debrennersmith: Writing and Reading Lessons

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2011-04-30T00:24:00.002-04:00

Read my book, Beyond Retelling.

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Beyond Retelling Toward Higher Level Thinking and Big Ideas

2009-11-05T12:38:00.001-05:00

moved my site

2009-10-11T16:51:00.002-04:00

Thank you for visiting.

Please visit me on facebook debra renner smith

Please visit me at my new site: http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/

Writing Every Day Works

2009-09-06T16:42:00.000-04:00

Remember to visit

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Lincoln Park Zoo pictures by daughter Ashleigh

2009-06-17T19:25:00.001-04:00

Please remember to visit my website at writing every day works. THANKS!

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Zoey Moret Renner born on May 7

2009-05-08T01:21:00.003-04:00

Please remember to visit me at writingeverydayworks

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Comprehension Strategy: Thinking Theme Presentation

2009-02-25T20:39:00.002-05:00

Pat and I thank the over 100 (closer to 120) people who attended our session. The room only held 75 attendees. We are thankful for each person who gave their time to attend. Since IRA attendance was down to only 3700 people or so it was exciting to see a packed room!

Presenting at International Reading Association

2009-02-21T01:06:00.005-05:00

I am at the International Reading Association for several days presenting with Pat Cunningham about our book, Beyond Retelling. I hope we see you there!

I am now posting at my other blog:

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/

International Reading Association Sunday Feb 22 Presentation

2009-02-17T00:18:00.000-05:00

Pat Cunningham and I are presenting our book at the International Reading Association on Sunday. Our session is Comprehension Strategy: Thinking Theme (Higher Level Thinking and Big Ideas). It is hosted in the Phoenix Convention Center in room W211B. I can’t wait! I hope to see you all there!

Writing Every Day Works.Wordpress.com

2009-02-01T01:04:00.006-05:00

Leaving on a jet plane...

.......back to my other blog in a week.

Please join me at my new blog. THANKS!

So far I have had over 8000 hits on my new site.

I am so grateful that people are joining me there. I hope you will too!

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/

Touchstone Text or Mentor Texts

2009-01-29T18:52:00.003-05:00

I use touchstone texts in my writing. I wrote about it quite a bit here:
Touchstone Text post

Donald Murray

2009-01-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

Donald Murray warns us not to do the student’s work. Many teachers become experts at grammar and punctuation rules. The longer we teach, the better we become at our craft. The problem is that the student’s are not internalizing what we know. When we are red penning the corrections and we are marking up the papers, the students are not learning how to correct their mistakes.
Murray wrote, “The better I did my job the less my students learned. (page 128).”
When we focus on how we feel about about the mistakes or the draft, it is the incorrect focus. The writing teacher has to teach the students to teach themselves about writing. Writing is about thinking, looking at a draft and figuring out what they might need to draft a better one. This doesn’t mean that the teacher is not teaching or not important. The teacher is not the lion tamer, instead the teacher is a coach, interacting during the writing conference. The teacher encourages the student writer to talk about the writing first. These questions are listed on page 130: “What surprised you about this writing?” “What did you do differently in this draft than you’ve done before?” “What did you learn from writing this draft?” “What would you do differently if you had another chance at it?” “How was this written differently than if would have been at the beginning of the course?” “What are you going to do next?”
“The goal of reading student’s work is to to encourage students to learn (page131).”
Murray realized that as students learned to reflect on their writing by writing a reflection, it lead to better writing students and better writing. The students know what they have done and why. Often students do not realize that they know they know. The reflections force writers to pause and think about what they know about themselves as writers (132). Writing teachers do know how to reflect on our students’ writing, Murray teaches us to teach our students to reflect also.

expecting the unexpected teaching myself - others - to read and write by Donald Murray, chapter 13

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Come join me at my new blog please

Beyond Retelling

2009-01-19T20:39:00.002-05:00

I had the opportunity to share my book this week. That was great!

I appreciate everyone who has visited the other site. Please join me.

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com

I am riding in a jet plane

2009-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am riding in a jet plane for out of state

work (yeah!)

Please join me at my other blog.

Click here to join me at my new blog please.

CLICK RIGHT HERE TO JOIN ME AT MY NEW BLOG..... SEE YOU THERE!

writing everyday works

Please JOIN me at my NEW BLOG THANKS!

2009-01-01T02:00:00.001-05:00

I am at this new link. My old link here at blogspot is not getting fixed. I waited 6 weeks and it is not getting resolved. I emailed several times. Please join me at me new spot:

HOPE you join me!

THANKS! Deb Renner Smith

Writing Every Day Works

This is the link above THANKS!

Beyond Retelling

2009-01-01T00:10:00.000-05:00

Links to my book, Beyond Retelling. It has been exciting finding it at national bookstores! It was fun seeing my book linked with Mosaic of Thought on Amazon. It makes sense since my book is also about comprehension. Amazon link to Beyond Retelling

Barnes and Noble carries my book too! Beyond Retelling at Barnes and Noble link

and here:
http://www.books-by-isbn.com/authors/debra/renner/smith/

Small Moments: Object Something Significant and Why

2009-01-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

Part of writing about Christmas or the Winter Holidays does sometimes involve writing about presents. This is what kids want to write about. So what the teacher has to work at is adding significance or purpose to the piece. Who gave you the present? Why is this present special? What is special about this object (present)? I share my objects lesson during this time of year (again).

Object Lesson: writing think of an object that matters to you

Object Lesson: Picture Triggers 1000 Words

Object Lesson: Those Shoes

Object Lesson: Hat

I send home a note with my writers encouraging them to bring in an object or a picture of an object that is significant to them. I encourage my students to think about something that is special to them (blanket they have had, a stuffed animal, lovie, etc.) I read Knuffle Bunny before the note went home. We identified the exact place in Knuffle Bunny where there is a small moment. I

sharing, working together, traditions

2008-12-29T19:17:00.002-05:00

Do you need a wonderful story about traditions? This is also a wonderful story of sharing and working together.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/lifestyles/index.ssf/2008/12/sweet_tradition_zonderkidz_the.html

Small Moments: Person Who is Significant During The Holidays

2008-12-29T00:51:00.000-05:00

Often teachers ask me about topic generation. I also know nothing sends terror down the spine of a teacher, then 20 or 25 children who are complaining, "I don't have anything to write about." Or a child who has written about the same frog for 26 days in a row. It is not a matter of assigning a topic or not a matter of saying, "Don't assign topics!" The solution is in what is happening in the discussion before writing. When I enter a classroom a writing consultant, I want all children to write as do all the teachers I have ever met. So how does this happen? Students need ideas not assignments for topics.

As we look forward to seeing our students tomorrow, I think about the writing workshops across the country. I want students to write about their significant people. I want children to write about what matters to them. I know if we help our students through questioning to think about traditions that matter, they will write about them. Who did they see over break? What happens every year?
I could write about...

After dinner, Santa comes to our house. He is real. ...

OR

Everyone in our family knows that my mom does not mail presents. We all open presents at my mom and dad's house on Christmas morning. ...

OR

My dad cooks once a year. Christmas morning breakfast ...

As I think about the 'who' and a tradition, it helps trigger a memory and a tradition I could write about. This is what we need to do with our students to prevent a list of "What I got for Christmas!"

I wrote about this topic previously here: Person: Think of person that matters to you

and here: writing about special people

and here: Gooney Bird book teaches about personal narrative

Writing about a Class Experience

2008-12-29T00:45:00.000-05:00

One writing idea is to have the class experience something, then write about this experience.

-Sing a song, then tell the students about it, have the students turn and talk about it, then the teacher writes about it using story language.
-Line up to come inside from recess. If it is a nice day, instead of going inside, write outside right now. We just lined up to go inside, let's write about that. The teacher tells the story on her/his fingers. The writing partners tell the story to each other. I have my chart paper outside and model how right there.
-Walk the kids over to the slide. Have all the students climb up the ladder and slide down. Listen to their language. What are the details you hear? What specific words are the children saying? Everyone sits down after the class experience. First, the teacher tells the story using story language. Next the writing partners turn and talk to each other practicing telling the story using story language. The teacher should model writing about the experience before the children write.
-After a field trip, write about the class experience.
-After any other common experiences by the class, it lends to writing: fire drills, lunch room, music, gym, etc.

we worked on small moments. I modeled my own small moment and then as a class we made one together about lining up for recess. The objective is to take an idea and stretch it out…like an elastic band. We will be working on small moments (narratives) for the entire term. For many of the students it is a new concept.

Articles that May Impact Teaching

2008-12-29T00:40:00.001-05:00

Here are very interesting on line articles to read. Science Daily Articles link
twowritingteachers wrote about Literacy-Related News Stories so I read the links.

These are stories that I found to be interesting. There are lots more. If you write about them on your blog, please link my post to yours. Thanks!

I am intrigued about how MRI's will impact our knowledge in education. The article says, "The prefrontal regions of the brain that were most affected by the lack of development are important for numerous intellectual functions, including attention, planning and social judgment." Premies have overcome so many hardships. As we figure out the least restrictive environment and high expectations and realistic expectations given the No Child Left Behind Pressure. Science Daily link Womb Needed for Proper Brain Development This is a topic dear to my heart. As we have high expectations and believe that all children can learn, we have to figure out where children's needs are being met.

Another article that intrigued me on the Science Daily site
Science Daily Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress (Men Are From Mars) This is a video and article showing how men and women process stress differently. I think it is something that teachers have to remember when we have our students in stressful situations. Boys and girls react differently to stress. Girls want to talk about it and are social. Boys often are in fight or flight mode. This scientific study shows that the brain confirms what we already know. It was very interesting.

My husband listens to NPR all the time. http://www.npr.org/ Every now and then, he will mention an interview that I should listen to. A few years ago I listened to Chris Van Allsburg. This year I heard Judy Blume. I also enjoy listening to author's discuss their process and their books. I read numerous Judy Blume books as a preteen. It was awesome hearing her.
Judy Blume's Love, Writing About Kids Ages 9-12 interview on NPR

It was interesting hearing about how Sesame Street came to be. 'Sesame Street' Changed Television For Children link on NPR

Writing in Kindergarten

2008-12-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

I find one of the questions I am asked frequently is, "What does writing look like with kinders?" This writing teacher has lots of great writing going on!

Kindergarten site with writing examples from her kinders

Summary Lesson for Expository Text

2008-12-28T17:40:00.003-05:00

50 Essential Lessons by Jim Burke is an awesome resource! Two lessons are about Summarization. Lesson 22: Summarize and Lesson 23: Write an Effective Paragraph are both lessons that I refer to in this blog post. Jim Burke deserves all the credit! I recommend Jim’s 50 lessons to all HS teachers (college too). They work.

Summary Lesson

When students write a paragraph it has to have these elements in this order:
Focus
Organization
Development
Purpose

Focus - explain how to establish a focusThe subject plus the main idea is the focus. What is the author trying to say about the subject? What is the author’s purpose for writing the article? What is the author trying to tell me about the topic? What is the writer trying to teach me about the subject?

Organization - Use the organizational patterns/text structure patterns to identify organizational elements.
Think about text structure. This will help you when you write the summary in expository text. How is the article organized? Is is cause and effect? Is it organized by classification? Is is compare and contrast? Make sure that you label the the organizational pattern (text structure).

Development - Discuss and label details that contribute to development
Examples
Explanations
Description

Students need to find a detail from the article to make a point. To expand their thinking, the student needs to give an example to show what they mean, the students also need to offer an example and explain how it relates to the focus.

Purpose - discuss the purpose of paragraphSo what is the purpose of their paragraph?
This is barely a tip of the iceburg. This lesson is better described in the book. I hoped I described it enough so that you want to buy his book.

Summarizing for Narrative Story

2008-12-28T15:34:00.003-05:00

Summarizing is explained really well in Explaining Reading by Gerald Duffy.

Sometimes summarizing and determining the main idea are confused. Summarizing is when students create a brief retelling of an entire text. Determining the main idea is when students find the one single important idea.

Usually students want to tell everything they have read. Kids struggle with sorting out what is important and should be included in a summary and what is just a detail or should be left out.

Teaching students about text structure or story structure helps with summarization. If students know to include the story elements, it helps with a summary. When students write about expository text, they introduce the topic, state the facts one after another, and then write the conclusion.

Duffy tells the student’s objective: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to provide a short summary of a book you have read, and you will be able to describe how you used your knowledge of story structures to create the summary.

Duffy tells that the “secret” to doing it“:

Students must:
-Understand the concepts of beginning, middle, and end.
-Know the parts of a story.
-Review the book to identify the information provided at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.

The teacher will model the lesson. Let me use a story map to make a summary of my story.

Story Map
Beginning
Who are the characters?
Where is the story happening?
What is the problem?

Middle
What two or three things happened as the characters tried to solve the problems?

End
How was the problem solved in the end?

Teacher Models

First, I look at the beginning to find out who the characters are, where the story is happening, and what the problem is. Right here on the first page I find out who the characters are and what they are doing. I read the next page and figure out the problem. I can start by saying, ” ____________. The teacher writes 2 sentences. I have summarized the beginning in two sentences.

Now, I will look at the middle of the book. The story map tells me just two or three things that happened in the middle to the characters as they try to solve the problem. The teacher models by writing 2 or 3 sentences in the middle of the summary.

Then I think about the end of the story. How was the story solved in the end? The characters …. The teacher models by writing 1-2 sentences as an ending at the end of the summary.

See how I used the story map to make a summary? I used the story map to help me decide what is the most important to tell so that I would not take too much time when telling someone about my story.

MIT Open Course Ware

2008-12-28T03:09:00.003-05:00

A Teacher's Tale writes about this site on his blog. It is an awesome resource! I just spent hours reading and browsing there. I plan on spending lots more hours there. MIT open courseware link

Tidbits of Advice from Lucy Calkins

2008-12-28T00:04:00.001-05:00

Lucy's DVD and book, Principal's Guide to Leadership in the Teaching of Writing, has wonderful tidbits of advice for us to think about. What are your bill of rights for writers?
Lucy talks about her Bill of Rights for Writers:
1. Writing is a subject and taught as a subject. Everyone teaches math. It would not be ok for a teacher to say, "I don't teach math in such and such a grade." Writing has to be
2. During writing time the children actually write. During reading time the children actually read. They are not doing other things (workbooks, or other things). (Dick Allington, What Really Matters to Struggling Readers)
3. They are writing in genres.
4. We are explicitly teaching them skills and strategies.
5. We teach editing explicitly so our children use their editing skills and punctuation skills.
6. Children will publish at least monthly.

Tidbits of Advice
1. A way to walk into another teachers classroom to celebrate what is working and going smoothly.

This makes sense to me! It changes conversations between teachers. We are proud of our work. We are proud that we are all working towards a common goal.

2. Lucy says, "I am the conversations I am in." She goes on to explain, "Tell me what you are seeing." "Teach me what you know." "What do you make of it." "What do you notice?" "Find people around us to coach us." "Help me to understand what you are noticing and seeing." "The principal cannot lead alone. Our teachers cannot teach alone."

There is a lot more in her book and on the DVD

Writing: someone is somewhere doing something

2008-12-27T18:23:00.005-05:00

When students are drawing pictures for their plan and just starting to label or write a few random letters, the teaching point that we want to remember to work on with our beginning writers is to touch the something (pictures) in the story, think about what is happening, tell me about your picture. What are you doing? Where are you? When the child says, "Grandma." The teacher says I hear you saying, "I went to grandma's house." When a child points to the sun, and says 'sun', the teacher gently rephrases, "Oh, it was a sunny day when you went to grandma's house." This is showing the child that you are listening and also putting the idea into a storying type style. "It was a sunny day. You went to grandma's house." There is not a correct way to phrase it exactly, it is more that we are careful in tone of voice and body language to show acceptance. When students are at the labeling of pictures stage, I notice that sometimes a conference involves pointing to the tree and saying, 'tree.' I notice the child pointing to the mom and saying, 'mom.' What I have to remember is that even when I am conferring with a beginning writer, I can still coach the writer to think about what is the character doing? "What is mom doing by the tree?" "Is mom walking in the park? "Is mom playing catch with you?" What is the verb? The child has a mom and a tree so the someone and the somewhere are covered. Now we need the something (verb). The next step is putting it into a story orally. Last night mom threw a ball at the park to me. Then of course we work on getting the story written down.

This is why I like the steps of Think, Talk, Plan (pictures in kindergarten), Write (in this example labels and letters)

A Principal's Guide To Leadership in the Teaching of Writing

2008-12-27T14:33:00.006-05:00

“A Principal’s Guide to Leadership in the Teaching of Writing will keep you company during the hard work of leading school reform in teaching writing. It will bring you inside a community of practice comprised of scores of principals who have also thought, ‘How can I provide my teachers with the support they deserve in teaching writing?’ This book will allow you to stand on the shoulders of others who have tackled the challenge of supporting whole school reform in writing.” — Lucy Calkins & Laurie Pessah

This product is available on heinemann site

I read it in one seating. It is a quick read. I appreciate that Lucy and Laurie attempt to address how to differentiate the Units of Study between K, first, and second grade teachers. This is a frequently asked question that many teachers are struggling with. My impression is that this book goes hand in hand with the units. There are many positives in the book. The authors offer numerous tips throughout the book. One of my favorite lists of tips is on pages 96-97, Pointers for Successful Classroom Visits. I remember when I first started teaching when adults would wander in and out of my room and I would wonder a stream of questions, "What is my role? Should I stop teaching? What are they looking at?" I think that giving the teachers a heads up that the principal, and assistant principal are doing walk-thrus can raise people's anxiety. These pointers help to lower the principal's anxiety and make the walk-thrus more successful. 1. frequent, brief, unscheduled 2. all classrooms at that grade level if possible 3. slip in unbotrusively, have a signal to keep working 4. don't go directly to teacher 5. stop and look before interacting with a student or teacher 6. if interacting with a student keep paying attention to what is happening around you 7. pay attention to classroom rituals 8. toggle between helping and observing 9. speak with teacher about something positive and specific 10. solicit the teacher's help learning to teach writing ... later. These are the main ideas, Lucy and Laurie explain their ideas more explicitly. The whole book is set up with lots of ideas and tips. There was only one place I was a unclear about. There is a book that she refers to quite a bit in this book for the coaches, Professional Development in the Teaching of Writing. I wonder if this book is only available if you attend The Teachers College. I have been on the Heinemann site searching for it to no avail. I have personally purchased every title that Lucy Calkins as written. The book is helpful for principals who are implementing The Units of Study in their schools.

Writing: true, focused, significant

2008-12-27T02:45:00.005-05:00

As I reflect on writing samples, I find myself thinking about Lucy Calkins words, "Are the students truly writing stories that are true, focused, and also significant?" Are the writers remembering something that matters to them? These stories should fill the writers with big feelings: sadness or excitement or wonder. This leads to a significant story. The child probably will not say, "This is a significant story." My niece Abby has written about her excitement of receiving a guitar for her birthday. She now can play just like her first grade teacher. She no longer has to play the tennis racket.

If a child is writing about a sequence of actions, such as eating dinner with a grandparent, it may appear as an everyday occurance. However, if the child is writing about it, the teacher wants to ask, "So What?" "Why are you writing about this topic?" "Why is this significant?" I remember that my son told me that he was the only one in the car and he remembers telling grandpa that he would have his usual at the drive-thru. Of course, Grandpa had no idea what that was! It was a good thing that Grandpa had a cell phone. My son wrote all about this episode the next day in writer's workshop. He didn't actually write, "I am special." He voiced this to me when I inquired why he wrote about this topic at bed later that night though."

The One-Minute Writer (Yesterday)

2008-12-27T01:40:00.001-05:00

The One-Minute Writer: Today's Writing Prompt: Yesterday

My three year old nephew leaned in close to his one-year old brother. He said sternly, "Do you see this laptop? This is not a toy!" We cracked up.

http://www.debrennersmith.blogspot.com/

Saturday Picture Day: Hope College Basketball

2008-12-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

Let's Go HOPE!

Anchor of HOPE

Cousins at the HOPE game

Viola Duet

2008-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

My niece, Carolyn, and my daughter, Ashleigh, played a duet with their violas. Carolyn has played her viola for 6 months. Ashleigh has played her viola for 7 years. Ashleigh also played a solo in the recital. Ashleigh has taken private lessons and played her viola since 5th grade.

Photo Fridays: Christmas Traditions

2008-12-26T00:00:00.003-05:00

After hearing a knock on the window, the grandchildren watched Santa walk around the house. "Santa, Santa! Santa! Santa, is here!!!" Leaving out cake for the reindeer and 9 forks worked along with cookies and milk for Santa!

"Come in Santa!" Said 3 year-old Tommie holding Santa's hand.

Santa has a red bag of filled with a present for each grand child. He pulls out a present and reads off a name. He asks, "Have you been good this year?" I will ask your mom and dad if the child doesn't answer. The child sits on Santa's lap.

Tommie is smiling away. This is a tradition now for Tommie. This is Santa. Tommie opened a toy laptop for 3 year-olds. He very seriously leaned in to his baby brother and announced, "Be careful, this is not a toy!" in a stern voice. We cracked up.

Babies like to be held by their mama. Eleven month and 3 week olds are not quite sure about presents. Isaac (baby in picture) loves to eat the paper on presents when allowed to (he is not allowed to. Keep reading...

Isaac, just like most babies, do not like Santa laps! They love mama's lap! This baby will soon be like his brother, Tommie, and love the Santa part as much as the other cousins.

Abby, our first grade believer, who knows how to read, wrote Santa a note. She was very excited that Santa is keeping with the family tradition of visiting in person on Christmas Eve.

Grant, is all smiles and willing to sit in Santa's lap too. Grant assures Santa he has been good too. He is wonderful with his two sisters, Abby and Carolyn.

Santa doesn't even ask Carolyn is she has been good this year. He knows she has been! Carolyn is a great kid learning to play the viola, just like her older cousin, Ashleigh.

Aunt Susie tells Santa, "Yes, I was good this year." Santa gives her a present that turns out to be Trivia Pursuit of the '80s! We played this game on Christmas Eve. My sister who was born in 1979 did better than I did. I graduate from college in 1988! I knew one answer! The only answer I knew was Zanadu. My brother-in-law who was also living in the 80's at least was the one who knew the answers. I know I am never going to go on a game that needs random information!

Ashleigh participates too. 15 and 11 months is not too old to tell Santa that you really are wishing by singing a little ditty, "All I want for Christmas is my class ring...my class ring...my class ring...!" It is a good thing that Grandma and Grandpa make dreams come true on Christmas morning!

Santa gives every good child a gift wrapped in red North Pole paper that is not used to wrap any other presents. Every child sits on Santa's lap and tells it is confirmed if that child was good that year. Oh, good! Almost 18 year-old Andrew was good, he can attend Hope College. He is even a good sport with his cousins. He can have his magic trick cards too!

The Smith family tradition continues with a family picture with Santa. We have taken this picture 21 years now. It started with David and I and continues with our children.

I saw Grandma kissing Santa Clause "underneath" the Christmas tree..... The olders in the family understand 'who' Santa is, but we still have believers so I will leave it for you to infer.

Poetry Friday: I Love the Look of Words Maya Angelou

2008-12-26T00:00:00.002-05:00

I Love the Look of Words by Maya Angelou site
Popcorn leaps, popping from the floor
of a hot black skillet
and into my mouth.
Black words leap,
snapping from the white
page. Rushing into my eyes. Sliding
into my brain which gobbles them
the way my tongue and teeth
chomp the buttered popcorn.

When I have stopped reading,
ideas from the words stay stuck
in my mind, like the sweet
smell of butter perfuming my
...

For the complete poem click here: I Love the Look of Words by Maya Angelou

Possible discussion questions about this poem:
1. As you read this poem, how do you think the poet feels about the topic of the poem?
2. Why do you think the poet chooses these specific line breaks?
3. What is the big idea of the poem?
4. What is the main idea?
5. What is the message of the poem?
6. What is the poet's purpose for writing this poem?

Caldecott and Newberry Books

2008-12-25T23:38:00.005-05:00

Lots of blogs and websites are predicting the next Caldecott.
reading year link

school library journal link

the reading zone newbery post

good reads Caldecott contenders post

Caldecott is dear to heart. I adore picture books. I have 1,000's of picture books. I probably have nearly 10,000 pictures books in my personal library. The biggest mistake I ever made was giving away many books when I first left the classroom. I should have kept the books for modeling the lessons. My son was born on March 22, Caldecott's birthday. I received a note from my favorite English professor at Hope College
congratulating me on the birth of my son on Caldecott's birthday along with a list of the current Caldecott books. This is a list of Caldecott books so far.
wikipedia Caldecott list link I wonder what the 2009 will be? I buy the set of Caldecott medal and the Caldecott honor books for my children. I started this tradition for my son. My children will have a wonderful children's literature collection when they have their own children.

Author's Purpose Teaching Points

2008-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Authors write to persuade, to inform, and to entertain. To help our students remember these three reasons many teachers remind them of the acronym P.I.E. (persuade, inform, entertain).

Teaching Points
Knowing the Genre of the Reading Passage
What is the purpose that the author wrote this selection? What is the purpose that the author wrote the passage? What is the purpose that the author wrote this story? One teaching point is knowing what story/passage/selection means. What does the high stakes test in your state call the reading portion that the children read? I noticed in Michigan it is called by the general term, "selection." In Colorado it seems to be called by the correct genre: poem, article, story or passage. It seems to me that if the genre is given on the state test, it gives clues to author's purpose and will help the students answer the questions.

What Does Purpose Mean?
As adults we sometimes skip the most obvious teaching points. Do the students know what the word purpose means? If we are talking about Author's Purpose, we have to make sure that our students know what the word purpose means. One day I brought every coat I owned to school. I think I brought my husband's coats too. I wore a raincoat. I asked the children, "What is the purpose of the raincoat?" "Why would I wear a raincoat?" I continued with the rest of the coats while continuing to ask, "What is the purpose of this coat?" "Where would I wear it?:
-snow jacket
-light weight jacket
-school varsity jacket
-dressy blazer
-disney light weight jacket
-funeral black long trench coat that I wear to funerals
-Etc.

This could be done with hats instead.

Bag of Books - What is the author's purpose for this book?
The teacher has a beach bag with books in it. "I went to the beach and I had some books in my bag to read. This is what I could read on the beach. The teacher pulls out a magazine (Oprah or something similiar). Teacher asks, "Could I read this on the beach?" "What is the purpose of this magazine?" Teacher points out entertainment articles, information articles, even persuade articles to the students. The teacher has sticky note marked them for quick reference. Then the teacher said, "I wanted to call my mom to come join me at the beach so I pulled out the phone book."

Kids laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Teacher asks.

Kids say, "You don't have a phonebook at the beach!"

Teacher is glad that they know that! She continues lesson by saying, "I can get a phone number from the phone book. I can get information from the phone book, but I would not have a phone book at the beach!" The author's wrote the phone book to give information, but we only use a phone book at home.

Lesson continues with a few more books: book the teacher would read for entertainment, book for professional development, dictionary to look up words (not at the beach!), etc.

Just for Fun List

2008-12-23T23:42:00.003-05:00

this list is from just-for-fun blog

I've done the things in bold.
If you want to play, copy the list, bold what you've done.
Italics are things I want to do...
Do it!
1. Started your own blog (Obviously since you are here reading it)
2. Slept under the stars (In a tent under the stars counts for me...)
3. Played in a band (Fifth grade...LOL...not pretty!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (actually to Disney World too many times to count)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (Grew 2 pumpkins once)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Visited a farm
27. Visited a zoo
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Had completed at least one cross-country stitched picture
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (2 books, and contributed a chapter to another one)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (husband's truck actually)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Reading the complete works of Shakespeare
90. Read a complete book series written by an author
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. SeenTable Mountain the South Africa in person
96. Swam in the Great Lakes (Michigan)
97. Read more than one entire book in one day
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Locks of Love

2008-12-20T23:26:00.004-05:00

My daughter donated her hair to Locks of Love. She is a quiet child. Ashleigh scheduled a haircut and cut it off. She told us what she did over dinner.

Small Moments Links

2008-12-19T00:02:00.001-05:00

Student Engagement Matters

2008-12-18T00:00:00.002-05:00

It doesn't matter the grade level, students need to be engaged in the lesson. The teacher asks the question to the whole class. All the students think about the answer. All the students talk about the answer. The students interact with the answer in a variety of ways and structures.

There are several structures that I use consistantly in my lessons.

The first structure I use in the classroom that helps with student engagement is Turn and Talk (think, pair, share) (Partner Response). In turn and talk the teacher poses a question. Both students know they must engage. Student A tells Student B, Student B tells Student A, Student A and Student B tell each other, and then the teacher asks one of the students to tell their own response or the response of their partner. If they don’t know whose response you are going to ask for, they both have to be ready. The idea is to get many more kids engaged rather than just the one you call on. I have the children sit criss-cross appleasause and face each other so that their conversations are to each other. The partners sit next to each other when they join the teacher at the rug. The children face the teacher when the teacher is teaching.

The second structure I use in the classroom that helps with student engagement is Every Person Respond (E.P.R.). Instead of asking a question and calling on one student to answer, the teacher poses a question and asks the students to turn and talk, then chorally answer together (every person respond). "Everyone tell me the answer..."

The third structure I use in the classroom that helps with student engagement is a variation of Every Person Respond. Students show a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate yes or no. By physically showing thinking, it helps all students to engage with the lesson.

The fourth structure I use in the classroom that helps with student engagement is Look, Listen, Learn. The teacher says, "Look, Listen, and Learn." The students look at the teacher, they are quiet and listen to the teacher's teaching. The students are ready to learn.

There are lots more structures that work that Kagan's Cooperative Learning encourages. Kagan might give teachers more ideas.

Students Deserve the Choice

2008-12-17T17:24:00.003-05:00

"The book which you read from a sense of duty, or because for any reason you must, does not commonly make friends with you." William Dean Howells

I believe children who choose what they read are more likely to grow up to become adults who read books.

I believe children who choose what they read are more likely to read for pleasure.

I believe children who choose what they read are more likely to read for knowledge.

I believe that every student, every child, every boy, girl, kid, every where will, can, may choose their own books. It is their right. It is the teacher's job to teach the children how.

Does the Newbery Award Matter to You?

2008-12-17T00:23:00.002-05:00

I buy the Caldecott and Newbery books every year. I was surprised to read that there is any debate about the quality or popularity about Newbery books. I asked my nieces and nephews and own kids about their opinions. Their thinking is that the Newbery books are 'fancy', 'sometimes right, sometimes wrong' and 'too always good books.' As a teacher of literature I was surprised that the kids didn't think that they were the best books of the year. link to Has Newbery Award lost its way?

What do your students think?

Pausing so I can make Wise Decisions

2008-12-16T00:10:00.000-05:00

Often, I am asked a question in the hallway or about an issue that I know that I do not know the back story about. What don't I know about?

I have learned that frequently that best answer for me to answer is, “Let me think about that and I will get back to you.”

I am a pleaser, I want to answer 'yes.' Yes is not always in the best interest of the students (or the teacher). What is the literacy framework? How does the answer to the question fit into the overall picture of the literacy framework. What is best for the school? What is the best answer for the students? What is the best answer for the teacher? What will truly (in the long run) cause the least amount of stress?

So True! Teaching points are important.

2008-12-15T19:23:00.003-05:00

“Teaching is not the point – learning is the point.” Howard Gardner

One Teaching Point Per Lesson by Deb Renner Smith

Teachers are so important. So are the students! Students need to learn the objective of the lesson. Do the teachers state the objective? Do the students know the objective? As we plan our lessons daily and throughout the day, we must make sure that our students learn our objectives. Our teaching points matter.

Hope College: Acceptance Letter Accepted and Mailed!

2008-12-14T00:36:00.002-05:00

The anchor of Hope

My son, Andrew, received his official letter from Hope College today. My dad (Public Relations director) hand delivered it. It was a very special moment for our family! The first gift of Christmas. Andrew mailed the official $300 'save my spot' I accept envelope off to Hope already. This is an exciting day. The tradition continues to another generation.

Secretary of Education

2008-12-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

Beware of School "Reform" by Alfie Kohn Alfie Kohn's perspective on the next Education Leader

As we wait for the next Secretary of Education, I wonder if the person will view teachers as part of the solution or the problem? We are part of the solution. We are all in this together.

Christmas Spirit

2008-12-12T12:18:00.002-05:00

This was in today's Editorial section of the Los Angeles
Times.

Reading this made me tear up. What an amazing man Mr.
Yoon is.
This was in today's Editorial section of the Los Angeles
Times. If we all learned to live with this level of forgiveness what a better world this would be. Mr. Yoon understands the spirit of Christmas. A jet crashed into his house and his family was killed, and yet he encourages everyone to forgive the pilot.

****************
LESSON OF SAN DIEGO'S JET CRASH
Dong Yun Yoon, his family killed in the crash of a Marine
jet, reminded everyone of the better angels of our nature.
By Adrian Hong
December 12, 2008

Yoon stated:
"I heard the pilot is safe. Please pray for him not to
suffer from this accident. I know he is one of our
treasures for our country. I don't blame him. I don't have
any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could."

In fact, Yoon blamed himself, as he spoke of his father-in-
law on the way from South Korea to grieve for his lost
wife, daughter and granddaughters. "I don't know what to
tell him. I don't know how he'll ever forgive me."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-
hong12-2008dec12,0,4171401.story

Small Moment teacher tube

2008-12-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

Shift Happens You Tube Video

2008-12-11T13:32:00.001-05:00

As we think about preparing for the holidays and the stress of the holidays, this video helps us to NOT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

Literacy Coaching: Observing Students Closely

2008-12-09T19:44:00.002-05:00

I often observe what students are doing in a classroom. The teacher and I have a discussion about what is happening in the classroom. I use the reading recovery questions and thinking about coaching to guide my observations. I think it helps guide our thinking.

What are the children’s competencies and confusions?
What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses?
What are the processes and strategies the children use?
Look for evidence of what the child already knows.

Subtraction Facts Game

2008-12-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

much better than memorization of subtraction facts link

This is a wonderful link to 2 math subtraction games that lead to fluency mastery.

Smith Family Picture 2008

2008-12-07T18:38:00.002-05:00

David, Deb, Ashleigh, Andrew Smith

We spent the afternoon today at Christmas Vespers at Hope College with Grandma and Grandpa Renner.

Educationally Significant NCTE

2008-12-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

"What was once educationally significant, but difficult to measure, has been replaced by what is insignificant and easy to measure. So now we test how well we have taught what we do not value." ~ Art Costa

What do you value? How do you communicate your expectations to your students and parents?

Federal Path of Reading Questioned

2008-12-05T19:34:00.003-05:00

Federal Path of Reading Questioned link to article

What do you think?

Memoir

2008-12-01T19:17:00.001-05:00

www.heinemann.com says about this Memoir book, "When students read and write memoir, they explore their lives with pen and paper, make connections to the lives of others, and often discover something deeply personal and surprisingly universal in their writing and their lives."

I used this book as a reference when teaching my two High School students about the genre of Memoir. It is a wonderful resource to supplement their handouts from their teachers.

Writing Conference

2008-11-30T00:20:00.004-05:00

As I reflect on the writing conference, I realize that I have two parts to mine: Research and Teach. I figure out what is the writer doing and what can I teach this writer.

While researching, the teacher is noticing these strengths about the writing:

Content/Ideas

This writer knows to stay on topic (several things she is thankful for...), writer writes about her life, real story about her life, has an ending that sums it up, writer made a plan for her writing,

Style/Fluency

Focuses on small moment (not bed to bed story), tells some details,

Language Usage

Has some mistakes that don't interfere meaning

Some complex sentences

Is legible

The teacher found and mentioned several strengths of the writing, then focused a teaching point. The teacher decided to work on inserting one word or a sentence when rereading with this student. When this writer read the piece to the teacher, she paused and needed a strategy for adding to the writing. The student quickly understood the concept of pushing in a word (the editor's mark is called an insert). The action the teacher showed the child is pushing a word into the sentence. This was not the only skill that could have been taught, it was simply something that this writer seemed to ready for next. The teacher used her own writing journal to show examples of where the teacher had inserted words into writing. She showed the writer three different places where this helped her as a writer. The student then tried it in her own writing.

Writing: Do your students know your teaching point?

2008-11-29T00:24:00.000-05:00

When I plan my writing lessons I make sure that I include several key parts to my writing minilessons: student engagement, one explicit teaching point, an emotional hook through story telling, and repetition and rehearsal.

Student Engagement
Students learn quicker and more effectively if they are engaged. I find that students need to participate in my minilesson. By establishing several procedures that are woven throughout the lesson, the children participate without disrupting the lesson. If it is a yes or no answer, the children indicate their opinion by showing a thumbs up or thumbs down. If they are not sure, the children shake their thumb back and forth. Students benefit from actually making the physically movement. It helps to cement their thinking. I can also see their process by their action. I give the students lots of opportunities to turn and talk to their writing partner (or their buddy who they are sitting next to). "Tell your writing partner what you are thinking." The writing partners quickly sit knee to knee and look at each other eye to eye. After this turn and talk time they are ready to all tell the teacher the answer. Instead of having my students raise their hands and the teacher calling on only one child, I say, "Everyone tell me the answer."
Another option is that the teacher has all the students names written on sticks. The teacher poses a question. All the students think about the answer to the question. The teacher pulls a stick with a name on it. That child gives the answer. If the child does not know or gets stuck, the child can "phone a friend" as they do on the show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

One Explicit Teaching Point
Do your students really know the teaching point? When I think about the teaching point, it is the objective of the lesson. However, it is the objective of the lesson in student friendly language. I have found that sometimes sentence starters help me with student friendly language:
-Today while you are writing, you will...
-Your job today is...
I try to break anything I am teaching into babysteps. If my students are learning something new or are struggling with something, I think about what do they know or what don't they know. I use task analysis to figure out what teaching point are they ready for today.

For example, I believe that planning a story is vital. If writers do not plan, their writing is not where it should be. What are all the ways that you have taught students to plan? Make a list of them. Students need lots of chances at verbal rehearsal to cement their stories. It is tough to start with key words if a student has never told a story orally to a partner. Some teachers use all these ways to plan a story and some teachers do not. Here are some ideas to get started.

Different Ways to Plan a Story (Lucy Calkins, et.al.)
-Tell the story orally to your writing partner (or teacher or parent or someone)
-Make a plan the story (this might be a quick sketch or drawing or words)
-Tell the story to yourself
-Tell the story across your five fingers, put up a finger as you talk
-Tell the story as you touch the pages of your booklet
-Tell the story as you touch each box at the top of your paper
-Write the key words as you touch each box at the top of your paper

An Emotional Hook
To help students remember the lesson, students need an emotional hook. The teacher includes a story in the minilesson. When the students respond to the story, they remember the lesson.

For example, last week I taught a writing minilesson about my mom and I making cookies together. I explained how it is rude to talk about the other person first when you write. If I write, 'me and my mom' make cookies, then I am rude. If the kids push in line to be the first kid in line, they are rude. If the kids are always first to get a drink of water at the drinking fountain, they are rude. It is rude to write your name first. It is polite when writing about someone else to write their name then your name. "We are not rude!" We will say the other person's name first. I include three places in the writing minilesson where I can write the skill, "Other person's name and my name or I" to reinforce this learning. I know the learning transferred to many students writing because I read all the students writing and see the change in their writing. I have chosen this skill since I noticed it as a lesson they were ready for at this time.

Repetition and Rehearsal
Students benefit from experiencing repetition. They see writing minilessons repeated throughout the year. The students also experience repetition throughout one minilesson. The teacher purposefully plans three times (Power of 3) to model the explicit teaching point that the teacher wants the students to learn. There is repetition and predictability in the turn and talk procedures. The children sit next to their writing partners. They know that every time the teacher says, "Turn and Talk", each writing partner has to talk and share. The predictable structure leads to success. The teacher might ask, "Should I write my mom and I or me and my mom?" Something as simple as having the children all talk about this answer includes the components of student engagement, the explicit teaching point, and the repetition. If the teacher has the children include the answer to why, then it will include the emotional hook. The teacher will overhear the writing partners saying lots of comments such as these: "It is rude to write your name first." "Always write the other name first or you are rude!"

Five Senses

2008-11-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is a webpage that has links to five videos with resources for teaching the five senses. I combine this with several read-alouds.

link to five videos of the five senses

Mem Fox Reading Aloud

2008-11-28T23:39:00.003-05:00

When I read Reading Magic, I realized that this is a MUST READ for parents. I include several quotes in my presentations about self-selected or independent reading. I believe that children are entitled to books. They deserve the chance to read books that they pick. They deserve to have books read outloud to them. Mem does an awesome job of explaining this in simple, yet positive terms.

Mem Fox introduces Reading Aloud

Mem Fox modeling how to read aloud

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for? Our holiday tradition is to go around the table and say, "I am thankful for..." It might sound trite, but I am thankful for family, health, and work.

Demonstration in Writing

2008-11-26T21:25:00.002-05:00

Donald Graves states, “When you demonstrate what you do when you write, you not only show children how to write, you show them how to use their time” (116).“Conditions for Effective Writing Workshop” and “Begin to Organize Your Classroom”.

My experience is that it is essential to demonstrate writing in front of students. I think aloud about what I am thinking. What exactly am I teaching? Why did I decide to teach this? How will it help my students as writers? As I demonstrate the writing, I need to focus on HOW and WHY.

Strategic Writing Conferences Carl on Camera

2008-11-25T18:07:00.002-05:00

This is the description from Heinemann's site:

Although conferences appear to be informal conversations, they are in fact highly principled teaching interactions designed to move writers along learning pathways. Used strategically, conferences can be powerful interventions that address individual writing needs. Carl Anderson’s Strategic Writing Conferences is a curriculum resource and diagnostic guide for writing teachers looking to use conferences to move young writers another step forward. These conferences will enhance your current writing curriculum and help you confer with greater purpose and effectiveness.

Components
* The Teacher’s Guide outlines the principles that shape Carl’s approach to conferring and provides tools for diagnosing common writing problems.
* Three conference books present over one hundred conferences organized around three stages of writing—identifying topics, crafting drafts, and polishing finished projects. Each book opens with a diagnostic guide that helps you locate a conference that addresses a student’s particular area of need.
* Two Carl on Camera DVDs provide video-based professional development support.
1 On Introducing Strategic Writing Conferences Carl explains the elements of an effective conference, conferring concepts, and ways to assess young writers.
2 On Modeling Strategic Writing Conferences eleven full length conferences let you eaves drop on Carl as he confers with students at various stages of the writing process.

www.heinemann.com

These books and 2 DVD's are worth every penny of the $82.00 I spent plus postage!

We should listen to Michael Pressley, Comprehension Matters!

2008-11-25T15:44:00.003-05:00

Mike Pressley knows what he is talking about!

Michael Pressley International Reading Association link 1

http://www.reading.org/downloads/publications/videos/rrc_pressley_part2.html

http://www.reading.org/downloads/publications/videos/rrc_pressley_part3.html

http://www.reading.org/downloads/publications/videos/rrc_pressley_part4.html

I miss his wisdom. The world lost this wise man too early!

Persuasive Writing

2008-11-25T12:10:00.006-05:00

Stacey wrote about hearing a wonderful presentation at NCTE yesterday.Stacey's I Can post It reminds me of the book, Teaching Persuasive Writing by Sarah Picard Taylor. This book is one of the little $8.00 from the Workshop Help Desk, K-2 of the First Hand Heinemann site:
link to heinemann site

She presented at NCTE on Monday. She was one of the 6 who presented in the Lucy Calkins workshop. She emphasizes that persuasive writing requires writers to:
-write with purpose for a selected audience
-decide upon and then elaborate on the most important parts of their message
-write and edit for readers, making sure the text is easy to read

-As an aside, since letter writing is a state standard for many teachers, it makes sense to combine persuasive writing and letter writing together.

When we start teaching about persuasive writing, we really have to think about purpose and audience.

What is readily available in the children's lives?

-It is Christmas. Kids wants toys for Christmas. It is very typical for kids to want to convince kids to want a toy (or 100 toys!) for Christmas. Writing a letter to their mom or dad or grandma for a certain toy makes sense.

-Open up the scholastic book club orders. Write a letter about what book the kids want to order. Which one book? Why? Writing a letter to their teacher to convince their teacher which book to add to the classroom library makes sense.

-Typical kids want a pet. Kids will make all sorts of promises to get a puppy or a kitten or a gerbil!

-What about a bike? Most students want a bike and will write a letter to their parents for a bike.

I usually make a 2 column chart listing problems and solutions with my students. What problems do we have and what solutions do we have.

-Field trip around the school - Teacher walks the children around the school and looks for problems around the school. What do the children notice? Do you have problems that we could help you solve? What do you want to change? What can we help you with? Does the second grade teacher need book baskets to organize her books? Are the pencils all sharpened or unsharpened? Does the kindergarten teacher need sponges to wash the glue off the tables? Does the kindergarten teacher need someone to wash the tables instead? Can I help with that? Are their messy towels on the bathroom floor after first grade bathroom break? What letters need to be written to the principal? What letters need to be written to the the assistant principal? What letters need to be written to the lunch workers? Do the children notice that the napkins are never thrown away and are all over the floor in the lunch room?

Writing Lots of Letters
The children will write lots of letters if they realize that the people they are writing back.
Sarah suggests only letting the students deliver their letters on Fridays so that they work hard on their letters the rest of the week.

Now that you've collected ideas, just dig in. Dive right into the ideas.

After a few days of writing, the children need some strategies, some minilessons for improving their lessons.

Most teachers will write a class letter to demonstrate how instead of having the letter already written.

Deb Renner Smith's Version Persuasive Letter
Give a reason
Support it with specific examples
Make it personal with a story
Sum it up with a feeling

Shared Reading Books

2008-11-25T00:13:00.000-05:00

Books that use repetition
Brown Bear (series)
I went walking (Sue Williams)
Good Night Moon

Books that use cumulative sequence
The Napping House

Books that have known sequence
Cookie's Week (Cindy Ward)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
The Grouchy Ladybug (Eric Carle)
Today is Monday (Eric Carle)

Shoes from Grandpa is a sequence book, but not a known sequence book

Apple Happy poem and book

2008-11-24T00:45:00.001-05:00

Students make a book of their own after they have read the poem numerous times.

Students read the poem with the teacher numerous times. The teacher adds the clip art to the chart with the students so that it truly assists the students. This teacher quickly laminates it during lunch or gym so the chart can be read during 'read the room' or other times that are appropriate for the classroom. The students are learning numerous words on the chart.

Houghton Mifflin songs

2008-11-22T16:03:00.003-05:00

Houghton Mifflin introduces the letters with an animal. They have songs that support the students' learning.

A teacher I know is supporting the students' learning by putting clipart with the words.

The same teacher decided to make up her own "MMMMMMMM" poem/song.

Does it matter? It matters to me!

2008-11-22T14:48:00.004-05:00

After watching schools jump through hoops for years, it is ironic that it didn't matter. Of course it mattered! It mattered to the parents. It mattered to the children! It mattered to the teachers. When will it stop? Since the research-based programs are now proving to make no difference, when can we go back to common sense teaching? When can children read and write and get science, social studies and recess?

Study of Reading Program Finds Lack of Progress

Comprehension Strategies

2008-11-22T13:35:00.002-05:00

This website has great resources:

http://settingthestandard.ning.com/

This second grade teacher posted an explicit example of teaching inferring on setting the standard.

Brown Bear Brown Bear Retelling

2008-11-21T00:08:00.000-05:00

Each student picked one animal and had that sentence as a cut-up sentence. They re-read their own sentence numerous times and glued it on their own page. Each small group of students made their pages into a book.

Look at this link for Shared Reading lessons:

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/brown_bear_brown_bear.html

Gingerbread Boy Versions

2008-11-20T00:04:00.003-05:00

I read several Gingerbread Boy stories to my students in December. I also found 4-5 versions that my students could read themselves.

I set up a chart with these headings: Characters (Who chased the gingerbread boy), Name for gingerbread 'boy', Did the gingerbread get eaten?, What was the name for person/animal who made the gingerbread 'boy'?) After you read your versions, think about the aspects of the book that are different to develop a specific chart that will work for your books.

They LOVED THIS!!!!

books for the holidays

2008-11-18T21:06:00.003-05:00

I always buy books for the holidays! My nieces and nephews expect it. It is exciting to open the Scholastic red and white box. I love books. Barnes and Noble is one of my favorite places to be.

Writing Video Small Moment

2008-11-17T18:17:00.002-05:00

Small Moment on Teacher Tube

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1410cd5cec559abe7cff

Reader's Theatre with Flip Camera

2008-11-16T12:33:00.002-05:00

http://ccegeeks.blogspot.com/2008/11/readers-theater-with-flip-lori-metzger.html

It is wonderful to see heterogeneous groups of children reading and rereading for purpose. The children read in different formats. In this situation the format is reader's theatre. All students experience success by rereading, having other children's support by being in heterogeneous situations.

The Flip Camera sounds exciting!

Wants and Needs with Realia (real) items

2008-11-15T18:26:00.003-05:00

The students brought in real items about wants and needs. They read books about wants and needs.

Girl in the Washtub

2008-11-14T00:32:00.000-05:00

Shared Reading Meanies Day 5

2008-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Before Reading
Students preview the story with the teacher creating the Q and A sentence strips that will be read in the during reading portion.

During Reading

Students read with the teacher. Half of the students read the question. Half the students read the answer. The question is written on one color sentence strip. The answer is written on another color sentence strip.

After Reading

Make a Book -

Does Debbie (student name) want to be a meanie?

(This is written on strips of paper and provided to students to glue stick on paper.)

Not me!

Students glue the words Not me! and their own picture on their paper.

Shared Reading Meanies Day 4

2008-11-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

Before Reading
Discuss the difference between mean and nice.

Setting Purpose
Today while reading the students will rewrite the Meanies version into the Nicies version by adding sentence strips.

What do meanies do? Meanies drink their bath water, but nicies drink clean water.

During Reading
Read each page chorally, then discuss what the nicies could do. Teacher writes the sentence strip.

After Reading
Every student is given a picture of what the nicies do. As the teacher turns the pages, the children put their picture in the pocket chart.

Shared Reading Meanies Day 3

2008-11-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

Before Reading
Ask the students to think about, "What do meanies do?"

Have the students look at the chart where the teacher has listed the actions of the meanies: sleep, wash, drink, eat, drive, do.

Setting Purpose During Reading
While we are reading, think about what do meanies do.

Look at your meanie. What is your meanie doing? When you see your meanie in the story, hold up the stick with the meanie on it. Think about 'how do you know.'

During Reading
Shared Reading - Teacher reads the question. Students read pages chorally with the teacher.

Hold up your stick with your meanie on it (all children have a stick with a meanie on it).

After Reading

Quickly page through again. Stop quickly on each page. Students hold up the stick and all students say, "Meanies sleep in trash cans." "Meanies eat old bubble gum." Meanies drink their bath water." Etc.

Shared Reading Meanies Day 2

2008-11-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Before Reading
Activating Understanding of the Vocabulary
Discuss and Act out the verbs: sleep, wash, eat, drink, drive, do. Each child pretends to sleep. Each child pretends to wash. Etc.

Reviewing the Story Using the Vocabulary
The teacher quickly turns from page to page and reviews the page. Each verb is highlighted with highlighter tape. The children notice sleep. The teacher helps the children to notice that the meanies sleep in trash cans. On each page the teacher quickly summarizes the verb and the place with the children using the story's vocabulary.

Setting Purpose
Teacher asks the children to think, "Today your job is to think about what do meanies do" while we read the book, Meanies, together.

During Reading
Teacher reading the question, Students reading the rest of the page chorally together.

After Reading
Find the matches. 6 children have 6 meanies from the book. 6 children have the 6 verbs. The children find their matches.

The child with the picture of a meanie in a trash can finds the child with the word sleep since the meanie sleeps in the trash can.

The child with the picture of a meanie in a bathtub finds the word drink since the meanie drinks his bath water.

Etc.

After the 12 children have a turn, the children who were watching trade so the other half of the class have a turn.

Shared Reading Meanies Day 1

2008-11-09T00:17:00.000-05:00

Meanies by Joy Cowley

Before Reading

What do you notice?

K: I notice...

Setting Purpose

Today while you are listening to me read the story, think about if you want to be a meanie. I want to be a meanie because... OR I do not want to be a meanie because...

During Reading

On Day one, the teacher reads aloud while the children listen quietly.

After Reading

The teacher draws 5 meanies on the white board. As a child shares, the teacher erases a meanie. The teacher has 5 children share if they want to be a meanie or not and give a reason.

Third Grade Vocabulary Video Lesson

2008-11-07T21:12:00.001-05:00

Adjusting Pace Video Writing Lesson

2008-11-07T21:03:00.001-05:00

Text Talk video

2008-11-07T20:55:00.001-05:00

Text Talk video

Predictable Chart Day 5 Humpty Dumpty

2008-11-07T00:00:00.004-05:00

When students enter, the predictable chart pages are ready to go. Their pages are at their seats.

At the beginning on the year, the students have a matching sentence printed on the paper, but this sentence is gone by October for most students. (This sentence is not the Humpty Dumpty sentence by the way.)

Teacher models exactly what the children will do at their seats. This is your sentence. You will cut it into words. Teacher shows students. Teacher makes a big picture on the paper. This book is successful if the teacher models.

This teacher has the book already put together with sheet protectors. The book is simply waiting for the pages to be added by the children. After the children make their page, it is quickly added to the book. The teacher reads the book on day 5 to the children. There is no waiting. (This is not the Humpty Dumpty sentence by the way.)

Predictable Chart Day 4 Humpty Dumpty

2008-11-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Cut Up Sentences - Whole Group and Small Group

1. Write 2-4 sentences from the chart on sentence strips.

2. Show one sentence strip to the students.

3. Have the child who said the sentence come to the front of the room and read his/her sentence to the class. The child points to the words as (s)he reads from the chart.

4. Teacher cuts up the sentence into words in front of the class. Is this a space or a word? Should I cut here? I cut on the space (not the word). The child who belongs to the sentence gets each word.

5. No, don't cut on the word only cut on the space.

6. The child passes each word to a helper (Child keeps own name).

7a. Small group variation: The children recreate the sentence. All the students read the sentence. The children make a sentence, then raise their hands. An adult comes to the small group. The group of children reads the sentence to the adult. The adult hands another set of of words for the children to make into a sentence.

7b. Large group: A small group of children builds the sentence in front of the rest of the larger group of students. Everyone reads the sentence.

8. Student makes sentence in pocket chart. Student takes words home and makes sentence for parent. Teacher keeps track of who has a turn. Every child's sentence is eventually used so everyone eventually has a turn taking their sentence home.

The best rug ever!

2008-11-05T17:45:00.002-05:00

I was at a school today. This rug was in the library. The children know to sit in their own square while the librarian reads the special story of the day.

Predictable Chart Day 3 Humpty Dumpty

2008-11-05T00:00:00.004-05:00

Procedure

Students sit in a circle. All of the students have a copy of their own sentence.

Modeling

The teacher reads her own sentence first to a beanie baby. The teacher models pointing to the word as the teacher says the word.

Child reading with teacher support as needed

Each child holds a beanie baby in their lap then reads the sentence to the beanie baby. While reading the sentence, the teacher is behind each child to assist as needed. Some children need help with pointing to each word. Some children need help with reading the words. Many children do not need any assistance. Students are connecting their words they are saying to the words they are pointing to.

Concepts of Print

Where is the capital letter?

Did you point to the capital in your name or the capital H?

Do you have a space in your sentence?

Do you have a period?

Where is your name?

Where is a popcorn word?

Where is the word can? Spell can with me c-a-n.

Send home the sentence strips with the students to read to parents or another important person.

Predictable Chart Day 1 Building Prior Knowledge Humpty Dumpty

2008-11-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

Read Humpty Dumpty every day before the Predictable Chart.

To build background knowledge for the predictable chart, Humpty Dumpty, the teacher has a sentence strip that says, "He can sit on ______." The teacher also has lots of pictures of items that Humpty might sit on or might NOT sit on. The children are sorting and thinking, "Would Humpty sit on ______?"

-popcorn

-pencils

-bed Etc.

Every child participates and decides about their one picture.

This turns into a center or an interactive chart (teacher decides).

Predictable Chart Day 1 Humpty Dumpty

2008-11-04T21:06:00.001-05:00

The teacher asked the students to answer the question, "What can Humpty sit on?" The students answer in a complete sentence, "He can sit on ... a/the ... ." The child says the sentence. This reinforces the concept that their talk is written down. Students rehearse in a complete sentence. If a child gives a one word answer, the teacher coaches the student to give a complete sentence answer.

Each week the teacher is purposeful about one new high-frequency word that keeps popping up. The 'popcorn' word this week in the predictable chart is can. You will notice that can is on a popcorn shape and located by the predictable chart. The students read a predictable book this week with can as a primary word.

While constructing the chart, the teacher reinforces words the students know. The teacher reinforces concepts of print (Where is the period? Where does the space go? What do you notice is the same? Where is the capital?) Students also learn speech to print coordination. As the child says the word, the child touches the word. Teacher is breaking down the sentence word by word as she writes. Do not spell words letter by letter. Remember pacing (Don't do all of these ideas with every sentence.)

Predictable Chart Day 2 Humpty Dumpty

2008-11-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

Students and teacher read several of the predictable chart sentences from yesterday. Then the rest of the students get a turn. Remember that the students say the complete sentence. The students are pointing to their own sentence and reading it.

Kindle Arrived Today

2008-11-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

The Amazon Kindle is quite amazing! No more carrying around 30 books to read on vacation. I can download them all to my Kindle. I downloaded two books to my handy dandy machine already and have been reading. It really works. I love real books, but this works. It does. I downloaded the professional reading book, Less is More. I also downloaded a Diana Palmer romance. I have to travel next week for work. I can hardly wait to read on the plane. I am so glad I watched Oprah! This is my birthday present (from my family), I just bought it myself!

Do you have a H in your name?

2008-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have h in my name. No, I do not have h in my name.

Writing Sharing Time

2008-11-02T23:52:00.002-05:00

Sharing After Writing

These sentences and questions help with whole group share and partner share. Spontaneous conversation is the goal. These sentences and questions might help your students get there quicker. After writing, the writers join their writing partners and share. I started this time whole group until my students knew the procedure. Sometimes, even when students knew the procedure, I still did whole group sharing. This way I could support the students who I did not confer with today one-on-one. I encouraged students to repeat back to me what they learned during their individual conference so the other students learn from it too. Usually, after the students knew the procedures, the students all shared daily with their writing partner.

Ann Marie Corgill shares several questions and sentences in her new book, Of Primary Importance (page 54). Her book is on line right now. I read it tonight.

In my conference today, my teacher and I talked about...
I'm working on ______ in my writing today.
In my conference today, my teacher suggested...
Today in writing I learned...
What did you learn about me as a writer today?
What are your questions?
I liked the way you...
I'm confused. Can you please explain why you did _________ in your writing?
I have a suggestion ...
I have a question ...
I have a compliment ...
My teaching point from the conference is ...
Could you please speak more loudly?
Could you please speak more clearly?
May I speak?
Who would like to start the share?
Excuse me, but I think I hear other people talking while I'm trying to share.

It's time for S'more Reading! Groups

2008-11-02T00:05:00.002-04:00

The students quickly look at the chart and get into the correct format for reading. One "Nestles" and "Graham Cracker" and "Marshmallow" and "Chocolate Bar" will read together for a group of 4 readers. Sometimes only a marshmallow and a chocolate bar. Sometimes a marshmallow, graham cracker, and a chocolate bar. The point is that the children quickly look up and see how the groups are organized for reading today and get into them. It works, no time is wasted.

Text Mapping

2008-11-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Many teachers are teaching text features using a regular book.

Text mapping allows teachers to teach the concept of text features in a new and unique manner. The teacher photocopies a book or cuts apart two books (2 are needed so that the children can see both sides of the double sided pages when taped back together) so that the whole book is taped all back together in a scroll. By changing how the text looks, it enables the reader to notice the features in a different way. The students are taught how to map the text features.

This link to text mapping site explains text mapping in depth.

The teacher then decides what specific teaching points are needed for this particular lesson. What is the student's job today? The teacher says, "Today your job is to circle the headings, yellow."

Teacher and students might notice the headings throughout the whole text. It helps the students to see that that whatever the feature is, it is repeated over and over and over.

The teacher and students decide on a color to indicate all the headings. The yellow means, "This is a heading." The teacher talks with students about why and how writers use headings. Headings do give a clue about what the next section is going to be about. It might be the main idea. It is not a trick about what the section is going to be about. This is a specific clue that we have to teach.

OR The teacher might say something more extensive:

"Today your job is to circle the headings, yellow; the continuous text, green; the charts and tables, blue, the special fonts, orange; etc."

Donors Choose

2008-10-31T00:00:00.001-04:00

Donors Choose gave this classroom 20 copies of Saturdays and Teacakes by Lester Laminack. I wrote a grant for this classroom. 2 generous people filled the grant! This book combined with the Cracking Open the Author's Craft Teaching the Art of Writing published by Scholastic is a wonderful combination for teaching writing to students. I donated the Scholastic Book teaching book to the classroom. These books will be used by two fifth grade ELA classrooms this year and continue to be used in the future. If you are not familiar with Laminack, RUN out and buy all his books. I did! He is an awesome children's author. Saturdays and Teacakes is a great book about cooperation. Grandma and the child cooperate to make teacakes together. It is a touching story.

Love of Reading

2008-10-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

"We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading." ~ B. F. Skinner

How long does it take to self-select a book and read it independently at home? If it only takes 2 hours approximately for many children to Hatchet (4 hours at most), then why do some classrooms take 6 weeks? Or worse 9 or 13 weeks to read Hatchet? The best way to increase reading is to increase time with text according to Dick Allington, past president of IRA (International Reading Association).

Word Wall Words Singing High Frequency Words

2008-10-28T18:26:00.003-04:00

Songs that help teach words

Here are a few songs/chants I have added to my collection:

1. (tune-"If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you think you know this word raise your hand(2x)
If you think you know this word that you just heard,
If you think you know this word raise your hand.
(supply a word stretching it out ex: c-a-t)

2. ("Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")
Listen. listen to my word
Tell me all the sounds you heard: /Cat/ (say this slowly and wait a moment)
/c/ is one sound, /a/ is two/t/ is last in /cat/ it's true!
(at the end sing):
Thanks for listening to my words
and telling me the sounds you heard!

3. (tune: "Jimmy Cracked Corn and I Don't Care")
Who has a /d/ word to share with us?
Who has a /d/ word to share with us?
Who has a /d/ word to share with us?
It must start with the /d/ sound!
(call on children to supply word and class sings this together)
Dog is a word that starts with /d/
Dog is a word that starts with /d/
Dog is a word that starts with /d/
Dog starts with the /d/ sound.

4. (tune: "Old MacDonald Had a Farm")
What's the sound that starts these words:
Turtle, time, and teeth?
(wait for a response from the children)
/t/ is the sound that starts these words:
turtle, time, and teeth.
With a /t/, /t/ here, and a /t/, /t/ there,
Here a /t/, there a /t/, everywhere a /t/, /t/.
/t/ is the sound that starts these words: Turtle, time, and teeth!
You all did great now clap your hands!
(clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)-you can use beginning sounds, medial sounds, or final sounds

5. ("Skip to my Lou")
Silly Willy, who should I choose? (repeat 3x)
I choose_____________________.
(Terry, berry) - continue the song using students names

6. ("Have You Ever Seen a Lassie")
Did you ever see a cat, a cat, a cat,
Did you ever see a cat sit on a rat? r-at, c-at r-at, c-at,
Did you ever see a cat sit on a rat?
-repeat the verse using other animal rhyming words

7. ("If You're Happy and You Know It")
If your name begins with /m/, stand up,
If your name begins with /m/, stand up,
If your name begins with /m/, stand up and take a bow,
If your name begins with /m/, stand up.
-you can also use this with pictures
"If your picture begins with /s/, stand up", etc.

8. ("A Hunting We Will Go")
A searching we will go, a searching we will go,
We'll find a /h/ and add a /orse/,And now we have a horse!

9. (chant)It begins with /t/,
And it ends with /im/.
Put them toghter,
And they say _______.
(Tim)

10. ("The Wheels on the Bus")
The sounds in the word go /c/ /a/ /t/;
/c/ /a/ /t/; /c/ /a/ /t/.
The sounds in the word go /c/ /a/ /t/,
Can you guess the word?

Procedures Matter

2008-10-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

Have you ever read a story on the rug and stopped to correct behaviors on the reading rug? You are sitting in your rocking chair, teaching and reading. You stop reading to say, "Please stop playing with so and so's hair." or "Sit up." or "Criss cross applesauce." or "Spoons in our bowls." All of these nagging comments drive teachers crazy. They distract children from learning. This teacher was not only explicit in teaching these behaviors, she took pictures of the incorrect behaviors, and the children labeled the pictures. These are the expectations of showing responsibility on the rug. These students DO SHOW RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY during any and all lessons.

Of course, part of the reason this lesson was so effective was because this teaching is using something that would motivates the students. This is an 'aha' moment for many beginning or brand new teachers that mastery teachers have figured out. We don't need red, or yellow or green cards to motivate children. We need to describe what the behaviors we want look like and sound like. Many times struggling teachers say, "How could I miss something so simple?" Because it is not simple to figure out how to teach procedures to children. It is not simple, but is vital. Our explicit teaching of procedures matter.