Reading Without Limits Book Study--Week 4

Hi friends!  We are now on week 4 so we will be going over Chapters 3 and 4 and looking at questions for Chapters 5 and 6!! Sorry that this post is going out so late, I plan to post these on Wednesday and tonight, it is getting posted around 11:30 EST.  I got it on here by the hair of my chinny chin chin!  Please let me know what your thoughts are about the book by answering in the comment area. Last week there were only 2 comments.  =(  <sniff, sniff>

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!

And now....here are some answers for Chapters 3 and 4.

1.  What makes an expert reader an expert?

Practice because practice makes perfect!

2.  What does stamina look like?

Stamina 'looks like' students doing what is expected of them for longer periods of time each time the behavior is practiced.

3.  What is a break book?

A 'break book' is a book that a student might read that may be on a lower level or on a topic that is not being studied at the moment.

4.  Why is choice so important in independent reading?

Choice puts the student 'in charge' and validates their learning.  <Jenn here:  There  are different ways to create 'episodes' of choice in your classroom.  There is 'controlled choice' where the student chooses out of a bucket filled with appropriate levels and then there is 'free choice' where the students are free to look through the classroom library. I suggest 'controlled choice' at the beginning of the year and scaffolding and modeling how to make good reading choices as the year goes on.>

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

Reading in a ‘state of flow’ means that the students are so engrossed in reading that they don’t realize how long they have read and do not want to stop!  I call this ‘high stamina’!

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

I teach 2^nd grade so I would recommend the Magic Tree House books, Flat Stanley, and Junie B. Jones.

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

For me:  Amelia Bedelia, books by Kevin Henkes and Tomie de Paola, and fairy tales!

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

A partner book library has books organized so that multiple copies are bundled and easy for students to grab and go buddy read together!

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

At the end of the school year when I was trying to get all of my running records done and end of the year testing completed, I had a read-a-thon in my classroom.  I challenged students to read a book, write a 2 sentence summary, and then move on to the next book.  I even had a prize for the student that read the most books and had really good summaries!

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

A book talk can be used to promote a book that others might want to read.  It is often used by librarians or classroom teachers to get students excited about a book.  I often read a snippet of the first chapter or the book jacket to motivate students.

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

A recommendation basket would bring lots of excitement to my kids.  They always want to read what I am reading or what I pull out to wow them with next!  I would probably set up a basket with my favorites from up above.

By the way have you seen the book hospitals?  These are great also!

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

See this link!  It is an excellent explanation!!

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

Here is a template for a double entry journal and it even has an explanation!  Go grab this freebie!

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

I learned how to use symbols to help students link their thinking to reading skills.  Can you imagine having a poster like this?  It would make a great anchor chart!

Chapter 4

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

Maddie recommends scheduling 4 blocks of shared reading each week.  Each block should last at least 30 minutes.  Shared reading can be used to spiral skills that have previously been talked, model new strategies, and plug on ahead with ‘think alouds’.   Don’t forget Close reading!  This information can be found on pages 118-130.

16.  What is 'accountible talk'?

Accountable talk is discussions between the class or partners and often involve using sentence starters.

Jenn here—We often prod student thinking by giving ‘private think time’ after giving a sentence starter so that students have time to gather their thoughts and can be direct with their conversation.

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

Assigned reading is when the teacher says, “Read pages ______. You will need to be done by ______.  Let’s get started!”  Maddie says that assigned reading should be used in the classroom because helps students prepare for deadlines in the real world.  I know that 2^nd graders aren’t ready for assigned reading, as their reading levels differ so greatly.  However, if used in a group by group basis and not in whole group, it might just work!

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

Students must decide which partner will speak.  Students choose from a list of skills that are used to discuss what was read.  If the students can’t answer any questions or discuss the book, then they reread.

Now, here are the questions for Chapter 5 and Chapter 6!!

Chap 5

1.  Why should a teacher follow the same procedures every time a group meets?

2.  Why do students need to read out loud?

3.  Pages 147-152 have the procedures for a guided reading group. List them in the

order they are prescribed.

4.  What does Maddie recommend on pg 155 as far as grouping?

5.  Look at table 5.1. Pick out your grade level and summarize what needs to be

taught.

Chap 6

6.  What kind of seating is important for your classroom?

7.  What does Maddie mean when she says, ‘Make college visible’?

8.  How is your classroom set up?

9.  What does it mean to ‘market’ your books?

Here are guided reading sheets that I use with my groups.  Just click here!

Here is a list of books that Maddie recommends for these chapters.  Just click on the pic of the book to go to Amazon and read about it!

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!

Organized Partner Talk

I went to an awesome afternoon of professional development on Wednesday.  I had the honor of observing one of our premier Kindergarten teachers, Steven Hinkle, during shared reading and got to conference with some of his kids.  After our observation, we were able to sit down and reflect on his lesson and he was able to share some of his tools of the trade!  Here is one of his recommendations that really hit home with me and I plan to try it this week:

Steven recommended using a 1 inch cube for the first partner to use when talking because it is the perfect size for a little hand.  He says that he taught his students to pass the cube to make sure that both partners get to talk.  Students can only speak when they are holding in the cube!  Each student starts his/her comments off with "This is what I remember...."  Awesome!

After giving each partner time to talk, he asks 3 questions:

1.  Did you talk?
2.  Did your partner talk?
3.  Did you listen?

The visit to his classroom made me want to teach Kindergarten....almost!

I Think You Are Wonderful

So, it is lunch time here and it is just me, my candy, and a diet coke.  Healthy.

I normally don't blog during the school day because there just isn't time to form a coherent sentence.  But, today, this is my therapy.  

Last night was filled with turmoil as we tried to explain how important truth and homework is.....ever tried to rationalize life with a ten year old bi-polar child with the beginnings of a hormonal spiral that just may send her parents over the deep end?  You'll understand when I tell you that I only slept 3 hours last night, and it wasn't because I was worried about the state of our country after the election yesterday.

Today, I got to work in just the nick of time when I received a text from my husband saying that during the night his mom had been taken to the hospital <from the nursing home> and was being moved to the ICU due to double pneumonia.  With anyone, that is not good.....but my mother-in-law, whom I love dearly suffers from an encyclopedia of auto-immune disorders and diseases, the worst of which is auto-immune hepatitis which has caused problems with her liver and ovarian cancer.  We are not sure what stage the cancer is at this time because she is not strong enough for a biopsy, let alone chemotherapy or radiation.

So, my already bad mood quickly turned to sadness.  I love my mother-in-law.  She is one of the wisest women I know.  When my husband and I have a disagreement or I am not sure which way to turn with my kids, I seek her out for counsel....something I thought I'd never do after watching my mother and my dad's mother interact with each other.

As my kids started coming into the room I couldn't help wonder what I was going to do.  My thoughts and prayers have been on my mother-in-law all day.  When you are barely keeping the worry lines out of your face and out of your voice, how do you set it aside and go from there?  My students noticed that I was not a happy camper, so they were pretty somber, too.  One of my students asked, "Can we listen to that song we sang yesterday?".  Wonderful idea, so we did.

The song, "I Think You Are Wonderful" by my friend Debbie Clement is a great pick me up song. And, a great song to use for shared reading.  Except this morning, it didn't rejuvenate me quite like it did yesterday.  But, the lyrics go like this:

I think you're wonderful,
I think you're marvelous,
I think you're beautiful and magical
And filled with curiosity....and dreams.

Debbie, forgive me for the copyright infringement....the story is only as good as the lyrics.

My kids were singing along when one of my kids changed the lyrics, I guess in response to my doom and gloom demeanor.  They began singing:

Mrs. Ayers you're wonderful,
Mrs. Ayers you're marvelous,
I think you're beautiful and magical
And filled with curiosity.....and dreams.

The whole time they were singing this, I was thinking about my poor mother-in-law in the ICU with all of the tubes, hoses, and alarms.

I honestly thought I was going to loose it!  The words themselves were beautiful....but the thoughts behind them at this point were HONESTLY magical.  So, I sort of tweaked my plans to help me through the morning.....sort of.....musical therapy and art therapy as I sat quietly with them surrounding me and made this:

I wish I had been able to take pictures of their own responses to the song...I ran out of time because I am going to take a day off tomorrow.  But, Debbie, my friend......know that your song impacted my whole class and made my heart full today.

The song came on a CD inside her book.  I highly recommend that you purchase it.  I know that it is recommended for Pre-K or Kindergarten graduation, but it is flexible apparently!  If you want to take a look at the book and its information, just click below on the picture.

Just to let you know, my husband and I went to the hospital right after work and were able to go into the ICU to see my mother-in-law.  She is weak, her breathing is labored, but she was able to tell us that she loved us.

She's wonderful,

She's marvelous,

She's beautiful and magical

And once was filled with curiosity....and dreams.

**Excuse typos and bad grammar.  It has been a long, hard day.