Thank you for analyzing the QRIs. We will be sharing our findings the next time we are together.
We will NOT be posting a video for you to analyze this week. People expressed that they were stressed about their projects, so we are giving this time to just focus on that. Disregard the syllabus to do an assignment on the blog.
Please respond to Chapter 9 Learning Logs below.
Chapter 9 Responses
ReplyDeleteI agree with Scannell’s use of chapter books. I am currently working with a 7th grader whose instructional level is 6th grade, so I decided to use a full-length historical fiction chapter book. I knew that he was interested in the civil War and Abraham Lincoln, so I chose something that is interesting to him and still provides enough of a challenge.
Also, Truesdell’s response about the background knowledge of the reader is very crucial. When doing the QRI assessments, I discovered that my student was very interested in history, and I think that it actually helped him perform better on the assessment. Furthermore, this led me to find some historical fiction books and let him choose which he wanted to read.
I agree with B. Matiash's comment about how no one program is going to help every child. Children need individualized programs according to where their instructional reading level is. This level is acquired by an authentic assessment given by the teacher. The results of this assessment should be used to drive the instruction. A plan should be put into place that includes a balanced literacy program. There is absolutely no pre-packaged program that can substitute for the knowledge the teacher gains from working with his/her students on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI agree with E. Benigno comments about letting the children choose their own books. I have found this approach to be very successful in my years teaching primary students. In the primary grades it is quite easy to do once you find out what interests your students. I organize the books into color coded baskets according to level and topic. This makes the books easily accessible to your students. Allowing students to choose their own books allows them the freedom of choosing a story/topic that will engage them in literacy, as well as foster their independence.
In Response to M.Carter's second point:
ReplyDeleteI have used a lower level version of both Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet by Shakespeare in my ESL classes while student teaching. I found them to be very effective. Students expressed that they wanted to read Shakespeare. Knowing that their English level was too low to read Shakespearean language, I choose the rewritten classics. The students understood the story and they were able to analyze the themes of the plays. On top of that, they were also able to really enjoy the stories. However, that was for only ESL students. Could the same happen for native English speakers? I'm not sure. One thing I did do was I choose important parts of the plays and read them in the simple version and the original Shakespeare and we compared the different styles. I found that to be a great way to introduce upper level text.
I agree with J.Jones 3rd point about high interest books. It's so hard to find high interest low readablility books, especially for upper grade students. Most students would not want to be caught dead with a "baby book" so they may completely discourage them from reading. High interest texts not only help the student with their reading, it doesn't display the fact that they are struggling. They can feel success and eventually they'll want to read more. The more they read, the better they will become.
Chapter 9 Response
ReplyDeleteIn response to L Polizzi's first comment, part of the reason that not all methods work will all students is in part due to their different learning styles. Each student may learn differently, whether it be orally, visually, kinesthetically or otherwise.
In responce to K Scannell's point about Using the internet to find social studies material, I too have found this a great tool in math too. I recently gave students an assignment to find graphs in newspapers and magazines, and as a side note told them they could also use the internet. Then I realized that not many print sources actually contain graphs anymore, so my students may be forced to rely on the internet.
In regards to V. Klender's point: Page 161 “Reading is a construction of meaning with text. It is an active process of using background knowledge along with the text.”
ReplyDeleteIf the reader is reading the words and not getting any meaning out of it, if the reader can’t answer questions then I would have to say the level book is too hard for that student. If they can read it, they are just calling out the words and not getting the message of the story.
I think that making meaning with text is really the point of reading. So it is essential to help students find texts that is not only in their reading level, but that they can relate to and enjoy. I think that finding texts that they are interested in will be easier if they have the appropriate background knowledge, and I think that Valerie makes a good point about ensuring that students are not just reading words, but making meaning.
Regarding her chapter 9 post Connie wrote, "The main point here is that it is and ACTIVE process, being a robot and reading does not mean you construct meaning." I think this is a really important point that can be generalized to all facets of the educational process. Learning itself is an active process and to make meaning students must interact with the material. I also think that the interaction with the material (time on task) must be "minds-on" not just "hands-on"- that is students must be actively engaged (deeply thinking) about the content.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Kayleigh's point:
ReplyDelete“Chapter books do not have an instructional manual, nor are they designated to a specific grade level”.
I like chapter books because they are catered towards the middle school and junior high school age levels. The student I am working with is a low reader but he is very sensitive. I feel that he should not be embarrassed at what he is reading, he should be happy about what he is reading. I do not want him to feel different because he has to read lower level book in front of the other kids so I was able to use chapter books. This helped drastically with his confidence because he felt as if what he was reading was the same as the other kids.
This point is true for me and the student that I am tutoring for the common assignment. After finding out her interests and doing a baseline assessment, we decided on the book The Diary of Anne Frank for her tutoring sessions. I felt this was a good choice because although this book is at an upper middle school reading level, it seems like a thick book about an adult subject matter. My student is enjoying it, partially because it is a chapter book that is at the appropriate level.
Kaleigh wrote in her chapter 9 post, “Teacher development is viewed as an active process where the teachers engage in instruction and reflection in order to advance their understanding of teaching reading.” The reason I picked this passage is because it dove-tails so nicely with Connie's post (what I spoke of in my last response). While it is so important for students to be reflective thinkers and learners I think it is equally important for teachers and other professionals. Though the phrase is so often heard it is almost clique, I honestly believe that teachers need to be "life long learners"- have a passion for kids, the content and learning itself.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to K. O'Brien's statement:
ReplyDelete"No longer will the one-day workshop with no follow-up be sufficient (International Reading Association, 2005)." P.161
Thank Goodness for that statement!! I'm so glad the reading association finally declared this and realized the importance of teachers working together to help our children become more literate. Teachers need time to discuss, reflect, develop and implement ideas from these workshops. A one day deal has never been sufficient and I'm thrilled that they are finally realizing it. I think the importance of literacy development has been highlighted in most school districts over the past couple of years and they are trying to make necessary changes. Unfortunately this continues to happen too slowly! At first I think it was because of administrator’s lack of knowledge about literacy but now I think it is lack of funding. Districts need to have several reading specialist/reading coaches in their building to work closely with teachers to close the gap for these struggling readers.
I completely agree with this statement! Far too often PD turns into a one day reprieve from classroom teaching that has little transfer to actual teaching practice. I think the best PD however is sustaining and on going and I that's why I think the idea of the reading coach is very promising. If the person providing the PD is a person in the building who knows the ins and outs of the building, this person can provide on going support to make those strategies learned in the PD a reality.
I read through Karrie's (KJones) relfection from Chapter 9 and found her comments about math textbooks very true. I also teach math and have encountered some very difficult textbooks. Karrie pointed out that these textbooks have a great deal of technical vocabulary and very few context clues. There have been times that my students have been so distracted and confused by unfamiliar vocabulary words that they lose sight of the real meaning or point of the lesson/activity.
ReplyDeleteCDevlin discussed some of her thoughts about watching a video of the text prior to reading it. I agree that seeing the video forst takes the motivation and interest out of reading the text. Students often do not see the purpose of reading a story when they already know what's going to happen. I do think a video that illustrated the theme or idea of the story may be helpful in activating the students' prior knowledge before reading. Real-life, current applications of the text such as interviews or news clips about the topic ot theme of the text may be helpful in improving comprehension. I always think it's a good idea to incorporate different media sources when possible and appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with M. Carter when he discusses determining students interests based on the books that they chose. You can obviously see what students are interested in by the books that they chose to read. You can tell that my son is a superhero freak because all the books that he picks out to read are about superheros!
ReplyDeleteAccording to J. Hejza, finding texts that have high interest and low readability can be very difficult. I think that we lucked out having Ellen in our class though becuase she has some great resources for high interest, low readability texts!
I am responding to Ellen's comment on that text books contain-specific information and abstract concepts that make comprehension difficult. Also when I was in school I had difficulty in history. I agree the teacher would assign readings and that end of the chapter questions and some time later there would be a test. It was easy to read and answer the questions but I was not comprehending any of it. I also agree with Ellen's next comment on interesting reading material. It is up to the teacher to make it interesting for the students to learn.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to ccroff comment on teachers often use inappropriate materials because they lack the knowledge of how to make suitable selections. I agree completely with your response. I also consider myself one of those teachers who lack knowledge. I think it takes many years of finding out what works really well. Then you may find that it works one year and not another. I love the thought of literacy coaching. I think its great to just be able to go to someone for advice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with C. Devlin that many district's instructional materials often coincide with their views of reading. When I student taught in an elementary school in Niagara Falls, I noticed that they use a packaged program that advertises great successes in reading achievement. However, while using the program I noticed that more individualized and differentiated instruction is necessary.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with C. Croff that chapter books are great learning tools to use in the classroom. I also think that they are great discussion starters, not only for reading instruction but life lessons/stuggles as well. I think that the students relate well to the events in many chapter books. Unfortunately I do not see much use of chapter books in the classroom due to book shortages and lack of class sets. Most of the chapter books are independent reading books.