New Aimee Buckner book!

So I admit I have been a little MIA.

This school has started in a busy, hit the ground running, kind of way.

So let's move on to the AMAZING news.

Aimee Buckner has a new book!!  :)

Click the book cover to order it online.

The best part, if you sign up for the site's online newsletter, you can preview the ENTIRE (Yes, the WHOLE book.) for FREE!!
I am sure this is a limited offer, so enjoy while you can!
(I found this thanks to the Teaching and Learning Coach at my building who works with Antoinette.  Thanks Melissa.)

I am off to going camping with the in laws.

Enjoy the last weekend before Labor Day!
EmilyK

Vimeo- Teachers College Reading and Writing Project

Have you ever searched for videos on components of Balanced Literacy on the internet?
Mini-Lessons...
Conferences...
Small group lessons...
Share time...

Have you ever been a little disappointed with what you found?
Well the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project has decided to do something about that.

Do you know about Vimeo?
It's sort of like YouTube...
You can upload, share, and view videos.
The best part about Vimeo, in my opinion, is that on this site, Lucy Calkins and the Teachers College are uploading and sharing videos for teachers all over the country to view.
Oh yah, and it's free to view!

When you are in Vimeo, do a search for TCRWP (Teachers College Reading and Writing Project) to find their videos.
Or click on the image below to go straight there!

The video below is one we watched in my training.  The little boy is absolutely adorable and there is so much to learn from this conference.

Have you ever used Vimeo?

Antoinette

It's Summer... Or is it??

Hey All-

Last Friday was my last day of school!
YEAH!!!
If it's not yours yet, I hope the last days goes by quickly for you!

So what have I been doing with my days off???
Let's see...
Monday- Revisions to 5th grade Writing- Launching Unit
This unit includes...
procedures for getting writing workshop off to a successful start.
Setting up writer's notebooks
Reading like a writer.
Building writing partnerships
Taking a piece through the writing process

Tuesday- Revisions to 5th grade Reading- Unit 2
This unit includes...
CCSS RL.5.1 and RI.5.1 Quote accurately from text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, setting, or events in a story or drama, drawing specific details in the text.
CCSS RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Wednesday- Revisions to 5th grade Writing- Unit 2
This unit includes...
Writing feature articles
CCSS W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly
CCSS W.5.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach

Have you ever taught feature articles?
I would love to hear some of your great ideas!!
I found this website with amazing information.
Check it out if you are interested.
Feature Articles 3-6

So is it summer when I have worked every day so far this week?
I think not!
Maybe if the weather was nicer, my attitude would be more positive.

But...
I have tomorrow off and I am going to eat Indian food with Emily!
Exciting!!!
After that, I am going to hang out with my adorable nieces.
Love them!!!

On the positive side...
Tracy, my co-writer for the units of study, and I should be able to accomplish a ton by only meeting a couple times a week.
That's not too bad, right???
See- a little sunshine!
Wish mother nature would follow suit. lol
She seems to think Missouri is in desperate need of rain.
Rain, rain go away!!

Are you on summer break yet?
How are you enjoying your time off?

Antoinette :)

42, Baseball, and Reading Workshop

PLAY BALL!!!
Do you love hearing those words?
I do...

Which is why I had to see the movie 42.
It is a MUST see; baseball fan or not!
Jackie Robinson's story is so inspirational!
His courage to take a stand...
Not just a stand for equal rights of all...
But a stand to not fight back when so many are against you.
To not fight back when you are humiliated, ridiculed, injured.

One of many favorite quotes from the movie was when Branch Rickey called Jackie Robinson into his office to talk to him about being the first African American in the Major Leagues.

The conversation went something along the lines of...

Rickey:  I know you are a good ballplayer.  What I don't know is whether you have the guts.

Jackie Robinson:  Mr. Rickey, do you want a ballplayer who doesn't have the guts to fight back?

Rickey:  I want a ballplayer with the guts enough not to fight back.

WOW... WHAT POWERFUL WORDS!!!

Here is the trailer to the movie in case you are interested:

So how does this tie into reading workshop?

Books about baseball and Jackie Robinson are great ways to teach theme, character traits and development, how characters respond to challenges, perspective, historical events, etc.

There are some great books out there about Jackie Robinson as well as many others who had the courage to stand up for what is right.

This message of courage is so important to teach children and can tie into many topics besides racism (bullying, telling the truth, peer pressure, etc.)

One of my many favorite books is Teammates by Peter Golenbock.

This book not only shows Jackie Robinson's courage to take a stand on segregation and racism but also his teammate, "Pee Wee" Reese's courage to do the same.

In "Pee Wee's" hometown, which at that time was not a fan of Branch Rickey's decision to put an African American into the MLB, he was confronted with a difficult decision- Go against the beliefs of his family and community and ridicule and shun Jackie or take a stand for his teammate and do what is right.

Such an AMAZING book with a powerful message for all.

Here are some other books, among many, about Jackie Robinson:

If you are a baseball fan and want to take this one step further, you could also go into the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.  In a time when most men were off fighting the war, women were asked to step up and keep alive the love of baseball.  A truly inspirational time in the history of females and their struggles to be treated equally.

Check them out!!

There are so many picture books out there that are excellent ways to inspire children to have courage and stand up for what is right.

What are some of your favorite books that have powerful messages or strong characters that face difficult challenges?

We would love to hear your ideas.

Antoinette :)

Genre Connections

Did you hear Tanny MacGregor has a new book?!? Genre Connections.

 

 

I loved her first book.

 

I had to order it! 

 

I have only read through the first 2 chapters so far, and let me tell you they did not disappoint.

 

Tanny MacGregor writes in such a way, that her lessons seem so simple but so powerful. 

 

Here are my favorite thoughts from the chapter about poetry:

 

"Teaching poetry is like matchmaking.  If we want our students to fall in love poetry... we must create experiences where positive emotions run strong..."   (p 10)

 

"Provide a collection of poems to explore...The small collection I provide for this exercise reminds me of the old wedding rhyme, Something old, Something new..." (p 16)

 

The last quote reminds me of our district staff development with Matt Glover.  He talks a lot about building stacks of pieces the students can refer to. 

 

If you are looking for a new professional resource, check out Genre Connections.

 

I'm off to read!

EmilyK



Reading Workshop- Notebook Connections

Have you read Notebook Connections Strategies for the Reader's Notebook by Aimee Buckner?
It is a MUST READ!!!

I am currently reading it (amongst many other professional resources) and am LOVING it!

I want to share with you some of the great things I have learned just in the first chapter.

Chapter 1- Reading, Writing, and Harvesting Hope

This chapter, at first, talks about the bridge between reading and writing.
This is SO true!

"The reading-writing connection is a bridge of understanding that helps the reader write more reflectively about his or her reading and the writer write more purposefully for his or her reader.  Taking time to focus on this bridge gives students the opportunity to think both as a reader and a writer."

- Aimee Buckner

In a writer's notebook, students can collect their ideas and thoughts about what they are writing.

In a reader's notebook, students can collect their ideas and thoughts about other people's writing.

Aimee was looking for a way to challenge her students to really think while reading.
But more than that, she wants them to think beyond reading...
To become lifelong readers and writers.
She decided notebooks was the perfect way to take this "from hope to reality".

Why Notebooks?

Here's what Aimee has to say:
- It is a tool which can capture student thinking and understanding of the text.
- It allows students to generate and elaborate on responses to text.
- It is a book of strategies students can rely on- from book to book, from genre to genre.
- It pushes their thinking beyond retelling a story.
- It is flexible enough for students to respond in a variety of ways, yet structured enough to provide explicit instruction.


Aimee Buckner has another book which she wrote prior to Notebook Connections.
It is called Notebook Know-How Strategies for the Writer's Notebook.
I haven't read it yet; probably should have read it first.
But I am too into Notebook Connections to stop now. lol

I can't wait to tell you more about this amazing book.
It is an easy read with information that will make you want to change the way you think about, and teach, reading and writing.

Do you use, or are interested in using, reader's notebooks?
Have you read Notebook Connections?
If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts about the book and how you use notebooks in your classroom.

Your long lost friend (since I have been MIA for quite sometime),
Antoinette :)

Hey, it's Emily.  I don't usually hop on to the end of Antoinette's posts, but I couldn't help myself.  I LOVE Aimee Buckner!  More about Notebook Connections to come.  Happy Friday! :)

More Picture Books and a Chapter Book, too :)

Tonight was my last class with discovering mentor texts and I am actually quite sad it is over.  I couldn't even stay for the entire class tonight because of a prior engagement (this was actually a make-up day from the snow day last Thursday).
I mean don't get me wrong, it'll be nice to have my Thursday evenings back, but I really enjoyed hearing the presentations and learning even more about children's literature.

Even though I had to leave early, I was still able to find some great ideas for mentor texts.

And... I am going to share them with all of you!  Lucky!!! :)

The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart is a book about a little girl, Isabel, who is moving from Mexico to the United States.  She is very sad at first and misses many things from back home; especially her Auntie Lupita.  This story is told through the letters Isabel writes to her aunt.  At first, the letters have a sad tone, but as she has new experiences, they get much better.

Isabel finds a box which she decorates and thinks of as a quiet place where she feels safe.  Throughout the book she collects more boxes and ends up designing a town which brings a lot of enjoyment to the kids which were invited to her birthday party.

I enjoyed this book because it was written through letters and it shows how Isabel changes throughout the story and learns to adapt to her new home.  Many kids go through similar experiences whether it be moving to America or just moving to a new state or school.

I think I have posted about this one before but I really like this book.

The Librarian from Basra is a true story from Iraq about a time of war and destruction.  Alia fears that her library full of valuable books will be destroyed in the war so she asks the government if she can move them to a safe place.  She is denied, but didn't let that stop her.  She, along with many friends, were able to move every single book to a safe spot just in time.  The library was unfortunately destroyed but luckily the books were safe.

I love this book because it teaches that books are valuable.  Alia tells the government that they are more valuable than a mountain of gold.  She also speaks of the history that would be lost if they are not saved.  It's just a great book and helps the students become aware of other countries and the difficulties they face.

Love, Love, LOVE this book!  This is a chapter book which is written by Natalie Babbitt.  It tells the story of a young girl, Winnie Foster, who is unhappy with her high class life and wishes to run away and find adventure.  When she finally does run away, she encounters a handsome young man, Jesse Tuck, and with him, adventure she definitely finds.  The Tucks are not your normal family.  They drank from a spring (which is what Winnie first spied Jesse doing) which gave them everlasting life.  The Tucks number one goal is to keep this spring secret as they foresee disaster if people find out (We all know that would be the case.).  When Winnie finds out, each member of the Tuck family feel it is necessary to share their personal feelings about having everlasting life.  Most share to warn her against it, but Jesse would love for Winnie to join him in an infinity of adventure.  This is a huge decision for Winnie to make and you might be surprised to find our what she decides.

This book is beautifully written and is perfect for character's point of view, as each character has a story to tell which play a key role in how the story unfolds.

After reading this book with my students, I provided them with a cup of water which would give them everlasting life (not really lol).  We would review each characters' perspective on everlasting life and then they would decide whether to drink or not.  You would think that 5th graders would jump at this opportunity, but surprisingly and thankfully, most dump their water instead of drinking it.

LOVE this book!!!  It was made into a movie which was done quite well but as you all know, the book is ALWAYS better than the movie.  I would always do both. :)

Hope you enjoyed my book shares.  Sorry there weren't very many, but like I said, I had to leave early!

What are some picture books and/or chapter books that you use in your classroom?

Can't wait to hear from you! :)

Antoinette

Test Taking Strategies

Another snow day today...

Luckily we didn't get near as much snow as was predicted but I guess that means that we will have school tomorrow.  Bittersweet...

With February just about behind us, my district has about a month and half until our state assessment; MAP.
It's like all of sudden, everyone is getting antsy.

With MSIP5, MAP is even more a factor in accreditation which doesn't help the anxiety.

So yesterday I spent some time printing released items off of the DESE website for my testing grade levels.  This will help them provide their students with sample passages and MAP-like questions.

Preparing for state assessments is absolutely necessary, but I feel very strongly that core instruction shouldn't be put aside, for extended periods of time, for test prep; especially with reading instruction.

I would use some time during my guided groups to prepare my students for test taking strategies.  We focused on comprehension skills but also threw in some test taking tips, as I would call them.

First, we would work on answering constructed response questions.  Somewhere along the way I learned a strategy called SLAMS which is an acronym for writing quality constructed response answers.  When trying to look for the source to give credit, I stumbled upon this Prezi which explains SLAMS.

Here are some other test taking tips:

Make a quick overview of the test (is it fiction or nonfiction, what is the title, what illustrations and/or text features are included, etc)

Read the questions first to help you be prepared for reading.

Read the text once all the way through.

Skim the text for key words or phrases from the questions.

Underline and number (according to the questions) the key words or phrases in the text.

Answer the questions (For constructed response use SLAMS.  For selected response, go through each option and eliminate incorrect choices)

For math, we practice problem solving all year.  We use a strategy that I also learned along the way called MAPS.

Mark all important information in the problem.

Application- What operation(s) do you need to use to solve the problem

Problem-  What is the problem you are trying to solve

Solution-  What is the solution?  Does it make sense?

I always liked to throw in an additional S where I would have my students write their answer in a sentence because it is sometimes hard to tell where the answer actually is.

Hope you find these test taking strategies helpful.

What do you use in your classroom to prepare your students for state assessments?

Antoinette

Common Core- Multimedia?? Photo Essays??

Does your district have a curriculum based on the Common Core?  Are you trying to figure out the standards all on your own?

I don't know if I have told you this, but I am currently writing the reading and writing curriculum for the 5th grade teachers in my school district.

Your first thought is probably, "Wow, that is so cool!"
And it is...
Really!!!
BUT...
It can also be quite frustrating and stressful.

Are you a 5th grade teacher??
Do you use multimedia presentations in your classroom??
If so, I would LUUUVVVE to hear from you about 
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

CCR: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Here is the standard vertically:

At first, we were thinking multimedia meant movies.
Movies??
With Common Core 5th grade??
Surely not...
So we decided to look up multimedia.
That helped... 

"As the name implies, multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphics, audio, video, etc."

-techterms.com

Our reading and writing units of study are closely linked together.  In writing, the standard is narratives.

We want to do something more than just write a personal narrative or a memoir.

So after listening to Matt Glover present on writing workshop tonight he mentioned something that was completely unknown to me.

Photo Essays...  Have you heard of this?  Have you used this?

I understand what they are, I guess. Lol  

This is a definition I found from Digital Photography School website.

A photo essay is very simply a collection of images that are placed in a specific order to tell the progression of events, emotions, and concepts.

Since we are working with literature in reading, we were thinking we could make the writing fictional photo essays, but we are having a difficult time find samples.

And Matt Glover is all about the "Stacks" to create a vision for the students to write.

There is just a lot of unknown...

Have you taught this standard yet?

Have any suggestions for me?

I would love to hear what you all are doing with this.

Thank you :)
Antoinette

Common Core- Text Structure

Digging deeper into Common Core: RI5

One of my goals this school year is to REALLY learn the ELA standards; what they mean as well as how to take them to a more rigorous level.  In an earlier post, Digging Deeper into each Standard, I dove into the world of RL6.

In this post, I want to look at RI5 which deals with text structure.  I find it helpful to look at the College Career Readiness standard first because that is our ultimate end goal.

CCR: Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (a section, chapter, scene, stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Now for the standards K-8.  Looking at the vertical piece is extremely helpful because you can see how the standards build upon each other.

Now to dive deeper...  

A great start would be a quote from Lucy Calkins' Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement.  I am currently reading this book and it has some great information about the ELA standards.

"To analyze structure, do this: Look back over the text, and ask yourself if you could divide it into parts.  Look at the text as if you were in a plane, flying above it.  Instead of seeing fields divided by a ribbon of roads, you see paragraphs.  Think about the meanings in those paragraphs, about the different sort of work that is being done in one part of the text, another, and another.  Ask what each part does."

- Lucy Calkins

I really liked this analogy. :)

So text structure is more than identifying whether it is a compare, chronology, problem/solution, etc.  It is about how a text is shaped to help a reader better understand the information.  It is about preparing your brain to take in knew information by looking at structure (cover to cover, text features, sections, paragraphs etc.)  Authors are very strategic in how the set up their information.  There is a purpose to what is included and how it is arranged which, when carefully thought about, plays a huge role in comprehension of nonfiction texts.

Here are some resources I provided for my teachers to help them understand and teach text structure.

Teaching Text Structure

Hope this information is helpful.  I would love to hear from all of you.  How have you taught this standard?  What resources help you understand the new Common Core State Standards?

Antoinette :)

Top 5 Favorite Picture Books

Need some more picture book ideas?  Getting tired of reading the same books that everyone else is reading?  Well I had class again tonight and as I stated last week, I am going to tell you about my top 5 picture books that were shared tonight.

It is such an amazing class because we all either get paid or earn PGC (professional growth) hours for reading and learning about great books to use during reading and writing workshop.  Pretty sweet huh?

So my top 5 picture books tonight are... (drum roll)

Wild Child by Lynn Plourde

I might have shared this book before, but it is worth repeating.  It is a book about Mother Nature and seasons changing.  Wild Child is a great book for making inferences, asking and answering questions, and how illustrations enhance the meaning and beauty of a text.  Those skills are what I have used in the past, but when I was rereading it through the lens of a writing teacher, I found that it is also great for rhyming, alliteration, and creative endings to stories.  There are three other books that go along with this one.  I have not read them but can bet they are cute also.

We Are in a Book by Mo Williams

This book is absolutely hilarious.  Gerald the elephant and Piggie discover that they have an audience... the reader.  It is great fun for them at first but they begin to worry when they realize the book is drawing to an end.  This interactive book is very engaging and great for beginning readers.  There is a quite a variety to choose from.

14 Cows for America

Have you heard of this book?  WOW is the first word that comes to mind.  I literally cried while reading the endnote.  Such a touching true story about a man from Kenya who was studying in America during the 911 attacks.  His people were known warriors but his culture also taught him to be compassionate and strive to heal wounds.  So after the horrific attacks, his heart ached for the Americans and he decided to give a gift of a cow (which is precious to his people).  He returned home to ask for a blessing on this very special gift and his pain for the Americans touched the hearts of his people.  Instead of 1 sacred cow, they presented 14 and cried, with their hands across their chests, along with the Americans they presented it to as our national anthem played.  Like I said, WOW!!!!
These words below come from Amazon and are so powerful.

"A mere nine months have passed since the September 11 attacks, and hearts are raw. Tears flow freely from American and Maasai as these legendary warriors offer their gift to a grieving people half a world away."

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger

This book is a beautiful story about Grandfather Twilight who takes a single pearl and takes a walk which brings on night.  As he walks, the illustrations display the oncoming night which grows larger throughout the book.  In the end, he sets the single pearl free to take its nightly place in the sky because after all, what would night be without the moon.  This book is wonderful for making inferences, asking and answering questions, and using illustrations to add to the meaning and beauty of a text.

I grouped these two together because they both share a common theme.  Two completely different settings and groups of people find beauty and love in their surroundings.  There is something beautiful and something to love in all of our lives.  Sometimes it is easily recognized and sometimes we have to look beyond the bad to see all the beauty.

Hope you enjoyed my book shares.  Have you read any of these? What are some of your favorite books?  I would love to hear about them! :)

Antoinette

We Give Books and Shared Reading

I am always on the lookout for great resources for teachers.  My latest frequent recommend is a fabulous site where you can get tons of free books to use in your classrooms.

You have got to check this site out!!!

Click on the picture above to go to the site.

They have a great selection of both fiction and nonfiction.  Check out a few below.

Now you do have to sign up for an account to access these books, but it is completely free.

One component of Balance Literacy is Shared Reading.  I was thinking this site is a perfect resource for this component because during Shared Reading, a teacher is using a text, that everyone can easily see, to model behaviors of proficient readers.

Here are a few sites with some great information on Shared Reading:

Hope this information is useful to you.  Do you do Shared Reading?  If so, we'd love to hear your insight on this powerful reading tool.  Also, What online book sites do you use? 

Looking forward to hearing from all of you! :)

Antoinette

Common Core- Digging Deeper into each Standard

The BIG talk in the world of education is the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  It is such a big thing that 48 out of 50 states have adopted these standards at some level.  At least that what was said at the last training I attended.

Why have we moved to CCSS?  What do these standards really mean?
Upon reading some information from the CCSS website I found some lines that I felt really spell out why we are moving in this direction.  Here they are:

"As a natural outgrowth of meeting the charge to define college and career readiness, the Standards also lay out a vision of what it means to be a literate person in the twenty-first century."
"As specified by CCSSO and NGA, the Standards are (1) research and evidence based, (2) aligned with college and work expectations, (3) rigorous, and (4) internationally benchmarked."

The rigorous piece is what I'd like to really speak about today.  How do we take these standards and teach them to the higher level in which they were created to be taught?  That's what I am hoping to find out through this journey that I would like to take with all of you.

So how to do this??  Fabulous question... My thought is to dive deeper and really look at what each standard is truly intended to teach.  I thought about starting with the first standard, but then right now I am working with a group of teachers on RL.6 so as crazy as it might seem, I'm starting there.

Hello RL.6!!!
The best way, I think, to begin tackling this standard is to understand where it starts and where it is going.  So Let's look at it vertically.

K-  With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
1-  Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.
2-  Acknowledge difference in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
3-  Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
4-  Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narratives.
5-  Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.
6-  Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
7-  Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
8-  Analyze how difference in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

This website gives a nice snapshot of the vertical alignment of the standards as well as a nifty (who uses that word... really? lol) highlighting feature for the difference amongst grade levels. http://rt3nc.org/objects/standards/cclitmap/ela.html

Here's a good video from YouTube which gives basic information about Perspective and Point of View:

I really liked this comment, but somehow lost the site I found it on.  Sorry site!!!  "In other words, how does where a writer or narrator is coming from (point of view) and going towards (purpose) affect what he/she writes (content and style)?"

So to me,

POV at K-2 is simply...

*  identifying that an author and/or illustrator tells a story

*  sometimes the person telling the story changes.

*  Dialogue also comes into play at this age level because that is   how we identify who is speaking.

POV at 3-5 goes into...

*  how POV of characters differ from each other as well as from the reader.

*  1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-person are introduced identified and elaborated on as to what role this plays in how the story unfolds.

Some thoughts I have been putting out there for teachers are...

*  How would the story have unfolded if told by another character's POV?

*  How would the story have been different if told in 1st person as opposed to 3rd?

*  Based on your POV, how would you have told the story differently?

*How did understanding the past experiences of the character help you understand his/her point of view in the story?

ABSOLUTELY LOVE this quote from ReadWriteThink.
"One of life's biggest challenges is accepting that there are numerous interpretations and that there is rarely oneright way to view the world. Literature can introduce characters who have learned to accept that different viewpoints exist, demonstrating how they persevere when faced with difficulties. Books can also change readers' perspectives about what they already know and extend their knowledge through new ways of seeing familiar things."
Doesn't that wrap RL.6 up in a nutshell??

Common Core website shout out time...  These sites have been VERY helpful to me with each standard.

Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System

Read Tennessee

What are your thoughts on Point of View and RL.6?  What are some things you are doing in your classrooms to teach this standard?  I would really appreciate hearing all of your teaching ideas as well as knowledge of this standard.  I really want these posts to be educational for everyone, including myself.
THANKS :)

Although this journey has been stressful and time-consuming thus far, I REALLY feel like we, as a nation, are moving in the right direction. 
Antoinette :)

Reading and Writing Workshop- 3 Teacher Resources

Balanced Literacy is new to my district and we are learning so many wonderful things to use in our schools.  The first step in implementation was getting the structure going in our day-to-day schedules.  Teachers from the district wrote units of study based on the Common Core State Standards which are being used throughout the elementary schools.  This step, I feel, has been achieved for the most part.

Now that the structure is in place, it is time to deepen our understanding of reading and writing workshop.  So 3 teacher resources have been recommended to me and I would love to here all of your thoughts on them.

First...  Engaging Young Writers by Matt Glover.  I was lucky enough to be able to sit through a half day session with Matt Glover and it was so inspirational.  This book would be for K-1.

Have any of you read this book?  If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Second... Wondrous Words by Katy Wood Ray.  I owned this books YEARS ago and am pretty sure I read it.  Unfortunately, I don't remember it.  This would be for upper elementary teachers.

Any thoughts on this book?

Third... Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller.  Once again, I have been lucky enough to sit through several sessions with Debbie Miller.  She is an amazing person.

How about this one?

I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these books.  My principal is interested in purchasing some for the teachers in my building and has asked my thoughts.  Of course she knows I haven't read them (or can't remember the one I have lol) but I would love to have some insight before giving my opinion.

Thanks so much!  Look forward to hearing you all's thoughts. :)

Antoinette

Mentor Texts

I love learning about new books to use as mentor texts!!  I am taking a class where the majority of the time is spent looking through books and discussing them with fellow educators.  Each teacher is required to share one book with the class and prepare three lessons that include which Common Core standards could be used with each.  So 25 people in the class times 3 mentor texts equals 75 book ideas to share with our students. YEAH!!! :)

So I decided that throughout the time I'm taking this class, I am going to share some of my favorite ones with all of you.

The first one I was actually reminded of during a demonstration visit this morning in a kindergarten room.

OMG this book is absolutely adorable.  Can't you tell by the cover?  I wish I could show you the precious picture at the end with the dog smiling.  So cute.  The theme of the book is about friendship and how it sometimes comes and goes.  City Dog meets country frog and they become great friends.  They play together throughout the seasons but in the winter City Dog cannot find Country Frog.  It is quite sad at this time, but has a happy ending.  Don't want to ruin it for you.

The Royal Bee is based on a true story and has an amazing theme of the importance of education and how it shouldn't be take for granted.  Song-Ho is a poor boy who is not allowed to go to school because it is only for the privileged.  That doesn't stop him though because he listens outside the door of the school and learns a great deal.  The teacher knew all along that he was out there but never said anything until it was winter.  Freezing outside, Song-ho was invited in to learn with the other students.  The Royal Bee is a competition for the smartest of the smart.  Does Song-ho get the opportunity to go to it?  Could he actually win?  You will have to read and find out.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

This book is most famous as a writing mentor text because Eva has an assignment in which the teacher told her to write about what she knows.  She sits on the stairs on 90th street and has no clue what to write about because "Nothing ever happens on 90th Street."  Throughout the book, characters come up to Eva and give her advice about writing.  For instance, one character tells her that the world is a stage and to not forget to add details while another character tells her to stretch the truth and ask what if.  Eva decides to take her neighbors' advice and suddenly 90th street is quite an interesting place.  Check this book out to see the interesting turn it takes.  Now I said it's most famous for writing, but I have actually also used it for setting.  Some would say, "Duh it takes place on 90th street."  Yes, the author explicitly tells us that, but we do not know where 90th street is.  So we have to infer using the characters' words and illustration to find out, or at least try.  It would also be great for character traits and story elements.

How did I ever forget about this book?  Wilma Unlimited is an amazing book and a tear-jerker as well.  Wilma Rudolph is famous for winning gold medals in the Olympics but what some might not know is that life was extremely difficult for her from day 1.  She not only survived scarlet fever but overcame a paralyzed leg from polio.  Talk about determination...  If you want to teach your children that absolutely nothing should hold them back, this book is perfect for you.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks mentor texts.  I would love to hear about more from all of you.  What are some of your favorite mentor texts?

Antoinette :)

Guided Reading

Guided Reading... the current step our district is climbing in this journey with Balanced Literacy.  As a former intermediate teacher, guided reading was not something I was an expert in.  To be honest with you, it completely confused me.  Seems silly, I know, but we never had a clear vision of the districts expectations for this time.  I did my own version of Guided Reading and will be honest with you, probably wasn't doing it well.  That being said... in my new position, it is my responsibility to train my schools.  Talk about some anxiety.  Needless to say, I have been a BUSY girl!  I cannot present something unless I feel confident in the topic.  So research has been my best friend lately.

There is an amazing resource called Fountas and Pinnell Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency.  There is so much information in this book, but chapters 24-26 are full of information on Guided Reading.

The district thankfully provided the structure based on Fountas and Pinnell.  There are many different structures, but I am just happy my district chose one to do in all schools.  Below is an image of one of the slides which contain the components.  

The warm up with a familiar read and the NOT Round Robin brought about some great discussion.  Do you guys have any thoughts on this?

Guided Reading for intermediate is a HOT topic right now.  My district says that it is for those students below grade level.  This brought about many questions such as what guided reading looks like in the upper grades and what do you do with the higher students?  The concept of invitational groups was mentioned, but we have not been given any additional information yet.  So what do you do with reading groups in upper elementary?  Any advice for our intermediate teachers?

 Now I am about to date myself (that line always confused my students lol)... Fourteen years ago, when I was teaching in KCMO, my career began with Balanced Literacy.  Trust me when I say it was a whole different world back then.  We had tons of training, but we had to come up with everything on our own.  We spent many, many hours planning lessons and units and many more reading professional texts for information on Balanced Literacy.  Today... HELLO GOOGLE!!!  Type in a couple words and BAM... you have everything you need.  And we can't forget PINTEREST!!!  How did we ever survive without it? lol

BUT... my favorite resource which I didn't have even three years ago is ALL OF YOU!!!  So I want to hear what you do for guided reading.  What is your structure?  Do you use Fountas and Pinnell?  If so, any helpful advice for me as I continue to guide the teachers at my schools?  Finally- to help out with the HOT topic, what does guided reading and/or reading groups look like in your upper elementary classrooms?

I am excited to hear suggestions and advice from all my friends in the blogging world.
Antoinette :)