Saturday, November 6, 2010

Chapter 5 Read to Someone and Listen to Reading Deep Thoughts

A quote worth repeating:
"I have seen master teachers who always maintain a positive attitude toward teaching and learning- and they always get results." 

I couldn't agree more about what a difference attitude and disposition makes!  Now on to the reading...

Read to Someone
  • Is Read to Someone the favorite part of Daily 5 for your students?
  • Have you felt frustrated by the noise or accountability issues?  If so, how have you handled it?

Introducing Read to Someone
  • What matters the most is presenting a series of lessons for a period of days with step-by-step modeling and practice.
Focus Lesson Day 1: EEKK, Voice, Check
  • Do we have a TJ posted set of the RTS definitions for:
    • EEKK
    • I Read, You Read
    • Choral Read
    • Reading One Book
    • Reading Different Books
    • Check for Understanding
  • Voice level
    • Does everyone have the voice level poster/anchor chart?
  • Check for Understanding
    • Do any of you use an object for the non-reader to hold during Check for Understanding?
  • I-Chart, Modeling, Practice, and Check-in
    • I loved that the kids made the connection between Read to Self and Read to Someone.  Go kids!
    • I loved the direct aspect of teach, model, practice, review, repeat.......
  • Self-selected Work Areas
    • Do you let the pairs choose?  Do you choose for them?
Read to Someone Focus Lesson Day 2: I Read, You Read
  • Have you noticed one "way" that works better? 
    • Check for understanding with one book
    • I Read, You Read with one book with parrot reading for fluency practice
    • Read Two Different Books with two books
Read to Someone Focus Lesson Day 3: How to Choose Books
  • Are the kids able to choose books for RTS or do you choose?
  • How do the strategies of "Let's Make a Deal" and "Rock, Paper, Scissors" work in your classroom?
Read to Someone Focus Lesson Day 4: Choosing Your Own Classroom Spot
  • I like how they weave the psychology in to this step.  They have controlled this variable up to now and now that the procedures for behaviors and book choice are in place they can release responsibility to the students to choose their own "spot".  How did your students do when you let them choose their spot?
Read to Someone Focus Lesson Day 5: How to Choose a Partner
  • Have you made an anchor chart for this "How to Choose a Partner"
  • I LOVE how they include the lifeskills part of this process.  "The only acceptable answer is "Sure, thank you!" when someone asks you to be his or her partner.
  • Model, model, model, monitor, monitor, monitor :)
Read to Someone Focus Lesson Day 6: Coaching or Time?
  • This part was hard for me to visualize.  Our little people are somewhat egocentric so having to wait until 3 or give a coaching strategy versus the answer seems like a very grown up skill.
  • Do you have a Reading Coach Anchor chart?  How did it go?
  • What about a Reading Coach cheat sheet?  Do we have decoding and comprehension strategies?  Are they district generated?  How do our beginning readers navigate through this process?
Listen to Reading
  • I love the goal of having kids "catch up" on lap time if needed by listening to reading and then transitioning to Read to Self or Read to Others when they have "caught up".
  • What do you think of the idea of putting headphones on a school supply list????
  • The idea of a consistent, explicit, instructional pattern for each of the "5" is such a good investment and is so pedagogically sound.
Focus Lessons
  • How do kids listen to reading in your reading?  Tapes, CDs, computer?
  • Is this a "job" for students to be the Techie so that the teacher can continue working with a student or group?  Career preparation :)  The sisters call it "Listen to Reading Helpers".
  • I am still not sure about modeling procedures incorrectly, but I will abstain as I am not in the trenches trying it :)