds of readers children can be with the
inclusion of some examples of students' assessment notebooks. At this
point, I highly agree with Sharon Taberski on wanting children to be
strategic readers. They should learn how to use different strategies when
reading so that they can better understand the meaning of what they are
reading, and also be able to pronounce words correctly making sure the
sentences make sense. As I have mentioned before, I must have not been
a strategic reader. I don't always understand what I am reading so I take
time by reading the text over and over or looking up words to make sense
of what I am reading. Maybe I will possibly be able to use some strategies
from Sharon Taberski to help me become a better reader because I love to
read for enjoyment. I might not have time to read, but I try to read
whenever I get the chance. I also want to help motivate my students to want
to read. I know that it is important to not always assign your students to
read something, but to let them have a choice in what to read according to
their interests. Of course, a child will like to read something that interests
them or something that they can relate to. No one wants to read books that
are no fun. I want them to enjoy their reading time and ask me when they
can read again. I want to try have these reading conferences someday with
my students, but I'm always wondering if there will be enough time. In the
classes that I have observed so far, the students hardly have anytime for
anything, but math and language arts which is a bit sad. They don't even
have time for fun anymore like art projects and frequent reading. I've only
seen students read for about fifteen minutes a day, and that's it. Hopefully
when I become a teacher, I can somehow find a way to fit all that I want to
in my short day.

Tara's Reflection for Taberski's Ch. 1

Sorry its so late. When I went to the bookstore to buy this book it was out and it was on order so I wasnt able to do the reading till this week.

Reading chapter one reminded me of how my mentor teacher last semester assessed her reading. She did running records with the kids but she left out all the check marks and told me to only write the words down that the kids didnt know. I guess that was smart because it took up too much time to check all the words the kids got right. And plus we hardly had time to make the check marks for all the kids. She had other assignments to teach the kids. She told me that reading is just about the hardest thing to assess because the kids are all at different levels. She assesses each one of the students and assigns them levels. She allows them to pick their own books because she said that children wont read if they dont read a book that they like. I agreed with her also. My mentor had a section of her classroom that had books labeled with the different levels for her kids to come and choose for themselves. Every morning they would come and choose a book to their liking and take it home to read with their parents since that was a daily homework assignment.
In the section of the first chapter "our role in teaching children to read", I felt that I could relate to three of the sections. I could relate to the first section "assessing children's reading" because that is a strategy that my mentor uses. She would have individual conferences with the students and listen to them read, ask them questions and then give them differerent strategies that they can use to sound out words or maybe read better. In the second section "demonstrating effective strategies" it mentions that using guided reading and showing the kids patterns in words was something that my mentor taught me to do with the kids. I was able to do a few guided reading with a group of my kids and I was able to watch and hear them read together. The kids in the group were to help the ones that had a hard time reading out and be their guide. I would ask them if they had any trouble with some of the words and I would ask them for summaries. My mentor taught the kids to try and see certain words in words they didnt know to help them read and that strategy helped them to read. I would ask the kids what strategies they used to help them read the words they didnt know and a lot of them used different strategies like sounding them out, chunking, asking for help, seeing words in the unfamiliar words etc... In the third section "providing opportunities for practice", it mentions allowing kids to independently read so they can practice. My kids had independent reading every day in the morning for about 20 minutes. I loved it because they would all read. You could hear them reading or trying to. I would go around and listen to some of them and it was great. They all had books that interested them because they're allowed to choose their own books so of course reading for them had meaning. After they read the book the kids would voluntarily give me summaries because they liked the book. I was happy to hear them. I would even ask them questions about the book and the kids could answer me.
So basically reading this first chapter reminded me so much of my first grade kiddies!! And more so of my mentor teacher because she taught me a bit about running records and that it is a great assessment strategy if you have the time to assess each kid in the class. My mentor taught me lots about reading and I just thought of her when I read this chapter.

Blaze of Fire Ch.2

"Theo admitted that even though he could pronounce almost any word, he might not always know what it means." (Taberski, pg. 17) This was me in elementary school. I hated reading so much that I can only remember one or two books that I actually read. One of those books was the Chocolate Touch. For some reason, reading was like someone forcing me to touch a blazing fire. I just didn't want any part of it. During the summertime, my grandma would have my cousins and I have mandatory reading and I always, always, always through a tantrum. There were times when I cried on the phone to my mom because my grandma was making me read when I didn't want to. What I find strange is that as much as I never read, I could pretty much pronounce and spell most words, but i'm not sure if I would consider myself a fluent reader.

I wonder if my teachers even knew where I stood in reading. Not so much, whether or not I was grade level, but if I were an emergent/early/transitional/fluent reader. Chapter two has shown me some of the things I need to look for in my students reading. In the class that I'm in now, it seems like they are still being classified by grade level. In my opinion, I believe that the students should be in stages instead of being placed into a grade-level because even though it might not be shown to the public that a student is in a low reading grade, it could have some side effects. At least in stages, teachers will know exactly what to do for that student and the student will get to see that they will be able move up as they improve.

The chapter was entitled Defining Your Goals. One of my goals is to help my students become a strategic reader. With the weapons that a strategic reader has, there is no blaze of fire that is to big to conquer.

"Theo admitted that even though he could pronounce almost any word, he might not always know what it means." (Taberski, pg. 17) This was me in elementary school. I hated reading so much that I can only remember one or two books that I actually read. One of those books was the Chocolate Touch. For some reason, reading was like someone forcing me to touch fire. I just didn't want any part of it. During the summertime, My grandma would have my cousins and I have mandatory reading and I always, always, always through a tantrum. There were times I cried on the phone to my mom because grandma was making me read when I didn't want to. What I find strange is that as much as I never read, I could pretty much pronounce and spell most words, but i'm not sure if I would consider myself a fluent reader.

I wonder if my teachers even knew where I stood in reading. Not so much, whether or not I was grade level, but if I were an emergent/early/transitional/fluent reader. Chapter two has shown me some of the things I need to look for in my students reading. In the class that I'm in now, it seems like they are still being classified by grade level. In my opinion, I believe that the students should be in stages instead of being placed into a grade-level because even though it might not be shown to the public that a student is in a low reading grade, it could have some side effects. At least in stages, teachers will know exactly what to do for that student and the student will get to see that they will be able move up.

Leila's Reflection: Ch 1- Understanding our roles and goals

The main idea that I got from this chapter is that reading is like a partnership between the teachers and students. Sharon mentions a couple of roles that a child must do/need in order to learn how to read. The child must recall on his/her own experiences and background knowledge to figure out the text. The child might asked himself/herself "where have I seen this word before?" or he/she might try to decoded it by sounding it out.
Then there is our role (the teachers) in teaching the children how to read. The child might know only one way of figuring out new words is to simply sound it out. How effective is that? Not at all. I see some of my students at work who struggle with reading constantly just sound out 75% of the words. It takes so much time and it is distracting them away from constructing meaning of the story. That is why it is our job to demonstrate effective reading strategies to them. Also, as Sharon mentioned, it is important to hold individual reading conferences with your students frequently. It helps teachers to gather information on how the student is reading. We don't want a student to be reading something too easy and vice-versa. It will turn them away from reading once and for all. Even though we give time to read independently, it is good to assess them every so often because some students might be sitting in their seat and just staring at the texts. It would be a waste of them to have silent reading if some of them are just pretending to read.
Overall , it is being able to "relate the old to the new, or what is known to the unknown."

Leila's Reaction (foreward, acknowledgement, & intro)

Just from reading the foreward written by Shelley Harwayne, I feel like I already know the author of the story. By the way Shelley described her, I can tell that Sharon Taberski is a hardworking and devoted teacher in helping students not only to learn how to read but to develop a passion for reading too. It is wonderful to know that the things we are learning in class (ie. running records, student conferences, read out louds, etc) are strongly advocated by the author. Overall, it sounds like Sharon Taberski is a wonderful teacher.

She has alot of people whom she acknowledge her inspiration and hardwork for. It is true that without the people in your life, there would be no support for your accomplishment. She made me realized that you can't do it all by yourself. Teachers need to work together to help build a stronger education for the children.

I am really excited to read about the many strategies that Sharon has in this book. Her passion towards developing such strategies to help students enjoy reading is what makes the strategies successfully in the classroom.

Coby the Thornton's Reflection of Sharon the Taberski First Chapter

In the first chapter of her book, On Solid Ground, Sharon Taberski talks about the way children make meaning in reading using phonics, pictures, and what they already know about the subject.
She also stresses that children need to learn to read with text that means something because they expect text to mean something. Hence, children do not learn too well with flash cards.

The things that Tabershiki said in her first chapter sounded exactly like Greg's first lecture. That leads me to believe that Greg has tried her strategies and found them to be very useful. The things that I mentioned above are helpful tips for me to use as I go into the field and teach reading to the students. This past week I was floored when I realized that in Kindergarten the children cannot read very well but then again what did I expect? My hope is to help the children learn how to read a little better. One question still remains, how?

Lehua - On Solid Ground - Ch 1

Wow, what a great story about Sharon Taberski. Wouldn't we all like someone to write something that exquisite about us? I can tell how passionate she is about teaching. It's one thing to be a good teacher but it's another to be someone who shares his expertise with other educators and parents, which it definitely seems like she does!

Going further into the book, at chapter 1, as I read I seemed to be thinking of a certain professor. Greg's stories are always about a particular child who has trouble with reading or writing and also doesn't have that passion for it - yet. It's clearly because they aren't given the resources, just as we learned back in the fall semester. Billy is therefore someone who we've seemed to hear about in Greg's stories. It's clear that Greg's strategies are very much influenced by educators like Sharon Taberski. Thank God for them.

It was interesting reading the types of ways children learn to read. When we were asked to question our students last semester about what they do when they get stuck on words, I thought, "Well it's obvious that they do most of those things. There's not much else to do." This chapter showed me (in broken down points) exacty what the children see and do. It is what I did when I was young, but of course, we don't see it that way until we realize it from a teacher or adult's perspective.

jaimie k's reflection to taberski ch. 1...

Chapter 1 was interesting. It was nice to learn about the role that the teachers and the students have during the process of reading. It’s not only the teachers’ efforts that effects whether the students will learn how to read or not to read. The students have a very important role to play also.

I like that Taberski wrote about the different things children use to help them read. I would have never thought about or even realized that those could be factors to help a child learn to sound out or read words. Such as using “their own experiences and background knowledge” to help them sound out a word. They can look at the pictures to help them figure out the word(s) or look at the surrounding information. This is a great start for children, but we all know that they can’t rely on it forever. Not all books have pictures in it, and even if they do, how would they know which part of the text it’s relating to?

One of the other strategies I thought was neat was “Learning Through Analogy.” They can relate words they don’t know to words that they do know. Teaching a student to use little tricks like that could really help them in their progress towards reading.

We always hear about the things that we as teachers should know. It was nice to finally see what we could teach students so that they can help themselves, and us. Maybe, hopefully, they already know these techniques but don’t realize it.

Jaime's Ch.1 Reflection

It's obvious from reading the Foreword and Introduction that Sharon Taberski is a very dedicated and passionate teacher. She spends her personal and professional time by researching and rethinking ways to make reading a passion for children so they can become lifelong readers.

Chapter 1 explained the teacher’s role in helping children learn to read. I felt a bit overwhelmed because I felt as though I might not have enough time to do all those thing like: assess children’s readings, demonstrate effective reading strategies, provide children with opportunities to read, practice a variety of approaches to text, respond to their reading and to encourage them to reflect on their reading process orally and in writing. Then I realized that teaching children to read will not be done only during reading period. It's not something that can be taught in a few lessons rather it's an ongoing lesson. Sharon also talked about our time with children being limited and that we (teachers) need to make the most of our time. We need to know what worked or didn't work with the children.

I like Sharon's idea on how to respond to children. Rather than comparing students capabilities, children need to see their progress from what they did a week or a month ago. I also like the idea of having the student and the teacher reflect at the end of the reading workshop. It helps them realize the strategies that worked or didn't work and it can be applied for the future. I think more teachers need to reflect at the end of the day rather than complain about how the students are "just not getting it."

Carol’s Reflection on Taberski, Chapter 1

Boy was I stuck on sounding it out with my first-grade daughter. This chapter reminded me that kids expect text to make sense and can make this happen using knowledge of the subject or knowledge of the way language works. So when she got stuck on the word “thousands” last weekend and wanted to close the book, although I didn’t have the opportunity to model strategies I asked her to just try skipping the word and seeing if she could make sense of the story. She looked confused as if doing so would be cheating or breaking a rule. But when I said it was okay and that it might help her, she covered the word, continued reading on about “hundreds of books,” and then came back to quickly read the word. It worked and she didn’t want to close the book anymore! It makes so much sense to do it this way now that I know, but previously I would have just asked her to sound it out and then do it with her until I actually did it for her, with her losing interest in the end. Equipped with this new perspective, I’m excited about giving my kindergarteners demonstrations and listening to them read.

The metaphor of the bottling plant was eerily similar to the way my teacher friend described the situation in her school. It seems that teaching to test has indeed become just like trying to fill up empty, passive containers by telling, telling, telling, in time for the quarterly assessments but having kids that are still empty because they haven’t had time to take an active part in their learning. It’s a predicament that many teachers, including Taberski would like to change.

Carol’s Reflection on Taberski, Contents to Introduction

A couple of years ago, a professor encouraged me to read the preface of textbooks, and now I don’t feel right until I look at the stuff in the beginning of the book. This forward makes it clear that the author’s job of teaching reading is difficult since learning how to read is so complex. When I homeschooled my older kids, aside from taking them to the library to borrow books I just had them complete the lessons in the basal reader provided by the school district and thought I was doing great. Ha – what a misguided teacher I was! I’m eager to learn about Taberski’s teaching practices now that I’ll have a classroom with more than two students. I really like what she says at the end of her introduction – that we “assess, reassess, and refine our efforts so that we’re doing more of what’s working and less of what isn’t.” Teaching reading isn’t static. It should always be moving and changing according to the needs of each student.

On Quicksand, Ch.1

A couple of days ago, I worked with the kindergarten group in my A+ program. During homework time I noticed that a girl had trouble pronouncing the letter "k". I can't remember which word caught my ears, however every word I asked her to pronounce with a "k", came out with /t/. Since she's been in A+, she has spoken with one of those voices that sound too cute to correct. Besides, I wasn't even sure what was making her voice sound the way it did. My assumption was she was young and it's a stage all children go through at that age.

So, I tried to help by having her practice the /k/ sound. Let me tell you it has been a tough challenge. Each time we tried, the answer was the same, /t/. As cute as it was, I got frustrated because most would think including myself that pronouncing the letter "k" is as easy as brushing your teeth. Boy, was I wrong. Now that I know she struggles, I try to practice with her as often as possible. The only thing is I'm not even sure what to do. I've done sounding out the "k" and trying out new words. (What if my entire class has this problem??) The obvious answer is to include more than the one/two approaches that I've tried. Though I'm not in a classroom, it would be great to know with confidence what to do in this situation.

Megan's Response- Chap 1

Reading Response: Chap 1<>
I’m really looking forward to this semester! This book seems like such a helpful resource! I agreed with many different views in chapter 1 and learned about a few new ones. I agree that children have to be able to draw meaning from any text and that they can best do that by reading something that they can personally relate to. Also, I agree that reading books should be introduced at the same time letter sounds and syntax are introduced. This way the children can learn to read not only through phonics, but also through context and picture clues. Some of the new views that I was introduced to in this reading were the skills that I as a teacher need to develop to better teach each individual student to read. I now see that teaching reading skills must be very individualized and personalized to benefit the student. Also, children need to be assessed and responded to about their reading level if they are to effectively improve. As I stated earlier, I am really looking forward to learning about reading this semester! -Megan Gilbert

On Solid Ground C/1- Kendrah reflection

As I started reading chapter 1, I tried my best to make sense of what I was reading. Greg has taught us to use the 3 cueing systems: graphonic, syntactic, and semantic. Therefore, before I started reading chapter 1, I first found meaning by reading the introduction, foreword, and acknowledgments. I realized that I had a brief background about what I would be reading. In chapter 1, I came across the heading "the child's role in learning to read". It mentioned that it involves a complex set of attitudes, understandings, and behaviors and that children should use all available sources to make reading a meaningful activity and teachers should be supporters of them. As I continued on, I came across the "role in teaching children to read". In Chelsea's reflection she mentioned that she came across something in chapter 1 that really got her thinking about teahcing reading properly. It said, "As teachers, our time with children are limited", which is very true and it is our job to teach and help a child be successful in reading. This is why this book has been written. I wanted to know myself what I could as a teacher to help a student be the best that he or she can be at reading. One strategy mentioned of the recommended teaching strategies is to provide opportunities for practice. Instead of a teacher telling his or her students to sit down and read independently, it is important for the teacher to help students recognize books that are "just right" for them to read but also helps them practice with their meaning and language structure. The 3 cueing system is emphasized much throughout the chapter. This chapter was very beneficial.

jaimie k's reflection to taberski fore, ack, intro...

By just reading the foreword of this book, I feel that learning to teach reading is going to be difficult. You can never realize the amount of work it takes to do something until someone actually tells you, shows you, or you experience it for yourself.

When some think of teaching reading, they might think, you just teach the students words, sounds, and how to say them. But that is so far from the truth. In the fifth paragraph of the foreword, Sharon writes about all the different things a teacher needs to know how to do in order to do a good job of teaching reading. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders as I read them. It seems that there is so much to do for just this one subject.

Every time I learn how to teach a new subject, I feel overwhelmed. There is so much to focus on, so much to do for every subject. Each part of the curriculum has their own necessities that need to be focused on so that the students receive the best instruction and gain the most from it. Maybe it’s because it’s only my second semester in the College of Education, but right now, it seems like all of this is impossible. Impossible to do all of this when it seems there’s not enough time in the school day and there are so many standards that are required to be covered.

Kendrah Reflection- Foreword, Ack., & Intro.

“On Solid Ground” begins with a foreword, which is written by Shelley Harwayne. Harwayne briefly summarizes what she had learned from Sharon Taberski, the author of “On Solid Ground”, which was the proper way to teach children how to read. I learned that when one teaches children to read, he or she must “pause and think deeply about the teaching of reading and then proceed with clarity and expertise.” It is important for an educator to “analyze children’s strengths and needs so that supports can be built.” I believe a good teacher will always be aware of a child’s progress and observe areas that need to be worked on. Of course teaching a child to read is not easy because there are many children who don’t care to read, especially school, suggested material. What I got from the foreword is that this book was written to help educators learn how to teach reading correctly so that children are successful readers. Also, I read the acknowledgments section and it was a section for the author to thank people who means a lot to her and who has helped her. These people is her support system just like teachers are for their students. Finally, I read the introduction and I learned that I would be reading about helping children to see connections and make new ones. Teachers should observe how things work together to find ways to help a child become a successful reader. The introduction included parts of teaching reading. In part I it mentioned to be realistic with goals. Sometimes teachers expect children to read so many pages of a book but it is also important for a child to get meaning from it. I know that when I was younger I had to read through many pages of my textbooks. It was discouraging and I would usually just skim through it or read it quickly. I would usually forget what I read. This is why teachers must observe and see what is working and what is not. I learned that reading through these beginning pages can give a reader some background information on the author as well as what the book is about.

Chelsea, On Solid Ground (Ch.1)

After reading the foreword in the beginning of the book, it seems
to me that Sharon Taberski is a great caring teacher. A lot of people
admire her work. In her book, she provides teachers with strategies
on how to teach their students to read effectively.
After reading chapter 1, a lot of things made sense to me. Some
things were familiar since Greg has introduced some things to us in
class. For example, she mentions that the three cueing systems work
best together, rather than alone. One paragraph that really stood out
to me while I was reading was on page six. It said that "as teachers, our
time with children is limited." This worries me a great deal. I've sat in
an elementary class and watch the teacher speed through work like it's a
car racing down a track. Sometimes the students catch on and understand,
but some students need more time and more examples. I want my students
to learn. Not just some students, but every single one of them that's in my
class. Sharon suggests that we should know what to teach and what would
be useful for our students. Leave out the extras, the things that might waste
time, and get straight to the point. Learning takes time and it's important.
I really want to be able to have reading conferences with my students. I
want to listen to them read. I think it would be very interesting. We should
assess students' reading skills so that we can help them better themselves in
reading. Silent reading doesn't always do the job because we don't know if
the child is actually reading or understanding what they are reading.
Conferences may take up some time, but I think having them once a week
couldn't hurt too much. We will just have to use our time wisely, that's all.

Happy New Year.....and ......

Syllabus: ITE 314 - Cohort 415 (A Working Draft – 1-8-07)

University of Hawaii, Manoa
College of Education
ITE 314: Literacy and Literature II
Elementary Cohort 415 - Spring 2007

I. Descriptive Information:
Catalog description: Teaching strategies based on current theories of language will be
modeled within an integrated whole language curriculum appropriate for multicultural classrooms.
Credits: 3
Focus: Writing Intensive
Pre-requisites: Admission to UHM teacher education program; ITE 313
Co-requisites: Admission to UHM teacher education program; ITE 317
Intended audience: Students in UHM teacher education program
Instructor: Greg Swimelar
Office Hours: By appointment
Telephone: (c) 224-4503
E-mail: gregswim@gmail.com
Class meetings: Mondays, January 8–April 30, 2007, 8:00–10:30, Room 105
Grading: A+,A,A-,B+,B,B-,C+,C,C-,……… etc.

Focus designation: This course has been approved as writing-intensive (WI) and you will receive a WI credit upon successful completion of the course requirements. Writing will contribute significantly to the course grade and will take a variety of forms (e.g., journals, progress reports, reaction/reflection essays, performance critiques, planning, topic of choice, and documenting a case study). The Writing Workshop is recommended for enhancing your written communication skills. Call 956-7619 for an appointment.

Disability statement: If you have a disability and related access needs, please contact the KOKUA program (UH Disabled Student Services Office) at 956-7511, KOKUA@hawaii.edu, or go to Room 013 in the Queen Lili‘uokalani Center for Student Services. Please know that I will work with you and KOKUA to meet your access needs based on disability documentation.

Professional Dispositions Statement: The professional dispositions shared in this course reflect the standards and expectations of the College of Education, the Institute for Teacher Education, and the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Program. Teacher candidates must demonstrate acceptable or target professional dispositions during all program-related activities (i.e., coursework, field experiences, meetings, and conferences). Any category marked with a “U” requires a conference, plan of assistance for improvement, or dismissal. Professional dispositions can be found on the EECE website at: http://www.hawaii.edu/coe/departments/ite/index.html

Ethical behavior: All work you submit as yours must include proper documentation and crediting of sources. Failure to properly introduce and document paraphrased material or borrowed ideas is plagiarism. Plagiarism carries serious consequences and possible dismissal from the program. See the UH General and Graduate Information Catalog under “Student Regulations” and the UH Student Conduct Code for specific guidelines related to plagiarism.

Laptop computers: The following are specific expectations for laptop use in our classroom:
1. You need to bring your laptop to every class unless otherwise instructed.
2. The legitimate educational purpose of our class is to help prepare you for your professional career. Part of your development as a professional is learning the ability to practice and model courtesy and respect for your colleagues and instructors. Accordingly, engaging in personal emails, instant messaging, games and web surfing are not appropriate activities during class time.
3. Please turn on your laptops before class and keep the screens down until we are ready to use them. The other option is to leave them off until requested to turn them on.
4. Demonstrate ethical and responsible behavior during class and on the UH network.
5. Please charge your batteries before class.
6. When in class, please spend time only on the tasks associated with this course.
7. In general, use your laptops in class as you would expect your students to use theirs.


II. Standards-Based Education

During your teacher education program, you will find yourself immersed in standards-based education. The College of Education (COE) and the Institute for Teacher Education (ITE) set standards for teacher candidates. The Hawai‘i Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) sets standards for Hawai‘i teachers. The Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards (HCPS II) for K-12 students are set by the Hawai‘i Department of Education. In addition, many of your teacher education courses will integrate standards from professional organizations (e.g., the International Reading Association).

Standards describe what teachers and students at all levels should know, be able to do, and care about. The College of Education Conceptual Framework and the Institute for Teacher Education require teacher candidates to be knowledgeable, effective, and caring. These three standards are a part of all learning experiences in your teacher education program. Here’s an overview, with Hawaiian proverbs from ‘Olelo No‘eau:

Knowledgeable
Teacher candidates are knowledgeable about content, pedagogy, and professionalism; human growth and development; and the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of students with diverse backgrounds and learning needs.

E lawe i ke a‘o malama, a e ‘oi mau ka na‘auao: He who takes his teachings and applies them increases his knowledge (Pukui, Mary Kawena.1983. ‘Olelo No‘eau 328. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press).

‘A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka halau ho‘okahi: All knowledge is not taught in the same school. One can learn from many sources (Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1983. ‘Olelo No‘eau 203. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press).

b. Effective
Teacher candidates have the professional experience and skills to teach so that all children can learn.
Ho a‘e ka ‘ike he‘enalu i ka hokua o ka ‘ale: Show [your] knowledge of surfing on the back of the wave. Talking about one’s knowledge and skill is not enough; let it be proven (Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1983. ‘Olelo No‘eau 1013. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press).

c. Caring
Teacher candidates care about students and their families and communities, teaching and learning, and their own professional development.

E kuahui like i ka hana: Let everybody pitch in and work together (Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1983. ‘Olelo No‘eau 323. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press).

III. Goals, Content, and Objectives

Course Overview:
ITE 314: This is the second course in the two-semester language arts sequence. You will gain deeper theoretical and practical understandings of issues relating to literacy, learning, instruction, strategies, and assessment of language arts skills and processes at different grade and developmental levels in the elementary school. The focus of this class will be on the interrelatedness of reading, writing, listening and speaking, with an emphasis on reading.




Course Outcomes:
Pre-service teachers will have a conceptual and practical grasp of:

the balanced approach to literacy instruction and goals for students’ literacy learning consistent with this approach,
the strategies needed to implement the reader’s workshop (process approach to learning to read),
the strategies needed to implement the readers’ workshop (literature-based instruction, including word identification ), and
assessment approaches for the writer’s and readers’ workshops.
Literature & Literacy I will focus more on the methods of teaching writing, and Literature & Literacy II will focus more on reading; however one cannot study one without the other, therefore there will be a integration of the two.

The pre-service teacher will be able to use the following strategies as a teacher of reading:

Shared reading – whole group and one-on-one
Reading “to, with, and by”
Conducting individual reading conferences
Using running records as a teaching tool
Using running records as an assessment tool
Analyzing running records to determine what strategies a child has control over
Using “retellings” as an assessment tool
Helping students to select “just right” books
Organizing and managing a classroom library
Tubbing books
Keeping a graphic record of student progress through the use of a reading folder, running records, and retellings
Book talks
Organizing a classroom library
Conducting a “genre study”
Managing guided reading
Modeling reading comprehension strategies
Matching children to books
Managing a reader’s workshop


The pre-service teacher will have under control five methods for helping an inexperienced writer get published and view himself/herself as a writer: innovation on text; use of the writing process; playing secretary; beginning dialogue correspondence; encouraging temporary spelling.

The pre-service teacher will be able to explain how a child-centered system for learning to spell can be managed.

The pre-service teacher will be able to describe and explain the elements in Brian Cambourne’s “Conditions of Learning” and “Principles of Engagement,” models and be able to apply these tools to actual classroom teaching and management.

Each pre-service teacher will produce writing representing the professional genre of teaching, as well as a piece of writing in a genre of his or her choice. A minimum of at least three pages of writing will be published in a cohort anthology.




Required Reading:
Taberski, Sharon. On Solid Ground: Strategies for Teaching Reading. Heinemann.
Graves, Donald. Writing: Teachers and Children at Work, Heinemann, 1983
Fox, Mem. Radical Reflections, Harcourt-Brace, 1993

Recommended Reading:
Cambourne, Brian. The Whole Story: Natural Learning and the Acquisition of Literacy in the Classroom. Ashton Scholastic, 1988
Au, Kathryn, H., Carroll, J.H., and Scheu, J.A. Balanced Literacy Instruction: A Pre-service teacher’s Resource Book, Second Edition, Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, 2001.
Au, Kathryn. Literacy in Multicultural Settings. Harcourt Brace, 1993
Hindley, Joanne. In the Company of Children. Stenhouse Publishers, 1996
Keene, Ellin Oliver and Susan Zimmerman. Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop. Heinemann. 1997.
Dombey, Henrietta and Margaret Moustafa & the staff of the Centre for Language in Primary Education. Whole to Part Phonics: How Children Learn to Read and Spell. Heinemann, 1998.
Fountas, Irene C. and Gay Su Pinnell. Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. Heinemann, 1996.
Cunningham, Patricia M. Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing. Harper Collins College Publishers, 1995
Fountas, Irene C. and Gay Su Pinnell. Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books in Guided Reading. Heinemann, 1999.
Fisher, Bobbie and Emily Fisher Medvic. Perspectives on Shared Reading: Planning and Practice, Heinemann, 2000.
Graves, Donald. A Fresh Look at Writing. Heinemann. Heinemann, 1994.
Atwell, Nanci. In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning. Heinemann, 1998.
Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Writing, (New Edition), Heinemann, 1994
Calkins, Lucy. The Art of Teaching Reading, Longman/Addison-Wesley, 2001
Tompkins, Gail E. Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach. Merrill Prentice-Hall. 2001
Griffin, Patrick, Patricia G. Smith, and Lois E. Burrill. The American Literacy Profile Scales: A Framework for Authentic Assessment. Heinemann.
Griffin, Patrick, Patricia G. Smith, and Noel Rdige. The Literacy Profiles in Practice: Toward Authentic Assessment, Heinemann, 2001
Ohanian, Susan. One Size Fits Few: The Folly of Educational Standards. 1999
Anderson, Carl. How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers. Heinemann, 2000.
Holdaway, Don. The Foundations of Literacy. Ashton Scholastic. 1979.
Harvey, Stephanie and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Stenhouse Publishers, 2000.

Expectations:
Attend and be on time for all classes.
Participate actively in class discussions and activities. Do the assigned readings and reflections on the readings before class. Be prepared to ask questions, make comments, or raise concerns from the readings. You are responsible for the information in the readings even if it is not covered in class.
Obtain ownership for your work rather than be merely being “completer” of work.
Take risks with your writing.
Prepare the equivalent of a minimum one-half page single-spaced reflection on your readings for each class. Post this on our blog so that others can benefit from your “take” on the reading. The purpose of these weekly reflections is to help you and your cohort focus on the important concepts covered in the readings.
Read all the reflections of our other cohort members as well as any responses that the instructor may have to any of your colleague’s reflections. Once every three weeks, prior to class – post a public reflection on another student’s reflection.
Ask for clarifications about activities, projects, and lectures as needed. The instructor will provide assistance, but it is the student’s responsibility to let the instructor know when you need help. Please feel free to speak with the instructor before and after class and on other days by email or phone, or by mutual agreement.
Complete the following:

The activities in the “Pre-Service Teacher’s Pacing Outline”
Book Talk – Presentation of children’s book to our class
Published piece – at least three pages of published work to be included in the cohort anthology
Maintain an “electronic reflection learning journal” that will include reflections on what we learn in class. The last ten minutes of class time will be reserved for this. Email your reflection to Greg at gregswim@gmail.com at the end of each class.
Maintain an eWriter’s Folder containing your drafts and writings that you do in our writer’s workshop during class.
Self-assessment --for the last class turn in a 1 to 3 page (double-spaced) self-assessment. What did you learn? What will you use? What’s your next step in your growth plan?

Requirements and Grading:

Expectations 2,3,4, and 7 – 10 points
Attendance at all classes -- 10 points
Reflections of readings and on fellow cohort members’ reflections – 15 points
Quizzes -- 10 points
Self Assessment 10 points
Personal Reflections (in class) to be written in “reflection notebook” – 5 points
Completion of Field Assignments with reflections (with accompanying documentation or evidence) – 15 points
Book Talk – 5 points
Completion of published piece in camera-ready condition – 5 points
Maintenance of “reflection notebook” for classes – 10 points
Final Memory Attempt – 5 points
Total = 100 points

Note: All written work will be considered as a PASS unless the instructor informs the pre-service teacher that a grade is a high pass, low pass, or unacceptable. All unacceptables or low passes must be re-done.


Class Schedule:

January 8 – Welcome to the second course in Literature and Literacy, catching up on each other’s business, expectations, overview of the course, review of syllabus, review the conditions of learning and the principles of engagement. If time permits – lecture/presentation on the Process of Learning to Read. Bring your laptops every time.

BETWEEN SESSION ACTIVITY:
Obtain textbooks. Read for next class: Contents, Forward, Acknowledgements, and Introduction of On Solid Ground – and post your reflection on our blog. Look, don’t just write about what you read – but how did what you read hit you? Use your real voice – don’t mess around – we want to know what you think and how this stuff really hit you, OK

January 15 (MLK Day – Do we have class?)


Read for next class: Read Chapter 1 – pages 2 through page 8 – On Solid Ground by Sharon Taberski: “From Where Are Your Thinking?”

January 22 --


Read for next class: Chapter 2: Defining Your Goals


January 29


Read for next class: Chapter 3: Creating a Purposeful Environment and Daily Schedule

February 5

Read for next class: Part Two – “Assessing Children to Determine Their Strengths and Needs” -- Chapter 4: “Reading Conferences: Creating a Context for Assessment”

February 12

Read for next class: Chapter 5: “Taking Records of Children’s Oral Reading”

February 19

Read for next class: Chapter 6: “Retelling and Reading Discussions”

February 26

Read for next class: Part 3: “Demonstrating Strategies: Whole Class, Small Group, One-on-One” Chapter 7: “Read Aloud and Shared Reading: Demonstrating Strategies in Whole-Class Settings”

March 5

Read for next class: Chapter 8: “Guided Reading: Demonstrating Strategies in Small-Group Settings”


March 12

Read for next class: Chapter 9: Word Study Groups: Analyzing Words for Their Phonetic, Structural, and Morphemic Features


March 19

Read for next class: Chapter 10: “Teaching Reading Strategies One-on-One”


April 2

Read for next class: Part Four: Offering Children Opportunities for Practice and Response,” Chapter 11: “Matching Children with Books for Independent Reading”

April 9

Read for next class: Chapter 12: “Independent Reading: A Time for Practice”


April 16

Read for next class: Chapter 13: “A Time for Response”

April 23

Read for next class: Appendices pages 183-203, and “Works Cited” pages 205-208.


April 30

To be determined




Anthology Assignments:

Cover Design:
Cover Title:
Table of Contents Design and Typing:
About the Authors Page:
Dedication Page, if any:
Editors of Final Copy:


Note: This is a “working document;” some changes may be made to reflect the needs, interests, and understandings of the students.





















Pre-service Teacher Listing of Language Arts Trials to be Conducted in the Field

Each activity must be checked off and dated by the student when completed. This form must be shared with the instructor, the coordinator, and the mentor periodically and prior to our last class.
Instructional Activities

Date Completed
Activity

Conduct very informal “chats” with as many students as possible. Example: “Tell me… what do you do when you get stuck when reading?” “Do you ever do anything else?” (This is to determine what reading strategies a child believes he/she has control over when reading, i.e. which cue systems are working. This will tell us what strategies need to be modeled for the student.)

Learn all student names, their individual interests, and their special experiences ASAP; be ready to attempt to reproduce this information from memory in class on October 9th, then again a final attempt on November 27th.

Do several or many shared readings (w/ whole class, small group, or individual)

Do a several or many “read alouds” or book talks.

With mentor permission, conduct one “affective” interview with a student or with the whole class, after we discuss the procedure in class. (Tony Stead protocol)

Conduct at least one “modeled writing.” (Writing in front of the kids while thinking aloud.)

Teach or facilitate at least two language arts learning activities (writer’s workshop, reader’s workshop, modeled writing, shared reading, conferencing, leading a “share session,” spelling, guided reading, grammar mini lesson, handwriting lesson). At least one of the lessons must involve the use of literature.


Name _____________________________________ School____________________________

Mentor________________________________________

Comments: