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!  

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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!

Theory of Gradual Release of Responsibility

Have you ever heard of the Theory of Gradual Release of Responsibility?  This could probably be used to define my whole method of teaching.  


There are 4 stages of instruction: model, share, guide, and independent.  


1.  Modeling is done whole group with little to no participation from the students.


2.  During the Shared stage, the students interact with the teacher, but the teacher is still providing the modes for instruction.


3.  The next stage is Guided, where the student shows the teacher if he or she has understood the lesson and the teacher is there to coach the student.  This is not a time for teaching, it is a time for the teacher to decide the next step and/or type of instruction for the students.


4.  The Independent stage is done purely by the student without help from the teacher.  This can be in the form of performance tasks, centers, assessments, or projects.


In schools today, this is most comfortably seen in the form of modeled reading (model a strategy), shared reading (students help the teacher with the strategy), guided reading (small group meetings where the students use the strategy and are coached by the teacher), and independent reading and centers where the students use the strategy alone.  


When I first started using this theory in my classroom, it blew my mind because I couldn't get a grasp on how to lay it out in my plans.  If differentiation occurs, all 4 stages could be occurring in the classroom, so I came up with a planning guide that helped me think through my planning and I was finally able to internalize the sequences.  Below you will see a form I used when I first incorporated this into my teaching.  Just click on that pic to download it and a blank form!  

I'll warn you, this will be clear as mud until you keep practicing it in your classroom!


The packet that you can download shows an example of several weeks of a VERY simple plan.  My plans were set up like this, only in much smaller boxes.  I had a sheet for each subject that I taught.  Be cautioned that you do not have to spend a whole week modeling some skills, so the plan may change mid-week.  I just made a note on the plan that students were progressing fast and I was moving on.


I hope that you find this helpful!


Enjoy!