Rachael

Rachael Berger

6/14 While reading Smart Answers Section 2, I became particularly engaged in the section detailing the benefits of Read Alouds. As a fourth grade teacher, who will soon enter my third year of teaching, I sometimes feel anxiety while conducting read alouds. I believe that most of my anxiety stems from the feeling that read alouds may be viewed as a waste of instructional time when there is extensive curriculum to cover in what seems like so little time. In the back of my mind, I worry about someone walking into my room and questioning why I am using extra time for read aloud when I could be conducting intervention groups or drilling basic math facts. What value is there in spending valuable time reading to my students when there is a constant need to prepare students for upcoming assessments?

I was extremely pleased when my own rationale for conducting read alouds in my room were validated by Garan. She states that reading aloud to students helps them to develop new vocabulary, that they may otherwise not have been exposed to in their independent reading. It also gives students the ability to acquire knowledge and ideas from higher level texts that perhaps the students would not have been able to read on their own. This school year I read the story, "The Clockwork Three" to my fourth graders. This book follows three separate story lines of three different characters, whose lives unexpectedly intertwine. It is full of vivid vocabulary and advanced figurative language, which we were able to discuss throughout the story. All of my students were highly engaged in making predictions and evaluating decisions made by the main characters, which I know would not have been possible had I given each of them a copy and asked them to read it independently.

Garan also states that this soothing, quiet, and low stress activity fosters a love of books. Isn't that what any educator hopes for in each of his or her students? If the only time students are exposed to text is when they are being ask to write a summary, complete a graphic organizer, or construct a book report of some sort, how will students develop that love of books? Students need to be able to experience books just for the sake of enjoyment at times, in a relaxed and nonthreatening atmosphere. One of the most satisfying results of a read aloud occurs when a student enjoys the book and wants to read more books by that author. Who knows if that student would have found a love for that author had it not been for the enjoyable read aloud experience.

Read alouds also build listening comprehension, and I agree with Garan in saying that it is a very important skill. In the real world, students will face situations when they need to listen to directions or lectures without being able to read the message in front of them. Read aloud is an enjoyable way for students to practice their auditory skills, while also receiving all of the benefits mentioned above.

Reading this section of "Smart Answers" has reaffirmed many of my ideals when it comes to using read alouds in my classroom. I now feel confident in my ability to justify the use of read alouds in the instructional day. Through read alouds students can build vocabulary, construct new knowledge and ideas, foster a love of books, and build listening comprehension skills at the same time. Surely read alouds are not a waste of time!

Rachael, I can really relate to the idea of reading aloud being stressful at the intermediate level. I was also relieved to find support for the fact that it is a beneficial strategy for students to acquire vocabulary and fluency. When you think about it, aren't read alouds modeling? Isn't modeling proven to be a valuable tool? I find myself stopping and doing think alouds as well as I read aloud to my kids, which I'm sure you do as well. I try to pull in different comprehension strategies, like inferencing, to get the most out of the read aloud experience. I wonder why I got so stressed in the first place about doing something that I can justify. At least now we can justify this strategy with research! :) --Christi
 * Thursday, 6/16/11 **

Friday, 6/17/11

I am really enjoying the "Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning" text. Much of what I am reading aligns itself with the Learning Focused Schools program. I have learned a few new activators that I am excited to try out with my students next year. One strategy that I feel I could use across content areas is the List-Group Label strategy, where students work in groups to brainstorm word associations given a topic and then group items into categories. I feel I could use this strategy before beginning a text on the Underground Railroad or the Great Depression or even before a science unit on Animal Adaptations or Nutrition. All of these topics are areas where students already possess a great deal of prior knowledge, and this strategy allows students to share prior knowledge with peers and correct any misconceptions they may have. This strategy seems to take the wordsplash strategy that I often use with students one step further by asking them to then categorize their ideas.

Speaking of strategies that involve prior knowledge, I am also excited to try out the Alphabet Brainstorming strategy with my students. In my fourth grade class, I am certain that students will be highly motivated by the challenge of trying to fill in an idea related to the topic for each letter of the alphabet. When I try this strategy, I will probably have my students work in partner pairs or small groups so that students with higher levels of prior knowledge for a given topic can share their ideas with students who may not have as much. Another piece that I enjoy about this strategy is the ability to allow students to discuss their answers then with the whole class and then adjust/revise their own charts. This strategy was described as a front-loading activity, but I believe I could also use this strategy as a summarizer to a story or unit in one of the content areas, or even as an ongoing project throughout a unit of study. I also appreciate the value that this organizer has as a study guide for students later on.

Speaking of strategies that could be used during instruction, I am also interested in using the Double-Entry Diaries strategy with my students in the future. What I like about this particular strategy is that it can be used with one specific comprehension strategy in mind or can incorporate multiple comprehension skills. This strategy is organized with a T-chart. On the left side of the T-chart, students fill in information from the text in a bulleted fashion, such as facts, summaries, excerpts, and concepts that they find important. On the right hand side of the T-chart, students fill in their reactions, connections, feelings, inferences, questions, or visualizations for each item along the left side. The element I enjoy most about this strategy is that it provides students with a lot of choice. Students can choose what they deem as important from the text to write along the left side of the organizer, with a few limitations of course outlined through teacher modeling. Students can also choose how they would like to respond to each of those facts or excerpts from the text using one of the comprehension strategies that they have learned. I feel this is an excellent way for lower achieving students to see visually what goes on inside a good reader's mind while reading. :)

June 19, 2011

I like the double-entry diaries. I did something like that with my 8th graders this year. Although they didn't like it at first, they learned a lot throughout the excercise. I used the SRA Comprehension book and had the students write stories to the pictures in the back of the book. I had the student write what they thought happened prior to the picture to create the scene; what was going on in the picture; then what will happen next. Then, I had the students write a reaction to each picture. This was a daily excercise that challenged the students to create a story with a single picture. It was neat to see their reaction to each picture. Besides the few "this is stupid" comments, most of the students wrote great pieces to these stories. I wanted my students to know that I valued their opinion and thoughts. Great Pick-up! - Josh

June 20, 2011 While reading chapter 5 in the "Literacy Lessons" text, I was struck by Figure 5.9 on page 145, which describes content areas that may be interesting to readers but are not usually found in classroom programs. Topics like architecture, ballet, classical music, virtual reality games, and medical terminology are content areas that are related to real-world occupations. I highly enjoyed reading about the creative instructional ideas that engage students in applying what they learn about the content vocabulary. From building a model with flags to display vocabulary about architecture, to having students put on a musical performance that showcases their knowledge of classical music structures, the engagement that these strategies offer to students is remarkable.

Not only was I able to gain insight into the possibility of building in vocabulary instruction beyond the curriculum as was showcased in the topics from Figure 5.9, but it was truly refreshing to read about new strategies for students to apply new vocabulary. I admit that it is comfortable to use the "same old" vocabulary activities, such as developing a 4-square or concept map for a given word, but just like a song heard way too often on the radio, IT GETS OLD. I like the idea of taking a specific feature from the text being read and using it as an outlet for applying vocabulary, as was done in the example of building a model with flags to display architecture vocabulary. In the future, I look forward to exposing my students to a vast array of concept vocabulary, and I plan to encourage my students to apply their knowledge of vocabulary in a variety of new and engaging ways. -Rachael

Rachael – You are making excellent connections between your readings. I really liked your comment about a vast array of concept vocabulary. Dr. P.

June 22,2011 As I reflect on the aesthetic stance for reading from "Foundations" Chapter 7, I can see where this type of response corresponds with some of the literature circle jobs I asked students to complete this year. The most obvious role as it relates to the aesthetic stance is the Connector, where students make TS, TT, and TW connections. When this particular job is presented, other group members can also make connections to the text. I like that this job solely focuses on the aesthetic stance and requires that other group members get involved as well. Another job that I think connects well to the aesthetic response is Passage Picker. When a student is Passage Picker he/she chooses a passage that evoked a certain thought or feeling when he/she read it. That student reads the passage to the rest of the group and then shares his/her thoughts and or feelings about the passage. Then that passage is opened up to the other group members for them to also respond to how that passage made them feel. My students did an excellent job choosing passages that carried some real meaning. As I continue to reflect on the aesthetic stance, I am brainstorming how I might revise some of my other jobs, like Word Wizard, to involve both the efferent and aesthetic stances. Currently the role sheet for this particular job asks students to find 5 words that were either complex or important to the story in some way. Then students must look up these words and complete an organizer to provide a definition, synonyms, and antonyms for each word. This relies mainly on the efferent stance. Perhaps next year I will add another column to the sheet and ask students to describe how that word makes them feel or what it makes them think of. My goal is to strike a nice balance in having students respond to text in efferent and aesthetic ways.- Rachae l

6/23- Rachael, I really enjoyed reading about your literature circles. I learned about those in undergrad but never thought of implementing them in my learning support classroom becuase I have so few students already. However, giving each student a role and a purpose for that role would be an excellent idea when reading a chapter book. I also liked the idea of your Passage Picker and Connector job. We actually didn't cover those parts in undergrad but they are an excellent way to have students focus on what applys to the book they are reading. Another idea for your Word Wizard role could be to have the students draw a picture of the vocabulary word. I have my students do that at times and they can connect and visualize the word better. Creating that rote memory. Thanks for your ideas! Bethany Lepley

6/24/11 Chapter 6 from "Literacy Lessons" was filled with an arsenal of strategies that teachers can use to build fluency. I especially appreciate these ideas, as this year in particular I faced fluency challenges with a handful of my students. One strategy that I was already familiar with and have used in my classroom was choral reading, either with the whole class, a small group, or a partner pair. A common challenge that a handful of my students shared was their inability to read with proper phrasing and intonation. To help remedy this, I used a lot of choral reading and read-aloud models with my students.

I also developed a fluency program that a handful of my students participated in. I pulled together leveled passages and poems and began each student with one passage at his/her instructional level, which I previewed with each individual. Each student in the group was required to then practice his/her passage nightly with parents, who were informed to focus on word recognition, decoding, phrasing, and intonation. I had my instructional assistant follow up with that handful of students daily with those same leveled passages until they were able to read the passage accurately and with proper phrasing and intonation. At that point, the student was able to move on to the next level of passage beginning with teacher previewing once again. I enjoyed using this program with the students because it allowed parents to get involved in the process and students were able to chart their own growth as well. My students got really excited when they passed levels that they had worked hard on.

As much as I enjoyed using the fluency program I designed with my students, I would also like to build in a bit more variety in my fluency practice next year. I particularly enjoyed the ideas of echo reading with poetry, readers theater, and radio reading. Knowing fourth graders, I think radio reading would be highly motivational for students who struggle with fluency. I would implement this strategy by allowing students to choose a short story or poem to practice reading fluently with partners and parents for an extended number of days. When that student felt well-prepared, I would then allow him/her to record the reading using a tape recorder. I would allow the student to then listen to their reading and if he/she would like to continue practicing his/her phrasing and intonation to rerecord at a later date they would have the option to do so. If the student was pleased with his/her work, he/she would be able to add the recording to the listening center for others to enjoy. I am excited to try this next year! -Rachael Rachael - You continue to build excellent connections between what you are reading and your classroom practice. Well done. Dr. P.

6/27/10 Our conversation today about sociolinguistics from Chapter 15 in "Foundations..." sparked a lot of interest in me. I feel that this is an area that I would like to dig a little bit deeper into. I was able to connect with the idea that children have many reasons for speaking and reading the way that they do. One major factor in children's speech is the speech that they are surrounded by at home. The students in my classroom last year came from a variety of backgrounds, whose parents worked in a variety of occupations. There were students in my room whose parents worked in factories or in other labor intensive jobs, some who traveled with their families in the military, some who were dentists and doctors, and many others who were teachers or professors. When meeting with these parents at conferences, it was obvious to me in many cases who the dentists, doctors, and professors were compared to the factory workers and laboring professionals from the vocabulary and grammar they used in speaking. Certainly parents from across the spectrum were concerned about their children's performances in school, and were open to my comments and recommendations, but their patterns of language varied a great deal. Parent-teacher conferences mades clear to me that many of my students who spoke, read, and wrote with extraordinary grammar skills were being emersed in these skills at home by parents whose professions conditioned them to use the same type of language. On the other end of the spectrum, there was one student in particular who received learning support for the majority of the day. After my first email with his father, who was a single-parent, one of the major factors in this child's oral and written language deficit became clear. The email was filled with errors in spelling, syntax, capitatlization, and punctuation. I don't mention this to suggest that the father's lack of grammatical correctness was the sole reason why his child had such difficulty in reading, writing, and speaking correctly, but I found the correlation intriguing. Students tend to mimic the language they are surrounded by at home by their parents and siblings, and one student in my classroom this year also served as a great model for how children can choose to speak like their friends at school. The student I am thinking of in particular had the personality of a typical "follower" who wanted to do and say exactly what his "cooler" guy friends said and did. Luckily for this student, he looked up to one of my more advanced and motivated learners who served as a great role model, but it was comical to hear him mimic the vocabulary, figures of speech, and even inflection that his friend used in discussions and oral reading. This was particularly evident during literature circle discussions as both boys were in the same discussion group. When the "leader" student would comment on a part of the book that he enjoyed reading, he would use advanced adjectives like peculiar, remarkable, and whitty. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the "follower" in the pair would chime in to the discussion using those same vocabulary terms and only changing small details here or there. The "leader" student was a good sport about this for the most part, but would sometimes express his frustration with being "copied." In order to combat this situation, I did move the boys to separate literature circle groups for the next book. Although I could see a benefit in the "follower" wanting to use the higher level vocabulary that his classmate had chosen, I also wanted him to have a mind of his own. Again, I feel that sociolinguistics is an area that I am able to make a lot of connections with. I would definitely enjoy reading more information in this area. -Rachael

6/29 Todays lesson on ELL's provided me with some great tips for future use in my classroom. This year I had two ELL students in my room, one from Norway and one from the Netherlands. This school year was their first experience in the U.S. In the beginning of the year the students went through a "silent period" as was discussed in class, which made me quite frantic as I had never had an ELL student before and was not certain what to do. Soon though, both students made friends and built a strong oral vocabulary. I think that one thing I will do differently as a teacher for future ELL's is rely a bit more on social interaction to build grammar skills. I know that this past year when I would grade these students' writing pieces, I would catch myself getting carried away correcting every grammatical error in my red pen. After today's lesson I realize that exposure to proper grammar through peer interactions and read alouds in more effective than an overload of direct grammar instruction. -Rachael

7/1/11 I agree with so many of Robert Ruddell and Norman Unrau's ideas about motivating students to read from the "Literacy Lessons" text. First, I agree that the role of the educator is to demonstrate through words and actions a care and concern for students. I feel that this is important in developing a safe environment where students can trust that it is okay to make mistakes. Educators must also be available to guide students in problem solving with texts through modeling and scaffolding. If students continue reading through text word by word without ever using any problem solving skills when they get stuck, comprehension will be greatly diminished. Also, I agree that teachers need to use multiple approaches for meeting individual needs. I know that in my classroom this past year, I had a wide range of diverse learners, some who were highly engaged through visual means like websites and video, while others needed more kinesthetic activities such as word sorts and acting out skits. I also agree that no matter what approaches are being used to meet individual needs, educators must set high expectations for all learners. Certainly that level of "high" varies depends on the student being assessed, but it is important to make challenging but still attainable goals clear to students. Setting goals too low may continue students' cycles of low self-efficacy and learned helplessness. Educators must also encourage discovery of new information, with the key word there being "discovery." This idea goes back to psychological perspectives of teaching which make clear that discovery of information is far more effective than passive instruction. Finally, educators must exhibit a passion for what they teach. I whole-heartedly agree with this position, and in fact have experienced the effects on both ends of the spectrum throughout my schooling. I know what it feels like to sit in a class or lecture hall in front of a teacher who truly appears to be there only for the pay check. If passion is not displayed for students to see, how are students supposed to be excited about and engaged in a topic? On the other hand, I remember my fifth grade teacher as being a great example of an educator who exhibited a passion for what she taught, specifically in social studies. Before her class, I really had no interest in social studies, but the way that she got so excited when she led classroom discussions, and how passionately she spoke about the cruelty that took place in WWII made me sit up a bit straighter and pay closer attention. With this idea in mind, I try to convey the same passion for subjects when I am in front of my students, even when perhaps that particular piece of the curriculum is not all that interesting even to me. This is a very important idea when trying to motivate students!

-Rachael 7/6 I really enjoyed Christi and Amanda's idea today for teaching character analysis by having students predict how a specific character would react in a different situation, using what he/she already knows about that character's personality. This is an excellent synthesis activity. I think my Above-grade, and perhaps even my on-grade students would really enjoy this task. I also plan to implement their project of the character report card. I'm sure my kids will really get a kick out of getting to play "teacher." Great ideas ladies! -Rachael