Reading Without Limits Book Study--Week 3

Hi friends!  We are now on week 3 so we will be going over Chapters 3 and 4!! Sorry that this post is going out so late, but I am part of some professional development this week that is taking EVERY brain cell in my brain!!  I am TUCKERED OUT!  Lucy Calkins, bless her, is challenging me this week as we do some backwards planning.  Whew!  Let's get going!  

Feel Free to Pin This!

If you haven't purchased the book you can still find it at Amazon!  Just click on the link below and you can go straight to the book to purchase it.  This book has made on to my list of favorite professional reads!!  And, it is pretty close to the number 1 spot and very well may be number 1 by the end of the summer!!

Just click here to purchase!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

Here are some questions to think about and to respond to in the comments section later on.  I SO appreciate those of you that left comments!  It makes me feel validated <and I don't look so crazy since I DID change the name of the blog to Charts N Chit Chat!!>.

No one took me up on my mild, medium, and spicy anchor chart offer, so I'll be working on one of those soon to share!  

Here are the questions from last week and some answers for them!

1.  How would you define the "Zone of Proximal Development"?

Here is a video about the zone of proximal development.  Basically, guided reading should be done within this 'zone'....it is the area in which you can get the most bang for your buck, or the most progress with your students WHILE you are helping them.  When you see a child that is not working, often this child is in his/her frustration zone.

2.  Have you ever given a running record?  What is your experience with them?  

I can tell you that my experience has been DEEP and WIDE <ever hear that song??> and I've presented professional developments on them several times.  The hardest part <and the most often forgotten> is going back after you are done with the student to code the errors and make a list of issues that need to become mini-lessons for the little trooper that just read to you.  I had a conversation about this just yesterday with a co-worker of mine <we are both attending some training on the new Lucy Calkins writing units>.

3.  What is the difference between a self-correction and a miscue?

A miscue is an error while a self-correction means that the student made an error, self-monitored, and then fixed it.  Self-corrections are GOOD!  Miscues are BAD!!

4.  Why are tiered questions and retellings so important?

We all know that retellings are good because they are a measure of comprehension.  Tiered questions are very important because they allow you get so much more information from the student.

5.  Using the table on page 34, what correlations do you see?

The table shows that the higher the word accuracy is, the higher the comprehension is.  Teaching vocabulary, word chunking, sight words, and all those other things that we teach in phonics/phonemic awareness pays off in the end!

6.  What is a QRI-5 and how can it be used as a group inventory?

A loyal reader and blog friend, Tasha from A Tender Teacher for Special Needs answered that question for us on her very own blog!  Click here to go see what she has to say about this!  <And then come right back!!!>

7.  What is the difference in the type of texts that are used for choice reading, guided reading, and shared reading?  Where might we put Independent reading?  

Choice Reading--96% word accuracy and 90% comprehension

Guided Reading--76-90% comprehension; Other sources say 85%-90%

Shared Reading--76%-90% comprehension range.  This is Jenn talking here:  Typically shared reading can be used to teach many different skills at one time.  In the elementary grades, shared reading can be used for seminars, phonics work, to dip in and out of other subjects and make connections, comprehension, etc.  The uses are endless!!!

Independent Reading--HA!  Tricked you!  This is the same thing as Choice Reading!!

8.  Read page 43.  Here is that Mild, Medium, and Spicy thing again!!!  

I just LOVE this!  Can't you imagine relating this to independent reading?  A medium spicy book would be about right.  The mild book would be too easy, and that spicy book....well....it might be neat to 'read the pictures' but it would never make it during a 5 finger check!

Chapter 2--Teaching Students to Understand What They Read

9.  Pg. 52:  Who is James Lee and what did he figure out?

I think I have the wrong page number for ole Jimmy, so I will try to get back to you on this!  Oops!  

10.  What is strategic reading and why is it important?  How does it work?  What does it look like?  

Strategic reading is reading while using strategies.  For example, chunking words in a strategy that students use to clarify words they come across.  When a student uses a strategy when reading independently, you can say that this student is using strategic reading.  The strategy helps the student gain for fluency and accuracy and in the end, reading comprehension and reading levels will improve!

Go to vimeo.com and sign up!  Use the password readingwithoutlimits to access videos that coincide with the book. Take a look at this video!

11.  What does a dependent reader look like/sound like/work like?  <In the comment section tell us about a dependent reader you had and what you did to help him/her>

A dependent reader may stop every few words and look at you with puppy dog eyes and plea for you to tell him/her what the word is that he or she is stuck on.  This summer, my dependent reader is my son.  It isn't that he CAN'T read it....he just doesn't want to take the time to figure it out on his own.

12.  What is paraphrasing?  How does it work?

Paraphrasing is telling yourself what is happening in your head.  In order to do that, you must be thinking ahead of the action in the story.

13.  Page 57:  What is the gradual release of responsibility?  What would it look like in your classroom?

I love this theory of education!  I wrote a whole thesis on this!  It looks like this:  modeling <you show how a skill is used>--sharing <you act as a coach and get the students to use the skill with you>----look for the skill in a guided group---look for the skill to be used independently

14.  What does it mean to 'check for understanding'?

Stop every so often and see if students understand what is being taught...are students 'digesting' what was modeled. 

15.  What are some strategies that can be used to move passive learners into becoming direct learners?

Any of the strategies presented in the chapter are fine!

16.  Just for fun--what is a rotten tomato???

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

17.  What is a good think aloud made of?  How do you choose a think aloud?  

pg 55 "I share one think-aloud, then in a read-aloud/think-aloud continue doing the same process three times.  The purpose of this think-aloud is to model paraphrasing and figure it out by asking questions."  Continue reading on to pg 56!!

18.  Highlight, tag, dog-ear, paper clip <or sumpin'> pages 68-78.  How can you go wrong with these pages???  These are the BEST PAGES EVER!!!

And now....we are ready for Chapters 3 and 4!!

1.  What makes an expert reader an expert?

2.  What does stamina look like?

3.  What is a break book?

4.  Why is choice so important in independent reading?

5.  What does it mean to read in a state of flow?

6.  What are book series that you recommend for the classroom and what grade level?

7.  If you were going to create a 'play list', what books would be in it?

8.  Why does Maddie suggest that you have a partner book library?  How is it     organized?

9.  How would you use/organize a read-a-thon in your classroom?

10.  What is a book talk?  How can a book talk be used in a classroom?

11.  What would a recommendation basket do in      your classroom?  How would you set one up?

12.  Explain this:  I do.  We do.  You do.

13.  What are 'double entry journals' and what are their purpose?

14.  What can you learn from the table on pg 105?

Chapter 4

15.  How often/how long should shared reading be scheduled in the classroom?  What does it look like/sound like/include?

16.  What is 'accountible talk'?

17.  What is assigned reading? Why should we assign reading? At what grade       should assigned reading begin?

18.  Steps to Say Something pg 139--paraphrase this!

Challenge:

A.  Create a Goal Sheet for the amount of books read.  If you would like to      create one to share, I'll be glad to post it.  Just email it to me!

B.  Create a book calendar.  <refer to pg. 86>  If you would like to create one to share, I'll be glad to post it.  Just email it to me!

Resources:

Our friend Tasha also created a form for us to use which will help us communicate with parents!  I am SOOO excited about this!!  Click here to go pick it up!

The following books <just click on the pics and go to Amazon to read more> were mentioned and recommended by Maddie:

Here is a button for you to use on your blog if you would like to incorporate your thoughts into a post:

Remember we have this WONDERFUL BLOG that we can  explore.  You can get lost in it and best of all.....it goes with the book!  Also, here is the website for the book and the Facebook page that goes with it, too!

Reading Without Limits Book Study, Week 2

Hi, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by to participate in this GREAT book study again today!  

I want to again point out  the schedule we are going to be following.  

                                    Feel Free to Pin This!


If you haven't purchased the book you can find it at Amazon!  Just click on the link below and you can go straight to the book to purchase it.

Just click here to purchase!

Last week, OUR FIRST QUESTION was

WHAT WILL I GAIN FROM TAKING PART IN THIS BOOK STUDY?

Personally, I hope to gain some new techniques to use and possibly refine some of my old techniques so that I can be more effective!

Remember we have this WONDERFUL BLOG that we can  explore.  You can get lost in it and best of all.....it goes with the book!  Also, here is the website for the book and the Facebook page that goes with it, too!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

Here are some questions to think about and to respond to in the comments section later on:

Now to get started looking at 

Chapter 1--Finding Students Reading Levels

You can see that there are 4 focus points for chapter 1 <they are found on pg 25 of the book>:  Figure out the best levels for students by using running records, do group inventories to save time, match students with their correct reading level, and increase peer support.

Page 27 and 28 refers to Vygostsky, and I have to tell you that all I could remember about him before opening this book was that he was an atheist.  I had never connected him to the Zone of Proximal Development or differentiation in the classroom.  I have to admit to a tiny bit of an increase in admiration for him now!  

1.  How would you define the "Zone of Proximal Development"?

2.  Have you ever given a running record?  What is your experience with them?  

3.  What is the difference between a self-correction and a miscue?

4.  Why are tiered questions and retellings so important?

5.  Using the table on page 34, what correlations do you see?

6.  What is a QRI-5 and how can it be used as a group inventory?

7.  What is the difference in the type of texts that are used for choice reading, guided reading, and shared reading?  Where might we put Independent reading?  <CHALLENGE:  The first person that emails me a graphic of a table explaining this visually so that I can post it next week can go to my Teacher's Pay Teacher's store and choose an item that will be emailed to him or her as a thank you!>

8.  Read page 43.  Here is that Mild, Medium, and Spicy thing again!!!  <Create an example of an Anchor Chart that could be used in the classroom in graphic form or take a picture of it and email it in for us to look at next week.  The first person to email an example in will also get to choose an item from my store!>

Chapter 2--Teaching Students to Understand What They Read

You can see that there are 4 focus points for chapter 1 <they are found on pg 25 of the book>:  the importance of read alouds and think alouds, checking for understanding, avoiding pitfalls, choosing a 'just right' text for a think aloud, strategies like 'figuring it out' and paraphrasing, teaching strategies that cultivate lifelong readers.

9.  Pg. 52:  Who is James Lee and what did he figure out?

10.  What is strategic reading and why is it important?  How does it work?  What does it look like?  <Hint:  Look for a video to leave in the comment section that shows what strategic reading looks like>

11.  What does a dependent reader look like/sound like/work like?  <In the comment section tell us about a dependent reader you had and what you did to help him/her>

12.  What is paraphrasing?  How does it work?

13.  Page 57:  What is the gradual release of responsibility?  What would it look like in your classroom?

14.  What does it mean to 'check for understanding'?

15.  What are some strategies that can be used to move passive learners into becoming direct learners? <Hint:  Choose 2 strategies and describe them in the comment section....you never know if I might choose someone to win something.  =)>

16.  Just for fun--what is a rotten tomato???

17.  What is a good think aloud made of?  How do you choose a think aloud?  

18.  Highlight, tag, dog-ear, paper clip <or sumpin'> pages 68-78.  How can you go wrong with these pages???  These are the BEST PAGES EVER!!!

Resources:

An example of a Five Finger Test Poster by my friend Lyndsey Kuster...she has some of the cutest stuff!!!

Guided Reading Growth Chart

Fry Graph for Estimating Readability

Suggestions on how to set up a leveled library

Here is a button for you to use on your blog if you would like to incorporate your thoughts into a post:

Book Giveaway Winner and all sorts of other stuff!!

Congratulations to Stacy B.  She won The Transparent Teacher Giveaway!  If you aren't Stacy, but you still want the book, just click below and go to Amazon and put your order in!

Also, I wanted to let you know that I got my Easy-to-Fix-and-Get-Ready Summer Sanity packet finished.  So, if you are still in school or you have kids at home that you need to entertain, this is a great packet for you.  Just print it off and give it to your kids to fix if you are at home <only if you like living on the edge!>.  My group here at home are patiently <for now> waiting on me to get some more color ink to print off the flip flop antonym matching game.  You'd think that they haven't seen flip flops before!!!

Here is what the cover looks like:

You can check it out on Teachers Pay Teachers and have your kids review antonyms, dictionary drills, sentence work, and ABC order.  Or.....you can go and enter this summer giveaway and get this same pack <because everyone wins!!>.   I vote for the cheap route so you just have to enter the giveaway and follow all of the blogs that are listed.

Another remind:  This Wednesday I will have a blog up for Chapter 1 of Reading Without Limits

and will be including some freebies, so you won't want to miss that.  I'm pretty excited about it because the author of the book has already been by to offer support, so if we have any questions, we will defer to her!  It isn't often that we get an offer like that!!!  So....grab a book and study along with us.  It is pretty easy...all you have to do is answer a question or two <or chit chat--that's why we are converting over to the website www.chartsnchitchat.com....I'm all about the chit chat these days!!> in the comment section of the blog.  If you haven't left a comment yet, PLEASE LEAVE ONE!!!

Have a great weekend!  I'll be looking for you to come by!

Reading Without Limits Book Study--Week 1

Hi, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by to participate in this GREAT book study!  Today's post is going to start with an introduction and some housekeeping.  First, I want to let you know that I have ADDED a new title to the blog and we are now officially Charts 'N' Chit Chat.  We have a new address on the web:  http://www.chartsnchitchat.com and a new website on Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/chartsnchitchat.

Here is the schedule we are going to be following.  You will see that today that we are just getting started and we are going to become familiar with some outside resources that may assist us with the book study.  But first, here is our schedule:

                                    Feel Free to Pin This!


If you haven't purchased the book you can find it at Amazon!  Just click on the link below and you can go straight to the book to purchase it.

Just click here to purchase!

OUR FIRST QUESTION

WHAT WILL I GAIN FROM TAKING PART IN THIS BOOK STUDY?

First of all, you will gain some resources (those are call freebies in a blogger's world!!!), lots of knowledge, a large base of 'internet friends' that have the same struggles as you, and tools for your reading toolbox!!!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

Here are some questions to think about and to respond to in the comments section later on:

1.  What are the limits your students face when learning to read.  How did these limits get placed on them?  What do you plan to do about these limits?

2.  Who is Maddie Witter and why did she write this book?

3.  Go to this WONDERFUL BLOG and explore.  Tell us about it!

4.  Did you know that there is a website for the book with resources?  Tell us about it!

5.  Did you know that there is a Facebook page just about the book?  Go like it! What is being said on the FB page?

6.  In the preface of the book, we learn the purpose of the book.  What is the purpose of the book?

7.  What do you think of the terms 'mild, medium, and spicy'?  How are they used?

8.  In the preface, we learn what we need to do to help struggling readers.  Choose one to discuss.  How do you or how do you plan to make this happen in your classroom?

9.  What is the Reading Without Limits mission and how can it apply to you, your children, or your students?  Why is it important?

10.  In the introduction we learn about the components of a strong reading program.  What are they?  Which one are you struggling with?  Do you have a plan to improve it?  Can we help you come up with a plan to improve it?

11.  Take a look at the Reading Checklist for Part I.  Can you check those items off?  Do you have plan ready that will make you and your students stronger?

12.  Why was this book chosen for this summer's book study?

Here is a button for you to use on your blog if you would like to incorporate your thoughts into a post:

Thanks for dropping by...don't forget to pick a question or 2 and discuss them in the comment section!  I can't wait until next week when we really get to delve into the book even more! Also, for next week, read Chapters 1 and 2 and look for some great freebies!!!  Also, thanks to 3AM Teacher for the use of the cool orange shell background.

Next Year's Plans and This Summer's Book Study

If you look up at the top, you will notice that I have a slightly different banner, courtesy of my friend Tessa <her info is down at the bottom if you need her to tweak something for you>.  No, I'm not going through an identity crisis....I'm just switching things up and in just a few weeks you will be able to find me at a new .com address.  I'd tell you what it is now, but can't remember.  For Real!  Maybe I am having an identity crisis!!!  By the way, if you are getting a pop up that requests you to sign in and put in a passcode, just cancel it and keep on reading.  You are in no danger of being hacked.  Something is up with the html code as we change things around on here.  Never fear....Tessa is on the job!

I've already started a new Pinterest account, so if you want to start following me there, I will be grateful.  My address there is http://pinterest.com/chartsnchitchat and you can see all of the same things I had pinned under Best Practices 4 Teaching with some new organization.  I'll be working on that allllllll summer long!  If you have some specific boards that you would like to see, leave me a comment or 2 and I'll see what I can do!

I saw this cute little linky part hosted by

and decided to add in my thoughts.  So here is what I said....

And don't forget....I have a book study coming up, so you need to order your book now if you want to participate.  More details will be coming this week.  I also have LOTS of guest posters lined up for the summer to keep good info coming your way, so be sure to share all of this with your teacher friends. Here is the info.  Right now the book is on sale and they are saying that it may take an extra couple of days for delivery, so order it as soon as possible!  Just click on the pic of the book below and you can go to Amazon to purchase it!  Get ready for good incite, great ideas, and maybe a freebie or 2 here and there!


  If you click below, the link will take you straight to Amazon where you can purchase the book and be ready to rock and roll when the book study begins.  

Just click and go!

Bye for now!

Elements of a Writing Conference

An effective writing conference can reinforce a mini-lesson or previous teaching point and always moves the student forward as a writer by teaching him/her the current piece of writing.


Research

Make sure you thoroughly look over the student's writing before making comments. Check previous conference records to see what other comments, corrections, etc. have been made.  Ask the student "What are we working on today?  What are you trying to do as a writer?  

Compliment/Give Support

Make sure you find something to complement the writer on.  You want to follow a 'know and grow' mentality.  Tell the student what he or she 'knows' <is doing well> and the student will rise to the occasion!  

Decide and Teach/Reteach

Choose one area that you would like to reinforce.  Use language like "Let me teach you something else that good writer's do..." or "I saw this in a book one time.  The author _________.  Let's see if you can do something like this."  Another way to introduce a teaching point is to say, "Today I'd like to show you how to ________ your writing."

Guided Practice

Guide the student and give support.  Do not abandon your writer!  Help the writer find a place in the writing to incorporate the new skill.  At this point, it is OK to leave the writer and let him or her work independently.

Link

Give a reminder to the student that he/she is to try this during all writer's workshops.


**This was based on the Writer's Workshop Framework that was developed at the national Reading and Writing Institute at the Teacher's College of Columbia University


Below is my Know or Grow Writer's Conference From that helps me make sure that I cover all of the parts of a good writing conference.  Feel free to click on the pic and download it for FREE!!

I also wanted to let all of my readers know that starting in June, I will be doing a book study on the book Reading Without Limits by Maddie Witter.  It is an EXCEPTIONAL book with lots of great info that can be easily implemented into the classroom!  If you click below, the link will take you straight to Amazon where you can purchase the book and be ready to rock and roll when the book study begins.

Have a great Friday!

Best Book Ever: Reading Without Limits

This had been the most enjoyable and useful book that I have seen in quite a while.  It takes information from all of the other reading gurus out there, mixes it with some new ideas (like mild texts, medium texts, and spicy texts for friendly-kid reading) and makes you REALLY want to read it!!!

What surprised me most was that 25% of Americans didn't read a book last year.  And we wonder why our educational system if falling behind that of other countries!  Do you have those kids in your classroom that only read when you make them?  Well, I have tried several of the techniques in this book and now I have kids who CHOOSE to read because they can read about Avatar or Ninjago (I am still not sure what those are, but the parents are buying them, so I am letting them read them and do reading responses with them!).  

The thoughts and strategies behind Maddie Witter's 'program' were used in the #1 school in Manhattan...which happened to be in Harlem.  How can you beat that?  All of the chapters are great, but sense it 'tis the season, Chapter 12 has been my lifeline for the past few weeks.  This chapter centers on standardized test prep and how to do it the right way.  I plan to go page by page and get my kidlins ready for a SCARY test.  Not so much scary for them, but scary for me because I have so much riding on these scores.  So, enough of that before I give myself a migraine over the worry....I have to have faith!  

Go ahead and enter and I will send you two brand new copies!!   You saw that there are two pictures of the book up their right?  You wouldn't want me to share mine...it is written in, highlighted, and dog-eared!  So...I figured it was SO good that you would not want to read this alone....you would want to read it and discuss it with a friend!  Boo Yah!!  Don't you love brand new books?

a Rafflecopter giveaway